Touchstone (Garth Nix character)

This is a list of characters from The Old Kingdom Series, a set of novels by Australian author Garth Nix. The series comprises five novels: Sabriel (1995), Lirael (2001), Abhorsen (2003), Clariel (2014), and Goldenhand (2016). In 2006, Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories was released, which contained the novella "The Creature in the Case", which was set after Abhorsen.

A powerful necromancer and later one of the Greater Dead. At the beginning of Lirael, she approaches antagonist Hedge at the Red Lake; but falls under his control. She wears a bronze mask over her face, giving her the name. Her story was further developed in Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen, wherein Clariel was the granddaughter of the Abhorsen. She was also a cousin of the royal family. Mogget manipulates Clariel and she becomes corrupted by Free Magic. Her face became horribly scarred in Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen leading her to don the bronze mask. She is exiled at the end of Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen. During this exile, Clariel adopted the name Chlorr when she chose to sacrifice her humanity in order to become more powerful and extend her life.

In Abhorsen, she is forced to flee the battle at the second binding of Orannis by Mogget and Lirael.

In Goldenhand she is also known as "The Witch with No Face". Over the centuries, Chlorr has been able to insert her spirit into different bodies whenever her current body is destroyed or rendered beyond repair/healing. Her bodies are young women supplied by the Northern Tribes. These women are called "Offerings" and their only purpose is to be a future vessel for Chlorr. They are groomed from birth to be a suitable host for her.

Chlorr's original physical body is a skeletal corpse buried in Life. Her burial site lies beyond "The Great Rift"; a desolate desert plain north of the Old Kingdom devoid of growth and air. Charter magic does not exist on this plain. A portion of her spirit is anchored in Death. This spirit portion is connected to her corpse in Life. Therefore, no matter how many times she is "killed"; Chlorr can always come back from Death due to her 'whole' spirit not being made to walk through the Ninth Gate.

Though unseen throughout the series, many references are made to Corolini in Lirael and Abhorsen, wherein Corolini is the leader of the extremist 'Our Country' Party, which holds the balance of power in Ancelstierre. He accepts huge sums of Old Kingdom gold to use his party's influence to send 200,000 refugees across the Wall, to death and enslavement by Hedge, and orchestrates the assassination attempt on King Touchstone and Abhorsen Sabriel. After this, he launches a coup; but fails to gain control over the Hereditary Arbiter (the Ancelstierran ceremonial head of state, similar to the Queen of England). Corolini's government has ceased to exist by the events of Creature in the Case.

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