The King of the Silver River is a recurring magical character in the Shannara saga by Terry Brooks.
He is a powerful Faerie creature who has given help to countless generations of heroes, many of which from the House of Shannara. His powers, although vast, are mostly limited to his own lands near the Silver River and the Rainbow Lake, which is why he usually is not found too far away from them.
Magic Abilities[]
While the full extent of his power is unknown, the King of the Silver River has demonstrated many great abilities.
- Can change his form at will, most often taking the form of an elderly man.
- Can transport himself and others to different parts of his territory or even to a mystical plane of existence.
- Can create elemental beings, such as Quickening, which can act independently of himself and are not limited to his lands as he is.
Apart from his own magical powers, the King of the Silver River often imparts magical artifacts and talismans upon his chosen allies. It is unknown whether he creates these objects of magic or merely possesses them.
Biography[]
The King of the Silver River is the oldest surviving living being in the Four Lands. He was one of the first creatures created by the Word, the force that all things came from. He was made caretaker of the gardens that he protects, the last remnants of land from the Age of Faerie that survive in the new. He was one of the few beings to survive the Great Wars, and set about seeding the new world with that contained in his gardens. As time went on, the people of the lands gave him the name of the country he claimed, calling him the King of the Silver River.
As a result of his concern for the land, the King of the Silver River often interacts with the defenders of the Four Lands.
Appearances[]
Genesis of Shannara[]
When Hawk and Tessa are thrown off the high walls of the Safeco Compound, the King of the Silver River saves them mid-fall and brings them into his garden. He speaks with Hawk about his origin as a Gypsy Morph and his purpose of saving the human and elven races from the catastrophic end of the Old World.
While he doesn't say it to Hawk himself, he confirms to the reader that he is the Gypsy Morph's father.
- "You are as much my child as you are anyones... my last, best hope."
- ―The Elves of Cintra (2007), chap. 4
The First Druids of Shannara[]
The King of the Silver River appears to Galaphile, advising him to create an order of magic wielders (eventually called the Druids) to keep the peace amongst the Four Lands. He also gifts Galaphile a dagger.
First King of Shannara[]
He came to the Druid Bremen when he was passing through the Silver River country, and let him rest for a night while he stood watch. This would go onto be one of his least significant appearances.
The Sword of Shannara[]
The King of the Silver River would save Shea Ohmsford and his brother Flick Ohmsford from a Skull Bearer as they fled their home of Shady Vale. This allowed the brothers to reach stong allies and eventually destroy the Warlock Lord.
The Elfstones of Shannara[]
60 years later, he would appear again and save Wil Ohmsford, Shea's grandson, as well as the chosen girl Amberle from a pack of Demonwolves. This is where we begin to see his liking to not just the forces of good, but of the House of Shannara.
The Wishsong of Shannara[]
20 years later, he appeared to Wil's son, Jair Ohmsford. He took the Blue Elfstones from Jair and soonafter would return them to Shady Vale. In exchange, he gave Jair a vision crystal, Silver Dust, the ability to one time only use the wishsong in reality, and the protection of Garet Jax. He also sent Jair on a quest to Heaven's Well, source of the Silver River, to purify it of the poison of the Mord Wraiths, and to save his sister Brin from the corruption of the Ildatch.
The Heritage of Shannara[]
In the next chapter of history, the King of the Silver River faded from history for the most part, becoming a legend to almost all. However, he secretly worked diligently to fight against the Shadowen. During this time, he discovered the presence of his long-lost brother, who drew his power from stone. Uhl Belk, the Stone King, as he was called, threatened to turn the land to stone. To stop him, the King created the elemental Quickening as his daughter, and sent her to gather the assistance of Walker Boh, Morgan Leah, and Pe Ell to restore Eldwist, Belk's domain, to its true state. Although he knew her future and loved her greatly, he sent her forth for the good of the Four Lands. In the process, Quickening died, and the King felt close to humanity for perhaps the first time, experiencing a hint of mortality, himself.
It did not prevent him from acting to protect the Ohmsford brothers, Par and Coll, from the Shadowen leader Rimmer Dall. However, as the King of the Silver River struggled with the Shadowen, Par's wishsong was released, and the King lost his hold on Par.
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara[]
130 years later, the King of the Silver River came to Bek Ohmsford, giving him a magical Phoenix Stone and revealing to him hints of the truth about his lost sister Grianne. During these hints to Bek, he warned the young Ohmsford by appearing in the forms of Grianne as a young child and then her turning into a monsterous creature like the Morgawr.
High Druid of Shannara[]
20 years after that, the King of the Silver River saved Bek's son Pen Ohmsford and the reliable Tagwen from treacherous Druids and set Pen the task of finding the legendary Tanequil tree, to obtain a Darkwand talisman and save his aunt Grianne.
He later came again to Bek, informing him of Pen's status and also telling him of the need for his help in defeating a demon called the Moric.
The Dark Legacy of Shannara[]
About 100 years after that, the King of the Silver River came to Railing Ohmsford during his quest to find what remains of Grianne Ohmsford and get her help to rescue his brother Redden. The King of the Silver River warns Railing that he should not pursue Grianne and things will not turn out in the way that he hopes. Even as Railing resists the King of the Silver River's advice, he gifts the young Ohmsford a magical ring made up of about a dozen gold strands woven together. By removing a strand, magic guides the user to a place they wish to find.
Physical Appearance[]
The King of the Silver River has the ability to change his form but usually appears either as a boy or an old man. However, he has also appeared in the forms of Grianne Ohmsford and the Morgawr. His only accessory of any sort is a lantern of varying forms, which is actually a symbol of his magic: the Light of the Word.