Sunder Havelton was a former faculty member (specifically, Dean of Arcane Acquisitions) at the Lost University, and a friendly rival of The Great Fantasmo. After the fall of the university, she joined the New Archives as curator-in-residence. She later resides and teaches at the Last University again after it is repopulated.
Appearance
Sunder is a human woman in her late forties or early fifties. Like her colleague Uklan Tel, she wears clothing typical of the New Archives, featuring robes, lots of belts and pockets and strange equipment, and a sword, in the style of a Final Fantasy mage.[1] In the time between her parting with the Ice Party after their adventures in the Tower of Samot and Throndir spotting her inside the Topgallant, her curly red hair has gone a bit grey. Has a "big, full body."[2]
Personality
A "cool aunt".[1] Samol describes her as "blooming, boisterous, adventurous".[3] Beloved by her students. She is quite practical, having learned both the arcane magic of the University and pattern magic. Austin compares her to a witchblade or a D&D sorcerer in terms of adaptability and access to wilder magic, as she's bolder than Fantasmo.[1] Self described as "[maybe] the second-greatest magician alive".[4]
She smokes, and can roll her own cigarettes.[2] Her lack while visiting the Topgallant is her old curiosity.[2]
History and Involvement
In Autumn in Hieron, the Ice Party meets her and Uklan while investigating the Mark of the Erasure. During Winter in Hieron, Throndir speaks to her in the Topgallant, while a Mountain Party episode reveals she was originally sent to the Buoy by a pattern magic ritual, as part of a project to heal the original pattern. Sunder joins Stornras Glasseye in taking the Blade in the Dark to Jerod Shiraz after it's broken.
Between seasons, she was apparently instrumental in the Ordennan Dissent which struck back against Fela Malle. In Spring in Hieron, she rejoins the Last University as a teacher and an important part of the leadership. She notices Benjamin's magical aptitude and recognizes that someone has been teaching him magic, educating him further as they work on the Starstuff barrier.
This section contains spoilers for Spring in Hieron 44: The Second Spring Pt. 6.
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In the Rhizome, she is put off by the new magic of augury. Nonetheless, she is the leader of the Understanding which uses augury to stages a false flag operation. Benjamin starts to figure out what happened, projecting himself through time into her memories. In response, she flees, only for him to catch up to her in the midst of a storm, saving her life and take her back to the University.
See also
- List of characters in the Ice Party arc
- List of characters in the second Forest Party arc
- List of characters in the second Mountain Party arc