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The Many Colored Land ("The Many Coloured Land" in the UK) is the first book of the Saga of the Pliocene Exile (or the Saga of the Exiles in the UK) by American author Julian May. It sets the series up by introducing the story of each of the characters. The main purpose of the book is to provide information for the rest of the series, only beginning the main storyline in its final part.
Characters
Galactic Milieu
[edit] to right of the section title.- Angélique Guderian
- See Madame Guderian below.
Human Exiles
Group Green
[edit] to right of the section title.Elizabeth was a talented metapsychic practitioner on the human colonised planet Denali, but suffered severe injuries which resulted in the loss of her metafaculties. Unable to cope with the trauma of this, she traveled to the Pliocene hoping to travel freely in a hot air balloon. But in an ironic twist, the shock of time travel caused her operant powers to return. The Tanu race regard her with awe as no other metapsychic operants have come through the gate, and treat her as something of a celebrity.
A persistent troublemaker, young Aiken Drum refused to be bent to the will of society. Offered the choice of incarceration, docilization or euthanasia, he instead chose Exile to the Pliocene. Always landing on his feet, his quick wits and schemes earned him respect from his fellow time travelers, and his latent metapsychic abilities earned him a silver torc from the Tanu. But a greater future lies ahead for this maverick Scot.
Felice starts the book as a tremendously talented athlete, with superhuman strength and forceful personality. She chooses to go into Exile when she is banned from her sport, two other players accused her of deliberately hurting them. In Exile, she discovers her powers are stronger than she had previously expected but refused to be taken by the Tanu. Later in the book, Felice joins the Lowlives helping them discover that 'Blood-Metal' (aka iron) can kill the 'Exotics'. She is determined to get a gold torc throughout the book, confident that it will make her powerful enough to take on the Tanu.
Richard is an ex-spacer who came to Pliocene after being sued by a space crew who he refused to help whilst on a mission for a client. Richard tries to act tough throughout the book and often refuses to help other people, especially the Lowlives, but always comes through for them in the end. Richard is most notable in the book for killing the first Tanu to die in the book, in the process discovering iron to be a potent weapon against them. As an all-around navigator, he helps the Lowlives find the Ship's Grave which may be the key to freeing Pliocene humanity from the Tanu. He also flies the aircraft at the end of the book being the only one with enough experience to work out how.
Bryan works as an anthropologist in the Galactic Milieu but goes into Exile in pursuit of his love, Mercy. When he arrives in the Many Colored Land, he is regarded as special by the Tanu, who allow him to work bareneck, without a torc, while he is there. In the time where Bryan is the main view-point he often quotes There is a lady sweet and kind by Thomas Ford:
There is a lady sweet and kind,
Was never face so pleas'd my mind;
I did but see her passing by,
And yet I love her till I die.
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Group Yellow
[edit] to right of the section title....
Other humans
[edit] to right of the section title.Widow of the late Théo Guderian, inventor of the time gate to the Pliocene epoch. Longtime host to the Auberge that prepared would be time travelers for their journey into Exile. Eventually she herself passed through gate herself and became the leader of the Lowlives.
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The Tanu
[edit] to right of the section title.- Lord Creyn
Creyn is a kindly redactor, a specialist in healing, who takes Elizabeth under his wing.
- Lord Velteyn
Aggressive and the leader of the Flying Hunt, Velteyn is the city lord of Finiah, site of the barium mine where the raw materials for torcs are produced.
- Nodonn Battlemaster
Nodonn is a powerful psychokinetic and the battle champion of the Tanu, and the husband of Mercy, Bryan Grenfell's beloved. He is the leader of the Host of Nontusvel.
- Lady Epone
Epone is the cruel coercive Tanu lady who oversees the transport of some of the prisoners from Castle Gateway, and also conducts their psychic testing. She is the first Tanu to be killed in the book, at the hands of her prisoners armed with iron.
The Firvulag
[edit] to right of the section title.- Fitharn Pegleg
A liaison to and close ally of the Lowlives, Fitharn is a wise cohort of the Lowlife contingent and representative of the Firvulag. He often acts as scout in Firvulag controlled areas and acts a sort of diplomat between the humans and is people.
- King Yeochee IV
Casual monarch of the Firvulag and a 'First Comer'. Not a giant, but savvy and powerful among his people. He has mixed feelings about helping and recieving help from the Lowlives.
Leader of the Howlers faction of the Firvulag, Sugoll is greatest in both power and grotesqueness among his people.
- Pallol One-Eye
Grizzled and giant Battlemaster to the Firvulag. One of the 'First Comers'. Grudgingly accepts support from the Lowlives, but wishes they're help was not needed.
The Rebels
[edit] to right of the section title.Mysterious and powerful leader of the Metapsychic Rebellion, Marc is only mentioned in passing by Elizabeth.
