Brutus
Brutus is a fire mage instructor at the mage guild academy, known for harsh, experiential training that prepares his students for real danger rather than lectures. He becomes Finn’s covert mentor and public sponsor, shielding him from guild politics while quietly advancing his education beyond what the academy officially teaches. As trust in Finn’s leadership grows, Brutus moves from gruff drill instructor to trusted advisor and researcher, eventually rising into a position of real authority within the guild he once merely served.
Book 4.1: Ember
Brutus teaches novice mages physical readiness and combat preparation, favoring harsh, experiential lessons over lectures and warning students that the training exists to prepare them for a real conflict just over a week away. During a lethal training exercise, he maintains a fire wall and glass golems from within a circle of flame and is visibly caught off guard when the students coordinate to disrupt his control; in another session he deliberately puts the class through a near-death scenario, telling them afterward that the point was to know what it feels like to die. He owes Abbad a debt that involves training Finn, and beneath his public harshness he begins covertly advancing Finn’s education, introducing him to Multi-Casting in private sessions while keeping the arrangement hidden from the rest of the academy. He also teaches Finn magical theory, including long-range control of golems and later thermal energy manipulation, and reacts with visible pain when the conversation turns to children, though the source of that reaction is never explained.
When Nefreet announces the succession tournament, Brutus publicly sponsors Finn as his student, a gesture that marks Finn as a serious contender while exposing him to danger. He warns Finn about guild faction politics, citing his own past experience with what unchecked power does to people, and works to see that Finn gets proper equipment and is prepared for what is coming. When other students accuse Finn of cheating and using intimidation to keep novices out of the competition, Brutus is sent to bring him in for questioning; he carries out the duty but is visibly skeptical of the claims, treats Finn with measured respect, and afterward publicly mocks the accusers for doubting the student he chose to sponsor, covering for abilities he never actually taught Finn. He continues to support Finn and his friends through the later tournament rounds, offering commentary on academy traditions, sitting with them in silent encouragement before a difficult round, and providing further theoretical training. When Finn wins the championship, Brutus responds with visible pride and organizes a large fire display among the other fire mages to celebrate the victory.
Status: physical-training instructor drilling and evaluating novice mages → proud public sponsor celebrating his student’s tournament victory
Finn: moves from anonymous instructor testing him in dangerous drills to secret private mentor, then public tournament sponsor who defends him against cheating accusations and celebrates his championship win.
Abbad: a pre-existing debt tied to training Finn develops into ongoing coordination between the two over how far to advance Finn’s abilities and how to keep the arrangement quiet.
Julia: his initial professional regard for her grows into open appreciation for her directness and her protectiveness of Finn.
Key quote: “I’ve seen what that sort of power does to people firsthand.”
Book 4.3: Inferno
Brutus, who previously trained Finn and Kyyle at the Mage Guild, captures and studies a hellhound he names Betty in order to understand the enemy’s capabilities, briefing Finn and Kyyle on findings such as the hellhounds’ hunger for mana and vulnerability to cold and water magic. He joins Finn’s experiment to generate an artificial storm by combining fire, water, and air magic, moving from skepticism about its purpose to amazed recognition that the multi-affinity collaboration has produced a breakthrough never taught by the guilds. Admitted into the coalition’s war-planning meetings only at Finn’s insistence, he defends Betty against Aerys’s suspicion of the hellhound while contributing fire magic and weather-manipulation theory to the battle plan. He is later elected leader of the Mage Guild, succeeding Abbad; uncomfortable with the ceremony of the role, he nonetheless commits to it and credits Finn’s leadership for the mages’ new standing, telling him the guild members have seen how much more powerful they are as a group and no longer want to return to the old ways.
Status: fire-mage instructor and hellhound researcher → elected leader of the Mage Guild
Betty: He captures and studies the hellhound Betty for tactical intelligence, then defends her against coalition suspicion, forming a protective bond with her.
Finn: He shifts from Finn’s former guild instructor to a trusted coalition ally, admitted to war-council meetings only at Finn’s insistence and crediting Finn’s leadership for the mages’ renewed strength.
Aerys: Tension arises between him and Aerys over the coalition’s acceptance of Betty the hellhound.
Key quote: “You showcased how much more powerful we are as a group, and they aren’t content to settle back into the old ways.”