Boras

Boras was an elderly gyrfalcon and the Head of the Cult of Ieilae in the Other. When the Seer of the Cult of Ieilae, Felisk, was contacted by the white gyrkin god through the Omens ten years before the start of the first novel, Boras spent much of his youth gathering supporters to the Cult and creating a vast army strong enough to overtake the kingdom of Gyr and its neighbors. When he had gathered enough supporters, Boras travelled to the kingdom of Gyr alone, intent on corrupting its king and bringing him beneath his wing. When Boras had finally made it to Gyr, the old king, Taul, had died, and Strig, named regent in the place of his brother, had risen to power. Boras found it exceptionally easy to manipulate Deucan—the silver gyrfalcon was already frightened and hateful towards the Goddess, and with Boras's teachings Deucan decided to oust the Goddess forever from the six kingdoms.

Boras instigated the death of the regent Strig and his mate Phila by poisoning their drinking water, which flowed from a small crack on the palace walls into a shallow unnatural pool in the throne room. When Strig and his mate died, Deucan was named king, being the son of Strig and the next in line to the throne. I addition, upon Boras's arrival, Kalraya, the High Priestess of Gyr, found she was unable to probe the Stream because of the presence of the Omens. As a result, she was not able to renew the Contract, and the land began to die. Boras easily influenced the Council and had her ousted. In return, he was named High Priest, starting a chain reaction that would eventually lead to the war Gyrkin War.

Boras tried several times throughout the novel to have Laat murdered, believing him to be the one who would destroy his plans for domination, and as a result had him banished despite Deucan's love for his adopted son. Indeed, Laat was the Savior as foretold in the Te'pi, the ancient prophecy formulated in the beginning of the Land by the Goddess herself, and when Laat seemed to fly beside the Goddess during the final gyrkin battle, Boras was wrought with fear. Seeing the fire held in the "Goddess's" talons, he fled, but was eventually caught up to by Laat. Boras attempted to kill Laat one last time. Instead of murdering Laat as he had intended for three years, his wing was broken by the young white gyrfalcon, and he fell to his death, breaking his neck on the cliff rocks. His body was burned and cast out to sea.

Personality
Boras was an extremely fanatical gyrfalcon, vociferously loyal to the exiled gyrkin god Ieilae. Although his religious beliefs drove out all shadows of doubt from his mind, Boras was exceptionally cunning and could easily mask his views to match those of what his victims' wanted to hear. In his youth, Boras was a powerful speaker who could influence those who heard him simply by hearing his speeches, and in his elderly age Boras could incur the sympathy of others by faking fraility. Despite his demeanor, Boras also had many personal doubts and was terrified of fire. When Aa'yala, dressed in the guise of the Goddess, came to the Gyrkin palace, he fled in fear upon seeing the burning branch in her left talons.