Iolo – Dream collector from Lake Let in the Land of Dai-Passant, a character more unscrupulous even than Cugel himself.

During a far future time, the Sun nears the end its life. The sky ranges from pink to deep blue, lit by a dim red Sun, and strange plants and animals exist. Much of the book is set within the forested country of Ascolais and in the ruined cities covering the landscape.Don't Go in the Woods: Forests, especially in the short stories of the first book, are synonymous with death.

Science fiction authors Frank Herbert and Poul Anderson were among Vance's closest friends. In the early 1950s, when Frank Herbert was a reporter, he interviewed Vance, and the men became friends. They moved to Mexico with their families to establish a "writer’s colony" at Lake Chapala, near Guadalajara. [9] In 1962, Vance, Herbert, and Anderson jointly built a houseboat which they sailed in the Sacramento Delta. The Vances and the Herberts lived together near Lake Chapala, Mexico, for a while. [10] [15] Vance's interest in houseboats led him to depict them in “The Moon Moth” (1961), The Palace of Love (1967), and in chapter2 of Wyst: Alastor 1716 (1978). [9] Morreion: Rhialto and company attempt to solve the mystery of Morreion, a wizard who disappeared aeons ago, along with the origin of the IOUN stones. A Dutch translation, Ogen van de Overwereld, was published by Meulenhoff in 1974. [10] The French translation, Cugel l'Astucieux, published by J'ai Lu, was first published in 1976, with further editions in 1984 and 2000. [11] The German translation, Das Auge der Überwelt, was published in 1976 by Pabel Moewig Verlag, as no. 277 in its Terra Science Fiction series. [12] The Spanish translation, Los ojos del sobremundo, was published in 1986 by Ultramar Editores in the collection Grandes Éxitos de Bolsillo. The Italian translation, Cugel l'astuto, appeared in an omnibus version together with La terra morente ( The Dying Earth) in 1994, published by Editrice Nord. [13] The book was also translated to Russian ( Глаза чужого мира). Cugel is easily persuaded by the merchant Fianosther to attempt the burglary of the manse of Iucounu the Laughing Magician, which is filled with precious magical items. Caught by Iucouno's trap, Cugel agrees that in exchange for his freedom he will undertake the recovery of a small hemisphere of violet glass, a magic "Eye of the Overworld", to match one already in the wizard's possession. A small sentient alien entity of barbs and hooks, named Firx, is attached to Cugel's liver to encourage his "unremitting loyalty, zeal and singleness of purpose". Firx's only form of communication with its host is to cause pain to his liver if Firx senses that Cugel is lapsing in his mission and his return home. Iucounu then uses a spell to transport Cugel via flying demon to the isolated Land of Cutz, which is very far away.Xallops – Exhibits a talking but truculent book, the Compendium of Universal Knowledge, at the Exposition of Marvels.

Pulsifer – Homunculus growing on the tip of Phampoun's tongue, through which the sleeping Phampoun communicates with his victims.Anti-Hero or Villain Protagonist: Liane the Wayfarer. Also Cugel. In fact many of Vance's characters are anti-heroes. Bradfield, Scott (December 16, 2019). "Science Fiction's Wonderful Mistakes". The New Republic. New Republic . Retrieved November 15, 2021. Artificial Human: T'sais and T'sain. Downplayed by the three Mimes on board the Aventura, who are treated as such but whose origins are a mystery (meaning they may be regular, if highly changed, humans) Lost Technology: Exists hand in hand with Forgotten Lore: the great magicians of Earth's final age know a tenth of the magical lore of previous ages, and nobody bothers to invent - or even maintain any really advanced technology. Various surprisingly functional remnants of magic and technology turn up throughout the series.