Character from Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
The dream-mage who pulled strings from the shadows — manipulating Jorg, Olidan, and half the Hundred Kingdoms through dreams, suggestions, and the quiet erosion of free will.
Sageous is a mathmagician — a dream-mage who operates in the space between sleep and waking, manipulating thoughts, suppressing emotions, and steering events toward outcomes he designs. He was responsible for dampening Jorg's rage after the briar patch attack — keeping the prince compliant, manageable, a tool rather than a threat. When Jorg broke free of his influence, the suppressed rage exploded into the violence that defines the first book. He serves as the behind-the-scenes antagonist — the puppet master whose strings are made of dreams. He manipulated Olidan into political inaction. He steered Renar toward the attack. He shaped events across the Hundred Kingdoms with the patience of someone who doesn't need to be present to exert control. He is one of the few enemies Jorg cannot simply outfight or outthink, because Sageous operates on a plane where swords and cleverness are equally useless. You can't kill a man who controls your dreams. Unless you stop sleeping.
An eastern figure — dark-skinned, calmly powerful, with the serene bearing of someone who doesn't need to raise his voice because he can simply reach into your mind while you sleep and rearrange the furniture. He dresses simply. His power doesn't require ostentation.
Also known as: The Dream-Mage, The Mathmagician