Character from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
The Skillmaster who corrupted Buckkeep's magic from within — a zealot who used his position to build a coterie loyal to Regal and nearly destroyed the Farseer line's greatest weapon.
Galen teaches the Skill the way an abuser runs a household — through isolation, humiliation, and the systematic destruction of his students' confidence. He trained Fitz and deliberately damaged the boy's Skill ability, implanting commands that blocked Fitz from reaching his full potential. His loyalty to Regal is absolute and ideological — he believes Regal is the true heir and acts accordingly. His coterie — the group of Skill-users he trained — was loyal to Regal rather than the crown, effectively weaponizing the monarchy's own magical tradition against it.
Lean and precise, with the clipped manner of a man who mistakes cruelty for discipline. His features are sharp, his clothing immaculate, and his expression permanently set to contempt. He moves through Buckkeep's corridors like he owns them, which in a Skill-sense he very nearly does.
Also known as: Skillmaster Galen