For other uses, see Eliot Waugh (disambiguation) |
Eliot Waugh is a talented Magician and the former High King of Fillory. Raised by a family of conservative farmers, Waugh grew up in rural Indiana, where he was tormented due to his sexuality and discovered his magical abilities when he accidentally killed his high school bully by using telekinesis. After moving away from his family, Waugh was invited to attend Brakebills University of Magical Pedagogy, where he and Margo Hanson met and became best friends. He was possessed by the Nameless for several months following the restoration of magic, but was freed from the Monster's possession after Margo obtained her axes.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Discovering Magic[]
- "I killed someone."
"What?"
"I was 14. He was this-- He beat me up. So I'm walking on the street eating a candy bar, 'cause by then I already ate my feelings at a professional level, and I saw him crossing over. And there was this bus coming. I barely thought the thought." - ―Eliot Waugh and Quentin Coldwater
Eliot Waugh was born in 1990 in Whiteland, Indiana, to a family of farmers. He was the youngest of his brothers and was raised by a violently homophobic father. When he was 14, Waugh attended Shawnee High School and was frequently bullied by a classmate named Logan Kinear. One day, he discovered his magical abilities when he telekinetically pushed Kinear into the path of a school bus, causing his nose to bleed over his favorite button-up shirt and realizing he'd discovered his telepathic abilities.[1] He was later comforted by Taylor, his best friend.[2]
Dark Regrets[]
- "Hating myself for who I am is one thing, but to hurt somebody else..."
- ―Eliot Waugh to Charlton
Two years later, Waugh and a group of students were ordered by his gym teacher to assault Taylor in the school's gymnasium, calling him homophobic slurs. As their gym teacher broke up the attack, Waugh continued to kick Taylor before being escorted away. Eliot later recalled the memory as one of his deepest regrets, as he hated taking his own self-loathing out on someone else.[2]
Attending Brakebills[]
First Year[]
Eliot later attended the SUNY Purchase college in New York, where he graduated with a Major in "The Most Liberal Arts". In 2014, Eliot was invited to take the Entrance Exam for Brakebills University, where he was accepted and joined the house of Physical Magic. During The Trials, he met Margo Hanson, who became his partner for the Trials, and the two developed a strong bond.[3]
Since his assignment to Physical Magic, the entire discipline was noted to have seen a drop in GPA and an increase in alcohol-related incidents. The staff considered isolation for Waugh but decided that he would find it to be a challenge, and it would be best for him to remain among the general public.[4]
Meeting Quentin Coldwater[]
- "Am I hallucinating?"
"If you were, how would asking me help?" - ―Quentin Coldwater and Eliot Waugh
To be added
Conflict with The Beast[]
To be added
Personality[]
Initially, Eliot is nothing more than a hedonist. He enjoys alcohol, parties, drama, and mischief. However, Eliot has a darker aspect of his personality as he uses this "raver" persona to cover up his own feelings of vulnerability and self-hatred that were instilled in him by his homophobic father. Eliot is not quick to become close to others, but when he finds someone he trusts, then Eliot cares for them extremely deeply. This dedication is visible in Eliot's love and loyalty towards Margo. Even when Margo was a dark horse in the Fillorian Election, Eliot held no grudge towards her and was the second person to profess his loyalty to her. Even in romantic relationships, Eliot is extremely caring. Eliot's relationship with Mike McCormick displayed this as Eliot even rejected an invitation to travel to a party to stay with Mike. Additionally, after Eliot was forced to kill Mike, Eliot's grief was only a testament to how much Eliot loved him.
Though Eliot always composes himself in a nonchalant, confident and serene way, Eliot's mannerisms are decidedly theatrical and compound his own natural affinity for the performative. He is witty and quick to insult, prod or ridicule, but he can understand the depth and severity of issues. Though Eliot prefers to act pragmatically and logically rather than emotionally, he also has a self-sacrificial streak. On the other hand, Eliot is also susceptible to dependency. After his relationship with Mike brutally ended, Eliot threw himself into a downward spiral that was characterized by substance abuse, whether alcoholic or drug.
Despite Eliot's inability to deal with his grief in a healthy way, he has a vast amount of emotional intelligence and empathy. He was the one that was able to coax Julia Wicker out of her self-imposed isolation after she was horrifically assaulted by Reynard the Fox. He was able to understand how she felt and convinced her that a proactive methodology is better than passively suffering.
Magic and Abilities[]
Magic[]
- Wellspring Magic Manipulation: Eliot Waugh is a classically trained magician from Brakebills University, able to manipulate the energy of the Wellspring to cast spells by writing specific formations with his hands, conjuring phosphorescent constructs of energy.
- Telekinesis: As one of the Physical Kids, Eliot is known to possess telekinesis, which first manifested for him when he accidentally killed his high school bully.[5]
Abilities[]
- Gifted Intellect: To be added
- Skilled Leader: Waugh is a natural leader, although he struggled during the beginning of his reign of Fillory due to not wanting to grow up and feeling that his place was on Earth. However, he ultimately found meaning in assuming the crown and took responsibility for Fillory as a kingdom. His skills as a ruler developed slowly, but he was able to accomplish great achievements, such as solving agricultural flaws, evading a war, and developing better communication with Loria.
- Combatant: Waugh was able to snap Mike McCormick's neck when he attempted to kill Henry Fogg, and later, in preparation for facing The Beast, learned rudimentary Battle Magic with help from Kady Orloff-Diaz. However, Waugh required the use of an Emotion-Suppression Spell to properly utilize this magic.
- Mixologist: Waugh is known for brewing the best cocktails at Brakebills University, inventing the Physical Kids signature cocktail.
Equipment[]
- "You want some? It never empties."
- ―Eliot to Penny Adiyodi
- Flask: Eliot carries a flask enchanted to never go empty on his person at all times.
Weapons[]
- Sword of the High King: To be added
- Glock 17: Eliot used this gun, loaded with a god-killing bullet, to shoot Nameless in an attempt to save Quentin Coldwater from being trapped in Castle Blackspire. However, the god released itself from its host and possessed Ora as a replacement vessel.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Trivia[]
- Eliot is the only person shown to have two volumes of Life Books.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Andrew Prest was a stunt double for Hale Appleman in the role of Eliot Waugh.