Nine Bright Shiners

The Nine Bright Shiners are a group of beings which are very powerful. They lived in the prehistoric times before the Charter was created. Actually, seven of the nine made the Charter as it is known in Sabriel's time, and the remaining two, who did not wished not do this were bound by the seven using different methods. Namely, they are:

Ranna

Mosrael

Kibeth, see also the Disreputable Dog

Dyrim

Belgaer

Saraneth

Astarael

Yrael, see also Mogget

Orannis

Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth and Astarael are the seven which had made the Charter, and in doing so, chose a mysterious existance. It seems that some part of them, the "unknowing" part, as Nix wrote, went into their creation. Their "knowing part", however, were to be forever outside their creation. The seven bells necromancers and Abhorsens carry, however, bear their names, and judging from the encounter of Lirael with some form of Astarael in Abhorsen, also part of their character. Very little is known about them.

Yrael was bound by the Seven to become a servant of the Abhorsen, using a very complex Charter spell in the form of a red leather collar. For many generations he had remain bound, until the second defeat of Orannis, when he was at last set free.

Orannis, also named the destroyer, was bent on destroying all that the seven had created, and much more besides. The eight were forced to bound him in two half-spheres in which he was dormant for a long long time. Finally, in the time of King Touchstone, Orannis, aided by servants, rose again. It took another seven to bind him again. The cost of the success was great.