Japeth

HAIR COLOR Copper EYE COLOR Ice blue

Japeth first appears covered in shiny green scales with only his ice blue eyes visible, the same colour as Rafal's. Soon after this, the scales turn black and skintight like armour, revealing his long, lean and muscular body. At the start of A Crystal of Time, he changes into a gold-and-blue suit and it is revealed that he is identical to Rhian, but with longer and wilder hair, and paler skin. His skin is described to be a cold milky-white, as if he'd been sucked of blood. He and Rhian both have the same copper-brown hair, strong brow bone, straight nose and dark brows. However, Japeth's eyes are portrayed to be "cold" and "ice-blue", compared to Rhian's, which are illustrated to be "warm" and "sea-green" Unlike Rhian, who smells like salt and sand, Japeth has a more frosty scent, like it had recently rained--still a little cloudy--but no longer raining, like a grove of aspens in the mountains, if one was in the right place. In One True King, to look more like Rhian, he cuts his copper hair shorter, paints his skin amber tan, and magically dyes his eyes aqua-green. At his wedding to Sophie, he wears a white fur cape belted with a chain of gold lions with Excalibur on his waist and the crown of Camelot on his head.

Both Japeth and his twin (Rhian) were first believed to have been conceived of King Arthur and Grisella Gremlaine. In A Crystal of Time a blood crystal seems to show that Japeth and his twin brother (the Lion, Rhian) were born to Evelyn Sader and King Arthur, before Tedros was born. Evelyn accomplished this by using dark magic in the form of a necklace/rope called a "spansel" that she hung around Arthur's neck while he had been sleeping from a sedative. Evelyn's original plan was to let Gremlaine use the spansel, but Gremlaine had refused at the last moment because she loved Arthur too much to ruin his life. Evelyn then supposedly used it for herself, giving birth to Rhian and Japeth before Tedros was ever born. However, this theory turned out to be false. It is revealed in The One True King, that both Japeth and Rhian were children of Evelyn Sader and The School Master. After Evelyn left Camelot, she and her sons lived in Foxwood, where Japeth was listed as the son of Levya and Rosamund, since Evelyn, or "Elle," as she called herself, spun the tale of her own danger, pleading the couple to lie about Japeth's identity. While living with his mother and brother, Japeth would attempt to kill them multiple times due to jealousy, his mother growing in fear of him. Due to this, he was sent to Foxwood Boy's School for Conservative Education. Rhian was forced to go with him. After moving, Japeth attended the Foxwood Boy's School for Conservative Education, where he was put into Arbed house. Other boys in his house included his twin, Rhian; Rhian's loyal friend, Kei; and Japeth's best friend/more than friend and Rhian's "would-be-murderer"-Aric, Lady Lesso' s son.

Japeth's main power is his suit of scims. He wears a suit of these tiny eel-like creatures that move and change according to his will. The scims are described as scaly strips that can move, squiggle, and make high pitched squeaky noises. They operate much like his mother Evelyn Sader's butterflies, but they can do much more than just hear things. The scims are weapons of destruction, like sharp daggers. He is also able to teleport using them, and make them form him. Throughout the Camelot Years, Japeth uses his scims to impale and murder many people. Because Japeth is the son of the School Master, he has "sorcerer's blood". Thus, he is able to have a "thinking spot" much like Merlin's Celestium. Japeth's thinking spot reflects his personality. It has green clouds with a black sky, and stars like "steel snowflakes, edges deadly sharp like a handblade's, the center of each star a glowing green marble, like an all-seeing eye." The sky is carved full of the initials 'J+A' symbolising 'Japeth and Aric.'

Japeth and Aric were best friends. They met at Arbed House. They seem to be more than just friends, however, something both Hort and Rhian noted. Japeth chooses him over his own brother, sayin that his love for Aric is ,“A love that is worth more to me than a crown.” He also says, “The only person who ever truly loved me. The only person willing to kill for me. The only person I trust more than my own brother. My real family.” In One True King, Tedros uses a genie wish to give him a temporary power that allows him to take any form. He transforms into Aric hoping to trick Japeth into dropping out of the Tournament of Kings. The plan is working fine until Japeth asks this: "Can I kiss you? Like we used to?" Aric/Tedros is stunned at first but then responds with, "Oh. Of course." Japeth immediately sharpens into the evil psycho he is when not around Aric. "Well in that case let me reconsider. Because we never kissed when you were alive. Your rule. The real Aric was ashamed of our love." Japeth replies coldly. That suggests that they were more than friends but Aric was mostly in denial.

Rhian is Japeth's twin brother. They didn’t get along very well, most likely because their mother caused many problems long ago. Aric is another complication, as he attacked Rhian. Japeth also dislikes Rhian because Rhian said something about Japeth and Aric's friendship. There are some moments where they are civil to each other and work together well when Japeth helps Rhian become king. Sophie is a problem as well, as she stirs things up between the brothers. Their relationship has gradually changed for the worse eventually leading to Japeth murdering his twin and taking over his identity.

Japeth and Sophie dislike each other, she views him as a monster, and he thinks she'll get in Rhian's head. In One True King however, Japeth uses his scims to basically brainwash and control Sophie. Sophie believes he is Rhian and that he is her true love. She kisses Japeth and stands by his side- Under the effect of the scims. When Sophie breaks free of his control though, she's very angry. By taking over her mind Japeth had made his fight with Sophie personal. So that made Sophie out to kill him. She almost kills him in the chapter The Second Half of the Plan. She used her witches scream on him in a fight. Sophie would have succeeded in killing him... If it wasn't for the lack of air in the Celestium that sends her crashing back to earth before the job is done.

Japeth is the Snake's true name. The "Snake" is revealed to be the twin of Rhian, borne to Evelyn Sader and Rafal Mistral. Japeth supports his brother Rhian to become king at first because he and his brother made a deal: Rhian would become king and, in return, he would bring back Japeth's one true love from the dead. It is assumed by both the reader and Rhian that this true love is their mother, Evelyn Sader, but later revealed that it is Aric, Rhian's most hated enemy. When Japeth reveals this to Rhian, Rhian refuses to help bring Aric back, therefore breaking his promise, and switching the roles of the two brothers from their prophecy.

loves Aric, although he set the rules: no kissing, because Aric could not accept his sexuality