꒰꒰ ♡֯  𓈒݂  𝓜alleus 𝒟raconia   ⑅

Malleus is a considerably tall young man with pale skin. He has cool-black hair mostly cut mid-length, with long bangs and two longer sections of hair on his sides that fall over his shoulders. He also has one small cowlick on the top of his head. The bottom ends of his hair fade into a dark turquoise color. He has bright green eyes with vertical-slit pupils and long eyelashes. His lips are a slightly darker color than his skin, and he usually wears what appears to be subtle dark eyeshadow.

His most unique features are his pointed, elf-like ears, and long black horns on the top of his head. His horns are covered in small ridges and curve back in an S-shape. Sharp fangs are shown when his mouth is open. He is often seen with a serious expression or a mysterious smile.

Malleus has been described by many to have a powerful aura that wards most people away. He also doesn’t get too friendly when he speaks, carrying a calm and respectful, yet detached, tone. Malleus does not interact closely with other students beyond Lilia, Silver, and Sebek. This is mainly due to others feeling intimidated and avoiding him and this reason, occasionally, Malleus demonstrates a complicated dynamic with humans; he refuses to create a Magicam account and declines to participate in the SDC despite Lilia's prompting, lacking any desire to be put on exhibition for their amusement. Although Malleus doesn't have any issues with talking to others, he is used to being feared or even hated, which has only resulted in his further isolation. Even those who want to get closer to him (like Silver or Sebek) fail to do so. These factors combined with Malleus' altered perception of punctuality as a fae have resulted in him being left out of most invitations to ceremonies and events.

Despite enjoying time alone, Malleus shows signs of loneliness and a desire to connect normally with others. He is also said to have a naïve and childish side to him, as he grew up isolated from the outside world in Briar Valley. Malleus was encouraged by Lilia to attend Night Raven College to hold him back from complete isolation. Though Malleus' knowledge and magical prowess already exceeds anything he could learn at the school, Lilia believes he still has a lot to learn and that knowledge isn't everything. For this motivation, Malleus is also shown to be open to trying new things, despite those around him are reluctant to let him. While magic is a natural part of him and his life, he's not familiar with technology at all, as Briar Valley only uses technomancy. Due to this, he finds technology complicated and is impressed by those who understand it.

Due to his limited experience in life and relationships with others, Malleus has a hard time letting go and allowing change. Malleus is fiercely protective over the things he holds dear, to the point that he will do anything in his power to protect and preserve them. This protective streak is what leads to the events of Book 7, where he is driven by his fear of losing Lilia, the person closest to him. Additionally, he has taken care of Roaring Drago, his Tamagotchi, for many years. Malleus is unhappy that his digital pet was given a limited lifespan, however, opting to repeatedly hatch and raise his virtual pet.

Malleus also possesses a playful streak, according to Cater. His sense of humor, however, is often misunderstood.

Malleus was born and raised in Briar Valley (formerly Briarland) to Princess Maleanor and Raverne, General of the Left. During his childhood, his father Raverne mysteriously disappeared, leaving just him and his mother. Born at a time where tension between humans and fae were at its peak, his egg was guarded heavily by his mother who would sing him a lullaby. Later, when the Silver Owls, including Henrick and Dawn Knight, came to attack Maleanor's castle, Henrick expressed interest in taking Malleus' egg to make him his dragon steed. Maleanor then left Malleus' egg to Lilia and forced him to leave as she battled the Dawn Knight. Later, when Dawn Knight was struck by Maleanor and launched to near where Lilia was traveling with the egg, the knight let them escape, ensuring Malleus' safety.

Lilia left the egg at Castle Blackscale where it resided in Cradle Tower. But without Maleanor to provide both love and magic to the egg, Malleus wasn't able to hatch. Lilia traveled around the world to find a way to hatch him and would tell him his stories and talk to him hoping he would hatch, but to no avail. Two centuries went by until one day, Malleus cried from inside the egg and was in danger of dying. Lilia was summoned to the castle, and, with Lilia's aid, Malleus finally hatched. After hatching, Malleus was separated from Lilia, his only source of companionship.

Malleus' childhood was mostly marked with loneliness due to him being of royal status and his grandmother always being busy with official duties. Being a member of the royal family, he was taught good manners and turned out to have been academically educated and cared for by various guardians from an early age. In particular, his grandmother stressed the importance of observing etiquette, particularly around invitations. Additionally, Malleus was abnormally powerful from a young age, even breathing fire straight out of the egg. Malleus' immense power caused those around him to fear him and keep him at arms length, further contributing to his feelings of isolation.

When Malleus grew up, he would visit Lilia at his home regularly. During one such visit, he met Silver, an infant Lilia had adopted. Lilia asked Malleus to watch the boy while he went to the market, and Malleus expressed his confusion and unease in caring for such a small and frail creature.[5] Malleus would go on to have a mentoring relationship with Silver and, later, Sebek, the grandson of one of Lilia's closest companions from his time as a general.

Malleus is considered to be one of the 5 most powerful mages in the world, although Malleus once claimed that his grandmother's magic is more powerful. Due to being a fae, Malleus is physically stronger and faster than humans and can run extremely fast, to the point that he shows up as a blur in photos. For example, once, he cracked coconuts for the group with his bare hands during the trip to the Scalding Sands. However, Malleus admitted that it is hard for him to control his strength as he admitted that it would be easier if somebody told him to destroy a rock instead of cracking eggshells.

Since he wasn’t allowed to go outdoors much as a child, he had a lot of time to hone his musical talents alone in the castle, as a result Malleus can play just about anything with strings, and during his days off at Night Raven College he will practice the violin. He can also play a stringed instrument called a kamancheh and pipe organ. Malleus is even a skilled singer, to the point of earning praise from Azul and Idia.

In an occasion, when he was younger, Malleus once set Briar Valley ablaze during a Halloween lantern lighting ceremony, as he did not know how to adjust his magical output.

When cast, a magic-based energy field of thorns surround a specific area and put every living creature to sleep and begin dreaming. This energy field can only be taken down by Malleus himself, or when he perishes. S.T.Y.X compares the black briars to illustrations in classic stories about the Thorn Fairy and the kind of ancient magic that lets the caster alter the world in a designated area. Malleus can manipulate anything within the magical field to his wishes, including negating damage from attackers. Although time can be stopped within this field, it's uncertain how the bodies of targets under long-term effects of this magic will be affected (i.e atrophication due to not eating or drinking).

Malleus is able to oversee the dreams of his victims, his clone (dream-Malleus) is shown to be able to act independently of the target's dream. His oversight does not require the physical presence of a clone. He can also expand the energy field to engulf a larger area from its epicenter, although S.T.Y.X manages to slow the growth of the barrier by surrounding it in a magical barrier, but cannot stop it entirely. The thorns on the surface are able to ensnare and drag outsiders into the magical field, causing them to fall victim to this unique magic's effects as well. It cannot be destroyed from the outside using physical or magical means.

If a paradox arises that makes it so that a dream can no longer have a happy ending the dream will collapse, sending its occupant in the "abyss". Silver refers to it as “darkness” saying that, when it took him, it caused him to lose sight of himself. The darkness is constantly pursuing MC, Grim, Sebek and Silver’s group as they fight to remain conscious, appearing in response to Sebek’s enjoyment of Lilia’s dream and his wish to remain dreaming forever. Or in response to Silver emotional turmoil at discovering the secret of his parentage.

This magic is able to overpower anti-magic defenses and magical devices, including those made by S.T.Y.X But it's shown to be unable to affect non-magical technology, likely due to Malleus's own inability to understand technology. Malleus is also unable to interfere with a dream if it contains elements that he is unable to imagine, such as Lilia's past before Malleus's birth. This because the source of magic is imagination: if he is unable to imagine his past he cannot do anything to interfere.

Silver

• Silver is one of Malleus's retainers. Malleus has been involved in Silver's upbringing since he was adopted as a baby by Lilia, even babysitting him.[9] Malleus witnessed Silver's first steps[10] and other milestones, even teaching him how to dance and how to use magic. Malleus also ensured Silver had safe food to eat as a baby, arranging for baby food deliveries to Lilia's house for him.[11] Silver credits Malleus with his upbringing as he does Lilia and wishes to "repay his debt" to him.[12]

Malleus does not seem to struggle like the others to read Silver's emotions and admires Silver's perseverance and empathy.[13] Malleus also frequently includes Silver in his gargoyle club ventures, even expecting him to memorize gargoyles.[14] Malleus will also playfully joke with Silver, like asking him if Noble Bell College's bell could wake him up.[15]

In Book 7, it is with Malleus that Silver confides his feelings about Lilia's departure, and cries in front of him, motivating Malleus to find a way for father and son to stay together.

Sebek Zigvolt

• Sebek is one of Malleus's retainers. Although Malleus sometimes has to pull the reigns on Sebek's tendency to put Malleus on a high pedestal before others, he places a lot of trust in him and respects his efforts to protecting him.

For example, on one occasion, Sebek got Malleus's lab coat stained when they accidentally bumped into each other, and Sebek, feeling really accountable for it, asked Malleus to allow him to take his lab coat and clean it. Malleus could have cleaned his lab coat with magic without any issue, but he indulged Sebek and let him take away the coat, even though he needed it for his next class. When Sebek got back with his coat, Malleus found that it was cleaner than before and told Sebek that he is impressed.[16]

Similarly to Silver and Lilia, Sebek is very protective of Malleus to the point of insulting Leona, a member of the royal family, to his face. A behavior as rude as it is thoughtless that both Lilia and Malleus are quick to point out to him with a reprimand.

Lilia Vanrouge

• Lilia was Malleus's caretaker when Malleus was a child, and he still tends to treat Malleus like a kid sometimes, to Malleus's slight annoyance. However, he also respects Lilia and cherishes a tamagotchi he got from Lilia as a gift many years ago, considering it one of his important treasures.[3]

He also seems to be protective of Lilia, as he threw a ball in Rook's direction when Rook was talking with Lilia and comments on how he has his sight on Lilia as a hunter.[17]

Leona accuses he and Silver of being too overprotective with Malleus.