Vanye's own character and qualities are subtly revealed through the reactions of both his enemies and his liege Morgaine. Having absorbed an impossibly high standard of honour and courage from his clan and family during his upbringing among abusive full-blood relatives (he is the illegitimate son of the ruler of Nhi), and having been publicly shamed and stripped of rank, Vanye sees himself as a failure and coward. The reader begins to understand, over time, that while Vanye never accepts himself as meeting the standards he believes an Uyo (knight) should live up to, he is, as Morgaine and his enemies see him, formidable: fearsome in battle, resourceful, loyal and, despite his anguished doubts and fears, recklessly brave.