The Apparat was the spiritual advisor to the kings of Ravka and the head of the Ravkan church. He lived in the Little Palace and is considered a fanatic by some and a fraud by others.
Contents
Biography[]
Shadow and Bone[]
The Apparat is a strange priest who appears to advise the King.
He first appears at court when Alina Starkov is asked to demonstrate her powers before the King. He stands at the king's side on a raised dais, and describes Alina's powers as "a miracle indeed."
The Apparat repeatedly makes attempts to follow and interact with Alina during her time at the Little Palace. He repeatedly approaches her when she is alone or at night.
While Alina studies in the library the Apparat tells her to come to him whenever she needs help with spiritual matters as he is advisor to all those residing in the palace walls. He tells her that he wishes to be friends, that it is of utmost importance that they become friends. He then proceeds to give her a book called Istorii Sankt'ya (The Lives of Saints) and poses a question:
“Peasants love their Saints. They hunger for the miraculous. And yet they do not love the Grisha. Why do you think that is?”...“I think it is because the Grisha do not suffer the way the Saints suffer, the way the people suffer.”
He then tells Alina that she will experience more suffering in the future, but she cannot tell if it is a threat or a warning.
After Alina is injured sparring with Zoya, the Apparat comes to her in the infirmary in the middle of the night. He tells Alina that it is important she remains well, that in border towns they are building altars to worship her as a Saint. He says the people are hungry for hope and that Alina's powers are a blessing, a benediction. He says that she is becoming dangerous because she represents a faith that could topple Kings or Darklings. He reaches out to touch her and Alina knocks over a glass of water, the Apparat steps back into the shadows of the room and leaves before his presence is discovered by the Healer.
It is stated by Ivan that the Apparat is becoming impatient, this may refer to the Darkling's plan to stage a coup.
At the Winter Fete the Apparat attempts to catch Alina outside the ballroom, he says that things are moving far more quickly than he had anticipated.
When Alina and Mal are caught, they learn that the King has fallen sick and the Apparat was ruling in his stead.
Later there are rumors the Apparat has disappeared.
Siege and Storm[]
At an indeterminate point between Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm the Apparat and the Darkling's alliance deteriorated. At the time it was unknown how he was able to leave the Little Palace after the coup failed, but it is later proposed by Mal that the Apparat used an underground system of caverns and tunnels beneath the Little Palace. After escaping the Apparat resurfaced in the network of monasteries spread across Ravka. After his escape, the Apparat began growing the cult of the Sun Saint.
The Apparat has been using his high position as spiritual leader of Ravka to attain popular support by the common people, he has been spreading propaganda that Alina had died in the Fold and been resurrected as a Saint.
The Apparat assigned various monikers to Alina, including Sankta Alina, Alina the Just, Alina the Bright, Alina the Merciful. He also associated her with the area Alina originated from (Daughter of Keramzin, Daughter of Ravka, Rebe Dva Stola, Daughter of Two Mills), this association with the common people facilitated her widespread support among the serf class. Her title, Daughter of the Fold, may also have been given as a sign of her rebirth (and perhaps victory) in the Fold. The Apparat has done extensive research into Alina's backstory, he appears to be crafting a quasi hagiography of her life.
The Apparat appears to have crafted a narrative, a promise that Alina will liberate Ravka from its enemies both internal and external (Fjerda, Shu Han, the Darkling, the Shadow Fold). The Apparat's followers also expected social issues such as poverty, hunger, sore feet, and mosquitos to be cured by Alina. They believed that the Sun Summoner's words and touch to be both physically and spiritually healing.
The pilgrims came from far and wide to follow Alina and the royal processional, they held dawn vigils to pray for her safety and the salvation of Ravka. Their numbers swelled daily to such proportions they were close to outnumbering Nikolai's soldiers. They often sang hymns to the Sun Summoner's success and glory.
At an indeterminate point in Siege and Storm the King declared the Apparat and apostate and banned his followers from Os Alta. The king has placed an unknown price on the Apparat's head, this price is doubled when the Apparat claims Alina has been taken hostage by the tsar.
Although the Apparat held a high position at court, the King does not replace him with another spiritual advisor to fill the gap left as head of the Ravkan church.
While the royal procession is in Os Alta, the Apparat began claiming that Alina has been taken prisoner by the monarchy. Although Alina claims this fact is ridiculous, Nikolai states that it would be likely to happen. And more than that, makes for an appealing piece of propaganda against the Lantsov monarchy.
In Siege and Storm, the Apparat remains unchanged except for the King's double eagle has disappeared from his chest, only to be replaced by a sunburst wrought in gold thread. This appears to be an outward symbol of his change of allegiance from the Lantsov monarchy to the Sun Summoner.
The Apparat uses his sun soldiers to bypass Tamar and Alina's other guards, Tamar is injured in the attack. The Apparat states that the faithful are everywhere," it remains unclear if he intends this to mean the pilgrims are loyal to the Apparat or to the Sun Summoner.
The Apparat tells Alina that her holy army is growing, her soldiers are hidden, and her numbers are continually swelling. The Apparat tells Alina that only she can bring about the dawn of a new age consecrated in holy fire. Alina remains uncertain of his true motivations, she cannot determine if the Apparat is a true fanatic or fraud. He intends for her to rule this new age as Sol Koroleva. Alina asks if the Apparat wishes to sit at her right hand, then implies he may mean to end her life.
He demands she follows him, that all will be revealed, including the power to stop the Darkling if she follows him. Alina threatens to cut him open if he does not tell her where the firebird is. The Apparat, in fear, relents. He admits he doesn't know where the firebird is, but that the Darkling left information behind when he left the Little Palace (this information is assumed by Alina to be Morozova's Journals).
Later, Alina realizes that Tolya and Tamar had known about the party and arranged for the Apparat to meet her.
At the White Cathedral, the Apparat displays public submission to Alina by falling to his knees before her, kissing her hand, and the hem of her clothing. The Apparat then turns to his audience and states: "We will rise to make a new Ravka. A country free from tyrants and kings! We will spill from the earth and drive the shadows back in a tide of righteousness!" It appears he intends to do this by establishing a theocratic state with Alina reigning as a Saint.
By the end of the book, Alina begins to fear that instead of a living Saint, the Apparat would prefer a dead martyr.
Ruin and Rising[]
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King of Scars[]
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Rule of Wolves[]
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Personality and traits[]
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Physical description[]
The Apparat has dark brown, almost black eyes; a long, dark beard that is often dirty; and a mouth full of crowded yellow teeth with black, wolf-like gums. He is commonly clothed in long brown priest's robes; the only deviation in his clothing from common priest's robes is the golden eagle emblazoned on his chest. The Apparat is often accompanied by the smell of death, repeatedly said to smell like a tomb, mildew, and incense.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Comparisons have been made between the Apparat and Rasputin.[1]
