Magician Bink

Magician Bink is the protagonist for the beginning of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. The later books are taken over by his magician-caliber family members.

Talents

Bink's power prevents anyone from acting against his interests through magical means. This extends to protecting him from magical harm of any kind. His power cleverly conceals itself by acting through coincidence and also keeps Bink's loved ones from harm. There are only a few people (very clever people) who have ascertained the nature of his talent. "Bink's talent is the most wonderful and devious talent in Xanth".

When Bink freed the Demon X(a/n)th, the magic of Xanth, which poured from his slumbering body into the land, left with him. Bink's power caused X(a/n)th to return and take up permanent residence in Xanth, restoring the magic. Bink promised X(a/n)th the Shieldstone for undisturbed study and X(a/n)th granted all of Bink's descendents Magician-Caliber talents.

History

For the first 25 years of his life, Bink thought he had no magical talent. Good Magician Humphrey said he had "strong magic", but was unable to fathom it. By the Law of No Talent, Bink was exiled.

The Magician of Magical Invulnerability, Bink was the main character in the first two novels, A Spell for Chameleon and The Source of Magic. He is the son of Roland of the High Council and Bianca. Later in the series, he makes a rejuvenated appearance in Zombie Lover. His Talent is that he cannot be harmed by magic. However, at one point he gets banished for apparently not possessing a magic talent, because his talent prefers to work in roundabout ways (at one time sucking him through a whirlpool to avoid a field of magic that kills on contact, for example) to prevent the exposure of its existence. If the exact nature of his talent were known, then he would be vulnerable to those who want to attack him through non-magic means - thus making (his own) magic the indirect cause of his injury. So his talent is kept hidden by the select few who know it. It also makes him a lucky man in a series of rather bizarre and dangerous coincidences (almost breaking his ankle after tripping on a rock to escape from the Gap Dragon). The Source of Magic - In the second book, the stork delivered Dor to Bink and Chameleon. Bink also discovered the Demon X(A/N)th in that book on an adventure with his friends Chester The Centaur and Crombie The Soldier. Along the way he meets many more recurring characters including The Gorgon, The Siren, Grundy The Golem, Jewel The Nymph, Jonathan The Zombie Master, The Brain Coral, Crunch The Ogre, Chet Centaur, and others. Bink and his friends overcame many obstacles to find the source of magic. When they found it, it was revealed that the source was a demon named X(A/N)th who was in an astral competition for recognition with Neptune, Earth, Saturn, Pluto, Mars, Venus, etc. Despite the protests of the Brain Coral, Bink released the demon who took back all the magic he had let seep out of him, which gave Xanth its magic, leaving Xanth just as drear as Mundania. Bink, The Brain Coral, Chester Centaur, Cherie Centaur, The Good Magician Humfrey, Chet Centaur, Grundy The Golem, and Jewel The Nymph managed to convince him to return magic back to Xanth in return for reinstating the magic barrier around the demon to keep people from bothering him while he was studying. The demon also gave Bink whatever he most wanted. He couldn't think of what it was but the demon already knew and made it come true. From then on all of Bink's descendants would have magician-caliber magic including his son Dor and his granddaughter Ivy.

• Castle Roogna - In the third book, Castle Roogna, his son Dor took over the series from Bink. Bink was featured in the book in several flashback sequences where Bink taught Dor vital information on life.
• Night Mare - Bink finally returned in the sixth Xanth book, Night Mare, where he was finally recognized as having Magician-caliber magic when he was forced to admit its nature to everyone so he could be the next King of Xanth in the Next Wave after King Trent, King Dor, King Jonathan The Zombie Master, and Good Magician King Humfrey had been ensorcelled by The Horseman.
• Golem in The Gears - In the ninth Xanth book, Golem in The Gears, Bink travelled with his old friend Chester Centaur, Grundy The Golem, and Snortimer, the monster under Ivy's bed, in search of the Ivory Tower to save Stanley Steamer AKA The Gap Dragon, Ivy's friend. They picked up several travellers along the way including a young woman named EmJay who is compiling a lexicon of Xanth along with her companion and right hand Ass, MiKe who is a Mundane donkey, and a succubus. Later, Bink was instrumental, with his knowledge of Mundane things, in getting the group out of a trap set up by the Com-Pewter. After two weeks, Bink and Chester had to head back home to their wives and they left the journey. However, Bink did make many stops to alert people that Grundy might need help along the way, and, thanks to his power's mysterious way of coincidentally aiding him, or others if he wills it, these people arrived in just the right time in a coincidental way to help Grundy. Some of the people included Jordan The Barbarian and his wife Threnody.