Twoflower was an inhabitant of the Agatean Empire.
Biography[]
Twoflower grew up in the seaport of Bes Pelargic in the Agatean Empire. As a child, he read The Octarine Fairy Book, and gained a love of dragons despite the fact that his sister told him they did not exist.[1]
He was apprenticed to Ninereeds the Masteraccount, and worked as an Inn-sewer-ants clerk, issuing Inn-sewer-ants-polly-seas. At some point, he came into possession of The Luggage, a mobile trunk made of sapient pearwood. After saving up two thousand rhinu, he booked passage on several vessels and made his way to the city of Ankh-Morpork to see what it was like.[1]
Upon arrival, he met the wizard Rincewind whom he hired as a guide. After several members of the Assassins' Guild and the Thieves' Guild tried to capture and kill him for his money, he escaped from Ankh-Morpork with Rincewind shortly before a large fire - started by the owner of the Broken Drum after Twoflower gave him an Inn-sewer-ants-polly-sea - consumed much of the city.[1]
Twoflower and Rincewind travelled, encountering Hrun the Barbarian at the Temple of Bel-Shamharoth and being captured by the dragonriders of the Wyrmberg. After escaping, they eventually ended up in Krull, where they were due to be sacrificed as part of the Krullians' efforts to launch a vessel over the edge of the disc to discover the sex of Great A'Tuin, the World Turtle. However, while attempting to escape from Krull, Twoflower ended up inside the space vessel and was launched off the rim.[1]
When he left to return to the Agatean Empire, he gifted Rincewind his luggage. Upon his return, he penned an essay, titled "What I did on my holidays", which revealed many of the lies that the Agatean Empire had made up about the outside world. He was captured and imprisoned but was later accidentally rescued by Rincewind.
He was appointed by Cohen the Barbarian, alias Genghiz Cohen, as his Grand Vizier. When Cohen left his duties, Twoflower became Emperor.
He and his government learned of Cohen's plan to return fire to the Gods and urged Ankh-Morpork to take action.
Personality and traits[]
Twoflower wore glasses, a look that caused many who met him to believe that he had four eyes.[1] He also wore dentures, a concept which inspired Cohen the Barbarian to have a set made for himself out of troll's teeth.[3]
Twoflower was an optimistic-but-naïve tourist. He often ran into danger, being certain that nothing bad would happen to him, as long as he was not involved. He also believed in the goodness of human nature and that all problems could be resolved if all parties showed good will and cooperated. Rincewind, of course, remained immovably convinced that Twoflower's IQ was comparable to that of a pigeon. Rincewind described him by saying that if absolute chaos were lightning, Twoflower would be the sort to stand on top of a hill during a lightning storm wearing wet copper armour and yelling "All gods are bastards!"[1] He also believed Rincewind's outrageous lies about him being a great and powerful wizard, well respected by his peers.[2]
He is a devoted family man who loves his two daughters and who loved his wife. When he met his wife's killer, he challenged Lord Hong to a duel to avenge his wife, despite Lord Hong's expertise, his own lack of duelling ability and his family's protests. Luckily, the wizards at the Unseen University chose that point to return the barking dog they had taken, complete with lit fuse.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
On the cover of The Colour of Magic, Twoflower is depicted as having four eyes, the result of artist Josh Kirby taking Terry Pratchett's description of the character as "four-eyed" literally. Pratchett meant to convey the fact that Twoflower wore glasses.
Twoflower was played by Sean Astin in the two-part television adaptation of The Colour of Magic produced by Sky One.
Appearances[]
- The Colour of Magic (First appearance)
- The Colour of Magic (television film)
- The Light Fantastic
- Interesting Times