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Master Yim
Chaghan is Altan’s deputy and the Cike’s seer. He and his sister, Qara, are “anchor twins,” meaning that if one of them gets hurt or is killed, the other feels it and will also die. Rin discovers that really, Qara anchors Chaghan to the mortal world, as Chaghan can easily traverse the spirit world and fully understands it and the gods. He regularly visits the Talwu to interpret Hexagrams and keeps close tabs on things happening in the spirit world—he feels when shamans die, for instance. Chaghan is self-assured, caustic, and adores Altan, and so he’s openly hostile to anyone who doesn’t fully support Altan.
Chaghan Quotes in The Poppy War
The The Poppy War quotes below are all either spoken by Chaghan or refer to Chaghan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 18 Quotes
“Altan is perhaps the most powerful martial artist in Nikan right now. Maybe the world,” said Chaghan. “But for all that, most of his life he was just good at following orders. Tyr’s death was a shock to us. Altan wasn’t ready to take over. Command is difficult for him. He doesn’t know how to make peace with the Warlords. He’s overextended. He’s trying to fight an entire war with a squad of ten. And he’s going to lose.”
“You don’t think we can hold Khurdalain?”
“I think we were never meant to hold Khurdalain,” said Chaghan. “I think Khurdalain was a sacrifice for time paid in blood. Altan is going to lose because Khurdalain is not winnable, and when he does, it’s going to break him.”
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Chapter 20 Quotes
“He’s not human,” she said, recalling the horrible anger behind Altan’s power. She’d thought she understood Altan. She’d thought she had reached the man behind the command title. But she realized now that she didn’t know him at all. The Altan she’d known—at least, the Altan in her mind—would have done anything for his troops. He wouldn’t have left someone in the gas to die. “He—I don’t know what he is.”
“But Altan was never allowed to be human,” Chaghan said, and his voice was uncharacteristically gentle. “Since childhood, he’s been regarded as a militia asset. Your masters at the Academy fed him opium for attacking his classmates and trained him like a dog for this war.”
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“That boy is beyond redemption,” said the Woman. “That boy is broken like the rest. But you, you are still pure. You can still be saved.”
“I don’t want to be saved!” Rin shrieked. “I want power! I want Altan’s power! I want to be the most powerful shaman there ever was, so that there is no one I can’t save!”
“That power can burn down the world,” the woman said sadly. “That power will destroy everything you’ve ever loved. You will defeat your enemy, and the victory will turn to ashes in your mouth.”
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Chaghan Character Timeline in The Poppy War
The timeline below shows where the character Chaghan appears in The Poppy War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10
...the water, where Tyr drowns. Everyone who can access the spirit world feels his death. Chaghan, the Seer of the Bizarre Children, tells Altan Trengsin that Altan will command the Cike...
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Chapter 13
...of water. Timid Unegen can transform into a fox. He and Baji pester Qara, who’s Chaghan’s “anchor twin,” about when Chaghan will be back. Altan arrives and tells them to leave...
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Chapter 18
...Qara then berate the man for being “stupid” and reckless. Altan, Qara, and the young man—Chaghan, Qara’s “anchor twin”—lock themselves in Altan’s office. Baji explains Qara and Chaghan’s connection to Rin:...
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Rin begins to insult Altan, and Chaghan sends Baji and Unegen away. He threatens to kill Rin if he speaks like that...
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Chapter 19
From their posts staking out a barricade, Rin tells Nezha about Chaghan. The Cike is working with the Seventh Division to try to cut off the Federation’s...
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Chapter 20
Rin finds Chaghan watching civilians hurry out of Khurdalain. He takes in Altan’s handprint on Rin’s face, and...
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...gate, but now she looks like a burnt corpse. The Woman argues with Rin and Chaghan, insisting that she’s protecting Rin so the fire doesn’t “consume her” and so Rin can...
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Chaghan drags Rin on, but not to the Pantheon—to a Divinatory, where they can ask questions...
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...asks Rin to cast three coins six times. The Talwu will read the results, and Chaghan will interpret them. Rin tosses the coins. She and Chaghan grow increasingly concerned: there will...
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Chaghan drags Rin into Altan’s office and says they need to leave Khurdalain: Rin’s Hexagram “spoke...
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Chapter 21
...Niis in ruin or walk right into a trap. Since the Cike left, Altan and Chaghan have been sitting together, speaking quietly. Now, Rin asks Baji why Chaghan isn’t the Cike’s...
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...Eleventh divisions surrendered—but the Federation general beheaded them all. The Empress fled early on, which Chaghan deems “pathetic.” Rin thinks again of the Talwu saying that “A leader abandons their people....
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Chapter 22
...thousand survivors. Altan is often missing and is never well when he is around, so Chaghan assigns the Cike guard duty. It’s pointless—there’s nothing to protect. Rin can’t get the images...
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Rin falls asleep keeping watch and jerks awake to the sound of Altan and Chaghan arguing. Altan is talking about the possibility of raising an “army of shamans,” but Chaghan...
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As soon as Altan is gone, Rin runs to find Chaghan, whom she finds preparing to leave with Qara. Rin begs for answers, but Chaghan will...
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Chapter 23
...final briefing. He tells them to wait for Qara’s messenger bird and to listen to Chaghan while he’s gone, though he won’t say where Chaghan is. If he and Rin aren’t...
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...to Altan by the fire, Rin suddenly feels “vindictive joy” that she has Altan, and Chaghan no longer does. She asks Altan about Chuluu Korikh and about Feylen. Altan explains, “They...
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Rin realizes that Jiang and Chaghan were right: they can’t utilize gods like this, and they can’t let Feylen leave the...
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Chapter 25
...forward. Rin sees visions of a god of the wind in the mountains, and of Chaghan and Qara breaking a dam. In the spirit world, Rin touches Chaghan, but he asks...
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Chapter 26
Qara and Chaghan enter Rin’s room while she’s sleeping. Rin admits to burning Mugen, shares the news of...
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The Cike gather for a Speerly ceremony to say goodbye to Altan. Rin and Chaghan sit together far away from the group, and Rin shares with him that the Empress...
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