| Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details from the latest book. |
“I will do everything in my power to help my world.”
The Black Swan is a rebel group of elves, dwarves, and gnomes working together to improve their world. They are the ones who created Sophie and made her be Project Moonlark. They are known to have a set of cipher runes to communicate secretly. The organization is led by a group of elves known as The Collective. In order to swear fealty and become members of the organization, Sophie and her friends had to lick a fist-sized black cube and say the oath "I will do anything in my power to help my world" until the cube decided that the speaker was sincere.
Pre-Keeper
The Black Swan are the ones who created Sophie as Project Moonlark, they genetically enhanced her to be able to have several different special abilities. Prentice, their keeper, had his mind broken and was sent to Exile. Mr. Forkle became Sophie's neighbor and called the hospital when she hit her head. Mr. Forkle then triggered Sophie's ability as a Telepath at, incredibly, the age of five. It is not entirely clear what they made Sophie for, but we know it is for good.
Book 1: Keeper of the Lost Cities
One of the leaders of the group, Mr. Forkle, was Sophie's neighbor in the Forbidden Cities. When the Neverseen kidnapped Sophie and Dex, Mr. Forkle came, took Sophie and Dex to Paris, activated some of Sophie‘s abilities, and trusted that they would find a way back to the lost cities on their own, but the Neverseen found Sophie and Dex again. It was the Black Swan that set up the necessary elements for Sophie to catch the Everblaze burning in the Forbidden Cities, using Gildie, the flareadon, and Prattles pins.
Book 2: Exile
The Black Swan started leaving clues for Sophie. She and Keefe went to the Black Swan so Sophie's abilities could be fixed, which they did so with a small dose of limbium. This allowed Sophie to heal Alden Vacker's broken mind. When the Neverseen found the cave and tried to kidnap Silveny the alicorn, the Black Swan fought them off, allowing Sophie, Keefe, and Silveny to escape.
Book 3: Everblaze
The Black Swan helps them plan an ambush on Mt. Everest. Mr. Forkle helped Fitz get Sophie's trust so she would allow him into her mind. At the end of the book, Sophie, Fitz, Biana, Keefe and Dex decide to go find the Black Swan to join them and rebel against the council.
Book 4: Neverseen
In Neverseen, Sophie, Biana, Keefe, Fitz, Dex, and Della join the Black Swan to try and defeat the Neverseen and save the gnomes. The Black Swan also helped them break into Exile to rescue Prentice. The Councillors in Foxfire sent Sophie, Biana, Keefe, Fitz, and Dex to Exillium, a school they go to if they are expelled from Foxfire. in the end, Keefe betrayed his friends saying that he will join the Neverseen.
Book 5: Lodestar
Mr. Forkle, Sophie and Councillor Oralie go to interrogate Gethen. Mr. Forkle also attended the Peace Summit as a representative of the Black Swan. Later in the book, after the Peace Summit, Mr. Forkle's twin is stabbed by Gethen, resulting in his death.
Book 6: Nightfall
After the death of Mr. Forkle, the Collective reveals the truth that Mr. Forkle has an identical twin which has helped him keep up with having so many identities. After his death, it is a struggle for Mr. Forkle to be able to stay on top of all his identities.
Known Members
MR. FORKLE - aka Magnate Leto and Sir Astin: (one twin deceased, other alive) The head of Project Moonlark and leader of the Collective. He was thought to be dead but he actually had a twin brother and one of them was killed. A Telepath.
JOLIE RUEWEN: (deceased - see Wanderling Woods): A double agent for the Black Swan who worked against the Neverseen, but was killed by Brant, a Pyrokinetic of the Neverseen. She hid a report in Havenfield for sixteen years before Sophie Foster uncovered it. A Conjurer.
PRENTICE ENDAL: The Keeper for the Black Swan and the father of Wylie Endal. His mind was broken by Quinlin Sonden under the order of the Council. Imprisoned in Exile afterwards, he was saved by Sophie Foster, Dex Dizznee, Biana Vacker, Keefe Sencen, Fitz Vacker, and the Collective. Currently residing in the Stone House for rehabilitation. A Telepath.
Black swans drawn by Shannon Messenger
GRANITE - aka TIERGAN: He is a member of the Collective and a Telepath.
SOPHIE ELIZABETH FOSTER: Project Moonlark. She is a Telepath, Inflictor, Enhancer, Teleporter, and Polyglot. She is the only elf with brown eyes. She is Fitz's Cognate
FITZ VACKER: (as of Neverseen) Fitz is a Telepath and Sophie's Cognate in training. He is one of the only members of the Black Swan that can read Sophie's mind. He also is Sophie's main love interest in Flashback.
BIANA VACKER: (as of Neverseen) A Vanisher. She is Sophie's friend and Fitz's younger sister.
KEEFE SENCEN: (as of Neverseen) An Empath. Sophie and Fitz's friend. He worked as a double agent for the Black Swan against the Neverseen a short while which resulted in catastrophe but managed to steal both Fintan's and Kenric's caches, which were revealed to be fakes in Flashback.
DEX DIZZNEE (as of Neverseen) A Technopath, and Sophie's friend. He has helped make many gadgets to help the Black Swan's cause.
TAM SONG (as of Lodestar) A Shade. Discovered (along with Biana) the Neverseen's hidden room behind the Lodestar Mirror in the Silver Tower.
LINH SONG (as of Lodestar) A Hydrokinetic. She was the elf that flooded Ravagog after stealing the "cure" for the gnomes, and prevented the flooding of Atlantis during Lady Gisela's escape. She is also Tam's sister.
COIFFE - aka TIMKIN HEKS: He is Stina's father and Vika's husband. He is Talentless. When he works with the Black Swan, he disguises himself by wearing fur all over his body, making him look like a poodle.
PHYSIC - aka Livvy: a physician that heals Fitz after he is injured while rescuing Prentice. She used to be part of the Collective before stepping down for Juline to take her place. She was also Quinlin's ex-wife.
SQUALL - aka Juline Dizznee: A Froster who is part of the Collective. She is Dex's mother. Her sister is Edaline, the adoptive mother of Sophie.
BLUR (unknown identity): part of the Collective, a Phaser who disguises himself by "phasing" then reforming only partway, so he looks blurry.
WRAITH (unknown identity): A skilled Vanisher who is part of the Collective. He can vanish partially, making only his clothes appear.
CALLA (see Panakes): A gnome who played a key role in Sophie's creation. She later sacrificed herself to stop the plague.
AMISI: A gnome who lived in Alluveterre in Book 4: Neverseen.
SIOR: A gnome mentioned in Book 4: Neverseen.
LUR: A gnome that was friends with Calla, who located (along with Mitya) Sophie and Dex when they were kidnapped.
MITYA: A gnome that was friends with Calla, who located (along with Lur) Sophie and Dex when they were kidnapped.
LADY CADENCE: Sophie's linguistics teacher, who insisted on joining the Black Swan as one of her terms for being their escort to Ravagog. She is a conjurer and polyglot.
MARELLA REDEK: A Pyrokinetic, who was previously great friends with Sophie; joins to go to Lady Gisela's Nightfall. Swore fealty to the Black Swan in Book 8: Legacy.
LORD CASSIUS: Keefe's father, an Empath, who insisted on joining as a condition for revealing the location of the original Nightfall.
ERMETE: Deceased dwarf working with the Black Swan. He died during the Battle of Mount Everest.
YEGOR: A (presumably) deceased dwarf working with the Black Swan in Book 3: Everblaze.
IRJA: One of the dwarves that died during the Battle of Mount Everest.
KUN: One of the dwarves that died during the Battle of Mount Everest.
GORA: A gnome mentioned in Book 4: Neverseen.
YURI: A gnome mentioned in Book 4: Neverseen.
DELLA VACKER: She is a skilled Vanisher who is the mother of Fitz and Biana.
TINKER: She is a very skilled technopath who prefers to speak in questions.
UNKNOWN PSIONIPATH In Book 4: Neverseen, it is mentioned that the Black Swan has a Psionipath on their team.