Lancre
A beloved Discworld nation that has no place in the world of the Gentleman Bastard.
Lancre is a fictional country from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, not a character within the Gentleman Bastard universe. There is no canon connection, crossover, or shared continuity between the world of the Gentleman Bastard and the Discworld in the official works by Scott Lynch. Consequently, Lancre does not appear in the novel 'The Lies of Locke Lamora' nor its sequels.
- Origin
- Discworld (Terry Pratchett)
- Status
- Non-existent in Gentleman Bastard canon
- Affiliation
- None within the Bay City setting
- First Appears
- Never appears in Scott Lynch's novels
Lore & Background
Fans often confuse distinct fantasy universes, but Lancre belongs exclusively to the flat planet of the Discworld. It is known for its eccentric witches and magical laws, which are entirely separate from the gaslamp fantasy and heist-focused setting of Camorr and the Gentlemen Bastards. In the Gentleman Bastard series, the world operates under different rules involving magic (like the Gutter's influence) and political intrigue within a city-state that resembles Renaissance Venice. Introducing Lancre would contradict the established geography and lore created by Scott Lynch, as no crossover events have ever been authorized or written.
In Their Own Story
A confused thief in Camorr might dream of a land where magic is regulated by witches, but when he wakes up to the smell of wet stone and the call of the Gutter, Lancre remains just a rumor. The streets of the Undercity offer no fairytale castles or talking animals, only the cold reality of the Gentleman Bastards' world.
Reader's Guide
As there is no character named Lancre in the series, this dossier cannot detail background, personality, or evolution. Any attempt to insert a 'Lancre' into the crew would be an invention contrary to the source material. The actual characters of the Gentleman Bastards include Locke Lamora, Jean Tannen, and others who navigate the criminal underworld of Camorr without ever visiting the Discworld.
Did You Know?
- Lancre is a country in the Ramtops region of Discworld, and the primary protagonists of the Witch books are from Lancre.
- The Lancre Coven began as a parody of the Three Witches in Macbeth and also as a reworking of the Maiden, Mother and Crone archetypes.
- The collective noun for a group of witches is not 'coven', but 'argument'.
- Magrat Garlick became Queen of Lancre by marrying King Verence II.
- Granny Weatherwax 'especially tends to give voice to the major themes of Pratchett's work.'