Tricksters fulfill the role of light magicians in Hyacinth's army, specializing in lightweight magics with low cost and limited casting times. They are generally the third most common puppet type, after Manipulators and Imps. A group of Tricksters is known as a party.

Tricksters are small-ish puppets, standing at an average height of 3' 0" (91cm) with a fairly average build. Their defining trait is the unicorn horn the comes from their forehead. The fact this horn is their only defining trait often leads to Tricksters being mistaken for normal unicorns at a distance. Tricksters are not especially interesting internally, but they do tend to have abnormally high blood sugar levels, which drop in extended periods of combat. This suggests that their magic power is at least partially caloric in origin. In addition to their magical potential, Tricksters display very limited psionic potential, which is believed to be most active during their communal casting.

In combat, Tricksters can be seen swarming the battlefield with a variety of low- to middling-intensity spells. These spells generally include projectiles of various sorts, manipulatable spikes for traps or volley attacks, and more tactical spells like magic hands for picking things up or dragging them around. Despite their ability to create hands out of magic, Tricksters rarely ever use tools; there is disagreement over whether this is an inability, an active disdain, or a simple absentminded ignorance.

Outside of combat, Tricksters display a very playful and occasionally troublemaking streak, using low-intensity magic spells to make visual or audible disturbances with the intent to startle or tease other puppets. While they don't display a strong preference in their targets, their usual favourites seem to be Praetors, and their least favourites seem to be Deltas. Curiously, a Reconcilant may spawn when startled by a particularly sneaky Trickster, suggesting this behaviour is at least partially rooted in propagation of other puppets.

At the genetic level, Tricksters share an unsurprising amount of epigenetic triggers with Totems. Given they are both magical castes, it is generally agreed that it would be more surprising if they were not related. Tricksters overall have very few epigenetic surprises; they share most of the common triggers with other light puppets, but that is about it. An occasional joke is that "they must surprise others in non-genetic ways; thus their attempts at tricks".

Tricksters do have one particular peculiarity. A Trickster can be "hot" or "cold", corresponding with a slight increase or decrease in body temperature (respectively), and the ability to cast bolts of fire or beams of frost (also respectively). More surprisingly, Tricksters can occasionally change between these triggers. Some believe that this resilience to internal temperature change (and the readiness to switch to it) is the uptick to the Tricksters' overall lower durability, though the fact that they are more durable than Deltas generally offsets this claim.

Because Tricksters display a variety of spells, with distinct spellcasting compared to Totems, their observed spells are listed here for convenience:

• Arcane Slivers: Needles of raw magic that are spawned in significant numbers, and then either passed to allies or thrown directly as an attack.
• Magic Missiles: A volley of larger, raw magic projectiles, with high accuracy and magical tracking.
• Guiding Bolt: A strong bolt of light magic that leaves a clinging light on the target, illuminating it both physically and magically.
• Shield: A magical bubble shield that briefly protects the Trickster from physical and magical attacks.
• Disturbance: The collection of visual and auditory disturbances Tricksters use to prank their fellows.
• Magic Hand: A Trickster's form of psychokinesis. Does not posess the force needed to reliably attack.
• Fire Bolt: Exclusive to "Hot Tricksters". A fiery projectile that produces a small explosion upon impact.
• Frost Beam: Exclusive to "Cold Tricksters". A narrow beam of icy magic that leaves its target chilled and sluggish.

Like Manipulators, Tricksters were added as part of the "initial four" alongside Reconcilants and Imps, and naturally fulfilled the role of magical extensions of Hyacinth. They were always meant to be strength-in-numbers types, though they're one of the few puppet types that have technically gotten "weaker". Originally they were just the "magic puppet", whereas now they act as light counterparts to Totems, being more maneuverable and precise in exchange for lower overall power (at least until communal casting gets involved).

The hot/cold dichotomy was added as an homage to the Dungeons and Dragons iteration of the Trickster, wherein the player can choose to specialize between fire or ice magic if they choose the right specialty path (focusing on Tricksters and magic). The choice helps to differentiate them a bit, and technically means they have multiple "subspecies", for lack of a better term.

Tricksters have a pretty solidly defined role as "light, versatile magic units" that I don't intend cross (though Arrays come close), though nowadays there are more puppets with magical elements than there used to be. Tricksters will always be the original little magic critters, though.