People You Have Met

Altrix The Red: Thozanga who assisted in the rescue of then Princess Arana. A mage of some power but also a few dark secrets. Handsome and a bit vain, but somehow frightening to the ladies. He's rumored to have unhealthy appetites.

Chastain: A former Colonel who lost his command after the last Khannish incursion. He was, for a time, Lieutenant of the Guard of Zinrar with his former Lieutentant, Anthor. The latter became the commander of the guard after the kidnapping of Arana, and Chastain returned to the Army, a sergeant.

Claudio The Conjurer: A harmless enough charlatan who had an actual magical item, a working Crystal Ball that could see things far away and give divinations. As the thing came from The Place-Not-Named, not Thex as Claudio claimed, it could attract the attention of evil folk and even, in one instance, help open a portal to that awful city.

Cronus: a mage and rebel operating in Delaware, raiding the Questioners and Judges of the magic-hating Small Kingdom. He wears dark glasss and has long white hair, but he's quite young. Behind the glasses are a pair of cat eyes; he's clearly Misborn. Full name in Cronus Chamberlain, in Windamerean style though the Chamberlain family died out over a century ago.  He now helps Baroness Arana to govern the border city of Koralar.

Cullen, Khannish Colonel: Five years before the abduction of Princess Arana, he led a force into central Windamere with about 100 troopers, spearheaded by a force of Khannish Rangers (woodsmen like Windamerean Marshalls) plus 500 Stinkers. They were nearly wiped out, with a few dozen taken prisoner, after burning several farmsteads and massacring prisoners from a group of cavalry sent out to stop them. In the final fight King Dallarus fell under his horse and was injured but not before routing the Khansmen. Cullen was then taken to Castle Cypher and held in the dungeons for questioning. While being moved to Higilodon for more interrogation, he escaped the jail in Zinrar.  Cullen is a skilled swordsman, leader in battle, and Ranger. He is a protege of  Baron "Sol,"  as well as Baron Demadris.

Darien, Runesmith of Windamere: Rescued by Zoe from a mob that would have burned him at the stake in the Small Kingdoms, the boy has an artistic gift but his paintings are so vivid that they cause emotional reactions among viewers. Strong reactions. Violent or lustful ones. He is being trained by Pol and Cronus to master the art of rune-making, to protect buildings from evil things entering and, ultimately, to work good as well.

Darron and his "daughter" Alexa: They run The Red Dragon Inn, in Higilodon. See the entry on that city to learn more about them.

Sir Dillon Krederon: A knight of Dallarus who is from the well-connected and esteemed Krederon family. They own extensive lands around Zinrar. His father, Sir Magnus Krederon, fought in the later years of Dallarus' reign and commands a force of cavalry as well as several farmsteads.  The family is known for its morality and charity to to poor.

Sir Jelar Leadbetter: the sole surviving son of the Leadbetter family, disgraced by the Father's gambling habits. He was a childhood friend of Princess Arana and though several years younger, he holds an undying love that Arana cannot return openly. Jelar led the group that rescued Arana from Mad Essidar at Korigannan. For this deed King Dallarus restored the family  to favor and gave them a stipend. Sir Jelar was knighted and sent with the Marshalls to learn the art of war on the borders.

Kamag, Chamberlain of the Realm, Keeper of the Royal Downs. An old warrior who fought alongside Dallarus and is the only Champion of his age and experience remaining. He was wounded many time and now walks with a limp. He stays beside Arana as a trusted advisor and, in effect, her uncle. His assistant is Sir Jelar, a Zinrar native who assisted in the rescue of Queen Arana (and a childhood friend of the Queen's. He has a secret love for her). He is deeply unhappy about her abdication, trusting Cronus (as do Jelar and Krederon, who have fought alongside Cronus on the frontier against the Khan).

The Mechanologists: A religious sect from the South, centered in the Empires of Thex and Tetswaia, it worships the gods Techne and Mechos, who represent the light and dark sides of science and machinery. The Engineers of the cult travel ever in search of Ancient relics and have some skills at building devices, including ones powered by steam, unknown to any save the Simari. As a nod to the Ancients, the cultists take Ancient surnames of power, paired with first names of legendary antiquity, such as Parnassus Rockefeller, Hypatia Westinghouse, and so on.

Pol has either strange magical items or spells he does not discuss. One enables him to contact others via a Edenic world of dreams he calls "the Land of Flower and Willow," where he floats eternally along a river on a pleasure barge where maidens endlessly serenade and feed him dainties.

Wiley, Rat-Catcher of Castle Cypher: a wee lad of Zinrar befriended by Zoe, he's learned his letters and has done an impressive job of ridding the Castle of rodents.