The minor characters, in order of appearance…


Reshma Ha’Durok, a human

A smith and tinker who came to the Inn of Silver Leaves with his son Gheen after serving in Chancellor Jarjuna’s army alongside Arduna.


Arduna Pathlo, a human

A soldier who fought under Jarjuna against the Water Phoenix King. After the war, Chancellor Jarjuna rewarded him with the land around a long-abandoned crossroads fort: the Inn of Silver Leaves.


Arcoan, a bokkminn

Once the greatest dragonfly-breaker of his clan, Arcoan now finds himself employed at the Inn of Silver Leaves as an ostler and a busboy, in a world largely devoid of astral dragonflies. He will probably be eaten by the inn’s cats, who have confused him for some kind of large and delicious insect.


Keilindi Flavich, a human

A maid and entertainer at the Inn of Silver Leaves, Keilindi is a Hadrakahn musician who dreams of singing in one of the great opera houses on the Moon.


Shreyas Akku, a human

A chef at the Inn of Silver Leaves, Shreyas is eventually forced to become an adventurer when her past threatens to catch up to her.


Meyra Sho-Batt, a human

A maid at the Inn of Silver Leaves who knows enough reading and math to help Anthem manage the inn’s figures.


Corinno, a pleroma of Gurahl

Corinno lost much of his power in a battle against Jarjuna shortly before the Water Phoenix King’s death. Ideologically pure and committed to Tamantha, the Old Law that the Water Phoenix King represented, he views himself as a mere instrument for his master’s wrath.


Mixabokes, a pleroma of Zeth Kahl

Mixabokes lost his body in a battle against Vish and works tirelessly to escape his impish form. Though infamous as the “Rectifier of Tectravic,” he cares little for Tamantha except as a means of regaining his once-lofty position in the Water Phoenix King’s shattered hierarchy.


Milat Pathlo, a human

Scion of a long line of herbalists, healers, and alchemists, Milat served in Jarjuna’s healing-tents during the war. After the war, she married Arduna and helped open the Inn of Silver Leaves.


Chancellor Jarjuna, a human

Born an artisan’s son, Jarjuna lost his home to an attack by the Water Phoenix King’s armies. He became an outlaw, then a champion, then the leader of a full-blown insurrection. With the gods themselves on his side, he struck down the Water Phoenix King, then found himself struggling to control his disjointed nation.


Captain Rasho Scopi, a human

The bastard son of Lord Rham of Chaldanga, Captain Rasho missed the war against Yamra and now serves under Prince Thrale protecting the Inn of Silver Leaves as head of the Bison Guards there.


Sergeant Deemo Napanari, a human

A belligerent Bison Guard under Captain Rasho, Deemo schemes to gain enough power to return to his home town of Nammathar.


Nasker Wont, a human

One of the Bison Guards under Captain Rasho’s command.


Lieutenant Poggle, a bokkminn

A bokkmin and accomplished soldier, Lieutenant Poggle fled to the world below where he joined the Bison Guards, only to find himself as a mistreated squire to Sergeant Deemo.


Gheen Ha’Reshma, a human

The young son of Reshma, Gheen has picked up a variety of skills in his travels and helps out at the Inn of Silver Leaves. Sometimes he sees Yigs watching him strangely, but he does not know why.


Naksuanan with Eleven Rings, a maheti

A mediocre alchemist and excellent salesmen, Naksuanan runs an item shop at the Inn of Silver Leaves. His intricate houka suit, necessary since the King of the Maklaks dissolved the skin of every maheti after they betrayed him, can replace physical pain with a gentle narcotic haze controllable through dials on his wrist, but unlike many of his fellows, Naksuanan keeps it dialed down to maintain his keen wits.

Blue Knight

Ezheis Ai-Nacova, the Blue Knight, a human

Once an honored bogatyr of the Water Phoenix King, one of the elite warriors of the godly human kingdom of Hadrakah, Lord Ezheis lost everything when his master died. Reduced to banditry, he soon gathered a company of former Hadrakahn soldiers around him.


Prince-Elector Thrale Turbala of Nammathar, a human

Forced to live under his warrior father’s shadow, Prince Thrale was imprisoned during much of the war, and when he emerged he was a changed and broken man. An unstable, violent ruler, Thrale hates the presence of the Inn of Silver Leaves on his border.


Turvin M’Oxo, an Ulenite

Turvin is a Skinbreaker, a master of a nearly extinct min-tin combat art. He claims to serve the mysterious Lord Oxo.


Consular Esca M’Rodius, an Ulenite

Consular Esca made a name for himself as a demagogue hardliner championing Ulenite control of Esgavi. While his faction was suppressed under Basileus Arkame, he secured a position with Ambassador Phindus. Despite the xenophobic traits typical of his faction, Consular Esca speaks several languages fluently.


Ambassador Phindus M’Irinian, an Ulenite

One of the leading supporters of the mysterious “Lord Oxo,” Ambassador Phindus pushed aggressively for an Ulenite return to the terrestrial realm, and was one of the first to establish an Ulenite presence in Esgavi toward the end of the last war.


Princess-Elector Ismene Zelah of Esgavi, a rat-ugezi

The original Princess Ismene died by her own hand when Yamra’s bogatyrs overran Esgavi. A common rat, brought to the cusp of awareness by its sorrow at the princess’ death and its awe at Prince Thrale’s defiance of the bogatyrs, took her form and some of her essence. Now she struggles to protect Esgavi, “her” nation.


Sir Commito Ai-Chalse, a human

Princess Ismene’s paladin and protector, a ferocious warrior and enemy of the bogatyrs armored in the antique panoply of Esgavi.


Carthi Hool, a human

Elder brother of Commander Corva Bleks, Carthi Hool works with his sister (whom he dislikes) to protect Hadrakahn refugees, but believes he is destined for something greater.


Angassi Kebra, a yig

A deadly sorcerer, Kebra went to war for the Water Phoenix King as one of the Ngapp. When the war ended, the Unfathomable Emperor of the Yigs declared the Ngapp traitors. Kebra fled and, over the next decade, worked to turn the Ngapp into an effective bandit army while continuing his studies of sorcery.


Rosie, a rose-weasel mwendo

Mortals and animals can abandon the paths laid out for them by Tamantha, becoming sorcerers and shapeshifters, respectively, but Vasgol does not see many plants that do the same. “Rosie” began life as a rose bush but abandoned her sedentary existence, and now roams the world as a blood-drinking plant creature that resembles a weasel with a rose at the end of her tail.


Momba Tusu, a yig

A gifted archer, Momba Tusu was too young to fight in the war against the Water Phoenix King, and grew up on stories of his cousin Momba Kawunei’s brave battles against the Hadrakahn forces. The youngest son of a cadet branch of the house, Tusu sees his best bet of a bright future in attaching himself to Kawunei, though he has recently grown frustrated that Kawunei will not let him seize glory in open battle.


Hokta Threng, a yig

The last heir to Hokta Chuul, the undead swordmaster of that venerable house, Hokta Threng serves under Momba Kawunei’s command.


Dendi Mbako, a yig ghoul

Dendi Mbako served alongside Gilgam and Kawunei against the Water Phoenix King, years before the Yiggish government formally declared a side in the war. Gilgam, Kawunei, and Mbako were captured by Yamra’s forces, imprisoned, and tortured. Only Kawunei and Gilgam successfully escaped.


Gurra, a yig

A common soldier under Momba Kawunei.


Lyca, a chuni

A member of one of the oldest races, Lyca came to the world below to help during the war, but found herself captured by the sorcerer Kebra and bound as a familiar spirit.


Yuon, a creature of unfamiliar origin

Yuon is a three-headed, floating creature that serves Araku Eskamushi as secretary and bodyguard.


Araku Eskamushi, a wyrd

Gilgam’s father is a gifted sorcerer and electrical researcher who dwells in a part of the wyrdish Lightning Dream called the Tower of the Eskamushi. He dislikes his son’s meddling in the affairs of the world below.


Urume, a maklak

A mighty alchemist of one of the old races, Urume helped the maheti develop their own Science, and then turned his attention to creating a Science for the Yigs. Nothing of his body remains–only his horn, suspended in alchemical fluids.


Querquisite, a salamander-ugezi

Gifted with sentience when Darumatha awoke, Querquisite realized soon that she and those like her would eventually lose their newfound intelligence. Her band of ugezi now seeks a way to remain intelligent.


Lord Fers, a jackal-ugezi

Fers gained sentience along with Querquisite and many other animals, and now schemes for a way to preserve himself.


Hicoresh, a human

One of Darumatha’s most powerful servants, Hicoresh is a Zaiapani woman who swore herself to the Demon-Dragon even before his awakening. She bears the Carapace of Acah-Shace and other demonic enhancements.


Unarké the Unstoppable, a divine beast

Created from a failed Yiggish sacrifice, Unarké roams the jungles of Yig, hunting for Momba Kawunei, who betrayed him.


The Pirate-Pope of Jex-Nala, a human

A fallen priest of Okidesha the Lava Goddess, the self-proclaimed and otherwise nameless Pirate-Pope of Jex-Nala arose from obscurity, one of many soul-dealing sorcerers who plied their wares before the war against the Water Phoenix King, to command a vast necromantic network from his fortress on the Sun.


Woshka the Threefold Angel, a demon

A comparatively minor angelic functionary of Xoxumoshtli, northern god of medicine, justice, and battle, Woshka bolstered his importance with stolen souls, until eventually most cult-idols of “Father Xoxu” resembled his three-headed, canine form. When Xoxumoshtli learned of Woshka, he banished the demon-angel, who settled into Othwald Castle to study the dimensions.


Queydoxx the Archimandrite, a demon

A demon of blood and secrets, Queydoxx is a major soul-trader, rivaling even Darumatha in sheer number of thralls, if not quality. He favored the exchange of simple gifts in exchange for fractional souls, collecting the eventual damned souls from other demons at the end of the diabolists’ lives.


Smay Droon, a human

Current leader of the Kepteriad–the society of sorcerers, priests, and savants in Vasgol–Smay spent her formative years on the run from the Water Phoenix King’s bogatyrs, who worked tirelessly to exterminate sorcerers. She fought alongside Jarjuna during the war and re-organized the Kepteriad from her tower in Weyu (southern Vasgol).


Racannah Rauesh, a human

Current High Alchemist of Vasgol, Racannah oversaw the transformation of Anuna (Vasgol’s capital) from a ruin to a thriving metropolis by imprisoning the Chemical Titan. She distrusts sorcerers and priests and considers alchemy the future of Vasgol.


Lord Oxo, an Ulenite

“Lord Oxo”–perhaps an individual, perhaps a title or cabal–is the head of those Ulenites determined to return to the world below. He scoffs at the notion that Tamantha bars Ulenites from Esgavi, the human nation they plan to reclaim.


Captain Bezzer, a Cheim Su

A native inhabitant of the Sun, Commodore Bezzer paid no mind to the war against the Water Phoenix King, as the sun had its own problems with demons and fallen priests. He commands a cloudship called the Scorn-of-Spiders.


Dreadlord Yoth, a Yig

One of the Yigs’ most powerful military governors and Momba Kawunei’s most deadly political enemy. Dreadlord Yoth wears armor made of shadows and bears twin opal swords that appear to slice through space itself.

Din Maia Hin

Din Maia Hin, a Dragon

Din Maia Hin served as Vish’s priestess during his formative years and barely survived the attack by Yamra’s pleroma that cost Vish his original body. She left the priesthood to become a merchant, and soon became one of the dragon-monarchs of Tam Ruat, the largest city in the human nation of Zaiapan.


Lady Boraq, a chuni

Lyca’s mother, a high-ranking but unstable chuni who hears strange voices and echoes from the world below.


Ilander, a Baltoo Beccan

A servant of Darumatha who dwells on Echune, the Great King’s Head–home of the chuni. Baltoo Beccans naturally have powerful psychic powers, and Darumatha augmented Ilander’s considerable abilities with demonic investments.

Unfathomable Emperor

The Unfathomable Emperor, a Yig

Supreme potentate of all Yigs. He rules from his capital city in Pangadar, from a palace that looks out on the airship docks.


Disciple, a Yig

An otherwise-nameless Yig woman rescued from Barabbon, now a priestess of Ailari.


Abutha, a Maheti

A powerful renegade alchemist who knows how to distill Glory-of-Spiders, a poison that neutralizes divine magic.

Yuenki Duelist

Yuenki Duelist

A priestess of Yuenki, goddess of duels, able to wield up to a half-dozen blades at once in a hurricane of violence.


Heedless, the Flesh Titan

A nightmarish amalgam of living and dead flesh created by Maresh, who named the juggernaut for its disregard for distinctions between living and dead.