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The Village within the Walls [Open]

Started by MonochroMayhem, March 26, 2017, 02:05:53 PM

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MonochroMayhem

Torien sat working in his workshop as the dull glow of the evening fell upon the cottage. Yukara, her lute in her cradling arms, was playing her latest creation, and he was perfectly happy to act as a test audience. Alas, he was having trouble with the house order he'd been doing, and it showed in his furrowed brow.

"What's the matter?" Yukara asked, stopping her strums to listen.

"It's this damnable crossbeam," Torien replied. "It continues to bother me. It won't stay in place and if I want to fix it easier I'll have to take apart the house."

Yukara sighed. "Well, you've already been behind on repairs, so I don't know what a few minutes will do--"

"It's the whole house that I will have to take apart, Yukara."

"O-oh," the woman replied. She stood up and looked outside towards the village. "Perhaps I should head back the village? It's getting late, and my gig at the alehouse is supposed to be soon."

"I would rather you stay here since your music keeps me from overworking myself, but if you have money to earn, I won't stop you."

As Yukara peered out the window, she drew in a short breath. "Um, Torien? I know it's not my place to ask, but I think someone is outside."

"Yukara, I told you- as long as they don't touch the nettles by the gate and get stung, there is no way for them to get in. It's locked by a key, and only fae-height folk can pass through the bars."

Yukara pursed her lips. "I'm gonna go outside and make sure they aren't causing trouble." She headed towards the door.

Whim

(Torien and Yukara are living incognito as humans just to be clear, right?))

Ewan took his time wandering the sleeping village along the Ora. His travels in the south were full of nothing but monsters, slavers, and blistering heat. The little sorcerer came home mostly to visit Arca and it's libraries, but it was good to be in a proper Serenian village again. He loved the orchards, cobbled roads and thatched cottages.

The boy was nearing the local inn when a glint of red caught his eye. A feather. A plumed serpent's feather. It lay in a garden on the other side of stone wall and iron gate. Native to northern climates, the constrictors' feathers were prized in potions made to build muscle and sculpt the body. Ewan looked down at his scrawny frame. He could certainly use some of that!

The feather was nestled in a pricker bush on the other side of the fence. Ewan could hear music. Someone was home but was it worth knocking just for a feather? They'd probably just swat him off anyhow. Besides. He was young, and quick, and could scale the fence and grab it!

The boy worked his feet into gaps in the mortar, making more noise than intended. Once at the top he reached across to grab the feather... only to scratch himself on a thorn. "Ow! Heck that hurts!" he yelped.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara spotted the young boy. "Torien, we have an intruder."

Torien stood and look Ike's out the window at the stone wall. "Where? I don't--"

Out by the iron gate, there stood a short figure. His hand twitches back, as though he had been injured by the bushes.

"Oh heck no," Torien breathed. He quickly pulled a drawer out on his workbench. He rummaged around until he came across a small brass tin, which he immediately tossed to Yukara.

"The tall-folk isn't going to be so tall in a few moments. Those are emergency clothes. This has happened before, so it isn't a huge problem, but... he's going to be spooked if we leave him out there."

"Oh gods," Yukara replied, catching the tone between her palms. "There's been word of a serpent looking around for easy prey."

"Just get out there!"

Yukara ran out the door and headed towards the figure. "H-hey kid, those bushes will..."

As she approached, she realized she came a little too late. The nettles had begun to do its job. Yukara sighed and leaned down.

"...shrink you..."

Whim

A small nick was all it took and Ewan was already whoozy from the Briar. The little sorcerer braced himself on the stone wall, trying to think of what kind of plant this could be. He couldn't think of any poison nettles. None that grew up here. The boy lugged an enormous grimoire from his pack - which was unusually heavy - and frantically paged through it for the right antitoxin. Soon the book had grown to heavy to hold and slipped into the garden. "Stupid!" he cursed, leaping after it.

By then the door to the cottage creaked open, bringing some much-needed light into the garden. Two figures emerged. Both were waifish, definitely favoring the fae-traits of most Serenians. "S-sorry! I lost my book and I had to get it. It was just a little prick-" the boy darted back, blushing. His loin cloth must have gotten loose during the fall because he needed to hold it up.

"Wait!  Shrink me?" Ewan's eyes went wide. The little sorcerer was used to people towering over him, but these two, delicate as they were, looked like giants. "How?! Can you stop it?!"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Torien came to Yukara's side as the boy hollered at them both. His pointed ears dropped a bit in embarrassment. "Well, this is going to be a bigger mess than I thought."

Yukara knelt down to try and calm the boy. His body was slowly getting smaller and smaller. "It's not really something that "stops", at least it isn't a process that can be prevented. It'll stop after a few more moments, but you'll be like... that... for a while."

Thank the gods that it was temporary.

The two of them heard a hissing noise nearby.

Torien grimaced. "It's that darned serpent," he said, grabbing a stick that was leaning against the wall. He ran after the noise, shouting profanities in hopes that he wouldn't have to confront it physically.

As Torien ran around the wall, Yukara pursed her lips. She opened the tin and set it down beside the boy. "What for the love of the gods were you reaching into the prickers for?" she asked.

Whim

"My name's Ewan ap Rhys. I'm a sorcerer. Best in Ravensway I'd bet!" the boy held his chin high, trying to look important. "I saw a plumed serpent feather in your brush and, uh, I wanted it. Its good for magic and stuff you know." Very articulate and believable. Ewan wrapped his loin-cloth about himself, it was like a gown now, and shuffled toward the table-sized grimoire to show her.  He was no more than a foot-tall now and red with embarrassment.

"Um, how small am I going to get exactly? And just what is that plant? And why have you got it in your garden?" unsettling as it was to see the girl and cottage grow bigger, and bigger, and bigger... a shrinking plant was pretty amazing!

***

Meanwhile the feathered serpent had curled itself around an nearby ash and was just visible through the leaves. No doubt it was waiting for a squirrels, field-mice... or other small prey. With thick scales and plumage it had no fear of the nettles.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara sighed. The boy was not going to like hearing her answer.

"You're probably going to end up the size of a mouse," she explained. She pointed to a mint-colored plant right next to them that grew up from the ground. "These plants are unique because they behave like mushrooms. The mycelia they produce may have caused one to grow inside the brambles.

"I've heard that the serpent has tried to nest nearby. You've quite the knowledge for someone so young, with your ingredients." She spied the markings on his arms, but didn't want to feel rude bringing them up. As a Fae herself, they were easier to read, but even so she wasn't prepared to ask where he got them.

"It's okay, Torien's been through this before," she said, pointing at the clothes tin.

"My name's Yukara, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Ewan." She leaned her hand against the iron gate.

Big mistake.

"Augh!" she yelled, her hand feeling the burn of the metal. The pain sent a shock down her body, and she began to shake. Her glamour was losing integrity.

She looked the boy right in the eye with a pained fright before bursting into a cloud of silver dust. A pile of clothes stood where she had knelt...




...and a small lump wiggled frantically beneath her shirt, shouting muffled obscenities.

Whim

"And like I've said. I'm the best. Way older than I look too," he added pompously. "It's great to meet you though, Yukara. Thanks for the help and all.

"But it's like a fungus? Is it... um... eating the bit of me that's lost?" Ewan screwed up his face. He'd probably have found it really interesting if he wasn't the one made tiny. "Why's it in your garden anyhow?" With a grumbling sigh the shrunken boy let go of his oversized shorts and approached the clothes-tin. At eight-inches tall it looked like a carriage... and suddenly he heard a cry.

Yukara was gone; replaced by a grumbling and cursing pile of cloth. Gosh that was fast! "Did it get you too!? You weren't even that close!" Ewan scrambled to free them. Easier said than done; the tunic was huge! The boy managed to find a sleeve and propped it up like tented bedsheet. "Yukara!?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara fumbled about with her bandage-bound chest as she spotted Ewan spying on her. Her body glowed a dim pink in embarrassment.

At first, she thought to hide. Unlike Torien, who had a head for thrills, Yukara didn't like the thrill of children finding her out especially.

Then she remembered the markings on his body.

She pursed her lips. There was no point in hiding from someone like that.

She crawled over to him and sighed. "No, I touched the gate. Why Torien had to make it iron is beyond my understanding. We both have the iron issue. It's kind of common." She looked at the etchings on his arms. "Then again, you seem like you'd know more about the Fae than most your age."

She held her hand close. The burns were like fire scorches, but more like heavy abrasions. A rug burn times a thousand.

Whim

"Sorry!" Ewan gasped and dropped the sleeve. Of course shed be indecent, how could he so dumb! But Yukara wasn't just naked underneath. She had wings. "You- you're a pixie! This isn't some trick to make me your pet or something - is it?"

The boy free back from the tunic. Of course he couldn't run and his spell book was far too big. That and being unclothed left him little to do but shiver. But when Yukara emerged she was in no shape to be capturing humans.

Ewan blushed. He didn't much like explaining his condition, or revealing all he knew.  "I used to be bigger you know. Grown-up. But I've had dealings with your sort. Learned a few tricks. Like to how to stay young...

"Iron gives me a rash too. My family's got magic blood. But nothing that nasty. Wait just there! I know a spell I bet could mend you - oh." His grimoire was far too big to handle properly. "So how long are we gonna be like this?"
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara giggled. "Why would I want to keep you as a pet? Despite how cute it sounds, I don't think there's really any reason to keep you here for that long. No, the plant is there because there's a village within the walls. We used to have guests."

Yukara had heard heresay long ago of an incident of a similar sort. Something had gone missing, and unfortunately it caused a lot of ruckus. Perhaps the boy was the one who had been behind that?

She breathed out. "I don't think that the effects will last too long, but this will probably last for at least the remainder of the nigh---"

Hissssssssssss........

Yukara froze. "Uh, Ewan? What was that?" she asked, her voice pitching itself upwards in fear.

Whim

Ewan cracked a tiny smile, . "Well all the stories say your sort steal away kids to be pets and servants, ya know. You tell me what you do with them." He glared in mock suspicion.

"But why are you disguised as a human? And what do you mean there's a village in the walls? Like a there's a little faerie hamlet in your garden?" Ewan squinted around the garden in wonderment. The brambles and fading sunlight made for an alien sky above them. The modest stone wall was an insurmountable peak. Just where was this city?

"Oh gosh! Its huge!" Ewan shrieked. The underbrush creaked around them as the plumed serpent came into view. It was slithering toward them and with purpose. No sign of Torien. The boy clutched Yukara's arm in a panic, "C-can you fly with me? And- and where'd your friend go!?"

The answer was probably no. He'd need to run to escape. There was no time to do a spell! There were some cracks in the wall and rocks lining the flowerbeds...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

"Not all types of Fae like to steal children. Pixies like me are a bit too small to care for them as is. That, and I think it would be a bit hypocritical to--"

The serpent had slithered its way into view. As Yukara felt the boy's grip on her arm, she shivered. "I don't think my wings can sustain much more than my weight..."

She had to think fast. Her burn was receding, but it still throbbed a bit.

There were few forms that she could take, but in her understanding of traversing deserted areas, she had learned which dealt best with snakes.

"Whatever you do, don't freak out on me, okay?" she asked.

As the beast slithered closer, the fae's body lit up, and in a fraction of a second she transformed herself into a black cat.

"Mmrrroww..." she purred.

She picked up the boy in her jaws and ran around the walls, hoping to find either Torien or a spot to climb.

------------------

Torien had found himself a pitchfork. Now he had to find the darned snake.

Whim

The viper coiled back in shock. It was used to people getting smaller, not bigger! It sat in a defensive posture, bright feathers ruffled, ready to spring.

"Don't stop there! Turn into a lion- gah! Ugh!" Ewan thought she was turning into a big cat to run the snake off. But she wasn't. The boy instead found himself in maw of a cat. Neither the saliva, rough tongue, or rows of teeth made it very pleasant. He tentatively gripped a canine just to avoid an accidental swallowing.

At least it was a fun ride.

There were enough loose stones and mortar for a cat to scale with the wall with ease. The snake darted forward, somewhat lazily, as Yukara dashed off.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara cringed a bit from the feeling of the poor boy squirming in her mouth. She didn't hunt as a cat at all, and this was exactly why.

She purred as she clambered her way up the wall, trying to assure him that she wasn't out to eat him. He tasted horrible as it was, a taste like that of dust or stale bread, and that was not a good one in Yukara's opinion.

As she reached the top of the wall she froze, mortified.

She forgot that Torien had placed a screen over the city to protect it from owls and hawks. The metal wire was silvery and full, and was definitely made of iron or something of the sort.

She knew there was a hole in the very corner of the enclosure, but it was on the opposite corner. She figured the serpent would find its way up there somehow very soon.

She set the boy down and transformed back into her small form. "I'm not sure what we should do. I'm certain that some snakes like those can get up here."

Torien was on the other side, near the hole. He seemed to be searching in the outer brush.

She looked down into the village, then over to the hole in the wire screen, but still wasn't sure what to do. If they went around the long way, they could get caught by the serpent, and if they walked across the caging, they risked being spotted by an owl or hawk.

Whim

"Pfuh!" Ewan flailed his arms, trying to dog-shake the cat spittle off. The slime turned his hair spikey. "Gugh!

"So that's it! We'll be safe in there, yeah?" Ewan peered down at the little city, wedged between the nettles and stone wall. It looked something like a pumpkin patch. But on closer inspection he could see little cottages formed of hollowed squash, dangling from the vines. It was lit up by foxfire

"We'll just climb along that cage and... and..." a stiff breeze rustled the trees, sending a chill down the boy's spine. They were high up. Higher than a castle. His arms could get tired and that would be it! Ewan tugged meekly at the pixie's arm, "C-can we just wait for your friend?"

Above them an owl hooted. Or was it the wind?
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Torien swore he heard faint panicking above them. Even so, he caught the sight of the plumed serpent around the corner and proceeded to chase it.

Meanwhile, Yukara heard the sound of swooshing overhead. She bit her lip. "I don't think we have much of a choice- we're gonna have to cross the screen."

She stretched out her wings and hovered. "I'll spot you from behind. Just keep in mind that I may need to transform quickly, so again- please don't freak out too much."

Whim

"I'm not freaking out. Its just high up is all. And what if I caught my ankle in one and fall? I'd break it! Or what if my hands get sweaty..."

Ewan frowned and approaching the metallic bars. They were thick as chair-legs, just enough for him to wrap his hands around. The boy took a deep breath and stepped out onto the metal mesh. He paused and shivered. It was iron for sure. Callouses protected his feet, but Ewan no longer felt magic in the air. The sorcerer felt naked. Well, more naked. "Okay. I'm going. But you're going to watch right?"

Ewan fell to a crouch, crawling rather than walking across the top. It was slow going, but lnowing Yukara was overhead helped, too. The top of the cage spanned roughly three feet, which was almost a city block at their height. The five minutes it took to cross seemed like twenty but they were nearing the point where the wire curved downward.

Overhead, in the distance, Yukara heard a buzzing noise...

Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

MonochroMayhem

Yukara hovered over him as she stared into the village. The squash homes were temporary at best. Over time, Torien had been making repairs and renovations and new houses for folks in the village. The tavern, for example, was an addition that wasn't too recent, but served its patrons well.

She felt the breeze against her back, and the sound of buzzing came forth. "Oh gods, is that a wasp?" she asked aloud.

She looked behind her.

Yes. Yes it was.

"Ewan, we've got company," she said, drawing a dagger from her belt.

Whim

It was a large and nasty wasp. It sported a slick, black carapace flecked with foxfire. The insect hummed closer... perhaps to warn them off, or out of curiosity. From Ewan's and Yukara's perspective it was the size of a small dog.

"Its huge!  I bet your knife won't even cut it.  And we can't squish it," Ewan suddenly looked apologetic, as if the notion of squishing bugs was somehow offensive to the pixie. The boy hugged the bars tightly. He didn't have much on him to throw. "Its a lamplighter hornet. They, um, eat fireflies..." he added in a small voice, hugging the mesh.

But where there was one there might be more...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic