Major Characters

Emlyn grew up surrounded by wealth as the daughter of one of the city’s richest merchants. Her childhood was comfortable, carefully managed and filled with expectations about who she should become, whom she should know and how someone bearing the de Vries name ought to behave. Eventually, she decided she wanted a life that belonged to her rather than one arranged around the interests of her family. She left that world behind and built a reputation of her own as an adventurer and fighter. Emlyn is headstrong, stubborn and fiercely

Vedira Arajeon was born into the Aranthaen underworld. Her elven father and tiefling mother were both connected to the city’s thieves’ guilds, and by the time most children were learning which streets to avoid, Vedira was already learning which windows opened quietly, which locks were badly fitted and which adults could be trusted with stolen goods. Her mixed heritage is easy to miss. Vedira inherited almost entirely elven features, with only the smallest black horns betraying her tiefling blood, usually hidden beneath her long dark hair. This has suited her

Ehaba is an elf who has made his home within the Derkwuds, somewhere beyond the paths most travellers know and deeper than sensible people willingly go. Around Draktun and the roads skirting the forest, his name is spoken quietly, although he’s most commonly known as Lord of the Crows. He was not always feared. Ehaba was once simply clever, curious and far too willing to investigate places others had already decided were best left alone. The Derkwuds fascinated him: the mist that distorted sound, the black structures that predated known

Casrius grew up in the slums of Aranthaes Wynds. His parents died when he was young, leaving him to fend for himself on the streets. Casrius learned how to pick pockets and steal to survive, and eventually joined a gang of thieves in the city. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of the gang’s most skilled members. However, he grew tired of the constant danger and lack of respect he received from his fellow thieves. Casrius decided to strike out on his own and use his skills

Morgath is a tiefling warlock whose pact with Lady Bune binds her as both servant and devotee. Born in the shadowed alleys of Aranthaes Wynds, Morgath survived by her wit and charm until she encountered what she felt to be a vision of the Lady herself, whispering promises of power in exchange for fealty. Since that day, Morgath has worn her infernal bloodline proudly, her scarlet eyes a constant reminder of her covenant. She acts as a subtle agent within the city, whispering counsel to merchants, politicians, and zealots alike

Grim is a half-orc assassin whose reputation in Aranthaes’ underworld is matched only by the silence that follows his work. Taken in by Orilia Thorne after his mercenary band was destroyed, he was reshaped into her blade in the dark—an enforcer who removes obstacles with precision and brutality. Grim is cold and methodical, with little interest in gold or glory. His loyalty lies entirely with Orilia, who he views as both patron and redeemer. He avoids unnecessary words, communicating with nods, gestures, or the faint scrape of his daggers being

Valtor is a dragonborn sorcerer from the distant eastern lands, where his people live among mist-shrouded mountains and ancient shrines dedicated to dragon ancestors. He carries himself with a calm, formal dignity, speaking little but always with purpose. Strangers in Aranthaes whisper that he came across the sea not for wealth, but to pursue a vision of fire and storm that guided him away from his homeland. Though outwardly disciplined, Valtor is driven by a restless hunger for mastery of elemental forces. His fire-wreathed magic has already earned him notoriety

Sariel was born from violence, the daughter of a human mother and a demon who came during an attack that left her village scarred. Her appearance made her parentage impossible to hide, and from childhood she carried the fear, suspicion and resentment that others attached to what she was. She first turned toward faith because she wanted certainty that her choices could matter more than her blood. For a time, they did. Sariel served, learned and healed where she could, but years of rejection gradually hardened into anger. Eventually she

“Nyx” is a skilled half-elf rogue who serves as Orilia Thorne’s personal assistant, scout, and infiltrator. Her nimble fingers and sharp mind make her an expert at picking locks and disarming traps, and her shadowy abilities allow her to move unseen and unheard through even the most dangerous environments. Born far beyond the island’s shores, Nyx grew up in a world where quiet hands and a quick escape were worth more than coin. She survived by learning to read danger in a heartbeat – the twitch of a guard’s eye,