Golden Tide (Song of the Aura, Book Four) (25 page)

Automo:
The Red Aura. While the Gray Aura is known for his control over dreams, and the Brown Aura for his love of growing things, the Red Aura is known for his mastery of machines and artifice.

Avarine:
Daughter of the Tannarch (ruler of the M’tant nymphs). She is an outcast in her own society, partially because of her rare scarlet hair, inherited from her human mother. She is a Spirit Strider of no small talent, and utilizes poisoned weapons to hunt. She makes no pretense of the fact that she is attracted to Lauro Vale; nor does he deny his own mutual feelings.

Avarine Hallifar:
Mother of Avarine, bearing the same name as her daughter. As one of the Tannarch’s mistresses, she was totally ostracized from Wood Nymph society. She bears the same last name as the fabled Byornleo Hallifar, though their exact relation is not known.

Avtar:
A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.

Bernarl:
A Zain ship’s captain and former pirate, once an ally of the mysterious King Gram, the Lord of Rogues. Possibly the only exception to the general lacking among the Zain of a Second Form. Commonly called “Berne” by his friends and allies. He wields an anchorblade in combat and has survived many “deaths” due to his quick thinking and survival instincts.

Bonedale:
A dark falconhorse, raised in the pits of Blast.

Bwether:
Master of the Haedi working under Wanderwillow at the
Swaying Willow
inn. He was presumably killed when the inn burned to the ground.

Byornleo “Byorne” Hallifar:
One of the oldest and deadliest rangers, and a friend to Old Murie. He frequented the fight pits of Ymeer, where he was known as “Longstrider.” His fighting prowess put him at the top of the pack, and in a perfect position to spy for Vastion. He was killed by Gramling, the Pit Strider.

Calloway:
Also known as “Cal.” He is a young boy of the Grymclaw’s South Village, who gave vital aid to Gribly and Elia in their time of need.

Cramner:
A young boy of South Village, and friend of Calloway.

Creator, The:
The God of all worlds, Whom is responsible for the world of Sceptre and everything in it: Vast, Realm, Rune, Nation, and all the lands beyond.

Crutus:
A bouncer at the Old Pickpocket’s wine-shop, who also deals in the slave trade. He is the brother of Shele, a fight pit contestant.

Danner Waterpike:
A southern sea-rogue lord who has now sworn allegiance to King Gram, Lord of Rogues.

Daslite:
One of the few women rangers, and Arlin’s extremely devoted wife.

Donovan:
An Elder of South Village.

Elia:
A Sea Nymph female of the Treele Tribe. She is an incredibly powerful Sea Strider, with a unique ability: she can Stride Flame as well. Her fate is as of yet unknown, due to her capture at the hands of Sheolus and Gramling.

Gando:
One of the more violent rangers under Arlin’s command.

Golden One, The:
Master of Pit Striders. Confirmed to be an escaped member of the Legion.

Gram:
Self-styled Pirate King of South Vast, also known as the Lord of Rogues. He is the father of Gribly and Gramling, two of the most powerful Striders in the world. He is the founder and ruler of the Alliance, a loosely-bound brotherhood of miscreants spread throughout Vast. His Stone Striding is increased tenfold with the use of his mighty war hammer, which was forged by the Red Aura himself.

Gramling:
A Pit Strider, and brother to Gribly. His master, the mysterious Golden One, originally tasked him with either converting or killing the young thief. When he failed to do this, he was brought back to the Golden Nation for an unknown purpose. His fate is questionable.

Gribly:
A street thief, formerly of Ymeer. He has manifested extraordinary abilities in Stone Striding, and is rumored to be the Prophet of the Aura. He is revealed to have originally been named Gramlen by his mother, Alwene, and his father, Gram. He is one of the few beings in all history able to Stride Spirit in addition to his natural World Element.

Kalzikir:
The M’tant cleric. Due to his failure in converting the wood-nymphs, the nymph man suffers from deep depression and melancholy, leading many to suspect he has lost his mind. His control over the element of Spirit is very weak as a consequence.

Karanel Winter:
The youngest Windmaster in Vastion’s army. Later referred to as “Karanel One-hand,” she eventually takes on a leading role in the Vastic Remnant.

Karmidigan:
A prodigiously powerful Reethe Frost Strider.

Kell:
A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.

Kite S’wrath:
One of the few female pirate captains to gain influence with the Alliance.

Larion Vale:
King of Vastion, the last surviving kingdom in Vast. His fate is as of yet unknown.

Lauro Vale:
Prince of Vastion, and Gribly’s uneasy friend. He was exiled for refusing to execute a prisoner, and is entirely focused on winning back the honor his father feels he has lost. Though he doubts whether or not the Aura can provide that honor for him, he realizes that cooperating with them is the only way to fulfill his duty to Vastion.

Leafly:
A Haedus in Wanderwillow’s entourage at the
Swaying Willow
inn.

Legion, The:
Nine Archdemons bound in the underworld of Kerbus at the beginning of time. They were once Aura, but became corrupted with pride in their own power. They wished to rule the world, and were banished for it.

Lithric:
The nymph cleric of Mythigrad.

M’tant, The:
A mysterious tribe of Wood Nymphs residing in the Blackwood, Northeast of the Grymclaw. They are rumored to be cannibals, and to be ruled by a demon.

Magnin:
One of the craftiest, most experienced rangers under Arlin’s command.

Margry:
A female Elder of South Village.

Marlo the Fool:
A rogue lord from the South, and a master of disguise. He is somewhat crazed, but a cunning leader nonetheless.

Marmat:
A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.

Marvol Winter:
Brother to Karanel Winter, and Lord of the White Wind, King Larion Vale’s personal bodyguard force.

Medlore Hallifar Silverpaw:
Also called simply “Mudlo,” he is one of the youngest rangers in Vastion’s force. He also bears the name Hallifar, though his relation to Byornleo Hallifar and/or Avarine Hallifar is distant, if it really exists at all. He is not the most serious person, unless under combat stress, in which case he can be deadly.

Morr:
A sly ranger under Arlin’s command; formerly a bandit.

Murie:
A Vastic Ranger stationed in Ymeer. Called “Old Murie” by most of the inhabitants, she disguised herself as a gypsy to blend in, allowing her to care for and protect Gribly as he grew older and learned to use his gift. She was killed by Gramling.

Norne:
The legendary Aura of fate. She is one of the few characterized as female, and is said to sit in Halla, holding the threads to which the fate of every living person is tied. In some controversial sources of lore, she is said to have the power to snip and tie these threads, granting life and death wherever she sees fit. Much of her true nature, however, is simply not known.

Old Pickpocket, The:
A former thief and black market trader specializing in strong drink. He is crippled from the waist down.

Patnel:
A Reethe nymph in charge of guarding Mythigrad’s armory. Secretly a Frost Strider.

Raenin:
One of the few woman rangers under Arlin’s command.

Ragan:
A mancaptain of Vastion, under command of Karanel Winter and Captain Yotun.

Ranathin:
Also known as “Ran.” Grandson of Elder Donovan, and friend to Calloway and Cramner.

Randale:
Another male human known as “Ran.” A Wind Strider messenger in the Vastic Dalheim commanded by Captain Yotun.

Reethe, The:
The northernmost of the three Sea Nymph tribes. Their Second Form resembles the icy snow they inhabit. It is stronger than the Second Form of the Treele, and most often used in combat or in the harsh winter storms that often lash the Inkwell.

Roko Smallword:
Head Cook in Vastion’s capital city.

Shele:
A mysterious woman living in the underbelly of Ymeer. Her brother Crutus pressured her to put her martial skills to use in the fight pits, which she reluctantly agreed to. Her recent losses have put the freedom of her only daughter at risk. She goes by the alias “Shadow.”

Sheolus:
The cursed name of the Golden One.

Slere Math:
A former cleric, and now one of the most powerful rogue lords in Vast. He, like most, has sworn allegiance to King Gram.

Steamclaw:
A pit draik of Blast; called
Nebulekef
in the Nymphtongue. His service eventually passed from Gramling, to Gribly, to the Red Aura, who may have been his creator and master all along.

Tannarch, The:
Father of Avarine, former lover of Avarine Hallifar, and leader of the M’tant. He is a powerful Stone Strider, coming into greater abilities just as many of his brethren during the troubled days leading up to the Day of Norne.

Traveller:
One of the many names taken by the Gray Aura. Commonly called
Viator
among the Sea Nymphs of the Inkwell. He is most powerful in the realm of dreams.

Treele, The:
The easternmost of the three Sea Nymph tribes. Their Second Form is watery and translucent, much like the waves they commonly inhabit.

Tressa Kinn:
A young Coalskin girl enslaved to the Golden Nation’s “Institution” in Manlyn. She aided Karanel Winter in her escape before being severely chastised and sent back to the Golden Nation homeland, where she eventually became a Pit Strider Acolyte.

Understone, The:
The semi-sentient shell of what was once a Wood Demon core. It has corrupted the M’tant city of Mortenhine and brought most of the inhabitants under its pulsing, half-living thrall.

Vail Kammerdan:
A Sky Strider apprentice from Vastion, and one of the first to die in the Golden Nation invasion. His master was Windmaster Karanel Winter.