Tilathe

Eliana Surial(21) - last surviving daughter of King Clargain of Tilathe. Heir to the Tilathan throne. Given up to the Surial order at the age of 3. Finished Surial Warrior training and planned to initiate into the Pure.

Vera’s Brood

Cali Moonscarp(14) - Lady of Moonscarp. Only surviving noble of Moonscarp. After her town was destroyed by plague, she walked to Gent. Dark blond, brown eyed, fair with freckles. Spoiled.
Buefort Fieldling(15) - Lord of Fieldling. Tried to stay with his townsfolk during the plague. Eventually forced to leave to find food and ended up in Gent. He was followed by other Fielding townsfolk but only Jacobine survived. Dark skin, black hair, round cheeks.
Jacobine Fielding(7) - Doesn’t speak. Sticks close to Buefort.
Kyle Gent(17) - Son of a rice farmer. Moved into the Gent Manor when his parents died of plague.
Lisle Gent - housemaid. Sweet on Amory.
Mala Gent(5) - Lady of Gent, named for her grandmother. Only surviving noble of Gent.
Toen Brush(11) - Sent to Gent by his parents when they fell sick. Last surviving noble of Brush.
Vera Gent - Wife of a werksmith. With his death she moved into Gent Manor to serve Lady Gent. When the Lady fell ill, Very took over running the household. She took in strays that wandered into Gent after the plague decimated the town. Has wavy brown hair below her ears. Plays with it.
Women of Gent - Two women who worked in the Gent household and helped Vera.

Kittersin Castle

Alain(15) - A server promoted to maid in the castle after the plague. She becomes Eliana’s spy in town but is also a friend of Mennick’s. Straight, red hair. Was the daughter of a merchant.
Amory Kittersin - Was once a stable groom. Promoted to the guard by Mennick. Gives Eliana the nickname Elly.
Berkess - Former head scribe in Kittersin. Trained Grendy and Malac.
Bertie - a washerwoman who had been attacked by the King in the past.
Esta Calver - one of the cooks.
Grendy - One of the boys who had been apprenticed as scribes that survived the plague.
Kale - recently promoted to cook.
Malac - One of the boys who had been apprenticed as scribes that survived the plague.
Mieke - became a maid in the castle just before Lucreay’s death.
Nertha Kittersin - Head cook at Kittersin Castle. Takes in strays and gives them tasks in her kitchen even though there is no one to feed. About 12 boys and girls.
Samus - Another cook.
Senbar Kittersin - seneschal at Kittersin Castle. Dies in the war with Bentaurus.
Turk - Red haired. Another groom promoted to Kittersin guard.

Kittersin Citizens

Amha - Owner of the Tilathan Airfield. Late 50s, smokes a pipe, wavy gray hair.
Bill - old carpenter.
Boy at Well - Eliana found him and ordered him to start a waterline as the Mange burned.
Boy Who Left(Jarvin) - buys Eliana’s slider scoot and leave the country. Joins the Child’s Cult.
Bulky Man - An older, short, bulky man. Wants to burn the house Vera and Mala are in when Mala catches the plague. Conscripted by Eliana.
Cruddatch Kittersin - Owner of the Monkey’s Mange.
Dreld Kittersin - Pointed face, dark skin. Was once a clerk for the Kittersin guard.
Female Guard - Stands guard over Vera’s house after plague strikes.
Marku Kittersin - Last of the Kittersin guard. Toothless, cranky, old.
Message Girl - Tells Eliana where Rollin was hiding.
Relidus - Runs a dreamer parlor in Kittersin. Long beard and skullcap.
Shoeless Man - Shoeless, with claw-like arthritic hands. Part of the group that wants to burn the plague houses. Conscripted by Eliana. Sent to get Mennick.
Slender Man - dark and slender with a bent back and gray temples. Part of the group that wants to burn the plague houses. Conscripted by Eliana.

Nobles

Berkess Kittersin - Castle Scribe. Dies of plague.
Clargain Kittersin - King of Tilathe. Seems to suffer from dementia. Instead of getting help for his people when plague and famine set in, he started a war with Bentaurus.
Frida Cretch - Mennick’s dead wife.
Lucreay Kittersin - Princess of Tilathe. Dies of plague.
Mennick Cretch - Minster of Trade for Tilathe. Late sixties. Lost whole family. Negotiated Eliana’s marriage to Bentaurus.
Nanaria Kittersin - Aunt to the former Queen. Blue eyes. After surviving the plague she appears to have brain damage. Talks in the third person.
Neyl Kittersin - Prince of Tilathe. Killed by plague.
Rollin West - Head of the Western Mines. Fat, balding, hairy. A dreamer. Spying for Bentaurus.