The War of Winds, by KEZ. Who's who?

Cast of The Present, in order of appearance:

Talon is an 18-year-old thief who ought to give up the trade. He stole an item from a dying woman and then found himself hunted by the Ayenroki "Ravar." Seeming to have some knowledge of Ayenroki of which he does not know the origin, the only thing he knows for sure is that he hates and mistrusts them. He is also finding that what he stole is far more than a simple trinket.

Ravar is a full-blood Ayenroki warrior who possesses a greyken side—an inner beast into which he can shape-shift. He is sent to the human continent of Gan-go on a mission to retrieve the Chenru'ken--the mysterious Key.

Ravar and Talon cross paths when Talon steals not only Ravar's talisman, but also his katana. Needless to say, he and Talon don't like each other too much, but when Ravar finds out Talon stole the Key too, all hell breaks loose. He will stop at nothing to complete his mission, even if it means frying Talon to a crisp. Which he tried to do. As some Ayenroki are able, Ravar has the ability perform Rrah'ashi,which is manipulation of surrounding energy on a particle level. Rrah'ashi literally means "use of energy for war.

Vriniika'i (Vrihn-e-E-kah-E), called Vrin by everyone except the demon Bound to her, is Talon's older sister. Vrin would do almost anything to protect her brother, including getting in between him and Ravar. She seems to know more about Ayenroki than she lets on, and at times is deathly afraid of them.

Vrin is vegetarian, and is unable to eat meat. She also has some sort of pre/postcognitive abilities, knows when someone is or isn't lying, and sometimes when someone is going to die or has died. Whether these abilities come from Azaq, the demon within, is unknown at this point. One this is for sure: Azaq is a secret Vrin wishes she had never agreed to keep.

Siveki Ornadayo, of the Kinsmen Ornadayo, is a scholar and student of history. He is the only surviving relative of General Shuno Ornadayo, the man who led the campaign that freed southern Gan-go from the grip of a brutal regime. Once a happy man with a wife and three children, he has been accused of violently murdering his family by Hunter Jostin Prellane. He also, in the course of "questioning," has admitted his guilt before three reliable witnesses. He is to be hanged in the city of Grondaga as soon as he gets there. Dreams are his only comfort. In his dreams, his wife, Ceiosin, and his children are still alive.

Seh'dien, never called "Dien" or "Red" and definitely not "Seh" (all except when Talon wants to be a jackass), is Red Apprentice to Jostin. She must prove her worth to Zen'na Nashka, and especially Jostin, before she can be promoted to the rank of Blue. Her task is therefore to do whatever Jostin tells her to do, whether she agrees with the assignment or not. Unfortunately, Seh'dien (lit: She Who Walks Alone, very presumptuous) isn't often one to do anything she doesn't want to do. That's why she currently holds the very uncoveted position of Longest Apprenticeship Ever.

Tamara Cooper is a classic case of wrong place, wrong time. Or maybe it's right time, wrong place? All Tam wants to get home and get some dinner after her final exam of the fall semester, but events conspire against her. When she stumbles upon a dead man who doesn't stay dead, and another man with a sword, she discovers that some Shadows don't vanish in the light. Carrying a Shadow herself, and slowly losing the battle for her soul, what the hell is she supposed to do?

U'hano Anena (Yu-HAH-no Ah-NEN-ah) has got something to prove. Mainly, that she's just as good as you are, if not better. She is a Stormrunner, a person born with the ability to sense and manipulate weather patterns. But she wasn't always a Stormrunner. She started out hungry, dirty and poor in the streets, but she toughed it out. Now she resents being treated like a precious flower, or worse, a rich twit. But don't get her wrong, she knows well the value of appearances. She is without a doubt the strongest, wildest, most inconsiderate and argumentative Stormrunner that Shi'li has seen in generations. But is she strong enough to protect the city, or even herself, from the destruction the rising of the seven moons brings?

Relan (ruh-LAWN) is the human half of a Shan Pairing, partnered with Fen Aya Zen. As a Shan, she is able to telepathically communicate with her Keyen friend, even from over great distances. Currently apprenticed to Skoda and Grin Ta Kul, she is assisting in patrolling the Forest of Stones far to the East of Shi'li
Fen Aya Zen, or Swiftly Comes the Hunter in his native tongue, is more often than not called "Fenni" by his human friends. He is the Keyen half of a Shan Pairing with Relan. One of the few pups born to Clan Keeshin in the past decade, he left much behind to coexist with humans. He and Relan are apprentices of Skoda and Grin Ta Kul.

 

 

Minor Characters(Click the picture to go to the character's first appearance)

Tecaar and his younger brother Ferek were recently hired by Jostin to help him scout and track down his prey. Tecaar is quiet and slow to act, but intelligent.
Ferek and his older brother Tecaar were recently hired by Jostin to help him scout and track down his prey. Ferek is known for his cruel temper and gets along quite well with Jostin.
Jostin is a Hunter of Blue rank, the second-highest rank attainable for the Zen'na Nashka. The Hunters are a commissionable group of lawmen the whole world over. Jostin was once Siveki's close friend.
Dren Lorfanzo is the owner of the Cornerstone Pub. He doesn't like patrons with attitude, though is quite testy himself. He is single and available, ladies, and quite interested in hooking up.
Mersnai is the first son of Nesthret and Ruanor, and is the Kona Rri'um of the Triad sent to retrieve the Key. He is a hot-tempered and brutally efficient warrior...but has a secret agenda. He is Ravar's older brother.
Ehranah is the Nyn'ayenesh, of the Triad sent to retrieve the Key. She is highly skilled at Rrah'ashi, and often takes control of the Triad when Cenron is at his wit's end dealing with Mersnai.
Cenron is the Bayn'a Chez of the Triad sent to retrieve the Key. As the strategist/thinker of the group, he is the leader, but constantly finds his position usurped by Mersnai.
Azaq is a demon Bound to Vrin. He is not allowed to "come out" unless Vrin calls him, which was a stipulation of their contract. He is quite evil, but also highly intelligent, with a sense of humor. In return for an original debt of 1000 souls, Vrin has free use of his powers.
Boshaan is a self-proclaimed "Freeborn," whatever that means. He was waiting for the Triad to show up with Talon, and had no fear of the Ayenroki until Mersnai produced a steel falcon-in-flight talisman. Who he is, and his allegiances, are unknown.
Skoda is a lazy though talented and extremely intelligent Shan, partered to the Keyen Grin Ta Kul. He had no interest in taking on apprentices, but thanks to Grin's sisters, he got stuck with Relan and Fen Aya Zen.
Better known as "Grin" because of her ever-constant smirk while screwing with the minds of all the humans around her, she is a Keyen of Clan Xor and is partnered with Skoda. As soon as she gets bored, you can guarantee she'll use it as an excuse to come up with ways to torment you.

 

The Four Winds


Very old, very powerful, NOT gods.

 

Cast of The Past, in order of appearance.

Ian is an 8-year-old warrior-in- training at the fortress at Ca-dalèn. He's a tough kid with his heart in the right place, but to his teachers, that's no excuse for disobeying orders.
His name is not a name, it is a title. As the Weapons Master of Ca-dalèn, he is responsible for the safety and training of the Knights under him. He is the youngest Weapons Master in the history of the fortress, and now it seems he is also the last.
Gareth is a Nalaka-leader. This means he is in charge of a group of 27 men, called a 'Nalaka.' He is also the head Knight under the Weapons Master, and one of Ian's many instructors.
Leth is the Warleader of the invading Eastern horde. He doesn't talk much, but seems to have quite the history with the Weapons Master.
Caspian is a half-blood Ayenroki, exiled from the Sacred Isles to human lands. A warrior who may even challenge the skills of the Weapons Master, he is steadfastly loyal and totally stubborn. He also doesn't like the company of children.
This boy has no name, but is certainly evil. The Weapons Master accused him of using a soul to summon a demon, which then ate the boy alive, from the inside out.
This demon or dragon was summoned by a boy to kill the Weapons Master. Purple, in this case, represents royalty, and is also the chief color of the East.