Our Protagonists
Two siblings, Cassie and Evan, uncover their family's secret connection to the magical world of Leithu. They meet their distant cousin, Yaresch, and travel across Treggor to locate an ally. Can they find Rhett and work with him to help rescue Yaresch's wrongly imprisoned mother?
AUTHOR NOTE ON CHARACTER IMAGES:
NO. This is not ‘GenAI’. The images here are concept images of my main characters that I sourced from stock image services (mostly PixaBay or Envato…). I have done some light Photoshop cropping and editing on some for aesthetic reasons. They may not match the character descriptions exactly (straight hair in images, but curly hair in description), but they are a fair enough approximation. I may adjust the pictures used to portray the characters over time, but they will still represent the characters as a whole. Actual descriptions of the characters are provided in their respective sections below, including summaries of their arcs and ‘special traits’ that describe their personalities, goals, and actual abilities.
Cautious, analytical, logical.
Initially cautious, cautiously observant, and often skeptical, Cassie feels responsible for Evan. She grows brave, trusts her intuition, and develops the confidence to become a strong magic wielder and leader.
Adventurous, energetic, impulsive.
Evan is physically capable, courageous, and sometimes acts before thinking. Though annoyed with restrictions, he matures, learns strategy, self control, and becomes a bold fighter.
Intelligent, resourceful, determined.
Yaresch carries the weight of her family’s deposed status with quiet determination. Though cautious due to local politics, she quickly recognizes the significance of the teen’s arrival to Leithu.
Cassie is roughly 5′ 4″ tall and weighs about 120-125 pounds. She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. At 15 years old, Cassie is the watchful older sister who focuses not only on the world around her, but how it affects her and Evan. With a keen sense of awareness, she innately feels Leithu’s energy within her long before she can identify what it is.
Cassie's Arc
- Her journey requires her to overcome her skepticism and the fear of her current reality.
- She must accept her heritage and the lineage that ties her to ancient Leithu.
- She watches over Evan, but she cannot hold him back from his own growth and journey.
- She will have to navigate through her caution of the world around her and find her voice to be a capable leader.
- As the series progresses, Cassie grows significantly braver, learns to trust her intuition, develops confidence in her abilities, and increasingly steps into a planning and leadership role within the group.
Special Traits
- She is a natural problem-solver, initially cautious but observant, often skeptical of the fantastical.
- Possesses dormant magical abilities from her Ferreriya / Lorrento lineage.
- Develops a keen understanding of magical energies within Leithu. Her observation skills and analytical mind are key assets.
- Develops an empathic connection with the Magical Oracle Grove. (Book 2)
- Eventually receives formal energy/magic training from Aerion (Book 3)
Evan is roughly 5′ 5″ tall and weighs about 145-150 pounds. He has darker, reddish-brown curly hair and blue eyes. At 14 years old, Evan is the youngest of the characters, but his personality is bigger than all of them. Highly inquisitive, often hungry, the capable young man has a lineage worth of dormant fighting and survival skills just waiting to be awoken.
Evan's Arc
- He is courageous, but can act before thinking, eager to prove himself.
- He is fiercely loyal to Cassie and his newly discovered cousin, Yaresch.
- Matures over time, learning the importance of strategy, patience, and the consequences of his actions.
- His journey is about channeling his adventurous spirit productively, learning responsibility, and grappling with the power and ethical implications of the Magic Paintbrush.
Special Traits
- Naturally athletic and physically capable. Possesses quick physical reflexes.
- He acquires the mysterious reality-altering Magic Paintbrush (Book 2)
- He undergoes training with Rhett and Dante in fighting and survival skills. (Books 2 & 3)
- Receives guidance from Aerion on understanding and controlling the Paintbrush. (Book 3)
- He grows into a more disciplined warrior and a steadfast protector of his companions.
Yaresch is about 5’7″ and about 130-135 bounds. She has very curly dirty blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her skin is also tanned causing her hair to seem even lighter in color. At 16 Yaresch has lived more than Evan and Cassie combined. With the loss of her father at 9, and brought up within a rough port town under the oppressive Chancellor, the struggles she sees daily shadow the lineage of royal blood her family once posessed.
Yaresch's Arc
- She carries the weight of her family’s deposed status and the hardships of life in Port Rentai with a quiet strength and determination.
- Her journey involves embracing her heritage more fully and moving from an oppressed local to an active freedom fighter and key player in the larger conflict against Fentor.
- She navigates the painful history of her father Seranoi’s disappearance and her grandfather Asiladus’s long search.
- Initially cautious due to the oppressive political climate, she quickly recognizes the significance of Cassie and Evan’s arrival and the artifacts they possess.
- She becomes fiercely loyal to her new cousins and is driven by a deep desire to restore her family’s honor, find the Lost Papers, and free her homeland from the Pirate Chancellor’s rule.
Special Traits
- She can be “punchy and aggressive” when defending herself or her loved ones.
- Possesses extensive knowledge of Leithu’s history, particularly concerning Eirgana, her own complex family lineage (Zephron, Jasari, Sceilarno, Asiladus, Seranoi), and local lore.
- She is adept at research, having studied ancestral journals and letters. She has practical knowledge of Port Rentai and its dangers.
- She may possess minor, undeveloped inherited magical abilities from her Jasari lineage (TBD).
Supporting Characters
Helping to move the narrative through the first few books, these characters offer a full range of personalities to support the story. Not all of these characters have the best intentions in mind when it comes to the teens and their adventure. Some of them are family, others are enemies, and some are in it just for themselves.
Analei Terrein
Age: 77 (Born 889 LY)
Analei (ann-a-LAY-eye)
Matriarch of the overthrown House of Eirgana, Daughter of Duke Sceilarno Ferreriya. Wife of the late Asiladus Terrein, mother of the disappeared Seranoi Terrein. Analei carries the immense weight of her family’s history, their lost status, and personal tragedies. She possesses extensive knowledge of Zephron, Jasari, the family’s connection to key artifacts, the history of Eirgana, Sceilarno’s fate, and Asiladus’s long search for the Lost Papers.
Engyata Terrein
Age: 38 (Born 928 LY)
Engyata (en-GYA-ta)
Mother of Yaresch, wife of the disappeared Seranoi Terrein. She married into the family line and does not possess any of the Royal bloodline. She is brave and resilient, having endured her husband’s loss and her own capture. She possesses family and historical knowledge. She is critical of Yaresch and has a deep unsettled pain from the loss of her husband. Resentment of the lost papers and the search for the lineage drives a wedge between her and her Mother-in-law, Analei.
Rhett
Age: ~51 (Born ~915 LY)
A skilled and experienced woodsman, tracker, and fighter, possibly with past militia experience on Treggor. He is practical, brave, and highly knowledgeable about wilderness survival and combat. He lives in an encampment near Elysium Lake in northern Treggor. He was a close friend of Seranoi Terrein and feels a deep sense of responsibility (and perhaps guilt) for not joining Seranoi’s final, fatal quest for the Lost Papers
Dante
Age: 36 (Born 930 LY)
A skilled and loyal man, formerly one of Rhett’s closest and most trusted allies. He is pragmatic, experienced in combat and survival.
Charles
Age: 38 (Born 928 LY)
A respected and feared sailor/pirate leader in Port Rentai, often seen with a toothpick. He is calm, calculating, and fundamentally self-serving, viewing others as assets or obstacles.
Smitty
Age: 40 (Born 926 LY)
A tall, aggressive sailor, often seen in Port Rentai, recognizable by his hat with a yellow band. He is a subordinate of Charles and acts with belligerence, especially when his ego is bruised.