The Characters

 

 

Original artwork by Dianna Wright Allen

Jelani Marsh       

 The daughter of the late naturalist and biologist Vincent Marsh, she works as a barista at Missoula’s popular Butterfly Herbs coffee shop. Orphaned at a young age, she never knew much about her family. She’s about to discover things she can’t even believe.

Astan Hawk 

One of the Youngers, taken into the city for safekeeping by his grandmother Djana when the clan split years before. He has no real gift, but maintains a status higher than the others because of his family.

Daven Talvi  

An elf from the time of the Queen, he is the only son of Djana, and an important part of their political structure. His gift is to be able to unlock the gifts of others.    

Delano “Lane” Donatelli         

The roommate of Crispy Mendell, Lane is an overweight, fantasy driven computer geek, addicted to Warcraft and Creamy Cupcakes. He, too, had a childhood of abuse and was a foster mate of Crispy’s. He spends most of his waking hours in the Cave, an eight-foot high horseshoe-shaped stack of old cupcake cartons and other crates from which he rules his world with his four-computer bank.

Iris Pallaton         

A social worker and therapist with an agency in town, she works with Ron “Crispy” Mendell, an abuse survivor with extreme agoraphobia issues. She and Jelani have been friends since days together at the University of Montana

Ron “Crispy” Mendell    

A paranoid, skinny little man in his late twenties who is a childhood abuse survivor who grew up in foster care, mostly with his current roommate Lane Donatelli. Called “Crispy” because he went on a substance abuse spree in his late teens and has never been the same.

Bartolomey 

The brother of the elf queen, who wants to rule in her place, but since the culture is matriarchal, he must resort to underhanded actions to become the clan leader.

Beckley      

A burly elf, one of the youngers, whose gift is the ability to far-see, like an eagle or a hawk

Djana                  

The grandmother of Astan, and mother of Daven Talvi; she holds an important position of power in the Circle

Fontine     

One of the Youngers, pretty and blonde, her gift is the ability to produce fire.

Grigor Biren         

One of the Youngers raised in the city, who had a leadership role as the young elves matured, but when Jelani came, he was shoved aside for the promotion of Astan and others favored by the Circle.

Malina        

The mate of Bartolomey, one of the few elf women to live with him in his broken clan.

Max  

His hair nearly albino white, pale skin tight over his child-sized frame though he had almost seventeen years, seemed to be a favorite of most of the clan members. He could nearly fly, thanks to years of training his body to use its compact nature as an asset.  When they’d been back in the city, Max had also showed an affinity for machinery of all kinds, an unusual trait in a wood elf.

Linnea      

The Elf Queen, believed destroyed in the power struggle between herself and Bartolomey at the passing of their mother Ele. Her father, Lorenz, ruled beside Ele until Linnea took over.

Veraena     

The mother of Astan, partner of Daven. She vanished in the early years after the clan split and has not been seen again. Hers is the gift of light.