Keegan Whitestone – In his early thirties, Keegan is a young man coasting through life without a purpose.  His mother long dead, he was raised by a cold, uncaring father.  With no known family, Keegan is utterly alone.  Having been estranged from his father for years, Keegan learns of the other man’s death when he receives a small box containing a strange ring and a note about his “destiny.”
 
Phineas Whitestone – A very powerful wizard, Phineas is the longest serving Guardian in the wizarding world’s history.  Phineas’ greatest sorrow was when his only son, Richard, attempted to seize power and control the Council.  His son was stripped of his magic by the Council and banished to the non-magical side of the Veil.  Phineas’ greatest hope is to reunite with his grandson, Keegan.

Richard Whitestone – The only son of Phineas Whitestone, Richard craved his father’s power.  A cruel, ambitious man, he tried to seize that power by force and failed.  After being stripped of his powers and banished, he unknowingly fathered Keegan with a mortal woman.  After her death, he grudgingly took the boy in to raise, but never missed an opportunity to remind his son how much of a burden he was.  Estranged from his son for years, Richard died a lonely, bitter old man.
 
Acamar Wycroft – Loyal assistant to the Guardian, Acamar has been in service to the Council for five hundred years.  A powerful wizard in his own right, Acamar made some poor choices in his youth when he decided to support the great dragon rebellion.  As punishment for his treason, Acamar must work in the administrative service of the Council, spending all but one hour every day in his animal form, which is a large, black tabby cat.  Through his penance, his once fiery temper has mellowed and he has developed patience, as well as a fondness for sardines.  He dislikes the castle caretaker, Mrs. Hoskins, intensely and considers her a nosy busybody.  A member of the Order of Black most of his life, his robes are shifting to the lighter side of magic.
 
Ms. Hoskins – Caretaker of the Guardian’s castle at Pahret T’pur, Ms. Hoskins has been around longer than anyone (even Phineas) can remember.  Extremely efficient, Ms. Hoskins keeps the castle in order and stuffs those she likes with her delectable homemade scones.  She keeps a close eye on Acamar, though she typically refers to him as ‘Whiskers’ or ‘Fleabag’ even when he isn’t in his feline form.  Despite her misgivings about the older wizard, she has been known to stock the pantry with sardines on occasion.  Obviously an efficient magic-user (she’s the only staff at the castle), no one knows for certain which Order she calls her own or how powerful she may be.
 
Nisha Corwinna Black – Assistant to Lord Cedric Thornback, Nisha also serves in the administrative arm of the Council.  Once a close associate of Acamar Wycroft, Nisha must spend all but one hour every day in the form of a raven.  A very powerful and crafty witch, Nisha resents having to serve such a cruel master as Cedric.  Having given up her dreams of power long ago, she longs for her freedom.
 
Lord Cedric Thornback – Master of the Dark Arts, Cedric is the leading member of the Order of Black.  One of the three founding families, the Thornback’s have served as Guardian only once before.  A cold and cruel taskmaster, Cedric enjoys tormenting his assistant, Nisha and has a habit of using her tail feathers as quills.
 
Portia Nightshade – Cedric’s hot-headed lieutenant, Portia is a very powerful witch with a temper.  Prone to conflict even with members of her own Order, she has been encased in crystal by the Oracle stone more than once for attempting to duel in the Council chambers.  Fiercely loyal to Cedric, she would do anything to see him elected as Chancellor, believing this is her path to power.
 
Alexander Ducat – The current leader of the Gray wizards, Ducat holds the position of Vice-Chancellor and conducts the Council meetings since the death of his mentor, Tobias Follett, in an unfortunate potions accident.  Although he has been a life-long friend of Phineas, he envies the power held by the Guardian.
 
Tobias Follett – Once the leader of the Gray Order, Follett schemed and cheated his way up the political ladder until he was finally elected as Chancellor.  His celebration was short lived however, when he (and a large part of his chambers) was vaporized in an unfortunate potions accident...
 
Nemwith – Assistant Council Librarian and husband of Evalsef, Nemwith is a grumpy little gnome who has little patience for wizards, especially irritating half-wit apprentices…
 
Evalsef – Head Council Librarian, Evalsef is a mild mannered and very wise gnome.  She is a wealth of knowledge and has far more patience than her husband, Nemwith.
 
Delores – A tireless worker, Delores is serving her time in the Administrative Service of the Council, Department of Transportation.  She is a ticketing agent in the portal hub located in the village of Quai where she works twelve hours a day.  A lovely witch on the outside, her animal spirit that she is restricted to every day is that of a skunk.  Two rules to remember if you ever meet Delores at the ticketing booth:  #1 – Don’t try her patience (not that she has much) and #2 – Always, always, always leave her a decent tip.  Violate either of those rules at your own peril…

Grim – The smarter half of a two-headed giant, Grim considers himself to be the ‘older brother’ and spends most of his waking hours bickering with his other half, Grum.

Grum – Not the smartest of giants, Grum can be a bit thick sometimes.  He has a volatile temper and loves a good fight, however he is utterly terrified of Brimestone.
 
Kust – A dark elf of Ebonwood, Kust has known Phineas for several hundred years and considers the old wizard a true friend.  Unlike most of his ilk, who shun humans and keep to the dark recesses of their forests, Kust is intensely interested in the affairs of wizards, especially if there is profit to be made.

Hesh - A kind-hearted assistant to a wizard currently serving on the Council, Hesh is a gentle giant of sorts.  Almost seven feet tall, Hesh is as strong as an ox, but as gentle as a kitten and tends to stutter when he is excited or upset.  He serves a cruel master, that delights in forcing him to spend time in his animal form, which is a large panda bear.

Jerrick - Currently working as a clerk in Deadwood & Blights potions shop, Jerrick is a good natured young man who tries to help others whenever he can.  The closest thing to a friend that Hesh has, he feels sorry for the poor assistant.

Parchus Scrivner - Founder of the Council Library, collector of rare books and odd knowledge, and first Head Librarian.  Parchus was extremely long lived, even for a gnome, and could remember the days before the Veil separated the worlds of science and magic.  After his death, he was buried in a tomb located deep in the library catacombs, surrounded by his favorite books and scrolls.  Many say that if you go to the library in the middle of the night, you can still see Parchus roaming among the books and scrolls, watching over his precious store of knowledge.

Everard - A haggle saved by the current head librarian, Evalsef.  She found Everard in the forest outside her village after he had been mortally wounded by a wizard.  Over the past fifty years they have settled into a friendship of sorts, with Everard having a golden perch in the corner of Evalsef's office.  He comes and goes as he pleases, though he spends untold hours studying the books and scrolls of the library.  His immense knowledge of the wizarding world, accumulated from his travels, has helped Evalsef correct numerous historical inaccuracies.  Though still a fearsome fighter, Everard has settled into the life of an academic, preferring to poach fat snarks from a nearby field rather than stalk more challenging prey.

Hefestus Whitestone - The first Guardian.  Hefestus Whitestone lured the Shadow into a trap, coordinating an attack with the leaders of the other Orders as well as the Alderdrache.  The trap banished the Shadow from the world and created both the Blackstar and Oracle talismans.  Under the guidance of Master Whitestone, the Veil was created and the worlds of magic and science separated for the first time.

Andromedus Blackstone - Head of the Order of Black at the time the Veil was created, Master Blackstone aided the first Guardian in banishing the Shadow.  A cruel taskmaster with a fiendish sense of humor, he compiled an enormous volume of dark magic in a spellbook known as the Tome of Blackstone.  He also created the hex known as the summons.  When cast, the hex causes the person summoned to experience a burning sensation in the soles of their feet.  This feeling increases in intensity to that of a blowtorch until the person's central nervous system is paralyzed.  The only way to stop the summons is to appear promptly in front of the witch or wizard that cast it upon you.

Rami - Rami is an acolyte serving in the temple of the old god, Set, in Sakkara, Egypt.  He was given to the temple by his parents at a young age in exchange for Set's blessing.  Driven by the memory of his parents abandoning him, he works hard and strives to please the high priest of the temple.  Highly intelligent and studious, his best friend is Fer'al.

Fer'al - Also an acolyte serving in the temple of Set, Fer'al was found on the steps of the temple when he was only a few hours old.  Left at midnight during a terrible storm, many of the priests believed him to be a bad omen, but Set himself appeared and ordered that Fer'al be cared for and raised as an acolyte.  Mischievous and always finding a way to get into trouble, Fer'al is still a novice acolyte.  Unlike his best friend, Rami, who's shaved head marks him as an apprentice acolyte, Fer'al has long black hair that is wild and unkempt.  

Master Ammon - High Priest of Set, Master Ammon is a stern, no-nonsense task master.  A powerful user of dark magic, he is devoted to Set and seeks to guide unbelievers to the truth.

Master Khafra - High Priest of Horus, Master Khafra is one of the oldest priests alive.  Wise and intelligent, he is a protector of the Light and seeks balance, truth, and order in this chaotic world.  His badge of office, which he wears on a chain around his neck, is the Eye of Horus, which is rumored to be the key to the first portal used by the Ancients.

Khemet - A shopkeeper in Sakkara, Khemet runs the largest stall in the market.  Wizards, witches, and the priests of the various temples all come to Khemet seeking rare and hard to find ingredients and magical items.  Khemet will buy and sell anything, as long as there is profit to be made.

Khamsin - A powerful dark witch, Khamsin is obsessed with regaining the beauty of her youth.  A harsh and unforgiving task-master, she raised the dragon, Shai'tan, from a hatchling.

Master Gu-Dai Ying - The most powerful (and evil) necromancer to walk the Earth.  Master Gu-Dai was the controlling power behind the now banished Order of Red.  Assumed to have been killed along with the rest of the Order, rumors persist that he has returned and is again harvesting souls to power the Bloodstone.

Sava, Stealer of Souls - Sava was apprenticed to Gu-Dai Ying and learned many of his secrets.  She escaped notice during the last battle of Orders when her master and his other followers were killed.  Hurled into a rift between realms by the blast of energy that killed her master, she has survived for almost a thousand years.  Her connection with the bloodstone never severed, she is growing in power and seeks to return, to conquer those who would stand in her way.  No one knows for certain if she is human, elf or something in between, though she does not age as others do.  Hair as white as new fallen snow accentuates her most frightening feature - cat-like eyes that are a piercing blue, deeper than any sapphire.  Having inherited control over her long dead master's reanimated minions, she must re-energize the bloodstone with souls harvested from across the realms of both science and magic to bring about her return. 

Mirrikh Oriannus - The first true necromancer, Oriannus was a power-mad wizard who tried to kill Horus, one of the old gods in ancient Egypt.  He paid for the attempt with his life, and his remains are entombed next to the first portal used by the gods, to serve as a warning to others.

Seba’an – Also known as the Alderdrache, ruler of all dragons, Seba’an is the oldest living dragon on either side of the Veil.  Alive at the time of the Ancients, he is one of the few creatures left that remembers the time of the Shadow before the Veil.  Although the old dragon is now blind, the fires of his eyes now merely embers, he is extremely powerful and wise.  He is also one of the few dragons that does not have a human name.
 
Skyv’tai (a.k.a. “Brimstone”) – Known most often by his human name, “Brimstone,” Skyv’tai is an ambitious young dragon with a thirst for power.  He has learned little from his species’ past wars with the wizards and considers humans to be only slightly more intelligent than cattle.  One of several dragons labeled as ‘rogue’ by the Alderdrache, Brimstone was captured and placed into servitude as a courier by the Council.  Like most of his kind, Brimstone is very patient and plans to have his revenge not only on the wizards of the Council but on the Alderdrache as well.

Hra'kesh (a.k.a. "Shimmerscale") - Given the name ‘Shimmerscale’ by the humans because the silvery-green scales of his hide had an almost iridescent quality about them, Hra'kesh is smaller than most dragons, in fact smaller even than most females of his race.  But what he lacks in size he more than makes up for with intelligence, a quick wit and a knack for magic, for he is second only to the Alderdrache in his spellcasting.

Nekk’ar – Once a nest-mate of Seba’an’s, Nekk’ar perished long ago but dedicated his spirit to serving the Whitestone family as a protector of the Guardian.  Fierce and powerful, the wise Nekk’ar has saved more than one Guardian, but only when he chooses to help.  It is his firm belief that a Guardian can learn valuable lessons from making mistakes, and Nekk’ar is loathe to be disturbed.

Dahk’ra (a.k.a. “Darkfire”) – Dahk’ra, known among humans as ‘Darkfire,’ is the youngest of Seba’an’s hatchlings.  She is a powerful opponent, and is highly adept at strategy.  She considers humans a curiosity to be studied, much like laboratory rats, and she follows the politics of wizards with a keen interest. 

Shiv'ra (a.k.a. "Frostbite") - An ice dragon, Shiv'ra is a rarity, even for a dragon.  Although there were hundreds of different species of dragon, several from each of the elements, ice dragons are the least common.  They live in the Polar regions, high in the mountains, and relish the bitter cold of the ice and snow.  While most dragons have the ability to breathe fire or acid, ice dragons have the ability to generate a powerful blast of ice that freezes anything on contact.  Their wings generate great currents of frigid air, and they have the power to concentrate the moisture in the atmosphere and cause blizzards.

Shai'tan (a.k.a. "Firestorm") - Shai'tan was hatched and raised by the dark witch, Khamsin, after his egg was stolen from the nest by raiders.  A large, gold-colored dragon, he serves his mistress faithfully.  A large silver chain hangs around his great neck; it is both a sign of his servitude to Khamsin as well as a conduit for her to administer painful shocks when he fails to please her.

»      Edmond Michelson – Order of Gray
»      Nelson Merak – Order of Gray
»      Hyacinth Stonecipher – Order of Gray
»      Alyssa Alcor – Order of White
»      Nigel Bannister – Order of White
»      Flora Tovey – Order of White
»      Alicia Sadak – Order of Black
»      Portia Nightshade – Order of Black
»      Damon Rothschild – Order of Black
»      Alexander Ducat – Vice-Chancellor & Head of Order (Gray)
»      Cedric Thornback – Head of Order (Black)
»      Phineas Whitestone – Guardian & Head of Order (White)