The Chrysanthemum and the Dandelion
- Kuni Garu:
- Emperor Ragin of Dara, who died during the Battle of Zathin Gulf, though his body was never recovered.
- Mata Zyndu:
- deceased Hegemon of Dara, worshipped by some cults in Tunoa and among the common soldiers as the pinnacle of martial prowess and honor.
The Dandelion Court
- Jia Matiza:
- Empress and Regent of Dara; a skilled herbalist.
- Risana:
- an illusionist and accomplished musician; posthumously given the title Empress of Dara.
- Kado Garu:
- Kuni’s elder brother; holds the title of King of Dasu without the substance; father of Prince Gimoto.
- Cogo Yelu
- Prime Minister of Dara, one of the longest-serving officials at the Dandelion Court.
- Zomi Kidosu
- Farsight Secretary; prized student of Luan Zyaji and a noted inventor in her own right; Princess Théra’s lover; daughter of a Dasu farming-fishing family (Oga and Aki Kidosu).
- Gin Mazoti
- Marshal of Dara and Queen of Géjira; the greatest battlefield tactician of her time; posthumous victor at the Battle of Zathin Gulf; Aya Mazoti is her daughter.
- Than Carucono
- First General of the Cavalry and First Admiral of the Navy.
- Puma Yemu
- Marquess of Porin; noted practitioner of raiding tactics.
- Soto Zyndu
- Jia’s confidante and adviser; aunt of Mata Zyndu.
- Wi
- leader of the Dyran Fins, who serve Empress Jia.
- Shido
- a Dyran Fin.
- Lady Ragi
- an orphaned girl raised by Jia; serves the empress on special missions.
- Gori Ruthi
- nephew of the late Imperial Tutor Zato Ruthi and husband of Lady Ragi; a noted Moralist scholar.
Children of the House of Dandelion
- Prince Timu (nursing name
- Toto-tika): Emperor Thaké of Ukyu-taasa; Kuni’s firstborn; consort of Tanvanaki; son of Empress Jia.
- Princess Théra (nursing name
- Rata-tika): named by Kuni as his successor and once known as Empress Üna of Dara; yielded the throne to her younger brother Phyro in order to journey to Ukyu-Gondé to war with the Lyucu; daughter of Empress Jia.
- Prince Phyro (nursing name
- Hudo-tika): Emperor Monadétu of Dara; son of Empress Risana.
- Princess Fara (nursing name
- Ada-tika): an artist and collector of folktales; youngest of Kuni’s children; daughter of Consort Fina, who died in childbirth.
- Princess Aya
- daughter of Gin Mazoti and Luan Zyaji; given the title of Imperial Princess by Empress Jia to honor the sacrifices of her mother.
- Prince Gimoto
- son of Kado Garu, Kuni’s elder brother.
Scholars of Dara
- Luan Zyaji
- Kuni’s chief strategist; Gin Mazoti’s lover; he journeyed to Ukyu-Gondé and discovered the secret of the periodic openings in the Wall of Storms; known during life as Luan Zya.
- Zato Ruthi
- Imperial Tutor; leading Moralist of modern times.
- Kon Fiji
- ancient Ano philosopher; founder of the Moralist school.
- Poti Maji
- ancient Ano philosopher; the most accomplished student of Kon Fiji.
- Ra Oji
- ancient Ano epigrammatist; founder of the Fluxist school.
- Üshin Pidaji
- ancient Ano philosopher; the most renowned student of Ra Oji.
- Na Moji
- ancient Xana engineer who studied the flights of birds; founder of the Patternist school.
- Gi Anji
- modern philosopher of the Tiro states era; founder of the Incentivist school.
- Miza Crun
- renowned scholar of the silkmotic force; once a street magician.
Ukyu-taasa
- Tenryo Roatan
- seized position of Pékyu of the Lyucu by murdering his father Toluroru; conqueror of the scrublands; leader of the Lyucu invasion of Dara; died at the Battle of Zathin Gulf.
- Vadyu Roatan (nicknamed “Tanvanaki”)
- the best garinafin pilot and current pékyu of Ukyu-taasa; daughter of Tenryo.
- Todyu Roatan (nursing name
- Dyu-tika): son of Timu and Tanvanaki.
- Dyana Roatan (nursing name
- Zaza-tika): daughter of Timu and Tanvanaki.
- Vocu Firna
- a thane close to Timu; a poet.
- Cutanrovo Aga
- a prominent thane, commander of the Capital Security Forces.
- Goztan Ryoto
- a prominent thane; rival of Cutanrovo.
- Savo Ryoto
- Goztan’s son; also known by the Dara name Kinri Rito.
- Nazu Tei
- a scholar; teacher of Savo.
- Noda Mi
- a minister at the court of Tanvanaki and Timu; betrayed Gin Mazoti at the Battle of Zathin Gulf.
- Wira Pin
- a minister at the court of Tanvanaki and Timu; once tried to persuade Prince Timu to surrender to the Lyucu under Pékyu Tenryo.
- Ofluro
- a skilled garinafin rider.
- Lady Suca
- one of the few non-Lyucu to learn to ride a garinafin; wife of Ofluro.
The Splendid Urn and the Blossom Gang
- Rati Yera
- leader of the Blossom Gang; an illiterate inventor of ingenious machines.
- Mota Kiphi
- member of the Blossom Gang; a man rivaling Mata Zyndu in pure strength; survivor of the Battle of Zathin Gulf.
- Arona Taré
- member of the Blossom Gang; an actress.
- Widi Tucru
- member of the Blossom Gang; a paid litigator.
- Widow Wasu
- head of the Wasu clan; she knew Kuni Garu as a youth.
- Mati Phy
- sous-chef at the Splendid Urn.
- Lodan Tho
- head waitress at the Splendid Urn; Mati’s wife.
- Tiphan Huto
- the youngest son of the Huto clan, rival of the Wasu clan.
- Mozo Mu
- a young chef employed by Tiphan Huto; granddaughter of Suda Mu, legendary cook in the time of the Tiro kings.
- Lolotika Tuné
- Head girl of the Aviary, Ginpen’s leading indigo house.
- Kita Thu
- head of the Imperial laboratories in Ginpen; once led the effort to discover the secret of garinafin fire breath during the war against the Lyucu.
- Séca Thu
- a scholar; nephew of Kita Thu.
Dara at Large
- Abbott Shattered Axe
- head of the Temple of Still and Flowing Waters in the mountains of Rima.
- Zen-Kara
- a scholar; daughter of Chief Kyzen of Tan Adü.
- Réza Müi
- a troublemaker.
- Égi and Asulu
- a pair of soldiers in the city garrison of Pan.
- Kisli Péro
- a researcher at one of the Imperial laboratories.
The Crew of Dissolver of Sorrows
The Lyucu
- Toluroru Roatan
- unifier of the Lyucu.
- Cudyu Roatan
- leader of the Lyucu; son of Tenryo; grandson of Toluroru.
- Tovo Tasaricu
- Cudyu’s most trusted thane.
- Toof
- a garinafin pilot.
- Radia
- a garinafin rider.
The Agon
- Nobo Aragoz
- unifier of the Agon.
- Souliyan Aragoz
- youngest daughter of Nobo Aragoz; mother of Takval.
- Volyu Aragoz
- youngest son of Nobo Aragoz; Chief of the Agon.
- Takval Aragoz
- pékyu-taasa of the Agon; husband of Théra.
- Tanto Garu Aragoz (nursing name
- Kunilu-tika): eldest son of Théra and Takval.
- Rokiri Garu Aragoz (nursing name
- Jian-tika): second son of Théra and Takval.
- Vara Ronalek
- an old thane who refuses to give up riding garinafins into battle.
- Gozofin
- a warrior, skilled in the crafting of arucuro tocua.
- Nalu
- Gozofin’s son.
- Adyulek
- an aged shaman, skilled in the taking of spirit portraits.
- Sataari
- a young shaman.
- Araten
- a thane trusted by Takval.
The Gods of Dara
- Kiji
- patron of Xana; Lord of the Air; god of wind, flight, and birds; his pawi is the Mingén falcon; favors a white traveling cloak; in Ukyu-taasa he is identified with Péa, the god who gave the gift of garinafins to the people.
- Tututika
- patron of Amu; youngest of the gods; goddess of agriculture, beauty, and fresh water; her pawi is the golden carp; in Ukyu-taasa she is identified with Aluro, the Lady of a Thousand Streams.
- Kana and Rapa
- twin patrons of Cocru; Kana is the goddess of fire, ash, cremation, and death; Rapa is the goddess of ice, snow, glaciers, and sleep; their pawi are twin ravens: one black, one white; in Ukyu-taasa they are identified with Cudyufin, the Well of Daylight, and Nalyufin, the Pillar of Ice and the hate-hearted.
- Rufizo
- patron of Faça; Divine Healer; his pawi is the dove; in Ukyu-taasa he is identified with Toryoana, the long-haired bull who watches over cattle and sheep.
- Tazu
- patron of Gan; unpredictable, chaotic, delighting in chance; god of sea currents, tsunamis, and sunken treasures; his pawi is the shark; in Ukyu-taasa both he and Lutho are identified with Péten, the god of trappers and hunters.
- Lutho
- patron of Haan; god of fishermen, divination, mathematics, and knowledge; his pawi is the sea turtle; missing from Dara when he became mortal to hitch a ride on Dissolver of Sorrows.
- Fithowéo
- patron of Rima; god of war, the hunt, and the forge; his pawi is the wolf; in Ukyu-taasa he is identified with the goddess Diasa, the she-wolf club maiden.