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Lanzadonii
A fairly recent tribe who are an offshoot of the Zelandonii, founded by Dalanar, a former member of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. They are known for their skill at flint knapping and making fine stone tools.
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Dalanar
Dalanar
Appears in: The Plains of Passage | The Shelters of Stone | The Land of Painted Caves
Founder and leader of the Lanzadonii. He's Marthona's ex-husband and Jondalar's father. He's now married to Jerika, with whom he has a daughter, Joplaya.
- Amicable Exes: With Marthona. Although their marriage didn't work out, there's no bitterness between them and they get along well when they meet up.
- The Blacksmith: Well, this is long before metalworking; mankind was still making do with tools made out of flint. But when it comes to making those tools, Dalanar is an undisputed master. Jondalar, who he trained and who is an excellent flint knapper by any standard, still isn't anywhere close to his father's ability.
- Chick Magnet: Jondalar inherited his looks and charm from him; like his son, Dalanar had a reputation in his younger years for being the man many women wanted. However, these days Dalanar seems to be happy with just his mate, Jerika.
- Everyone Looks Sexier if French: This apparently runs in his family; he's from the area that will eventually become France thousands of years later, and is regarded as a highly attractive and charming man.
- Good Parents: To his son and daughter. He's both supportive and a decent role model, doing a good job of straightening out teenage Jondalar when he was getting out of control. He's also a good father-figure to Echozar.
- Happily Married: To Jerika, his second mate. They have a very loving relationship and he respects her deeply.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Jerika; he's over six feet tall while Jerika is so small she can walk beneath his outstretched arms without stooping.
- Icy Blue Eyes: He has the same intense, glacier blue eyes as his son.
- The Leader: Of the Lanzadonii, types 'Headstrong' and 'Charismatic'. He's an ambitious and compelling man, who was able to persuade several Zelandonii to leave their home and found a new community with him, which is no easy task. Dalanar's leadership has proved effective to the point that the Lanzadonii are not only thriving, they're seriously considering establishing a second settlement because so many people have joined the community.
- Love Cannot Overcome: Although he loved her, he amicably ended things with his first mate Marthona because they couldn't reconcile their differences. Though it's never explicitly mentioned what went wrong, it's implied she found him overbearing, whilst he felt she didn't really need him around.
- Magnetic Hero: He was able to found an entirely new tribe with his followers. There's so many of them now, they're thinking of starting up a second cave as well.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: It's hinted that he felt this way about Marthona to an extent. Although Dalanar has no problem at all with strong-willed and self-sufficient women (he's Happily Married to one, after all), he felt that Marthona was so independent and focused on being leader of the Ninth Cave, she didn't really need him.
- Ruling Couple: With Jerika. Though he's officially the leader of the Lanzadonii, it's obvious Jerika has a lot of sway over decisions too and he often seeks her advice.
- Strong Family Resemblance: To his son Jondalar. Anyone who knows them both says it's obvious Jondalar is 'a child of Dalanar's spirit' (meaning they believe the Great Mother chose his spirit to create Jondalar) because they look so alike. Ayla even briefly feels a confused attraction to Dalanar when they first meet, as he reminds her so strongly of the man she loves.
Jerika
Jerika
Appears in: The Plains of Passage | The Shelters of Stone | The Land of Painted Caves
Dalanar's second mate, daughter of Hochaman and mother of Joplaya. She is implied to be from East Asia and travelled with her parents to Western Europe, where she eventually settled down with the Lanzadonii.
- Good Parents: She's a loving and protective mother to Joplaya. By extension, she's a caring parental figure to Echozar, her son-in-law.
- Good Stepmother: She is kind and supportive towards Jondalar and he in turn respects her.
- Happily Married: To Dalanar.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Dalanar, who is so tall (over 6ft) that she can walk beneath his outstretched arms without stooping; she herself is only around 5ft tall.
- Properly Paranoid: She is terrified that her daughter will be injured or even killed in childbirth, due to having very narrow hips, whilst her unborn (half-Clan) child has a larger-than-average skull. Considering the fact that Ayla, who has a half-Clan son, almost died in childbirth herself, and hybrids being known to result in difficult births, Jerika's fears are not unfounded.
- Ruling Couple: With Dalanar. Though he's officially the leader of the Lanzadonii, it's obvious she has a lot of sway over decisions too and he often seeks her advice.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: It's revealed she's aware of Joplaya's secret love for Jondalar, even though Joplaya has never confided in her. Jerika never tells her daughter that she knows though she pities her and tries to encourage her to date other men, as she knows they could never be together (both because of the taboo against 'close cousins' mating and because it's obvious Jondalar doesn't love in that way).
- Shipper on Deck: She's not pushy about it, but she makes it clear how pleased she is that Joplaya has decided to mate Echozar. Jerika thinks that Echozar will be a good mate for her daughter as he's a kind man who adores her; Jerika also privately thinks it's good that Joplaya has given up on her hopeless love for Jondalar and is trying to move forward with her life.
Joplaya
Joplaya
Appears in: The Plains of Passage | The Shelters of Stone | The Land of Painted Caves
Dalanar and Jerika's daughter and the 'close cousin' (actually half-sister) of Jondalar. She is a skilled flint-knapper.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Her love for Jondalar. It's probably for the best, considering their close relation...
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Downplayed. She's usually sweet and good-humoured, although she is mentioned as having an air of melancholy around her after realizing her love for Jondalar is hopeless.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Played straight; she's as kind as she is beautiful.
- Big Brother Attraction: She is in love with her older half-brother Jondalar. In her defence, due to the way her culture thinks about reproduction, they are considered 'close cousins' rather than siblings, so she's technically unaware he's her brother. They also weren't initially raised together, with Jondalar coming to live with their father when they were both in their early teens (so the Westermarck Effect may not have kicked in). That being said, a relationship with him is still considered taboo on account of them being 'close cousins'; Jondalar also does not return her feelings in the slightest.
- Birds of a Feather: She and Jondalar bonded over their shared talent for flint-knapping, with Dalanar teaching them both at the same time.
- Color-Coded Eyes: Her green eyes are a prominent trait. They're considered a rare and striking color, and add to her 'exotic' look.
- Good Girls Avoid Abortion: She refuses to have an abortion even though the birth could kill her (her unborn child is part Clan, with a larger-than-average skull, and she is quite petite). However, she does take contraceptive herbs after her son is born to prevent another pregnancy in case this one is fatal. Also, among her culture, abortion isn't really considered immoral.
- Happily Married: She ends up being mostly this to Echozar, although it's implied that part of her will always love Jondalar and that she's technically 'settling' with Echozar; if she can't have the man she loves, she decides to take the man who loves her (which Echozar most definitely does.)
- Head-Turning Beauty: She's a strikingly beautiful woman, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women of the Lanzadonii and Zelandonii.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In regards to Jondalar. She quickly accepts his relationship with Ayla, is genuinely happy for them both and never lets on that her heart has been broken (although Ayla notices).
- Mixed Ancestry Is Attractive: Her father is Caucasian, while her mother is strongly implied to come from East Asia. She inherited features from both parents and is noted by Zelandonii characters to have a slightly 'exotic' look to her, which in many people's opinion only increases her beauty and allure.
- Nice Girl: She's very kind, selfless and non-judgmental.
- Odd Couple / Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: With Echozar. She's considered "exotically" beautiful, whilst he's half-Clan and so is considered very unattractive by Cro-Magnon standards. Many people find it bizarre that a woman as beautiful as Joplaya would choose to mate Echozar of all people when she could theoretically have have any man she wants, although Ayla thinks to herself she can never have the one man she truly wants and so settled with a man she knows loves her.
- Patient Childhood Love Interest: She's been waiting for Jondalar to notice her for several years, even when he moved back to the Ninth Cave and left to go on a long journey around Europe. In spite of the fact Jondalar never seemed to notice her affections, she still clings to the hope that someday he will. It doesn't work out.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She's described as being incredibly beautiful with fair skin and black hair.
- Romantic Runner-Up: To Ayla, for Jondalar. She doesn't begrudge her for it and they actually become good friends.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: One of the main reasons she marries Echozar. She's not passionately in love with him, but she is fond of him, he treats her well and she knows he deeply loves her.
- Statuesque Stunner: Downplayed. Whilst she's not as tall as Ayla (who's close to 6ft), Joplaya is still considered tall for a woman and is also very beautiful.
- Stepford Smiler: Her flirting with Jondalar is often laughed off as jokes with no deeper meaning and she goes along with this, but the narrative makes it clear that she's actually serious and feels despondent that Jondalar has never picked up on this. This worsens after Jondalar returns to his homeland with Ayla; although Joplaya puts on a brave face in public and sincerely insists she's happy for Jondalar, she's secretly crushed.
- Tragic Dream: Her dream of being in a romantic relationship with Jondalar. He does love her, but as a sister more than anything (and they actually are half-siblings) and never considers her a romantic option. When Jondalar visits with his betrothed Ayla and Joplaya sees how deeply he loves her, she finally accepts that she and Jondalar will never be together and chooses another man.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: To Jondalar; they became close friends when Jondalar was sent to live with the Lanzadonii and she developed romantic feelings for him, but he never even realizes this nor considers her a romantic option. Which is just as well, seeing as they're actually half-siblings.
- Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: It's implied she never truly gets over her love for Jondalar, though she's happy enough with Echozar.
Echozar
Echozar
Appears in: The Plains of Passage | The Shelters of Stone | The Land of Painted Caves
A half-Clan man adopted by the Lanzadonii, who is in love with Joplaya.
- Boomerang Bigot: Downplayed. He is hostile towards the Clan although he himself had a Clan mother (see Freudian Excuse), but he later stops hating them and makes peace with his half-Clan heritage after Ayla, who lived with the Clan for most of her life, explains their beliefs and customs to him.
- Child by Rape: Although Echozar himself and many other people aren't aware of this, it's obvious to Ayla and the reader that he's the result of his mother being raped by a man of the Others.
- Disappeared Dad: He never knew his biological father, though it's probably just as well given he was one of a few men who raped his mother and killed her mate. He regarded Andovan as his father, although he died several years prior to The Plains of Passage.
- Driven to Suicide: In his backstory, he attempted to kill himself by jumping off a waterfall out of loneliness and despair following the deaths of his adoptive father and mother, especially as every settlement he encountered - both Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal - refused to help him or actively drove him away. However, Echozar survived his suicide attempt and was found and rescued by Dalanar shortly after.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After all the crap he's been through, he gets the girl he loves and has a family, finally finding the love and acceptance he has longed for all his life.
- Freudian Excuse: He dislikes the Clan because they cursed his mother with death and left her to fend for herself, for giving birth to a supposedly 'deformed' child; a few clans he encountered following his mother's death also turned him away because of his so-called deformity. He makes peace with this after Ayla explains about the Clan's ways to him.
- Half-Breed Discrimination: He's often on the receiving end of this from Cro-Magnon, due to the stigma against children of mixed spirits, especially given his appearance obviously points to him having Neanderthal heritage. A notable exception is the Lanzadonii, who have no problem with his heritage and welcomed him with open arms. Notably, the leaders of the Lanzadonii are more than happy for Echozar to mate their daughter and officially become part of their family, although some Zelandonii are quite shocked by this, with a few people even protesting the marriage during the ceremony. While at the Zelandonii Summer Meeting, he also has to deal with people shunning him or making nasty comments about him being an "animal" or an "abomination".
- Happily Married: With Joplaya from the fifth book onwards. He's unaware that Joplaya is secretly in love with Jondalar and technically settled with him, but he's so happy she chose him he doesn't notice and they are still content together.
- Like a Son to Me:
- Andovan, a man of the Others who helped his mother raise him, loved him like a son and Echozar regarded him as the man of his hearth.
- Dalanar and Jerika treat him like a son and he later marries their daughter, officially becoming a member of the family.
- Odd Couple / Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: With Joplaya. She's considered "exotically" beautiful, whilst he's half-Clan and so is considered very unattractive by Cro-Magnon standards. Ayla, however, having been raised by the Clan, finds him to be rather handsome. She also knows that Joplaya chose him because he's a good man who adores her.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: He is described as having soulful, deep brown eyes, which are often said to be his best feature. Even Cro-Magnon characters who find him rather ugly agree that he has lovely eyes.
Hochaman
Hochaman
Appears in: The Plains of Passage | The Shelters of Stone | The Land of Painted Caves
Jerika's father, who is famous for going on an epically long journey all the way from Asia before settling in Europe.
- Cool Old Guy: He's still alive and kicking after walking across two continents, and still travels to Summer Meetings to tell people the stories of his many adventures.
Bokovan
Bokovan
Appears in: The Land of Painted Caves
The son of Joplaya and Echozar, grandson of Jerika and Dalanar, and great-grandson of Hochaman. He is born between The Shelters of Stone and The Land of Painted Caves.
- Vague Age: There's a bit of a discrepancy as to how old he is. When Ayla is introduced to him in The Land of Painted Caves, she is told he's just over three years old. Ayla's daughter Jonayla is around five years old at the time. However, in The Shelters of Stone Ayla and Joplaya were both pregnant at the same time; it's unclear why (or how) Jonayla could be that much older than Bokovan.
