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    Main Characters 

Fletcher Raleigh

The Hero of the story, an orphaned fifteen-year-old boy with the rare ability to summon demons. Although he's generally nice, his hot temper is a sticking point for him, and he has pent-up issues over his Parental Abandonment. His demon is a Salamander named Ignatius and later, a Gryphowl named Athena.

  • A Father to His Men: As Lord Raleigh, he gets his own battalion of soldiers. He trains alongside them, knows all their names, mourns each loss, and pulls them out of a hopeless fight rather than let them die for duty.
  • All of the Other Reindeer: Being an orphan in Pelt made him the social pariah among the other children. This is why he goes out of his way to befriend the outcast Othello; he knows exactly what it’s like to be alone and shunned by everyone else.
  • The Blacksmith: Blacksmith's apprentice, anyway.
  • Blue Blood: The Inquisition reveals he's the lost son and Sole Survivor of the Raleighs.
  • Chronic Hero Syndrome: Risks his life to save Sylva, who had that point had been nothing but haughty to him, from an angry mob because it was the right thing to do.
  • Claustrophobia: The year he spent imprisoned left him with a strong dislike of cramped, dark spaces. As such he's not happy to learn that the orc fortress he's leading a strike team to invade in The Inquisition is actually underground.
  • Deadpan Snarker: “That shoulder looks painful. How would you like it today, medium rare or well done?”
  • Guile Hero: Fletcher's greatest strength is his quick thinking and creative mind; the former lets him bluff his way out of trouble more than once, and the latter lets him come up with the tools he needs to win the tournament.
  • Happily Adopted: By Berdon. Berdon even says Fletcher’s like a son to him, and Fletcher even calls him "Dad" later on.
  • The Heart: He’s essentially what brings Othello, Sylva and Seraph together.
  • Heroic Bastard: Arcturus suspects this. Magical ability is very rare among non-nobles, and if one parent was a noble and the other a mistress, it would make sense for them to abandon him, so as not to muddy up succession. It turns out he's wrong and Fletcher's actually the firstborn son of a noble.
  • Hot-Blooded: His temper is his biggest flaw, as it flares easily and clouds his judgment.
  • The Immune: As a Raleigh, he's immune to Manticore venom, and other poisons and paralytics wear off faster than normal. This ends up being vital to his defeat of Jeffrey. He's also immune to fire, thanks to his bond with Ignatius.
  • Maybe Ever After: With Sylva. While Sylva is still reluctant to start anything, as it would result in her exile, she does kiss him and promise to visit, and the changing political climate leaves open the possibility of the Fantastic Racism and how Interspecies Romance is frowned up disappearing.
  • Nice Guy: Despite his temper, Fletcher is one of the kindest guys at Vokans. He’s Nice to the Waiter, doesn’t give a damn about race, gender or social status, and is fiercely loyal and protective of those he calls friends.
  • Playing with Fire: His demon, Ignatius, is a fire elemental.
  • Pragmatic Hero: Privately decides he'd rather destroy the cache of goblin eggs than rescue Lady Cadavish in The Inquisition, since the former does more damage to the orc army in the long run, and doesn't bother fighting Jeffrey head-on; once he learns he's the traitor, Fletcher plays dead, then kills him by shooting him In the Back.
  • Ship Tease: There's a moment in the first book where it’s implied he unintentionally aroused Sylva by stroking Sariel. The second book gives them even more, with Fletcher thinking about how pretty she is, several romantic moments, and an Almost Kiss (or actual kiss; it's not clear). It reaches critical mass in the third book.
  • Sole Survivor: Of the Raleigh family.
  • Spanner in the Works: He foiled pretty much all of the Forsyths' plans: befriending Othello helped restore the dwarf's faith in humanity, averting another dwarven uprising; rescuing Sylva from the mob saved her life, preemptively stopping her father going to war to avenge her; and defeating Tarquin in the tournament prevented the Forsyths from getting a representative on the king's council.
  • Weak, but Skilled: He’s crap at magic; it takes him most of the first year to even manage a decent shield, when everyone else is learning fireballs and lightning. However, he’s extremely versatile and creative, and his Nice Guy nature has given him a fair amount of friends to call in for favors.
  • You Can't Go Home Again: Had to flee his home village after being framed for attempted murder. It eventually gets destroyed, but the people survive, and so Fletcher uses his newfound heritage as Lord Raleigh to move them to his new lands.

Othello Thorsager

A young dwarf sent to Vocans as part of a pacifying effort to the dwarves on the part of the Hominum Empire, Othello is Fletcher's first friend there. His people's history of oppression has left him somewhat jaded, but he doesn't let it sour him. His demon is a Golem named Solomon and eventually a Pyrausta named Pria.

  • Ambadassador: He gets a promotion onto the dwarven council in the second book and is the main go-to for human-dwarf political interactions.
  • Bash Brothers: With Fletcher, proudly proclaiming him to be family by the end of the third book.
  • The Confidant: He’s the one Fletcher entrusts with the secret of his potential father, Lord Faversham.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Has gotten snarkier as of The Inquisition.
  • Determinator: He beats his opponent in the tournament while having a broken leg. Then deconstructed, as the effort leaves him so exhausted, he needs to tap out in the next match for his own safety.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Solomon's an earth elemental.
  • Fiery Redhead: Averted, he’s very cool-headed and logical. His brother’s the fiery one.
  • Heavy Sleeper: A Running Gag in the second book is how hard Othello is to wake up.
  • I Call It "Vera": He calls his blunderbuss "Bess", after an old childhood crush.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: He’s rather jaded, knowing full well that he’s only at Vocans as a political gesture and isn’t really welcome, but he hasn't fully lost hope for improving the situation of his people.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: He disagrees with some of the more radical dwarves' anti-human policies and especially their Proud Warrior Race tendencies, pointing out how it's done nothing but make things worse for them.
  • Polar Opposite Twins: Othello is calm, diplomatic and willing to give humans a chance despite his cynicism; his twin brother Atilla is violent, hot-headed and hates humans.
  • Ship Tease: Gets rather flustered upon seeing Cress in a dress in The Battlemage.
  • Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: He’s the main dwarven representative at Vocans and comes to be Fletcher’s best friend.
  • The Stoic: Is quite the taciturn fellow.
  • Taking the Heat: Since he and Atilla are identical twins and Atilla is prone to picking fights with humans, Othello constantly does this for him, as otherwise his hot-headed brother would resist arrest and likely get killed. This comes back to bite him in The Inquisition, as the inquisitors use "his" list of crimes against him in his trial.
  • Traumatic Haircut: His hair and beard are cruelly cut off by the inquisitors in the second book. Extra traumatic since his people consider such a thing to be sacrilege.

Sylva Arkenia

The daughter of one of the elven chieftains, Sylva was sent to Vocans by her father as a representative of the elven people. She initially seems haughty and snobbish, but is eventually revealed to be a just and kind individual. Her demon is a Canid named Sariel. After Sariel's death, she binds Captain Lovelett's Griffon Lysander, to keep him from rampaging, and is permitted to keep him.

  • Ambadassador: Came to Vocans not just to train as a battlemage, but also to forge an alliance between her race and the Hominum Empire.
  • Badass in Distress: In the first book, she only gets brief appearances here and there until Chapter 30, at which point she is seen tied up, gagged, blindfolded, and moments away from execution by a mob. Once Fletcher cuts her bonds, she immediately joins him and Othello in fighting off the Pinkertons, and even saves him.
  • Belated Love Epiphany: Despite her moments of Ship Tease with him, Sylva was apparently content to keep her relationship with Fletcher platonic until he almost got assassinated in front of her. Having him bleed out in her arms seems to make her realize she values him as more than a friend, as the Ship Tease gets stronger afterwards.
  • The Chief's Daughter: Her father is one of the chiefs of the elven tribes, which is why she was chosen to attend Vocans.
  • Combat Medic: She's the most skilled with the healing spell, and the most frequent user of it.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: To Fletcher, justifiably; the first time they met he walked in on her while she was changing, which would sour anyone’s first impression. When he rescues her from an angry mob, she warms up to him considerably.
  • Heroic BSoD: When Sariel is killed.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: She's somewhat distrustful of others and aware of how sucky the world can be, but she is very hopeful for a chance to improve relations between her people and humans.
  • Magic Knight: She's a talented warrior and mage who eventually kills a dragon.
  • Maybe Ever After: With Fletcher. While Sylva is still reluctant to start anything, as it would result in her exile, she does kiss him and promise to visit, and the changing political climate leaves open the possibility of the Fantastic Racism and how Interspecies Romance is frowned up disappearing.
  • Missing Mom: Dead mom; she was assassinated, by Sylva's sister no less. Fletcher suspects it's why she has trust issues.
  • My Country, Right or Wrong: Sylva will always put her duty to her people before her friendships, even if she dislikes having to.
  • Nice Girl: She's perfectly willing to help Fletcher, Othello and Seraph improve their magic, and doesn’t even blame the mob for trying to kill her, pointing out that if a human walked into elven territory they’d probably receive the same welcome.
  • Ship Tease: A bit with Fletcher in the first book, moreso in the second, culminating in her maybe (or maybe not; Fletcher was a little out of it) kissing him. Reaches critical mass in the third.
  • Slave to PR: The reason she has to pretend to be bitchier than she is. She’s in Vocans as a diplomat, which means forging alliances with nobility, which means, in the Forsyths' case, acting as awful as they are. Continues into the second book, where her position as the main elven representative means she has to put her responsibilities to them before anything else.
  • Spoiled Brat: Fletcher’s first impression of her. However, she proves to be a better person with the Spoiled Brat persona an act she dons around the Forsyths.
  • Stepford Smiler: Pretending to be a bitch wears on her, and she's not completely happy at the thought of potentially sacrificing her friendships for the good of her people.
  • Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Haughty towards those she doesn't know or trust well, quite nice to those she does.

    Vocans Academy Students 

Seraph Pasha

A teenager from the Akhad Desert in eastern Hominum, who came to Vocans in the hopes of raising his family to nobility. While he's seemingly flirtatious and carefree, he does take his responsibility to his family back home seriously. His demon is a Barkling named Sliver.

  • Ambiguously Brown: The text just calls him "olive-skinned".
  • The Charmer: He's described as good-looking, and frequently flirts with the ladies, especially Isadora.
  • Demoted to Extra: He was fairly prominent in the first book, but gets less spotlight in The Inquisition, thanks to being put on a separate strike team from Fletcher's.
  • Gentleman Snarker: He's not nobility yet, but he always comes across as polite even while quipping cheekily, and at the end of the first book he's as good as set anyway.
  • Green Thumb: Barklings are very nature-based, with poisonous spikes and bark-like armor.
  • Innocently Insensitive: He doesn’t really have a brain-to-mouth filter, so he sometimes hurts other people’s feelings with his japes.
  • Self-Made Man: What he's hoping to invoke. Which he does.

Rory Cooper

One of the three commoner students at Vocans. His demon is a Mite named Malachi.

  • The Resenter: He is very much aware that he's the worst of the first-year students, which is made even worse by nearly all the others having special demons of some kind.
  • Stepford Smiler: Puts on a cheerful and laid-back mask, but he's got some clearly pent-up anger and bitterness at his inability to catch up with the main characters.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Fletcher notes Rory's gotten better at summoning in The Inquisition, having control over two demons (even if the second is just another Mite).

Genevieve Leatherby

The second of the three commoner students at Vocans. Her demon is a Mite named Azura.

  • Broken Bird: Implied. She talks about the elven front with a hint of bitter sadness, causing Fletcher to wonder if she lost someone she loved there.
  • Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Averted. She has the green eyes and red hair that usually marks a Love Interest, but quickly falls by the wayside when Sylva comes around.

Atlas

The third of the three commoner students at Vocans.

  • Brutal Honesty: He's direct and blunt in his racism and suspicion of Othello. His demon is a Lutra called Barb.
  • Fat Bastard: Racist, mean and overweight. He's also revealed to be a suck-up as well, throwing in his allegiances with the Forsyths for political gain.
  • Jerkass: Even if he was hurt by his exclusion from the training, the racial slurs and insults he throws at the main characters come with no provocation.

Tarquin Forsyth

One of the two noble twins attending Vocans, Tarquin is an entitled brat of a noble, if extremely skilled. His demon is a Hydra named Trebius.

  • Deadpan Snarker: He's too arrogant and brusque to be the politer version, but he is quite snippy.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He does seem to care about his father and sister.
  • Jerkass: He's conceited, arrogant, and downright unpleasant to be around. Even his one Pet the Dog moment, protecting the other students from the Shrike, was done mostly for his own benefit.
  • Nerves of Steel: Puts himself directly in front of a Shrike to protect the other students, paying no heed that its' claws are whipping away mere inches from his face as he barks out orders to his Hydra.
  • The Rival: To Fletcher.
  • Smug Snake: Frequently acts as though he's above else at Vocans, and he's not completely wrong.

Isadora Forsyth

The other noble twin attending Vocans, Isadora gets less spotlight than her brother, but is every bit as unpleasant. Her demon is a Felid named Tamil.

  • Even Evil Has Standards: Isadora may hate Fletcher, but she wouldn't try to kill him when they're on a mission vital for the Hominum Empire. That's Jeffrey.
  • Gentlewoman Snarker: She is every bit as verbally cutting as her brother, but more civil about it.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: While her treatment of the other students is uncalled for, she has a point: her family has put themselves constantly on the front lines and pays the taxes funding the king's army, whereas commoners do not, so it's not completely uncalled for her to be angry that they're getting equal treatment.
  • Rich Bitch: Wealthy, spoiled, politically powerful, and she makes sure to flaunt it every chance she gets.

Cress

A female dwarf who was allowed to join in The Inquisition, thanks to Othello's successful graduation. She joins Fletcher, Othello and Sylva in the quest to infiltrate the orc fortress.

  • Deadpan Snarker: Very sweetly mocks the notion that not covering her face is indecent of her.
    Cress: What about you, Atilla? You have a handsome face, a luxurious pair of mustaches...why, I've even seen you training bare-chested. You expose yourself to the world and to me. How indecent of you.
  • Dual Wielding: Uses her torc and seax in tandem.
  • Genki Girl: She is very cheerful and friendly.
  • The Tease: Flirts with Othello, Atilla, and even Fletcher to an extent. In Fletcher's case, she is very firmly just teasing and has no interest in an Interspecies Romance, since dwarf society looks down on those who engage in them.

    Vocans Academy Staff 

Arcturus Faversham

The battlemage who inducts Fletcher into Vocans, a grizzly and scarred veteran of war, and one of the teachers at Vocans. His demon is a Canid named Sacharissa.

  • A Day in the Limelight: The end of The Battlemage includes a short story from his perspective, and the next set of books is set up to revolve around his past.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Makes his introduction saving Fletcher's life from a group of robbers.
  • Heroic Bastard: He's the bastard son of Lord Faversham, and suspects that Fletcher is the same—which would make them half-brothers.He's wrong about the last part.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Gruff, cynical and mean...in the classroom. Outside of it he's usually pretty helpful to his students.
  • Stern Teacher: He won't tolerate tomfoolery from anyone, noble or commoner, and refuses to show favoritism in the classroom; he dresses down Fletcher, Syvla, Tarquin, and Isadora equally after the four of them nearly get into a duel.
  • The Stoic

Captain Elaine Lovett

The instructor who handles demon capturing, summoning and combat lessons. She's put in a coma during a lesson gone wrong, but still finds a way to be helpful. Her demons are a Griffin named Lysander and a Mite named Valens.

  • A Mother to Her Men: Does her best to look out for her students, even after being put in a coma.
  • Cool Teacher: Lovette is far more laid-back than her co-workers—though not a pushover, since she is military—and encourages her students to seek her out if they need help.
  • Demonic Possession: Inverted; once she's in her coma, she possesses her demons and uses them to watch over and protect Fletcher and his friends.
  • Determinator: A coma was not enough to stop this woman from protecting her students.
  • Handicapped Badass: When she wakes from her coma, she's paralyzed from the waist down, but apparently hasn't stopped serving in the military.

Jeffrey

A weak and crippled servant boy who first shows Fletcher around Vocans before disappearing from the plot, only to reappear in The Inquisition to help Fletcher's team infiltrate the orc pyramid.

  • Ascended Extra: In The Inquisition.
  • Beleaguered Assistant: His few scarce appearances early on have people making his job harder for him.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Pretended to be nice and helpless, while secretly helping the Forsyths in their plots in the first book and trying to assassinate Fletcher in the second.
  • The Dog Was the Mastermind: The assassin who tries and nearly succeeds in killing Fletcher isn't the suspicious Cress, the Faversham-aligned Verity, or his rivals Tarquin and Isadora—it's the asthmatic serving boy.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: His need to gloat is what led to his death, as it gave the paralytic he'd given Fletcher—who is The Immune, unknownst to Jeffrey—time to wear off, allowing Fletcher to kill him.
  • Knight Templar: He describes himself as "a patriot at heart" who wants to see the Hominum Empire succeed...just not with the help of elves and dwarves.
  • Smug Snake: Once he's revealed as the assassin, Jeffrey shows himself to be very boastful and cocky.
  • Walking Spoiler: He is way more important than he seems.

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