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Karina Kuiper
Frau Karina Kuiper
Anglish headmistress and founder of Kuiper's Academy of Natural Philosopy and Skiltakraft. After proving herself in battle—which was after sneaking into the military at all—she founded Kuiper's twenty years ago as a school for dragoneers. Her dragon is Gerhard, a kessseldrach.- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Karina is the first—and only—woman to ever serve in the dragonthede, and has a military pension from it; she used a portion of the funds to found Kuiper's Academy.
- Closet Gay: In a relationship with Elsie Brinkenhoff, but can't be out about it as the Anglish consider tribadism socially unacceptable.
- Iron Lady: Both due to her military service and as one of the few women dragoneers in the country, Karina is stoic and no-nonsense, almost betraying nothing in her emotions. When Anequs upsets Thane Stafn during their meeting with the jarl and Karina grabs Anequs' wrist to catch her from acting too out of order, the fear Anequs sees in Karina's eyes frightens her more than anything else in the meeting has so far.
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: With Elsie Brinkenhoff, who is the more motherly and feminine of the two.
- Prim and Proper Bun: She wears her now-white hair back in a bun at the back of her head.
- Queer Establishing Moment: Karina and Elsie Brirkenhoff—head of the staff—are in a relationship. Anequs spots them having an affectionate moment together just before Karina is off to speak to the jarl about what's going on with the threatening note Anequs and Theod were sent, including Karina kissing Elsie. However, due to lesbianism—or any form of sexual deviance—being socially unacceptable among the Anglish, they cannot be publicly open about their relationship.
- Retired Badass: Karina not only hid she was female and snuck into the dragonthede to become part of the military forty-five years ago, but proved herself worthy of remaining there after she was uncovered. She has since supported herself with her military pension (using part of it to fund the founding of Kuiper's) and is considered a darling of the current jarl and the high king.
- Self-Made Woman: Karina came up from the non-landowning smallfolk, hiding her gender in order to join the dragonthede—and then, when found out, given the chance to prove herself as a war maiden and did. She has a military pension and in the process made herself a darling of the high king.
- The Squadette: Was this during her military days, as the only woman on the dragonthede—and she initially had to hide that she was a woman.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Decades ago, only men were allowed to be part of the dragonthede—the military—or even truly have a chance at being dragoneers; the daughters of jarls could be set before a dragon's egg, but were limited to slim racing breeds like bjalladreki. Karina—at about the age of sixteen and forty-five years ago—disguised herself as a man, stood before an egg, and was claimed by a kessseldrach dragnet. Six weeks into service she was found out as a woman and her case went to the High Moot, where the court decided to allow her to prove herself as skilled in battle as war maidens of folklore. She successfully did so and now has a military pension.
- When I Was Your Age...: She tries to invoke this word-for-word at the end of the school year when talking to Theod and Anequs regarding their personal character perception, after the various events they've been involved in including the assassination attempt on Jarl Joevarsson, which all three were present for and Anequs and Kasaqua intervened in. Elsie interrupts to point out that when Karina was their age, she was defying the laws against crown and country and rules for her gender to stand before a dragon egg at all—and her actions made the papers just as much as Theod and Anequs are doing. Karina glares at her, but Elsie just smiles sweetly.
- Working-Class Hero: Karina was born as part of the smallfolk—non-landowning citizens—but has risen to public prominence due to her military service and being the first and only woman to ever serve in the dragonsthede.
Elsie Brinkenhoff
Frau Elsie Brinkerhoff
Anglish co-head, head matron, and head of the staff at Kuiper's.- Closet Gay: In a relationship with Karina, but can't be out about it.
- Caretaking is Feminine: As the more feminine of the two heads of Kuiper's Academy, she oversees the staff and student needs and dorms, as opposed to Karina's heading of the educational staff and direct interactions with legal issues.
- Maiden Aunt: She has never married and is great-aunt to Sander (and aunt to his mother, Frau Jansen). Her family doesn't know about her relationship with Karina.
- Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: With Karina Kuiper, who is the more masculine having served in the dragonthede.
- Queer Establishing Moment: Karina—head of the academy—and Elsie—are in a relationship; Anequs spots them having an affectionate moment together and Karina kissing her. But since lesbianism—or any form of sexual deviance outside of monogamous heterosexuality—is socially unacceptable among the Anglish, they cannot be publicly open about their relationship.
Professor Messman
Professor Messman
Anglish professor of dragon husbandry—the social training of, anatomy, and physiology dragons. His dragon is Kostbar, a falterdrache.
- Stern Teacher: He's not as cruel as Professor Ezel by any means and is fair to the students equally including Anequs, but he is strict. Given his subject, it's expected; part of dragon husbandry is teaching the students how to keep control of their dragons' natures and their own temperaments in the process, and passing the class is required for a dragoneer's license.
Professor Reinhard Ezel
Professor Reinhard Ezel
Anglish professor of skitlakraft—and thus the teacher who, if his class is not passed, can prevent dragoneers from license.
He does not have a dragon, as he never successfully bonded to one.
- Armor-Piercing Response: He gets one from Anequs when she and Theod are taking their end-of-year exam after a term of independent study together; Theod is actually doing well for the first time since he arrived. Ezel marches over to Anequs and demands to know how their studying together was successful, leading to this exchange:Ezel: "[Theod] has always failed to grasp the foundational principles of skiltakraft."Anequs: "Then I suppose I'm a better teacher than you, Professor."
- Hates Everyone Equally: Marta says Professor Ezel doesn't approve of anyone at the school. This is because he's educating dragoneers and is bitter that after spending his youth mastering skiltakraft, no dragon ever bonded to him. However, he especially targets Theod and Anequs as nackie dragoneers.
- Sadist Teacher: Professor Ezel is known as a beast among the student body. He comes off as this from his very first interactions with Anequs, giving her a timed test on skiltakraft—which she has never studied—as part of her educational assessment, but not before lecturing her on how exacting and perfect it all must be and that any mistake in skiltakraft could mean failure. He grades it in front of her—laughing at her poor results—then gives her a introduction book and demands the whole thing be read in its entirety before she attends her first class. Unlike Professor Ulfar, who gently encourages her and gives her opportunities to speak and interact in class, he regulates Anequs to the back of the class with Sander and tells them both they are merely being tolerated and are not to speak or ask any questions at all; to the rest of the class, he says anyone who doesn't arrive on time will be barred entrance, and three misses is class expulsion—and likely complete expulsion from the academy, as mastering skiltakraft is required for a dragon license. He doesn't approve of Anequs—or Theod, or Sander—but it's not just them; he doesn't really like any of the students.
- Teacher's Unfavorite Student: While he doesn't like any of the students, he has it out especially for both Anequs and Theod as nackie dragoneers. Theod takes three terms and a special summer study in skiltakraft and still fails each and every time, until Anequs figures out a connection between skilta and her people's traditional dances and imparts it to him.
Professor Ibarra
Professor Ibarra
Vakoshish professor of erelore, folklore, and wordlore (history, folklore, and language). His dragon is Abiadura, a arin (the Vakoshish equivalent of a bjalladreki).
- Recurring Extra: Outside of testing and Anequs's first class (as a directed study that includes Theod) and her frustration with being expected to learn about North Markesland by assuming that history and mythos ("erelore and folklore") only started with the arrival of the Norse, he is not seen much; she is frustrated by the class, but not actively struggling or suppressed as she is in Professor Ezel's class.
Professor Nazari
Professor Nazari
Kindah professor of anglereckoning and al-jabr (geometry and algebra). His dragon is Zati, a Kindah jirada.
- Recurring Extra: Since Anequs is not having much trouble in his class after she starts her term, she rarely mentions him or his class.
Professor Ulfar
Professor Ulfar
Anglish professor of natural philosophy (science). He was a decorated captain of the dragonthede before being disabled during the war in the battle of Polvaara, and his dragon was killed in battle.
- Cool Teacher: To Anequs. At their first meeting when he is testing her to see what level of education she has, he interacts with her rather than just setting papers in front of her as all the other teachers have done. He explains what natural philosophy is, then tests her by using cultural milestones she would know such as planting and farming to relate the ideas, and at the end says she'll make a fine scholar. He also makes sure to find a way to include her in class from their first lesson (unlike Professor Ezel), by having the students identify objects they're given by speaking to each other; among them are samp corn and a quahog shell, which only Anequs is able to identify. He's the only teacher Anequs likes—she tolerates the others and despises Professor Ezel.
- Foil: To Professor Ezel. Professor Ulfar is pleasant, helpful, kind, makes sense when explaining his subject to the students, and encourages Anequs to use her own cultural outlook to learn natural philosophy. In contrast Professor Ezel is cruel to Anequs from his very first moments, doesn't even let Anequs or Sander speak in class, and makes the two of them sit in the back silently; he's nearly determined to keep her and Theod in particular from gaining any skill in skiltakraft whatsoever (and thus not able to keep their dragons). Furthermore, they are the only teachers without dragons—but unlike Professor Ezel who never bonded with one, Professor Ulfar's dragon was killed in the siege of the Polvaara.
- Retired Badass: Professor Ulfar served during the war against Berri Vaskos many decades ago; he is decorated with many medals. Retired when he lost his dragon in battle and was disabled falling from its back and breaking his own, paralyzing him.
- Super Wheelchair: While it doesn't have wheels, Professor Ulfar moves around in a multilegged brass chair that he controls with an array of switches and buttons.
Captain Johan Einarsson
Captain Johan Einarsson
A representative for the Ministry of Dragon Affairs at Kuiper's.
- Establishing Character Moment: Before Frau Kuiper can introduce any of the other members of staff at Kuiper's to Anequs, Captain Einarsson cuts in and demands to know how Anequs came to possess Kasaqua. He then calls Anequs impudent for saying that she doesn't "own" her dragon, and when Frau Kuiper cuts him off and they have a silent stand off about it Anequs realizes that the two have a well-established rivalry that she's walked in the middle of. When he's allowed to speak again, he's belligerent, accusing Anequs and her people of deception in not letting it be known a dragon egg was found at all.
Liberty
Liberty
A black seventeen-year-old indentured laundry maid for Kuiper's, who was hired by Frau Brinkenhoff. Her parents escaped generational thrallhood (chattel slavery) in Berri Vaskos and fled to New Anglesland where it's illegal, but died when she was young; she was then sent to an orphanage and trained as a maid of all work. She is one of the very few black people in the Vastergot area and the only black person at Kuiper's, having served three years so far. Anequs, with no regard to their "stations," not only associates with her but desires a romantic relationship—and the feeling, despite Liberty's knowing how the Anglish would disapprove of them both, is mutual.
- Indentured Servitude: Liberty's service is in debt to the academy for the costs of being trained; her contract was purchased for two thousand marka. She earns ten marka a week, two of which are taken for room and board, and has just over a thousand left to pay in total when Anequs meets her. While in theory she could pay it off completely in five years total from her start it would mean putting all her money to the debt with nothing for herself, not even pressing hair oil or small notions. And while she's allowed any method she can use to pay it off legally, she says many employers feel cheated if they don't get the full "value" of what's expected when they hire others into service. Liberty starts to work off her debt faster anyways after Anequs gifts her a tatkraft sewing machine, making gloves and handkerchiefs on commission for a dress shop in Vastergot; she could theoretically pay the whole debt off in just a year if unimpeded.
- Ironic Name: "Liberty" as an indentured servant. However this is likely because her parents, who were formerly enslaved in Berri Vaskos, named their child to reflect their own freedom in New Anglesland.
- Orphan's Ordeal: Her parents—escaped freedmen—both died when Liberty was a child; her father died in a mill fire when she was six and her mother of a fever when she was ten. She tried to get work to pay the rent—at ten—but was turned out by her landlady once it was realized she was parentless and sent to the Vastergot Society for Friendless Girls. She was trained as a maid of all work and then hired to work as a laundry maid for the academy; her debt in total is two thousand marka and she's legally obligated to work for the academy until the full debt is paid. It's not generational enslavement like her parents suffered, but it is still legal indentured servitude.
- Queer Establishing Moment: After she and Anequs kiss, Liberty later confesses that she's known since she was about thirteen she had no interest in men—and an "unacceptable" interest in women. Anequs, being from the Non-Heteronormative Society she is, not only sees no problem with Liberty being a tribade, but doesn't see why she can't pursue both Liberty and Theod since she's personally interested in the both of them. Liberty firmly says that while she would, they have to be proper and decidedly not court at all until she's freed from indentured service, so gossip doesn't spread which could lead to her dismissal and Anequs scandalized as a dragoneer (more than she already is).
- Textile Work Is Feminine: Liberty is a skilled seamstress, and wants to be a proper one as a job once she's freed of her servitude. After Anequs gifts her a tatkraftist sewing machine for Jule, she returns the gift by making Anequs a fine city-proper dress using the measurements she took before—something between the level of her meager island calico dresses and Marta's ball dress, proper enough to wear into the city without Anequs feeling ridiculous.
Hallmaster Henkjan
Hallmaster Henkjan
Keeper of the dragon halls at Kuiper's.
- Parental Substitute: Theod gets along with him—and the rest of the staff in the dragonhall—better than with any of the students, as he feels he's more of their class than of the upper class he's been thrust into as a dragoneer.
