So, I’ve got a boatload of ideas for Koeleth and the world of Eirmoda, and I can’t wait to get to them. That, of course, means I need to get my ass in gear on the Chronicles of Koeleth. However, I do have some interesting characters that never show their faces in the Chronicles of Koeleth series but might pop up elsewhere, so I thought I’d share.

Cool Characters Who (Probably) Won’t Be In CoK

Sir Wilhelm Greyfog

Sir Wilhelm was a knight from the Ghostlands two centuries prior to the War of the Dragons (the hopefully epic finale to the River’s Tale and the Clash of Dragons books). A friend of the people and a hero to common folk, he stood against all those who threatened the Ghostlands. He was also a valued leader in the War for Barren Reach. He achieved mythic status when he fought and defeated the earthbound guardian Sylph in one-on-one combat. Sylph honored his victory but forever held a grudge against him (hell hath no fury and whatnot). Through a curious twist of fate, brought about by the mysterious magic of the Ghostlands’ mist, upon his inevitable death, Sir Wilhelm’s soul lingered on the earth, earning him the slightly misleading title of Sir Wilhelm the Hero Undying. He still wanders the Ghostlands, protecting travelers and interfering with the mischievous Sylph and her cunning machinations.

Serhild Warmaiden

Serhild Warmaiden is, as her name implies, a descendant of a battle maiden and trained as one herself. The notion of a battle maiden is well accepted in modern Koeleth culture, as there are a fair number of female warriors in Koeleth’s military organizations. However, in their early days, the battle maidens were a radical notion. In a world that refused to believe women could fight, the battle maidens fought and won their respect and honor. Serhild herself is an accomplished slayer and a valued member of the Vanguard. Her time in the Vanguard is cut short, however, as she is slain in battle during the Champions’ War. She does technically appear in CoK, but her name is only mentioned once, when counting the losses of the Champions’ War. Nevertheless, during her life she was a heroic figure and earned her reputation as an icon of Koeling strength.

He Who Walks The Earth

A cryptic entity to be sure, He Who Walks The Earth (sometimes shortened to just He Who Walks) is notable for supposedly being the rarest form of magical being: a human possessed by a guardian. Though this has yet to be confirmed, it defies all known interactions between guardians and the physical world. Though earthbound guardians and lesser guardians have a minimal impact on the environment around them, it is well known that ascendant guardians and greater guardians can warp the very essence of reality around them when they descend to Eirmoda. In the past, to accommodate for this, guardians have tried to possess humans, but to no avail. The human body was not meant to contain such and magic, and a possessed human will typically burn up within days of being possessed. This being the case, He Who Walks The Earth is a living impossibility. Even he does not know how he came to be, or even how old he is, but he claims that his earliest memory is from around the year 3000, making him no less than four millennia old. Both his identity as a human and that as a guardian are long forgotten, both souls having melded together long ago. Cool and aloof, He Who Walks is relatively amoral, neither praising what is traditionally good, nor condemning what is traditionally bad. With no reasonable fear of death, and a lack of strong desires, He Who Walks finds himself seeking only one thing: a purpose for which to continue. In the absence of that, he would gladly accept a means of ending his existence, though no form of permanent death has yet been found.

der Waldrichter

Der Waldrichter, the Forest Judge, is the earthbound guardian of Dead-Man-Walking, a lawless and dark province of Koeleth. Most of the Blacknight Forest is contained within DMW. Der Waldrichter rarely appears, but when he does, guilty men know true fear. Like the Grim Reaper himself, he only shows up when he deems it is someone’s time to die. Unlike the River Dragonof Sorowa’s Cradle, who is characterized by compassion and selflessness, or the Thorn King of the Thorn Crown Mountain Territory, who is characterized by strength and steadfastness, der Waldrichter is characterized by judgement and punishment. He has no special hatred or love of humans, but he will tolerate wickedness for only so long. Many outlaws and villains seek refuge in the Blacknight Woods, only to find that death itself is all that awaits. There is no trial, no jury, no mercy and no forgiveness. When der Waldrichter comes for you, there is no hope. But do not think he is a hero; he protects no one, and not even the purest of souls is safe in the Blacknight Woods. He offers not salvation, but justice and vengeance.

Captain Coral Shipstealer

In a bit of exceptionally lazy naming, Coral Shipstealer’s pirate captain mother named her after the first thing she saw in the ocean and her own exploits, so “Coral” and “Shipstealer.” Such is the naming convention of pirates who are also orphans. Capt. Shipstealer was raised aboard a pirate ship and knows no other way of life. When her mother died in a battle with the Danagir Navy, Coral wrested control of her mother’s ship, the Leviathan’s Wife, from the first mate, who, quite naturally, assumed control after the previous captain’s death. Clever and skillful, few can match Coral in her mastery of seafaring. As with so many other areas of Eirmoda, the Leviathan Ocean is aptly named, as the earthbound guardian residing underneath its waters is Leviathan. Rarely does Leviathan favor humans, but after a grueling test of wills, Leviathan decided that Coral was worthy of his blessing, and gave her the Heart of Leviathan, a basket-hilted broadsword with magical properties. When not on the waves, she calls Eternal Reach, in Koeleth, her home, and seafarers the world over revere her.

Leontios Harbinger and the Master Soul Thanasis

In a far off land, Leontios Harbinger wields great power. Magic works very differently in his homeland. In an incident centuries prior, a group of human souls was cursed with great magical power that they cannot use and fated to roam the earth. The only way to rid themselves of the curse is to haunt living humans, who, in exchange, get to wield their magic. Upon the death of the haunted, the curse is lifted from the soul and passed onto the haunted, who then joins the curse’s cruel cycle. The previous cursed soul is allowed to move on. Each line of souls has different types of magic. Unfortunately for Thanasis, the current Master soul, one of the more powerful soul types, Leontios is seemingly immortal. Thanasis seems to tolerate him well enough, though. Though somewhat prone to giving in to his desires, Leontios is also very intelligent and cunning, and he demonstrates a great deal of control and restraint when he’s trying achieve his goals. He is a generally kind person, but one could not classify him as being moral.His magical power and his immortality give him the room to do whatever he wishes.

Aleida Riverbank

A hero from Koeleth’s past, Aleida Riverbank was the daughter of a Woman of the River and a Man of the Dale. This made her very versatile. As a member of the People of the River, she was an excellent Storm Rider. As a member of the Dalefolk, she was an excellent Far-seer. Both lineages allowed her a masterful understanding of the water. The Dalefolk started off as a branch of the River People, who, after settling Sorowa’s Cradle quickly went on to settle the Rainy Dales. However, after other Koelings settled in the Dales, and as the natives slowly disappeared, melding with the Koelings, the Dalefolk developed a distinct identity. Their hold over River Runners was significantly diminished, but in exchange, they developed excellent eyesight and a special bond with the Dale foxes, Scarlet Thieves, who serve as their pets and are often paired with skilled rangers known as Far-Seers. Aleida, with the help of her River Runner Nymph and her Scarlet Thief Minx, achieved legend as one of the first non-blessed members of the Vanguard. She was awarded that honor for scouting out an enemy army approaching the Dales and leading a small band of Far-Seers to drive off the superior force. They were successful, causing a great number of enemy losses while suffering none of their own through trickery, cunning and an ample knowledge of their environment.