Cast
PHAEDRA
THE HIGHBORN BANSHEE
The future leader of the Royal Marine Navy, Phaedra Philemon would have led her powerful island nation as both a queen and an admiral, following in the footsteps of her late father - but her naïvete and inexperience made her the target of a successful assassination. Unwilling to die without a fight, the stubborn princess challenges the god of death to win back her life, risking the fate of her soul - but playing games with immortals rarely leads to good outcomes…
CHETH
THE RED TIDE KING
God of death and king of the haunted sea. Anyone who dies may challenge Cheth for a chance to return to life - but all who fail are added to his vast collection of souls. With his original body destroyed, Cheth only exists by possessing ghosts like a parasite - able to adopt the form, voice, and skills of any dead spirit who has ever failed to defeat him. Boasting an ever-growing library of stolen identities, this vain and arrogant god remains undefeated … but not invincible.
PAVEL
THE HORIZON CHILD
A curious and cheerful seabitten boy. Pavel Morena is forever marked by the pale scar of a seaghost’s bite, but with his mother’s guidance, his trauma has spawned fascination instead of phobia. He is enamored by the sea - its beauty, history, and creatures - and pities seaghosts more than he fears them (for better or for worse). Despite his kindness, whispers about the seabitten follow Pavel wherever he goes. Are those who have ventured beyond the Horizon Line still cursed by its darkness?
VANNA
THE LOVING LODESTAR
Pavel’s mother, a dedicated chemist and herbalist within the controversial Lodestar Guild - a society determined to discover a ‘cure’ for the haunted sea in the midst of Shoshana’s absence. Known and respected locally in Salabay as a traveling doctor and surgeon, there are many who instead accuse Dr. Morena of witchcraft, convinced that the strange, long-term survival of her seabitten son is the result of some dark pact with Cheth himself…
LANI
THE FLIGHTY DJINN
The eternally cheerful pugilist of the Mantaluna crew. Phaedra’s friend and classmate Hinalani ‘Lani’ Leina is a skilled martial artist, taking down opponents left and right with fast fists, strong legs, and a wide smile. Trained as a warrior monk by the Shieldfort, she represents the tropical western sea with her great physical strength and rampant optimism. Even in death, she is more full of life than most.
IRVING
THE ICY REVENANT
The moody, morose marksman of the Mantaluna crew. Irving Ellery specializes in attacking foes from afar with rifles and pistols, and keeps all but his closest friends at a similar distance. The son of a fearsome military commander, his brutal upbringing at the Spirefort - the cold stronghold of the north - has tempered his spirit and frozen his soul. His friends say his heart is warm; his enemies say it’s even colder.
CAL
THE GREENSMAN'S GHOST
The wise chaperone of the Mantaluna crew, and the trusted porter and groundskeeper of the Saberfort Palace. Sir Caladrius "Cal" Silenus hails from a once-prestigious Saberfort family, but is far more content amongst the plants and animals of the royal gardens and menageries, tending them alongside his grandson. His peaceful nature attracts the attention of many a creature both living and dead, and his presence calms the often-volatile natures of his young charges.
KATJA
THE SPOOKY SAMOYED
The sweet pet Samoyed of Phaedra’s mother Daphne, Katja is fiercely loyal to her ‘big sister’ - going so far as to stow away on her ill-fated journey and share her unfortunate fate. Rarely seen without a smile, she has taken to her new form with ease, floating about like a happy cloud in the midst of such sorrow. Katja becomes Pavel’s most cheerful protector on board the Mantaluna, lifting his spirits with her endless fluff.
HALEA
THE GLASS-EYED PRIESTESS
The leader of the Plume Church and the goddess Cheline’s link to mankind. Lady Halea Haumea once led her clergy with an infectious, joyful wisdom, and was renowned as a benevolent mentor - especially to Phaedra, her beloved protégée. After a summons to a special audience with the goddess herself, however, her personality - and her eyes - have turned as cold as glass. And since the cold-blooded murder of the princess, a mysterious smile has not left her face…
CHELINE
THE SAPPHIRE PHOENIX
Goddess of life and fire, Cheth’s twin sister Cheline is worshipped as a mother deity by the residents of the Candlelight Sea, regarded as an all-powerful source of light, warmth, and wisdom. Despite the omnipotence of her church, she has become a reclusive figure, rarely seen flying over the sea she used to patrol. Even in her absence, the citizens of the sea continue to put great faith in the comforting light of her sacred lighthouses - and in her daughter's long-promised return.
SHOSHANA
THE KINGFISHER PROPHETESS
The legendary mortal daughter of Cheline, Shoshana was born with incredible powers never before seen in a human. She and her mother brought the villainous Cheth to ruin during the Fracture, breaking him to pieces and banishing his soul to the ocean’s depths. Five millennia after her death, her influence on the world is still immeasurable, and her heroism continues to inspire hope in her devoted followers. The world prays for her return - and for her prophecied healing of the sea.
SEAGHOSTS
THE PHANTOM LEGION
The deceased inhabitants of the Candlelight Sea. All dead spirits dwell under the water’s surface, where their consciousness decays away and turns them into blank-eyed, doll-like ghosts. Seaghosts feed on any living soul that wanders into their midst, and their bites have devastating effects. They can only be kept at bay by the light of the many lighthouses found across the Sea. Should a lighthouse fail, anyone within its reach will be at their ravenous mercy…