The Waterless Sea - Characters

Characters

Calwyn is a 17-year-old priestess from Antaris. Calwyn has matured since her adventure from Darrow's departure and from freeing windworkers from pirates, to the extent of thinking ahead and in terms of that which is best for the world. Calwyn is a compassionate young woman, but tends to be stubborn. Calwyn is resentful of women's roles outside of Antaris and strives for gender equality. Calwyn becomes a noblewoman of the Palace of Cobwebs and manages to save the kidnapped children. She flees with Heben, Mica, Halasaa, and the children to the Black Palace and almost dies. They are saved by Darrow and the commoners and end the corruption of the Black Palace. When the palace is started, Calwyn tries to heal the land and is successful but is stripped of her powers.

Darrow is Calwyn's beloved, possibly five to ten years her elder. Darrow was born to a Penlewin captain and raised on the seas. His tendency to scamper along the ship gave him the name "Mouse." Darrow was taught the basics of iron chantment from a crew member, Arram, who warned him to keep this power secret. When docking at a Merithuran town, Darrow used iron chantment to save his father from being crushed by falling cargo. A Merithuran sorcerer saw this and took Darrow to the Black Palace of Hathara, where Darrow was raised as an ironcrafter. When Darrow was tested for obedience, he passed the test and was accepted as one of the sullen community of sorcerers. When Samis sought to master his gift of iron chantment and came to the Black Palace, he befriended Darrow. The two became close friends, but when Samis revealed his plans to conquer Tremaris, Darrow fled. Darrow becomes Lord of the Black Palace, in which position he becomes a reformer.

Tonno is a fisherman from Kalysons who, like Mica, is at home at sea. He takes Calwyn and company to Merithuros and remains on Fledgewing until Darrow appears. He then travels with Darrow to Hathara.

Mica is the young windworker whom Calwyn and her friends rescued from pirates. She is active and rebellious. Mica joins Calwyn at the Palace of Cobwebs as her servant and spy. She uses her chantments to help sail herself and friends about.

Heben is a tribal exile from Merithuros. When the abduction of his brother Gada and sister Shada by the sorcerers of Hathara went unpunished, Heben protested and was subsequently banished. He was rescued by Calwyn from a pirate ship. Upon learning of her powers, he requested that they rescue his siblings; they agreed, and therefore travelled to Merithuros with him. There, he became their guide through the desert and through Merithuran society.

Trout is one of Calwyn's friends from Mithates where the Power of Fire origin. A young, nearsighted inventor with little tolerance for the ocean. He remains on the island with the rescued windworkers.

Halasaa is one of the voiceless, secluded Tree People. He is the last of the chanters of the healing magic called the chantment of Becoming. He communicates telepathically and can be very intuitive. He is compassionate, like Calwyn, but more connected to natural ecosystems until the climax. When traveling to the Black Palace, Halasaa becomes ill from the dead land and weakened by needing constantly to heal the others. Halasaa teaches Calwyn the Dance of Healing so she can heal one of the injured chanter children. He recovers at the end, when Calwyn heals Merithuros itself.

Keela the Third and most attractive Princess of the Merithuran court. She pretends to be Calwyn's friend in order to spy on her. Keela can either be frivolous and charming or cunning and witty. She schemes to become the Empress of Merithros and later Tremaris. All that she has done has been for her half-brother, Samis, whom she claims is still alive.

Gada and Shada are two kidnapped twins that Calwyn and her friends rescue with the help of Heben. They are two of a large number of children seized over the years by the sorcerers of the Black Palace of Hathara for training in the ways of Ironcraft. Heben is the twins' brother by law, although genetically unrelated to them.

Amagis one of the sorcerers from the Black Palace; called the "Ambassador of Hathara." He was tricked by Keela's charm into telling her all that he knew about the chanter children; he remained at the Palace because of his soft spot for her. Amagis tried to stop Calwyn from saving the chanter children, but is killed himself when Calwyn sings a wind chantment that blows him off the tower where they stood.

Arram one of the crew members of the ship Gold Arrow, where Darrow was born. It is Arram who introduced the boy, then called "Mouse", to chantment.

Ched one of the chanter children imprisoned in the Palace of Cobwebs. Rescued by Calwyn. He is killed when falling debris from the Palace of Cobwebs strikes his head.

Oron one of the chanter children imprisoned in the Palace of Cobwebs. He is resentful of the world for his imprisonment. At the Black Palace, Oron escaped into the ventilation system when the sorcerers attacked; Keela threatened to kill Oron if he didn't help her start the war engine of the palace. The scheme is stopped in its tracks. Oron is punished, though not treated as severely as Keela, because of his having acted under duress.