Characters Appearing in Wake

Once the galaxy's cruel mastermind, Horl was defeated by Thermeon and changed his philosophy. And yet the dream he once cherished, of serving as imperial major with Thermeon as his emperor, has never quite died. Can he achieve this long-deferred dream, or will it prove to be his worst nightmare?

Kokkiro is the mythical Earth-God who supposedly allowed humans to colonize the galaxy by leading them up the Stairway of Ice on his white horse.

Quixa is Horl's wife and Thermeon's daughter.

Morning Glory is still haunted by times long ago, when she helped her brother, Thermeon, to overthrow Horl, and to forge a new soul-gem for confining the histories of imperial worlds to one timeline. She had so hoped for an age of peace and wisdom, but instead, an era of terrible wars ensued. Her great-grandfather and mentor, Kahee, warned her that Thermeon was a monster who would destroy the universe. Kahee's warnings still thunder in her dreams. But Morning Glory will not heed the warnings. Instead, she will finally make her dream of healing the Empire's wounds reality.

After ruling the Empire for almost three thousand years, Thermeon was overthrown by Quintillion, and fled to the Andromeda galaxy for a time before returning to destroy Quintillion in a mind-duel. He did not regain the throne, however, but let his descendants rule in his place, for he truly cares little about human politics. His dream is to be united with his goddess-star, and at last the moment of fulfillment nears.

Galena was a good-hearted peasant woman who cared for Thermeon after he was badly wounded in the mind-duel with Quintillion. She was not his goddess-star, for she crystallized and had to be euthanized.

Katora is a mindsea who was married to Thermeon for over a thousand years, having convinced him that she was his goddess-star. But when she became overly concerned about which of their children would sit on the galactic throne, he realized his mistake and divorced her.

Eria was an intergalactic trader whom Thermeon for a time mistook for his goddess-star. She was, unfortunately, a mere mortal.

Lorlue is Thermeon's goddess-star—there is no mistake this time. When they unite, he will at last know the everlasting love and eternal dominion the stars promised him long ago.

Mana, a granddaughter of Thermeon, is the current emperor.

Pligian is Mana's husband and imperial major.

Poba is Mana's disabled half-sister.

Forgers of the soul-gem, whose bloodlines combine in Poba. Clockwise from bottom left: Princess Teejal, Kahee, Thermeon, Morning Glory, Orgmorgan.

Quintillion was the son of Princess Teejal and Kahee. As emperor, he initiated an age of despair and decay, the Starfall Age. He possessed the black soul-gem splinter.

Puflet was Poba's mother. She lost her life forging the soul-gem that replaced Morning Glory's soul-gem.

Dino is a son of Thermeon and ex-husband of Katora. He owns a famous lakeside resort named Meklodi.

Margla and Wochina are the daughters of Mana and Pligian.

Orgmorgan is Morning Glory's husband and Head of the Galactic Pilots Guild.

Fuerida is the daughter of Morning Glory and Orgmorgan.

Thermeon brought the Shyofean tree to Lal after his travels around the galaxy, and Galena planted it and tended it on her ranch.

Serpenino's father was Quintillion and his mother was the daughter of Fuerida and Quixa. He is Poba's father.

A prince of Gilkay before a coup ousted his family from power, Keol was Serpenlino's rival for Puflet's love.

Vedina is a daughter of Thermeon who heads the Mindsea Academy of Lal.

Deov is Tradition Master of the imperial minors who make up the Empire's armed forces.

A grandson of Quintillion and great-grandson of Katora and Thermeon who serves as the Palace spokesperson.

The Empire's founder.

Larva was Thermeon's first wife, whom he married when he was still an unwitting experimental subject in Horl's artificially primitive Valley. She was not his goddess-star, but she pointed to the star and called it "Ana-Ona."

The Empire has two equal pillars of government—the Palace Branch and the Bureau Branch. Raolin heads the Bureau Branch. He is Katora's father.

Rat is a bioid who guards Lorlue's dojo.

Tara is a time-orphan.

The King rules a Deep-level realm accessed through one of a racetrack's intersection points.

Shell is the daughter of Quintillion and Katora.

Tlashiu is a son of Kahee who prefers life as a hermit.

Kriwin is a son of Horl and a hero of the Decadent Epoch.

The sacrificial child. Her friends call her "Chet."

One of Kriwin's sons, a poet. A friend of Chet's.

A friend of Chet's. He is a time-orphan who claims to be the son of Thermeon and Lorlue.

A friend of Chet's, a falconer.

A grandson of Puflet and a friend of Chet's.

One of Kriwin's sons, a newser.

Morning Glory's daughter.