Age: (Capital "A") A measure of time spanning roughly ten thousand years; this means that, essentially, an "Age of Ages" is about 100,000,000 years.
Ahlwyn: (Awl-WEEN) Vydahr's uncle, and one of the two people who have sheltered him his entire life. Generally exasperated with his brother, but supportive, he's a proud family man.
Angels: A race of pseudo-vampiric magical beings that live in a sheltered Vale far from any other group of people. Their distance has allowed some minor independence from the Nephilim.
Avindyr: (A-VIHN-deer) Headmaster at the University in Valome and Vydahr's father. A curious man, and unafraid to dig through apocryphal records.
Blood Wine: The reason Angels are pseudo-vampiric. A blood substitute made of a specially cultivated fruit that serves better than blood to boost magical ability in most cases.
Faeries: One of two powerful magical races, the other being Nephilim. Thought to be extinct by some.
Ilarya: (Ill-AIR-eeah) Vydahr's aunt and the second person to help shelter him. A potent Healer, she can also view the intricacies of a person's aura and learn many things by doing so.
Ironwood: A species of semi-sentient tree; can be made into Treesteel
Kahryta: (Caw-REE-tah) The daughter of Grand Master Qaerehn and a lieutenant in the Home Guard of Valome. Exceptionally ambitious and keenly aware of social status as applied to her family. A contemporary of Vydahr.
Lahk: (LAWK) The second of Ahlwyn and Ilarya's children, he is about fifteen years old.
Naose: (NOWH-seh) The world in which Gods and Monsters takes place.
Nahkyr: (NAH-keer) Ahlwyn and Ilarya's eldest son, he's a few months older than Vydahr. He takes after Avindyr more than either of his parents, being slim and always eager to dive into a book.
Nephilim: Powerful magical beings that rule a significant portion of Nao'Se; they have a great deal of influence on the Angels.
Qaerehn: Grand Master of the Council of Elders, Qaerehn is a gifted orator and statesman, though not particularly keen on advancement. Though he is fairly conservatively minded, he cares deeply for his people and his daughter and only seeks to do what's best for them all.
Rook: A curmudgeonly badger that lives under the shed near Vydahr's home; seems to like the company despite being perpetually grumpy.
Rya: (REE-ah) The youngest of Ahlwyn and Ilarya's children, she's about ten years old.
Treesteel: Extremely durable material used to make weapons, armor, tools, and vehicles; it is expensive, however, so generally a Treesteel blade is a family heirloom.
Valome: (Vail-OHM) The Angel Capital, and the largest city in the Vale.
Vydahr: (Vee-DAHR) A young Angel of mixed parentage whose life is turned upside-down due to a vision – the first he's had in years.
