Meet the Aruvalia Crew

Whenever I start publishing a new series, I like to introduce the main characters. It’s a good starting point for people to determine whether or not they think they might enjoy the story. But there’s a certain poetic justice to it too. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I write character-centric fiction. Characters are always my starting point. All of my story (and even many of my settings) spiral outward from there.

This was one of the first posts I intended to write after publishing Eyes of a Stranger. But life had other plans. Not only has this year’s release schedule kept me busy, my hard drive recently died a spectacular and unexpected death. (That’s a whole other blog post, however.)

I must admit that this post slipped through my fingers for another reason. And that is that many of the characters featured in the Aruvalia Chronicles have already appeared on my blog in various writing prompts as well as character development discussions. So if you’re a close follower of my posts, you’re probably already familiar with many of the big players.

Still, that’s no excuse not to devote the time to these lovely creations. Especially since you can finally read their stories! So now that things have finally settled down a little, and without further adieu, I introduce to you – the main characters of the Aruvalia Chronicles!

Domerin Lorcasf

The main character of the Aruvalia Chronicles certainly needs no introduction. I’ve already written him one. But since that was more of a general introduction, including the circumstances surrounding his creation, a refresher seems to be in order.

Domerin Lorcasf is an elf warrior who works for the Queen’s Division; Aruvalia’s version of the FBI. Much like the FBI in our world, the Queen’s Division handles any threat considered to be federal (encompassing more than one city or district). They also handle anything considered too dangerous to be exposed to the regular population. This includes magical beasts and, often, rogue sorcerers.

Domerin has worked for the Queen’s Division for most of a century. Though Queen’s Division service usually requires service in a military branch prior to acceptance, Domerin earned his position by facing off with an Elemental in order to buy time for the local population to evacuate. He has since become something of an expert in dealing with these powerful magical creatures.

In addition to his considerable prowess on the battlefield, Domerin is an energy channeler. This exceedingly rare ability allows him to move raw magical energy from one place to another without having to weave spells. Historically, most channelers have served as magical batteries for powerful mages, allowing them to achieve impossible heights of power. Domerin has taken a different approach to his abilities however. He uses his energy channeling to aid him on the battlefield, making him a formidable opponent indeed.

Domerin is defined by his devotion to duty and his loyalty to the crown he serves. And while this has wreaked havoc on many of his personal relationships, it has also made him a dependable defender of Aruvalia’s civilian population.

(You can read quite a bit about Domerin under the writing prompts tag!)

Clara Sanderson

Clara has appeared on my blog only once before, and it was during my 22 Stories in 2022 project.

Unlike the rest of the characters on this list, Clara wasn’t born in Aruvalia. In fact, she comes from our world. At the time the story takes place, she’s living with her boyfriend in Toronto, attending college and attempting to complete her first novel manuscript.

After a disturbing nightmare of her face transforming, Clara awakens to find herself in the magical world of Aruvalia. On the one hand, it’s a chance to discover a world full of the kind of magic and mystery she loves to write about. On the other, this new world is full of terrifying things that wouldn’t have any difficulty killing her.

Clara’s greatest desire is to return to her world and the family she left behind when she left it. There’s just one problem; she knows no one in this strange new world, and she has no idea how to navigate Aruvalia. Sometimes she doesn’t even feel like she speaks the same language.

In our world, Clara is as normal as it’s possible to be. She grew up in a small town and moved to the big city to attend university. She has artistic aspirations, but is mostly just trying to figure out how to survive.

In Aruvalia, Clara has no idea what normal even is. She’s never encountered magic before, but now she can’t seem to escape it. Especially since a strange voice keeps whispering in her dreams, telling her that the only way to get home is to find Domerin Lorcasf and deliver to him a cryptic message.

Crescent

Crescent is another character who has appeared quite often on my blog, usually in the company of Domerin. I have mentioned this a few times, but Crescent wasn’t originally a creation of my brain. He came from the lovely Itswuf, who graciously allowed me to include him in the Aruvalia Chronicles.

Crescent is a close friend of Domerin’s. The two of them have a long and detailed history. But Crescent was originally supposed to play a fairly minor role in the story. He serves as Domerin’s contact with the criminal underworld, opening avenues to information that would otherwise be unavailable. But the first time Wuf and I introduced Domerin and Crescent to each other, their connection practically exploded across the page. This ultimately caused me to restructure the story and grant Crescent a much larger role.

Much like Domerin, Crescent served as a mercenary during the depths of his past; that’s how the two of them met. Though he now primarily works as an escort among the upper echelons of Aruvalian society, he often assists Domerin with sensitive missions. And when the two of them aren’t working together, they support each other in other ways.

Crescent is a feline shifter, one of the many magical races that inhabit Aruvalia. Though his heritage doesn’t grant him access to powerful magical abilities, it does allow him to move between humanoid and feline forms. And as a cat, Crescent’s shifting has helped shape his personality.

If there is one person Domerin knows he can trust no matter the circumstances, it is Crescent. Which is why he doesn’t hesitate to contact him whenever he finds himself in a pickle.

Gregory Barrow

Greg is another of Domerin’s close friends, and another character that didn’t originally sprout from my consciousness. Gregory Barrow was loaned to me by my lovely husband (ghostpeppr) who defined all of his original characteristics.

Greg is a no-nonsense, grizzled member of the Queen’s Division who comes from a military background. Currently, he works as Domerin’s partner, meaning that the two of them are usually assigned to complete tasks together. They have been paired for most of a decade due to the spectacular way their abilities complement each other.

Greg is an expert in close-quarters combat and has a knack for managing large scale missions that require the coordination of multiple teams. Unlike Domerin, he possess nothing in the way of magical or special skills, so he relies entirely on wit and training to survive the dangerous situations he often finds himself in.

Much like Domerin, on the surface, Greg often seems like a cold, emotionless and callous individual, but that is merely because he is effective at his job. Greg is also a doting and devoted father – and there are no lengths he wouldn’t go to in order to defend his friends and team members.

Valia and Rilan

Last but certainly not least, there are two other characters in the first book worth mentioning. They are Valia Stormcrow and Rilan Moore. Like Domerin and Greg, they are members of the Queen’s Division and have been assigned as partners together for several years. The two of them often work in close contact with Domerin and Greg and, as such, the four of them have developed a close rapport.

Like Greg, Rilan is human and devoid of any magical talent. He is the only surviving son of a rich family. His parents died in a car accident while he was in university, causing him to abandon his plan to become a lawyer and, instead, become a defender of the realm. What he lacks in magic ability, he makes up for in congeniality. He has a knack for dealing with people, even in high stress situations, and he’s almost always in a cheerful mood.

Valia is also human but, unlike the rest of her companions, she is a powerful mage. Ranked as a Master, Valia is one step away from the coveted rank of Adept. While this means that she cannot access the most powerful of Aruvalia’s magical currents, she is a formidable foe both on and off the battlefield. Her creative magical solutions often make her stand out as a cut above the rest of mages at the Master rank. And that makes her invaluable on the battlefield, especially when magical creatures are involved!

In addition to working together for so long, Rilan and Valia have been friends with Domerin for several decades. In fact, Rilan is one of his best friends. This adds to the group’s ability to work so well together.

If you haven’t already, you can learn more about all of these people in Eyes of a Stranger – the first book of the Aruvalia Chronicles. The second book – Key to All Doors – will be available in June!