April A to Z Characters: O

O is for Olga.

Olga travels through the land of Not Another Bard's Tale. She wants nothing more than to protect her sister, the chosen of the Sheep God, and to find a man who loves her for who she is.

Her sister got the good looks, but Olga got the brains of her Elven mother and brawn of her Dwarvish father. She also has a big sword and she knows how to use it. Unfortunately, the men in town see her as a more of a friend than a lover. In fact, most of them are scared to death of her. When her father sends her out of the country on a business trip, Olga learns that when the quaking men of her town said it wasn't her, it was them, they just might have been right.

Likes: Men who aren't afraid of a strong woman, supportive yet flattering swordswoman wear, and sharpening her sword.

Dislikes: The knight who deflowered her sister, cowards, and men who don't take her swordsmanship seriously.

April A to Z Characters: N

N is for Nickoli.

Nickoli is the station commander in Trust. He is a long-time friend of one of the MCs and both MCs work to stay on his good side by not bringing the trouble that follows them near everywhere to his station. They both use him for information on the star system where he resides as well as using the location itself for sanctuary when they need to get away from their otherwise hectic lives.

He is the father of teenage twins, which he juggles between managing the station and keeping trade routes open within the star system by making sure his station remains neutural territory. Nickoli offers some tidbits to the MC when he is searching out information on his bosses past that allow him to understand her a little bit better.

Likes: Peace, friends that visit regularly, and a good Verian meal

Dislikes: Anything that endangers his station, dangerous people who hang out with no apparent reason, and information that causes him to worry about his long absent friend.

April A to Z Characters: M

M is for Merkeif.

I seem to have a lot of characters with M names. It was hard to choose which one to feature. Seniority had to be taken into account and, Merkeif, long time character from both Trust and Chain of Gray won.

Merkeif's orginal name, way back in the early versions, was Matt. As the story twisted and grew, that didn't work anymore and he needed something with more flavor. Merkeif is the MC's best friend and co-worker as well as a welcome face from home, Artor.

In Trust, Merkeif offers a sympathetic ear to the MC, watches his back, and mediates for him with their Jalvian co-worker who isn't fond of the MC on any level. Their boss may be the force that keeps the three men from killing one another when things get ugly, but Merkeif is the glue that keeps them together on a day to day basis. He's the guy that everyone trusts.

Then comes Chain of Gray. Merkeif gets to explore his dark side. It was fun getting into his head and seeing just what made this dependable guy crack and how far he would go once he had. It really is the quiet ones that you have to worry about.

Likes: A night out with the guys, finding a woman of his own, everyone to get along.

Dislikes: His family getting killed, his best friend deserting him, and not knowing what the hell is going on.

April A to Z Characters: L

L is for Leoric.

Otherwise known as the Mouse, Leoric hails from Swan Queen. Son of Kenric and fellow victim of Kenric's overbearing ways, Leoric is a dimwitted teenager who has sorely disappointed his father by not capturing the affections of the princess and securing his place as her husband.

Fed up with his father's verbal abuse, Leoric convinces the princess to avoid marrying his father by seeking out the banished captain of her army in the hopes of ridding the country from his father forever.

Leoric was never meant to be more than the Mouse, but he became one of the more emotionally powerful characters I've written. It turns out the dimwitted thing is just his way of coping with his father. He's really a good kid.

Though taking a break for my Camp NaNo project this month, I'm in the midst of a total rewrite of this story and happy to be back in this fantasy world with these interesting characters again.

Likes: Playing with his puppy, getting the Princess to smile at him, hiding from his father

Dislikes: His father, having to try to get the Princess to marry him, and feeling inadequate at every turn.

April A to Z Characters: K

K is for Kenric.

Uncle to the princess in Swan Queen, Kenric wants only what is best for his country. He'd also prefer if the princess made things simple and married his son, but she seems strongly opposed to his preferences. That includes not marrying him instead.

When the princess fails to marry before her mother's death, Kenric elects himself as regent to give the princess time to grieve. In fact, he'd be thrilled if she never got her act together so he could actually expand the country that had been just riding the waves of mediocrity during his sister's rule. He's got his eye on a neighboring country that produces fresh fruit year round and wine of great renown. Now, if only he can get rid of that princess, Togarth might go somewhere great.

Likes: Young beautiful girls, good wine, people who do what he tells them to.

Dislikes: His son, the princess, and anyone who stands in the way of his vision of Togarth coming to fruition.