The Caravan

Escher of Riverspear, the leader of the annual caravan that visits each of the nations in Ilren and even an outpost in Kuth and the town of Ree. It remains a mystery as to how they manage to pass through Nir every year without incident. Escher possess some martial skills and carries a pair of daggers with him. He is also always accompanied by his bodyguard Franks, a behemoth of a man who had once been a gladiator in Gir.

Jena the Dancer, Escher's younger sister is a well renown entertainer, most known for her dancing and haunting melodies that she can draw out of her flute. When she is not performing, Jena is very shy and rarely speaks with strangers. Her brother is extremely protective of her & usually has her escorted by one of the caravan guards at all times. Jena had been kidnapped by the Daughter's Right Hand, who sought the secret of the caravan's safe passage through Nir. The Ree companions rescued her and slew the Right Hand. They discovered also that Jena bore the markings of the Primordial Hunger all over her body. She begged that they speak of this to no one.

Taproot, one of the lizardfolk from the swamps of Kuth. Taproot acts as a guide for the caravan through Kuth, as well as an emissary between them and the hags, providing safe passage to a trading outpost located off the Andir Road. Taproot is also well known as a very reliable courier. Taproot is also famed as a peddler of sugar thistle candies that his wife & daughters in Kuth make for him to sell during his travels.

Dunkirk, Minstrel of the World, the man who discovered the massacre at the Stormcrow farm eleven years ago and saved Aidan Stormcrow's life. Dunkirk is a semi-regular with Escher's caravan, attending the Winter Festival in Ree every other year or so. Aidan has mixed feelings about the man. He's grateful for his life, of course, but he also knows that Dunkirk is the reason everyone in Ree is so well versed in his life's tragedy. Dunkirk drops in on Aidan every time he visits Ree, treating Aidan like a favorite nephew while Aidan sees him as a reminder of things best left forgotten.

• Unfortunately for Dunkirk, he told Aidan's tale one too many times. In a tavern in Gir, Innes of the House of Rooks overheard the minstrel and had him taken into custody. Dunkirk was brutally tortured for information about Aidan, then released with a proverbial thirty pieces of silver and orders to return to Ree. He carried with him an undead creature meant to spy on Aidan and his companions. Crippled by months of torture and broken-hearted over his perceived betrayal of Aidan, Dunkirk has remained with the caravan, slowly drinking himself into oblivion.