Cultivation characters

Also known as John, Sutton, the Eternal Flame

Appears from the start

The owner of Sutton Farm and a powerful mage working with Ellie on experimental wheat. Using his true mana can add to a limited doom count that will trigger an apocalypse at its maximum, so he confidentially works with Shadow Tower's plant administrator to understand why the count sometimes falls.

Appears from the start

John's partner at Sutton Farm and a storm witch. She works beside him to plant the experimental wheat crop they hope to cultivate successfully.

Also known as sentient plant adviser, tower administrator

Appears from the start

A sentient researcher inhabiting Shadow Tower who shares a mental library with John. She treats his doom-point problem as an urgent investigation, keeps his disclosures confidential, and studies both the effects of his mana and the conditions that have lowered his total.

Also known as Wolf King

First appears in chapter 2

The Wolf King and a valley ally who attends the official inquiry into Sven's death. He is connected to the circumstances surrounding the inquiry but did not witness the killing.

First appears in chapter 2

A priestess of the religious order who conducts Sven's memorial and leads the official inquiry into the cause of his death.

First appears in chapter 2

A junior member of the religious order's Holy Knights who accompanies Ava during the inquiry into Sven's death. He is protective of her and openly hostile toward Haver.

First appears in chapter 2

A deceased Fairford ally whose memorial brings John and Ellie to the village. The inquiry establishes that a winged, clawed humanoid monster killed him, making his death the immediate focus of the religious order's questions.

Also known as Vosik

First appears in chapter 3

The identity used by the legendary undead creature connected to Sven's death and John's earlier fighting. John reports that the slain monster appeared as Earl Vosik, while the precise relationship between the name and the creature remains uncertain.

First appears in chapter 7

A Sutton Farm defender and John's former adjutant who manages the property while John and Ellie work at Shadow Tower. His ability to divide into two identical bodies lets him cover several responsibilities at once.

Also known as former Empress Katrine

First appears in chapter 10

A legendary wind mage, former Empress of Allera, and wartime ally of John from their shared homeland. After a coup, she comes to Fairford and becomes the innkeeper of the Whispering Wind Inn.

First appears in chapter 12

The leader of the Holy Knights, who recognizes John as the Eternal Flame and respects his demand that the identity remain secret. He coordinates the religious order's response to refugees, possible sabotage, and undead entering the valley.

Also known as Kythov the Eyeless, Master of All

First appears in chapter 12

A sage-level necromancer who commands Infinitum's three undead factions. John fought him before and failed to end him permanently, and Kythov's followers are now gathering around the reported First Mage's Door beneath the valley.

First appears in chapter 14

A Sutton Farm associate who arrives with plains traders and their guards. He brings the visitors to the farm as they seek food and new trade.

Also known as the bull

First appears in chapter 15

Sutton Farm's unusually powerful and mana-sensitive bull. He casually overpowers a visiting plains warrior without using the fire associated with his horns and hooves, prompting the herding tribes to view him as both a guardian and valuable breeding animal.

Also known as skull-marked faction servant

First appears in chapter 18

An Infinitum necromancer who controls the undead army found beneath the valley and advances beside a bone-armored chimera. He says his faction once worked for Earl Vosik, now answers to Kythov, and is preparing for the opening of a hidden Door.

Also known as Ellie's lightning bird familiar

First appears in chapter 19

A lightning bird familiar summoned from Ellie's back tattoo. His attacks are particularly effective against dark mana, and his intervention weakens the Bonecarver's defenses enough for John and Katrine to finish the fight.

First appears in chapter 20

A farm co-operator who catalogues the recovered Dark Alchemy material and collaborates with John and Ellie on a magically filtered thresher. The harvesting experiment works quickly but still loses seed and needs refinement.

First appears in chapter 16

A young trainee at Sutton Farm. Thomas judges his progress favorably but wants him to improve his self-command before choosing a class.

First appears in chapter 22

The Khan of the Flying Eagle tribe and a leader in the Five Tribe Alliance. He receives John and Ellie's delegation at the Skystone Assembly camp as the alliance seeks support for replacing raids with protected trade.

First appears in chapter 22

The newly appointed Khan of the Swift Bear tribe. He joins the large body of plains warriors traveling toward the Skystone Assembly, where the tribes will consider replacing raiding with protected trade.

First appears in chapter 22

A wise woman of the Flying Eagle tribe who receives Ellie as a fellow wise woman at the assembly camp. She supports the visiting delegation as it seeks a hearing for the Five Tribe Alliance's case for trade.

First appears in chapter 23

The masked leader who presides over the Skystone Assembly alongside the Moon Guardian. She oversees the gathering as the Flying Eagle Khan and John ask the independent tribes to replace raiding with trade.

First appears in chapter 23

A masked legendary defender who presides beside the High Priestess at the Skystone Assembly. He represents the assembly's martial authority while the gathered tribes hear the proposal to abandon raiding for trade.

First appears in chapter 23

A warrior-minded wise woman of the Torn Branch tribe who opposes the proposed shift from raiding to trade. She invokes the assembly's right of challenge and chooses Ellie as the person who must defend the alliance's right to speak.

First appears in chapter 24

A legendary wise woman of the Black Worm tribe and one of the assembly's strongest combatants. She challenges Ellie immediately after Jigur's defeat, resists Ellie's illusion and storm attacks, and wounds her after covert interference immobilizes her.

Also known as Moon Guardian

First appears in chapter 27

The man revealed to have served as the masked Moon Guardian. After John defeats him and Togine removes the High Priestess, Kuyuk gives up the moon mask because the paired office can no longer continue.

First appears in chapter 27

A former High Priestess, guardian of the Old Way, and sage-level classholder who intervenes after John defeats the Moon Guardian. She hears John's charges against the assembly leadership and has the authority to settle the oath.

Also known as removed High Priestess

First appears in chapter 27

The assembly leader removed from the office of High Priestess when Togine upholds John's accusation that the combat stage was compromised. Her mask is taken and the implicated wise women are detained for investigation.

First appears in chapter 29

A local official secretly meeting a hooded operative connected to the undead preparations. When Ben witnesses the exchange at remote ruins, the leader attacks him with rogue abilities to prevent the discovery from being reported.

First appears in chapter 31

The masked leader of a hidden, long-lived underground people. He keeps the wounded Ben safe through a natural class awakening and explains that his community once raised the boy before placing him in Ellie's path.

Also known as underground watchers, shadow guides

First appears in chapter 31

A concealed people descended from a watcher brought through the First Mage's Door. Their songs shape mana, their long lives support generations of secret observation, and their protection of Ben connects his past to a class from beyond the world's five familiar paths.

First appears in chapter 34

An enemy master advancing with an undead force during the valley evacuation. Thomas leaves the retreat to confront him and prevent his force from reaching the evacuees.

First appears in chapter 36

A disfigured legendary necromancer equipped with several artifacts that channel Kythov's sage-level mana. He uses that borrowed power to trap and pressure Katrine until John breaks the cage, after which he escapes through a one-use teleportation artifact.

First appears in chapter 36

A legendary rogue allied with Kythov whose concealment brings him close to ambushing Ellie. John wounds him before the attack succeeds, but the rogue escapes with a one-use teleportation artifact made by Kythov.