Germination characters

Appears from the start

A former soldier who owns Sutton Farm.

Appears from the start

John's companion and a co-operator of Sutton Farm.

Appears from the start

A Sutton Farm worker who practices with a dagger before beginning his daily duties.

Appears from the start

John's former military adjutant and an exceptionally capable farmhand at Sutton Farm.

Appears from the start

An orphan once assisted by the Esters who now works at Sutton Farm. His regular responsibilities include milking with Thomas and making daily dairy deliveries, placing him within the operation that supports the farm's growing cheese business.

Also known as the bull

Appears from the start

A mana-altered bull at Sutton Farm. He guards a strange podded plant, feeds it mana crystals, and behaves as though he understands more than an ordinary animal. His connection to the plant becomes part of John's new investigation.

Also known as the rooster

Appears from the start

An enormous mana-fed rooster at Sutton Farm. Although an old eye injury has healed, he still wears an eye patch and displays unusually purposeful behavior. John suspects that his intelligence may share a cause with Ferdie's changes.

Appears from the start

An unusual pod-bearing plant at Sutton Farm that Ferdie guards and supplies with mana crystals. It draws mana through its pods, sends the energy into its roots, and reacts defensively to John. Its behavior starts an investigation into its root system and the unexplained intelligence of the plant, Ferdie, and Sigvald.

First appears in chapter 2

A historical water mage whose research and six spell scrolls came to John through Katrine.

First appears in chapter 2

The person from whom John recovered six water spell scrolls and research associated with a historical mage.

First appears in chapter 8

A merchant who brings Sutton Farm a forge, metal, coal, and transport capacity. He handles the farm's growing trade, accounts for its cheese proceeds, and joins John and Ellie in financing a guarded cart service to Kingsmouth.

First appears in chapter 9

A Fairford information-gatherer with a rogue subclass. When suspicion falls on a classholder assassin, he explains that his abilities concern intelligence rather than murder and says the killings began before he arrived.

Also known as the Wolf King

First appears in chapter 10

The commanding leader of Wolf Den. John confirms that his people are not responsible for the valley murders, then hires him to watch the region during the journey to Kingsmouth and report suspicious movement.

First appears in chapter 12

The red-bearded classholder in command of the caravan's professional guards. During an undead assault, he organizes the defense around fire and directs his fighters to destroy the crystals controlling the attackers.

First appears in chapter 12

A novice practitioner of necromancy who attacks the caravan with drugged bandits and reanimated corpses. She relies on a powerful external artifact to sustain the undead and appears to serve a more dangerous master.

First appears in chapter 15

The leader of a five-tribe mounted alliance whose large force intercepts John's grain convoy. Food scarcity and exclusion from city markets have pushed his people toward raiding, but he has authority to consider John's trade proposal.

Also known as Vosik

First appears in chapter 20

A noble whose encrypted orders direct an agent to capture Ellie alive and investigate both Sandra and an object sought by Red Coral. His involvement places him behind the pursuit into Ellie's childhood valley.

First appears in chapter 21

A floating blue spirit that welcomes Ellie at the manor hidden behind the defensive maze. It appears to serve as the estate's guardian and caretaker, presenting her as the lady of a place she has been unable to enter for sixteen years.

First appears in chapter 18

John's trained stallion, received as a gift from a horse-bandit leader and named after a storybook mage.

First appears in chapter 2

The late witch who trained Ellie. Her cottage near Kingsmouth still holds a botanical library that Ellie and John hope to recover.

First appears in chapter 35

The blue-painted leader of a grimm group John encountered before the Shadow Tower expedition. He joins the fight against the giant centipedes threatening his settlement.

First appears in chapter 40

A large purple-flowered plant that appears to direct the Shadow Tower's root-bodied guardians. It communicates with John through visions and indicates that energy must be supplied to a crystal at the tower summit to restore balance.

First appears in chapter 44

The plant from the Shadow Tower after it takes human form and identifies itself. It carries the experiences of Tower Master Kelvis's deceased student while regarding itself as a separate being.

First appears in chapter 43

The legendary wartime figure whose identity Ellie now recognizes as John Sutton. He founded a far-reaching service organization, and revealing himself exposes the scale of the power and history John has concealed.

First appears in chapter 44

The historical water mage now identified as Tower Master Kelvis. The Flower of Promise confirms that he mastered the Shadow Tower, where he concealed his student and their plant research before joining the war.

First appears in chapter 13

A legendary necromancer whom John and his soldiers drove from a wartime battlefield. The necromancer survived, operates through apprentices and undead artifacts, knows John's location, and may threaten Sutton Farm.

First appears in chapter 17

Ellie's mare, given to her by a horse-bandit leader after John passes the brotherhood trial.