The Winter Assault, by the Winter Assault Writers

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Story name: The Winter Assault
Authors: The Winter Assault Writers¹
Publication date: August 1, 2001 – January 25, 2002 (on TSA-Talk); March 10, 2009 (Rois's story, on MKGuild); June 14, 2010 (Murikeer's story, on MKGuild)

Date: December 24, 706 - January 1, 707; December 24, 716
Location: Metamor Keep, Glen Avery, Metamor Valley

Overview

On December 24th, Nasoj's forces attack Metamor Keep.

Summary

Due to the size of "The Winter Assault", the summary is broken up by chronology.

Due to the many independent subplots, however, another set of summaries is available by character and subplot. First, a number of characters who appear throughout many different scenes:

Second, a number of subplots that deal with a specific author's stories:

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On the evening of December 24, most people are celebrating the Winter Solstice (Christmas / Yuletide) with their families, in holiday parties, or at either of the two religious services in the Follower Cathedral or the Lothanasi Temple. A heavy blizzard prevents the guards from seeing the invading army of Lutins, mercenaries, monsters, and mages until they have breached the outer walls. Some guard posts are later found to have been deliberately weakened, allowing the enemy to invade the towns and the Keep itself by the time the alarm bells ring.

One of the biggest Christmas parties takes place at the Long House, attended by most of the Long Scouts, along with Rickkter and Kayla. As the alarms ring, Rickkter joins a defense force, but they are quickly overwhelmed. Rickkter escapes back into town, where he meets with the writer Jacob Alton. Jacob's knowledge of the town and tunnel entrances helps them survive the night, then enter back into the Keep to join up with Daria's army.

Kayla, meanwhile, helps a few people to the Lothanasi Temple, which is holding strong thanks to Raven's security measures. Raven is able to contact nearby priests and call their allies for aid. Daria, however, is anxious to find her father, who was on guard duty when they attacked. With Kayla's knowledge of guerilla warfare (called "otrinca"), and Misha's arrival to organize them into a task force, Daria succeeds in several small battles, but she is forced to flee from her attempted recapture of the Keep barracks, with Rickkter's help. One of Daria's tools, a key to open a door to any known area of the Keep, began to fail during their escape, which leads them to conclude that Moranasi, mages powered by the Daedra, are working to weaken Metamor Keep.

Through their patrols, they find out where the next spell is to be cast, and then strike, eliminating most of the Moranasi in one go, and lifting the spell on Metamor. With Kyia's help, they launch one final attack in the barracks, and win just as reinforcements arrive to help the Keep. The clean-up begins as the new year begins, with a memorial for the dead, and a planned counterattack in the works…

The Sondeckis and Glen Avery

Meanwhile, Charles, his Sondeckis friends Jerome and Zagrosek, and Garigan consider joining Metamor's defense, but Garigan insists on returning to Glen Avery for its defense. After Charles leaves Misha a note in his room, he heads to the cellars to ask the rats for help. They agree to help, after they rest for the night. The next morning, the rats lead them to a strange tunnel leading northward. The Sondeckis travel for many hours before exiting at the northern edge of the valley. Along the way south, they stop a Lutin supply caravan, and ride it to the Glen, where Angus stops them and, after a brief misunderstanding, welcomes them in.

After a day to rest, Lord Avery gives them their first mission: a bridge over a steep ravine that the enemy needs for its supply caravans. Baron Calephas's army is camped north of the bridge, and will be watching for Glenners. Charles assures them that his friends can help destroy the bridge. One group distracts the Lutins on top, while Charles and his friends help destroy the bridges supports. They succeed, but Charles is struck by falling debris, and too injured to fight for the rest of the assault.

Jerome and Zagrosek continue to aid the Glenners, who launch a campaign to clear the road to Metamor, on the advice of Lord Calephas whom they captured. Calephas escapes in the night and tries to counterattack, but the Glenners move quickly with Barnhardt's help, and finish well before Calephas can reach them. Zagrosek and Jerome take their leave immediately after the battle, but not before Zhypar, from the Metamor army, catches a glimpse of Zagrosek.

During his patrol, Charles became acquainted with an opossum morph named Baerle. She quickly takes a romantic liking to him, and stays by his bedside and shares several stories of her life while he is injured, but he is oblivious to her affections. After the fighting, she insists on returning with him to Metamor. Once there, Charles meets Nahum and Tallis, who tell him Kimberly is alive and waiting for him at the chapel, to his relief. Baerle, shocked to hear he is betrothed, slaps him and runs away.

When Rickkter appears, Charles returns the Sondeshike and apologizes for keeping it. Rickkter muses killing him, but decides to let him reunite with Kimberly. Along the way, he also learns that Elvmere, who he met less than a month ago, is actually Vinsah.

Jono and Joanne's adventures

A significant storyline involves Jono and Joanne, a bard and herbalist respectively, who are visiting Metamor to entertain and watch over a couple dozen children of Metamor Keep. They had just been about to get the children ready to attend religious services when the Lutins attack in the hallways. After the initial attack, they decide that with the Keep on lockdown, and the town under siege, the safest place to keep the kids is in an outpost south of Metamor. With brother-and-sister guards Kirk and Dana, militiaman Perry, and amateur historian and illusionist Kevin, they make their way through the Keep's tunnels, hurrying above-ground to reach them.

Among the kids are Derek, self-proclaimed snowball king, and Daemion, a young boy aspiring to be a healer. At one point, Kyia leads Derek to a hidden cache of spiked balls and heavy gloves to make deadly snowballs out of. Derek and a friend try them out when a Lutin party attacks, but the two children are ambushed by Lutins, who cut their throats before the adults can stop them. Daemion somehow senses their injuries and magically heals them in a dream-like state, in a fantasy where he breaks the invisible ropes pulling the two towards the daedra Revonos.

Tharag Blackhand leads a band of Lutins through the same tunnels they are using, and is killed when he avoids Jo's sleeping powder and tries to take a child as hostage. His brother, Orrusk Blackhand, was knocked out, but was unharmed as Jo's group walked past. Orrusk pursues the Keepers as they escape outside, and his men become locked by a frozen trapdoor as he fights a one-on-one duel with Jo, evenly matched thanks to his magic scimitar. She nonfatally knocks him out, but the group is forced to flee as another group of Lutins and mercenaries approaches.

Kevin finds out how Nasoj's men get around the storm's magic inhibition field, and initially scares them off with an illusion. Meanwhile, Jo uses an alchemical solution to turn some enemy tents into rigid boards, making sleighs for the children to ride in and the shifted Jono and Kirk to pull. They almost reach the outpost when the mage leading the mercenaries, Sandaron d'Magaere, hits Jono and topples his sleigh. Jo and Perry fight off the Lutins, and several kids even help Derek with a snowball assault, while Daemion applies first aid to Jono, having watched Jo earlier. Sandaron is killed, with some of his Lutins (including a revived Orrusk) complicit in his death; after his death, all of them retreat, having no further desire to fight for Nasoj.

Safely in the outpost, Jono's and Jo's group waits until after the Assault to reunite the children with their worried parents.

Thomas

Duke Thomas and several emissaries had secured themselves in the throne room, until repeated attacks from Lutins led them to flee to the more secure Keep Cathedral. En route, he and his entourage are attacked by Albert Bryonoth, who captures Thomas in a halter and rides him through the Keep. Thalberg, though seriously injured, pushes himself to the Cathedral, where Yacoub Egland, Saulius, and several other knights rally to save the Duke. They manage to track down Thomas's injured guards, and finally Bryonoth and Thomas themselves, but Bryonoth attacks them with powerful magic and rides away. Egland and Saulius set out alone to find them, tracking them through a blizzard, down the side of the Keep, and into an abandoned stable south of the Keep. Recognizing that something has possessed Bryonoth, Egland sings a song of the Flatlands to Bryonoth, breaking the hold over him. Once freed of the halter, Thomas leads them back to the Cathedral, where Vinsah attempts an exorcism over Bryonoth. Violent at first, it seems to work when Bryonoth awakes and apologizes for his behavior. Thomas gives Bryonoth a light sentence of confinement, and rewards Egland with a squire Intoran, whom Egland falls in love with.

The Long Scouts' adventures

Lisa's team of Long Scouts finds a band of dire wolves in the kitchen, though they are content to eat rather than attack. While cautiously leading them out, they meet a werewolf, the wolves' alpha. During the fighting, the dire wolves help the Long Scouts defeat the werewolf, but Lisa's hand is bitten. They return to the Cathedral, where Hough and Coe are forced to amputate the hand to prevent lycanthropy.

The Longs participate in other adventures, especially with the final fight in the barracks. After the Assault, Finbar reveals the trophies he collected of General Selig, the Lutin commander for the Moranasi. The Longs are disgusted by the type of trophies he collected, but Finbar emotionally tells about his childhood, revealing that Selig was his biological father who raped his mother.

George, Ferwig, and Teria (and the Long's traitor)

Two mercenaries, Ferwig and Teria, attempt to kill the patrol master George, but he easily defeats them and brings them to Long House for questioning. They turn out to be old acquaintances of George from his days as a bandit, and are amazed to see him happily employed by the Keep. It turns out later that they were working for the traitor in the Long Scouts. When the traitor arrives to free them, they call out his selfishness, and finally kill him before he can finally betray the Long Scouts. The traitor is revealed to be Baldwin; George is astonished as Ferwig and Teria join him to help defend the Long House.

Ryx's characters (starring Murikeer and Llyn)

Meanwhile, Murikeer and Llyn were on the way to the Cathedral when the bells rang. As the two argue where to go, magic lightning incinerates Llyn. Murikeer recognizes the mage, his former apprentice Thorne, and chases him in a rage. After many hours of searching, he learns little, eventually finding himself back in the courtyard where Llyn's corpse lays. In grief, Murikeer brings her to the Long House before running out to continue his revenge.

After learning of a battle near the Long House, Murikeer heads to the battle and confronts Thorne head-on. Both are powerful mages, but Thorne's magic cannot directly hurt Murikeer, forcing him to use indirect means while blocking Murikeer's. After some heavy injuries, Thorne flees to a storeroom of oil, where he eventually pins down Murikeer and stabs him in the eye, gloating about how he did the same thing to Murikeer's former master. With the last of his energy, Murikeer ignites the room on fire.

Kyia intervenes to cause an explosion that safely propels Murikeer from the flames and into the snow. He is taken to the infirmary where he makes a full recovery, except for his eye, permanently lost due being magically damaged.

Dan D'Alimonte's characters (starring Dan, Laracin, and Topo)

In the initial attack, Dan D'Alimonte realized the danger Laracin was in, and asked a regiment to bring him to safety. They agree, and manage to dig Laracin up around the roots when they are attacked by Lutins. Dan passes out from the cold as his magic heating amulet wears out, and he is revived in a safehouse, Laracin safely stowed away.

Topo, meanwhile, searches the Keep for a place to hide and rest, either as a mouse by day or a hawk by night. He finds Daria's patrol, but knocked into a torpor when he is picked up. Assumed to be a common mouse, he is taken back to the Temple storerooms, where he frightens an acolyte when he emerges naked.

Griffinwolf's characters (starring Drake)

A stranger who is implied to be Drake is seen in several scenes saving Euper civilians and leading them south, rebuilding their families and giving them renewed hope.

Fox Cutter's adventures

Fox Cutter makes a brief appearance as he uses his old assassination skills to kill a few assassins in the Keep, including his ex-lover.

Oren the Otter's characters (starring Oren, Jesse Roo, and Natalie)

Oren and his friends were having a Christmas party in his lighthouse when one Hipocci felt a strong premonition of evil. The civilians were discreetly evacuated, but the remainder were attacked by Lutins. After fleeing to a cave by the river, they resolve to take back the lighthouse, where Desuka and Blake shrink and ride Natalie to defend the lighthouse armory, while the others dig a tunnel to just outside the lighthouse. They launch several ambushes at once and force the Lutins up the tower, where they fall to their deaths. Their lighting of the tower is said to be a beacon of hope for the other Keepers in the Assault.

Rois and the triplets' adventures

Rois and the triplets have a few brief scenes, where the triplets try to whip two Lutin tribes towards attacking each other, before having to defend themselves from another tribe.

Tatsushu's characters (starring Ryuo and Toby)

Ryuo was meditating when he heard the alarms. Despite his poor grasp of Common, he helps a stableboy free some horses from a burning stable, and fights off several Lutins and mercenaries before reaching his friend Gil, badly injured in the Duke's chambers. Ryuo finds a Keeper patrol, where Toby recognizes him and helps him carry Gil to the Chapel.

The two then join Elcuared's patrol, where near the end of the Assault, they sweep Keeptowne for the last pockets of Lutin resistance. They find some fortifying an inn; after some clever ruses and some intense fighting, the Keepers win, though Toby loses a leg and his tail while Ryuo cracks his ribs. None of them know that the mage who first cursed Ryuo is near the valley, watching and waiting to get his revenge.

Miscellaneous

The whole story is being told to a group of children in 716 CR, by someone revealed at the end to be Murikeer, in what is revealed to be Misha's and Caroline's estate. Several other small scenes appear, such as Madog's desire to make up for his past and defend his home, and a cameo appearance of John Thesmere and Jesreg.

Dramatis Personae

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Main Characters

See Winter Assault Main Characters.

Charles Matthias: A brown rat morph, Long Scout, secretly a black-rank Sondeckis. For months he has been Garigan's teacher in the Sondeck. His best friends Jerome and Zagrosek arrived in secret for Garigan's elevation to the green. Of the Metamor non-Sondeckis, only Misha, Rickkter, Zhypar, and Phil know that he is Sondeckis. Though both Keepers, he and Rickkter are clan enemies; their animosity has deepened since Charles failed to return Rickkter's Sondeshike, for which Zhypar broke Charles's arm, which only recently healed.
Murikeer Khannos: A skunk morph, a teenage mage specializing in illusion magic. He moved to the Keep last summer, having fallen in love with the Long Scout Llyn. He has close access to Kyia's magic.
Rickkter: A raccoon morph, a battle mage with advanced knowledge of magic. As a Kankoran, he is clan enemies with Charles. Due to his past history with the Lothanasi gods, he and Raven are suspicious of each other. He and Murikeer are studying magic together.
Misha Brightleaf: A fox morph, leader of the Long Scouts. His signature weapon is a black-bladed axe named Whisper.
Raven hin'Elric: A wolf morph, the Keep's Lothanasi high priestess. She was very close to Wanderer, until he lost his anthro body and mind for lying to the Lothanasi gods.
Daria: A female gendermorph, a young squire training to be a knight, and Merai's best friend.
Merai: A tabby cat morph, a Lothanasi priestess. Only fourteen years old, she became a priestess only a few months ago.
Jono: A black panther morph, a bard. After many adventures in Sathmore and the Midlands, he now lives at the Keep.
Joanne: A gray fox morph, an herbalist. She is Jono's celebate companion, and lives in Glen Avery, but is visiting the Keep for Yuletide.

Supporting Characters

See Winter Assault Supporting Characters.

Krenek Zagrosek: An uncursed black-rank Sondeckis, a childhood friend of Charles, visiting the Keep for Yuletide.
Jerome Krabbe: An uncursed black-rank Sondeckis, a childhood friend of Charles, visiting the Keep for Yuletide.
Jacob Fox: A blue fox morph, a writer.
Duke Thomas: A horse morph, the duke of Metamor Keep.
Garigan: A ferret morph, a green-rank Sondecki. A resident of Glen Avery until last summer, he moved to Metamor to learn to control his new powers under Charles.
George: A jackal morph, an old retired bandit, now captain of Metamor Keep's regular patrols, and a friend of Misha's.
Derek: An uncursed child.
Daemion: An uncursed child.
Ferwig: A mercenary for Nasoj.
Teria: A mercenary for Nasoj.
Brian Avery: A squirrel morph, the Lord of Glen Avery.
Angus: A badger morph, captain of the guard at Glen Avery.
Kayla: A skunk morph, an intelligence secretary, Rickkter's girlfriend. She and Murikeer are naturally attracted to each other, despite their pre-existing relationships. They remain good friends.
Baron Calephas: An uncursed baron of Arabarb. He led an unsuccessful invasion into Glen Avery.
Baerle: An opossum morph, an archer.
Ryuo: A kitsune pretending to be a fox morph. He does not speak the native language well, but is a talented fighter.
Albert Bryonoth: An uncursed knight of Yesulam. He was born in the nomadic Flatlands. He was kidnapped by Zagrosek and an accomplice a few months ago.
Yacoub Egland: An elk morph, a former knight of Yesulam, Albert's closest friend.
Oren: An otter morph, originally a storyteller and writer from Hipocc. He lives in a lighthouse outside Metamor with his wife, and is an unofficial leader of the Hipocci refugees who have settled nearby.
Thorne: An uncursed mage.
Madog: A fox automaton from the Suielman Empire, rebuilt by Misha. He is close friends with Kyia.
Saulius: A rat morph, a knight of Metamor. He has become a close friend of Yacoub's.
Wanderer: A wolf morph, formerly the court bard, now a near-feral wolf, living in Christopher's and Lurene's care.
Orrusk Blackhand: A Lutin warrior in the Blackhand tribe.
Dan D'Alimonte: A grasshopper morph, the Keep's botanist and "gardener".

Minor Characters of Metamor

See Winter Assault Minor Metamor Characters

Kyia: A nymph, the spirit of Metamor Keep.

Long Scouts and Long House

Allart: A child morph, a Long Scout.
Arla: A border collie morph, a Long Scout.
Baldwin: A vulture morph, a Long Scout.
Sergeant Brea: A squirrel morph, a guard at the Long House.
Caroline: An otter morph, a Long Scout, Misha's girlfriend. She was raped and tortured by Lutins last summer. Misha has only recently allowed her to rejoin the Longs.
Danielle: A pine marten morph, a Long Scout.
Finbar: A ferret morph, a Long Scout.
Georgette: A female gendermorph, a Long Scout.
Janet: A lynx morph, a guard at the Long House.
Jotham: A male gendermorph morph, a Long Scout, specializing as a healer.
Kershaw: A red panda morph, a Long Scout.
Laura: A female gendermorph, a Long Scout.
Lisa Ringe: A child morph, a Long Scout.
Llyn "Joy" Wanderer: A mink morph, a Long Scout. She is in love with Murikeer, and jealous of his friendship with Kayla.
Meredith: A bear morph, a Long Scout.
Omega: A humanoid automaton from the Suielman era, now a defender of the Long House.
Ralls: A male gendermorph, a Long Scout.

Temple soldiers and acolytes

Bradfox: A male gendermorph, a guard.
Brennar: A cat morph, baker's apprentice to Gregor.
Celine: A child morph, leader of the Lothanasi acolytes.
David: An ant morph, a Kamasi mage, a friend of Misha's.
Garulf: A bear morph, a young soldier.
Jessica: A hawk morph, a journeyman mage.
Lurene: A wolf morph and female gendermorph, one of Wanderer's handlers.
Morel: A male gendermorph, a private.
Padraic: A rabbit morph, a soldier from Ellingham.
Starling: A dragonette.
Weyden: A hawk morph, captain of Yonson's guards, Jessica's boyfriend.

Cathedral

Aisha, Colin, Drake: A female gendermorph, child morph, and dragon morph, respectively, who are triplets and apprentices under Rois.
Cassius: A polar bear morph.
Copernicus: A lizard morph.
Graed: A guard.
Gregg: A goat morph, one of Thomas's guards.
Hough: A child morph, the Keep's Ecclesian priest.
Kimberly: A rat morph, Charles's fiancee.
Miles: A stoat morph, one of Thomas's guards.
Rois: A female gendermorph, a mage from the East who became a centaur due to a magical incident. She tutors Colin, Aisha, and Drake.
Thalberg: An alligator morph, the Keep's steward.
Vinsah: A raccoon morph, formerly the late Akabaieth's aide, also reduced in age. He has hidden his presence from all, save one time a few weeks ago, where he met Charles and Rickkter under the name "Elvmere".

Metamor guards

Andre: A wolverine morph, a knight of Metamor.
Carver Seth: An ermine morph, a guard.
Christoff: A male gendermorph, a captain of the guard.
Dana Russell: A female gendermorph, a guard, Kirk's brother.
Elcuared: A moose morph, a captain of the guard.
Gil: A lion morph, a soldier.
Jace: A cat morph, a guard.
Jahnsen: A bat morph, a guard.
Jonathan Wright: A pig morph, a guard.
Kirk: A bull morph, a guard.
Perry: A hedgehog morph, a young soldier.
Toby: A talbot morph, an inexperienced soldier.

Metamor civilians

Aniris: A child morph, a self-proclaimed lord.
Coe: A raccoon morph, the Keep's physician.
Drake: A mage who always wears wolf-shaped armor.
Elliot: A rat morph who lives in the cellars.
Fox Cutter: A fox morph, the Keep's librarian, secretly a former assassin.
Goldmark: A rat morph who lives in the cellars.
Hector Philips: A rat morph who lives in the cellars.
Jeremy: An uncursed child.
Josh: An uncursed child.
Julian: A rat morph who lives in the cellars.
Kevin: A mouse morph, a historian, Jeremy's father.
Laracin: A tamarack morph.
Lindsey: A male gendermorph, a lumberjack.
Samuel "Sammy": An uncursed child.
Terrance: An uncursed boy.
Topo: A were-falcon-morph mouse from Carreas.
Yonson: A lemur morph, a diplomat from the Chateau Marzac.
Zhypar Habakkuk: A kangaroo morph.

Glen Avery residents

Alldis: A deer morph, a soldier.
Angela Avery: A squirrel morph, Brian Avery's wife.
Annette Levins: A hedgehog morph, Glen Avery's baker.
Anson: An arctic fox morph, a scout.
Berchem: A skunk morph, captain of Glen Avery's archers.
Burris: A woodpecker morph, a wood mage.
Christopher and Darien Avery: Squirrel morphs, young twin sons of Brian and Angela Avery.
Fellen: An ermine morph, a scout.
Lars: A bear morph, a brewer and bartender.
Ralph: A vole morph, a scout.

Oren's allies

Blake Tizzo: A female gendermorph, former assassin from Devil's Strand, now Shamgar's girlfriend.
Desuka: A red panda morph, a diplomat from Os-Var-Khai.
Jesse Roo: A kangaroo morph, a young farmer.
Natalie: A shrunken dragon morph, Gornul's girlfriend.
Shamgar: A rhinoceros morph.

Minor Characters of Nasoj

See Winter Assault Other Minor Characters.

Kundar Lusk & Huk Chjarikuk: Two Giantdowns mages.
Thryza: A female Giantdowns mage.
Andrig: A Northerner.
Sandaron d'Magaere: A noble Giantdowns mage.
Gaerwog: A Northerner.
Kagnio, Lady Eule, Phearsome, Bakuda: A group of four mages called the Four Winds.
A wealthy female slave.
Kesk Morgrim: A Lutin captain in the Blackhand tribe.
A pack of 20 dire wolves:
- A werewolf, the alpha.
- Crooked Jaw, the beta.
- Little Tail.
- Strong Jaw.
General Selig: A Lutin warlord.
Lord Polteen: An uncursed human warlord for Nasoj.
An Ice Walker mercenary.
Hizpith: A Lutin shaman.
Juzzih: Hizpith's moondog.
Skolem: A Lutin assistant to Calephas.
Neska: A Lutin shaman in the Blackhand tribe.
Ki: A female assassin.
Yegern: A Lutin.

Other Minor Characters

See Winter Assault Other Minor Characters.

Revonos: The Daedra of murder and treachery.
Dokorath: The Aedra of warfare.
Holdeman: The Lothanasi priest of Midtown.
Aresor: A female gendermorph, a furniture maker and spy.
Bruug: A giant, last seen as a prisoner in the Keep dungeons.
Sir Haestan: A moose morph, an earl from the south valley.
Landon: A deer morph, Haestan's son.

Cameo

See Winter Assault Cameo Characters.

Various Lutins and humans who were killed in battle. See Winter Assault casualties for more.
Various kids in 717 CR:
- A kid with spotted fur, possibly a quoll morph.
- A girl with braided black hair.
- An otter girl.
- A ferret boy.
- One of Kimberly's and Charles's kids.
- A skunk girl, Murikeer's daughter.
A female dog morph, killed in sacrifice.
Kiyle Jan & Tum Yi: Two Giantdowns mages.
Shatterbone: A Lutin general.
Alan: A female gendermorph, a guard.
Lanscome: A wolf morph, a guard.
A leopard morph and a woman.
Jack deMule: A mule morph, the Keep castellan and master of the armory.
Bender: A wolf morph, a soldier.
Moorly: A horse morph, a soldier.
Kwanzaa: A shrew morph, a master swordswoman.
Jione: A female gendermorph, a commander.
A girl in the Keep hallway.
A llama guard outside the Long House.
Will Hardy: A badger morph, Caroline's father.
An equine morph at Misha's party.
Elizabeth Pudelick: A Persian cat morph, daughter of a wealthy noble money lender.
Jenn: A wolverine morph, Andre's wife.
Myra Tavernsmith: A female gendermorph, a tavern owner.
Alan Tavernsmith: An equine morph, Myra's son.
Troy Tavernsmith: A goose morph, Myra's wife.
Emily: Craig's widow.
Emily's daughters.
Ralls's girlfriend.
Paula: Jotham's girlfriend.
Spiny Norman: A hedgehog morph.
Monty: Norman's friend.
A young governess at the library.
Dream Serpent: A pine marten morph, a musician, secretly a Dreamwalker.
Mong Ho: A female gendermorph in chicken morph form, a diplomat from Os-Var-Khai.
Ye: A child morph in komodo dragon morph form, a diplomat from Os-Var-Khai.
Gornul: A dragonette, Oren's friend.
Mitok: A dragonette, Gornul's father.
Qualin: A dragonette, Gornul's brother.
Vitra: A half-Lutin zorilla morph, Oren's wife.
Felice: Oren's sister.
Alyxander "Xan": Felice's son.
Leo: A Hipocci polar-bear/hyrax morph.
Dana: A male gendermorph, Merai's father.
Sandra: A female gendermorph, Merai's mother.
Thomas hin'Dana: Merai's baby brother.
Caitlyn: A child morph, Coe's assistant and a family friend of Merai's.
Malisa: A female gendermorph, the prime minister of Metamor Keep.
Heiorn: Murikeer's mage teacher.
Andrea: An uncursed child.
A Lutin with a scar over its eye.
Blaine Bookmaker: A rooster morph, a stableboy.
An assassin who attacks Ryuo.
Several Keep soldiers who fight with Rickkter outside the Keep:
- Henrietta Marcusson: A female gendermorph, a captain of the guard.
- A burly male gendermorph.
- A stallion morph.
- A female mink morph.
- A male cheetah morph.
- A female corporal.
Sambrea: An uncursed Hipocci child.
Barklund: An unknown morph, a corporal.
A young female ocelot morph, a temple assistant.
Jonathan Caroway: A child morph, an acolyte.
Mabel: A horse morph, an acolyte.
The woman from Vinsah's dreams.
Tim: A wolf morph, twin brother of Ayeoys.
Ayeoys: A tiger morph, twin brother of Tim.
Gabriel: A handmaid.
Corvin: A schnauzer morph, a baron near Mycransburg.
Maxwell: A young female medic, likely a child morph.
Two personal guards of Thomas.
An unknown knight of the red stallion.
Larssen: A giraffe morph, one of Yonson's guards.
Maud: A female gendermorph, one of Yonson's guards.
Humphrey: A husky morph, one of Yonson's guards.
Deth: A child morph, one of Yonson's guards.
A female guard of Thomas's.
A spaniel morph, one of Thomas's guards.
Mrs Wilkes: An old woman, presumably a female gendermorph.
A large mustached man, presumably a male gendermorph.
Francine: A soldier.
Gershak: A Lutin.
Various soldiers at the Long House:
- A female elk morph.
- Pepin, a tall man, likely a male gendermorph.
- A mole morph.
- A female child morph.
- A Gila monster morph.
An unknown female mage, seen in Keeptowne.
Michelle, her husband Darrel, and her daughter Carolinn.
Mrs Tanner: An opossum morph.
Intoran: An oryx morph.
Wester: A male gendermorph, a guard from Euper.
Malia: A female gendermorph, a guard at the Lightbringer Temple.
Cardiff: The head priest of Komley.
Heldah: The head priestess of Sorin.
Larkspur: The head priest of Merith.
Myers: The head priest of Lorland.
Byron: The head priest of Mycransburg.
Tornok: An unchanged boy.
Jhauzros: A male moondog.
Erizth: A female moondog.
Xscahas: A male moondog.
Tallis: A rat morph, headmaster of the Writer's Guild.
Ulgath Grimtooth: A Lutin.
Sekkh: A Lutin.
Tilock, Quizano, Rankin, and Stenger: Moranasi apprentices.
Rachel: A woman.
Mr Mason: Rachel's husband.
Susey: Rachel's baby daughter.
An 11-year-old boy.
A female vole morph at Glen Avery.
Kessig: A human mercenary.
Greck: A Lutin.
Tharag Blackhand: A Lutin commander.
Jesreg: A mouse morph, a guard.
John Thesmere: A lich.
Jargand: A Lutin.
Travis Selinar: A male gendermorph, captain of an outpost.
Jekk: A Lutin.
Harl: A Lutin.
Walter Levins: A female gendermorph, Glen Avery's tailor, Annette Levins's husband/wife.
Jerek: Sandaron's apprentice.
Sarah: An uncursed girl.
Kee: A coyote morph, a messenger.
Diane: A female gendermorph, George's secretary.
Captain Landon: A soldier.
Kortel: A female gendermorph, a captain of the guard.
Lorian: Haestan's footman.
Ramis: A butcher, a headsman for Haestan.
A roan horse guard of Glen Avery.
Jurmas: A deer morph of Glen Avery.
Jurmas's wife, a deer morph.
A wolf guard of Glen Avery.
Sir Roark: A knight of Brigston Manor.
Hulra: A Lutin.
Verner: A Lutin, Yegern's brother.
Dozi: A Lutin.
Naomi: A female gendermorph, captain of Barnhardt's archers.
Lance: A moose morph, member of the Timber Crew.
Michael: A plaid-colored beaver morph, member of the Timber Crew.
Chief Tathom: A bull morph, leader of the Timber Crew.
Nahum: A fox morph, a headmaster of the Writer's Guild, one of Charles's close friends.
Rounder: A Lutin archer.
Walking Death: A Lutin shaman.
Itoshi: A shinobi.

Important Mention

See Winter Assault Mentioned Characters.

Nasoj: A mage, the enemy of Metamor Keep.
Christopher: A bear morph, a mage tutor.
Leon: A lion morph, Daria's father.
Wessex: A child morph, a mage. He dies just before the assault in Winter's First Chill.
Markesh Blackhand: A Lutin warlord.
Phil: A rabbit morph, the Keep's head of intelligence.
Ba'al: The Prince of Daedra.
Randolph the Magic Reindeer: A reindeer with a magic glowing nose who helps pull Alexander's sleigh.
Alexander of the Northlands: A legendary figure who, like Santa Claus, gives gifts to good children on Yuletide.
Various nameless Lutins or humans, who die in the Assault but are not seen while alive. See Winter Assault casualties for more.

Referenced