King of Hydrus, Lord of the Endless Sea
King Varvenis Vandherre
PB: William Petersen

From a long line of Hydran waterlords. Upon coming of age, he was gifted with the land that would become the Hydran kingdom. He chose a highly-respected woman from the darker-skinned peoples of the territory to become his queen. Despite a happy and fruitful marriage, the use and abuse of power was not above King Varvenis, and he commenced an affair with one of his wife's handmaidens. When she became pregnant with his child they had to be married; even at the expense of his real love.

Queen of Hydrus, Lady of the Endless Sea
Queen Bariah Vandherre
PB: Shakira

Queen Bariah (formerly Bariah Waite), second wife of the King and mother of his youngest child, Princess Imphera. A scheming woman, Bariah climbed from the lower echelons of society to become a handmaiden to Queen Ahrisat and used her feminine wiles to attract the King's attention. An affair started and she fell pregnant, knowing that King Varvenis would have to marry her and make her Queen according to the religious laws of the kingdom. It is her intent to have the throne pass to her daughter rather than the King's older children and she is slowly plotting to make this a reality. So far, the King is having none of it.

Ayatollah, Supreme Servant of Pavo
Ayatollah ben Faisal
PB: Morgan Freeman

Spiritual leader for the House of Pentacles and its subjects. The Ayatollah acts as a Pope-figure for the Pavan people of the Hydran kingdom; Pavo's representative in material form, and the highest authority on spiritual matters in the kingdom. Politically, he answers to the King. Corrupted by power, the current Ayatollah plays the royal court like pieces in a chess game, manipulating them into position to further his own plans. He covets Princess Ebilene, the eldest daughter of the King, and has schemed to confine her to the church: if he can't have her, no one can.

Princess of Hydrus, Mumtaz Daughter of Pavo
Mumtaz Princess Ebilene Vandherre
PB: Jessica Alba

Mumtaz Princess Ebilene, eldest daughter of the King and his first wife. Is being groomed for a life in the service of spiritual undertakings. The Prophetess warned the King of great drought to befall Hydrus that could only be avoided if his eldest daughter, the comely Ebilene, were to devote her life to the church and the Ayatollah in the crusade against transgressions of the faith. She longs for a life outside of Hydrus, free of the Ayatollah's iron will. From her confines in the monastery, she can see the markets of the main town, and she watches from afar as the peasants live their lives in relative freedom with un-Pavan envy.


Prophetess, Heretic
The Prophetess Orché
PB: Melissa Jaffer

Adviser to the Crown. Despite the religious nature of the Hydran people, the pagan prophet is still called upon for her wisdom. Approximately older than creation itself, Orché practices the old, forbidden arts of the dark ages including augury and spellcraft, with varying degrees of apparent success. A most trusted source of advice for the Crown, however, should gold cross her palm her loyalty can be bought. The Ayatollah uses her to steer his agenda, and she hides behind him from religious persecution.


Spy
Khiresh
PB: Sonam Kapoor

Spy for the Vandherres. Fled Circinus for the safety of Hydrus during the destructive war. Khiresh (no known last name... or first name... whatever) poses as a gypsy on the other moons of the empire to gather information and develop a feel for the political climate of the areas. As the gypsies are nomadic people with few ties to places or one another, she can move from tribe to tribe quite easily. In larger cities, she will sometimes find work as an exotic entertainer from one of the far-off lands to gain access to the more established members of society and the more privileged information they hold.


Prince of Circinus
Prince August Wasserreiche
PB: Paul Walker

Eldest son of Emperor Kingston Wasserreiche and Empress Eve Wasserreiche. Next in line for the seat of Emperor. Always a notoriously unreliable playboy, his partying ways have only become worse since his elevation in rank. So many women want to be the future Empress. So few ever get further than his bed. Does not take rejection or denial well, and is not above using underhanded or outright despicable means to get his way.


Whore
Faiz Veçhzma
PB: Clemence Poesy

A slave. Unhappy with her life on embattled Rastaban, Faiz sought refuge on Circinus, agreeing to a harsh contract with a slave trader that would see her safely smuggled to the main planet in exchange for a bonded debt making her essentially his property. She is an indentured whore, rented out to the highest bidder to raise the astronomical funds to secure her freedom. Despite her low social status, she is often sought out by higher members of the aristocracy as pale-skinned blondes are a novelty outside of Rastaban. Their careless behaviour sometimes sees her privy to information she shouldn't know.


Blacksmith
Tarven Smith
PB: Shawn Ashmore

A skilled metalworker in the service of Circinus. An average peasant as far as social status goes, Tarven makes the finest swords and armor in times of war, and reliable and long-lasting tools for agriculture and trades in times of peace. He is hard-working and kind, an enemy to none. He has struck up an odd friendship with Faiz Veçhzma, often being a source of comfort to her during her slavery.


Diplomat
Ráimundr Kjærstad
PB: Gerard Butler

Husband of ???. Originally a Rastaban, Ráimundr fled to Ascella shortly after war broke out. He never showed any interest in military training, preferring a rational and diplomatic outcome to quarrels. However, he never harboured any political ambition either, just wanting to settle down and start a family. He thinks his wife worries and schemes too much and wishes she were a little more inclined to have his children.


Princess of Hydrus
Princess Maricosa Vandherre
PB: Vanessa Hudgens

Youngest child of the King and his first wife. Despite the messy end to her parents' loving marriage, Princess Maricosa is a hopeless romantic dreamer, waiting for the day her prince will come and sweep her off her feet to make all her dreams come true. She enjoys the company of girls her age as well as older girls who can tell her of love and romance and sex and all those other things the King would rather eat glass than discuss with her. She dislikes Queen Bariah for not being her mother, but loves her half-sister just as much, if not more than her other siblings.


Monk
Itsuki Hideki
PB: Ken Leung

Not-entirely-dedicated zen monk. Hideki finds the best meditation to be gardening, and has become quite the talented landscaper after devoting many years to his craft. Discovered creating the perfect zen garden in the Libral Palace by Duchess Aiko, the two soon became close friends as he amazed her with his artistry and brought some of her eccentric visions to life with endless mazes and topiary animals, and beautiful flourishing flowers. Rumours abound about their relationship, but Hideki is the ascot-wearing type. They laugh about it over tea in the gardens.


Mercenary
Siri Haugaard
PB: Missy Crider

A Rastaban mercenary currently siding with Rastaban in the ongoing war over Rabinium. She takes great pride in her skill as a warrior, finding joy in the art of battle and in the rewards therein. As she is a paid fighter and not a member of the military, for her those rewards are more than simply serving the Gods. She seeks to make a prosperous life outside of being a soldier for hire, as she knows that her body will not keep up to the strict standards of warfare forever. When things do not go according to plan, she becomes a furious, unpredictable nightmare.


Banker
Nahema al-Dinar
PB: Zuleikha Robinson

A fierce warrior whom acts as a safeguard or banker for Rastaban in times of peace. She was betrothed to Nazim Arif at birth, and as they grew to know one another in their mutual service of Rastaban they fell in love. Nahema is one of the most decorated and respected warriors of Rastaban, both fearless in battle and strategically clever in planning. She is a good person, but a warrior at heart and can be stiff and blunt to the point of apparent rudeness to those who are not used to her demeanour.


Warrior Chief
Khan Nazim Arif
PB: Oded Fehr

Warrior Chief of one of the many tribes of Rastaban. Khan Arif acts as head of the of his clan, leading warriors into battle and maintaining the security of the village and its people in times of peace. He is a loyal man, utterly devoted to his wife and their union despite the many women who would throw themselves at his feet to serve a handsome, respected member of the elite Rastaban warriors.


Prince of Hydrus
Prince Finnarch Vandherre
PB: Emile Steenveld

The first child and eldest son of King Varvenis Vandherre and the late Queen Ahrisat Vandherre. First in line to the Hydra throne. He is an introverted individual, extremely dedicated to Pava and a knight in the Hydran military. He resents his father, his new wife, and their daughter for his mother's fate.


General of the Royal Guard
Khan Vidal Abeersarathstra
PB: Naseeruddin Shah

The Khan acts as the head of the palace guards and personal bodyguard to the King and his entourage. He is a highly trusted member of the royal court (with good reason) and fiercely loyal to his King and his first Queen-- not so much to the new Queen, but will always act in the best interests of his monarch. He could be considered the head of the Hydran military in terms of authority but his focus is the safety of the Royal Family.


Princess of Hydrus
Princess Imphera Vandherre
PB: Jodelle Ferland

Youngest daughter of the King, and only child of the King and his second wife. The King adores his little baby, and the new Queen recognizes only her as the legitimate heir to the throne. The little Princess is unaware of the drama and conflict that arose of her conception and the circumstances made necessary by her birth, and is a sweet, happy child. Her half-sister Princess Maricosa treats her as both a playmate and a pet. Her half-brother Prince Finnarch, though never unkind to her, does not extend the same warmth to her, as he knows her existence to be the reason his mother was killed.


Queen of Hydrus, Lady of the Endless Sea
Queen Ahrisat Vandherre
PB: Angela Bassett

The first wife of King Varvenis Vandherre of Hydrus. She was killed when his mistress became pregnant so that Varvenis could marry her as per the rules of Pava. She is the mother of Finnarch, Maricosa, and Ebilene. Went to her death with nothing but grace and understanding, forgiving Varvenis for the folly that had such tragic consequences.

Location: Orbiting Circinus

Ruler: King Varvenis Vandherre

Geography: Hydrus is a small, water-bearing moon of Circinus composed of polar ice caps and a large body of water. A large semi-arid to temperate island circles half the moon at the equator. The main city and capital, Aquaria, is in the northwest of the island. Most of the moon's population live in close proximity to the city, though there are smaller, established villages in other areas. The main areas of trade are in the main city and at small illegal ports around the coast.

People: 81% Native, 17% Circinian, 2% Other moons (noun/adj. Hydran)

Religion: Pava, observed and enforced (noun/adj. Pavan)

Hydrus orbits Circinus between Ascella and Rastaban. Prior to its annexation as a kingdom of Circinus, the Hydran people had lived on the moon for many centuries. The Hydran are distinguishable from their neighbours by their dark complexions and religious devotion to a deity named Pava, and the strict laws that are placed upon their peoples in his/her name.

Pava is a religion similar to Medieval Christianity, though it is the sun-star Pavo that they worship. Pavo is the One God, and his/her representative is the Ayatollah, elected for a life term by fellow religious leaders upon the death of the previous Ayatollah. The Ayatollah is second in authority only to the King. The religion is strictly followed, at times fanatically. Certain aspects of the Pavan religion that have had major impact on the history of the kingdom include the Transgressions, such as adultery and the matter of illegitimate children, drinking on Fridays, and the acceptance (or absolute lack thereof) of other religions.