Age of Fire

Plot

Dragon Champion (Book 1)

• Perspective: AuRon

Dragon Avenger (Book 2)

• Perspective: Wistala

Dragon Outcast (Book 3)

• Perspective: the Copper

Dragon Strike (Book 4)

• Perspective: AuRon, Wistala and the Copper

Dragon Rule (Book 5)

Dragon Fate (Book 6)

Characters

Main characters

• AuRon : AuRon is the champion of his clutch, being the last surviving male to remain on the egg shelf. He is rare among dragons in the fact that he has no scales, and thus is termed a "grey"; however, his skin color actually changes to match his surroundings. Scaleless, he is lighter and able to fly longer and faster than other dragons. He makes less sound than his scaled brethren. Additionally, AuRon has no appetite for metals, which normal dragons crave and consume to replace their scales. He is energetic and slightly headstrong, though he can be very serious and is extremely smart. AuRon is rare among dragons in that he keeps his egg tooth, which later hardens to become a horn of sorts, which he uses to aim his fire. In his opinion he believes dragons should not interfere with the tribulations of the hominid races, though he does see the problems of isolating himself in an area with no metal for his family.
• Wistala : Wistala, the first of two females to hatch in the clutch, has a sharp wit, and is very self-confident. Due to the traumatic destruction of her home, Wistala becomes something of a tomboy rather than being interested in typical dragonelle behavior, such as mating. Her scales are green, as is normal for most females. She shows a thirst for knowledge after being taken in under Rainfall and becomes a librarian of Hypatia. She also shows a particular interest in the dragon DharSii, who later becomes her love interest and eventual mate. From her mother she takes the lessons of how to improvise and to learn from the mistakes of the dragons from Silverhigh, a famed dragon empire destroyed by complacency. Though having promised her father to bear a fruitful clutch, she is the only dragon to remain unmated at the end of her book, though at the end of the series, she and DharSii are revealed to be expecting their second clutch of eggs. She believes dragons can coexist peacefully with the hominids. She is stronger than most dragons and is thicker scaled then most dragonelles.
• The Copper : The Copper was the first of the three males in the clutch to hatch. Together with Auron, they killed the third male, but then Auron forced him off the egg shelf, dooming him to a life of namelessness and self-sufficiency. He learns to be very resourceful, though, even with the multiple debilitating injuries he acquires: a crippled leg from the fall off the egg shelf, a hurt eye from a fight with Wistala, a stab that cripples his wing from the Dragonblade, and a stab to the fire bladder from a group of Demen. The only piece of advice given to him from his mother is to overcome and create a new line all his own. Out of all the siblings he seems to have been given the highest position, yet he still feels estranged from other dragons. He receives the name "Rugaard" upon reaching the Lavadome, though in the narration is still referred to as "The Copper". He is eventually killed by the trolls commanded by his former thrall, Rayg. However The Copper is rumored at the end of the series to still be alive.

  Siblings' family

By heritage

• Jizara: Jizara is the only sibling that did not survive the raid of the Egg Cave. She is described as being thinner and longer than Wistala, and has a wonderful singing voice. She is also the only one who shows any real kindness to the Copper. She is killed by the Dragonblade during the raid of the Egg Cave, her last breaths being used to beg for mercy.
• The Red Hatchling: This red hatchling was the second male to hatch, but was killed by AuRon and the Copper.
• AuRel: A bronze dragon with a storied lineage. He is the father of the siblings. AuRel returns from hunting to find the Egg Cave being attacked. He escaped, but with serious injuries. Wistala finds AuRel wounded and unable to fly, and tries to heal him. While returning from a search to find metal for him, she unknowingly leads The Dragonblade to AuRel. AuRel attempts to fight The Dragonblade, but being injured makes him unable to fight. The Dragonblade kills AuRel as Wistala watches.
• Epata: The mother of AuRel.
• AuRye: A red dragon; the father of AuRel. After destroying an army of humans, he was killed when he faced a second army, filled with survivors of the old, that countered his tactics. A very famous dragon, from the Skotl clan of the Lavadome, AuRye was renowned for his thick scale and skill in warfare, smashing armies. He is recognized by AuRel as impulsive but also very mighty- one of the strongest dragons ever to exist.
• Irelia: The calm, sensible mother of the siblings. She is green, as is common for females. Irelia is killed in the Raid on the Egg Cave.
• Wistala I: The mother of Irelia, and thus the maternal grandmother of the Siblings.
• EmLar: The father of Irelia. He was the grey whose genes were passed to AuRon.
• NiVom: The grandson of EmLar, a cousin to the Siblings. Meets the Copper in the Drakwatch and becomes a full commander. As of Dragon Rule, the siblings and NiVom do not appear to be aware of their relation. NiVom is poisoned by Imfamnia, who is later revealed to be possessed by The Red Queen, in Dragon Fate.
• AuNor: The ancient ancestor of the siblings, whose line they belong.
• AuSurath: A red and the first of AuRon's sons, headstrong and impatient. He later joins the Aerial Host and rises to the position of commander of the Heavy Wing of the Aerial Host.
• AuMoakh: A gold and the second son of AuRon, observant and methodical.

  By mating

• Natasatch: A green female dragon who is enslaved and sold to the Wyrmmaster. Along with other females she was kept captive and forced to help the wizard breed his army for years, later helping to stage an uprising and evicting the humans from the isle. She becomes AuRon's mate at the end of Dragon Champion. In "Dragon Rule" she develops a keen interest in the newly emergent Empire society that leads to her separation from AuRon during his exile.
• Nilrasha: An ex-Firemaiden, she worked alongside the Copper during the events of Dragon Outcast and fell in love in spite of his unique physical disabilities. She is the center of much controversy, partly because of her breaking the Firemaiden's oath of virginity to mate with the Copper and also because of the suspicious circumstances surrounding Halaflora's death which many believe she was directly responsible for. The aristocracy of the Lavadome resent her meek beginnings and accuse her of being a relentless social climber. She is later injured during the Battle of Hypatia and rendered flightless, leading to her being forced into an unofficial retirement from the political scene.
• Halaflora: The sickly granddaughter of FeHazathant and Tighlia, she becomes RuGaard's first mate through an arranged mating by Tighlia as a means to legally bind him to the family, although the Copper doesn't truly love her. Although the circumstances of her death is unclear - as the only one around at the time is Nilrasha and she has motive to kill Halaflora - Nilrasha claims that Halaflora thought herself pregnant and, confused, starts to rapidly consume meat. However, Halaflora's sickly nature made her too weak and she chokes on a piece of bone and dies. The Copper and many others view the story with skepticism, but do not dare voice their opinion to Nilrasha.
• DharSii: First appears in Dragon Avenger, is mentioned in Dragon Outcast, features in Dragon Strike and Dragon Rule as well as Dragon Fate. Described as orange or red with several dark stripes along his back. According to several other characters in the series, striped dragons like DharSii are usually sterile and rarely father hatchlings. Former commander of the Aerial Host in the Lavadome. The name DharSii is an assumed name taken after a fatal duel with AgGriffopse, Tyr FeHazathant's only son. DharSii translates roughly as sure-claw or quick-claw, a reference to the manner of AgGriffopse's death. Wistala and DharSii secretly mated in Vesshall, producing a clutch given to Scabia's daughter in exchange for living in Vesshall. At the end of the series, they are revealed to be expecting another clutch they intend to raise themselves and have revealed that they are mated.

  Recurring characters

• Hazeleye: Hazeleye is an elf who captures, studies, and traffics dragons. Despite her job she displays a great deal of compassion for dragons and is often at odds with her compatriots. She frees AuRon as a hatchling after growing disillusioned with a dragon-trapping trade and is crippled for her actions. She is one of the only characters to interact with all three of the siblings.
• The Dragonblade :The Dragonblade is a man who dedicated his life to hunting down dragons; he has two weapons designed to do just that, a spear, Byltzarn, and a sword, Dunherr. He is hired by Gobold to get revenge upon two dragons that cheated him. As a result, he directly kills AuRel and Jizara. In his career only three dragons survive or are spared by the Dragonblade: AuRon, Wistala and The Copper. He is one of the only characters to interact with all three of the siblings. At the end of Dragon Avenger Wistala and he put an end to their mutual feud and he retires, only reluctantly battling the Copper at the end of Dragon Outcast. The Copper killed him in their final duel.
• Eliam Dragonblade: Son of the Dragonblade, he is seen as short-tempered and arrogant. In contrast to his father he is sadistic and cowardly; more of an executioner than a warrior and afraid to face dragons on equal terms. He lost his left eye to Wistala during the sacking of Mossbell and is killed by AuRon during the revolt on The Isle of Ice.
• Rayg: An inventive young human, he is the son of Lada and Thane Hammar. He is eventually acquired by the dragons of the Lavadome and becomes a thrall of the Imperial Line. His expertise gains him great recognition from the Copper. It was he began construction on a bridge and invented the brace for the Copper's damaged wing, the Copper often comes to him for advice and promises to free him if he completes his bridge project. Despite the Copper's promises Rayg is never freed, usually because of his various unfinished projects. He is pragmatic and does not seem too troubled by his enslavement. In Dragon Fate, Rayg conspires with Imfamnia to overthrow dragonkind. He breeds an army of supersoldiers by feeding dragonblood to the Demen Legion while also digging tunnels in the Lower World to allow their transport. He also breeds a host of trolls on dragonblood, controlling them through a crystal. This mutates them into scaled monsters with wings, which he augments by creating dragonblooded Griffaran guards, which sacrifice speed for size and power. To end all challenge to his plans, he destroys the Heavy Wing of the Aerial Host in an ambush, overcoming the most powerful force under the sun by ambushing them in their sleep with his trolls. Most of the Aerial Host is killed along with the Grand Commander of the Aerial Host. He is killed when he flees the siblings with Imfamnia, whose wings fail her, sending them plummeting to their deaths.
• Imfamnia: the self-centered granddaughter of Tyr FeHazathant, and daughter of AgGriffopse and Ibidio. Though described as "a brainless piece of fluff", she schemes her way to power several times. As a drakka, she falsely accuses her friend NiVom of attacking her, to clear the way for SiDrakkon to become Tyr and mate her. During his short, unpopular reign, she gets him to name her half-brother SiMevolant as heir, and mates him as well, becoming queen a second time when SiDrakkon dies. Her scandalous affairs during this period earn her the title "the Jade Queen". After SiMevolant's downfall, she flees to Ghioz and takes NiVom as a mate. After the defeat of Ghioz, NiVom intercedes with the Copper and they become protectors of Ghioz province in the Grand Alliance, though at this time she is possessed by the Red Queen. Failing to seduce AuRon when he becomes protector of a neighboring province, she instead cultivates a false friendship with Natasatch, creates a superarmy using NiVom's blood, nearly succeeds in assassinating the Copper and Wistala in the baths, and orders a surprise attack that nearly succeeds in overthrowing dragonkind.
• Rhea : One of the many thralls that belong to the Dragons of the Lavadome. She is never shown to speak in the stories and is assumed to be mute. She is married to Rayg and the two of them have children together. She is the only unbiased eyewitness to Halaflora's death.
• Naf Touraq: A mysterious man from the east who has an enormous sense of humour. He becomes a commander in the military and later king of his own lands. He is perhaps the only human that AuRon truly trusts.
• Hieba: A girl rescued by Naf and raised by AuRon for a year of her childhood. She grows up and falls in love with Naf, but is held captive by the Red Queen. On several occasions she is referenced by AuRon as a "loose woman".
• Gobold/Fangbreaker: Dwarf of The Wheel of Fire, who eventually becomes their king after killing one of the previous rulers. Gobold had sought revenge upon AuRel and Irelia for betraying him in a deal that resulted in the pair gaining their home cave. Gobold received the name Fangbreaker when he killed Irelia by smashing her jaws with his fist. He himself is betrayed from within the Wheel of Fire by Wistala in an act of vengeance.

  Other important characters

In Dragon Champion

• The Dawn Roarers: A pack of wolves that AuRon joins after devastating most of the members. They consist of the leader, Hard-Legs Black-Bristle, and members Bright-Sight Fey-Bark, Way-Nose High-Star, and Long-Tail Fire-Heart. Their descendants go on to guard the Isle of Ice under AuRon's dominion and help keep his hatchlings entertained.
• Djer: A tradesdwarf of the Chartered Company of the Diadem who frees AuRon of his slave collar and takes him to his company to offer a job. Thanks to the friendship and actions of AuRon, Djer becomes a partner of the Chartered Company. During a later battle Djer is burned badly by a dragon, his body charred inside and out. He suffers until AuRon finds Djer and ends his suffering. Djer is also seen by Wistala in chapter nine of "Dragon Avenger", where she decides not to kill him after seeing him leave his meal to go cold while he tends to an injured pony. Although he is not named, Wistala notices his oddly tall boots, a nod to his nickname "Djer Highboots".
• NooMoahk: A decrepit but wise black dragon, many millennia old. In his final years he teaches AuRon wisdom and languages. In the writing he is shown to have a failing mind and little distinction between long term and short term memory, possibly due to the effects of prolonged exposure to a mysterious crystal he guards. He later dies fighting AuRon during one such lapse when AuRon is forced to trick NooMoahk into impaling himself on a monument dedicated to the elder dragon's late human friend Tindairus. It is possible that he is an ancestor of the siblings. AuRon is reverent of him to the point that he even takes a false-name similar to his when investigating the Isle of Ice and even names his one of sons after him.
• Wrimere The Wyrmmaster:: An old wizard who is breeding dragons on the Isle of Ice to be obedient to their human masters; He does this to the purpose of waging a genocide on the elves and dwarves of the world. By manipulating hatchling dragons tendencies to imprint on the first thing they see, he raises dragons as war mounts and enslaves the females as a 'breeding stock'. He commits suicide after AuRon overthrows the dragon riders.

  In Dragon Avenger

• Bartleghaff : The leader of a large flock of mountain condors. He is AuRel's oldest friend, though his first appearance would lead you to think otherwise. Wistala meets him as he is waiting for AuRel to die, so he can give his flock the signal to begin feeding on the body. However, it seems this is what AuRel wished for his old friend to do. AuRel jokes about not wanting some stranger getting the best meat for themselves, and Bartleghaff laments that the feast his family would have off of AuRel's corpse would be remembered at every cliff-sit for the next century.
• Rainfall: An elf who cares for Wistala after she narrowly escapes the Dragonblade. He is chivalrous and courteous, introducing Wistala to Hypatian traditions and fostering her interest in them. Rainfall plots with Wistala to stave off Thane Hammar's advances on his familial land, and to this end legally adopts Wistala as his daughter. He is killed by a vindictive Thane Hammar during the sacking of Mossbell
• Yari-Tab : A cat befriended by Wistala.
• Avalanche : Rainfall's horse, once belonged to Rainfall's son. He feels guilty because he wasn't able to prevent his previous master's death. He is killed during the battle with the troll.
• Thane Hammar: The thane of the part of Hypatia that Rainfall lives in. He has a long and bitter rivalry with the old elf, taking his granddaughter captive and impregnating her. He conspires with barbarians to further his own position. He later gains an infamous reputation and the title "Dwarfhanger." Wistala plays him against the dwarves and avenges Rainfalls death by taking him and dropping him among a group of desperate warrior dwarves.
• Stog : A mule previously owned by the Dragonblade and longed for the glory days he had with his group despite his friendship with Wistala. He has a bit of a negative attitude, but he proves to be smarter and a much harder worker than most horses. He is shot and killed by Barbarians while trying to protect Mossbell.
• Lada: Rainfall's granddaughter and mother of Rayg. She is held captive by Thane Hammar as a part of his rivalry with Rainfall and develops Stockholm syndrome, believing that he loves her. Upon her return she is an impudent brat who resents Rainfall separating her from the Thane and competes with Wistala for Rainfall's affection. She eventually gains a measure of wisdom following a pregnancy and time in the circus.
• Circus Members: A traveling circus consisting of various performers and handlers. Led by the elf Ragwrist who is kindly but tight-fisted and often bemoans the expenses of his circus. Notable members are Dsossa, an elf horse trainer, Intanta, a wizened old fortune teller and Brok, a dwarf in charge of the beasts of burden. Wistala and Lada become members for a brief time.
• Dragons of the Sadda-Vale: Distant relatives of AuRon, Wistala and the Copper. They do not feel that dragons should concern themselves with anything outside of their own territory, even if it is the killing of another dragon family. The only one to show any sense among them in DharSii who stays there sparingly and leaves there hurriedly.

  In Dragon Outcast

• The bats: A family of bats that assist The Copper in exchange for his blood, and his saving their lives. They accompany him to the Lavadome where they act as a spy and messenger force for him, and later the Lavadome. After a few generations of feeding almost entirely on dragons blood several bats become large and almost dragon-like, earning the nickname gargoyles.
• Tyr FeHazathant: An old male dragon who is the ruler of the Lavadome dragons. He adopts the Copper into the Imperial family after the latter "saves" some griffaran eggs. The Copper sees him as an adoptive grandfather and is devoutly loyal to him. FeHazathant dies shortly after the Copper/RuGaard, informs him of a potential plot against him by SiDrakkon. The Tyr dies under unknown circumstances, naming the Copper as his heir to Tighlia before his death.
• Tighlia: The old mate of Tyr FeHazathant. Wise but can be seen as calculating and cold-hearted. She has a low opinion of the Copper and forces him to marry her sickly granddaughter Halaflora. She dies at the hands of the Dragonblade
• SiDrakkon: A deep red-purple male who is brother to Tighlia. Often bad-tempered but a capable military leader. Has an unhealthy obsession with the smell of human thralls. Inherits the position of Tyr from his brother-in-law FeHazathant. Dies under suspicious circumstances.
• SiMevolant: A gold, grandson of the Tyr. Lazy and apathetic, often described as an idiot by the rest of the Imperial Line. He shows his true deviousness in orchestrating the assassination of SiDrakkon with his sister Infamnia and takes the position of Tyr. Willingly submits to the authority of the Dragonblade. Is killed in a duel by the Copper and Nilrasha. Large and thick scaled.
• NoSohoth: The silver majordomo of the Imperial Line. A loyal dragon, but a stickler for protocol.
• NeStirrath: The red commander of the Drakwatch, lost his wings in a past battle. Mentor and father figure to the Copper. He dies in the final battle against the Wyrmmaster's dragon riders.
• Rethothana: An Anklene scholar and ally of the Copper
• Drakwatch: The draconic equivalent of the ROTC for young drakes in the Lavadome. Taken by many as the chance for glory and advancement. Has a friendly rivalry with the Firemaids. After the establishment of the Aerial Host it withers down to a cadre of outcast and impoverished families.
• Firemaids: The female equivalent to the Drakwatch, except that upon reaching maturity Firemaidens take a vow of chastity. Has a friendly rivalry with the Drakwatch.

  In Dragon Strike

• The Red Queen of Ghioz: The ruler of Ghioz and commander of a powerful alliance of outlying forces. She frequently tells AuRon she "cannot be bothered" with dying, and though assassinated by Naf and later burned by Auron in the defeat of Ghioz, he suspects a mysterious blue light that leaves her dying body will allow her to continue. He finds and kills many other Red Queen bodies in a magical chamber below her mountain palace. Despite killing off her supply of bodies, the Red Queen lives long enough to possess Infamnia, and allies herself with Rayg to overthrow dragon kind. After being defeated by AuRon and Wistala, she and Rayg escape to continue the fight another day, the Red Queen loses control of her ability to fly, causing her and Rayg to fall to their deaths, ending their terror once and for all.
• Ayafeeia: The leader of the Firemaidens. Her example of fierce protection of all dragon hatchlings so impresses Wistala that she joins the Firemaidens herself. She initially leads the small force holding the north passes of Hypatia against the Ironriders, but leaves Wistala in charge when RuGaard orders her to return. She joins Nilrasha's counterstrike, and helps retake Hypatia.
• Takea: A fierce dragonelle of the Firemaids, killed in fighting in the northern passes.
• HeBellereth: Leader of the Aerial Host, loyal to RuGaard, involved in retaking the Lavadome and the humbling of Ghioz.
• LaDibar: A highly intelligent, but somewhat obstructionist dragon of the Lavadome.
• Paskinix: The king and general of the Demen. Defeated and twice captured by Lavadome forces, he is converted to an ally and helps RuGaard discover a subterranean attack route to Ghioz.
• NiVom: A white dragon, secretly mated to Imfamnia, wife of Tyr SiMevolant. The two fled his defeat at the end of Dragon Outcast, and joined the Red Queen of Ghioz. He participates in a raid on Wistala's cave, and is captured by RuGaard before the attack on Ghioz, but released to warn the citizens of the impending battle.