Characters
Tiny dragon who thinks he is huge?
Who is Fyrian?
Xan accidentally feeds the baby this and it gives her magic.
What is Moonlight?
Sister Ignatia consumes this to make herself strong.
What is sorrow?
This is a physical marker of Luna's identity, her magical destiny, and the permanent bond between her and the universe. Serves as a visual reminder that our history is etched onto who we are.
What is the Crescent Moon Scar?
The Elders use the physical and mental fog to erase the Protectorate's history. Keeping citizens ignorant prevents rebellion and secures the Elders' power.
What is the theme: Weaponization of Ignorance?
Bog monster that is older than the world?
Glerk
A 13-pointed star etched into the floor.
What keeps magic locked away?
How Xan go her magic.
What is she was experimentally enmagicked as a child by a wizard named Zosimos?
They symbolize hope.
What are Adara's paper birds?
Luna’s family consists of a witch, a swamp monster, and a tiny dragon. This dynamic proves that love, care, and choice define a family rather than biological ties.
What is the theme: Found Families?
Name Luna gives to Glerk when she is a toddler.
What is bunny
How Xan hides Luna's magic until she is 13.
What is she traps it inside a single grain of sand in her brain?
She tried to protect Luna from the Elders, resulting in her being imprisoned in the Sisters' Tower for 13 years.
Who is Adara/The Madwoman
A physical representation of Luna's guiding conscience.
Who is the Crow?
Xan locks away Luna’s magic and memories to protect her. This suppression backfires, proving that burying the past causes identity crises and dangerous bursts of repressed reality.
What is the theme: Danger in Suppressing the Truth?
The Sorceress who controls the City of Sorrows.
Who is Sister Ignatia?
These characters say "We had high hopes, but this one has disappointed us."
Who are the Sisters of the Star?
Corrupt leaders who keep the city in fear of the "witch" to maintain control.
Who are the Protectorate Elders?
Symbolizes ignorance, collective memory loss, and political manipulation. The Council of Elders uses the physical and mental forms to keep the citizens of the Protectorate compliant and depressed.
What is the Fog?
Sister Ignatia literally feeds on human sorrow to maintain her youth. This reflects how corrupt systems intentionally manufacture and prolong public grief to keep people compliant.
What is the theme: Exploiting Trauma?
This character transforms into a tree.
Who is Xan?
The name of the city that sacrifices its children.
What is The Protectorate (or City of Sorrows)?
Example of Atain the Carpenter's character arc.
Represents repressed truths, unexpressed grief, and imminent change. It bubbles beneath the surface for centuries, mirroring how buried memories and secrets eventually erupt into the light.
What is the Volcano?
The book argues that sorrow is a natural, necessary human emotion. Attempting to artificially remove or numb grief robs people of their humanity and agency.
What is the theme: Necessity of Pain?