NAMES ON BRESAL

Bresal is not highly populated, so complicated names are unnecessary.

The aristocracy are referred to by their titles (Lord Torin, Lady Adelheid etc.).

The owners of Dragon studs and their senior staff are usually given the honorific Master or Mistress (Dragonmaster Huw, Dragonmaster Adair, Master Galen, Mistress Hildebrand: the wife of a Dragonmaster is addressed as Matron).

Dragonriders are known by the name of their stud (Cara of Dragonsdale, Ernestina of Clapperclaw, Ferris of Drakelodge).

Others are named for their profession (Wayland Forgemaster, Merril Leatherworker, Alberich Dragonleech) Farmers are also named for their occupation (Piran Farmer) unless there happen to be more than one with the same name, in which case they are known by the name of their farm (Ultan of Cold Heights).


Guide:
DD - Dragonsdale.
CC - Clapperclaw
WW - Wyvernwood
DL - Drakelodge
WO - Wingove

                                   

Adelheid.... Hortense’s mother a woman of decided character: most people who know her have decided that her character is arrogant, unkind and snobbish.

Adair.......... Dragonmaster CC: a harsh man who tyrannises his staff, neglects his guests and is rumoured to ill-treat his dragons.

Aidan......... Guard rider DD.

Ailis........... Drane’s auntie.

Alberich.... Dragonleech – the draconic equivalent of a vet, highly respected if sometimes rather stern and abrupt.

Alroy......... Rider DL.

Bain.......... Dragonmaster WW.

Barra........  Rider CC.

Bran.......... Chief stable lad DD – Bran is sensible, conscientious, and knows when to keep his head down.

Breena...... Rider DD Cara’s best friend and, in SDR, Dragonsdale’s most talented junior rider. Breena is Finnglasssian in origin, and retains some of that island’s tricks of speech. She has dark hair and brown eyes and is a year older and a head taller than Cara. She is graceful, forthright and outspoken.

Briony....... Rider WW.

Caley........ Guard rider DD.                       

Cara.......... Rider DD. Cara has a mass of untidy, dark-red hair and  green eyes. She is very imtelligent and determined, though her caring nature can lead her to be over-emotional and she has a tendency to self-dramatisation; but if she is quick-tempered she is also quick to sympathise with her friends, to whom she is unfailingly loyal.

Dolan........ Guard rider DD.           

Drane........ Stablehand DD: later Assistant Dragonleech. Drane is thin-faced and has lank, mousy hair like a badly made bird’s nest and spindly arms and legs. His expression is habitually woebegone. He hails from a farm on the Walds. He hates heights and loathes dragon riding, but he is kind-hearted, good with sick and injured beasts (including humans) and, despite his constant moaning, a loyal and brave companion.

Eachan....... Farmer attached to DD.

Ernestina... Rider CC: Ernestina is reigning Junior Champion of Bresal and Cara’s closest rival. Years of living at Clapperclaw and being a friend of Hortense have made her guarded and secretive. She is nevertheless an excellent and patient trainer. Her hatred of injustice makes life at Clapperclaw very difficult for Ernestina. She is willowy with auburn hair and hazel eyes.

Fergus....... Chief Rigger WW.

Galen......... Flight leader DD. Galen is tough with a weatherbeaten face and a grizzled beard. He is experienced and cynical and doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but he has his softer side.

Gerda......... Housekeper DD. Gerda is larger-than-life in both build and personality. A slave-driver in her kitchen but sympathetic to anyone who is unhappy or troubled, and a substitute mother to Cara.

Ferris......... Rider DL: one of Cara’s closest rivals.           

Hilda.......... Junior rider WO.   

Hoyt........... Dragonmaster WO.

Huw............ Dragonmaster DD. Cara’s father. Huw is stocky with a snub nose, short grey hair and sharp grey eyes. He is not a man to stand nonsense, even from his daughter, but he is always fair and considerate in his dealings.          

Imar........... Wing leader DD.

Jemima....... Friend of Hortense.       

Kern............ Stable hand CC.

Lelia............ Junior rider WW.

Leofric......... Dragonleech (deceased).

Lunn............ Dragonmaster DL.

Melchior....... Surgeon (briefly) attending Mistress Hildebrand.

Mellan.......... Guard rider DD: self confident and irrepressible, with dark eyes, untidy straw-coloured hair and a broken nose, Mellan becomes Breena’s closest friend in the Guard Flight.

Merril............ Rider WW.

Merril............ Leatherworker DD.

Marta............ Senior rider CC.

Nessa........... Junior rider DD: one of Cara’s bugbears.

Orla.............. Junior rider DD.

Piran............. Farmer near DD.

Riona............ Cara’s mother (deceased).

Ronan........... Merboy: Ronan befriends Cara, and his services are invaluable in finding Breena when she goes missing. 

Rosamund.... Former tutor/governess to Cara and Breena.                 

Sorcha........... Instructor, DL.

Theodosia..... Rider WO.     

Tiernan.......... Assistant Dragonleech DD: Tiernan is slim built and handsome, with flaming red hair. He is cheerful and popular, but also lazy and reckless.

Tomey............ Guard rider DD.

Tord................ Wing leader DD.

Torin............... High Lord of Seahaven. Pop-eyed, portly, with a paunch and a florid face, Lord Torin is almost a perfect buffoon: but as Breena once caustically remarked, no-one’s perfect. Being married to Adelheid and having Hortense as a daughter may explain some of Torin’s failings.

Torolf............. Rider CC.         

Uptan............. Farmer, Cold Heights. 

Violet............. Junior rider CC.

Wanda........... Junior rider CC.

Wayland........ Forge master DD.       

Wella............. Private owner DD.

Wony............ Rider DD. Wony has short curly blonde hair and green eyes. Younger than her friends Cara and Breena. She is always good-natured and eager to please.