Volume 2 - Characters and Terms - (SPOILERS!)

OIC - Officer In Charge

NCOIC - Non Commissioned Officer in Charge

- The First Ascendant Battalion -

A combined-arms battalion centered around Ascendant soldiers. Under Combined Arms Special Task Force One, has access to all military assets to ensure maximum versatility in the deployment of force to defend the Democratic Union of Aviye.

Commander "Jade Raven" Zai, She/Her,  Codename: "Devilsteel" - OIC First Ascendant Battalion, Combined Arms Special Task Force One; Ascendant Specialties: Infusion (Bodily and External), Strength, Speed, Awareness, Endurance, Durability, Regeneration

Captain Xiaodan "Ghost" Xu, She/Her - Commander of Nightraven Section (Independent Operations), Deputy OIC First Ascendant Battalion; Ascendant Specialties: Antipathy Field, Infusion (External), Strength, Speed, Awareness, Endurance

Captain Am Singh, She/Her - OIC Frame Operations

Captain Cheng Hong, He/Him - OIC Air Operations, Pilot. Ascendant Specialties: Infusion (External), Awareness, Spatial Reasoning, Endurance

Warrant Officer Quynh Meng, She/Her - Chief Medical Officer, Assigned to Nightraven Section; Ascendant Specialties: Infusion (External, Medical), Endurance, Regeneration

Warrant Officer K'le Ruu, She/Her - Chief Engineer, NCOIC Ascendant Arms Manufacturing, 

Warrant Officer Ezyr Lein, He/Them - Deputy Chief Engineer, NCOIC Ascendant Arms Research

Sergeant Anroh Sif, She/Her - NCOIC Demolitions

Sergeant Maka "Qal" Fesmir, She/Her - NCOIC Infantry Support, Deputy NCOIC Demolitions

- Military Vehicles -

Rabbit III - Commander Zai's Combat Frame. Incorporates advanced piezoelectric technology acquired from battle with the Ascendant of Steel. Modified for maximum speed, relies on infusion for superior armor. Standard armament includes: 30mm semi-automatic cannon, Custom 3-meter sword, Standard Issue Frame-Use shovel.

Flying Blade - Captain Hong's interceptor. Captured Usonan "Blue Bullet," Redesignated as I-8 Stingray. A dual-propellor, delta-wing aircraft capable of speeds up to 800 kph.

Delarof - The Ascendant of Steel's Combat Frame. Contains advanced technology for converting kinetic energy into electricity to power its assist functions. Over two-stories tall, this frame is unable to stand under its own weight without infusion. Standard arms included: 50mm autocannon, Custom hammer, 50mm pistol, "Blackjack" weighted fists

- Civilians -

Dr. Amri Jeng, "Teacher," She/Her - Founder of the Society for the People's Ascendance. A former college professor, she defected to the People's Revolutionary Council. Now a junior council member, she seeks to bring back and universalize the practices of ancient peoples, hoping to instill cultural development of Risers and Ascendants. Ascendant Specialties: Empathy, Awareness, Astral Projection, Emotion Manipulation, Compulsion, Mind Reading

Maya, She/Her - A civilian girl and Riser. Designation "Singer." Ascendant Specialty: Empathy, Awareness, Emotion Manipulation, Compulsion

Yuu Xia, "Lightning Slayer," He/Him - Hero of the Battle of Nurezhin. He slew the Second Ascendant of Lightning, and now lives in seclusion on The Ranch, Dr. Jeng's facility for training Risers. Ascendant Specialties: Empathy (Animals), Emotion Projection (Animals), Mind Reading (Animals).

Shenmi, She/Her - A mysterious old woman who knows more than everyone.

Shuyin "Auntie" Jie, She/Her - A mother who led a student revolt in taking over the Usonan Embassy while looking for her son. Her activities propelled her into the political spotlight for revealing Hegemony crimes in Aviye. The students successfully held the Embassy for over a year and a half.

Fulcrum, He/Him - Special Agent of the Democratic International and Siveron.

Boris, He/Him - Fulcrum's driver and assistant. Also an agent of Siveron.

- Opposing Forces -

Ambassador Colton Sommer, He/Him - Delegate from Usona who handled King Adbeld and coordinated with General Jiang's Separatist movement. Captured by Aviye during the Battle of Nurezhin. Has a significant connection to Commander Zai.

General Kayei Jiang, He/Him - Deceased - Leader of the Separatist Rebellion, he opposed the Revolution in favor of a Republic of Aviye similar in function, and subordinate to, the Hegemons who sponsored him. Killed by Captain Xiaodan Xu at the Battle of Nurezhin.

The Second Ascendant of Lightning, Dahlia, She/Her - Deceased - Ascendant who used enhanced speed to overwhelming advantage in combat. After sustaining injuries in her fights with Zai and Xu, her abilities degraded to the point that she was defeated and then killed at the Battle of Nurezhin.

The Ascendant of Steel, Zekeel, He/Him - Ascendant whose ability to infuse allows him to pilot an enormous frame. Received an emergency deployment during the Battle of Nurezhin, destroying the captured air forces of the Rebellion. Engaged in skirmishing operations designed to prolong the war in the wake of the Battle.

Ascendant Spider, Hume, He/Him - Ascendant with the ability to generate and manipulate spirit threads for a variety of purposes. Keeps a "family" of captured, untrained Risers whose receptivity to his abilities allows him to communicate with them through his threads. He is able to manipulate them by sending both pain and pleasure signals through his threads, as well as by utilizing the vast wealth at his disposal.