Other Security Team Members: Four to eight, as needed.
DIRT– Demonic Incursion Retaliation and Tactics
Named Characters
Joseph Starr, General
Kara Gillian, Arcane Commander
1st Cavalry Unit
Marcel Boudreaux Lieutenant, unit leader
Griz Caucasian Shepherd Dog
Alpha Squad
Debbie Roma Sergeant, squad leader
Kara Gillian Arcane Specialist/Commander
Scott Glassman, Corporal
Aali Ahmed
Brett Petrev
Christie Blauser
Deke Wohlreich
Harold Chu
James Abercrombie
Jeff Hines
Jude Landon
Meg Kowal
Tiffany Hurley
Bravo Squad
Vince Pellini Arcane Specialist
Nate Rushton Corporal (deceased)
Edward Sykes
Incursion Zone 212 (a.k.a. IZ-212, the Spires)
Herman Hornak Captain
Lucas Garvey Lieutenant
Gail White Sergeant
Jeb Frazier Corporal
Summoners Known to Kara
Aaron Asher: (30s) Katashi’s student and associate. Former student of Rasha Hassan Jalal Al-Khouri. Associated with J.M. Farouche and the Mraztur. Whereabouts unknown.
Anton Beck: (40s) Associated with Katashi and the Mraztur. Recruited Idris for Katashi. Whereabouts unknown.
Cherie and Keveen Bergeron: (deceased) Grandparents of Raymond Bergeron a.k.a. Tracy Gordon. Killed by Rhyzkahl in the Bloodbath Summoning.
DIRT Summoners: Eleven summoners from all over the world. Includes Kara and Idris.
Frank McCreary: (deceased) Killed by Rhyzkahl in the Bloodbath Summoning.
Gina Hallsworth: (30s) Associated with Katashi and the Mraztur. Whereabouts unknown.
Graciella “Gracie” Therese Pazhel: Tessa’s mother. Kara’s maternal grandmother. Sworn summoner of Szerain. Killed by Rhyzkahl in the Bloodbath Summoning.
Idris Palatino: (20) DIRT Arcane Specialist. Delta Squad. Student of Mzatal (and Katashi). Kara’s cousin. Son of Tessa and Rhyzkahl. Gifted summoner. Adopted as a baby, and then again as a young teen after his first adoptive parents were killed. Innocence stripped by the Mraztur. Forced to watch his sister raped and ritually tortured and murdered. Killed Isumo Katashi.
Isumo Katashi: (deceased at 100+) Master summoner. Tessa’s mentor. Conducted the very first summoning after the arcane ways reopened post-cataclysm. Was once a sworn summoner of Mzatal but betrayed him. Associated with the Mraztur and J.M. Farouche. Every living summoner has been trained by him or by one of his students. Killed by Idris Palatino. Discorporeated.
Peter Cerise/Chief Eddie Morse: (deceased in his 60s) Organized the summoning of Szerain three decades ago that ended in a bloodbath with his wife and five other summoners slain by Rhyzkahl (the Bloodbath Summoning). Sworn summoner of Szerain. Became the serial killer known as the Symbol Man. Killed by Rhyzkahl when he attempted to summon and bind the lord.
Rasha Hassan Jalal Al-Khouri: (80s) One of Katashi’s first students. Came out of summoning retirement to work with Mzatal in the demon realm. Associated with J.M. Farouche. Antagonistic relationship with summoner Aaron Asher.
Robert Lamothe: (deceased) Killed by Rhyzkahl in the Bloodbath Summoning.
Tessa Pazhel: (late 40s) Kara’s aunt and mentor. Student of Katashi. Mother of Idris Palatino. Frizzy blond hair and eclectic fashion sense. Raised Kara from age eleven. Worked closely with Katashi. Betrayed Kara to serve Katashi’s interests. Whereabouts unknown.
Tracy Gordon/Raymond Bergeron: (deceased in his late 20s) Grandson of two of the summoners killed by Rhyzkahl in the Bloodbath Summoning of Szerain. Attempted to use Kara as the sacrificial focus for an ill-conceived attempt to make a permanent gateway from Earth to the demon realm.
Tsuneo Oshiro: (late 20s) Associated with Katashi and the Mraztur. Bears a tattoo of demonic lord Jesral’s sigil. Associated with the Mraztur. Whereabouts unknown.
William Slavin: (50s) Associated with Katashi and the Mraztur. Whereabouts unknown.
Other Non-Summoner Humans
Aja Patel: Physician at the Federal Command Center. In charge of the Chrysalis Project.
Amaryllis Castlebrook: Targeted for abduction by Farouche. Kara took her place to infiltrate the Farouche plantation.
Amber Palatino Gavin: Ritually raped, tortured, and murdered by Asher, Katashi, and Steiner as a control measure for her brother Idris, and to set a trap for Kara. Body left in an eighteen wheeler in Beaulac.
Angus McDunn: (mid 50s) Broad-shouldered, big and stocky. Red and grey hair. Was J.M. Farouche’s right hand man. Husband of Catherine McDunn and stepfather to Boudreaux. Lost a young son over twenty years ago to abduction and murder.
Aria Farouche: Amicably divorced J.M. Farouche after their five-year-old daughter Madelaine was abducted and Farouche became obsessed with finding her.
Ashava: (2 months old) Daughter of Jill Faciane and the demankh Zakaar (Zack Garner). Kidnapped by Szerain and Zack. In hiding from Xharbek.
Carl: (mid 40s) Ex-morgue tech. Quiet and unflappable with an unspeakably dry sense of humor. Tessa’s ex-boyfriend. Actually the demahnk Xharbek.
Catherine McDunn: (early 50s) Ex-head trainer for Farouche’s thoroughbreds. Wife of Angus McDunn and mother of Detective Marcel Boudreaux. Whereabouts unknown. Suspected to be with Angus.
Cory Crawford: (early 40s) Sergeant with Beaulac PD. Dyed brown hair and moustache, brown eyes, stout. Chooses drab brown clothing and wild-colored ties. Good leader. On medical leave due to losing his right leg while trying to clear jail cells during the PD valve explosion.
Clint Gallagher: FBI Agent on the Arcane Investigations task force.
David Hawkins: Owner of the Grounds for Arrest coffee shop across the street from the Beaulac PD.
Earl Chris: (late 40s) Beaulac repeat offender with a propensity for violence. Was in the jail during the PD valve explosion.
Elinor Bayliss: 17th century summoner. Trained in the demon realm with Mzatal, Rhyzkahl, and Szerain. Killed by Szerain during a ritual that precipitated the Cataclysm. A part of her essence is attached to Kara’s. Giovanni’s lover.
Giovanni Racchelli: 17th century associate and art student of Szerain. Named by Gestamar as one of Szerain’s favorite humans. Elinor’s lover. Died young. a.k.a. Little Snake.
James Macklin Farouche: (deceased late 50s) Businessman, philanthropist, and vigilante-gone-wrong. Became obsessed with finding missing children and punishing those responsible after his five-year-old daughter was abducted nearly twenty years ago. Involved with Rhyzkahl and human trafficking. Arcane talent of influencing people. Executed by Bryce Thatcher.
Jerry Steiner: (deceased, late 30s) Hitman who enjoys his work. Very nondescript appearance. Easily blends in. Rapist and sociopath. Was one of the men who participated in the rape, torture, and murder of Amber Palatino Gavin.
Jonathan Lanza (Doc): (mid 40s) St. Long Parish pathologist. Easy-going manner.
Jade: Rasha’s granddaughter. Abandoned Rasha to be with Aaron Asher.
Leo Carter: (mid 50s) Black. Close-cropped hair. Farouche’s head of security. Trained sniper—preferred weapon a Bergara tactical rifle with a Schmidt and Bender scope.
Lenny Brewster: (late 60s) Hale, sharp-minded, and soft-spoken. Lanky black man. Barn manager for Farouche’s thoroughbred farm.
Lida Moran: (deceased, 19) Was the lead singer and guitar player for Ether Madhouse. Ruthless. Sister of Michael Moran. Coerced him into murdering people. Killed by Eilahn.
Marcel Boudreaux: (early 30s) Head of DIRT 1st Cavalry Unit. Ex-Beaulac PD detective, partnered with Vince Pellini. Former jockey for J.M Farouche. Has a house
on Farouche’s thoroughbred farm. Keeps that life separate from his law enforcement career. Antagonistic toward Kara. Small and wiry. Chain smoker. Nickname of “Boo” to those in the horse world.
Marco Knight: (mid 30s) Detective for the New Orleans PD. Clairvoyant or similarly gifted. Loner. Smoker.
Michael Moran: (early 20s) Brain damaged in an accident. Brilliant pianist. Has the ability to form golems out of dirt. Taken to the demon realm by Rhyzkahl and given to Amkir. Paid for in blood and pain by Seretis, and lives in the realm of Seretis and Rayst. Can sometimes clairvoyantly see the lords’ locations.
Michelle Cleland: (24) Physics major turned drug addict and prostitute on Earth. Taken to the demon realm by Rhyzkahl after the Symbol Man ritual. Empath. Flourished with Vahl as she came to understand her gift. Willing courtesan of the lords. Beloved of Elofir and resides in his realm.
Paul Ortiz: (22) Computer genius. Former captive employee of J.M. Farouche. Uses potency flows in tandem with computer networks to find information and accomplish hacker tasks. Beaten nearly to death by his cop dad because of his sexual orientation. Hispanic. Like a brother to Bryce. Critically injured by Mzatal. Resides in the demon realm with Kadir.
Pete Nelson: Bryce Taggart’s vet school housemate. Accidentally shot and killed by Bryce.
Rob O’Connor: (mid 30s) Detective for St. Long Sheriff’s Department. Arrested Kara as a suspect in the murder of J.M. Farouche.
Richard Knox: Federal agent. Federal Command Center.
Robert Turnham: (50s) Beaulac Chief of Police. Tall, slender, black man. Meticulous, quiet, efficient. 25 years law enforcement experience.
Rupert Olson: (early 60s) Senator with an education agenda.
Scott Glassman: (late 30s) Corporal of DIRT Alpha Squad. Ex-Sergeant and patrol training officer for Beaulac PD. Acts like a hick, but savvy. Stout, bald, ruddy complexion.
Sonny Hernandez a.k.a. Jose Luis Hernandez: (mid 30s) Former coerced hitman and kidnapper for J.M. Farouche. Has an enhanced talent for calming people. Caretaker for Zakaar after the bond with Rhyzkahl was broken. In hiding from Xharbek.
Tim Daniels: (mid 20s) Beaulac PD Officer. Open, friendly, and helpful. Found a stray cat that Eilahn adopted as Fuzzykins. Remained on the force after the PD explosion.
Tommy Lochlan: (9) Kidnapped Beaulac 3rd-grader.
Earth Pets and Animals
Griz: Caucasian Shepherd Dog. Two hundred pound demon-killing dog of DIRT’s First Cavalry Unit.
Copper to Gold a.k.a. Psycho: Thoroughbred stallion on J.M. Farouche’s horse farm. Stellar career ended by a track accident with Boudreaux aboard.
Fuzzykins: Eilahn’s calico manx cat. Mother of Bumper, Squig, Granger, Fillion, Dire, Cake.
Sammy: Pellini’s chocolate Labrador retriever. Goofy and lovable.
The Kittens a.k.a. catlets: Approximately 3 months old. Female: Squig, Granger, and Dire. Male: Bumper, Fillion, and Cake.
Demon Types-Summonable
Demons named in the books are in italics..
Faas (faahz) 6th Level. Resembles a six-legged furry lizard with a body approximately three feet long and a sinuous tail at least twice that length. Bright blue jewel-colored iridescent fur, brilliant golden eyes slitted like a reptile’s. Jekki, Faruk, Zhergalet, Rega.
Graa (grah-ah) 8th Level. Spider-like with wings like roaches and heads like crabs. Can have anywhere from four to eight multi-jointed legs that end in strange hands that consist of a thumb and two fingers, each tipped with curved claws.
Ilius (ILL-ee-us) 3rd Level. A coil of smoke and teeth and shifting colors. Feeds on animal essence. Tata, Wuki, Dakdak, Krum.
Kehza (KAY-za) 7th Level. Human-sized, winged, face like a Chinese dragon, skin of iridescent red and purple, and plenty of sharp teeth and claws. Can tell if a human has the ability to be a summoner. Juke.
Luhrek (LURE-eck) 4th Level. Resembling a cross between a goat and a dog with the hindquarters of a lion. Often a good source for unusual or esoteric information. Rhysel.
Mehnta (MEN-tah) 9th Level. Appearing like a human female with long flowing hair, segmented wings like a beetles, clawed hands and feet, and dozens of snake-like strands coming out of their mouths. Lazul.
Nyssor (NIGH-sore) 5th Level. Looks almost exactly like a human child, often beautiful with angelic faces. Features a little too perfect, and eyes a little too large and having sideways-slit pupils. Hundreds of sharp teeth. Many humans find them creepy as fuck. Votevha.
Reyza (RAY-za) 12th Level. Three meters tall, leathery wings, long sinuous tail, skin the color of burnished copper, horns, clawed hands, bestial face, and curved fangs. Kehlirik, Gestamar, Juntihr, Pyrenth, Safar, Sehkeril.
Savik (SAH-vick) 2nd Level. Immature savik: two foot long dog-lizard kind of thing with six legs. Mature savik: Over seven feet tall, reptilian with dark and smooth bellies, and translucent glittery scales elsewhere. Head like a cross between and wolf and a crocodile. Turek.
Syraza (sih-RAH-za) 11th Level. Slender, almost birdlike, long and graceful limbs. Pearlescent white skin, hairless. Large and slanted violet eyes in a delicate, almost human, face. Wings that look as fragile as tissue paper but most assuredly are not. Shapeshifter. Eilahn, Steeev, Olihr, Marr.
Zhurn (zurn) 10th Level. Black, oily, shifting darkness. Winged. Burning red eyes. Voice like a blast furnace. Sharp claws. Skalz.
Zrila (zRIL-uh) 1st Level. About the size of a bobcat, looks like a six-legged newt with skin that shifts in hues of red and blue. Head like a hairless koala. Brilliant artisans who make the majority of the clothing and textiles in the demon realm. Anak.
Demon Types–Not Summonable
Hriss (h’RIS, huh-RIS) Pixie-like essence eaters. “Mosquitos from hell.”
Kzak (k’ZAK, kuh-ZAK) Vicious, black, and dog-like. Rows of teeth and sinuous movement. Kuktok.
Luhnk (lunk) Mammoth-like. Six-legged. Huge females. German shepherd-sized males.
Nehkil (neh-KILL) Akin to a flying basking shark or living dirigible. Feeds on stray potency in the form of “ethereal spores.”
Skarl (SCAR-ul) Hyena-like in form, but friendly as a socialized house cat. Musky. Gives off a comforting vibe when sleeping in a pack.
Named Demons
and associated demonic lord
Anak zrila: Mzatal. Textile artisan. Made one of Mzatal’s neckties.
Bikturk reyza: No lord. Jontari. Nicknamed “Big Turd” by Kara.
Cheytok faas: Seretis.
Dakdak ilius: Mzatal. Never far from Mzatal in his palace. Dubbed as a “Mzatal Early Warning System” by Idris because he often arrives in a room shortly before the lord.
Dekkak reyza: No lord. Jontari. Warlord and imperator. More then three thousand years old.
Eilahn syraza: Rhyzkahl. Multiethnic beautiful in human form. Assigned by Rhyzkahl as bodyguard for Kara. Takes her job seriously. Adores holiday decorations and her cat, Fuzzykins.
Faruk faas: Mzatal. Jekki’s mate. Delights in styling hair. Maintains Mzatal’s intricate braid.
Gestamar reyza: Mzatal (essence bound). One of the oldest reyza. Sense of humor and scary all at the same time.
Gurgaz unique: a.k.a. Slugthing. Jontari. Associated with Dekkak.
Jekki faas: Mzatal. Spry and energetic personal attendant of Mzatal. Loves to cook. Faruk’s mate.
Juke kehza: Mzatal. Summoned by Kara to assess a human for summoning ability. Loves pistachios.
Kajjon reyza: Amkir.
Kehlirik reyza: Rhyzkahl. Often summoned by Kara. Skilled with wards. Loves popcorn and human books.
Krum ilius: Mzatal. Sometimes mistaken for Wuki.
Kuktok kzak: Kadir. One of Pellini’s demon mentors. Status unknown.
Lazul mehnta: Mzatal. Keeper of Mzatal’s grove.
Marr syraza: Seretis. First syraza Kara ever summoned.
Olihr syraza: Rhyzkahl.
Struck down by an anomaly in Szerain’s realm. Saved by Safar and Ilana.
Pyrenth reyza: Rhyzkahl. Killed by Kara using an essence blade.
Rysehl luhrek: Elofir. The demon Kara was trying to summon when Rhyzkahl came through instead.
Rega faas: Rhyzkahl. One of Rhyzkahl’s personal attendants.
Rodian reyza: Jesral.
Safar reyza: Mzatal. Escorted Kara in Szerain’s realm when she first arrived. Crashed into the grove while carrying her.
Sehkeril reyza: Kadir. A lanky demon with a cruel streak. Eviscerated Kara during the Symbol Man’s final ritual. One of Pellini’s demon mentors.
Skalz zhurn: Vahl. Prefers to communicate telepathically.
Steeev syraza: Mzatal. Recruited by Kara as a bodyguard during Jill’s pregnancy. Killed (on Earth) by J.M. Farouche’s sniper. In stasis in the demon realm.
Tata ilius: Mzatal. That other ilius.
Turek savik: Szerain (essence bound). Ancient demon. Has known Szerain for thousands of years.
Votevha nyssor: Unknown. Summoned by Kara to assess a human for summoning ability. Likes bacon. Creepy.
Wuki ilius: Mzatal. Sometimes mistaken for Krum.
Yulz reyza: No lord. Jontari warlord associated with Dekkak.
Zhergalet faas: Vrizaar. Expert with wards.
Demon Words
Chak (like chalk without the L) Hot beverage without an Earth equivalent.
Chekkunden (cheh-KUN-din) Derogatory. Rough translation: honorless scum.
Chikdah (CHICK-daa) Derogatory. Rough translation: cunt.
Dahn (dahn) No.
Ekiri (ih-KEER-ee) Race that lived amongst the demons long ago, but departed for a new realm thousands of years past. Taught the demons mastery of the arcane. Built stone pavilions the demons call “gateways.”
Iliok (ILL-ee-ock) The three essence blades. Created by Mzatal.
Jhivral (j’HIV-rall) A true plea. Not the casually polite usage of “please” in English.
Jontari (zjon-TAR-ee, jon-TAR-ee) Demons who do not associate directly with the demonic lords. The vast majority of the demon population. Cities and enclaves are far from the palaces of the lords.