Optoglean Tales Novels - Characters
The Pagalan Chronicles Series One
Morganuke Beldere - Main character
Morganuke's life begins in obscurity on the remote Banton Island, far from the courts and citadels of the mainland. He is raised by Stoven and Plarem Beldere, a humble farming couple with no children of their own, who took him in as an abandoned infant. From the outset, there is something different about the boy:
His silver-white hair, crimson-red eyes, and pale skin starkly contrast the coastal villagers around him.
His speech, even from a young age, is unnaturally articulate.
His mannerisms are solemn, thoughtful—almost watchful.
Morganuke is not shunned, but he is not wholly embraced either. The villagers, while respectful of his foster parents, refer to him in hushed tones as the strange-eyed boy. Children are wary of him; animals seem preternaturally aware of his presence.
The story pivots when Morganuke discovers more about his lineage. The more he learns, the more he is driven to uncover all the facts that not only explains where he came from but also uncovers dark secrets of the Pagalan world.
Stovin Beldere – Morganuke’s adopted Father
Stovin Beldere is Morganuke’s adopted father in The Pagalan Chronicles: Book 1 – Search for Morganuke’s Roots. A man of quiet strength and unwavering principle, Stovin is a weathered figure in both appearance and soul, broad-shouldered, with deeply tanned skin from decades under the sun, and hands marked by a lifetime of toil on the rocky coastlands of Banton Island. His hair, once thick and dark, has turned to silver at the temples, and his eyes, storm-grey and steady, are often described as “the kind that measured a man before he spoke.”
A humble farmer and shepherd by trade, Stovin is deeply rooted in the values of the old ways: self-reliance, honesty, and a deep respect for the land. He rarely speaks at length, but when he does, his words carry weight. He is not a scholar, nor a man of high birth, but there is wisdom in him that often surpasses that of noblemen. Villagers often sought his quiet counsel in times of hardship.
Stovin’s role in the first book is foundational, he is the bedrock of Morganuke’s early identity. Even as Morganuke begins to uncover the truth of his lineage and the power he holds, it is the quiet integrity of Stovin Beldere that remains a compass in his soul.
Plarem Beldere – Morganuke’s adopted Mother
Plarem Beldere, Morganuke’s adopted mother in The Pagalan Chronicles: Book 1 – Search for Morganuke’s Roots, is a woman of profound warmth and quiet resilience, whose gentleness is matched only by her inner strength. Of medium height and sturdy build, with soft brown hair long since streaked with silver, she carries herself with the grace of someone who has weathered sorrow and found peace in its passing. Her face is lined not by age alone, but by laughter, long days under the sun, and the many small kindnesses that defined her life on Banton Island.
To Morganuke, Plarem was the centre of his early world: the quiet hand on his brow when nightmares stirred, the voice that sang as she baked, the calm presence who knew when to speak and when simply to listen. She taught him not only to cook and sew and tend the chickens, but also to show kindness without expectation and strength without cruelty.
Plarem Beldere may not have shared Morganuke’s blood, but her love and guidance shaped him just as surely as destiny did. Her quiet wisdom and enduring faith become a source of inner strength for him throughout his journey, especially when the truths of his heritage begin to challenge the memories of his peaceful upbringing.
Fraytar DeLance
Fraytar DeLance is a weathered seafarer of considerable renown and enigmatic charm. A man of the waves in every sense, he is tall, lean, and whipcord tough, with skin burnished by sun and salt, a silver-streaked beard, and eyes the colour of storm-washed soil, eyes that see more than they let on.
He discovered Morganuke as an abandoned infant in a strange, rune-marked container lodged in a coastal inlet. Though the child bore no name, Fraytar sensed there was something other about him, his silver hair, his crimson eyes, and the emerald-hilted sword placed beside him like a guardian. Rather than alert the island authorities, Fraytar took the child to the only people he trusted with such a burden: Stovin and Plarem Beldere, longtime friends whose judgment and honour were unshakable.
Though often gone for long stretches, sailing across the coastal archipelagos, mapping ruins, chasing stories of forgotten ports, he always returned to check on the boy he had found. And as Morganuke grew, Fraytar’s role evolved from benefactor to mentor.
“There’s more to you than the boy I pulled from the surf,” he once said to Morganuke, watching the twilight settle on the sea. “You carry a thread of something ancient. If you’re ready to follow it, I’ll help you trace it. But you must be willing to lose what you think you know.”
Tomlin Francite
Tomlin Francite is the village blacksmith of Peblock. A stout, broad-chested man with arms like tree trunks and a booming laugh that seemed to shake the rafters of his forge. His beard is thick and charcoal-black, streaked with soot as often as it is with age, and his bald pate shines with sweat from years spent over the anvil. He lives and works in a modest smithy near the edge of the settlement, where the clang of hammer on iron rings from dawn until twilight.
Morganuke first visited Tomlin’s smithy as a curious boy, drawn by the sound and heat and rhythm of the forge. Instead of shooing him away, Tomlin handed him a pair of tongs and let him watch, then help. Over time, that curiosity deepened into skill. Tomlin taught him the fundamentals of metallurgy—how to judge the temper of steel by the colour of its glow, how to fold iron to make it strong, how to listen to the sound of a strike to know whether it rang true.
Calarel Francite
Calarel Francite is the spirited and sharp-witted daughter of Tomlin Francite, the village blacksmith of Peblock. A striking presence even in childhood, Calarel was known across the island not just for her bright hazel eyes and long unruly chestnut hair, but for her relentless will and complete refusal to be anyone’s second.
She and Morganuke were of the same age, and from their earliest years, the two shared a rivalry that often blurred into companionship. Calarel could outclimb, outrun, and outtalk most boys in the village—and she relished doing so. She was mischievous and bold, quick to challenge, and even quicker to laugh, especially when it was at Morganuke’s expense. Yet beneath her fierce independence was a mind as keen as any blade her father forged, and a heart that, while guarded, held fierce loyalties.
For Morganuke, Calarel was his first true crush, confusing, infuriating, and deeply captivating. There was a brightness in her spirit that made the world seem more alive, a confidence that challenged him in ways he didn’t yet understand. And though they shared moments of closeness, long talks by the cliffs, stolen glances during festivals, there was always a distance she maintained.
Her independence was the boundary he could never quite cross. “I’ll never be someone else’s shadow,” she once said to him, when he hesitated to reveal his deeper feelings. “Not yours. Not anyone’s. I’m not a tale in someone else’s story.”
Lady Chanterly Bowderlong
Lady Chanterly Bowderlong is a formidable presence in The Pagalan Chronicles. Known both for her commanding authority as the leader of Banton Island’s women’s militia and for the sharp intelligence and unwavering will that define her character. In her mid-forties, she stands tall at five foot ten, with a posture shaped by years of discipline and leadership.
Born into a lesser noble family with a long-standing presence on Banton, Chanterly could have lived a life of relative comfort. But her temperament and convictions pulled her elsewhere. Fiercely independent from a young age, she challenged the traditional roles expected of her, refusing to be cloistered in drawing rooms or used as a bargaining piece in political games.
The formation of the Banton Women’s Militia was her own design, forged during a period of growing threats from raiders and instability in the eastern straits. Though initially met with scepticism by the island’s male military leaders, her success in repelling a series of border skirmishes solidified her authority beyond dispute.
In a story full of warriors, mystics, and ancient bloodlines, Lady Chanterly Bowderlong stands apart as a woman who carved her own legacy in the world, through force of will, clear-eyed pragmatism, and a deep, unspoken belief in doing what is right, even when it is hard.
Melinor Skoln
Melinor Skoln is one of the most captivating and quietly resilient characters introduced in The Pagalan Chronicles. At seventeen years old, she stands at five foot seven, graceful and composed, with a presence that draws the eye not through boldness, but through an almost unspoken intensity. She is stunningly beautiful, her very long black hair flowing like ink down her back, her skin a warm olive tone touched by the sun, and her deep brown eyes filled with quiet intelligence and guarded emotion. Her frame is slim and athletic, honed not in the training yards, but through years of endurance, caretaking, and quiet resistance.
At first, Melinor seems shy and withdrawn, content to keep to the edges of conversation and action. Her silence is often mistaken for timidity, particularly by Calarel Francite, who scoffs at Melinor’s reserve and mocks her for what she perceives as softness. But Morganuke sees something else. Drawn first by her eyes, so thoughtful and measured, he comes to understand that Melinor’s stillness is not weakness, but restraint. There is a discipline in her silence, and a depth that he finds both humbling and arresting.
Alorie Skoln
Alorie Skoln, the seven-year-old sister of Melinor, is a tender yet surprisingly brave presence in The Pagalan Chronicles. Small for her age, with delicate features and large brown eyes that seem too perceptive for a child, Alorie carries a quiet innocence that contrasts sharply with the dangers of the world around her. She has the same olive skin and dark hair as her sister, though hers is usually tied in a loose braid or left wind-tangled after long days of travel.
She is deeply attached to Melinor, relying on her older sister not only for comfort and guidance, but as the centre of her world.
Her bond with Morganuke grows gradually. At first, she watches him with suspicion, clinging to Melinor’s cloak. But in time, she warms to him, especially when he speaks gently to her, shows her how to draw constellations in the dirt, or gives her his cloak on cold nights. In many ways, she becomes a quiet test of Morganuke’s leadership, not in battle, but in humanity.
Lengrond Smidrich
Lengrond Smidrich is a bold and magnetic presence in The Pagalan Chronicles, A native of Cadmun Major, and a proud embodiment of its hardy, people. At twenty-five years old, Lengrond stands an imposing six foot three, his broad, athletic frame tempered by years of rigorous martial training and wilderness living. His wild red hair, often tied back with a leather cord, and piercing green eyes mark him unmistakably as Cadmunese—fiery of spirit and fiercely loyal by nature.
Morganuke first meets Lengrond during his early expeditions on the mainland. What begins as a wary encounter evolves into a fast friendship, sealed by mutual respect, and Lengrond’s natural ability to win people over with stories, songs, and laughter. Charismatic and endlessly sociable, Lengrond is the kind of man who can turn a silent campfire into a roaring hall of tales with nothing more than a grin and a mug of something strong.
Though he occasionally grumbles about the seriousness of their quest, “You boys and your cursed swords and bloodlines”, Lengrond never leaves Morganuke’s side. His loyalty is fierce, and when the time comes to stand in battle, he does so without hesitation
Array Commander Novius Caradoc
Array Commander Novius Caradoc is a commanding yet contemplative figure in The Pagalan Chronicles. Serving as a senior officer in the Epleon-allied mainland forces during the early border wars that draws Morganuke into the broader conflict beyond Banton Island. A proud native of Cadmun Major, Novius shares the unmistakable traits of his highland heritage: flame-red hair, neatly kept and streaked with the faintest touch of grey at the temples; keen green eyes, ever-watchful; and a physicality honed by decades of discipline, tall, broad-shouldered, and solid as a mountain wall.
Novius and Lengrond Smidrich were good friends in the wind-lashed strongholds of northern Cadmun. Where Lengrond was the charismatic wild soul, Novius was the anchor, the thoughtful counterpoint who kept their schemes from tipping into recklessness. Their bond remains unshaken in adulthood, forged through fire, hardship, and mutual respect. When war came to the mainland frontiers, it was Novius who ensured Lengrond received a command of his own, and it was through Lengrond that Novius met Morganuke.
Captain Amannar
Captain Amannar is a seasoned mariner and master of the Aurora, the sleek three-masted carrack that features prominently in The Pagalan Chronicles. A man of the sea in every fibre of his being, Amannar is in his early fifties, with skin darkened by decades of sun and salt, and eyes the colour of weathered teak, keen, shrewd, and always watching the horizon. His silver-streaked black hair is kept shoulder-length, and his beard is trimmed but coarse, flecked with grey and often smelling faintly of pipe smoke and brine.
Though not flamboyant, Captain Amannar carries himself with quiet command. His voice is gravelly and low, but when he speaks, the crew listens. There is no need for shouting aboard the Aurora, Amannar’s authority is earned through reputation, competence, and the unshakable aura of a man who has seen every kind of storm and survived them all.
Lord Brackish
Lord Brackish is a formidable and well-regarded figure, serving as Commander of the Eastern Militia of Banton Island and holding title as one of the senior manor lords in the region surrounding Tannisport, the eastern coastal stronghold of the island. A native of Banton, Lord Brackish is a man of the land, rooted in its traditions, shaped by its storms, and fiercely loyal to its people.
In his late fifties, Brackish is a tall, broad-shouldered man with a solid, unpretentious bearing. His hair is thick and silvered, worn neatly, and his face is lined not only by age, but by years of responsibility. His eyes, grey blue like sea-washed stone, are steady and discerning, taking in more than he says. His voice is deep and gravelly, often calm but never uncertain.
When Morganuke first enters the political and martial currents of Banton Island, Lord Brackish regards him with measured caution. The young man’s origins are unknown, his appearance unnatural, impossible to ignore. But Brackish is not a man to judge by surface.
Commander General Falcar Tradish
Commander General Falcar Tradish is the commanding force behind the Banton-Cadmun Alliance. A towering and commanding figure of Cadmun descent, Falcar is in his mid-forties, and embodies the full intensity of the Cadmun martial tradition, disciplined, bold, and utterly unrelenting in the pursuit of strategic victory.
Standing well over six feet tall, with a powerful build shaped by decades of front-line service, Falcar Tradish is immediately recognisable by his long, flame-red hair, worn in warrior braids that mark his Cadmun heritage, and a matching, meticulously kept red beard streaked faintly with silver. His piercing green eyes seem always fixed on the next move, scanning terrain, reading men, and calculating the flow of battle with the ease of one born to command.
As overall commander of the allied forces, Falcar commands both the standing garrisons of Banton Island and several forward operations teams that he personally established and deployed in enemy-held or contested territories across the mainland and surrounding seas. These forward contacts, composed of scouts, saboteurs, and intelligence officers, are crucial to his high-risk, high-reward approach to warfare.
He takes an early interest in Morganuke, not for his lineage, but for his bearing—his calm under pressure, his unconventional power, and the tactical mind he displays in battle. While initially cautious of the young man’s origins and mystic sword, Falcar comes to regard Morganuke as a valuable asset.
Commander General Quatamire Yaloop
Commander General Falcar Tradish, as depicted in The Pagalan Chronicles, serves as the overall commander of the Epleon forces stationed in Lobos, the strategic southern frontier of the realm. A man of meticulous habits and rigid discipline, Falcar is a figure who commands not only authority, but admiration and awe, both on the battlefield and in the halls of command.
Now in his early fifties, Falcar cuts an imposing figure—tall, broad-backed, and dignified in every motion. His hair, once deep brown, is now streaked elegantly with grey, and his matching well-trimmed beard lends him a noble, patrician appearance. His eyes are a cool, calculating grey, and though his tone is often measured and calm, there is no mistaking the sharpness of his intellect or the steely confidence that lies beneath.
Morganuke encounters Falcar Tradish in a time of mounting pressure in Lobos. Initially, Falcar regards him with the reserved caution typical of a commander wary of mysticism and unorthodox power. But over time, he sees in Morganuke a potential ally, not merely for his lineage or sword, but for his resolve and restraint.
“You hold chaos in one hand, boy,” Falcar tells him in one early conversation, gesturing to the emerald blade. “But you carry yourself like a man who prefers order. That, more than blood or birth, is what makes a soldier.”
Commander Craden Brenadere
Commander Craden Brenadere is a charismatic and highly accomplished Epleon cavalry officer serving under General Yaloop in The Pagalan Chronicles. In his early thirties, Craden stands out not only for his exceptional skill in mounted warfare, but for his striking appearance and noble bearing. Tall and athletic, with angular features and a confident, easy stride, he is often described as one of the most handsome officers in the Epleon ranks.
Craden's uniform is as immaculate as his reputation, he is nearly always seen in his magnificent blue surcoat. His dark brown is worn neatly, his jaw shows a neatly trimmed beard, and his brown eyes carry the sharp alertness of a battlefield tactician and the charm of a practiced nobleman.
Despite his polished exterior, Craden is no aloof noble. He rides with his men, trains with them, and is known for his coolness under fire. His leadership style is firm but encouraging; he is quick to commend a soldier’s initiative, and equally swift to correct laxity.
Craden first encounters Morganuke during the defence of Stacklin, where he witnesses Morganuke wield the emerald sword in a skirmish against Cordinen scouts. Intrigued by the young man’s composure and curious origins, Craden becomes one of the few officers who treats Morganuke not with suspicion, but with respect
Commander General Frentosh Miliaton
Commander General Frentosh Miliaton is the dark and formidable nemesis of Morganuke in The Pagalan Chronicles, and one of the most feared figures in the known world. As supreme military authority of the Cordinen forces based in Cryantor Ventor, Miliaton is not merely a general, he is the embodiment of the Cordinen state’s doctrine of absolute control through fear, domination, and precision.
He is a man of angular precision, in both appearance and temperament. His uniform is always immaculate, his speech deliberate and honed like a scalpel. His face bears no softness, only the hawk-like features of a man who never doubts and never forgives. His eyes are dark, devoid of warmth, and his presence in any room is suffocatingly quiet, like a storm about to strike. Soldiers stand straighter in his presence. Officers choose their words carefully. Even allies speak of him in hushed tones.
To Morganuke, Miliaton is not only a military adversary, but a reflection of what happens when power is divorced from humanity. Their eventual confrontation is not just a clash of armies, but of worldviews, one rooted in control, the other in freedom; one in domination, the other in legacy and truth.
Almen and his band of brave forward Alliance contacts
Almen and his brave band of forward contacts are a legendary unit in The Pagalan Chronicles, operating as a covert strike and reconnaissance team for the Epleon-Banton-Cadmun Alliance, and playing a crucial role in several of Morganuke’s most daring missions. Handpicked and entrusted by Commander General Falcar Tradish, they were deployed deep behind enemy lines to observe, disrupt, and report on Cordinen troop movements, supply convoys, and fortification patterns, often risking death for knowledge that might give the Alliance a strategic edge.
Fenlop and his partisans
Fenlop and his band of partisans are a rugged, fiercely independent guerrilla group operating deep within Ventor, the heartland of Cordinen occupation, in The Pagalan Chronicles. Though not formally aligned with the Epleon-Banton-Cadmun Alliance, Fenlop’s fighters have long waged their own relentless resistance against the Cordinen regime, striking from the shadows with sabotage, ambush, and relentless local disruption.
Where the Cordinen forces dominate with machines, ranks, and fear, Fenlop’s partisans fight with knowledge of terrain, cunning, and fire-forged resolve. Their defiance is born not of orders from above, but of generations of suffering, families displaced, villages razed, and culture suppressed under Cordinen iron rule.
