Below are the characters that I’ve used throughout this corner of the web. The top are the individuals who might find in all the stories and then below those, are the ones from the books.
Jump Link to a Book Characters:
Ongoing Characters
Ziggy Pumpernickle
Role: Wandering Animal Tracker & Unofficial Lore Keeper
Location: Wherever he feels like (Vertex, Artizan, or somewhere in between)
Signature Look: Pockets full of snacks, handful of snails, geckos and the odd pigeon. Zero arrow tattoos
Ziggy is an animal tracker currently compiling a book as he roams between Vertex and Artizan. How he crosses between the two lands without using the main bridge—or bearing a single mark or arrow tattoo—is a complete mystery.
He travels light, usually with a small friend in one pocket and a snack in the other. Thanks to his endless wandering, he occasionally imparts profound wisdom to anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to cross his path.
As for his book? Nobody knows the title, and he has never let anyone read it. He simply appears out of nowhere when you least expect him, and occasionally when you need him most. Or not. He follows no schedule and accepts no appointments.
Even as the writer, I can’t predict when Ziggy will make an appearance. He’s just that good at hiding from the narrative.
Toshi
Role: A bustling ball of fluff that has thievery inclinations
Location: Indigenous to the world. Including yours.
Signature Look: Has large feet, a purple-tinged coat, and one large tooth that sticks out courtesy of his overbite that he never bothered to fix, back when they were a dustmite.
Toshis steal socks. That’s the beginning and the end of it. They tend to steal the left ones, but to be honest, sometimes they go for all of them. The sock type doesn’t matter, and they very rarely get caught. They are masters of it.
What is really peculiar is how they do it. They don’t have arms. So, it is naturally assumed that they use their teeth. Or feet. It’s not really certain how they do it.
‘Only the Toshi Knows‘ has become a popular saying.
Maude or “The Maude”
Role: Ultimate Survivor & Unwitting President-Elect
Location: Unregistered / Mobile Hideouts
Signature Look: Thick patterned shawl, severe bun, and her infamous Knitting Needles of Chaos.
Maude’s name came up as a potential president for Vertex, many, many, many, moons ago. Back then, they used to choose their president through something known as “The Peckish Games.” 24 Participants, or tributes, were chosen from a bowl, from each region in Vertex. They were hunted through the wilderness by officials carrying light appetizers. Maude managed to elude them all using pure stealth, agility, and sheer stubbornness.
However, because she was never caught, nobody told her the game was over. She has been roaming the wild ever since on the lands, completely off the grid. Every now and then, a person might catch the whisper of her shawl disappearing around the corner, or a cackle of laughter in the night. Most of the time, innocent individuals stumble upon one of her thousands of hideouts. The only clue that she ever was there is the tangled mess of yarn.
Yarn that could just be a simple forgotten ball, or perhaps a tactical distraction, to give her time to plod back into the shadows.
From the Tale: Pending Doom
Something catastrophic is brewing in Vertex, but the people tasked with handling it couldn’t be more mismatched. Follow Dave the accountant, Rammi the obsessed chef, Lydia the town gossip, and Bill the gardener as they chase wild flour theories, garden infestations, and municipal sewer hazards. Beyond the petty squabbles and local chaos lies the truth of the real, impending doom—if this deeply unqualified crew can survive each other long enough to uncover it.
Below are the main characters you can expect to encounter.
Bill Lukas
Role: Gardener & “Grounded Logic” for the Doomsday Task Force
Location: Secondhand, right at the top of Vertex
Signature Look: Coated in topsoil, stubbled chin, wearing a sturdy chocolate-brown apron (rumored to have once been salmon pink), equipped with a trowel and watering can
Bill is the grounded rock of our task force, selected by the council to figure out what on earth the town clock is counting down to. He possesses a solid sense of logic, a calming presence, and a habit of speaking his mind directly. Having spent most of his life conversing with turnips and rare daffodils, he occasionally forgets that—unlike his usual flora audience—humans can actually reply.
He brings a sense of peace to the rest of the group’s drama-filled dynamic. That said, when the constant squabbling gets tedious, Bill has a tendency to wander off in search of an unusual butterfly or a particularly wiggly caterpillar. Pretty much anything is more interesting to him than small-town gossip.
Underneath all that mud, Bill is undeniably handsome. As this is my story, I’m allowed a delicious man. If you don’t like it, tough.
Lydia
Role: Town Gossip, Highly Renowned, Incredibly Popular
Location: Secondtown (though frequently on holiday, as is fashionable)
Signature Look: The Latest Fashion, That is Sometimes So Late, Everyone has Forgotten
Lydia – no last time – is the ultimate queen of all things to reign. She knows everything that is going on, right down to your deepest secret, and what you had for breakfast yesterday. Nobody knows exactly how she knows, but she does. She can often be seen with an espresso, or a martini, or an espresso martini, at the most ‘happening’ joint.
She knows every owner and manager personally. Her only weakness, for some strange reason, is Bill. Bill is the only man who can get Lydia to do anything, including wearing unbranded clothes and exploring tunnels. If Bill’s not coming, she cannot bother with such things as adventures.
Despite hoarding vast amounts of dangerous local gossip, Lydia is surprisingly principled: she respects people’s secrets and genuinely uses her influence to help those in need. This warm-hearted nature is why people love her company. However, she draws the line at Viscose. That fabric has gone too far, as far as she is concerned.
The Story Compass 