Hjolfr of the Reach...
...is a Dunmer of humble birth who, having been adopted by a Nord couple in his infancy due to the death of his birth parents, moved from Windhelm to Markarth in his early childhood. There, while his adoptive father worked as a miner, he met and was mentored by Calcelmo, and befriended Ruki, the Jarl's niece, and Ennis, the kennelmaster's daughter. He spent a happy and active adolescence in the ancient city until his adoptive parents passed away within a year and a half of each other, and he went on a journey to find a place for himself. It was during his travels that he found the Scholars Guild, and he has since then done and seen many things, and put his stamp on a number of accomplishments.
Ruwen of Shimmerene...
...was once an average girl. Born into exceedingly average circumstances as an only child to similarly mundane parents, there was very little outwardly unusual about her. Like many young Altmer, Ruwen reaped the benefits of magical training that is common to begin at young ages in Alinor. Her youth, with the exception of her interactions with a friend, Arivanna, who was unusual by every definition for an Altmer, continued to be average. She attended the college of Shimmerene and it was there that her proclivities towards spellcraft became more pronounced and noticed. However, Ruwen decided to follow in the footsteps of Arivanna and joined the Thalmor. However an inexperienced Altmer, however gifted, would be only an average asset to the Thalmor, and she was assigned to struggle under the shackles of mundanity as a desk clerk. After being sent on an assignment to retrieve her friend, Arivanna, now a fugitive from the Dominion, Ruwen found herself anything but normal, and she basked in it.
Ruki the Runt...
...is a Nord, the niece to the Jarl of Markarth, and Hjolfr and Ennis's longtime friend.
Caeli Caro...
...is an Imperial, a musician, and Hjolfr's dearest friend.
Mattenne Ducanne...
...is a Breton, Lily's lover, and the Guildmaster.
Lia...
...is a Breton of unknown origin who washed up on the island with no memories.
Seraphina...
...is an Imperial agent out to take in Ennis, but all she's equipped with is a sketched likeness. She has yet to find her mark.
Van'Seraji...
... or "Vance", (who withstood the Imperial City, who comes by way of Stormhold and of Archon, of Tear and of Belene's Rest, of the waters of Bravil and of Oblivion, of Wayrest, of Rihad, and of the canals of Telvannis, who was given life from the egg clutch of Na'rei and who drank his first breaths of the nurturing sap of Galgonath), is an enigmatic and morally upstanding Argonian without an objectionable scale on his body.
Gilgondorin of Skywatch...
... or Gil, is an Altmer who has long served the Noble and Most Ancient House of Redoran, albeit in a rather atypical manner.
Zirath Samori...
... or Zyr, is a Dunmer mystic of the tradition of the Shin-Ilu, a small Ashlander tribe. An Indoril by birth, he has by long and winding road reached Sunlock, where he holds the positions of Chair of the Transmundane and Head of Abjuration. He also is Ruwen's teacher.
Victaire Parva...
...is the newly appointed head of the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Watch. He is an Imperial, as might be obvious.
Silvyn Uvoram...
...is a Dunmer, and the head of commerce on the island, as well as being chief of the Office of Census and Excise. If one is to believe the rumours, he routinely sets himself on fire whilst attempting some spell or other.
Ontus Mercius...
...is a jeweler, and quite possibly a spy. Watch what you say around him.
Udryk Silver-Arm...
...is a Nord, a retired plunderer of Dwemer oddities, and a farmer. He fancies himself old. He brought Silvyn into the world with the help of a mad fire witch.
Tirandarion of Cloudrest...
... or Tir, is an Altmer and an aspiring vintner. He likes big cabernets, and killing Thalmor.
Marshbane Uvoram...
... or Em, Marshy, or "Crazy Pyro Bitch" to her her nearest and dearest, is a Dunmer, a keen amateur mycologist, and a walking international incident. Ghosts like to talk to her, probably because ectoplasm is incombustible.
Ennis Black-Blood...
...is a Nord, ex-pirate, Ruki and Hjolfr's longtime friend, and professional bullshitter. She does not know it, but in her youth she was the subject of a Reachman prophecy that foretold that she would one day squeeze out a shit that you could smell in Sunlock.
Apolline de Sauveterre...
...Is a Breton born into the Ducal Family of Alcaire and noble subjects to King Matthew of Wayrest, the de Sauveterre. As second in line to become Duchess after her father, Apolline was raised by her grandfather, the Duke Gerard, who oversaw her education in all things political, artistic and scientific, in the hope his grandaughter would walk a better and more enlightened path than his son.
His hard work paid off, for, by the time he passed, Apolline had become a highly educated, decisive individual, uncaring for senseless opulence and pagentry and more concerned with bettering the lives of her people through the pursuit of good governance and science. Unfortunately, however, with Gerard's death, Apolline became incredibly depressed and, in an attempt to speak with his spirit from beyond the grave, made covenant with the Glenmoril Witches whom she believed could facilitate such a thing. Instead, they betrayed her, an elder vampire among their kind attacking the young woman and leaving her for dead.
Except Apolline did not die...
Lelyra...
...Is a skilled, Bosmer ranger who was born into a tribe in the dangerous, dense and relatively unknown interior of Valenwood. Known as the Dark Heart of the Wood, this place is home to the worst the land of the Bosmer has to offer; monsters, carnivorous flora and magical phenomenon seldom witnessed by modern scholars all call this place home and the Bosmer tribes that also call this place home are charged with protecting outsiders from what lies inside.
Eventually an Altmeri scholar would make his way into this unknown place to research and learn about it's people, living among Lelyra's tribe for a time. His tales of the outside, of a land bathed in sunshine and of diverse people of all different stripes intrigued the young Bosmeri girl and, after he left, she decided she would follow suit, venturing off into the great unknown in search of her place in the world.
Arkil of Shimmerene...
...is an Altmer, an ex-Thalmor, and an art critic. He possesses a rare and debilitating congenital disorder, which unfortunately causes him to hallucinate that he can read other people's minds. Because this disorder is sexually transmissable, he was quarantined when he was young and subjected to isolation and brainwashing in order to strip him of the ability to form meaningful social or romantic relationships. His story has been adapted into the comedic play The Merchant of Dusk, which is currently being performed twice weekly at the Oblong Theater in Lillandril.
Arivanna of Shimmerene...
... or Ari, is an Altmer, an ex-Thalmor, and an art critic. Though she's not very good at it, as she possesses a rare and debilitating congenital disorder which left her as a child with but one eye, one arm, one leg, and one testicle. A tragic tale which would have been entirely avoidable if Alinor's medicare system wasn't so hopelessly broken.
Eno Selvayn...
...is a Dunmer and aspiring mage. Too bad he's in Redoran. He is currently seeking the advice and aid of Gil. You couldn't find a better teacher. Unless, you know, you looked.