Major Characters

Ben

One of Jonathan’s close friends. Ben tends to be a quiet observer who evaluates and weighs a person’s every word and action. His dreams of becoming an EMT were put on hold when the Ranker War broke out, and after trying to protect his friends, Ben was turned into a vampire. Or so the Rankers thought. In actuality, Ben’s griffin heart proved too strong to become completely lost to darkness, and now he works as a sort of double-agent, pretending to serve the Rankers while feeding information about them to Jonathan and his griffin-hearted loyalists.

Ben is a pseudo-griffin. His griffin form is blue with white hind paws, a dark, jagged beak, and, most bizarrely of all, great, webbed bat wings instead of feathered griffin wings.

Donovan

A sadistic vampire and Garrett’s right-hand-man. Donovan is responsible for Ben’s transformation. He is charming, handsome, and his unusual manner of speech excludes contractions. His friendly manner is only a predatory ruse meant to attract prey—Donovan is really a vicious and violent hunter who despises the griffin-hearted and will do anything he can to crush Jonathan’s spirits—including bringing harm to those closest to him.

Garrett

More than just your average school bully. He's sadistic, malicious, and for some reason intent on making Jonathan's life miserable. Ever since he publicly humiliated Nikki at school, saying crude, lewd things that still affect her even years later, Jonathan vowed to one day put Garrett in his place. Though the two of them have not yet engaged in a physical fight, it’s only a matter of time before the tension between them erupts.

Garrett has inky-black hair and emerald-green eyes. He also wears a golden ring in his ear that is studded with a red gem.

The Griffin Council

There is always a council of five griffin-hearted individuals who aid the griffin ruler by providing them with advice and overseeing certain matters. The current council is as follows:

Jade–An Australian girl with a penguin / tiger / seabird griffin form. Tasked with overseeing services and representing the needs of the people to the griffin king or queen.
Wambua–An African boy with a lion / marshall eagle griffin form. Tasked with overseeing farming and agriculture.
Damon–A young boy from Washington state with an intricate celtic pattern down the spine of his green-and-orange griffin form. Tasked with managing castle defense and military organization.
Peligro–An Argentinian boy with a harpy eagle griffin form. Tasked with overseeing trade and castle management.
Russel–A South Korean boy who grew up in the Bronx of New York with a rich, yellow griffin form. Tasked with overseeing finances.

Jonathan

A Coloradan teen whose life initially revolves around his girlfriend, football, going toe-to-toe with the school bully, and avoiding his abusive, drunk father. Noble and just, he is at times immature and harbors emotional scars from a history of abuse and bereavement. When he arrives in the dreamworld and the obligations of being the Griffin Prince are thrust upon him, he can't help but try his best to adjust to the new challenges and learn how best to protect those he loves.

In griffin form, Jonathan is a copper-brown color with a white underside and long, yellow, tendril-like feathers over his eyes. His pinions and secondaries are mahogany-brown, the insides of his wings are a rich, golden-yellow with red-brown speckles, and he has three extra-long tertials on each side.

Josiah

Jonathan’s school counselor, a young man with feathery, shoulder-length, dark hair and eyes that seem a mix of amber, green, gray, and brown. Josiah is also a messenger for the white griffin, tasked with keeping an eye on Jonathan and the other fledgeling griffin-hearted in his circle. Though no one knows the circumstances that led Josiah to work so closely with a Celestial, he takes his responsibilities very seriously. Josiah was also a close friend of King Brody’s.

Josiah’s griffin form is scarlet with a crest of long, mohawk-like black feathers atop his head and black curly-cue markings in his wings.

Kayle

Kayle is a young Irishman with a surly attitude and a fondness for fire. He keeps to himself, and treats Jonathan like an annoying child that no one has the time to care for. Kayle never goes anywhere without his lighter engraved with the image of a phoenix. As long as he has a firesource such as his lighter nearby, Kayle can manipulate the flame.

In griffin form, Kayle is black with tufted ears and midnight speckles inside of his wings. As a griffin, he can also become entirely covered in fire!

The Liege Master

The mysterious, evil being that haunts the foul Ranker isle. King Brody supposedly discovered the existence and identity of the Liege Master, but died before being able to share his thoughts. Until recently, he was thought of as an idol or god that the Rankers worshiped—Jonathan, however, harbors doubts. Dreamworld fables liken him to the father of sin and the king of nightmares, though these have long been credited as silly horror stories. It is Jonathan who personally discovers the truth behind these so-called myths…

Mariah

Mariah is a young French woman who is shy and kind but fiercely protective of her friends. It pains her to think of the life and family she has left behind. A beautiful gemstone necklace crafted by the dwarves of Boiling Point Mountain granted her the ability to create and regenerate organic matter. Mariah can touch the soil and grow a berry bush, touch a corncob and regrow the kernels, and even regrow a severed limb!

In griffin form, Mariah is pale pink with curly feathers that extend above her eyes and dusty-brown chevrons on the insides of her wings.

Michael

A Celestial that takes the form of a white griffin. Michael has guided and assisted griffin rulers since as far back as anyone can remember. He stands a foot or two taller than Peter, and strange, inky black markings cover his face and head. Unlike a normal griffin, Michael’s eyes glow yellow with black sclera. When he spreads his wings, images sometimes flicker through them—images from a person’s past, future, and perhaps even their deepest desires.

Nikki

Jonathan's girlfriend. Nikki does her best to survive in a broken world as the Rankers slowly encroach upon dreams and begin to lay waste to reality. Normally anxious, quiet, and reserved, she begins to develop into a brave leader and helps her friends to fight from the shadows, protecting dreamers as they sleep from Rankers and the monsters that work with them. Jonathan admires Nikki for her perseverance, quiet strength, selflessness, and loyalty.

Peter

Jonathan's mentor and a war veteran, Peter helps to train Jonathan and teach him how to cope with being a prince and a griffin. A father figure, Peter cares deeply for Jonathan--and seems to harbor a slew of mysterious secrets. A strong, burly man, and capable of transforming into a griffin just like Jonathan can, he is wise, powerful, and every bit as regal as the mythical creature whose form he can take.

Peter’s griffin form is large, shaggy, and chocolate-brown. He has silver eyes and the griffin ability to blend in with his surroundings in a way that renders him almost completely invisible!

The Squadron

A group of specially chosen warriors tasked with accompanying the griffin ruler on their ventures and protecting them. Members and numbers change every few years based on the location of the king or queen’s quest and the specializations required. Current lead members include Flaherty, a marine and dreamer from reality, Marcus, Tyson’s dream-creation and a rambunctious man from the gladiatorial province of Grechus, Agave, a fierce Amazonian woman, and Takeo-Kou, a kind-hearted and curious samurai.