This Starside character guide covers the main characters in the novel, including Aris Agron, Harlan Raker, Vander Evren, Zane Sterling, Kira, Este, Stellan, and Cadoc Bolter.
The guide includes their roles in the Questral, abilities, relationships, and what happens to them throughout the story.
Full spoilers for Starside below.
Contents
Starside Characters at a Glance
| Character | Who are they? | Role in the Questral |
|---|---|---|
| Aris Agron | Fighter and weaponsmith from Silverside | Central protagonist |
| Harlan Raker | Mortal-born warrior and former God of Death | Aris’s reluctant ally and love interest |
| Stellan | Blacksmith from Nightfell | Aris’s guardian and mentor |
| Vander Evren | Immortal Bloodbane and Great House heir | Powerful ally of Aris |
| Zane Sterling | Heir to House Sterling | Aris’s ally; bonds with a Helmhawk |
| Kira | Mortal from Brambleside | Aris’s friend and ally |
| Este | Faeling from the Traveling City | Aris’s friend and ally |
| Cadoc Bolter | Heir to House Bolter | Aris’s main rival |
Who is Aris Agron?
Aris Agron is the central protagonist of Starside. A young fighter and weaponsmith from Silverside, she enters the Questral seeking revenge against the goddess who destroyed her village and killed her family.
Aris survived a lightning strike when she was eight years old. After her family revived her, the markings left by the lightning turned silver. From that point onward, she could withstand extreme heat and fire without burning.
Years later, a goddess destroys Aris’s village. Her parents and younger sister die in the attack, while Aris survives the flames. Stellan finds her among the ruins and takes her to Nightfell, where he teaches her to forge weapons and fight.
Aris eventually enters the Questral and travels into Starside, determined to find the goddess responsible for her family’s deaths.
Aris Agron’s Abilities
Aris has an unusual connection to heat and fire. She can touch extremely hot objects and survive flames that would kill an ordinary mortal.
She is also a trained weaponsmith and swordswoman. Stellan teaches her both skills during the years she spends with him in Nightfell.
Aris and Harlan Raker
Aris and Harlan Raker begin as enemies. Years before the Questral, Raker catches Aris trespassing on a military training ground and turns her over to the guards. Their punishment leaves permanent scars on her back, and Aris blames him for what happened.
During the Questral, however, they form a reluctant partnership. Aris has a map of Starside, while Raker has the strength and experience to protect them. Their alliance gradually becomes trust, attraction, and eventually something much more personal.
Who is Harlan Raker?
Harlan Raker is a mortal-born warrior and former God of Death who enters the Questral to reclaim his lost power.
Raker originally grows up in a poor family in Stormside. His father is a fisherman and his mother a seamstress. He later joins the king’s guard, rises through its ranks, and eventually becomes the God of Death.
During the previous Questral, around fifty years before the events of Starside, Raker hides a shard of his soul in Stormside. Five years before the current Questral, the God of War attempts to kill him. Because part of his soul remains in Stormside, Raker survives and awakens there as a human once more.
He enters the new Questral hoping to regain his divinity.
Harlan Raker’s Abilities
Even as a mortal, Raker is an exceptionally skilled fighter capable of defeating immortals and dangerous creatures.
He also carries an ancient sword made from Starside steel, a rare weapon that chooses its own wielder.
After reaching the well of magic and drinking from a cup, Raker becomes a god again and regains his supernatural power.
Who is Stellan?
Stellan is a blacksmith from Nightfell and a survivor of the previous Questral.
Around fifty years before Starside, Stellan enters Starside and survives the competition. Instead of bringing the magic he earns back to Stormside, however, he gives it to Vander Evren and his people.
Years later, Stellan finds Aris after the destruction of her village and takes her in. He becomes her guardian and teaches her both weaponsmithing and combat.
Shortly before the Culling, Stellan is mortally wounded. Before dying, he tells Aris to find Vander Evren.
Who is Vander Evren?
Vander Evren is a powerful immortal heir and the head of one of Starside’s Great Houses.
He first meets Stellan during the previous Questral. Stellan saves his life, and the two become friends. Decades later, Aris summons Vander after entering Starside. Because of his loyalty to Stellan, Vander agrees to help her. He teaches Aris more about Starside’s Great Houses, ancient weapons, oaths, and political alliances and eventually becomes one of her most important allies.
Vander Evren’s Abilities
Vander is a powerful Bloodbane and an experienced warrior.
His godsword can change into different weapons, including daggers, throwing stars, and a scythe. He can also use the blade to create living maps and travel across great distances.
Who is Zane Sterling?
Zane Sterling is the heir to House Sterling and a skilled axe fighter from Helmspeak.
His family controls the mountain and silver mines surrounding Helmspeak, but Zane secretly leaves home to enter the Questral without relying on his house’s resources.
He meets Aris and Kira early in the competition and becomes one of their closest allies. At the Beast Tree, Zane bonds with a massive Helmhawk. He eventually reaches the well of magic and earns a cup. Rather than using the magic for himself, he plans to take it home and use it to restore Helmspeak.
Who is Kira?
Kira is a mortal from Brambleside who enters the Questral to save her younger sister, Anise.
Anise is seriously ill and needs magic to survive, making her the central reason Kira risks entering Starside. Kira befriends Aris and Zane early in the competition, and the three form a pact to protect one another. After suffering a severe leg injury, Kira asks Aris and Zane to continue without her. She makes Aris promise to help Anise if she reaches the magic at the end of the Questral.
Kira later falls into Cadoc Bolter’s hands and is killed.
Who is Este?
Este is a faeling from the Traveling City who becomes one of Aris Agron’s closest allies.
She first meets Aris when Aris and Raker arrive in the Traveling City after Aris is injured. Este helps care for her and teaches her more about the city and its people. She later helps save Aris after another serious injury.
Eventually, Este chooses to leave the Traveling City and continue the journey with Aris, despite knowing that leaving means she may never be allowed to return home.
Who is Cadoc Bolter?
Cadoc Bolter is the heir to House Bolter and one of Aris Agron’s main rivals during the Questral.
House Bolter is one of Stormside’s remaining Great Houses, giving Cadoc access to guards, supplies, and valuable weapons when he enters the competition. His conflict with Aris becomes increasingly personal when she discovers that he is responsible for Stellan’s death.
During the Questral, Cadoc gathers other challengers around him and claims a powerful fire-breathing dragon. He later captures and kills Kira. Cadoc eventually reaches the well of magic before Aris, drinks from a cup of magic, and leaves Starside alive and immortal.
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