Other Characters
The Arkadians live in the city of Arkadia deep beneath the surface of the earth. Over the milennia since the Great Cataclysm, they have created an advanced society dependent upon the power of their artificial sun, the Tehra (Shagma). Instead of having legs like their surface-dwelling ancestors did, the modern Arkadians' bodies float a slight distance above the ground.The Auracite (Oraichalque) is a slab of metal that rests on two pillars, facing the Tehra. It is unknown why the ancient Arkadians kept this artifact, but it seems to share a mysterious connection with both the Tehra and Spartakus' wristguard.
Shangor and Shangora are two of the children of Arkadia. They decided to enter the forbidden Archives to try to find a way to restore the Tehra. They discovered the truth about their ancestors, who lived on the surface and walked on legs. They use their mastery of the Tehra's power to create objects called "masterpieces," and used this method to make Arkana.
Shagmir and Loria are Sages of Arkadia, leaders of their people. They followed the wishes of their ancestors, keeping the Archives closed, until the Arkadian children showed them the error of their ways. They then sent Arkana to seek out the past they had once sought to keep forgotten.
Arkshag was assigned by the ancient Arkadians to guard the Prisoners of Lost Time. He seeks to capture Spartakus and his friends, to keep them from discovering more about Arkadia's past.
The Prisoners of Lost Time are decendants of Arkadians who refused to forget their past and left their home, only to be captured by Arkshag. Their prison camp lies in another time and place that can only be reached through a jewel embedded in a special mask. Matt and Rebecca discover the mask, leading them and their friends to find Arkshag and the camp. The prisoners' only hope of freedom lies in the solution to an ancient riddle.
The Double-Crowned Hydra is the most dangerous creature in all the strata. A magical two-headed monster, the crowns on its heads are its source of power, and its only weakness.
Catchpenny is a wandering minstrel and pickpocket who occasionally helps out his friends Spartakus and Arkana.
Mira is a girl who lives in a small village that is often threatened by the Mogokhs. She and Matt are very fond of each other, but every time they cross paths, he can never stay for long and must leave with his friends, and she must stay behind with her grandfather.
The Mogokhs are warriors who live in a snow-covered land and raid nearby villages for food. They ride giant, foul-tempered creatures called Ingokhs. Ingokhs do not like the Mogokhs, and will turn against them if they dismount.
Baatu is the leader of the Mogokhs. No one knows what he looks like beneath his facemask. He is a ruthless warrior, but can also be very reasonable--particularly when dealing with Spartakus, whom he helped in Barkar. Baatu claims to have known Spartakus' father--even saying that the two were like brothers once.
Spartakus' father is a mystery. Spartakus says that he was named after his father, as he was named after his father before him. Spartakus' father was one of the victims of his caravan's ambush in the deserts of Barkar.
A woman who claims to be Spartakus' mother is queen of a seemingly abandoned city. Spartakus had never known his mother, and when he took a dangerous spiritual journey to determine if he was in fact this woman's rightful heir, he passed her test. He refused to take his place as king, however, since all he wanted was to meet his mother. Arkana rescued Spartakus from the city, where he was being forced to stay, leaving him uncertain whether this woman truly was his mother.
The Lanista of Barkar captures and trains slaves to fight as gladiators in a large public arena in Barkar. The Lanista and his men were responsible for the attack that orphaned Spartakus and Rainbow.
Rainbow is Spartakus' younger brother. When his family caravan was ambushed in the deserts of Barkar, one of the attackers' shots hit Rainbow on the side of his face, leaving a scar on his left cheek. The Lanista of Barkar took pity on the young boy and adopted him as his own son. When Rainbow was old enough, the Lanista began teaching him the ways of his job, intending Rainbow to become his successor. Rainbow's first act was to implement a rule where the lives of randomly-selected slaves would hang in the balance when the gladiators of Barkar fought. Led by Spartakus, the gladiators rebelled against this cruel new rule, and Rainbow found himself unable to return to Barkar because of the trouble he caused. He now roams the strata and seeks revenge against Spartakus.