Disclaimer:
All characters and images depicted on this website are fictional and are intended solely for artistic and narrative purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. These character representations were created through a combination of creative writing, role-playing history, and AI-assisted visual development.
Role: Farmhand
First Appearance: Chapter 1
Scarred, quiet, and driven by a past wrapped in smoke and ash. Stellan is the protagonist of Knightmare, burdened by the loss of his family in a brutal childhood fire. His loyalty to Thalia and sense of justice are slowly dragging him toward a greater purpose.
Role: Ranger Companion
First Appearance: Chapter 1
Sharp-eyed and dry-witted, Thalia is Stellan’s childhood friend and trusted companion. She’s a capable tracker, archer and sword wielder, trained by her mother Mara, and fiercely protective of those she loves. She has been working on sword skills with Stellan for the last few years. The streaks of gray in her hair hint at a legacy deeper than she ever knew.
Role: Hard-Nosed Farmer
First Appearance: Chapter 1
Gruff, stubborn, and slow to praise, Corren is Thalia’s father and Stellan’s unofficial guardian. He believes in hard work and harder discipline. Stellan was a resposibility he took but never really accepted. Driven by the weight of keeping his family fed and safe, he is the caretaker for the Wren family and takes that job very seriously.
Role: Reserved Matron
First Appearance: Chapter 1
Elegant and reserved, Mara is Thalia’s mother and a retired tracker and healer. She sees more than she says, and her calm wisdom carries quiet authority. The Lillegard family worked on the Wren farm, and Mara took care of Stellan after a promise made to his mother, before the tragic cabin fire on the Wren property. She is an accomplished leather worker and seamstess. While content to tend the farm and her family now, there are whispers she’s more than just a farmer’s wife.
Role: Farmhand turned Fighter (Armored)
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Now in armor, Stellan begins to lean into his role as a careful but determined fighter. He wears practical plate and carries his signature longsword. Chapter 2 marks the start of his real journey into danger.
Role: Ranger Companion (Armored)
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Thalia dons her leather ranger armor that her mother hand crafted for her. Calm, tactical, and not afraid to defend herself, she carries a bow and short sword with total confidence. .
Role: Owner Summervale Stables
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Harold oversees the town stables with a no-nonsense attitude and a quiet love for his horses. He’s not chatty, not friendly, and definitely not part of the adventuring crowd. Just a man doing his job, rain or shine, hoof or hay.
Role: Co-owner Summervale Stables
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Beverly is Harold’s wife and helps around the town stables. Warm and polite where her husband is gruff, she brings a bit of kindness to the otherwise no-frills stable yard. Her role is small, but her presence leaves a gentle impression.
Role: Blacksmith
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Built like an anvil and just as blunt, Burnell is the village blacksmith and the man who forged Stellan’s new sword and armor. He speaks in short bursts and swings a hammer like it's nobody's business. Reliable, stern, and respected, Burnell’s word and work carries weight in Summervale.
Role: Chainmail Maker / Halrik’s Wife
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Kind-eyed and quietly brilliant, Tilda is more than the blacksmith’s wife. She’s the one who crafted Stellan’s chainmail, and her nimble hands have stitched armor and clothes for half the village. Her gentle demeanor masks a will forged strong as steel.
Role: Ex-military and Tavern Owner
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Hornsby runs the Hornet’s Nest with the tired discipline of a man who’s seen real battles, and now fights chairs, drunks, and bad attitudes on a daily basis. A former soldier turned tavern keeper, he’s married to Rachel (who he met while she was a field medic), and helps look after her unstable brother Carl. Hornsby is not warm, but he’s steady, the kind of man who knows how to shut down a brawl before it starts, and quietly counts the exits in every room.
Role: Hornsby’s Wife / Carl’s Sister
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Rachel co-runs the Hornet’s Nest with a smile and a sharp wit. She's friendly with regulars, quick to laugh, and keeps the tavern humming, but mention her brother Carl the wrong way, and you’ll see just how fast that warmth can vanish. Protective to a fault and slow to trust outsiders, Rachel carries old wounds under her charm, especially when it comes to the unfortunate past Carl shares with Elder Rynn and she's not shy about saying how she feels about him either.
Role: Delusional Ladies’ Man, Certified Nuisance
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Derek’s convinced he’s charming, the rest of the town isn’t. Loud, clueless, and impossible to embarrass, he’s the kind of guy who shows up uninvited, drinks what isn’t his, and still thinks everyone wants him around. Whether he's hitting on Thalia or butting into serious conversations, Derek has a gift for being exactly where he shouldn't be. He means well... probably. But don’t count on him for anything useful.
Role: Quick-Witted Server, Master of Controlled Chaos
First Appearance: Chapter 2
Stephanie runs the floor at the Hornet’s Nest like a seasoned general, balancing plates, dodging nonsense, and delivering sarcasm with a smile. She's sharp-tongued but fair, and nobody sees a punchline (or a spill) coming faster. Whether she’s shutting down Derek’s antics or keeping the regulars in line, Stephanie’s the calm in the tavern’s daily storm.
Role: Broken Veteran, Keeper of Fractured Memories
First Appearance: Chapter 2
They call him Crazy Carl, but once, he was something more, a wanderer, a warrior, or perhaps a hero, long before the shadows broke his mind. Now he drifts through the tavern like a ghost, muttering riddles no one understands and staring into places no one else can see. Most folks pity or laugh at him. A few avoid him. But those who look closer might notice: Carl still remembers things no one else does. And some of those memories are things that refuse to stay buried.
Role: Millwright Co-Owner
First Appearance: Chapter 3
Tarn is the taller, louder, and more animated half of the Rigg brothers. He claims to be the creative one and he definitely has the energy to back that up, even if most of his ideas are held together by pure stubbornness and overcomfidence. Always talking, always moving, Tarn’s the type who could argue with a tree... and lose.
Role: Millwright Co-Owner
First Appearance: Chapter 3
Short, broad, and perpetually irritated, Bellis is the muscle behind the Millwright shop and the long-suffering victim of his brother’s nonstop babble. He doesn’t say much, but the look on his face says everything. Bellis is a craftsman first, a diplomat never, and he’s still not sure why they haven’t killed each other yet.
Role: Town Healer
First Appearance: Chapter 3
Elder Rynn is Summervale’s resident healer and one of its most respected citizens. Calm, steady, and surprisingly sharp beneath his quiet demeanor, Rynn carries the weight of old battles and older regrets. He rarely speaks of the past, but when he does, people listen, even the ones who don’t want to hear it. Elder Rynn has a lot of history but only talks about it with a chosen few.
Role: Merchant
First Appearance: Chapter 4
Lister runs Summervale’s general store with the dry wit of a man who’s seen everything twice and wasn’t impressed either time. Lister’s the kind of shopkeeper who knows what you need before you ask and might make you work for it with a smirk and a shrug. He keeps a tidy ledger and a watchful eye, especially when strangers come to town. Friendly enough, but his smile's always weighing coin.
Role: Freelance Acquisition Specialist
First Appearance: Chapter 4
Rylo is quick with a grin and quicker with his hands. A halfling rogue with more charm than sense. He talks fast, thinks faster, and usually finds trouble two steps ahead of wherever he’s trying to go. Whether he's slipping locks or slipping away from responsibility, Rylo is proof that size has nothing to do with making a mess. He’s fiercely loyal to his friends and surprisingly brave when cornered, though he’d still prefer to talk his way out of trouble.
Role: Wandering Mage
First Appearance: Chapter 5
Silver-eyed and wrapped in ruins, Morgana is a powerful but secretive spellcaster. She keeps her history locked tighter than her spellbook and doesn’t trust easily. Her presence marks a turning point in the story, shifting the tone toward darker magic and deeper mysteries.
Role: Commander of Skyfire Fort
First Appearance: Chapter 5
A hardened soldier stationed at Skyfire Fort, Veylan serves as the party’s liaison and strategist. Level-headed and brutally practical, he assigns missions, negotiates payment, and walks the fine line between duty and desperation as threats escalate. Veylan appears consistently from Chapter 5 onward, becoming a key point of contact and occasional voice of reason.
Role: Silver Peak Mine Survivor
First Appearance: Chapter 5
When orcs raided Silver Peak Mine, Shara and three others hid in a reinforced vault built by her father. She was the only one to walk out. Rescued by the party and returned to the fort along with salvaged silver ore, her quiet survival paints a stark picture of the war’s cost, one not measured in battles, but in those left behind.
Role: Skyfire Fort Stable Hand
First Appearance: Chapter 7
Reliable and unassuming, Kelton handles the party’s horses and gear during their journey to Ice Ridge Keep. Assigned by Veylan, he drives the supply cart and remains at the camp while the group confronts darker threats above. Quiet but dependable, Kelton plays a small but essential role in keeping operations moving behind the scenes.
Role: Scout Leader
First Appearance: Chapter 8
Gruff, grizzled, and not here to make friends, Dorn is the veteran in charge of the scout team investigating Ice Ridge. He wears scale armor, ignores protocol when it’s stupid, and doesn’t sugarcoat orders, or insults. He’s Kaelen’s uncle, but don’t expect special treatment. Dorn has survived more patrols than most soldiers will ever know.
Role: Field Medic and Scout
First Appearance: Chapter 8
The only thing keeping the scout unit stitched together, literally, is Jossin. A quiet and weathered medic, he treats the wounded with weary precision. His tabard is stained, his hands are calloused, and he’s probably forgotten what sleep feels like. Dorn might bark at him like the others, but Jossin’s one of the few the old man actually respects.
Role: Scout
First Appearance: Chapter 8
With a wiry frame and a face made for sneering, Vann has a talent for getting under people’s skin, especially Morgana’s. He talks big, backs it up just enough to stay on Dorn’s roster, and seems to enjoy being the camp’s professional instigator. Every group’s got one.
Role: Scout
First Appearance: Chapter 8
Massive in size and mellow in temperament, Tarnas is the quiet backbone of the scout team. Always ready to lift the heavy gear or calm the nerves of younger scouts, he’s the kind of man you want nearby when things go bad. Loyal, steady, and stronger than he looks, which is saying something.
Role: Scout
First Appearance: Chapter 8
At twenty years old, Kaelen is still proving himself, but he’s sharp, earnest, and carries more weight than most give him credit for. As Dorn’s nephew, expectations follow him like a shadow, but so does the pressure of living up to them. He survives the horrors at the Keep and emerges a little tougher, a little quieter, and a lot more ready.
Role: Skyfire Fort Quartermaster
First Appearance: Chapter 7
Gruff, sarcastic, and impossible to impress, Quartermaster Louis manages the fort’s gear and provisions like he’s guarding the royal treasury. In his 60s with a permanent scowl and a limp that predates most recruits, he hands out winter gear and pay with equal reluctance and always with a cutting remark. Louis isn’t here to make friends. He’s here to keep the fort running, and if that means roasting adventurers while tossing them a cloak, so be it.
Role: Chill Master
First Appearance: Chapter 9
In the icy wreckage of a collapsed hallway at Ice Ridge Keep, Rylo unearthed a dwarf-sized skeleton still clutching a pristine short sword. When he pulled it free, the weapon pulsed three times in his grip. Morgana translated the runes: Frostfang. Cold-forged and enchanted, it shimmered with a chill that never faded, unless sheathed. “Looks like I get to be useful after all,” Rylo quipped, tucking it into it's scabbard.
Role: Traveling Nobility
First Appearance: Chapter 11
Lady Droun is composed, calculating, and clearly the brains of the operation. Lord Thatchford, on the other hand, struts like a rooster and speaks like a wine-soaked poet, without the charm. Their caravan joins the party’s route to Cindral’s Reach, bringing with it fine clothes, fine words, and the kind of problems only gold-plated egos can cause. Don’t let the carriage fool you, these two come with baggage.
Role: Bandit Group
First Appearance: Chapter 11
It wouldn't be a proper campfire without a few uninvited guests. Led by the greasy and overconfident Edgar, this ragtag group of bandits is more bark than bite. They make their move near the woods, hoping to score an easy payday from the nobles' caravan, but instead find themselves hilariously outmatched. Between awkward threats, crude jokes, and a plan that falls apart mid-delivery, these would-be highwaymen serve as a brief and cold reminder that some campfires are best left undisturbed.
Role: Droun Estate Doorman
First Appearance: Chapter 11
Tall, gaunt, and perpetually soul-weary. Delivers sarcasm with the efficiency of a well-oiled guillotine.
Role: Oddities Dealer
First Appearance: Chapter 11
Lost the use of his right eye after a failed robbery attempt with a poison dagger at his shop. He has a love of strange relics, and a very loose grip on what “cursed” really means. There is always something interesting to be found in Xylor's Oddities.
Role: Rilo's Old Crew
First Appearance: Chapter 11
Streetwise partners from Rilo’s past. Vex grins like he’s always scheming and Marlo is still surprised he woke up this morning!
Role: Doomsayer
First Appearance: Chapter 11
Rambling mystic in patchwork robes. Warns of the Verdant Order, the Crimson Raven, and the possibly of the apocalypse. Definitely watching for a sign from the heavens.
Role: Cindral's Reach Courtesan
First Appearance: Chapter 11
A confident and charismatic woman with ties to Rylo’s past. Witty, bold, and always three steps ahead, especially where coin’s concerned.
Role: Stillmere Resident
First Appearance: Chapter 13
Dorn’s younger brother. Quiet, commanding, and never far from a tactical decision. Trusts his instincts and few others.
Role: Scout – Skyfire Fort
First Appearance: Chapter 13
Sharp-eyed and level-headed. Loyal to Dorn, but curious about the outsiders. Keeps quiet, watches everything.
Role: Scout – Skyfire Fort
First Appearance: Chapter 13
A bit older, a bit crankier, but still reliable. Knows the land well and isn’t afraid to mutter complaints when necessary.
Role: Necromancer
First Appearance: Chapter 15
A flamboyant and theatrical caster who weaponizes spectacle as much as sorcery. Formerly trained in illusion magic, Zonic was once dismissed as a trickster—until he stopped creating illusions and started crafting horrors. Now a full-fledged necromancer, he’s arrogant, cruel, and dangerous by design. Treats battle like performance, and reality itself like a stage to distort.
Role: Healer and Former Crusader
First Appearance: Chapter 15
A grizzled veteran of the Paladin Crusades, Aldric once served as a battlefield healer—mending flesh and bone in wars that shattered the soul. He abandoned the Order after witnessing horrors they couldn’t explain and sins they refused to own. He’s a man of few words and many regrets. Wields his mace like a gavel of judgment, and heals with hands that shake less than his faith. When he says you’re standing at the edge of something ancient and angry, you’d do well to believe him.
Role: Lady of the Midnight Veil
First Appearance: Chapter 18
Known as the Lady of the Midnight Veil, Noctira is a sovereign necromancer driven by sorrow, vengeance, and a century of silence. Sole survivor of a purged noble bloodline, her presence is calm, commanding, and terrifying. She is rarely seen—but when she appears, death follows.
Role: Scout – Stillmere
First Appearance: Chapter 19
Young and broad-shouldered, Darras still sees the good in people—and wants to believe he can make a difference. He’s quick with a grin and quicker to act when someone’s in trouble. Hails from Duskhaven, where family ties run deep. Carries a charm at his belt from someone he cares about… and a growing worry about what he’ll find on the road ahead.
Role: Scout – Stillmere
First Appearance: Chapter 19
Gruff, dry, and sharp-eyed. Holm has seen enough loss to make him bitter, but not enough to make him stop caring. Duskhaven was home to his sister and her kids. Now, he speaks less and watches more. But when it’s time to move, he’s always ready—and his instincts are usually right.
Role: Survivor – Duskhaven
First Appearance: Chapter 19
Emma is a quiet but resilient mother doing everything she can to protect her children, Tib and Lysa. She doesn't speak of what happened in Duskhaven, only that they stayed hidden while others fled or fell. Her strength isn’t in weapons or words, but in the steady, unwavering will to survive for her family’s sake. Even in ruin, she holds them close and keeps going.
Role: Survivor – Duskhaven
First Appearance: Chapter 19
Armed with nothing but a curtain rod and raw determination, John stood guard over the others in the dark. He’s barely a man, young, gaunt, eyes far older than they should be. But he didn’t flinch, didn’t break. Just waited for the right moment to protect what little was left.
Role: Survivor – Duskhaven
First Appearance: Chapter 19
An elderly man with a bandaged foot and no illusions about the world. Osric didn’t fight. He endured. Quiet, observant, and always listening, he was the voice of calm in the crypt when the world above was being torn apart. Sometimes survival is a form of resistance.
Role: Survivor – Duskhaven
First Appearance: Chapter 19
Garren was found by Dorn and Thalia while they searched the rubble of Duskhaven for shelter. Weary, shaken, but alive, he kept his head down and helped where he could. One of the lucky few spared by this nightmare, Garren carries the quiet resilience of someone who’s seen too much and at this point is just hoping for a better tomorrow.
Role: Survivor – Duskhaven outskirts
First Appearance: Chapter 20
Elizabeth and Jace survived the fall of Duskhaven by sheltering in a house nearly a mile from town. Isolated and uncertain if anyone was left, they stayed hidden, until they saw smoke rising from the Town Hall chimney. That glimpse of fire drew them back into the world. Quiet and wary, they joined the others with little fanfare, but their timing couldn’t have been better. In a town of ashes, they’re proof that not every spark has gone out.
Role: Scout – Cindral’s Reach
First Appearance: Chapter 23
Quiet, watchful, and built like a man who’s spent more time on the trail than in town. Joren doesn’t waste words, when he speaks, it’s worth hearing. He’s been through these lands before and knows the risks they carry. A veteran scout with a tracker’s eyes and a soldier’s instincts, he keeps his past to himself and his spear ready.
Role: Scout – Cindral’s Reach
First Appearance: Chapter 23
Young, eager, and just green enough to still believe in lucky breaks. Caldus volunteered for the mission without knowing what he was walking into and stayed even after he found out. He fidgets when nervous, questions everything, and hasn’t quite learned when to shut up, but he’s got a good heart and the grit to keep marching even when the others don’t joke anymore.
Role: Sage, Historian and Political Advisor
First Appearance: Chapter 24
Harland is a soft-spoken but sharp-minded elder who serves as the resident historian in Glimvale. Formerly a scholar affiliated with Ice Ridge Keep, Harland withdrew from political circles after the Keep was shut down 25 years ago. Harland’s knowledge of arcane history, undead classifications, and old-world factions makes him a critical resource to the party as they navigate deeper threats. He carries no weapon, wears simple robes lined with protective runes, and moves with the measured grace of someone always thinking three steps ahead. Despite his age, Harland’s wit is razor-sharp, and he’s not above using dry sarcasm to undercut pompous fools. He forms an intellectual alliance with Aldric .
Role: Preacher – Glimvale
First Appearance: Chapter 27
A former fighter from Ice Ridge Keep, Brynmar traded the sword for scripture. Now serving as the preacher in Glimvale, he offers guidance forged from both faith and battlefield scars. Quietly respected, his words carry the weight of someone who’s seen too much and still found something worth believing in.
The Knightmare Character Gallery is more than just a cast list, it’s a window into the lives, scars, and choices of those shaping the world of Knightmare.
Each portrait and profile was crafted to reflect depth, history, and a sense of purpose within the larger saga. These aren’t just heroes, villains and victims,
they’re the soul of the story, bound by fate, blood, and war.
This world was built with care, character by character. Every backstory, flaw, and motivation matters. If you’ve connected with these faces or found yourself
drawn to their paths, you’re already part of the journey. There’s more to come as the story unfolds and more secrets waiting in the shadows.
Thanks for walking alongside them.
Note on Artwork
The images you see here were created using a mix of my own editing skills in PS and modern AI tools. I’ve been making art for decades, from painting leather jackets in the ’80s to building digital worlds in the 2000s before AI art even existed. AI is simply a tool I use now that helps me create art faster and bring this massive fantasy universe to life without having to spend days creating every image.
Robert A. Wright