When Smokey has to go out on a mission, whether for the Witch Queen or the Resistance, he has a group of folks that are kind of his go-to guys. Cormorant, Hogweed, Al, Ten-Speed, and Yuuna are a frat party from hell but they get the job done.
CORMORANT is a Zealot and an Ice-elemental Supremator, found as a baby by a cult to the Shade God of cold and darkness but rescued by the Witch Queen’s covens. Now, she is a dedicated follower of Wynraeth. She’s traded one zealot’s devotion for another, but Wynraeth doesn’t mind. She’s a little bit crazy most of the time. When she’s in a fight, she’s a lot a bit crazy.
HOGWEED is an ‘Imperfect’ Anubii, and is probably best described as ‘that asshole friend you keep around despite his shitty behavior’, meaning he’s an obnoxious class clown and a loudmouth bully. But don’t comment on that extra eye on his forehead, his extra left pinky, or the mottled off-color skin on his left arm – he can dish it out but he can’t take it, and Smokey kinda keeps Hogweed around because Hogweed makes him laugh... and when Hogweed says something douchey, Smokey can admonish him and feel superior.
ALANDIGOS ‘AL’ KWAIATSIN is a prodigy from the Shade’s Shagraati Clade, a Desperado and expert survivalist. Likes the desert the best, but capable in any environment. Easily overstimulated by loud noises, doesn’t speak much. The type of guy who enjoys the value of quiet. Al is also an excellent campfire cook, and often leaves the headquarters of the Covens in order to ‘fortnight’ in the wilderness on his own.
TEN-SPEED, or ‘Bike’ to his friends, is Smoketree’s best friend and something of his lifeline to the modern world. Smokey isn’t super great with technology, nor is he super appraised of popular culture – Ten-Speed, on the other hand, loves TV and is a deft mechanic on top of his potent Earth-elemental Supremator powers. Ten-Speed is a laid-back guy who knows everybody who’s everybody in the Witch Queen’s Covens.
YUUNA is a member of the Uluth, a race of powerfully psionic beings who flourished on Mindrunner where they died out on the prime Road. Though the Uluth are part of the ruling class, some Uluth like Yuuna see the treatment of Anubii in their society as wrong. Yuuna is a member of the Witch Covens’ clandestine ‘intel’ arm, the Circle of Silence. Smokey likes him because he’s not as stuck-up as some of the other eggheads in his coven, and because he’s not shy of explaining ‘complicated’ concepts in easily-digestible terms.