Flats is the steadfast heroine of our tale. Her strong sense of right and wrong and her stubbornness combine to create a forward trodding and implacable individual. Flats won't let the small matter of mediocre fighting skill or a general lack of ability to stop her as she endeavors to right wrongs and solve big problems.
She is caring and generous, which drives the others in the group crazy when she gives hard earned treasure away to the destitute- which is just about everyone in Luminas' frozen world. Frostlings are almost to the last basically greedy and needy, so Flats stands out as a real oddball.
"Miss Flats" is apparently not her real name. It drives the curious Stinky crazy about her true identity. Is she some escapee from the nut house? It seems unlikely she stole anything, what's her secret? We certainly wouldn't tell, even if we knew.
Stinky might be the most "obvious" and up front of the group. He is prone to cheating and fibbing, especially if orbs, drink or food is involved. He is slinky and sly, and quite nimble and quiet considering his girth. He enjoys playing cards almost as much as he does cheating at them. He generally gets the scouting missions and "dangerous" work, and expects extra pay for his efforts. Stinky and Forelock have a more or less friendly history before our story- the only heroes in our tale who are not strangers at story start.
Stinky is a Stickywood fellow. The Frostling lands are divided up into provinces, and each province is based around something- a resource of some sort used for trade with other provinces and lands. The Stickywoods are fairly rich by Frostling standards. There are only two forests in all of Luminas, so the Stickywood Frostlings really have the market in logs, twigs and pine-cones.
Wizards in Luminas are Frostlings who have some skill at managing the power of Orbules, or Orbs, as they are commonly known. These Orbs spew out of the active little volcano at the northern pole of the planet. They are magical in that their heat does not dissipate the way it does with hot rocks here on earth. Orbs are perfectly round and come in an abundance of colors, with redder colors being generally more powerful and thus valuable, and bluer ones being weakest.
There are four sorts of wizards, and Forelock is an Ice-Magi, the most commonly found sort. He deals in frozen water. He uses orbs to power his "spells" which seem rather more like science experiments.
Forelock talks the wizard talk, and this seems to impress others. While his magic is often of- questionable value- he seems to succeed by a combination of clever orb usage and lots of impressive, if confusing talk.
Stinky seems to annoy Forelock to no end, and Forelock often verbally abuses him, but they seem to keep up some sort of balance, both realizing they need the other. Forelock's basic need is a good supply of decent orbules to work with.
Barge is the son of a rough woman Frostling pirate Captain that roams the Great Big Sea of Ice with her colorful, rowdy crew, While Barge is generally too soft hearted to make a good pirate, and too dumb to be a ship Captain, he has the positive quality of being very large, by Frostling standards. He makes a fine obstacle to hide behind, especially when he wears armor and carries a shield. Barge Bigbones excels at being an immovable object.
Another positive feature of Barge is his loyalty to friends. While he suspects most everything and everyone of being a "baddie", he can be counted upon to stick to his comrades through thick and thin.
Barge Bigbones seems to have a thing for Flats, so woe-be-it to anyone or anything that tries to stomple her- which, covers a surprising lot of Frostlings, monsters, animals and sometimes plants.
Some Frostlings make the observation that Barge is fat- but, he will tell you he is merely "bigboned".
Loophole is a misfit among misfits. Possessing a great many undesirable qualities, and the added baggage of having the lowliest of Frostling occupations, as a lawyer, Loopy generally causes his own problems.
Possessing an incurable desire to steal and deceive, this rather wretched fellow's only real saving grace is a knowledge of Frostling laws in ever province of both continents, and the mealy ability to talk his way out of grim situations.
His joining the group mostly seems to be based on Flat's having pity on him- but she often rues her decision!
The Frostlings use Orbules obtained from the volcano on the northern pole of Luminas as a source of heat, light, and magic. There is some debate as to rather the Frostling Magi are really, actually, truly magic-using "wizards", or if they are merely clever, big word using frauds who are good at harnessing the power of orbs.
In any case, there are four distinctly different sorts of Frostling magi.
Ice-magi are the most commonly found, and harness frozen water to create their effects., They are efficient at fighting Ignicians, who use fire in their magic.
Ignicians are seen as superior to Winzerds, who harness the air to perform their feats. Finally, Winzerds have the upper hand against Rocktologists, who specialize in dirt magic, and who can put the mud to Ice-magi most of the time.
All Frostling magi depend upon orbules for their spells. There are orbs of different "strengths" that can be harvested from Toasty Mountain.
Generally speaking, brighter, and more red colored orbs are more powerful, and bluer, darker orbs are less. A blue orb might be used to light a room. A red orbule might be into an ice tower, and blow the whole thing to smithereens. Orbs mean power!
Orbules are the closest thing to money the Frostlings have- except for taters, sticks and punkins, which are rare valuables to be traded. Punkins might be the national currency, if only they fit into a Frostling's pocket.