QUALIFICATIONS: Before being assigned to the Lost Cities, Cadoc served in Queen Hylda’s palace and also taught battle tactics at one of the goblin’s military academies. All in his regiment agree he’s one of the best in their ranks.

KNOWN FOR: Cadoc is the strong, silent type—and so tall and muscular that he manages to make Sandor look petite.

NOTES: Cadoc survived the ogre attack that killed Brielle—but only because Havenfield’s resident T. rex broke free from her enclosure and went on an ogre-chomping rampage. And he was seriously injured in the fight. He now works to protect both Grady and Edaline as much as he can, feeling it’s his duty to honor Brielle’s sacrifice.

Brielle

ASSIGNMENT: Bodyguard to Grady Ruewen

QUALIFICATIONS: Before volunteering to serve in the Lost Cities, Brielle was second-in-command for a series of goblin squadrons, which is likely why she offered to be a bodyguard. Serving time with the elves can often lead to appointments in Queen Hylda’s palace.

KNOWN FOR: Unflinching commitment and loyalty—and her long, curly hair. She also saved Grady Ruewen.

NOTES: Brielle was killed during an ogre attack at Havenfield after taking on four ogres at once so Grady could get to Edaline. Three ogres fell to her sword. The fourth ended her life—and was captured and killed by King Dimitar during his interrogation (despite Queen Hylda’s demand that the ogres turn the murderer over to her). Brielle’s aurified body now stands in the Hall of Heroes, a permanent testimony to her bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice.

OGRES

CAPITAL CITY:

Sadlitzagvatka

(translates to Ravagog in the Enlightened Language)

RULED BY:

King Dimitar

Queen Gundula

CULTURE:

The ogres have proven time and again that they’re one of the more volatile, aggressive species on the planet, and many aspects of their culture could definitely be considered extreme. Their work camps are known to push workers until they collapse. Bloody sparring matches are a regular occurrence—even with their king. In fact, ogre leaders aren’t elected, but rather must fight their way to the position through deadly rounds of sparring. Even the ogres’ homeland was stolen long ago from the gnomes—and the ogres made sure to tear down the trees and poison the river in case anyone tried to help the gnomes return. So it’s no surprise that weapons and battle training feature prominently in the ogres’ lives. Warriors famously wear a minimum amount of armor to prove how little protection they require, and scars are celebrated. The army is organized to ensure that the king reigns supreme, with all ranks reporting to him—and select Mercadirs (who hold no actual power) are in charge of seeing that his orders are carried out. Ogre warriors are able to utilize certain skills, like the grusom-daj (where their brains transmit a high-pitched frequency to trigger pain) and phase-shifting (using a gadget to shift the force of gravity to launch themselves to safety). But the ogres’ greatest military (and medical) advancements are actually a result of their incredible biochemistry (which also affects much of their architecture). Substances like aromark (used for homing devices), reveldust (used to detect the presence of microbes), Bucollosisia (the bacterium that the Neverseen used to make soporidine), ethreium (another type of tracker), and numerous other microbes are utilized to tremendous effect. Even their Markchains (similar to the elves’ registry pendants) rely on special bacteria to identify whether someone has permission to be in Ravagog. And Mercadirs who commit serious offenses find themselves punished with a shamkniv (a special kind of dagger) dipped in flesh-eating bacteria. And while all of that may paint ogres as violent, ruthless creatures (and some have definitely played that role), ogres are also family-oriented, creative, clever, and fiercely loyal to their own people. They’ve also recently become more willing to cooperate with others. Whether that will be a permanent change or whether they’ll return to their warmongering habits is yet to be seen.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ELVES:

The original ogre-elvin treaty was somewhat of a farce, since it was drafted while the king of the ogres was threatening the gnomes. After the ogres stole Serenvale and burned down the Panakes trees, they discovered the drakostomes—a deadly plague of nematodes that could wipe out the gnomish species in one go. As a result, the elves were forced to make certain concessions—and those concessions allowed the ogres to restrict the elves from entering Ravagog (except in very rare circumstances), and to cause problems for many of the other intelligent species (particularly the goblins and trolls). Humans further complicated the situation, fueling the ogres’ drive for more land and power. So when the Neverseen approached King Dimitar with a cruel plan to finally unleash the drakostomes and force the gnomes into servitude in Ravagog (simultaneously gaining a workforce and dealing a blow to the Lost Cities), the ogre king jumped at the opportunity—and the plan would have succeeded if Sophie Foster and her friends hadn’t infiltrated Ravagog and learned how to find a cure. Half the ogre capital was destroyed when King Dimitar tried to prevent them from escaping. And with his army depleted (and the plague no longer a threat), Dimitar was forced into a new round of treaty negotiations. He seemed somewhat humbled in those meetings—even agreed to everyone’s demands and asked only for his people to be left alone (particularly by the elves). Even more surprising: When Keefe Sencen visited Ravagog and challenged King Dimitar to a sparring match—and won—Dimitar assigned his daughter (Princess Romhilda) to move to the Lost Cities to serve as Keefe’s bodyguard. And while Ro has strong opinions about much of elvin culture, she’s actually formed several friendships and seems to be a true elvin ally. Even the Neverseen’s vicious attack on the ogre princess in Atlantis didn’t reignite tensions between the elves and the ogres—and some of the ogres who’d defected to the Neverseen temporarily cooperated with Sophie and her friends during the battle at Everglen with the newborn trolls. All of which could be a turning point for both species.

OGRE BODYGUARDS

Princess Romhilda (Ro)

ASSIGNMENT: Bodyguard to Keefe Sencen

QUALIFICATIONS: Ro has been training for battle since she was a month old—and being the princess meant she had to fight harder than everyone to prove she belonged. She bears a deep scar down the center of her back from her father’s sword—the mark of a leader, and proof that she’s held her own against the king.

KNOWN FOR: Colorful hair and painted claws, her snarky personality, brutal honesty, and hatred of anything that sparkles (despite the tattoo on her wrist declaring, Sparkles Rule!—all that tattoo proves is that Ro is never one to say no to a bet).

NOTES: Ro despises her full name, and anyone who calls her Romhilda does so at their own peril. She also seems intent on playing matchmaker—assuming she doesn’t end up strangling Keefe first. Her ex-boyfriend (Cadfael) is one of the ogres who defected to the Neverseen. And she’s (somewhat secretly) married to Botros. Her father arranged the marriage in the hope that it would prevent his two greatest warriors from slaughtering each other when it came time to claim his throne. Unfortunately, it seems like the marriage may simply make Bo and Ro try to kill each other much earlier.