German: "specialized knight," roughly.

The title is held by Gregory von Bayern. It appears to exist so that engineers and scientists can wield authority in German society; see p271.

An Italian messenger. He claims to be working for the Sforza; in fact, he is an agent of the Medici.

Seventh (highest) rank of the Mithraic mystery cult. (Latin: Pater)

Mercenary, and later Duke of Urbino. Father of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro. His daughter Giovanna married the nephew of Francesco della Rovere.

Neoplatonist philosopher and astrologer.

• The Life of Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Corsi (1506), via pythagorean.org

One of the great city-states of Italy. It is referred to as the "Florentine Republic," although in the era of TDW it was essentially ruled by the de' Medici family.

Ford was not so simplistic as to place himself within TDW. However, a few story elements have some direct connection with his own life.

Norse goddess of fertility and love.

A theme.

Brother of Edward IV of England and of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Married to Isabel Neville. Son of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.

George supported Henry during his attempt to recover the throne in 1470; however, George jumped back to Edward's side at the Battle of Barnet. (See p147).

After this, he made a steady nuisance of himself -- accusations of sorcery and bastardy against Edward, the execution of some servants for supposedly murdering his wife (see p150). Eventually Edward had George attainted (see p192-193). He died in prison -- according to tradition, by drowning in a butt of malmsey wine (p195).

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

A mercenary from Alsace.

Senile old porter in the Tower of London.

Son of Piero de' Medici. Brother of Lorenzo de' Medici.

The world of TDW is wildly polytheistic. The Byzantine Empire maintains a rigorous policy that all faiths are tolerated, and all have equal standing in law. (See p33.) This has produced a melting-pot Empire in which Greek, Roman, Gallic, Egyptian, and other gods are held by people of every heritage. Jews and Christians also exist, though not as any great proportion of the whole.

The Empire is enough of a cultural influence that the same polytheism exists outside its borders.

Pantheons are found across Europe; the greatest of these is the Pantheon Kyklos Sophia in Constantinople (see p16).

Gods who are mentioned:

• Ahriman
• Apollo
• Asclepius
• Cybele
• Diana
• Eris
• Esus
• Freya
• Hecate
• Heimdall
• Hel
• Hera
• Hermes
• Ishtar
• Isis
• Janus
• Jeshua (Christ)
• Jove
• Mars
• Mercury
• Minerva
• Mithras
• Nut
• Odin
• Ogmius
• Ormazd
• Pluto
• Ra
• Rhiannon
• Saturn
• Sequana
• Sucellus
• Thor
• Thoth
• Venus
• Zephyrus
• Zeus

Humans described as being, or having become, gods:

• Julius Caesar
• Claudius
• Hadrian
• Maximin Daia
• Constantine
• Arthur, King of Britain

But it is stated (p88) that many Roman emperors, and probably later rulers, were deified.

German engineer and vampire.

One of the four protagonists of TDW, although the narrative does not take his point of view until p265, several chapters after his introduction.

His title is Fachritter, or specialized-knight; his specialty is guns, bombs, and artillery.

Before he became a vampire, he was an associate professor at the University at Alexandria.

• Appearances in TDW (graph)

Son of Federigo da Montefeltro.

French wizard.

Welsh: "blood-letter"; that is, vampire.

Emperor of Rome. Ordered the construction of Hadrian's Wall in Britain.

Chamberlain to Edward IV of England. Married to Katherine Neville, a sister of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

Hastings was a loyal servant to Edward throughout his reign. After the King's death, when Richard challenged Elizabeth and the Woodvilles over control of the young Edward V, Hastings supported Richard. However, Richard and Buckingham had him executed shortly thereafter. (See p306-307.)

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Greek goddess of sorcery and the wilderness.

An alias of Dimitrios Ducas. Captain Hector is a mercenary, employed (as of chapter 4) by Milan.

The name, of course, refers to Hector, prince and warrior of Troy. It is unclear whether Dimi meant the reference to be sincere (Hector was lauded for his nobility) or ironic (Dimi himself is Greek, and the Trojans were the opponents of the Greeks.)

Norse god; watchman and guardian of the Bifrost Bridge.

The Norse goddess (or giantess) who rules the realm of the dead.

First of the Plantagenet kings. He acquired a great deal of French territory through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitane, and ruled over an Anglo-French Angevin Empire. Henry famously clashed with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Henry II (via brittania.com)
• Henry II (via www.royal.gov.uk)
• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

(Or "Henry Bolingbroke.") Seized the throne from Richard II. Contended with the uprising of Owain Glyn Dŵr.

• Henry IV (via brittania.com)
• Henry IV (via www.royal.gov.uk)
• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)
• Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1, part 2 (via shakespeare.mit.edu)

Influential English nobleman. Married to Catherine Woodville, the sister of Elizabeth Woodville and Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers. (This was a political marriage, arranged without his consent; see p294.)

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

(Or "Tudor." In Shakespeare, he is "[the Earl of] Richmond." In our history, he becomes Henry VII of England.)

A descendant of Owain Tydder and dowager Queen Catherine (the widow of Henry V); see p350. Nephew of Jasper Tydder. Son of Margaret Beaufort, and stepson of Lord Thomas Stanley.

After Richard III became king, Henry mounted two assaults upon England. (Just one, in Dragon history -- see p352.)

His badge while challenging Richard was a red dragon.

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Solidified the unity of the nation, after the strains of Owain Glyn Dŵr's rebellion and his father's conflict with Richard II. He conquered Normandy, and staked a claim for his heirs for the throne of France.

• Henry V (via brittania.com)
• Henry V (via www.royal.gov.uk)
• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)
• Shakespeare's Henry V (via shakespeare.mit.edu)

Henry began as King of England and France, but he was not a strong ruler. The French rival claimant, Charles VII, slowly retook France (with the aid of Joan of Arc -- see p354-355). Henry attempted to regain peace by marrying Margaret of Anjou. However, his hold on the English throne slipped as well, until he was deposed in 1461 by Edward IV. (See p146-148.)

In 1470, Margaret and Warwick organized an invasion on Henry's behalf, allying with Louis of France and George Duke of Clarence. Henry wound up back on the throne (the "Readeption"). But just a year later, Edward pushed him off again.

Henry died in prison in 1471. It is not known who killed him; see p186.

• Henry VI (via brittania.com)
• Henry VI (via www.royal.gov.uk)
• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)
• Shakespeare's Henry VI part 1, part 2, part 3 (via shakespeare.mit.edu)

Greek goddess; wife of Zeus.

Greek messenger and trickster god.

An alias of Hywel Peredur.

The name refers to Horus, the Egyptian god. Horus had the head of a falcon (thus "Peregrine"), and had only one eye.

Butler to Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.

Welsh wizard; one of the four protagonists of TDW.

On p3, his birth year is given as 1414 AD. He is an orphan. He is related by blood to Owain Glyn Dŵr (see p19).

• Appearances in TDW (graph)

An alias of Colin.

Wife of Cosmas Ducas; a Ducas by marriage.

Wife of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence. Daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Sister of Anne Neville.

George was deeply suspicious about Isabel's death, and he charged several people with murdering her. (See p150.)

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Babylonian mother goddess.

Egyptian mother goddess.

Brother of Alexander Stuart, Duke of Albany.

Spent his reign planning alliances with England and invasions of the Continent, neither of which ever amounted to anything.

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

(Properly named "Elizabeth Shore," but commonly called "Jane.") Mistress of Edward IV of England, and of William Hastings. She was accused of treason, along with Hastings, when Richard took over; but she was eventually released and led a long life.

Roman god of doorways and transitions.

Married to Margaret Neville, a sister of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

Oxford's father was a supporter of Henry VI, executed after Edward took the throne. Edward allowed the son to live, and even hold office, as a gesture of conciliation to the Lancastrians; but Oxford got into repeated conspiracies against him. In 1470 Oxford fled England to take up with Margaret of Anjou and Warwick, in their bid to reestablish Henry as King.

Oxford was one of the commanders at the Battle of Barnet, where Warwick was killed (see p361). He continued raiding England until he was captured and imprisoned in 1474. In 1484, Oxford escaped to join Henry Tydder; he was Henry's commander at Bosworth.

In our history, he continued his career after Henry gained the throne, helping to defeat Lambert Simnel's rebellion of 1487.

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Supported Richard when Edward IV died. As a reward, he was given the title "Duke of Norfolk," which Prince Richard had carried from his marriage (p185) until his illegitimization (in Dragon history, his death).

One of Richard's commanders at Bosworth Field. In our history, he died there.

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Lieutenant of Ireland under Henry VI of England, and earlier under Henry IV. In between, he fought for Henry V in France. Died in battle.

• Genealogy (via thepeerage.com)

Chief of the Roman gods.

Emperor Julian (called "the Apostate" by historians in our world) was raised Christian, but converted to a Greek mystical philosophy called Theurgy. As described in TDW, he passed a law of religious tolerance; he attempted to revitalize pagan tradition and restrict the newly-dominant Christianity that Constantine had championed. The difference between TDW's history and ours is that, in TDW, Julian made paganism stick.

• Julian the Apostate (Walter E. Roberts, Michael DiMaio, Jr.), via roman-emperors.org
• Julian the Apostate (Karl Hoeber), via the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Emperor Julian and Neoplatonism (Madeline Clark), via Theosophical University Press

Emperor of Rome.

Caesar began his rise as a general, conquering Gaul for the Roman Republic. He then led his army back to Rome and pushed his way into complete control of the state. He was eventually assassinated by a conspiracy of Roman senators, who could not tolerate his increasing autocratic power.

• Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (via shakespeare.mit.edu)

Another name for Jove. (The name is literally "Jove Pater," give or take an Anglicization.)

Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Husband and co-emperor of Theodora.

• History of the Wars, book 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (of 8), tr. H. B. Dewing, via gutenberg
• The Secret History, Procopius, tr. Richard Atwater, via Internet Medieval Sourcebook

Swiss innkeeper.