Who are the main characters and their loyalties?

Key Characters and Loyalties

1. Zora Ravenal — Loyal to the Commonwealth and her people in the North; driven by revenge against the Empire. 2. Emperor Aleksander the Sadistic (Tarantula/Sazha) — Ruler of the Draconis Empire; loyal to his imperial ambitions and divine power. 3. Tarantula — Imperial’s deadliest assassin; professional loyalty to Aleksander and the Empire, though complex relationships emerge. 4. Marshal Kalen Reeves — Military leader of the Commonwealth (Westmere); loyal to the Commonwealth war effort and to mission Quest. 5. Ella & Axel — Twin Knight Mages of the Crimson Army; committed to their order and the Commonwealth’s defense against storm magic. 6. Aurora — Zora’s best friend from the North; loyal to Zora and their community (though she’s murdered before the main conflict). 7. Ryse — Soldier in the Shadow Sword; aligned with the Commonwealth; has personal loyalty toward Zora through romantic interest. 8. Zora’s Mother — Loyal to her daughter and her Northern Commune; her repeated peril influences Zora’s actions. 9. Draconis Empire (Empire’s leadership & Royal Mages) — Loyal to preserving and expanding imperial power, enforcing storm magic, under Aleksander’s command.

If you want, I can map how loyalties shift over the course of the story.