Dawn's Backstory

Dawn is one of the last people Jack sees before he sets out to deliver a new sailing vessel to Australia. As they say goodbye, she gives him a pendant featuring a yellow dragon on a white background. The lucky charm is carved from one piece of jade, and is highly unusual. This is related in Jack's backstory, which is available here, and explains much about both of them.
 

Dawn's Backstory

More can be learnt about Dawn in Jack's backstory; also featuring Ali and Neal.
 

Ali - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1970.
Age: 46 (2016).
Eyes: Grey.
Hair: Dark brown.
Height: 5'8".
Marital status: Single, marries Weid Noi in Book 3.
 

Ali Info

Ali was born in then Persia, and was schooled in Farsi, the Persian language. His family fled when the Shah was overthrown, and he still remembers fleeing, dodging jeeps of freedom fighters on their way to the border.

Because of his background, and language, he is selected to go back to Iran when assistance is requested.
 

Jack

As Guardian, Jack is determined to project the Second, and limit numbers coming to live on the Island.

By contrast, John wants to preserve knowledge, and the people who understand it.

Dawn, Jien Noi, and others act as moderators, helping the protagonists find an agreeable, middle course.
 

Ami - Stats

Sex: Female.
Born: 1993.
Age: 23 (2016).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Ash blonde.
Height: 5'7".
Marital status: Single.
 

Ami Info

Ami is a young nurse who comes into the plot for little reason, or so it appears. She features occasionally, but may play a larger role in the second trilogy.
 

Helen - Stats

Sex: Female.
Born: 1965.
Age: 50 (2015).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Light brown.
Height: 5'8".
Marital status: Single.
 

Helen Info

Helen is an oddball character, and extremely good at office management. With John seemingly always out and about, it is she who actually runs the University, and she takes no truck with others.

As she ages, she passes on more of her duties to Cathy, who will be her replacement when she retires.
 

Gung Loi

General of the Second's covert forces, Gung Loi later works closely with Horovitz planning strategy and sharing new information.

Even later, they are assisted by Captain Stewart, who is a keen tactician of all things military.
 

Horovitz - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1979.
Age: 34 (2013).
Eyes: Grey.
Hair: Dark brown.
Height: 6'1".
Marital status: Single, marries Xi Sai in Book 3.
 

Horovitz Info

Upon leaving college, Horovitz joined the Marines, and later became a SEAL; where he stayed until obligatory retirement.

Knowing nothing but how to fight, he became a mercenary, but drew the line at slaughtering the Second.
 

Gary & Shirl - Stats

They are a common law couple, both born in 1978, and they enter the plot in 2016 aged 38.
 

Gary & Shirl Info

They have a typically Australian love of the sea and watersports, and live life for the fun of it.

They work hard, and play even harder, putting smiles on the faces of all they meet.
 

Don - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1964.
Age: 52 (2016).
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Dark Brown.
Height: 5'10".
Marital status: Married.
 

Don Info

Wary at first, Jack and Don form a relationship based upon trust. A bigger picture is revealed to Don during their meetings, one his superiors miss until it is too late. He uses his influence to assist the Allies.
 

Finity - Stats

Sex: Female.
Born: 1984.
Age: 32 (2016).
Eyes: One blue, one green.
Hair: Blonde.
Height: 5'6".
Marital status: Single.
 

Finity Info

Finity is a young and determined scientist, dedicated to resolving ancient history via learning to read ancient texts.

She wants to have children, but is not interested in men, and is a feminist at heart. These conflicts will be resolved in the second trilogy.
 

José - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1977.
Age: 39 (2016).
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Brown.
Height: 5'9".
Marital status: Married.
 

José Info

José is Mexican, devout Catholic, and devoted family man He is based in Guadalajara, where his research station is located, adjacent to his ranch. He is married with four children.
 

Full Character List

All characters are listed on a dedicated page, which can be found here.

That page includes every character that is named in the first trilogy, and covers all Twelve Tribes.

It does not contain the depth of information offered on this and similar pages. But, it does include every named character of the Last.
 

The first character of the Last, or modern day humans, introduced after Jack, is his oldest friend, Dawn. She appears in Chapter Four of Book Two, and heralds the beginning of worldwide transportation's, and further interaction with the modern world as we know it, today.

Dawn is a self-made woman, retiring early after selling her business for a great profit. She invested wisely, and as a keen trekker, is able to travel the world seeking adventure. However, she has never found the perfect partner, so remains single, and is not one with maternal urges. She is clever, but deprecating, and has an easy way with people.

She is highly educated and at ease in the commercial world; as well as in rural, backpacking situations. She helps Jack in many small, but important areas; especially regards bringing other people to the Island, most notably John Tredwell, and later her elder brother, Ali.
 

Dawn

AliJoins at the start of Book Three
Ali is a regional project manager for a global oil exploration and production company. He is also a good friend of Jack's, but his skills in the oil industry come to the fore, during The Wrath of Gaia. He was born in what was once called Persia, now Iran, and speaks Farsi. He also features later in the book, marrying Weid Noi, and their eldest son, Wong Kai, trains as the next Seer.

Behrouz
Behrouz (meaning 'lucky') Siavashi is the official guide of the Iranian government. Behrouz joins the story when Ali is rescued, and expands the diversity of modern humans. He is a devout Muslim from Iran, but as revealed in Chapter Seventeen, comes to question his faith. He becomes a central figure during the early part of Book Three, where contact with the Arabian world is essential.

In time his greater family are brought to the Island, creating the perfect backdrop for Chapter 17. The author elaborates, "The trilogy is not what most readers think it is about, but an examination of the modern way of life. And God.

"I applied the ancient moderator, the Classical meaning of Prudence to the modern world, and this was the result. The ability to distinguish right from wrong, the perspicacity to use that knowledge for either good or evil. What I saw was the rich getting richer, the poor even poorer comparatively, the more excluded from the feast. I do not believe this is humanity, but slavery, regardless of what name you give your god, to me it is 'self-worship'".
 

John and Cynthia Tredwell
John is an old friend of Dawn's via her previous business. He is a dedicated educationalist, Chancellor of Aston University in Birmingham, and unlike most in his position, very proactive within the campus. Most Chancellors hide in their office behind a wall of bureaucracy, but not John. He is always mixing with the heads of various departments, talking to lecturers and students alike, and brings with him a sense of urgency, purpose, and greater unity.

We learn that John was overdue retirement, but had found means to stay on; his life's focus being the University. Although assisting with the fingerprints earlier, he comes fully into the story when the Wrath of Gaia begins to unfold, assisting with the procurement of scientists. He visits the Island, and becomes fascinated with the native culture. Perhaps because he knows he will soon be retired, he throws his energy into creating a research facility on the Island, hoping to develop it into a replacement University, and he eventually succeeds.

He and Jack are often at loggerheads over bringing more people to the Island; John sees the need for more scholars and professors, for preserving knowledge, and the knowledgeable for posterity.

Jack remains resistant; he as Guardian, is determined to protect the Second from an influx of outlanders that may damage their unique culture. Their disagreements, sometimes heated, are all conducted with due respect, and they become good friends.

John's wife, Cynthia, moves to the Island with him, and shortly after, Jack discovers she has terminal bone marrow cancer; which the ship's medical facility heals. Later, most of their greater family follow, in the aftermath of the Wrath of Gaia.

Cynthia becomes Jack's ally, whilst still supporting her driven husband. She, like Dawn, can see both points of view, and having come to deeply respect the Second, offers the boon of acceptable compromise to both.
 

John

He looks thoughtfully severe in this image, but is very outgoing, and his smile is bewitching; as his whole face appears to come alive.

When he speaks, his eyes are alive, beguiling, piercing, and his face becomes animated, showing a great range of emotions, as he expounds convivially and proactively about the topic at hand.

When particularly engrossed, he subconsciously employs a wide range of exaggerated hand and arm gestures

He was also responsible for bringing Peni to the Island.
 

John's Backstory
John met Cynthia when they were not long out of University. At the time, they both worked in secret government agencies, following in their parent's footsteps, (secret agencies are often nepotistic). They married, and Cynthia specialised with cyphers; John becoming allied to the Diplomatic Corps, where he met many influential people from all over the world. This explains how John was able to pull strings within diverse World governments, and bring to the Island, much needed support, facilities, and troops.
 

Ami Sturgess comes into the book at this point, the nurse who was attending Cynthia in hospital. She touched Jack just before he transported out, and arrived in a new world; she decided to stay.

Helen Crowthyere arrives shortly after John 'officially' transfers to the Island. She was his PA, and Rottweiler in human form, and recreates her former role for John and Jack at the learning faculty admin. She is a spinster, devoting her youth to looking after her invalid mother. When she died, Helen had no other relatives, and few friends, so devoted her energies to the University.

Neal Podmore, another of Jack's old friends, and as introduced in Jack's backstory, becomes another regular visitor. He is a local and County politician, who is hoping to stand for parliament. His skills are politics, banking, and diplomacy. He takes over as chief liaison and spokesman when dealing with international governments. Later his family move to the Island, escaping the Wrath of Gaia. Neal's character is based upon one of the authors real-life friends, with express permission.
 

Penelope Pendleton (Peni)
Peni and her sister Phœbe join at the end of Book Two. Peni is regarded as one of the world's premier sub-nuclear particle physicists, and her sister is an accomplished, pure mathematician. Their role is that of experts, who explain the science as revealed in the trilogy. They come from old American money, Peni especially effecting a remoteness similar to British aristocracy of a bygone age.

The author explains, "One of the things I wanted to do, was challenge accepted science, and although what I came up with may be considered pseudoscientific, some of it begs answers to questions that have not been resolved, General Relativity for one.

"In order to do this, I needed two things: characters that fit the role, and comedy to break the heavier science into manageable pieces; make it enjoyable for the reader."

She is a humorous character, in that she has a habit of making curious asides featuring leaps of logic. She is also very forthright and businesslike, telling people what she will do, not waiting to be invited.
 

Peni

Peni walks the fine line between genius and madness, occasionally putting a toe across the line

Peni enjoys a curious relationship with Jack, whom she initially likes to wind-up, but in her own, other-worldly way. Wary at first, Jack looks forward to her visits, and then welcomes them. He learns that her mind is often abstracted, but in a quazi-logical, leftfield sort of way. At first humouring her, he grows to enjoy their semi-idiotic exchanges, often playing up to her, which she revels in; as does he.

Jack understands the most of what Peni explains, and she knows this, otherwise she would not waste her time on him. Jack makes himself out to be stupid in most of these exchanges, as she responds by effecting the air of the font of all knowledge, apparently. No. Their mental duel, and verbal exchanges are simply for fun.
 

Peni is slightly telepathic, once catching a mental exchange between Jack and Kay, but mishearing; “What was that? You need bees here. Whatever for?”

This clue was possibly missed by some readers. But, is why Peni came under the mental control of Oma, who instructed her to regenerate them in prelude to release.
 

Horovitz
Sergeant Horovitz was leader of the mercenaries who changed sides to fight with the Second at the end of Book One. His band of roughly thirty militia are highly skilled at modern warfare. In Book Two he is promoted to Captain, and others join their ranks as he develops the corps into Blitzkrieg Forces. Having proved of great worth, he is again promoted to General.

In Book Two he acquires a hand-cranked Gattling Gun, which despite its age, proves to be an impressive weapon. Although securing his troops loved-ones shelter on the Island, he remains single, until he requests to court Xi Sai.

Later they marry and Ah-Nie [Annie], eldest child and daughter, joins others of mixed race at the University, swelling the next generation.

Henry Walcott, FBI
Henry acts as a go-between for the Islanders and contemporary society, enabling the merging of the real and fantasy worlds in a believable way. He and his wife Bryony, plus his team: Dean, Colin, Ellen, and Figaro, feature primarily in Book Two, opening the means of contacting the U.S. government at higher levels, and exposing infiltration of government by clones of the Ogres.

Gary and Shirl
This Australian couple enter the story when Jack is in need of a boat run by people he implicitly trusts. They are the best of the independent Ichthyologists [Study of fish]. They are both Marine Biologists with seconds in Oceanography and Macrobiology respectively. They are also accomplished divers and hunters, a common law couple who love surfing. Their boat and floating research centre is called Fat Bertha. They were on the run from various authorities and underground mafia when Jack brought them to the Island; where their boat is used as a base to take samples of bubbling waters from the Gulf.

The Machynlleth Group
Living a peasant lifestyle with zero carbon footprint, they are led by Billy O' Brian. They emulate a stone-age lifestyle, but employ modern technology and alternative energy. Having lived a lifestyle of their choosing for decades, they come to the Island when approached by Jack and Dawn; new management is turning their living experiment into a tourist attraction.

Billy feels their principles and context has been overtaken by modern business and making money, something they all tried to avoid by starting the collective. Once central figures and founding members, they feel like outcasts, and are keen to move when Jack suggests an alternative. They make a new home on the plateau above the spacecraft, and although insular at first, come to interact with the society of the Second with great and beneficial results for all.

Gilly comes with them, although not part of the group, he is well known to the Machynlleth centre. He is only fleetingly referred to in the final manuscript, but is an oddball, retro-hippy, into all sorts of alternative energy, and very well read across a diverse range of subjects.

He settles at the University, becoming odd-job man, and John's main man regards commissioning new buildings, and up-keeping those they have already. He brings with him a motley band of bikers, who do the hard graft regards groundwork, instillation, and handiwork.
 

Gilly features more heavily in Ræm's backstory, where we learn he is fanatical about large motorbikes and rock music. He and his band of bikers form a rock band, which Ræm joins on guitar and vocals.

Later he discovered a cave where he installed the mothballed Styx recording studio, and created a rock band. Considered a Hells Angel's retreat, he is responsible for recording knowledge onto vinyl, perhaps a crazy idea at the time, but an analogue media, remaining accessible without modern, digital electronics; one also impervious to water damage.

Gilly is banned from using petrol on the Island, so develops eco-power sources. As a result, the Islanders are given bicycles, and later, electric vehicles. n'Gnung is soon a biker fan, and orders an electric trials bike; which is so often used by Ræm, he orders a second one for his personal use.
 

Don Phillips is a Presidential Aide, under the Whitehouse Chief of Staff. Already the dedicated liaison with the Second, he becomes a lynchpin for the Allies in Book Two, when the U.S. President is cloned. For a season, he becomes an important character, as stalwart defender of the office of POTUS [The President and his dedicated working staff], and of the life he knows. He enables Jack to secure the First Lady, and later, to liaise with the Secret Service, and gain access to the real President; by then a prisoner of the Great Ogre.

Captain Carl Williams – Leader of the International Space station crew. He is mentioned in the aftermath of Book Three, but becomes a more prominent figure in the second trilogy.

Minor Characters
These characters are named, but work mainly in the background. They fall into two broad groups, Scientists and Military.

Military personnel
Captain Stewart of the SEAL's is the first to be introduced. He is first revealed in Book Two, where his initial skepticism quickly gives way to supporting the cause of the Second. He reappears in Book Three, now much wiser to the ulterior world of the Great Ogre. He is an astute tactician, something the Allies come to partially rely upon.

Other militia mentioned by name include:

• Adams, a SEAL platoon leader, appears in the Presidential bunker.
• Sergeant McArdle, appears in the overthrow of the Ogre's Capital city

Scientists
Few are named, but those that are, are listed below:

• Humanitarian Studies:
• Don Prendergast - postgraduate anthropologist who wrote a thesis on early Hominina, which was not accepted by the educational hierarchy.
• Faye Wong - Masters in Practical Linguistics, as in verbal translation.
• Finity Gael - Mastered in ancient scripts, and later gained a PhD. with a thesis concerning ancient Hittite steles. She features in the Ark of the Covenant and charting The Great Cobweb sub-plot.
• Botanist Julian [Jules] Blanchflower and his wife / assistant Jennifer [Jen].
• Zoologist Nigel Woodcock has several BSc’s, zoology and related fields, and is greatly intrigued by the evolution of species over aeons.

• Volcanology:
• José Emmanuel Estaves – Expert and independent volcanologist.
• Fernando Perez – Independent Tectonics expert.
• Ramone Chavez – Fernando's younger brother.
  

The 'Magnanic Mexicans' are used to explain the science behind the Wrath of Gaia, which the author spent months heavily researching. Given a similar situation, this science fiction could become fact.

José is a colourful character, emphasised by his typical Mexican mustache, and almost a Charles Bronson look-alike, but with glasses and a lab coat. He leads a team of loosely associated independent volcanologists and tectonic experts. Their main area of expertise is the Pacific Ring of Fire, and especially how this may impact Mexico.

He is also a humorous character, and sometimes calls Jack 'Jackito', a Spanish endearment similar to 'Jackie'.

Fernando Perez and Ramone Chavez are brothers, and only feature to explain the plot in understandable ways, and permit the use of dialogue. José reveals their relationship with humour, when he confides about their mother's profession, and her dedication to rearing them.
 

• Dr Sylvia Steele of the CDC, an American government backed aid agency.
• The Pope (fictional character).
• Cardinal Pomfrey (fictional character).

• Minor Characters:
• Cathy is a student John knows, and is transported with their first acquired building. She returns later in Book Two as a general University dogsbody, but may feature more in the second trilogy.
• Sachin Ram, a Hindu whose character is used to balance the religious mix in Book Three.
• Viktor Earhardt, a German meteorologist Ali brings in; he features in one chapter.
  

Dawn - Stats

Sex: Female.
Born: 1977.
Age: 33 (2010).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Auburn.
Height: 5'7".
Marital status: Single.
 

Dawn Info

Dawn is gifted with her ways of speaking to people, putting them at ease, and enthusing about what others say; an act she has perfected.

She is also level-headed, and brings a calming influence to heated debate, especially between Jack and John.
 

Behrouz - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1973.
Age: 43 (2016).
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Black.
Height: 5'8".
Marital status: Married with three children.
 

Behrouz Info

Behrouz works for the Iranian government, and has a low level job in the Foreign Office. He speaks perfect English, and due to need, is called upon to monitor the foreign oil experts.

His character also allows input from the Muslim community; required in Book Three, Chapter 17.
 

John - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1954.
Age: 61 (2015).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Grey-white.
Height: 5'11".
Marital status: Married.
 

John Info

Although John and Jack argue over the numbers of new people coming to the Island, these exchanges are not common, and otherwise, they get on extremely well together.

John is a devout Protestant Christian, whose beliefs come into question during Book Three.
 

Neal - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1980.
Age: 36 (2016).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Brown.
Height: 6'5".
Marital status: Married to Jacqui, with two children.
 

Neal Info

Neal has similar qualities to Dawn, but having worked for the UK Diplomatic Corps for many years, excels at high level negotiations.
 

Peni - Stats

Sex: Female.
Born: 1972.
Age: 44 (2016).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Dark blonde.
Height: 5'10".
Marital status: Married with children.
 

Peni Info

Peni is a theoretical physicist who was project leader at CERN. The author relates:

"I wanted to parody a 'mad scientist', a genius, but one not focused in our real world. Peni was the result."
 

Peni's Name

This is a dedication to one very clever lady, also called 'Peni', whom the author had the great pleasure to know; as an academic of similar wherewithal to the fictional John.
 

Peni & Phœbe

Regards Peni and Phœbe, they might be construed as caricatures of learned people, but any similarity to living people of our real world today is, and remains, purely coincidental.
 

Henry - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1969.
Age: 46 (2015).
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Dark brown.
Height: 5'11".
Marital status: Married.
 

Henry Info

Henry is a dedicated professional with great experience of law and order. Meeting Jack and Dawn gave him insight into a world, his world, that he knew nothing about.

He becomes a staunch supporter of the Allied Tribes, and is effective in linking scenes of the plot.
 

Billy - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1970.
Age: 46 (2016).
Eyes: Blue.
Hair: Brown.
Height: 5'10".
Marital status: Married, one daughter, Mavis.
 

Billy Info

Billy is an invented character, although the Machynlleth group do exist in real life. These characters are fictional.

They were brought into the plot to balance the Last and Second, both using similar ways of life, but millennia apart in terms of technology and understanding Gaia.
 

Gilly - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1984.
Age: 32 (2016).
Eyes: Green
Hair: Ginger, long and naturally curly.
Height: 6'0".
Marital status: Single.
 

Gilly Info

Gilly's role in the plot, is that of  accomplished handyman. His role was largely expurgated from the final edit, but he is an important background character.
 

Captain Stewart - Stats

Sex: Male.
Born: 1978.
Age: 38 (2016).
Eyes: Hazel.
Hair: Short, black.
Height: 6'1".
Marital status: Divorced, remarried.
 

Captain Stewart Info

Stewart is a wise leader in battle situations, graduating from West Point with commendation. An expert military tactician, his expertise is highly regarded by the Allied Tribes.

Stewart and his Corps make a new home on the Island, where he teaches leadership and tactics at Horovitz army training centre.
 

Other Characters

The only other human character of note is Magnus, the timid assistant of Theodosius Quinn, who invaded the Island at the end of Book One.

Magnus is a servant, and afraid of his own shadow. However, in exchange for his life, he reveals important information, and eventually settles to lead a normal life in Soi Long.
 

Theodosius Quinn

This man not technically homo sapien, he is an Ogre clone of the Last in human form, also known as a Hobgoblin. He was a general of the Great Ogre, but stole the Ring of the Warrior when his master was hibernating (regenerating), which in turn he lost to Jack.