Josette Zerieka: Bakery & Confections
Known as "Sweets" by her friends, Josette is a tiny woman in her mid fifties, with her graying hair pulled back in a bun, merry green eyes, a round face, and an ever-present smile. Josette´s family has been in the business of candy-making and baking for years, and this warm-hearted lady has maintained the tradition and excellence her customers have come to expect. Josette lives to make people happy, and she is pleased to be the exclusive dessert-maker for Silver Strings, a large and famous restaurant that is known for providing nightly entertainment along with some of the best food in Hurva. (Reservations must be made in advance, a private ball room is available). Most of Josette's famous pastries can only be purchased at the restaurant, but her small bake shop offers sugar cookies, chocolate and vanilla cakes, cinnamon rolls, and an impressive variety of pies. Josette employs over a dozen assistants and apprentices, including her two daughters, Minna and Julia.

Magda Natalia Eva Czenzani: Aquatic Monsters
A well-known invoker, Magda (Maggie to her friends) is a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman of middle years and gypsy heritage. She never quite lost the gypsy flair for showmanship, and often casts her spells with more dramatics than is strictly necessary. Her deep, throaty voice she uses to impress and occasionally frighten her apprentices (she loves telling and hearing scary stories). Magda dresses in colorful skirts and silk blouses, and she adores jewelry. She has a familiar - a black and white cat named Camilla. Magda´s interest in aquatic monsters began in a quite mercenary fashion: a coastal town hired her and her fellow adventurers to deal with a troublesome sea serpent. They were successful, but the near loss of Magda´s brother Kristof in the initial counter led Magda to quickly acquire more knowledge of their foe before the next battle. A little knowledge turned out to be a seductive thing, and Magda soon began a life-long study of these fascinating and often deadly creatures. An intelligent woman, Magda is still a great beauty and is fun-loving and curious. She is rumored to be quite a man-killer, picking up one after the other and quickly discarding them. She is also rumored to have friends among the merfolk, and has been romantically linked to Marcos Aurelian. Magda seems untroubled by these rumors; she adores lots of attention, and likes to surround herself with a certain air of mystery.

Marcos Aurelian: Oceanography
Marcos is handsome, with tan skin, dark hair & eyes. A native of Istur, he is cocky, sarcastic and a bit of a womanizer, but he is well-liked among sailors, who describe him as a darn good captain who treats his crew fairly, isn´t afraid of pirates, and has never lost a ship. An adventurer at heart, Marcos has sailed all over the world. He keeps extensive charts of the ocean, and knows a great deal about the creatures that live within it. His ship, built by Roland Odrhean is said to be one of the fastest ever built. Marcos, who trades in a variety of goods to support his wandering life-style, seldom carries passengers who lack a reputation of their own and promise to be entertaining company. Though Marcos makes much of being irresponsible and foot-loose, rumors among the sailing community hint that he is a passionate opponent of slavery and has often been the anonymous downfall of those who traffic in human cargo.

Pelin Galadren: Cartography
A short, slender man with graying hair and an kind, attentive demeanor, Pelin lovingly creates each map with both attention to detail and the flair of a master craftsman; there are those who consider his maps works of art. He sells a wide variety of maps of various areas, and occasionally makes deals with travelers in exchange for information on far-off locales.

Sabitha Ryj: Insects
Sabitha is a plain-looking woman of middle years, with short dark hair and brown eyes. She dresses in simple white shirts and brown trousers, often stained with dirt from her forays to collect specimens. She operates a small museum with sketches, models and dried insects; it is her pride and joy despite the fact that almost no one ever visits it. In the back are her modest living quarters and a study where she does her research into insect anatomy and behavior. She has some knowledge of insect venoms, but not much beyond knowing which ones are toxic and how much. Sabitha is a serious woman very intent on her studies, but will occasionally stop her work to speak with those who are seriously interested in insect lore. She has few friends, and claims an association with a priestess of Akodi who knows a great deal about insects (a likely story indeed).