List of characters

Anāmaka

See Ripunjaya.


Andal

Daughter of Meenakshi and Siva Kannanār.


Aralai

Daughter of Chieftain Velan, wife of Kumudhan, mother of Aranvendhan.


Aranvendhan

Son of Aralai and Kumudhan. Father of Piraivalli.


Arulan

Cart driver to Nambi.


Brahma

The Supreme Creator, one of the Gods of the Holy Trinity.


Chenniyan

A corrupt baron who imprisons Senthālan.


Chitragupta

The divine scribe of Yama. Tasked with recording the actions of all sentient beings, which Yama then uses to judge the soul upon death.


Chokkan

A captain in Velan’s tribe.


Esakki

A fisherman at Nīrmukku who Semmālvarayan chances upon.


Hemachandra

Alleged father of Ripunjaya, husband of Pramathi.


Hiranyakashipu

Emperor of the three worlds in the First Age, Satya yuga.


Ilarāyan

A captain in the ūsipadai, trained by Mārthandan.


Jayan

Right-hand man of Semmālvarayan


Kalikāman

Royal priest of at Karkottai, member of the War Council of the Thattān dynasty.


Kodi

Kuravar tribesman with Velan.


Krura

One of Naruksha’s acolytes.


Kumudhan

Emperor of Nākalam, husband of Aralai, father of Aranvendhan.


Kuppan

One of Mārthandan’s agents.


Malasūra/Malasāra

An asura turned yamadūta. Brother of Vakrāsura.


Mārthandan

The Commander-in-Chief of the Nākalam armies. Close friend of the Thattān family.


Meenakshi

Wife of Siva Kannanār, mother of Andal.


Mukhilan

Son of Meenakshi and Siva Kannanār. Elder brother of Andal.


Nambi

Village headman of Malaivāsal, the hometown of Siva Kannanār.


Nandan

Son of Veni Ammāl and a Thattān general, during the time of Thanmaya Thattān’s rule.


Nangai

Wife of Aranvendhan, mother of Piraivalli.


Naruksha

One of Yama’s captains.


Neelan

A dacoit hired by Semmālvarayan.


Nerivānan

Prime Minister of the Nākalam empire, close friend to Kumudhan.


Nikandhan

Husband of Umayāl Devi.


Nithilan

Son of Seeralan.


Pāri

A hunter.


Piraivalli

Daughter of Nangai and Aranvendhan.


Pramathi

Alleged mother of Ripunjaya.


Pulithevan

A forest bandit initially under the employ of Semmālvarayan.


Ripunjaya

The protagonist, who soul does not accrue karma.


Seeralan

Father of Nithilan, vassal king and ally of the Thattān dynasty.


Semmālvarayan

Warlord of the Verumvayal plains.


Senthālan

Father of Umayāl Devi, founder of the Thattān dynasty.


Shanthamma

A rebel leader during Karkottai’s civil war.


Siva Kannanār

A temple priest. Working with Malasāra.


Tanvaroka

A yamadūta. One of Malasāra’s agents.


Thanmayan

Father of Kumudhan, Emperor of Nākalam.


Thiruvasagan

Chancellor at the Thattān court.


Umayāl Devi

Daughter of Senthālan, mother of Thanmayan. Queen of Nākalam.


Vagaimāran

One of the generals of the Thattān army.


Vakrasūra

An asura from the First age, brother of Malāsura.


Velan

Chieftain of the Kuravar tribe, ally of the Thattān dynasty.


Veni Ammāl

The wife of a Thattān general, during the time of Thanmaya Thattān’s rule. Mother of Nandan.


Yama

The God of Death.