Here are some of the folks you’ll meet in the comics, listed in order of their appearance in The Long Run. I’ve included in brackets some further info about their LGBTQIAness. The denizens of the Valley don’t have a concept of gender as a thing separate from but paired with physical sex, so everyone is nonbinary and uses xe/xer pronouns.
Razi
Human. Native of Arvand who immigrated to Pocalo with xer birth family when xe was about three years old. Fluent in Pocali and Arvandi. Orphaned in a natural disaster and trapped in bureaucratic limbo, Razi is currently subsisting as an unlicensed runner in the province of Muru.
Meta: Razi’s name is derived from that of real-life Persian scientist Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, who lived from approximately 854-932 CE. This makes xer one of the only characters in the comic who is named after an Earth human.
[demisexual, monoromantic]
Chadsen
Human. Chadsen grew up in the Himukia Archipelago. One parent is Pocali, the other Himukian. Chadsen knew xe was peliyn at a young age, but was not able to tolerate the hormone treatments available in Himukia. Xe moved to Pocalo to participate in an experimental trial being lead by Beneke, and stayed in Pocalo as Beneke’s and Amihan’s foster.
Xe decided to become a runner to help find new ingredients for creating new medicines. Chadsen is an adrenaline junkie who revels in difficult jobs with nigh-impossible odds, and has developed a reputation as an exceptional runner, achieving the rank of “elite” at a very young age.
Part of Rosse’s polycule.
[trans, polyamorous]
Halvanylila (Hali)
Daraz. A member of the Harcos warrior/hunter caste, but neither adept at nor interested in these pursuits. Prefers to study botany and medicine, and displays an exceptional ability to distinguish various chemical compounds via smell. Hali is keverek (Daraz for “mixed,” i.e., a combination of different body types resulting from an unusual gestation scenario).
[asexual, polyromantic, trans]
Juharfa
Daraz. A member of the Harcos warrior/hunter caste, quad partners with Halvanylila and Tavaly. A veteran Harcos, Ju is dependable, competent, and nearly unflappable. Juharfa is the dominant leader of the quad.
[asexual, polyamorous, demiromantic]
Tavaly
Daraz. A member of the Harcos warrior/hunter caste, quad partners with Halvanylila and Juharfa. A skilled fighter and hunter, but high-strung and quick to anger. Tavaly is the subordinate leader of the quad under Juharfa.
[asexual, polyromantic]
Amihan
Human. Ami is especially skilled at the medical applications of chemistry. Born and raised in the Himukia Archipelago, xe moved to Pocalo to be with Beneke. Xe hates cold weather and will complain about it with little provocation.
[monogamous]
Beneke
Human. Born and raised in Pocalo, Beneke originally developed an interest in chemistry and medicine while seeking treatments for depression. Xe came to xer peliyn identity later in life, but discovered the hormone treatments available at the time didn’t work for xer. Xe now focuses xer research efforts on finding new dysphoria treatments for others in similar situations. Partner of Amihan.
[trans, monogamous]
Rosse
Human. Rosse was born in Aru Province. Xer family had spent the previous two generations in Muru as part of the Arvandi expat community there. Xe developed a fascination with plants at a young age, and now works as a botanist in Beneke’s and Amihan’s lab. Part of Chadsen’s polycule.
[polyamorous]