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Kira
The protagonist and a talented weaver of threads. Kira was born with a twisted leg and uses a walking stick to get around, which marks her as different from the rest of the villagers. Her father also supposedly died before she was born, so her mother raised her alone. Kira’s uniquely difficult circumstances have made her thoughtful and resilient, and she values kindness and calm more than is typical of people in her culture. After her mother dies, Kira is given a new role: to restore and complete the Singer’s robe.
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Matt
Kira’s friend and a rowdy but personable tyke. Matt lives in the Fen, a less desirable part of the village, and is always accompanied by his dog, Branch. Because Matt nursed Branch back to health after a life-threatening injury, Kira understands that he doesn’t value her any less because of her disability, unlike most of the villagers. Matt’s adventuresome spirit and brotherly affection lead him to venture outside the village to help Kira.
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Jamison
A member of the Council of Guardians, Kira’s liaison, and one of Gathering Blue’s antagonists. Jamison is a tall, stern guardian who first appears to be a calm and reassuring presence in Kira’s new life in the Edifice, but he is actually cruel and deceptive. Over time, he shows himself to be harsh and demanding, especially with the young Singer.
Thomas
The Carver who lives across the hall from Kira. As another artist around Kira’s age living and working in the Edifice, Thomas serves as Kira’s foil. He is kind, generous, and extremely talented at woodcarving, but he is more narrowminded than Kira and doesn’t question the status quo. Unlike Kira, Thomas’s parents both died when he was just a tyke, so he has lived in the Edifice for most of his life and can help Kira get acclimated to her new surroundings. He becomes fast friends with Matt as well, and helps Kira visit Jo.
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Annabella
The elderly dyer who lives in the woods. Annabella taught Katrina how to dye threads when her name was still three syllables, Annabel. When Jamison sends Kira to learn dyeing from her, Annabella tells Kira and Matt about the people who have woad, the plant that makes blue dye.
Jo
The Singer in training and a very young tyke from the Fen. Jo is a lively, affectionate child whose talent for singing was recognized throughout the Fen before both of her parents died and she was taken to the Edifice. Kira, Thomas, and Matt discover that Jo is being kept in a locked room.
Vandara
A woman from the village who antagonizes Kira because she perceives Kira as weak. Vandara is aggressive and wields social power among the village women. She has an ugly scar that she says came from a forest creature’s attack. She is suspected to have killed her own child, but claims the death was an accidental poisoning. Vandara’s attempt to evict Kira from her plot of land after Katrina’s death brings Kira in front of the Council of Guardians.
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Katrina
Kira’s mother, whose death sets the events of Gathering Blue in motion. Through Kira’s memories, Katrina is characterized as a headstrong and defiant woman who celebrated Kira’s talents and taught her to value her differences. When Kira was born with a twisted leg, Katrina fought the Council of Guardians to be allowed to keep her rather than send her into the Field of Leaving to die, according to custom.
Christopher
Kira’s father, who is blind and who had supposedly died when he was taken by beasts before Kira was born. Matt brings Christopher back to Kira’s village and they both help her get the plants she needs to dye blue thread.
The Singer
The person who sings the Ruin Song at the annual Gathering. During the Gathering, the Singer wears the robe that Kira had threaded and uses the staff that Thomas had made. The Singer is held in the village against his will and forced to perform.
