Recently, I decided to try to draw all the members of the squad I mentioned here. Despite the fact that almost all of them died before the beginning of the story (only Aerys and Rattmarr survived) , I know enough about them.

But before I say a few words about each of them, I have to clarify something.
Firstly, about the names. In Wikersmaut, the world where the events of "Somber Side" take place, it is customary to keep true names a secret. This is done to protect a holder of a name from a possible malicious magic. Such names are called "names of the heart" or "hidden names" and are used only in a close circle. But there are also "outer names" or "names of the face/skin", which are descriptive and are used in all other cases. These names can change over time, and there may be several of them for one person.
I use hidden names, if I know them, because I'm sure none of you will cast spells against my characters :D Otherwise, I use their outer names.

Secondly, a few words about their squad. They are all residents of the same town. This town has been ravaged by a plague that seemed more like a curse than a common disease, and none of the remedies available to residents could help. The squad was assembled to seek the advice of a great sage known as the Shining Ray to combat this scourge. They knew that the path would be difficult, but no one was prepared for the horrors that awaited them. Their town was a relatively bright place in a world plunged into darkness.

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Now about the characters:

Bright Spark (Aerys)
She joined the squad because of her erudition. She is literally overwhelmed with knowledge about everything and anything, but there were many things waiting for her outside of hometown that she couldn't even imagine (though this didn't stop her from enthusiastically expanding her internal library).
An adult child. Extremely curious, naive, and trusting. Stubbornly believes in kindness and justice where there is none.
Refuses to accept in herself (and see in others) things that repulse and horrify her. It's easy to surprise and scare her, but she quickly (even too quickly) recovers. Not very independent. She's always a little bit in her inner world and needs care.

Green Stalk (Hail)
I only know his name of the heart, because he's close to Aerys. He's like a mentor/patron to her. Aerys's parents didn't care too much about her, they thought she was weird and preferred not to pay much attention to her. But perhaps because of her kind and lively nature, others often cared for her. And among those others was Hail. When Aerys was a teenager, she worked part-time at his pharmacy, and since then he began to play a significant role in her life, helping her through difficult times.
In his town, Hail was known as a pharmacist, but he is also a good enough doctor, and joined the squad precisely as a doctor. He also leads the squad. Hail wants to be a joker, but without much success. His humor only causes awkward smiles. He's much better at planning, maintaining order in the squad, and healing his comrades.

Spotted Snake (Jaynet)
I know her name of the heart, because Ratt knew her well even before they joined the same expedition. She's a good friend of his mother and loves him for his vivid imagination and interest in her stories.
She's practically the only one in their town who's traveled extensively, and her experience could certainly be useful in the strange, eerie lands their squad was heading to.
She's a real joker! Cheerful and simple-minded. No one can rely on her completely, but her self-confidence inspires others.

Grey-Winged Raven (Rattmarr)
He joined the squad as a pathfinder. He had previously participated in expeditions to find rare (and possibly non-existent, but he doesn't want to believe it!!) creatures and showed extraordinary abilities in orienteering and laying paths.
He tries to maintain the straight face and look presentable, but in fact he is neurotic, unbalanced and awkward. And full of strange interests. He's actually quite nice fella, though.
His friends affectionately call him by the name, which is difficult for me to translate. It sounds like "Воронок/Voronok", and could mean something like "Lil Raven". The reason for this is his small stature and attempts to demonstrate an uncharacteristic seriousness (which sometimes makes him seem even more strange and funny).

Notch and Hollow Horn
I don't know much about these two.
Both were accepted into the squad to protect its other members.
Notch is calm, phlegmatic and extremely silent, so it's difficult to say anything about her for sure. But her friends say she's very kind.
Hollow Horn is short-tempered and quite arrogant. He considers himself a stylish guy, but his sloppiness and rude manners don't play into his hands. He knows how to joke, but doesn't always know when to stop and might inadvertently offend someone.

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I can't draw most of these characters within context of the story. Although I can very well imagine the interaction between Aerys and Hail, as well as between Ratt and Jaynet. And of course, interaction between Ratt and Aerys are more than possible! x)
Perhaps you will see some of this in the future.

And now, thank you for your attention, and I'm sorry for my English!
(here is also the original text (in description))