A'Gaeris		Also known as the Philosopher, he is an embittered Guildsman who had been stripped of his cloak. He lives in the lower city and has influence with the “rabble” as he calls them. A’Gaeris has been planning revenge for years and, in the conflict over the outsider, he sees an opportunity to bring his plan to fruition.
Aitrus		Aitrus begins his career as a Guildsman in the Guild of Surveyors as Guild Master Telanis’s assistant for an excavation project. Aitrus’s appearance is described as fine-boned features with pale, keen eyes, and short black hair. His rank is Guildsman in the Guild of Surveyors. At the age of 38, he is a Guild Master, and at 50 he is voted a junior member of the Council. He is the husband to Anna and father of Gehn before his death after the Revolt of Veovis.
Allef		Allef is a young man from Averone and helps on the search teams linking to Ages found during the rebuilding effort of D'ni.
Allem		Allem is one of Marrim's first students when she begins to fulfill the promise to the elders to return to Averone periodically to teach the children. Allem approaches Marrim and asks if she can come with her to D'ni when she is older. At the end of the Book of D'ni, Allem is with Marrim and Eedrah at the farewell when the link between Terahnee and D'ni is sealed. She has left Averone to become Marrim's pupil.
Amanjira		A surface dweller from the city of Tadjinar, he mines for valuable minerals. Anna's father provides Amanjira with geological surveys of mineral finds.
Anna		We first meet Anna as a tall, slender girl of 18 with auburn hair who lives in the desert with her father conducting geological surveys and experiments. In D'ni she is given the name of Ti'ana by Aitrus, meaning storyteller. She marries Aitrus and bears a child, Gehn. Anna flees D'ni after the Revolt of Veovis and lives in the desert with Gehn until he leaves home at the age of 14. When Gehn's wife dies in childbirth, Anna names the child Atrus and takes care of him until Gehn returns to take him to D'ni. Anna is also the name Eedrah and Marrim choose for their daughter, most likely in honor of Atrus's grandmother.
Arren		One of Master Tamon's grandsons.
Ar'tenen		The first great Writer from the Guild of Writers, he is responsible for the ancient age of Yakul.
Atrus		Atrus is the son of Gehn and his young wife who dies in childbirth. He is raised by Anna in the Cleft until age 14, then taken to D'ni by Gehn. He learns the Art from Gehn, but eventually rebels against Gehn's interpretation of the Art and with the considerable help of Anna and Catherine traps Gehn on Riven. Catherine and Atrus escape to Myst, marry and have two sons, Sirrus and Achenar who are featured in the game of Myst. Both sons are trapped on Prison Ages by Atrus because of their destructive behavior. When Catherine returns to Riven to help her people, she is captured by Gehn. She and Atrus return to D'ni in safety even while Riven is destroyed. They live for a time on an Age called Chroma'Agana, eventually finding their way to an age called Averone. Here they recruit natives to help with the rebuilding of D'ni. Atrus leads the rebuilding effort by locating citizens who escaped to other Ages. During an excavation, they find the Temple of the Great King which leads them to the Age of Terahnee. After their adventures on Terahnee, Atrus and Catherine live in Tomahna with their newborn daughter Yeesha. Atrus and Catherine nearly miss having all their plans sabotaged by Saavedro, who is seeking revenge because of the cruelty of Atrus's sons.
Avonis		A Guild Master in the Guild of Healers, he is the healer accompanying the D’ni expedition to the surface.
Baddu		Another of the elder leaders of the relyimah, he dies in battle while attempting to stop Ymur's overthrow of the new relyimah government.
Birili		A fisherman from the Thirty-Seventh Age, he and his father Tarkuk take Atrus out fishing.
Carrad		Carrad is a friend of Irras and Marrim and one of the Averonese who helps Atrus in D'ni. He also goes to Terahnee. He is physically described as having a knuckle for a brow and being broad and solid.
Carel		Katran's cousin on Riven, Carel resuscitates Atrus from drowning and is able to communicate in D'ni with him. Carel and Erlar are brothers.
Catherine		Catherine is an intelligent Rivenese native whom Gehn has recruited into his D'ni Guild. Catherine uses her cunning to thwart the maniacal Gehn and prevent their wedding. She becomes the wife of Atrus and mother of Sirrus and Achenar. Her Rivenese name is Katran.
Corlam		He is the dedicated mute assistant to A’Gaeris
Duura		A steward in the household of Ro'Jethhe
Eaven		Eaven was a young Rivenese member of the D'ni Guild and close friend of Katran. When she encouraged him to question Gehn about something he had done, Gehn had him put to death as punishment. He was sacrificed to the sea instilling the rest of the Guild with a deep fear.
Eedrah		Eedrah is a young man from Terahnee, the brother of Hadre and son of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe. He was sick as a child and rescued by a slave. As a result he could see the slaves and became their secret friend. He is known as Renyaloth by the slaves because he was sickly. Eedrah helps in nursing the slaves back to health during the plague, falls prey to the sickness himself but recovers. He weds Marrim and they have a child named Anna. When D'ni is sealed from Terahnee, he returns with the D'ni to live in Tomahna with Marrim. Eedrah looks very much like his brother Hadre, only slighter in build and paler in complexion.
Efanis		A young Guildsman in the Guild of Surveyors and friend to Aitrus. He is fatally wounded when the cutting tip shatters as a tunnel is cut open.
Erlar		A native Rivenese and cousin to Katran, he helps rescue Atrus from the lagoon in Riven.
Eneah		Addressed as Lord, one of the five Great Lords of the Council, over 200 years old. He is from the Guild of Maintainers and visits Anna in her cell, granting her permission to have her sketch pad. While cold towards her, she makes an impression on him.
Esel		Esel is a lot less talkative then his brother Oma. His appearance is taller than Oma with dark hair, thick dark eyebrows locked in a permanent frown. His father was a Master in the Guild of Archivists who had died twelve years before they meet Atrus. Like Oma, Esel is a self-taught historian.
Ferras		Ferras is the wife of Gadren and not very complimentary in her assessment of Master Tergahn, calling him an old stick.
Fihar		One of Veovis's friends and probably a member of Council.
Flame		Anna bartered with traders from a caravan for a sand colored kitten named Pahket. Atrus renames his new pet, Flame.
Gadren		Gadren is a Guildsman who was young at the time of D'ni's fall. He and his family escaped to the family Age of Aridanu. His deceased father was responsible for making the decision to keep their people on Aridanu.
Gat		Gat is an ancient slave in Terahnee and also blind. He is able to address the relyimah at the first council with great wisdom, and seeks to create a social order that will bring the relyimah equality and freedom. He is described as strong and vigorous despite his age.
Gavas		Gavas is a young man who comes to D'ni from Averone and accompanies the teams on the various searches. However he meets with misfortune when he is sent to the ancient Age of Sedona using the Maintainer's linking suit. Sedona apparently is being consumed by a nova at the time that Gavas spends a brief two seconds within its fiery heat. The deretheni suit is completely malformed by the melting heat. He survives and his wounds are tended in D'ni before he is returned to Averone. He is not mentioned within the novel again.
Gehn		Gehn is the son of Anna and Aitrus and is named after Aitrus's great-grandfather.
Gevah		Gevah is an elder from Averone who speaks on behalf of all the elders in allowing their young people to continue working with Atrus and Catherine. Originally they had intended that Atrus leave them when his work was done and destroy the link between their two worlds. Instead they decide to welcome change slowly, by allowing some of their own to go and return occasionally to educate the children of the village.
Geran		He's a blind Guild Master of the Guild of Surveyors. He perishes in a fall when a tremor rocks the Great Shaft.
Gihran		Grand Master of the Guild of Linguists, he is against Anna.
Great King		The Great King is a legendary figure whose First Arrival in D'ni is 1323, Leevot 12. According to Cyan's timeline facts, he establishes the fact that earth is the permanent home for the D'ni and they should not consider returning to their old home. The Great King prophesied a number of things that were recorded in many books, which are never discovered later. The prophecies only exist in other unsubstantial sources.
Hadre Ro'Jethhe		The handsome eldest son of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe, he is the first inhabitant of Terahnee that Atrus and his team encounter. A member of the ruling class and a landowner, he is described as a tall young man with midnight black hair and green eyes. Hadre eventually falls sick from the plague and dies.
Haemis		A member of the Guild of Linguists, this Guild Master was Anna’s tutor in learning the D’ni language. He came to like and respect Anna very well.
Hajihr		Grand Master of the Stone-Masons and one of those present to discuss the terroristic attacks on D'ni.
Hamil		A Grand Master and one of the ancients from the Guild of Messengers, he was allied with Aitrus in the proposal to improve the Lower City.
Haran		Assistant to Kedri the Legislator
Hedrath Ro'Hedrath		This is a neighbor of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe, whose son shared the same tutor as Jethhe's sons.
Heejaf		One of Master Tamon's grandsons.
Hersha		An old slave, his presence among the relyimah is unknown by the stewards. He has studied and keeps a relyimah version of the prophecies. Hersha is part of the council of relyimah when they are trying to organize after the plague has run its course.
Horen Ro'Jadre		He is the governor of the Ni'Ederen District, the district for the Ro'Jethhe estate. His appearance is impressive when Atrus first meets him. The gray-haired gentleman towers over Jethhe who is not a small man. His large frame is wrapped in black furs. He also seems to be a bit of a scientist and researches inks in the laboratory at his home. Like the king, his name does not seem to follow the typical format for the names of Terahnee heads of households. He has retained his own unique first name, Horen, instead of being called Jadre Ro'Jadre.
Huldref		Son of Master Tamon.
Iradun		The Grand Master who was the head of the Guild of Surveyors.
Irras		Irras is a close friend of Marrim and Carrad and one of the Averonese recruited to help in the rebuilding of D'ni. He is described as agile and slender with fine black hair. He accompanies Atrus to Terahnee.
Ja’ir		One of the other Observers who came with Master Kedri to observe the progress of the Great Shaft.
Jaad		A steward in the house of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe.
Jadaris		The Grand Master from the Guild of Maintainers.
Jenniran		"Young" Jenniran is a ninety year old, who was a cadet in the Guild of Miners when D'ni fell. He assists Master Tamon with clearing out the Inkmaker's Guildhouse. He also initially goes to Terahnee with the team, but pretty much stays with Master Tamon.
Jedur		Lord Eneah’s servant.
Jenir		Another of the young volunteers on the expedition to D’ni, a fellow Guildsman and a friend of Aitrus.
Jerahl		A Guild Master and cook on the excavator, who was once trained as a Surveyor and has a great deal of geologic knowledge.
Jethhe Ro'Jethhe		Jethhe Ro'Jethhe is a wealthy landowner in Terahnee and the first host for Atrus and his team of explorers. He is handsome with a patrician bearing, somewhat stern, but also very genial and hospitable during most of their sojourn in his house. However, he becomes livid with Atrus when he discovers he descends from bookworlders, and orders his group confined to their rooms.
Jiladis		He is a Guildsman from the Guild of Ink-Makers who appears at the rendezvous age of one of the Guild Worlds after the biological attack on D'ni. He does not remove his face mask, and it's possible he does not become infected. He and Aitrus dig the graves for approximately 40 council members. It's not certain what happens to Jiladis after he and Aitrus part. Aitrus may have tried to convince him to go to the surface.
Jimel		A Guild Master in the Guild of Maintainers who did not like Anna.
Jura		The attending Healer for Gehn after his birth. Prejudiced against a marriage between a D'ni and an outsider, he would not treat Gehn properly.
Juurtyri		The young son of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe's neighbor Ro'Hedrath.
Kaaru		A steward in the house Jethhe Ro'Jethhe.
Kahlis		Aitrus’s father and a Grand Master.
Katran		A Rivenese maiden serving in Gehn's D'ni Guild. He intends to marry her but she conspires with Atrus and Anna to trap him in Riven. She is also called Catherine and eventually marries Atrus.
Kedri		A Guild Master from the Guild of Legislators, Kedri is described as a big, ungainly man. He observes the progress of the excavation of the Shaft and develops a liking for Aitrus. He can be uncharacteristically impatient for a D’ni.
Kerath		Kerath was coronated the ruler of D'ni in 6,731. Two hundred and forty six years after coronation, Kerath appointed a council and stepped down. Kerath was the last monarch to rule D'ni.
Koena		Koena is an alcolyte of Gehn's on the Thirty-Seventh Age. He speaks broken D'ni, wears a crude Guild cloak, and submits to being called One by Gehn.
Lerral		A young volunteer from Averone, he helps on the search teams looking for survivors on the Ages found during Atrus's attempt to rebuild D'ni.
Lianis		An ancient D’ni acting as chief advisor to Veovis, previously advisor to Veovis’ father, Lord Rakeri.
Maker		A common reference to Yavo, the god of the D'ni.
Marrim		Marrim is a young lady from the Age of Averone from a small indigenous and somewhat primitive culture. When she shows enthusiasm for learning D'ni Catherine takes her under her wing and educates her in the D'ni language for four years. She is recruited by Atrus and Catherine to help in the rebuilding of D'ni and accompanies them on various searches and eventually to Terahnee. Her fondest wish is to become a Stone Mason. She is described as having long thick black hair which she later cuts short to accomodate the physical demands of their tasks. While in Terahnee, she demonstrates her quickness of mind in a life size maze. She also becomes attached to Eedrah, later becoming his wife and bearing a child Anna. Eedrah leaves Terahnee with Marrim to live on Tomahna. The next Myst book is expected to be about Marrim.
Meer		Meer is a young man who comes from Averone to help Atrus in D'ni, but is unfortunately killed by a large creature in the Age of Aurack. They are unable to find his body, only traces of his torn and bloodied clothing. Atrus initiates additional precautions after breaking for a week to inform Meer's parents on Averone of their son's death.
Neferus		The young cadet in the Guild of Legislators who finds the precedent of non D’ni having access to Ages.
Nehir		Lord Nehir is one of the five Great Lords of the Council. From the Guild of Stone-Masons, he is over 200 years old.
Oma		Oma is the brother of Esel from the Age of Bilaris. He is described as being short and rotund with disheveled hair. His father was a Master in the Guild of Archivists. Oma and his brother are self-taught historians and aid Atrus throughout the story with research and translation.
Oren		A Council member from the Guild of Chemists, he is for improvement of the Lower City.
Penjul		A Guild Master from the Guild of Legislators and Council member for improvement of the Lower City.
Rafis		Former slave leader at the estate of Ro'Tanak in Terahnee. Ymur has usurped him and is represented at the council of the relyimah instead.
Rakeri		He is one of the five Great Lords of the Council, father to Veovis and Grand Master of the Guild of Miners.
R’hira		One of the five Great Lords of the Council, Lord R'hira is over 200 years old from the Guild of Maintainers.
Ri'Neref		The first Grand Master of the Guild of Writers.
Rijahna		He is a Guild Master at the Guild of Books and is acting host on Open Day, the day of the great disaster in D'ni.
Rijus		The mute, obedient servant of Gehn in D'ni. Rijus was taller and more powerful than Gehn. He also seemed to possess a knowledge of K'veer unknown to Gehn. His presence in D'ni and what happened to him after Gehn's exile to Riven is a mystery.
Ro'Adderren		The chief advisor for Ro'Eh Ro'Dan of Terahnee.
Ro'Eh Ro'Dan		Ro'Eh Ro'Dan is the king of Terahnee and lives in its capital in a great palace above the city. He governs with the aid of a Council and many advisors. He's a man of learning, and treats Atrus with the warmth of genuine kinship. He is young and fair in appearance, but carries himself with authority and wisdom. To Atrus, he seems to be a man of reason and certainly of his word.
Sajka		At the time of D'ni's downfall, he is Grand Master of the Guild of Writers and the most recent of the five Great Lords.
Sijarun		A Guild Master from the Guild of Maintainers, he confiscates Ko’ah and Aitrus’ unnamed book.
Salar		Salar is a young girl from the Thirty-Seventh Age that Atrus rescues from a chasm in the ground. She remains shy and is completely terrorized by Gehn
Suahrnir		A senior member of the Guild of Maintainers, once a Keeper of the Prison Ages and responsible for the disposal of all failed or unstable Ages. Suahrnir is partly responsible for the corruption of Veovis. Disappearing at the time of Veovis's arrest, he continues to conspire with A'Gaeris and Veovis against D'ni. He most likely provided A'Gaeris with most of the blank books, and because of his knowledge of Prison Ages, he probably aided A'Gaeris to free Veovis. Anna hits him with a heavy file and pours a substance on his face that would render him unconscious if not dead. This is the last we hear of Suahrnir, so it is likely he perished.
Ta’nerin		A young engineer involved in the Great Shaft project.
Talashar		He is the author of one of the Five Great Books in D'ni. His book is desecrated by A'Gaeris. Talashar died nearly 6,000 years before the fall of D'ni.
Tamon		Master Tamon is a gray bearded Guildsman from the Guild of Stonemasons and elder for a D'ni community that escaped D'ni when it fell. The name for their Age is not given in the Book of D'ni. Master Tamon becomes responsible for any projects involving stone-working. His first task is to come up with suitable living quarters for those returning from the Ages. When the Inkmakers Guild House is found relatively undamaged, Tamon chooses it and the Temple of the Great King is discovered as they clear out debris.
Tarkuk		Father to Birili on the Thirty-Seventh Age, he and his son take Atrus fishing.
Tanaren Ro'Tanaren		Tanaren is a landowner and friend of Jethhe Ro'Jethhe. Atrus and his party stay at his estate the night before they meet the King.
Tasera		Aitrus’s mother and wife of Kahlis.
Tejara		A Guild Master from the Guild of Messengers, he delivers supplies and mail to the crew members of the excavator.
Tekis		A council member from the Guild of the Archivists, for improvement of the Lower City.
Telanis		Guild Master from the Guild of Surveyors and project leader for the exploratory team excavating to the surface.
Tergahn		Master Tergahn is among the most ancient of those returning to D'ni. He lives as a hermit on an island on the Age of Aridanu but is eager to return to D'ni with Atrus. He is completely bald with age spots peppering his scalp, however he is extremely sharp of mind and bears himself upright.He is experienced at taking soundings in rock.
Ti'ana		Anna's D'ni name, Ti'ana was given to her by Aitrus and meant a teller of tales.
Tulla		One of the five Great Lords of the Council and the head of it, Lord Tulla is 287 years old at the time of the capping ceremony. When he dies he is replaced by Lord Eneah.
Tuure		A steward in the house of Horen Ro'Jadre.
Tyluu		A steward on the estate of Ro'Jethhe, he gives the young members of Atrus's team a guided tour around the granaries and barns.
Urren		Master Urren was a visiting tutor at the Guild of Books from the Guild of Ink-Makers. He is described as a "big, ungainly, birdlike man, with a long thin face and huge bushy eyebrows". Gehn is deeply inspired by Urren's zealous lessons on the secrets of the Art.
Uta		Uta is the young slave boy Marrim and Atrus retrieve from the garden when he is afflicted by the plague. Marrim nurses him back to health, and Uta becomes devoted to Atrus and Catherine. When confronted by Ymur, Uta quotes a prophecy that refers to him and the person who rescued him, convincing the relyimah that Atrus is a fulfillment of prophecy. Unfortunately, Uta is found dead alongside the body of Ymur, and it's believed that he died stabbing Ymur in order to save Terahnee from further cruelty.
Veovis		Son of Lord Rakeri, Veovis and Aitrus had gone to school together, but Veovis had taunted Aitrus as a child. At the age of thirteen, Aitrus finally fought Veovis. Veovis becomes a Grand Master of the Guild of Writers. Veovis is attractive, naturally charming and politically adept, but his pride becomes his great stumbling block, building his rage and leading to his downfall.
Yavo		Yavo is the Creator, the Maker, the one who wrote the worlds into being.
Yeesha		The name of Atrus and Catherine's infant daughter.
Yf'Jerrej		A member of the emergency council and a target for assassination.
Yf'Jerrej		A member of the emergency council and a target for assassination.
Ymur		Ymur is one of the slaves prematurely brought in from the training ages when the relyimah were being decimated by plague. Ymur kills a steward and gets other slaves to follow him in overthrowing their masters. He suffered cruelly under the P'aarli, yet practices the same expediency in determining who should lead and who should bear the burden of service. He is an astute in battle but is prepared to use cruel methods against his own followers. His arrogance leads him to declare himself ruler of the Terahnee, resulting in his death at the hand of Uta, a young boy serving in his camp.