From Words to Faces: Meet the Characters of Birth of Andakah

Well, I said the next update would be character designs, and here we are!

I've been looking forward to this part of the project for a long time. Writing these characters is one thing. Being able to actually see them, recognize their expressions, and start imagining how they'll move across a manga page is something else entirely.

Birth of Andakah has been growing alongside AFALOZ for a while now. I've spent a lot of time writing, rewriting, researching, designing, and trying to figure out how to bring the world of Zsolterra to life. Some days everything comes together. Other days I spend hours fixing something I thought was already finished. That's just how creating goes, I suppose.

But these past few weeks have been exciting. We've been developing our original, full-color Japanese manga style and applying it to the characters.

These illustrations are development previews, not necessarily their final appearances. We're still refining details, and I expect some things will change as the manga progresses. I wanted to share them anyway because this is part of the journey, and honestly, they're looking pretty good!

Here are ten characters from the world of Birth of Andakah.

Zeven Alhafa-Nudar

Zeven — an arbiter whose ambitions extend far beyond her official duties.

Zeven is one of the central characters of Birth of Andakah.

She's an arbiter, a scientist, and someone who has spent her life surrounded by extraordinary technology and enormous expectations. She takes her responsibilities seriously, although that doesn't mean everyone agrees with how she carries them out.

What interests me most about Zeven is the conflict between her ambitions and her relationships. She's capable of incredible things, but that doesn't make grief, resentment, or family any easier to navigate.

Her story asks an uncomfortable question: how much can someone change society while remaining part of the system that shaped them?

Zarash

Zarash — a young scavenger carrying more than his equipment.

Zarash brings us into a very different part of Zsolterra.

Where Zeven's world is filled with institutions and advanced technology, Zarash's story begins in mud, scavenged materials, borrowed boots, and the everyday struggle to survive.

He's young, reserved, and accustomed to difficult circumstances. His surroundings have taught him to pay attention to what others might overlook.

I particularly like seeing his complete scavenger outfit come together. His backpack, protective clothing, and worn boots help tell us something about the life he leads without needing a lengthy explanation.

And sometimes the smallest discoveries lead to the largest problems.

Cauma Comma

Cauma — an imposing presence surrounded by wealth, scars, and unanswered questions.

Cauma is one of those characters whose presence changes the atmosphere of a scene.

He's enormous, covered in scars, and surrounded by the jewelry, fur, and accumulated treasures of his clan.

He can be theatrical, almost amusing, until you remember how much control he has over the people around him.

His appearance has been especially interesting to develop because I want his design to communicate both extravagance and danger.

There's a lot more to explore with Cauma, but I'll leave those discoveries to the story.

Soet

Soet — a towering Nadiist whose imposing appearance tells only part of the story.

Soet is a large, blue-scaled Nadiist with a presence that's difficult to miss.

But his size isn't the only thing that makes him interesting.

In Parable 1, we see him helping Zarash, lending him equipment, and dealing with the practical dangers of life around the scavenger clan.

I enjoy the contrast between his physical appearance and these smaller interactions. Those moments are important to me because they help characters feel like people rather than collections of abilities or impressive designs.

There's still plenty for readers to discover about him.

Epsul

Epsul — a striking figure whose circumstances are anything but simple.

Epsul's design immediately stands apart from the others.

The elaborate pink braids, wrapped clothing, jewelry, and expressive face give her an unmistakable visual identity.

Her personality is just as difficult to overlook. She can be stubborn, sharp-tongued, and unwilling to let others speak for her.

She's also caught in circumstances that become increasingly difficult to escape.

I don't want to explain too much about Epsul here. She's one of those characters I would rather let readers get to know through her actions.

Oab

Oab — an expressive personality with an unforgettable cascade of curls.

Oab is one of my favorite examples of how different characters can feel, even when they share the same world and family history.

Her enormous green-and-white curls are practically a character design project of their own!

She's affectionate, expressive, and capable of bringing warmth into situations where other people seem determined to make everything miserable.

She's also a prominent creator on Tataloz, which gives a little glimpse into the social world of Zsolterra.

I wanted her appearance to feel distinctive without losing the emotional side of her character.

Wuzien

Wuzien — a watchful professional working behind the scenes.

Not everyone in Birth of Andakah needs an enormous weapon or an extravagant costume to be memorable.

Wuzien works as Zeven's Lead Spotter, coordinating information and specialists during her operations.

She's part of the system that allows the more dramatic events to unfold.

Her visual development has focused on creating a recognizable appearance that suits her working role while remaining distinct from the other characters.

I'm looking forward to exploring more of her interactions with Zeven.

Tor’Jah

Tor’Jah — the self-proclaimed Messiah of the Ring.

Now here's someone who knows how to make an entrance.

Tor’Jah's elaborate clothing, fighting cape, and gold-and-black presentation suit a man who has put considerable thought into his public image.

He's proud of his reputation, even when his own family refuses to take his branding seriously.

I enjoy characters like this because their personalities come through before they have to explain themselves.

And in a family full of strong personalities, standing out is an accomplishment of its own.

Sakura

Sakura — elegance, sharp opinions, and a distinctive new visual direction.

Sakura has a polished appearance, but anyone familiar with her exchanges in Parable 1 knows that appearances aren't everything.

She's outspoken, quick to challenge others, and very aware of her public image.

For her illustration, we've been developing a combination of straight white-to-blue hair, decorative skull-inspired glasses, and an elegant dress.

I wanted her to stand apart visually while still feeling like she belongs in the same world as the others.

Her design is still developing, and I'm excited to see how it translates into manga scenes.

Nan

Nan — refinement and authority beneath an elaborate, skull-inspired shawl.

Nan has a very different presence from the younger characters.

Her flowing dark clothing, silver hair, jewelry, and distinctive shawl help communicate a sense of refinement.

But there's also something intimidating about her.

In Parable 1, she is capable of commanding a room with remarkably little effort.

Her visual development has been particularly enjoyable because we're working to balance elegance, maturity, and an unsettling skull-inspired clothing design.

She's another character whose story I would rather reveal gradually.

Bringing Zsolterra to Life

Seeing these ten characters together reminds me how much work there still is to do.

And that's exciting.

Birth of Andakah moves through different periods, places, and perspectives. We're building a world where technology, strange creatures, competing beliefs, family relationships, and questions about existence all have a place.

I want the manga to capture that variety while maintaining a consistent artistic identity. These aren't just portraits to me. They're the foundations for expressions, movement, environments, and eventually entire scenes.

There's still a lot of work ahead, and I'm sure we'll revisit some of these designs. That's fine. I'd rather let them grow with the story.

If you haven't started reading yet, Parable 1 is available here.

Let me know which character design stands out to you. I'm curious whether readers notice the same things that I've spent so much time working on.

More writing, more characters, and eventually more manga are on the way.

Thanks for following the journey.

AFALOZ is a seed. Let's see what grows.