Ava Shepherd is the main character of Crystalborn. Everything is told from her point of view. She is not a reliable narrator and only knows what she has been told by others. No real survival skills beyond some in-depth hiking knowledge (like the Rule of Threes).

In her 20s, she was on a trip for one last hurrah before settling into being a normal adult. Arriving back at her home city just as the apocalypse got truly underway. She has been mentally surviving by refusing to think about things too much. Especially given that she might have lost several weeks because of potentially lethal but very psychedelic moss spores.

Has a fraternal twin brother named David.

First Appearance: Chapter 01

Ava's fraternal twin brother.

Was supposed to pick her up at the airport when she arrived but the apocalypse happened. His introduction is through a phone call. He suggested to Ava that she get to her apartment and that he would meet her there.

First Appearance: Chapter 01 (Mentioned), Chapter 02 (Vocally)

Ava's classmate was a studious young man who offered to give her a drive back into the city. Unfortunately, he mutated partway there and tried to eat her. 

He developed a secondary mouth where his shoulder connects with his torso. He lost all reason at that point.

He was eaten by the "Wendigo".

First Appearance: Chapter 01

Ava's parents. 

First Appearance: Chapter 01 (Mentioned)

A person Ava met while travelling into the city. 

They have an unnatural ability to heal. This attracted a cannibal who kept them with them as a renewable food source. The cannibal was a friend they had before the apocalypse. Another friend of Rowan's encountered the moss spores and succumbed to the moss. 

First Appearance: Chapter 03

Ava's initial goal, she wanted to reach the safety and peace of her apartment. Located in a slightly dense residential area at the edge of the city. It was something she could afford as a college student. Not very big, it consists of a living room, kitchen, bathroom and single bedroom.

There were safety bars on the windows of the apartment. However, the bedroom bars have been used as a door by the Wendigo-creature and it keeps bending them to suit its needs.

Currently, the rest of the apartments in her building have been abandoned. 

A small store across from Ava's apartment building. It has the essentials for any college student or poor bachelor. While there are some food items, it is mostly junk food and easy-to-cook things like Ramen noodles or Instant Mashed Potatoes. Ava began raiding this place within a day of returning to her apartment.

The highway that Ava travelled to get into the City. The airport was located to the south of the City on the highway. 

There are a lot of abandoned cars on the highway but the military cleared a path through it for their vehicles. Creatures occasionally wander the highway in search of food.

Also known as "Hare-Creature".

A mutated hare that is about the size of a large dog. There are multiple hare-creatures in the forest and it appears to be the wendigo-creature's main source of food (or at least Ava hopes so).

Carnivorous.

First Appearance: Chapter 02

Also known as "Wendigo-Creature".

A four-armed furry beast about four times the height of a human with the bulk to match. Has a head the size of a normal woman's torso. It also has a long prehensile tail that is similar to a cat's tail but bulkier the closer it gets to the creature's body.

Several rows of teeth like a shark and multiple pairs of eyes. Ava has counted 7 pairs with different types of irises (some with multiple irises, goat-like irises and more).

Eyes dilate like a cat. Also capable of making a purring sound.

First Appearance: Chapter 01

The moss located in the forest along the North-South Highway is believed to produce spores that have psychedelic effects such as hallucinations (visual, touch, etc) as well as modifying a person's sense of time. This effect can drive a living creature insane.

These spores will also sprout into new moss colonies if they have landed on a sufficiently warm and moist environment. 

First Appearance: Chapter Two 

No one really knows how it started but the mutations always followed after a "Crystal Rain". A world-wide phenomenon, Ava had no clue of the death toll or even of the long-reaching effects of the Apocalypse.

Supposedly, this rain resulted in mutations in everything as well as damaging machines with moving parts. 

Ava's term for when people or animals mutate. Not always successful.