Cycle Two Characters:
Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Čapek: Jack is a herpetologist studying ambystomatid salamanders in and around Mexico City. She has a penchant for beer and ostentatious socks. Sometimes gruff but determined and is never afraid to speak her mind, especially when it comes to her study subjects.
Carlos Rivas: Jack’s graduate student and close friend. Cares deeply about the conservation of Mexico’s native fauna and is one of the few people that knows Jack well. He grew up in the Lake Xochimilico area and knows the location and surrounding community extremely well. He’s also familiar with (although doesn’t really believe in) all of the local folklore surrounding the lake.
Xolotl (The Black Mudpuppy): Xolotl (pronounced Show-Low-till) was once the Aztec god of deformity, misfortune and a guide to the underworld. For a full back story, see Cycle One. He is a giant neotenic salamander, with supernatural powers. He also secretly collects Precious Tiny Baby ceramic figurines.
Dedos: Dedos is something of a local legend. He’s that guy who always knows how to get your hands on something you shouldn’t have. His brother is a known antiquities smuggler, but Dedos’s crimes tend to be more on the scale of misdemeanor. He’s a lovable scamp, and has often helped Jack and Carlos in the past with anything that requires bending the rules.
Dr. Andreas Scheuzer: Dr. Scheuzer is a German born scientist and faculty head at the university Jack works for. He is technically Jack’s boss, although Jack spends most of her time in the field, while Dr. Scheuzer is in the lab, studying chytrid fungus, a deadly (and real) threat to amphibian populations. He often has to mediate between Jack’s passionate defense of her salamanders and the higher ups at the university.