Regol

Regol is a ring-fighter from the Caltess Fight Hall. Nona Grey meets him first as top-dog of the attic children, then as an apprentice as the Caltess Forging. He later becomes one of The Empire’s finest ring-fighters. Nona and Regol find themselves attracted to one another.

Appearance and Personality
Regol is a tall, darkly handsome young man with a sweep of black hair. He has a habitual mocking smile, watchful eyes, an unhurriedly manner, and a sardonic sense of humour. He's a full-blood, both lightning-fast and highly skilled in a fight. A growing attraction develops between Nona and Regol.

History
Regol is from a peasant village called Bru in the east of The Empire. His parents sold him to Giljohn the Child-Taker, on a journey prior to the one where he bought Nona. Giljohn subsequently sold him to the Caltess as a trainee Hunska ringfighter.

Red Sister
By the time Nona joins the Caltess, Regol has risen to "king" of the attic children. He explains the rules to those newly purchased, keeps the children in-line, and protect them somewhat from the bully Denam. Nona meets Regol again when the Sweet Mercy novices visit the Caltess for the annual Forging. Regol is the first of the apprentices that Nona faces in a fight. He remembers Nona, and warns her to be careful of her next opponent, Denam, who Raymel Tacsis has bribed to hurt her. His fondness for Nona, doesn't prevent him brutally defeating her in their fight.

Grey Sister
Regol has since become one of The Empire’s finest ring-fighters, and a popular guests at many of the great Sis houses. When Nona and Arabella visits Terra Mensis in Verity, Regol is also a guest. During lunch, Regol comments that he is also going to be a guest at Sherzal’s palace for a spectacular party. At the end of the meal, Sister Kettle bursts into the room to confront Safira, who is disguised as a servant, intent on kidnapping Zole who was meant to be there. The two women fight, which ends with Safira threatening Kettle with Grey Mustard poison. She leaves, claiming that her patron Sherzal is the best hope for The Empire.

Regol travels the backroads to reach Sherzal’s palace. Although he is wealth, he knows a ring-fighters career is often short, and is careful with his money. He visits the village where he was born, and sees his mother but she doesn't even recognise him. One day while eating at a tavern, a group of Jureg tribesmen try to kidnap for ransom Abbess Glass who is also dining there. The Inquisition guards with her seem reluctant to face them down, but Regol fights drives them off. In gratitude Inquisitor Pelter hires him as additional protection for the journey. On the way, the Abbess realises that Regol is fond of Nona, and begins to win him over to her cause.

Regol attends the lavish party where the trial of Abbess Glass is to take place. However the trial doesn't go to plan. The Abbess pleads guilty but with special dispensation, and explains that the intention of this whole charade was to get a full Inquisition trial beneath Sherzal's roof, who is accused of stealing the Church’s only Shipheart. Sherzal however has no intention of facing justice, and her soldiers storm the room. But the Abbess' supporters fight back, led by Arabella and Darla, and Regol joins them. He gets into a blindingly fast fight with Safira and eventually knocks her out. He then shields the escape of the others, until Joeli manipulates him with Thread-Work and causes him to flee.

Regol, Abbess Glass and the others eventually reach the stables, but their escape is blocked by Sherzal's soldiers. The situation seems hopeless, and they begin to pray, only for Nona and Kettle to suddenly appear. When her wounded friend Darla die in her arms, it fuels the rage that Nona needs to walk The Path and use the energy to push the others in a carriage through the gates, and away from the palace. However, the carriage eventually crashes, and Sherzal's soldiers begin to converge on them. As they prepare to hold the path, allowing the others to flee, Nona comes face-to-face with Regol and is embarrassed by her dishevelled and barely clad state. However suddenly the hillside collapses, obliterating the soldiers. From the rubble emerges Zole, who caused the collapse using Rock-Work fueled by the Shipheart stolen for the Noi-Guin.