Minor characters of Xanth
Beauregard the Demon
A highly intelligent demon of Xanth who is writing a doctoral thesis on the supremacy of demons over other lifeforms entitled "Fallibilities of Other Intelligent Life in Xanth". He repaid a debt to the Good Magician Humfrey, incurred by seeking information from him on other lifeforms, by serving time in a small vial answering questions for people. After repaying the debt, he stayed in the vial to gain further information. Beauregard met Good Magician Humphrey in demon school, where they became friends and greeted each other with insults. In the book Air Apparent, it is revealed that he works as a tour guide in hell, and has fallen in love with Angela Angel, when their toes accidentally brushed a love spring while they were arguing with each other. Angela later returns in Knot Gneiss trying to find substance so she and Beauregard can be together in Xanth.
The Brain Coral
A form of coral kept in stasis in preservative fluids in the land of Xanth. Its goal was to prevent the awakening of the Demon X(A/N)th, but it failed. Many people are held, or have been held, in its preservative fluids for eventual release including (Neo-)Sorceress Vadne, Magician Murphy, and Harold Harpy. The Brain Coral was a main character in the book The Source of Magic.
Chlorine
The wife of the Demon X(A/N)th and mother of Nimbus. She lives in the Nameless Castle. Her talent is to form poison from water (more like the chlorine used to clean things with). Before she met Demon X(A/N)th, she was plain, mean, and stupid. She wished to be smart, nice, and beautiful, and Nimby (Demon X(A/N)th in disguise) changed her. She had only one tear left in her eyes, half a tear in each, and if she was to cry that last tear, she would become blind. In the end she shed the tear when Nimby was set on fire by her horrible parents. Nimby and Chlorine have a son named Nimbus. She has a twin sister named Fluorine, who unfortunately is just as mean and nasty as Chlorine used to be.
Demon X(A/N)th
The Demon whose extended presence created Xanth's magic. He is constantly at battle with Earth, Jupiter, Neptune, and other Demons who represent the planets in an astral game of gaining recognition. Earth is currently the most recognized one with Xanth coming dead last because nobody seems to believe in it. X(A/N)th first appears in the second book, The Source of Magic, and is the star of the 20th Xanth book, Yon Ill Wind (as Nimby, a horrendously ugly donkey-headed dragon), and the 23rd, Xone of Contention. He currently enjoys living in the floating castle with his consort Chlorine and son Nimbus. He has also been known to travel in the form of Nimby.
Fracto
Also called Cumulo-Fracto-Nimbus, this demon cloud roams the land of Xanth, blowing up storms to cause mischief. Later, he tamed Happy Bottom in the Region of Air and had a daughter, Fray Cloud (Fracto and Happy Bottom). He was introduced in Centaur Aisle and appeared in many subsequent books.
The Gap Dragon
The Gap Dragon or Stanley Steamer is a dragon that lives in the Gap Chasm that runs the width of Xanth. Because the Gap Chasm had a forget spell put on it by Dor in Castle Roogna, nobody could remember it and therefore couldn't remember the dragon, making anyone who entered the Chasm easy prey. In Dragon on a Pedestal, he was de-aged at the fountain of youth, after which he was befriended by three-year-old Princess Ivy. Ivy renamed him Stanley Steamer because the Gap Dragon can only breathe steam, not fire. After an accident with Jordan The Barbarian, Stanley was sent far away. He was later found by Jordan The Barbarian, Threnody, Grundy The Golem, Rapunzel, and Snortimer at a Faun and Nymph lake retreat. The Gap Dragon still today protects the Gap Chasm from intruders, catching prey, and always being a faithful friend to Princess Ivy. He is married to Stella/Stacey Steamer (Princess Ivy named her Stacey but the Xanth lexicon put it down as Stella). They alternate guarding the Gap Chasm and watching their son Steven.
Happy Bottom
Formerly called Tropical Storm Gladys, Happy Bottom was blown into Xanth from Mundania when the Demon X(A/N)th entered the land of Xanth, stirring out magic dust and causing madness. She was tamed by Fracto later. Their daughter is Wynde Tchill. Gladys-Glad Ass- Happy Bottom
Jenny Elf and Sammy Cat
Jenny is named after a fan of the Xanth series who corresponded with Piers Anthony after a severe car accident that left her partially paralyzed. Jenny, who is based on the elves of the ElfQuest series by Wendy and Richard Pini, comes from the world of Two Moons. Her constant companion is her cat Sammy, who can find anything but home. Her friends are Che Centaur and Gwendolyn Goblin. They are introduced in Isle of View. Jenny marries the werewolf Prince Jeremy in Zombie Lover. Sammy Cat, who is named for the Mundanian Jenny's pet cat, has his own adventure as a main character in Up in a Heaval, meeting his own true love Claire Voyant Cat in the process.
Justin Tree
A man transformed into a tree by Trent for 76 years in the Xanth universe. He rejected offers to be transformed back into a man and seems to like being a tree during that time. His talent is Voice Projection, letting him speak from anywhere without the use of his vocal cords, and he retained this ability even as a tree.
By the time of the novel Zombie Lover, he eventually felt a desire to have an adventure of his own. With his spirit temporarily anchored to Breanna of the Black Wave, he traveled around Xanth with her, and the pair ultimately fell in love. In the process, he and Breanna developed a newfound appreciation for the zombies of Xanth, and he agreed to become the new Zombie Master in place of Jonathan, who was seeking to retire.
Justin was subsequently returned to human form and took youth elixir to restore him to the age of 18, spending the next three years with Breanna and marrying her when he was 21 again (following the events of Swell Foop, during which time he bore the Ring of Idea), then assuming the duties of the Zombie Master full-time. He and Breanna subsequently became the parents of a child named Amber Dawn, who had been delivered by the time of Cube Route.
Okra Ogress
An ogress born with the talent of a supersonic voice. Having her natural ogrishness diluted by having accidentally gotten a magic talent she isn't as ugly and stupid as a normal ogre. Because of this she wanted to be a main character since nothing bad happens to a main character. She traveled with Mela Merwoman and Ida in "The Color of Her Panties" in order to ask the Good Magician Humphrey. She marries Smithereen Ogre and has two children with him: Og and Not-Og
Sim
Son and heir to Simurgh. He is being tutored by Che Centaur. He has dated Ilene, the second daughter of Trent and Iris. Appears in Roc and a Hard Place and stars in The Dastard, Swell Foop and Air Apparent.
Simurgh
The wisest of birds and keeper of the seeds of the tree of life. Based on the Simurgh of Persian myth. She is introduced in Dragon on a Pedestal as a leader of the winged animals of Xanth. It is said that she survived the destruction and recreation of the universe several times already. She married Chex Centaur to Chieron Centaur, and commanded all winged monsters to protect their son Che. Her chick is Sim.
Snortimer
Snortimer is the monster under Ivy's bed in the land of Xanth. He loves to grab at pretty young ankles. He will fade out of existence when Ivy gets too old to believe in bed monsters. He stayed with the fauns and nymphs in place of Stanley Steamer (the Gap Dragon).
Volney Vole
The mate of Wilda Wiggle, Volney was a main character in Vale of the Vole. Volney replaces his S's with V's in speech; however, to his ears, S's from others sound like hissing.
Wynde Tchill
Daughter of Fracto and Happy Bottom.
References
- Xanth novels
- Xanth Character Database
- Piers Anthony's Visual Guide to Xanth (With Jody Lynn Nye)
- Encyclopedia of Xanth (1987, by Jody Lynn Nye), a Crossroads Adventure game book set in the Xanth universe.