Tiryk is a teenage dinosaur racer in Port Nyanzaru and the son of merchant prince Ekene-Afa. He is one of twin sons (the other being Soshen, who serves as a city guard). Both brothers are named after Chultan rivers. His father is Kura, a painter.
As a popular dinosaur racer, Tiryk participates in one of Port Nyanzaru’s major entertainment spectacles, following in his mother’s footsteps of gaining fame through competitive events (though his mother gained her reputation through gladiatorial combat in the arena rather than racing).