Tiste Andii infiltrator hidden as a Hiroth Edur warrior. Knows the truth of the ancient Edur betrayal of the Andii at the K'Chain Che'Malle war.

One of the Sengar brothers, a powerful Tiste Edur sorcerer. Binadas is capable and independent, often away on missions for the Edur that bring him into contact with strange and dangerous forces.

The youngest Beddict brother and the King's Champion - the finest swordsman in Lether. Brys is honourable, devoted to duty, and increasingly troubled by the corruption he sees in the Letherii court and the threat posed by the Tiste Edur.

Tehol Beddict's apparently humble manservant, an old man of unassuming appearance who handles the practical details of Tehol's schemes with quiet competence. Bugg's true nature is considerably more than his presentation suggests.

A Letherii merchant and spy who trades among the Tiste Edur while secretly reporting to the Letherii government. Buruk is cynical and self-destructive, aware that the trade relationships he maintains are a thin veneer over impending war.

King of the Lether Empire; head of the Diskanar dynasty. Increasingly remote from his court as the Edur invasion unfolds.

The eldest Sengar brother and a Tiste Edur warrior of great skill and honour. Fear serves as Weapons Master to the Edur and watches with growing horror as his youngest brother Rhulad is transformed by the cursed sword into something he can no longer recognise.

A young Letherii slave among the Tiste Edur who possesses the ability to read the Tiles - a form of divination. Feather Witch is ambitious and resentful of her bondage, and her growing power as a caster of the Tiles draws dangerous attention.

A Letherii Finadd (military officer) and serial killer who uses his position and wealth to indulge his compulsion for murder. Gerun is powerful, politically connected, and deeply dangerous.

The Warlock King of the Tiste Edur, who unified the six Edur tribes through a combination of sorcery and political skill. Hannan Mosag made a pact with the Crippled God that set in motion the events consuming his people, and watches his power slip away as Rhulad's madness grows.

The middle Beddict brother, a former Sentinel who betrayed the tribes he was sworn to protect when Letherii expansion demanded it. Hull is consumed by guilt and has turned against Lether, seeking to bring about its destruction through alliance with the Tiste Edur.

A half-Jaghut wanderer of immense age who travels with his companion Mappo Runt. Icarium is cursed with an inability to retain memories for more than a few years, leaving him gentle and inquisitive in his normal state. But within him lies a capacity for destruction so vast that civilisations have fallen when his rage is unleashed.

An Avowed of the Crimson Guard - an elite mercenary company whose members have sworn a vow that grants them near-immortality. Iron Bars and his squad find themselves stranded in Lether, far from their company, and become entangled in the conflict between Letherii and Edur.

Queen of Lether, mother of Prince Quillas. Manoeuvres against her husband through the Errant and her own faction at court.

A strange young girl bound to an Azath House, far more than she appears to be.

The Ceda - the most powerful mage in the Letherii kingdom and advisor to the king. Kuru Qan is ancient, eccentric, and deeply concerned about the threat posed by the Tiste Edur and the unknown powers behind them.

Elder God of the Seas. Conspires with Gothos and Kilmandaros to imprison Scabandari's spirit after the K'Chain Che'Malle war. Walks the mortal world hidden as the manservant Bugg.

A Tiste Edur woman betrothed to Fear Sengar but claimed by Rhulad after his transformation. Mayen is trapped between the brothers, her fate a casualty of Rhulad's madness and the power dynamics tearing apart the Sengar household.

Finadd of the royal bodyguard, charged with protecting Prince Quillas. Survives the High Fort rout and later discusses the Errant's identity with Brys Beddict.

First Eunuch of the Lether court. Suspects the bound sea spirit is Mael, and is sent on the doomed diplomatic mission to the Edur.