A Sarl prince, eldest surviving son of the king. Vain and pampered, Ferbin is forced to flee his home after witnessing a crime that overturns everything he believed about his father's most trusted ally.

Ferbin's younger brother, left behind when Ferbin flees. Thoughtful and studious where Ferbin is reckless, Oramen finds himself dangerously close to the man who now controls their kingdom.

Ferbin's loyal servant, who accompanies his prince on the desperate flight from their homeworld. Practical, resourceful, and possessed of considerably more common sense than his master.

Born a princess of the Sarl, a feudal people living within a vast artificial Shellworld. She left her homeworld to join the Culture and became a Special Circumstances agent. Now she must return to the world she thought she had left behind.