The younger daughter of the Vestrit family whose passionate connection to the liveship Vivacia and refusal to accept her exclusion from seafaring drives much of the Liveship Traders Trilogy. Althea's arc is one of the sequence's most satisfying - a woman who earns her place through genuine competence in a world that would prefer she stay ashore - and her relationship with Vivacia is one of the trilogy's emotional anchors. Her path crosses with the wider Elderlings sequence in ways that reward the full reading of the universe.

A disgraced Bingtown Trader's son who serves as first mate on Vivacia before his dismissal, and whose subsequent history with cindin and the docks of Bingtown forms the backdrop to his eventual role in the rescue mission. Brashen's relationship with Althea is one of the trilogy's most carefully developed romances - complicated by circumstance, pride, and the genuine equality of their regard for each other. His captaincy of the Paragon is one of the trilogy's central plot threads.

Hest Finbok's personal secretary and closest companion, formerly a Bingtown Trader's son. A charming, gentle, well-groomed young man who has been Alise's friend since childhood. He is deeply bound to Hest emotionally. Hest sends him to accompany Alise to the Rain Wilds, ostensibly as chaperone, though Sedric is resentful. He meets privately with Chalcedean merchant Begasti Cored and appears to be scheming to acquire dragon parts for sale.

The elder Vestrit daughter and wife of Kyle Haven. She is caught between loyalty to her family and deference to her domineering husband, often unable to stand up to either.

Keffria and Kyle's daughter, about twelve years old. Willful and precocious, she tests boundaries and is beginning to chafe against her grandmother's authority.

Kyle Haven's son and Althea's nephew, pulled from his priestly training and forced aboard Vivacia against his will. Wintrow's arc examines what happens when a person of genuine spiritual conviction is placed in circumstances that demand compromises his faith cannot accommodate, and his relationship with Vivacia - who quickens partly through him - is one of the trilogy's most affecting. His eventual accommodation with Kennit is one of the sequence's more morally complex developments.

Keffria and Kyle Haven's youngest, changed by his prolonged contact with the dragon Tintaglia into an Elderling; serves as a diplomatic figure between Bingtown and the dragons by the time of the Rain Wild Chronicles.

The dying patriarch of the Vestrit family and captain of the liveship Vivacia. A respected Bingtown Trader, he spends his final days at sea so his death will quicken Vivacia, as tradition demands. He is warm toward his daughters and Brashen but at odds with his son-in-law Kyle.

A Bingtown Trader and old family friend of the Vestrits, well-meaning but socially oblivious. He is one of the few Old Traders willing to deal openly with the New Traders and is regarded with suspicion by his peers.

Keffria Vestrit's husband whose assumption of control over the Vestrit family's liveship and trading interests sets the Liveship Traders Trilogy in motion. Kyle is not a subtle antagonist - his arrogance, his treatment of his crew, and his fundamental misunderstanding of what a liveship is and requires make him a consistent source of damage across the trilogy. His role in Wintrow's story is the most directly harmful expression of his character.

A young Bingtown Trader's son with a devoted attachment to Malta Vestrit, who risks his family's displeasure to seek news of her.

Malta's friend, daughter of a Bingtown Trader family, who visits Malta and shares gossip about the Bingtown social scene.

First mate of the Ophelia and son of Captain Tenira. Friendly and good-natured; had previously danced with Althea at the Winter Gathering.

Captain of the liveship Ophelia, a Bingtown Trader. Fair and principled; agrees to take Althea home and eventually grants her an acting mate's position.

Grag Tenira's mother, a Bingtown Trader woman who assists in sheltering refugees during the Bingtown crisis.

A Bingtown merchant in Divvytown who trades with pirates, a fawning businessman who dresses in brilliant colours and heavy earrings.

An aggressive young Bingtown Trader's son with violent political ambitions who becomes a dangerous faction leader during Bingtown's crisis.

A practical woman who grew up near Bingtown but trades in valuable slaves across many ports. She deals in finding talented individuals and placing them where their skills are valued.

A Rain Wild Trader council member involved in the political decisions surrounding the dragon keepers' expedition.

Head of the Cassarick Rain Wild Council.

Rain Wild Council member who denounced Trader Polsk in the dragon debate.

Head of the Rain Wild Traders' Council committee that interviews dragon keeper candidates. Blunt and businesslike, he makes clear the contract is essentially a one-way exile with no guarantee of return.

Rain Wild Trader; recipient of confidential correspondence from Trader Mojoin.

Cassarick Council member who sides with Trader Candral in challenging Leftrin over the dragon expedition contract.

Bingtown Old Trader who delivers the invocation to Sa at the Traders' gathering.

A Bingtown Trader and member of the Finbok family.

A wealthy, handsome, charming Bingtown Trader heir with dark hair and green eyes. He courts and weds Alise for the appearance of a proper Trader marriage while showing no romantic interest in her. His true emotional attachment is to his secretary Sedric. He is increasingly abusive toward Alise as years pass.

A member of the Finbok family in Bingtown, related to Hest Finbok.

A Bingtown Trader's daughter, plain and freckled with red hair and grey eyes. A self-taught scholar of dragons and Elderlings with an extensive private library. She enters a loveless marriage of convenience with Hest Finbok, who offers her financial security and a promise to visit the Rain Wilds. Five years into the marriage she finally forces Hest to honour that promise and travels upriver on the liveship Paragon.