Otori Miuko is a seventeen-year-old girl working at her family's guesthouse in the village of Nihaoi. Known for being uncommonly loud, she frequently falls short of Awara's strict expectations for quiet, subservient women. Her life permanently changes when an encounter on a foggy bridge leaves her with a spreading indigo mark, identifying her as a cursed demon. Cast out of her home, she sets out to find a cure while resisting the violent urges accompanying her physical transformation.

Tujiyazai is a malevolence demon possessing the body of the Omaizi clan's sole heir. Beneath his handsome human exterior, he bears a blazing, skeletal demon face visible only to those marked by the supernatural. Driven by a centuries-old grudge against the Omaizi clan, he attempts to recruit other cursed beings to assist in his destructive plans.

Geiki is a magpie spirit capable of taking several forms, including a delicate-looking young man and an azure-winged bird. He holds a deep disdain for human traditions and frequently engages in petty theft, claiming it is simply his nature. After being saved from local children, he joins Miuko as a traveling companion to repay a life debt.

Sidrisine is a snake demon who operates a high-stakes gambling parlor out of a large manor in the capital city. She provides a model of female authority entirely foreign to traditional Awaran society. She strikes deals using a supernatural currency of favors and debts.

Beikai is a high-level cloud spirit who participates in games of chance at the capital's gambling parlor. Identifying as heisu, a gender outside the male and female binary, they possess immense physical strength. They maintain strict boundaries regarding their supernatural assistance, requiring formal favors to act.

Nogadishao is an ancient, wild forest spirit composed of a bulbous, six-legged body topped with an old man's head. Left feral by a lack of human reverence, he acts unpredictably. He is easily flattered by promises of glory, making him a volatile guide through the wilderness.

Naisholao is the January God and Queen of Kuludrava Palace. Dressed in heavy white robes resembling snow, she rules from the highest floor of her domain. She manages spiritual emergencies while treating mortal concerns with divine detachment.

Afaina is the God of Stars, manifesting as a massive young man wearing a crown of shifting constellations. His body consists of a thousand eyes, allowing him to perceive infinite timelines simultaneously. This vast cosmic awareness makes him largely indifferent to singular mortal problems.

Uhula is a multi-headed despair spirit dwelling in the forests outside human settlements. She actively preys upon sorrowful travelers. She encourages vulnerable individuals to abandon all hope so she might trap them and consume their remaining energy.

Meli is a young priest serving at the House of December in the northern mountains. Though assigned male at birth, she found full acceptance as a girl among the followers of the December God. She offers a warm and welcoming presence to desperate travelers seeking the temple's aid.

Laido is a lugubrious, willowy priest stationed in the decaying village of Nihaoi. Deeply superstitious and easily alarmed by unusual omens, he acts as the primary enforcer of spiritual purity within the local community. His strict adherence to tradition puts him at odds with the supernatural.

Omaizi Ruhai is the legitimate sole heir to the Omaizi clan and future ruler of Awara. Possessing a naturally genial and kind-hearted disposition, he is forcibly ousted from his own body by a vengeful spirit. This leaves him displaced within the spiritual world while an imposter uses his physical form.

Otori Rohiro is Miuko's father and the proprietor of Nihaoi's only remaining guesthouse. Following his wife's departure, he attempts to maintain the family business and care for his daughter. He heavily relies on traditional protective wards to keep his property safe from the dangers of the verge hours.

Laowu is the mayor of Koewa, presenting himself as a respectable and authoritative figure within his community. He harbors deep resentments toward women who fail to conform to traditional gender expectations. He secretly enforces his twisted ideals behind closed doors, creating a highly dangerous environment in his town.

Aleila is an elderly woman residing in Koewa who strictly enforces societal expectations regarding female modesty and behavior. She actively protects her son and his standing within the community, enabling his darkest behaviors to maintain their family's reputation.

Kanayi is a fiercely determined young woman carrying deep grievances over the death of her father. Her intense desire for retribution causes her to intersect with powerful demonic forces traveling along the Old Road. She eventually rides a horse named Roroisho to participate in larger spiritual conflicts.

Senara is a young woman facing severe social ostracization after her fiancé breaks their engagement to marry another girl. Devastated by the betrayal and the resulting damage to her reputation, she demands supernatural retribution before ultimately leaving her hometown to find a new path.