Aleys is a draper's daughter whose intense, intuitive faith often isolates her from her peers. Following her mother's death, she assumes household duties while secretly teaching herself Latin using an illuminated family psalter. Rejecting the rigid societal expectations of an arranged marriage, she seeks a direct, unmediated connection with God. This independent spiritual pursuit places her at odds with both secular authorities and the institutional Church.

Lukas is the ambitious leader of the Franciscan friars in Brugge. He desperately seeks a charismatic holy woman to help establish a Franciscan sisterhood in Flanders, hoping to revitalize his struggling order. His sincere devotion conflicts with his institutional aspirations and his envy of those who possess the unmediated spiritual connection he desires for himself.

Jan is the powerful Bishop of Tournai. Driven by a desire for wealth, political leverage, and a promotion to the papal curia in Rome, he views religion primarily as a tool for governance. He treats the rise of lay piety and independent female spiritual authority as direct threats to the Church's monopoly on truth and power, ruthlessly working to suppress unapproved religious expression.

Katrijn is a widowed draper who successfully manages a stall in the male-dominated Lakenhalle alongside running the begijnhof's wool business. Protective and highly practical, she secretly translates Latin scripture into Dutch. This dangerous work empowers the beguine women with direct access to God's word, placing her directly in the crosshairs of the bishop's spy network.

Marte is a weary servant at the begijnhof who fled an abusive husband. Working tirelessly to earn her keep, she observes the religious community from the periphery. Beneath her quiet, subservient exterior, she harbors an observant nature and an emerging desire for her own spiritual and intellectual agency.

Sophia is the magistra (grand mistress) of the Wijngaerde begijnhof. A wise, pragmatic leader, she fosters a self-sufficient, communal form of faith that operates outside strict monastic confinement. She provides a steadying influence on the women under her care, guiding them toward a grounded spirituality based on charity and mutual support.

Griete is Aleys's younger sister, who approaches life with a practical focus on earthly and social matters. Flirtatious and concerned with material stability, she struggles to understand her sister's intense piety, yet remains anchored by a genuine devotion to her family's survival.

Finn is a dyer's son who possesses a sharp memory for Latin passages but lacks the ability to decode the written script. He strikes a bargain with Aleys to exchange their complementary linguistic skills. Their secret meetings in an apple orchard to study the sensual poetry of the Song of Songs blur the lines between intellectual curiosity and romantic longing.

Papa is a struggling draper in the canal town of Damme who desperately seeks a permanent stall in Brugge's Lakenhalle. The severe economic pressures of the Flemish wool trade and the loss of his wife's management skills force him to leverage his daughter's future for the family's financial survival.

Willems is a former actor hired by Bishop Jan after performing the role of Lucifer. He now serves as the bishop's primary spy and enforcer in Brugge, executing intelligence-gathering operations with a cool, theatrical efficiency.

Mama is Aleys's mother, whose deep, intuitive faith profoundly shapes her daughter's early worldview. Though she cannot read, she uses an inherited, illuminated Latin psalter to tell vivid stories, cultivating a spiritual environment rooted in familial love and oral tradition.

Mertens is the powerful head of the drapers' guild in Brugge. He wields immense economic control over the local wool trade, using his position to dictate terms that blend financial leverage with social dominance.

Ida is a devoted and serious beguine who ministers to the sick at the city hospital. Direct and unpretentious, she approaches her work with calm competence and possesses a pure singing voice that reveals her deep internal faith during community celebrations.

Cecilia is a cheerful, pragmatic young woman who joined the begijnhof after being expelled from her home. She reads scripture aloud for the community but remains more interested in a local brewer's apprentice than in ascetic devotion.

Brother Hervé is a fellow Franciscan friar serving alongside Lukas in Brugge. He provides practical support to the order and acts as a grounding presence, offering alternative solutions when Lukas becomes overwhelmed by ambition.