Don is a novelist in his thirties who recently published a book titled The Nightwatcher. Following the sudden death of his uncle, Edward Wanderley, Don travels to Milburn to assist his uncle's grieving friends. He suffers from acute anxiety and terrifying hallucinations following his brother David's recent passing, making him desperate for answers about the strange events plaguing the town.

Ricky is a 70-year-old lawyer who co-founded the Chowder Society with his closest friends. He lives an orderly life in Milburn and strongly resists any disruption to his daily routine. Dressed impeccably in suits and bowties, he cherishes his status as a prominent society elder and deeply loves his community.

Sears is a commanding, wealthy lawyer who practices alongside Ricky Hawthorne. Before attending Harvard Law School, he worked as a teacher in a rural, one-room schoolhouse. He approaches life with a no-nonsense attitude and refuses to tolerate foolishness from others, often acting as a shield for his smaller law partner.

Lewis is a handsome real estate investor and the youngest member of the Chowder Society. Resembling a movie star, he easily attracts the attention of the women in Milburn. Following the tragic death of his wife in Spain, he uses a cavalier attitude and frequent affairs to mask his profound feelings of guilt and isolation.

John serves as Milburn's respected town doctor, operating a clinic on the first floor of his home. Outwardly professional, he privately suffers from diabetes and a hidden substance use disorder. He carries intense guilt over hosting the ill-fated party that resulted in Edward Wanderley's death.

The Shapeshifter is a malevolent supernatural force operating in and around Milburn. Capable of assuming various human and animal forms, the entity treats interactions with mortals as an entertaining game. It specifically targets the Chowder Society, feeding on their imagination, secrets, and deepest fears.

Peter is a high school senior bound for Cornell University in the fall. Representing the younger generation of Milburn, he finds himself thrust into the town's escalating horrors. He possesses a strong sense of duty and must confront his own overwhelming fears to protect his community.

Gregory is the terrifying older brother of Fenny and Constance. Characterized by his abusive and predatory nature, he preys upon his younger siblings. He operates as an aggressive agent of chaos in Milburn, doing the violent bidding of dark supernatural forces.

Fenny is a former student of Sears James who suffered extreme abuse at the hands of his older brother, Gregory. Once a vulnerable victim, Fenny becomes a dangerous force who roams the freezing weather barefoot to terrorize the residents of Milburn.

Stella is Ricky's glamorous and assertive wife. While deeply entrenched in Milburn's high society, Stella feels unsatisfied and privately engages in affairs with other men in the community, though she remains firmly tied to her marriage.

Edward is Don's late uncle and a former member of the Chowder Society. A writer who was interviewing an actress for a ghost-writing project, his sudden and terrifying death a year prior serves as the catalyst for the remaining members' ghostly tales.

Milly is John Jaffrey's housekeeper and secret romantic partner. She is observant and deeply concerned for John's declining health and the strange events surrounding his life, often expressing frustration with the Chowder Society's ghost stories.

Hardesty is the local sheriff of Milburn. As the strange and terrifying events escalate in the town, he becomes increasingly paranoid, retreating into his office with alcohol rather than directly confronting the danger.

Jim is Peter Barnes's best friend and the son of a local hotel owner. Viewed with disapproval by the older generation of Milburn, he frequently boasts about his exploits and actively seeks out trouble.

Alma is Don Wanderley's beautiful, enigmatic former fiancé. Claiming to have studied in Chicago, she projects a timeless, almost untouchable quality that leaves Don feeling isolated. She maintains connections to the occult and treats her interactions with others as highly orchestrated games.

David is Don's brother who becomes romantically entangled with Alma Mobley after she leaves Don. He is a steadfast realist whose sudden, highly suspicious death leaves a profound impact on his surviving brother.

Christina is Peter's mother and a married woman in Milburn. She carries on a secret relationship with Lewis Benedikt, attempting to balance her domestic duties with her hidden desires.

Anna is a mysterious young woman who arrives in Milburn claiming to be the niece of Eva Galli. She secures a position as a secretary at Sears and Ricky's law firm. She observes the townspeople carefully and quickly becomes a central figure in the escalating local tension.

Freddy is an insurance salesman who hovers on the edges of Milburn's upper class. He deeply admires the Chowder Society, particularly Lewis Benedikt, and desperately wishes to be accepted into their exclusive inner circle.

Linda was Lewis's wife. Her tragic, highly suspicious death from a fall in Spain is a source of immense hidden shame and trauma for Lewis, an event he rarely discusses.

Angie is a small girl who Don kidnapped prior to his drive south. Despite her youth, she exhibits strangely adult behavior and remains unnervingly calm under Don's intense, threatening interrogation.

Constance is the sister of Gregory and Fenny Bate. She suffered severe physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her older brother Gregory, an ordeal that defines her early life in the rural schoolhouse community.

Otto makes cheese locally and serves as a hunting companion for Lewis Benedikt. He provides a grounded, listening ear when Lewis needs to unburden himself.

Elmer is a local sheep farmer whose livestock are mysteriously slaughtered without leaving footprints or blood. The event causes him to isolate himself in his barn with a shotgun to protect his family.

Harold is Milly Sheehan's nephew and Stella Hawthorne's clandestine lover. He is insecure and complains frequently, leading Stella to reconsider their arrangement.

Eva is an Italian woman whose wild, convention-breaking behavior scandalized the young men of Milburn. Her fatal accident and the subsequent cover-up by the Chowder Society serve as the original sin that binds the friends together in secrecy.

Stringer was a young man from Milburn who was once engaged to Eva Galli. He died tragically when his arms were shredded by a wheat thresher, an event his sisters suspect was supernatural in origin.

Ann-Veronica is a young actress interviewed by Edward Wanderley. Her presence fascinates the men of Milburn but brings an air of intense, unspoken unease to John Jaffrey's social gathering.

Nettie is one of the Dedham sisters who runs a horse farm following the death of their brother Stringer. She falls victim to the strange occurrences in Milburn, ultimately requiring institutional care.

Rea is one of the Dedham sisters running the local horse farm. She suffers a violent and terrifying end while completing her chores, exacerbating the town's growing panic.

Alice is a young girl who accompanies her aunt, Mrs. de Peyser, to Lewis Benedikt's hotel in Spain. Her terrifying presence directly precedes the tragic death of Lewis's wife, Linda.

Mrs. de Peyser is a mysterious woman who travels with her young niece, Alice Montgomery. She disappears completely after the tragic death of Linda Benedikt, leaving behind no valid contact information.