Fang Runin is a 20-year-old Speerly shaman and a military commander for the Southern Coalition. Missing her right hand from previous battles, she wields the devastating, fire-summoning power of the Phoenix god. She struggles with intense guilt over her past actions while simultaneously justifying brutal military tactics to repel the invading Hesperian and Republican forces.

Chen Kitay is an exceptionally intelligent strategist and Rin’s closest friend. He shares a magical anchor bond with Rin that keeps her mind lucid but intertwines their life forces. He serves as the moral center of the Southern Coalition, frequently questioning Rin's willingness to sacrifice civilian lives and her escalating cruelty.

Yin Nezha commands the Republican forces with the technological backing of the colonial Hesperian empire. He is a shaman tied to a powerful water dragon, granting him incredible healing abilities and control over water. He resents his father's submission to Hesperian rule and deeply wishes to reunite with his former friends, even as duty forces him to fight them.

Sring Venka is a pale-skinned Northern noble who now serves as an indispensable general and spy for the Southern Coalition. Having survived horrific sexual violence as a prisoner of war, she has forged herself into a hardened, uncompromising warrior. She frequently clashes with others over her belief that survivors must completely shut away their weakness to stay alive.

Su Daji is the former Empress of Nikan and the Vipress of the mythical Trifecta. She is a shaman who serves the snail goddess Nüwa, possessing the ability to bewitch and manipulate minds. After losing her throne, she allies with the Southern Coalition to guide Rin in cultivating a god-like public image and amassing an army of shamans.

Jiang Ziya is Rin's former teacher and the Gatekeeper of the Trifecta. His mind is fractured by a magical seal, causing him to oscillate between the gentle, eccentric tutor Rin remembers and the terrifying, ancient shaman who controls the gates to the spirit world. He fears his own restored memories and the destructive power he is capable of unleashing.

Yin Riga is the Dragon Emperor and the missing third member of the legendary Trifecta. He is an ancient, power-hungry warlord who ruled through intimidation and wielded the overwhelming magic of the Dragon. His dark legacy and past atrocities continue to shape the political conflicts tearing Nikan apart.

Yang Souji is the leader of the Iron Wolves, a grassroots rebel militia in the South. He serves as an early tactical advisor to Rin, attempting to teach her the value of deception, foraging, and small-scale guerrilla warfare over her preference for mass fiery destruction.

Lin Gurubai is the Monkey Warlord and a senior figure in the Southern Coalition. He represents the established leadership of the South and attempts to rein in Rin's volatile impulses, counseling patience rather than immediate, aggressive expansion.

Yin Vaisra is the Dragon Warlord and the leader of the Republic. He has secured an alliance with the technologically advanced Hesperian empire to maintain his grip on Nikan, willingly acting as a puppet ruler if it means defeating his domestic enemies.

Pipaji is a young teenager whom Rin rescues from forced sex work alongside her sister. Driven by a desperate need to protect her younger sibling and avenge the horrific abuses she suffered under Mugenese occupation, she joins the Southern Army and volunteers for the agonizing process of shamanic training.

Jiuto is a young girl who survived the brutal Mugenese occupation of the South. The trauma of the war has rendered her mute, leaving her completely dependent on her fiercely protective older sister as they join the Southern Army's encampment.

Dulin is a teenage boy who survived a mass execution by hiding under corpses for several days. Plagued by intense survivor's guilt, he finds purpose when Rin recruits him to be trained as a shaman, learning to channel his profound trauma to call upon the Great Tortoise.

Lianhua is a quiet teenager from Dog Province whose arms and collarbones are covered in hundreds of blade scars. She successfully endures Rin's torturous psychological training, learning to access the spirit realm to manifest powerful healing abilities.

Merchi is a Southern Coalition soldier slightly older than Rin. Eager to turn the tide of the war against the Republic and Hesperia, he volunteers to undergo the dangerous and painful process of becoming a shaman.

Sister Petra is a scientist working for the Hesperian empire's Grey Company. She conducts agonizing experiments on shamans, treating them as test subjects in her quest to understand and neutralize their magical abilities with advanced technology.

Joseph Tarcquet is a Major General for the Hesperian empire overseeing their colonial expansion into Nikan. He views the native population with intense racial condescension and coordinates the military strikes from Hesperia's devastating, bomb-dropping dirigibles.

Chaghan is a Seer and the newly established leader of the unified Hundred Clans. Having tracked the Southern Army's movements, he attempts to warn Rin away from her destructive path by showing her visions of the spirit world and the ancient betrayals that caused the Speerly genocide.

Quan Cholang is the Dog Warlord, commanding forces in the harsh, mountainous regions of Nikan. He provides crucial aid to Rin's desperate troops after their grueling march, offering them supplies and guidance toward the Heavenly Temple.

Altan Trengsin is the deceased former commander of the Cike and Rin's mentor. Though he died years prior, he exists as a vengeful specter within Rin's mind, serving as an embodiment of her guilt and the inherited rage of the slaughtered Speerly people.

Moag is a ruthless pirate queen who controls Nikan's illicit maritime trade. She operates purely for profit, smuggling Hesperian grain and weapons to whoever can afford her exorbitant prices, while bluntly reminding military leaders of the economic realities of running a country.

Hanelai was a legendary Speerly general whose spirit remains trapped in the afterlife as a manifestation of pure rage. She holds the truth about the ancient betrayals that led to the extermination of her people at the hands of the Dragon Emperor.

Saikhara is the mother of Yin Nezha and the wife of Yin Vaisra. She endures immense pressure as her family navigates a brutal civil war and a dangerous alliance with the Hesperian empire.

Kesegi is Rin's foster brother from Tikany. He is currently held captive by the Republican forces, used as leverage by Nezha to force Rin into a private meeting without her army.

Tutor Feyrik is the provincial teacher who helped Rin study for the Keju examination in her youth. When Rin returns to her hometown, she visits his empty house, seeking a connection to the vulnerable girl she used to be.