Brother Eduardo Diaz is a monk initially content with performing minor administrative tasks for the Church. His family pressured him into taking vows after he impregnated a girl in his youth. Flustered and prone to panic, he is suddenly appointed to lead the secretive Chapel of the Holy Expediency. He is entirely out of his depth managing a team of monsters and criminals, relying heavily on prayer and his relic vial of Saint Beatrix.

Alex is a scrappy, cynical survivor of the Holy City streets who steals to eat and lies to live. Her life changes abruptly when she is identified by a specific birthmark as Princess Alexia Pyrogennetos, the long-lost heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy. Thrust into a world of grand political theater and deadly magic, she harbors deep insecurities about her sudden elevation to royalty. She acts selfishly to protect herself but frequently shows unexpected flashes of compassion.

Jakob is an immortal knight who fought in the historical Crusades. He bears the physical scars of centuries of constant warfare. Bound by a curse that prevents him from dying and prevents him from telling a lie, he approaches his violent duties with gruff fatalism. He serves as the military spine of the group escorting Alex to Troy, taking command during ambushes and attacks.

Vigga Ullasdottr is a Norse werewolf whose hands are marked with tattoos branding her as dangerous. She is considered the most physically destructive member of the team, capable of tearing through armored soldiers in seconds. In her human form, she is unrestrained, vulgar, and fiercely resistant to authority. She constantly battles the animalistic instincts that threaten to consume her humanity.

Sunny is an elf, a species widely reviled by the Church. She possesses the ability to become entirely invisible by holding her breath. She bears the physical marks of past torture, including a severed ear tip, which contributes to her quiet, watchful demeanor. She primarily functions as the team's scout and saboteur, preferring to operate unseen on the periphery of conflicts.

Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi is a highly vain necromancer who considers himself a genius unfairly persecuted by petty rivals. Bound against his will by the pope's blood magic, he is forced to escort Alex to Troy. He resents the mission and frequently attempts to use his magical knowledge to break his bindings, often resulting in violent physical illness. He masks his powerlessness with excessive verbosity and arrogance.

Duke Michael of Nicaea is a wealthy, charismatic nobleman who presents himself as Alex's uncle. He informs her that she is the rightful heir to the Trojan throne and pledges his vast resources to help her reclaim it. Well-bred and well-spoken, he secures the Church's backing for the expedition and acts as the primary architect of the plan to transport Alex safely across the continent.

Cardinal Zizka is the head of the Earthly Curia and a ruthless political operator within the Church hierarchy. She views morality as subordinate to effectiveness and manages the Church's most unsavory operations, including the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. She orchestrates the mission to crown Alex not out of pious duty, but as a calculated move to secure the Church's influence over the secular empire.

Baptiste is a flamboyant and highly capable fighter who works directly for the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. She assists Jakob in managing the monsters under their care and provides practical, hands-on support during violent encounters. She previously served as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Sicily, an experience that gives her unexpected political connections.

Baron Rikard is a vampire attached to the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. Initially appearing as an ancient, shriveled figure, he regains a youthful appearance after consuming fresh blood. He possesses the ability to mesmerize humans, a skill he deploys to help the group escape public confrontations. Unlike the others, he views the team's horrific violence as standard operating procedure.

Lady Severa is Duke Michael's primary contact within the city of Troy. She is deeply embedded in the city's political structure and acts as Alex's guide to the complex layout of the Pharos, including its Hanging Gardens and the massive Athenaeum library. She prepares the royal apartments and helps manage the city's restless aristocracy ahead of the coronation.

Empress Eudoxia is Alex's late aunt, a sickly woman who turned to forbidden sorcery and became a tyrant. She murdered her sister Irene to seize the Serpent Throne. Though dead, her legacy haunts the journey; she experimented heavily with blending human and animal souls, creating the monstrous hybrid soldiers that her four ambitious sons now use to hunt Alex.

Duke Marcian is the youngest son of Empress Eudoxia. He utilizes his mother's grotesque human-animal hybrid soldiers to track down and eliminate rival claimants to the throne. He is cruel, overconfident, and completely dismissive of Alex's pleas for mercy.

Duke Constans is the third son of Eudoxia. He attacks the group at sea, employing aquatic human-animal hybrids—including crab-men and fish-women—to board their sinking vessel. He is a highly skilled swordsman who prefers to engage his enemies in formal, deadly duels.

Duke Sabbas is a son of Eudoxia who employs a ruthless team of bounty hunters, including twin sorceresses and a werewolf known as the Dane. He relentlessly pursues Alex across land, eventually cornering the group at the ruined Abbey of Saint Demetrius.

Duke Arcadius is the last surviving son of Eudoxia and the admiral of the Trojan fleet. Unlike his brothers who relied on brute force, Arcadius approaches Alex with a pragmatic political proposition, offering marriage to unite their claims and avoid a blockade of the city.

Pope Benedicta the First is the Child Pope of the Western Church. Despite her young age, she possesses immense, undeniable divine power. She is responsible for physically marking the devils with a blood-binding that forces their absolute obedience to the mission to escort Alex.