Luna is an intelligent, inquisitive girl marked by a crescent moon birthmark on her forehead, black hair, and dark eyes. She is accidentally enmagicked as an infant when a witch feeds her moonlight instead of starlight. Raised in the woods by an unconventional family, she grows up with locked-away magic that causes her intense headaches and frustration. She constantly seeks answers to questions about her origins and the gaps in her memory.

Xan is a kind, elderly witch with crinkly gray hair and a short, pudgy build. She lives deep in the forest and dedicates her life to rescuing abandoned infants, feeding them starlight, and safely delivering them to loving families in the Free Cities. Driven by a deep desire to protect those she loves, she frequently uses well-intentioned lies to hide painful truths from her household, convinced that sorrow is inherently dangerous.

Glerk is an ancient, highly intelligent swamp monster with two sets of arms, seven fingers on each hand, a squishy belly, and a long tail. As a creature deeply tied to the life-giving Bog, he operates as a teacher, poet, and philosopher for his found family. Although he values truth and dislikes deception, he reluctantly goes along with the falsehoods told to keep the younger members of his household safe.

Fyrian is a Perfectly Tiny Dragon who is roughly the size of a dove. Kept in a state of extended childhood and unaware of his true physical scale due to his family's protective lies, he firmly believes he is a giant and that the humans around him are simply enormous. He is intensely affectionate, prone to joyful outbursts, and occasionally sneezes fire when excited.

Antain begins as an Elder-in-Training under his uncle's guidance but quickly realizes he cannot stomach the cruel traditions of the Protectorate. He eventually steps away from the Council to become a highly skilled and successful carpenter. Bearing physical and emotional scars from his encounters at the Sisters' Tower, he questions the town's blind obedience and dreams of a better, safer world for his own future family.

Sister Ignatia is the sharp-eyed, unusually healthy leader of the Sisters of the Star. She enforces strict compliance across the Protectorate by maintaining a monopoly on knowledge and perpetuating terrifying stories about the woods. She is a Sorrow Eater who literally feeds on the grief and misery of the town's citizens to sustain her own youth and power.

Incarcerated in the Sisters' Tower after violently resisting the yearly baby sacrifice, she loses her name and her grasp on reality due to overwhelming grief. She shares the distinctive crescent moon birthmark on her forehead with her missing daughter. Inside her cell, she obsessively folds hundreds of paper birds and draws magical maps, completely convinced that her child is still alive in the forest.

Ethyne is a sharp-minded, courageous woman who becomes the only person to ever quit the Sisters of the Star novitiate. She outright rejects the heavy fog of sorrow that dictates life in the Protectorate, choosing instead to keep her home bright and cheerful. She actively questions the authority of the Council and uses her intimate knowledge of the Tower to push back against their rule.

Gherland is the pompous, self-important head of the Council of Elders. He maintains a comfortable, wealthy lifestyle by deliberately keeping the citizens of the Protectorate frightened and subdued. He fully understands that the stories of the evil Witch are fabricated, but he weaponizes them to protect his own political power and social standing.

Zosimos was a wizard from the old Castle who served as Xan's guardian when she was first enmagicked. He warned the young Xan about the severe dangers of sorrow. Centuries ago, he sacrificed his own life to seal an erupting volcano and save the surrounding landscape.

Wyn is Antain's youngest brother. He proves his loyalty to his family by assisting Ethyne in her efforts to open the Sisters' Tower and expose the truths hidden within the Protectorate.

A highly perceptive bird with a distinct blue-and-silver shine to its feathers. The Crow acts as a loyal companion, guide, and voice of caution for Luna as she traverses the dangerous, magical woods.

A massive, powerful dragon who worked alongside Zosimos to stop a catastrophic volcanic eruption. Before her death, she entrusted her son Fyrian to Xan's care, leaving behind a legacy of bravery that deeply affects those who remember her.