Bast is the Fae apprentice to the innkeeper Kote, concealing his supernatural identity beneath a human disguise in the quiet town of Newarre. He possesses superhuman grace and a mischievous spirit, spending his days making small bargains with local children at a lightning-struck tree. He frequently struggles to balance his natural desires for pleasure and vengeance with his obligation to protect his master's secrets.

Rike is a lean boy living in Newarre who approaches Bast in absolute desperation regarding his abusive father. Wearing patched clothes and going barefoot, he bears physical bruises and deep emotional scars, fearing he will grow up to be just like his father. He relies on his persistence to secure Bast's magical help, driven by an intense, selfless desire to protect his mother and younger sisters.

Kote is the red-haired owner of the Waystone Inn, hiding his past as a legendary hero beneath the guise of an ordinary, bored innkeeper. He appears listless and grey, though he retains a sharp wit and expresses deep compassion for the townspeople. He serves as Bast's teacher and master, demanding careful self-restraint to keep them both safely hidden.

Jessom is Rike's father and a violent, destructive presence in his family's life. He physically abuses his wife and son, driving his family into severe poverty while spending his time drinking or staying at his trapping shack. His worsening abuse pushes his young son to seek supernatural intervention.

Nettie is Rike's mother, a woman who works hard to maintain a flourishing garden and a tidy home despite her family's extreme poverty. Her expression shows deep weariness and worry stemming from her husband's violence. She provides a nurturing, loving environment for her children and maintains a partially ruined apiary that she hopes to revive.

Kostrel is a blue-eyed, freckled boy in Newarre and Bast's favorite among the local children. He proves himself to be an attentive learner, piecing together specific details about Fae magic and interpreting fortune-telling stones with surprising accuracy. He maintains a youthful innocence and playfulness that Bast deeply respects.

Brann is the nine-year-old daughter of Newarre's baker. She trades sweet buns and objects like fortune-telling embrils with Bast in exchange for clever lies to keep her parents from punishing her for playing with kitchen knives.

Kale is a ten-year-old boy in Newarre seeking petty vengeance after his brother kissed his crush. He repays Bast's mischievous advice by revealing valuable local secrets, including the locations of a wild beehive and a hidden liquor still.

Viette is the mayor's youngest daughter. She wants to keep a magical white kitten her father disapproves of, trading town secrets and flowers with Bast in exchange for his tactical advice on feigning despondency.

Emberlee is a pretty young woman living in Newarre. She enjoys flirtatious interactions and pays Kostrel to leak her bathing location to Bast, leading to a joyful encounter by the stream.

Dax is a handsome local shepherd in Newarre. He shares a quiet, intimate moment in the countryside listening to Bast play a melody on handmade reed pipes.

Martin is a local poacher and distiller whom the townspeople consider unstable. He runs a hidden, professional-grade still in the woods and has a history of violent temper outbursts, though Kote insists he simply suffers from trauma from his time as a soldier.

Wilk is a ten-year-old boy in Newarre who asks Bast for a riddle to stump his friends. In return, Bast tasks him with collecting water from a specific local waterfall.

Pem is Wilk's five-year-old sister. She successfully trades twenty-one perfect acorns with Bast in exchange for a piece of sweet honeycomb.

Tess is one of Rike's younger sisters, living in poverty under the dark shadow of their father's abusive behavior.

Bip is Rike's youngest sister, a small child whom Rike specifically wants to protect from their father's violent outbursts.

Old Cob is a regular, talkative patron at the Waystone Inn. He frequently shares local gossip and stories, offering his own logical theories about town events and debunking the more outlandish rumors brought by others.

Jake is one of the regular patrons at the Waystone Inn. He eagerly shares sensational gossip, including a wild theory that a cougar chased a local man off a cliff.

Graham is a Waystone Inn regular who contributes to the local rumor mill, providing specific geographic details about where injured townspeople are found.

Carter is a town resident who brings the most accurate news to the inn's patrons, confirming exactly what happened to the town's most problematic resident by driving him away.