Silla is a twenty-year-old woman who has spent her life constantly moving from town to town under assumed names. She suffers from chronic headaches and relies heavily on an herbal remedy called skjöld leaves to function. Haunted by strange visions and burdened by secrets she barely understands, she sets out alone on the dangerous Road of Bones to seek a rumored safe haven in the north.

Known as "the Wolf," Jonas is the charismatic and capable second-in-command of the Bloodaxe Crew. Driven by a traumatic youth involving an abusive father, his primary goal is to earn enough money to reclaim his family's confiscated farmstead. He is highly protective of his younger brother and deeply devoted to his personal sense of honor.

The towering, heavily tattooed leader of the Bloodaxe Crew, often called "Axe Eyes" for his piercing, intimidating glare. Rey is a strict and pragmatic commander who enforces a rigorous code of honesty among his mercenaries. Behind his gruff exterior lies a deep sense of responsibility for the people under his command.

A red-haired operative who serves Queen Signe. As a Solacer, she possesses the magical ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of others. Despite the crown's strict persecution of magic users, she utilizes her gifts to hunt down fugitives for the regime, driven entirely by a ruthless instinct for self-preservation.

A battle-hardened warrior in the Bloodaxe Crew who wears a prosthetic metal arm equipped with retractable claws. Having survived an abusive past, she is fiercely independent but displays immediate compassion toward other women in distress. She provides crucial emotional and physical support to the group's newer additions.

Silla's deeply protective guardian, who has raised her on the run for over a decade. Moving constantly and changing names to avoid detection, he relies on a network of hidden contacts to secure safe harbor. He provides Silla with an herbal remedy to treat her chronic ailments.

Jonas's younger brother and a genial member of the Bloodaxe Crew. Lighthearted and sometimes reckless, he brings a jovial energy to the mercenary band, contrasting sharply with the grim seriousness of the older warriors around him.

A steadfast and brash warrior in the Bloodaxe Crew. Known for his coarse humor and reliable combat prowess, Gunnar acts as a grounding presence within the mercenary unit's tight-knit chosen family.

A formidable archer and seasoned warrior in the Bloodaxe Crew. She bears prominent burn scars and is entirely mute, communicating effectively with her companions through a series of expressive hand gestures. She is highly perceptive of group dynamics.

A twenty-two-year-old woman who serves as a royal ward to King Ivar. She struggles with severe anxiety and agoraphobia while quietly harboring a telepathic ability she keeps locked behind mental barriers. As she prepares for an arranged marriage to a prince, she continues to experience fragmented memories of her early childhood.

The ruthless wife of King Ivar Ironheart. She actively utilizes a shadow network of spies, magic users, and mercenaries to hunt down perceived threats to the crown, operating with calculated cruelty to maintain her family's grip on Íseldur.

The iron-fisted ruler of Íseldur who seized the throne and outlawed all forms of magic. He enforces the worship of the Bear God, Ursir, through brutal public executions and relies on his elite soldiers to maintain absolute, terrifying authority over the populace.

The former leader of the Bloodaxe Crew who currently resides in isolation. He possesses a valuable book of creature lore required for a mercenary contract. He harbors deep, lingering resentment toward his former subordinates and remains highly susceptible to flattery.

A civilian woman transporting winterwing eggs and other goods to Reykfjord. She is highly pragmatic and openly cautious of the military checkpoints, but she possesses enough compassion to help smuggle a desperate young woman into the city.

King Ivar's chief hirdman, known ominously throughout the kingdom as the "Heart Eater." He is a highly trusted royal lieutenant who delegates covert missions and handles delicate operations that the crown cannot officially undertake.