Captain Davidson is an Earth human in charge of logging operations at Camp Smith on the planet Athshe, which humans refer to as New Tahiti. He harbors deeply racist views toward the native Athsheans, treating them as unfeeling animals intended strictly for human use. Convinced of human superiority, he approaches the colonization of the planet with violent entitlement and a complete lack of empathy.

Raj Lyubov is an academic and anthropologist stationed on Athshe. Unlike most of his military and logging counterparts, he takes the time to learn the native language and study their culture, recognizing their humanity and complex society. His compassionate approach isolates him from the other Earth humans, who view him with suspicion and contempt for crossing racial lines.

Selver is an Athshean native whose people have been enslaved and forced into labor camps by Earth humans. Following a brutal personal tragedy, he breaks from the pacifist traditions of his people to organize an armed resistance. Because of his actions, his people begin to view him as a god, a figure who brings new and unprecedented concepts into their cultural reality.

Thele is Selver's wife. She suffers a brutal assault at the hands of Earth humans. Her resulting death serves as the catalyst for her husband's unprecedented turn toward violence, breaking the long-standing pacifist nature of the Athshean people.

Mr. Lepennon is an emissary of the newly formed League of Worlds, hailing from Hain. He arrives on Athshe equipped with an ansible, a device that allows instantaneous communication across planets. His presence challenges the isolated autonomy of the logging camps and introduces outside accountability to the human colonists.

Mr. Or is a hairy Cetian who serves as a representative of the League of Worlds. He brings the advanced technology of the ansible to the colony, immediately altering the chain of command and questioning the ethics of the colonists' actions toward the native population.

Coro Mena is an elderly Athshean from Cadast who practices his people's tradition of conscious dreaming. He is among the first to recognize that Selver has fundamentally changed, identifying him as a god who brings both power and danger to their way of life.

Ebor Dendep is an Old Woman in the town of Cadast who holds authority over local decision-making. As is customary in Athshean culture, she listens to the dreams interpreted by the men and decides whether or not to act upon them, taking an active role in spreading Selver's call to resistance.

Colonel Dongh is a superior military officer managing the human forces on Athshe. He operates strictly by military protocol and attempts to manage his rogue subordinates while dealing with the sudden hostility of the natives and the oversight imposed by the League of Worlds emissaries.

Major Muhamed is an Earth human officer assigned to run the New Java logging camp. He is a strict, by-the-book leader who mistrusts Captain Davidson's aggressive tendencies, attempting to maintain order during a highly volatile period.

Gosse is an ecologist stationed on Athshe who views the native population with scientific detachment. He frequently clashes with Raj Lyubov, questioning why the anthropologist allows himself to become so emotionally involved with the local people.

Known simply as Ok, Oknanawi Nabo serves as a logging foreman under Captain Davidson. He expresses frustration over his inability to force the enslaved Athsheans to work, even when resorting to brutal starvation tactics.

Kees Van Sten is an anthropologist, referred to as a spesh, working alongside the logging camps. He attempts to protect the local wildlife and environment but is thoroughly dismissed by the military commanders who prioritize profit over ecology.

Commander Yung is a Starfleet officer from the ship Shackleton. He facilitates communication between the Earth colony forces and the new emissaries from the League of Worlds, attempting to maintain structure during a rapidly escalating crisis.