Anyanwu is a 300-year-old Igbo woman who serves as a seer and healer among her people. She possesses the extraordinary ability to change her physical form into other humans or animals. Her control over her own biology allows her to produce both toxins and cures within her body. She operates with a deep sense of community responsibility, though her interactions with her mortal kinsmen remain fraught due to her unique nature.

Doro is an ancient, immortal being originally from the Nile River region. He possesses the terrifying power to take over the bodies of others by linking with them telepathically. Operating as a supreme manipulator, he runs massive breeding programs designed to produce superhumans. He views humanity with a cold, utilitarian fascination, treating his subjects as biological assets rather than individuals.

Isaac is one of Doro's psychically gifted children, presenting as an attractive white man with immense telekinetic power. Having been raised entirely under his father's control, he maintains a cheerful disposition and easily accepts the brutal realities of his upbringing. He uses his abilities to move massive objects, at one point saving his ship from a severe storm.

Thomas is a powerful telepath of Native American and white descent who struggles with immense internal torment. His psychic abilities have driven away his loved ones, leaving him physically sick and completely isolated from society. He clings to virulent racist ideologies and alcoholism as a defense mechanism against his profound suffering.

Okoye is a mortal kinsman of Anyanwu who finds himself trapped in the transatlantic slave trade. He is frightened and sickened by the ocean crossing. While he initially challenges the supernatural entities controlling his fate, he quickly learns to submit to their overwhelming power.

Udenkwo is a woman from Anyanwu's distant generational past who is brought aboard the ship crossing the Atlantic. She finds herself bound to the rigid social structures enforced during the voyage.

Lale is one of Doro's telepathic sons. He possesses the intrusive ability to enter people's minds and manipulate their thoughts. He operates without social restriction, freely violating the boundaries of others using his psychic gifts.

Bernard is an English slaver operating a brutal coastal market where captives are prepared for the Middle Passage. Though virulently racist, he demonstrates a pragmatic understanding of the supernatural, remaining pliant to immortal forces out of basic self-preservation.

Nweke is a teenager experiencing the terrifying onset of her psychic powers. She struggles with the disturbing influx of other people's thoughts as she nears the transition period common to Doro's genetically altered descendants.

Stephen is a young man residing in a relatively egalitarian settlement. He possesses extraordinary healing abilities, capable of regenerating lost limbs after a farming accident. He understands his precarious position as a bargaining chip within larger supernatural negotiations.

Helen is a young girl living in the humane society established in Louisiana. She is vulnerable to the psychic manipulations of outsiders brought into her community.

Joseph is a handsome but narcissistic young man with the terrifying ability to control people's minds. He is brought to Louisiana as part of a selective breeding program, bringing chaos to the peaceful settlement.

Margaret is one of Doro's daughters residing in the Louisiana community. She forms an attachment to new arrivals sent by her father, tying her fate to the volatile dynamics of the breeding program.

Luisa is an older psychic woman who endured a life of profound suffering before finding refuge. She serves as a compassionate advisor within her community, using her empathetic abilities to help others process emotional pain.

Susan is a pregnant woman brought into the settlement as part of Doro's continuous manipulation of human populations. Her presence represents the ongoing expansion of the supernatural breeding program.

Anneke is a young girl residing in an established breeding village. She is approaching her adolescent transition, a dangerous period when supernatural abilities manifest.

Sarah is a resident of Wheatley who extends hospitality to newcomers. She helps integrate outsiders into the strict social fabric of the breeding community.