Talan: equal parts cheerful and peculiar, with almost a lethal case of curiosity. He’s something of a magpie who collects various bits of everything in a personal quest to discover its purpose. He has a tenuous grasp on the concept of possessions and tends to think of anything that isn’t currently being worn or carried or nailed down as fair game. How can it be thievery when the person clearly doesn’t want it any more? He’s Firedrake’s boyfriend, at least for a little while, and Dray’s malfunctioning moral compass hasn’t exactly been the best influence in Talan’s life. Relatively new to Concordia in particular and civilization in general, Talan struggles with things like laws, idioms, and telling other people apart. He’s determined to learn these things, though, and wants more than anything to fit in.

Camille: a priestess with magic that summons and controls elementals. She was sent away from her home temple, the Sanctuary of Light in Montglace, with an order not to return until a specific task was completed. Almost a decade later she has not lost the determination to see this through, just as she retained the frustration with the partner she was assigned. Camille never forgave Rosalie for being the one selected to work with her; as a shadow priestess, Rosalie technically outranks Camille, but Rosalie’s weak magic makes this entirely insulting to someone who values power and status over all else. Camille is highly judgmental, arrogant, and career-focused to the point where one goal is all that drives her life. She sees the task she was assigned as one simple yet long-delayed step towards proving herself and gaining recognition, and blames Rosalie for the time they’ve wasted in leaving it unfulfilled. She’s determined to become the high priestess of her Sanctuary and will do whatever it takes to obtain this goal– including belittling, threatening, and using the woman who is her only ally in a place far from their home.

Wysta: the lead healer of Blythe and the twins' carnival troupe. Everything Blythe knows about healing she learned from Wysta and now that Blythe is a healer in her own right, Wysta went from teacher and mentor to close friend. Wysta is a former Protectorate and her shaved head is a sign of giving up the life of a guard. Specific braids designate status as a Protectorate and it’s a ritual to cut off the braid when you pick a different path in life. Usually a former Protectorate will let their hair grow back, but Wysta keeps her head shaved as a personal- and practical, considering her occupation- style choice. While Wysta is efficient and sensible, contrasting with the flightier personalities of the carnies she calls family, she possesses both a great sense of humor and a friendly bedside manner.

Sapphire: one of Etri’s best friends and his former thieving partner. She’s currently the leader of the carnival troupe in Silveridge (capital city of Concordia) and organizes the performers, which is about as effective as herding cats. She’s also in charge of thefts since most of her carnies are thieves who return stolen art back to the artists who created it. She’s calm, competent, sensible, almost regal in her demeanor. (This picture is close to how I picture her, but her hair is always bright blue and she always wears blue. It’s her Thing.)

Ametrine: a young foreign runaway Blythe rescued and healed in book 1 (Colorweaver). Blythe sent him off to Sapphire knowing that she would give him a home; Sapphire had done the same for Etri and Sol when they were teenagers. When Adair and his friends arrive in Silveridge in book 2 (Sentinel), Firedrake and Sol take Ametrine under their wing and become parents/older sibs to him.

Feren: as one of the few unmagical Artisans, Feren has always felt like he deserved more than life gave him. He was once Adair and Nina’s sentinel-intended, but he felt he wasn’t good enough at it and dropped out of this role. Feren is studying to be a scholar now, but he doesn’t feel like this status is worth much, so he may drop this one, too. He’s always seeking to improve his lot in life with the minimum amount of effort on his part.