CHENAYA; DAUGHTER OF THE SUN-^ beautiful and powerful young woman who is fated never to lose a fight. She is the prince’s cousin and is working to raise an army of gladiators which will place him on the imperial throne.
PRINCE KADAKITHIS-Charismatic but somewhat naive half-brother of the assassinated emperor, Abakithis.
KAMA; JES-Tempus’s daughter. 3rd Commando assassin. Sometime lover of Critias. Zip, and Molin Torchholder.
MOLIN TORCHHOLDER; TORCH-Archpriest of Sanctuary’s wargod (whichever deity that is at the moment). Architect for the rebuilt walls of Sanctuary. Supreme bureaucratic administrator of the city.
RANKAN 3RD COMMANDO-Mercenary company founded by
Tempus Thales and noted for its brutal efficiency.
GAYLE-A member of that company.
STEPSONS; SACRED BANDERS-Members of a mercenary unit loyal to Tempus. Their years in Sanctuary have been among the worst in their history and they are eager to leave for anywhere else.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
CRITIAS; CRIT-Longtime mercenary in the company. An intelli- gence gatherer and assistant to Tempus. Also the partner of Straton, though that pairing has been in disarray for some time now.
STRATON; STRAT; ACE-Partner of Critias. Injured by the PELS at the start of the False Plague riots. He has been Ischade’s lover and though her curse has not killed him, most of his former associates count him among Sanctuary’s damned.
TEMPUS THALES; THE RIDDLER-Nearly immortal mercenary, a partner of Vashanka before that god’s demise; commander of the Stepsons; cursed with a fatal inability to give or receive love.