• Kelligar Scarabae
• “Uncle” Otiv
• Yuri Stelliopoulos

• Cyril the Hanger, the local lord. A Duke of some power and breadth of dominion, this neighborhood is his directly controlled fief. Knows Kelligar from his former role as Mayor.
• Swordpants, the lord's man who comes to negotiate the price for the rats at the Tallying Desk.

• Constantine Stark, current Mayor of the Great City
• Malinda Khalal, Kelligar's secretary since the time he was Mayor.

• Taylor Seltim, Barber, good friend and confidante. Kelligar is not sure if Taylor is his first or last name.

Fans of Yuri's parties, for the most part, this family is known for havnig a number of important Architects amongst its ranks, and for having its own gated rooftop enclave.

• Ambrose Zurdin, Colita's boss in the Guild. A distant relation of the Delacourts, he's also a relation of the Vellinders, the result of an odd arranged marriage a couple of generations ago. He's made a name for himself in the Architects, and is significantly important.
• Unnamed Delacourt Female, with long auburn hair, gracious curves, sweet as the morning dew (all according to Yuri's perceptions of her).

• Bokda Delacourt, friend of Yuri of relatively low status for a Delacourt. Knows the score on what's popular.

• Colita Scarabae, Kelligar's first wife, an Architect, and member of the Delacourt family
• Amaranth Scarabae, Kelligar's second wife, sister of Constantine Stark. Makes very ornate decorative pottery.

• Lilah, a servant who follows Colita around

An ethnic group from a foreign land, these are Yuri's people. Their entire neighborhood is on the rooftop, which makes them the envy of those below who feel that these foreigners do not deserve such fine dwellings.

• Yanis, Yuri's younger brother, a gifted information gatherer who Yuri trusts in all matters official and underhanded.
• Loretta, Yuri's cousin, the family enterprise's accountant and informal morale officer, a woman with a tough outlook, an old spinster who takes no shit. She's incredibly patient and caring of her younger cousins.
• Don Sonati, a priest of the religion of Yuri's homeland, an important figure in their ethnic community. Known as Father Bad Luck for his rather downbeat oracular predictions. EBCO certified.

• Rector Victor Lynch, head of Wettin University, where Keligar is a guest speaker.

A family formerly of noble status who have fallen very low.

• Lucia Visconti, the family seeks to have Lucia marry Yuri, to improve their station.

• Urder “Copper” Seltim, a landlord who employs Otiv to clear out spaces he purchases to be rented out.
• Sebastian Kurt, captain of the City Guard in Matafelo, who was useful to Kelligar when he was Mayor.
• Garrick Scarabae, Sebastian Kurt's right-hand man, commissioner of the City Guard.

• Three-fingers the Rat Trainer
• Azeyla the Whore, paid “wife” of Otiv, and mother of Roman.
• “Hapless” Elin Kurt, a member of a family that formerly was in Cyril's court a generation ago, but now the family is downtrodden, and Elin works as a ratcatcher.
• Darin One-fist, mans the Rat Tallying Desk that counts heads for the lord's rat-reduction contract.

Employed by Otiv to do various jobs, such as ratwhacking, begging and even pickpocketing

• Roman, “The Man” (is Otiv's son, unbeknownst to any but Otiv and Azeyla)

• Alisia Vellinder, daughter of a Harvester deacon (Otiv thinks that her first name is Vellinder). Romantic interest for Otiv.

• Donandin the Grocer, from whom Otiv purchases meat and vegetables.
• Jurman, aging uncle of Alisia, her mother's brother, who owns a few properties.

• “Dimples Ratkiller” a Spymaster, uses Otiv to dispose of bodies, some of whom Otiv has recognized as being some of Cyril's people. Otiv uses rats to dispose of the bodies (many of which rats then die themselves, which does not please Otiv).
• Workers trained to infiltrate the Silk Manufacturing plant, recruited from those disgruntled with the weak Silk Worker's Guild, and scam professionals.