Talon is an 18-year-old thief who ought to give up the trade. He stole an item from a dying woman and then found himself hunted by the Ayenroki "Ravar." Seeming to have some knowledge of Ayenroki of which he does not know the origin, the only thing he knows for sure is that he hates and mistrusts them. He is also finding that what he stole is far more than a simple trinket.

Ravar is a full-blood Ayenroki warrior who possesses a greyken side—an inner beast into which he can shape-shift. He is sent to the human continent of Gan-go on a mission to retrieve the Chenru'ken--the mysterious Key.

Ravar and Talon cross paths when Talon steals not only Ravar's talisman, but also his katana. Needless to say, he and Talon don't like each other too much, but when Ravar finds out Talon stole the Key too, all hell breaks loose. He will stop at nothing to complete his mission, even if it means frying Talon to a crisp. Which he tried to do. As some Ayenroki are able, Ravar has the ability perform Rrah'ashi,which is manipulation of surrounding energy on a particle level. Rrah'ashi literally means "use of energy for war.

Vriniika'i (Vrihn-e-E-kah-E), called Vrin by everyone except the demon Bound to her, is Talon's older sister. Vrin would do almost anything to protect her brother, including getting in between him and Ravar. She seems to know more about Ayenroki than she lets on, and at times is deathly afraid of them.

Vrin is vegetarian, and is unable to eat meat. She also has some sort of pre/postcognitive abilities, knows when someone is or isn't lying, and sometimes when someone is going to die or has died. Whether these abilities come from Azaq, the demon within, is unknown at this point. One this is for sure: Azaq is a secret Vrin wishes she had never agreed to keep.

Siveki Ornadayo, of the Kinsmen Ornadayo, is a scholar and student of history. He is the only surviving relative of General Shuno Ornadayo, the man who led the campaign that freed southern Gan-go from the grip of a brutal regime. Once a happy man with a wife and three children, he has been accused of violently murdering his family by Hunter Jostin Prellane. He also, in the course of "questioning," has admitted his guilt before three reliable witnesses. He is to be hanged in the city of Grondaga as soon as he gets there. Dreams are his only comfort. In his dreams, his wife, Ceiosin, and his children are still alive.

Seh'dien, never called "Dien" or "Red" and definitely not "Seh" (all except when Talon wants to be a jackass), is Red Apprentice to Jostin. She must prove her worth to Zen'na Nashka, and especially Jostin, before she can be promoted to the rank of Blue. Her task is therefore to do whatever Jostin tells her to do, whether she agrees with the assignment or not. Unfortunately, Seh'dien (lit: She Who Walks Alone, very presumptuous) isn't often one to do anything she doesn't want to do. That's why she currently holds the very uncoveted position of Longest Apprenticeship Ever.

Tamara Cooper is a classic case of wrong place, wrong time. Or maybe it's right time, wrong place? All Tam wants to get home and get some dinner after her final exam of the fall semester, but events conspire against her. When she stumbles upon a dead man who doesn't stay dead, and another man with a sword, she discovers that some Shadows don't vanish in the light. Carrying a Shadow herself, and slowly losing the battle for her soul, what the hell is she supposed to do?

U'hano Anena (Yu-HAH-no Ah-NEN-ah) has got something to prove. Mainly, that she's just as good as you are, if not better. She is a Stormrunner, a person born with the ability to sense and manipulate weather patterns. But she wasn't always a Stormrunner. She started out hungry, dirty and poor in the streets, but she toughed it out. Now she resents being treated like a precious flower, or worse, a rich twit. But don't get her wrong, she knows well the value of appearances. She is without a doubt the strongest, wildest, most inconsiderate and argumentative Stormrunner that Shi'li has seen in generations. But is she strong enough to protect the city, or even herself, from the destruction the rising of the seven moons brings?