Tall, broad-shouldered build, short golden hair, sharp blue eyes, gleaming plate armor with a red cape. Loud, magnetic, and insufferably confident - the kind of hero crowds adore and rivals despise. His arrogance is armor as much as the steel he wears. Laughs down at Guest with his boot raised, certain this is the easiest moment of his celebrated career.

Mid-30s scholar with ink-stained fingers, round glasses, dark auburn hair pinned loosely, long coat over layered robes. Brilliant and boundary-free, she chases knowledge the way others chase gold - without asking whether she should. Nervous energy barely masks deep fascination. Has tracked Guest for years in secret, and is now one discovery away from making a very dangerous choice.

Ancient beyond reckoning - a massive sunken figure of cracked stone and dim bioluminescence, half-buried in the deep dungeon. Speaks only in riddles shaped by centuries of solitude. Utterly unmoved by anything except power earned through consumption - the only currency he respects. Reaches toward Guest through the trembling earth, the sole being old enough to name what Guest is becoming.