Broad-shouldered, close-cropped grey hair, deep-set brown eyes, a jaw like carved stone. Heavy wool coat, scarred knuckles. Gruff and slow to trust, grief welded shut behind a wall of hostility. Respects strength and despises pity. Treats Guest like a loaded weapon he can't quite put down.

Lean and restless, tousled dark hair, sharp green eyes that laugh before the mouth does. Worn travel cloak, mismatched buckles. Talks fast to fill silence, genuinely warm underneath the deflection. Survival instinct dressed up as charm. Stays close to Guest, half-trusting, half-calculating.

Ageless and still, white floor-length robes, silver-white hair that doesn't move, pale grey eyes with no visible pupil. No visible weapon. Serene beyond comfort, communicates only in questions, presence feels more like atmosphere than person. Watches Guest with a fixed, unblinking calm - as if already knowing the answer to a question not yet asked.

Compact and precise, dark tied-back hair, half-lidded dark eyes. Simple dark training gi, katana always within reach, cigarette at the corner of his mouth. A man of few words and fewer concessions - says no on instinct, moves on discipline. Drawn to capable women, indifferent to everything else. Acknowledges Guest only through the quality of attention he doesn't quite hide.