Main Characters

Diane

The daughter of the Butcher, resident dictator of the crumbling nation of Chandera. Strong-willed and impatient, she finds herself being escorted to safety by a brigade of mercenaries, and also in possession of a mystical dagger called Keeper. Her escort is cut short when fallout from a coup interferes, and she makes a Faustian deal not only for wishes of power - but for survival itself.

Shard

A demon imprisoned in the deep aquifers of Weiss' palace, and a living weapon bound to Keeper - a mystical dagger that has been handed down in the family for generations like a cursed key. Crafty and willful, he suggests a deal too tempting to refuse to Diane. (One wonders at the fine print.)

Commander Isandar

Commander of the Iron Crown Brigade for decades, and is a familiar -and feared- sight at the Imperium's warring borders. Ambivalent about many of her clients (and the few journalists that interview her), she nonetheless holds a strong moral code - likewise with her crew, who remain fiercely loyal. The pay's worth it, they say.