Murky Number Seven
The protagonist of the story, Murky is an illiterate slave in Fillydelphia.
- Classical Anti-Hero
- Cowardly Lion: Cowers and pleads for mercy at the slightest threat of violence, but is willing to attack a Steel Ranger with nothing but a ruler to save his friends.
- Hero-Worshipper: He has this attitude towards Littlepip.
- Trauma Conga Line: His time in Fillydelphia has not been kind to him.
Glimmerlight
Glimmerlight is a perky Steel Ranger scribe-turned-slave, who forms a family with Murky and Brimstone.
- Badass Bookworm: Glimmerlight is a Steel Ranger scribe, specializing in technology. She's also a capable fighter.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Inflicts it on herself to cope with traumatic memories.
Brimstone Blitz
Brimstone is an ex-raider warlord, trying to do better, influenced by deep piety and protectiveness of Glimmerlight and later Murky.
- The Atoner: Brimstone was a raider warlord for almost his entire life. It eats at him.
- Berserk Button: Just try threatening Murky or Glimmer around Brim.
- The Berserker
- The Big Guy
- Frontline General: During the Siege of the Mall.
- Real Stallions Love Celestia: Brimstone is deeply pious by the time Murky meets him.
Unity
Unity is a unicorn mare in an enclosure near Murky's. She's searching for her lost buckfriend, who was sent to the Pit and never returned.
Coral Eve
Coral Eve is a unicorn mare captured in the same raid that caught Glimmerlight. Her son was taken by Red Eye to be educated in his schools.
- Berserk Button: Never threaten a foal in front of Coral.
Protégé
Protégé is Murky's new Master near the beginning of the story. He seems far more compassionate than other slavers in Fillydelphia, and seemingly treats Murky with more respect.
- Redemption Equals Death
- Revolvers Are Just Better: His weapon of choice is a revolver.
Chainlink Shackles
Chainlink Shackles is an overseer working under Protégé. He claims to be Murky's father, and shows a wide sadistic streak.
- Allegorical Character: Shackles essentially serves as a living embodiment of Slavery.
- Ambition Is Evil
- Big Bad
- Dragon with an Agenda: Serves as one to Protégé in the Mall. He later becomes a Dragon Ascendant.
- The Dreaded: Even other slavers are afraid of him.
- Large and in Charge
- Sanity Slippage: He suffers from this starting in Chapter 29. By the middle of the final chapter, he's completely lost it and become obsessed with capturing Murky.
Wildcard
Wildcard is a unicorn raider and one of the Big Four of Brimstone's raider clan.
Big Brutus
A cyborg Minotaur and one of the Big Four of Brimstone's old raider clan. He serves as a bodyguard for the slaver Grindstone.
- Cyborg
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: He wants to kill Brimstone Blitz in order to become the new leader of the Bloodletter Clan.
- The Quiet One: He rarely speaks in most of his appearances. Unless Brimstone is around.
Barb
One of Brimstone's former lieutenants and a unicorn who uses stealth and trickery to survive.
- Arc Villain: Barb serves as one of the most immediate threats throughout Act One.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Despite all his threats and grandstanding, he's ultimately just a pawn of Shackles.
- Casting a Shadow: He frequently uses his magic to melt into the shadows.
- Death by Irony: Barb, who thrives off his shadowy magic and stealth skills, is killed when Murky reverse pickpockets him.
- The Starscream: He is not happy about taking orders from Shackles, and plans to betray him at the first opportunity.
Rough Diamond
- Posthumous Character: Is long dead by the time of the story.
Bonecrusher
Weathervane
A prewar trauma surgeon, living on as a ghoul that tends to the population of Fillydelphia.- Despair Event Horizon: He crosses it after failing to save his ghoul co-workers. Thankfully, Murky pulls him out of it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his rude demeanor, he always does his best to help his patients.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot
Aurora Star
The head of Fillydelphia's Ministry of Arcane Sciences hub during the war.Sundial
A young male unicorn during the Great War whose PipBuck is found by Murky. Eventually revealed to be Dr. Weathervane's son.- Posthumous Character: Murky finds his skeleton very early on.