Soulsmith characters

Also known as Wei Shi Lindon

Appears from the start

Having left Sacred Valley behind, Lindon is a determined newcomer to the wider world, quickly confronted with how far his home's sacred arts lag behind everyone else's. Polite, calculating, and endlessly hungry to grow stronger, he is willing to study crafts and techniques that a proud sacred artist would consider beneath them. He throws himself into learning as a way to close the gap between himself and the powerful figures he now finds all around him, treating knowledge and adaptability as weapons in place of the inherited strength he lacks.

Appears from the start

Lindon's companion, a fierce and pragmatic sword artist from beyond Sacred Valley who is far more at home in the wider world than he is. Blunt and quick to fight, she is a formidable warrior for her level, though she must constantly manage the dangerous blood-madra presence bound to her by her late master's art. Loyal to Lindon and impatient with his caution, she pushes them both onward as they look for a place and a source of strength in an unfamiliar land.

First appears in chapter 5

An elderly, sharp-tongued soulsmith who gets around on a spidery construct of mechanical legs and takes Lindon on as a student in the craft of building constructs from the remnants of dead sacred artists. Demanding and unsentimental, she gives Lindon his first real trade and a foundation of practical technique. Under her instruction he begins turning his knack for study into a genuine, marketable craft that sets him apart from ordinary fighters.

First appears in chapter 6

A powerful young spear artist allied with the Sandviper sect, his face hidden behind bindings that conceal a curse-scarred visage. Skilled, proud, and driven, he seeks strength and standing, in large part to secure a future for his ailing younger sister. His ambitions and Lindon's repeatedly collide, making him one of Lindon's first serious rivals in the wider world.

First appears in chapter 6

Jai Long's younger sister, frail and often in poor health, whose wellbeing is the driving concern behind much of her brother's ambition. Gentle where he is hard, she gives his ruthless pursuit of power a sympathetic center and a reason beyond mere pride.

First appears in chapter 8

The head of the Arelius family, a sacred artist of startling power who conceals his true strength behind a flamboyant, playful, and relentlessly meddlesome manner. Eithan takes an immediate interest in Lindon, seeing potential in him that others overlook, and draws both Lindon and Yerin into his family's orbit. Eccentric and impossible to predict, he becomes their patron and guide in the wider world, steering them toward opportunities and trouble in equal measure while keeping his true aims to himself.

First appears in chapter 9

A capable and honorable retainer of the Arelius family who serves Eithan and helps oversee its affairs. Dutiful and skilled, he is at first uncertain what to make of Lindon, an outsider his eccentric lord has taken under his wing, but he judges people by their actions. He represents the disciplined, conventional side of the Arelius family that contrasts with Eithan's unpredictability.