The Heroes

attached to Tunny as messengers.

Colonel Wetterlant – punctilious commanding officer of the Sixth Regiment.

Major Culfer – his panicky second in command.

Sergeant Gaunt, Private Rose – soldiers with the Sixth.

Major Popol – commanding the first battalion of the Rostod Regiment.

Captain Lasmark – a poor captain with the Rostod Regiment.

Colonel Vinkler – courageous commanding officer of the Thirteenth Regiment.
    Mitterick’s Division

General Mitterick – a professional soldier with much chin and little loyalty, described as sharp but reckless.

Colonel Opker – his chief of staff.

Lieutenant Dimbik – an unconfident young officer on Mitterick’s staff.
    Meed’s Division

Lord Governor Meed – an amateur soldier with a neck like a turtle, in peacetime the governor of Angland, described as hating Northmen like a pig hates butchers.

Colonel Harod dan Brock – an honest and hard-working member of Meed’s staff, the son of a notorious traitor.

Finree dan Brock – Colonel Brock’s venomously ambitious wife, the daughter of Lord Marshal Kroy.

Colonel Brint – senior on Meed’s staff, an old friend of the king.

Aliz dan Brint – Colonel Brint’s naive young wife.

Captain Hardrick – an officer on Meed’s staff, affecting tight trousers.
    The Dogman’s Loyalists

The Dogman – Chief of those Northmen fighting with the Union. An old companion of the Bloody-Nine, once a close friend of Black Dow, now his bitter enemy.

Red-Hat – the Dogman’s Second, who wears a red hood.

Hardbread – a Named Man of long experience, leading a dozen for the Dogman.

Redcrow – one of Hardbread’s Carls.
    THE NORTH
    In and Around Skarling’s Chair

Black Dow – the Protector of the North, or stealer of it, depending on who you ask.

Splitfoot – his Second, meaning chief bodyguard and arse-licker.

Ishri – his advisor, a sorceress from the desert South, and sworn enemy of Bayaz.

Caul Shivers – a scarred Named Man with a metal eye, who some call Black Dow’s dog.

Curnden Craw – a Named Man thought of as a straight edge, once Second to Rudd Threetrees, then close to Bethod, now leading a dozen for Black Dow.

Wonderful – his long-suffering Second.

Whirrun of Bligh – a famous hero from the utmost North, who wields the Father of Swords. Also called Cracknut, on account of his nut being cracked.

Jolly Yon Cumber, Brack-i-Dayn, Scorry Tiptoe, Agrick, Athroc and Drofd – other members of Craw’s dozen.
    Scale’s Men

Scale – Bethod’s eldest son, now the least powerful of Dow’s five War Chiefs, strong as a bull, brave as a bull, and with a bull’s brain too.

Pale-as-Snow – once one of Bethod’s War Chiefs, now Scale’s Second.

White-Eye Hansul – a Named Man with a blind eye, once Bethod’s herald.

‘Prince’ Calder – Bethod’s younger son, an infamous coward and schemer, temporarily exiled for suggesting peace.

Seff – his pregnant wife, the daughter of Caul Reachey.

Deep and Shallow – a pair of killers, watching over Calder in the hope of riches.
    Caul Reachey’s Men

Caul Reachey – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, an elderly warrior, famously honourable, father to Seff, father-in-law to Calder.

Brydian Flood – a Named Man formerly a member of Craw’s dozen.

Beck – a young farmer craving glory on the battlefield, the son of Shama Heartless.

Reft, Colving, Stodder and Brait – other young lads pressed into service with Beck.
    Glama Golden’s Men

Glama Golden – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, intolerably vain, locked in a feud with Cairm Ironhead.

Sutt Brittle – a famously greedy Named Man. Lightsleep – a Carl in Golden’s employ.
    Cairm Ironhead’s Men

Cairm Ironhead – one of Dow’s five War Chiefs, notoriously stubborn, locked in a feud with Glama Golden.

Curly – a stout-hearted scout.

Irig – an ill-tempered axeman.

Temper – a foul-mouthed bowman.
    Others

Brodd Tenways – the most loyal of Dow’s five War Chiefs, ugly as incest. Stranger-Come-Knocking – a giant savage obsessed with civilisation, Chief of all the lands east of the Crinna.
    Back to the Mud (dead, thought dead, or long dead)

Bethod – the first King of the Northmen, father to Scale and Calder.

Skarling Hoodless – a legendary hero who once united the North against the Union.

The Bloody-Nine – once Bethod’s champion, the most feared man in the North, and briefly King of the Northmen before being killed by Black Dow (supposedly).

Rudd Threetrees