Anen – Friend of Arthur Flinders-Petrie, high priest of the temple of Amun in Egypt, 18th dynasty
Archelaeus Burleigh, Earl of Sutherland – Nemesis of Flinders-Petrie, Cosimo, Kit, and all right-thinking people
Arthur Flinders-Petrie – Also known as The Man Who Is Map, patriarch of his line. Begat Benedict, who begat Charles, who begat Douglas.
Balthazar Bazalgette – The Lord High Alchemist at the Court of Rudolf II in Prague, friend and confidant of Wilhelmina.
Burley Men – Con, Dex, Mal, and Tav. Lord Burleigh’s henchmen. They keep a Stone Age cat called Baby.
Cosimo Christopher Livingstone, the Elder, aka Cosimo – a Victorian gentleman who seeks to reunite the Skin Map and understand the key to the future.
Cosimo Christopher Livingstone, the Younger, aka Kit – Cosimo’s great-grandson.
Emperor Rudolf – King of Bohemia and Hungary, Archduke of Austria and King of the Romans, he is also known as the Holy Roman Emperor and is quite mad.
Engelbert Stiffelbeam – A baker from Rosenheim in Germany, affectionately known as Etzel.
Giles Standfast – Sir Henry Fayth’s coachman and Kit’s ally.
Gustavus Rosenkreuz – The Chief Assistant to the Lord High Alchemist and Wilhelmina’s ally.
Lady Haven Fayth – Sir Henry’s headstrong and mercurial niece.
Sir Henry Fayth, Lord Castlemain - member of the Royal Society, staunch friend and ally of Cosimo. Haven’s uncle.
Jakub Arnostovi – Wilhelmina’s landlord and business partner.
Snipe – Feral child, and malignant aide to Douglas Flinders-Petrie.
Wilhelmina Klug, aka Mina – In another life, a London baker and Kit’s girlfriend. In this life, owns Prague’s Grand Imperial Kaffeehaus with Etzel.
Xian-Li – Wife of Arthur Flinders-Petrie and mother of Benedict. Daughter of the tattooist Wu Chen Hu of Macao.