Yama, the god of death, is one of the early descendants of the original settlers. He has the ability to kill using his gaze and is a technological genius. As a teenage boy, one of his experiments backfires and damages his body and he takes on a new body of an older man. He has taken on a series of new bodies over the years. He dresses entirely in red.
Yama is in love with Murga, a woman who later becomes the goddess Kali and then the chief god Brahma. He marries her when she is in the body of Kali, but their marriage ends when Kali decides to become the new Brahma after the old Brahma is killed by Sam. Her decision upsets Yama, who ultimately decides to join his forces with Sam against Brahma. While Yama is the enemy of Sam for much of the book, he also holds him in respect. Sam recognizes this respect and sometimes uses it to his advantage to escape.
In the end, Yama remains faithful to Murga/Kali/Brahma by saving her soul after the epic final battle against Nirriti the Black. His efforts are only partly successful, however, and he leaves his brain-damaged lover in the care of friends and departs.
