The characters in Master of Fiends include many fantastic creatures in addition to the four human heroes. The wizard Cryltaur Tabbetang plays an important role, as does his enemy, the evil Maeleccirik. The leader of the demons is a crystal giant called Annihilannic, who commands a horde of grotesque and wildly varied monsters.

Opposed to Annihilannic is the demigod Iridial, who has been living in selfimposed exile after a humiliating defeat by the demon horde. Although opposed to the demons and their mas ter, Iridial is also arrogant and not always concerned with the welfare of humans. Also important are the Keeper of the Chasms, a creature made of darkness, and a race of enslaved but noble creatures called the Brulnii, who live in dark caverns beneath the mountains known as the Barrier Peaks.

The book draws a distinction between "true magic" which resides...