Characters: Kaz Brekker

“I trade in information, the things men do when they think no one is looking. Shame holds more value than coin ever can.”

Kaz Brekker is a 17-year-old thief, and the leader of the Dregs. He is known to be ruthless and coldhearted and will do any hazardous job for the right price, earning him the name “Dirtyhands”. He is manipulative, quick witted, and has outstanding intellect for his age, making him an amazing gang leader. His skills include lock picking and sleight of hands. He is also the mastermind of the group and devises elaborately constructed complex plans that others follow without question.

Kaz’s cold and ruthless personality is a result of the traumas he faced in his past. Kaz came to Ketterdam with his brother after his father’s death. The brothers were conned by a gang and left to die in the streets with no money. The brothers soon caught the plague and Kaz’s brother died, leaving Kaz alone in the slums at the age of nine. He vowed to get revenge on the gang leader and joined the Dregs, quickly becoming a feared member and earning his place as lieutenant.

Kaz has a limp on his right leg, acquired from a bad fall, and carries a crow-head cane with him. After his brother died, Kaz was mistakenly thrown in the water with dead bodies of plague victims. Although he survived, he developed Haphephobia, and fears skin-to-skin contact.

Kaz Brekker drawn by Sharika Khan

Ketterdam: capital of Kerch.