on the characters and their motivations.
Alice is a strong-willed and independent young woman who is wrongly accused of causing the deadly plague that has swept through the village. She is fiercely protective of her mother, whom she keeps hidden from the rest of the villagers to protect her from being accused and persecuted as a witch. Her father's death has left her feeling alone and vulnerable in a world that is quickly turning against her.
Tom, the town preacher and de-facto leader, is a power-hungry and manipulative man who lusts after Alice's beauty and will stop at nothing to make her his own. He uses his position of authority to subject her to five grueling trials in an attempt to break her spirit and force her to submit to his advances.
Mary, a close friend of Alice's mother, is kind-hearted and compassionate. She is the only one who knows about Alice's mother's condition and helps to care for her in secret. Despite the risk to her own safety, Mary is devoted to protecting Alice and helping her escape from the village.
The Cleanser is a mysterious and foreboding figure who is feared by all in the village. He is responsible for carrying out the brutal executions of those accused of witchcraft, using his masked identity to strike fear into the hearts of the villagers. His motivations are unclear, but his actions are driven by a twisted sense of justice and a desire to rid the village of evil.
The healer, who takes Alice in and helps to heal her wounds, is a tortured soul with a troubled past. He has been ostracized from society due to his own alleged involvement with witchcraft and is now living in isolation in the woods. Despite his rough exterior, he has a kind heart and sees potential in Alice to fight back against her oppressors. Together, they devise a plan for revenge that will bring justice to those who wronged her.