Slakemoths, multi-dimensional horrors who feed on the minds of sentients. Their hypnotic wings are used to paralyse their prey, and allows them to drain the minds of their victims. Once held by Mr Motley to produce a potent drug, once unleashed they cause nightmares and mass panic within the city.

Gigantic multidimensional spider-like beings who consider life on Bas-Lag as an ongoing work of art. They use their considerable powers to interfere with events according to their individual sense of aesthetics, and seem to appear primarily before major events. Weavers speak in a disjointed, babbling flow of half-poetry, and are totally unpredictable.

The Avanc is a nearly mythological sea creature that defies description. It was summoned by being "baited" through the use of fulmen (electricity elementals) out of a sinkhole deep enough to span dimensions, and harnessed to move the city of Armarda.

Born of power and chance and virus, the Construct Council is a mechanical intelligence which hides within the trash heaps of New Crobuzon. It sends out parts of itself to spy on the city's flesh and blood inhabitants, preparing for its intevitable discovery by the city Militia.

'Liveman' Uther Doul originally hails from the undead city of High Cromlech. The living are a rare breed, most born in farms and once old enough killed to be remade as zombie slaves. Wielder of the Possible Sword and scholar of the Ghosthead Empire, Uther is a pirate captain on the floating city, Armarda.

'Deadman' Brucolac hails from High Cromlech, the undead city where vampires are little better than junkies, the bottom rung of undead society. However, The Brucolac now resides on Armarda, ruling over an area of the city.

The Handlingers are sentient parasitic disembodied hands which control the mind of their host. Left hands are Sinistrals, the noble caste, with fearsome powers and a cunning intellect.

The Handlingers are sentient parasitic disembodied hands which control the mind of their host. Right hands are Dextriers, the warror caste. They are hard to kill, and have the power to spit fire from their hosts mouths, destroying any who oppose them.

Isaac was hired by Yagharek, a crippled Garuda, to find a way to return flight to the wingless birdman. In his search for an answer, Isaac became obsessed with all things that could fly, and unwittingly unleashed the Slakemoth scourge into the city.

Under the harsh rule of New Crobuzon parliment, many outlaw groups rose to fight the tyranny. One of these was Toro's gang, led by a strange figure in a pussiant metal helmet shaped like a Bull's head.

Master of languages, and former lover to Isaac dan der Grimnebulin, Bellis Coldwine fled New Crobuzon during the horror unleashed by the Slakemoths. She found herself an unwilling 'guest' on Armarda, and devoted all of her efforts to return to the city she abandoned.

A hideous mockery of life, Motley is a New Crobuzon crimelord. Apparently a result of the punishment factories, Motley is a mass of spliced human and animal parts, controlled by a ruthless criminal intelligence.

Mayor Bentham Rudgutter is the leader of the Fat Sun Party, and supreme ruler of New Crobuzon. While in theory a democratic city-state, New Crobuzon is under the iron fist of Mayor Rudgutter and the secretive Militia.

Jack Half-a-prayer, fRemade bandit with a giant mantis claw. He is a hero to those who have been cruelly altered within the punishment factories of New Crobuzon, turning his remade hand back on the people who gave it to him.