John von Marsten

John von Marsten is a businessman and merchant who resides in a mansion on Gold Street in Karg with his wife Marta von Marsten and son, Wilhelm von Marsten. He loves them both, but is strongly overprotective of his wife and strongly disapproves of his son's interests in poetry and storybooks. John views such pastimes as unmanly and a distraction from serious matters such as business. To ensure Wilhelm refrained from pursuing such interests, John frequently employed harsh punishments against his son, but Wilhelm kept pursuing his interests, trying futilely to hide them.

Bitterness grew in Wilhelm's heart and eventually motivated him to run away. After befriending a gang of street children, he fell under the influence of Kraxzat, who charmed the boy. Kraxzat plans to transform Wilhelm into one of the the Wild Children after Wilhelm murders his parents. Wilhelm recently disappeared from his home, and John believes his business rival, Keegan Greymane, is involved in Wilhelm's disappearance. In a way, John is right, because Kraxzat murdered Keegan and assumed his identity.