The Barbers

The Barbers are a secretive cabal of criminally organized assassins operating within the Nine Nations, instantly recognizable by their dark clothing and blood-spattered barber aprons. Specializing in bloodless, traceless kills using razors and surgical tools, they leave their victims' homes in pristine condition, making their work appear as natural deaths or disappearances. In Promise of Blood, they serve as elite enforcers for powerful figures like Lord Claremonte, executing high-profile targets with clinical precision during the political upheaval following the coup against the monarchy. Though their presence is most prominent in the first book, the threat of The Barbers lingers throughout the trilogy as a symbol of shadowy, professional violence that transcends conventional warfare, with their methods influencing later intrigue and assassination attempts amid the ongoing wars and power struggles.