Game of Thrones season 4: 15 images teasing new characters released

Daenarys' new mercenary among teaser images

Emilia Clarke stars as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (HBO)

Game of Thrones' season 4 air date of April 7, 2014 is still a long way down the dirt path, so here's a few teaser photos from the new series to tide you over until the next trailer (scroll to see gallery).

Those who survived the high body count of season 3 are back in the set of images, including Emilia Clarke's Daenarys Targaryen making battle look like a Vogue shoot and Jack Gleeson's King Joffrey generally being his smug self.

Watch the Game of Thrones series 4 trailer

There are glimpses of new Westeros residents too, namely Michael Huisman who will take over from Ed Skrein as one of Dany's mercenaries, Daario Naharis, Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell and Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand, the latter of whom is set to interact with the Lannisters in the new season.

The first trailer for the series dropped earlier this month and was chock full of ominous imagery, with crows pecking corpses on the battlefield and eyes meeting over the flames of funeral pyres.

We found King Joffrey celebrating his recent nuptials to Margaery Tyrell at the trailer's opening, while Dany was busy plotting world domination, declaring: "They have a choice, they can live in my new world or die in their old one."

Game of Thrones returns on Monday 7 April at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.