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Aphra Marsh
A survivor of the concentration camps the Deep Ones were forced into.
- Anti-Nihilist: Aphra's entire religion is based around this as it has the view eventually even the Deep Ones will die out and become extinct. However, you should treasure what time you have on the Earth as well as the fact your race will be remembered by the Yith.
- Freak Out: Aphra's reaction when Spector first identifies himself as an FBI agent; she attacks him in a panic because she thinks she's going to be shot on the spot.
- Incest Subtext: Both averted and invoked In-Universe. Caleb and Aphra do a lot of Affectionate Gesture to the Head and call each other "sister-dear" and "brother-dear", a habit they picked up in the camp to troll the guards who assumed the people of Innsmouth married their own sisters.
- I Want Grandkids: Aphra is nonplussed that all the Elders want her to breed as quickly as possible. Still traumatised from her decades in a US government concentration camp where she saw everyone except her brother die, she's really not happy at the potential heartbreak involved in raising children. In fairness the stakes are a bit higher than normal; as far as they know Aphra and Caleb are the Last of Their Kind who can have children. The Deep Ones are effectively immortal but they can be killed, so it may well be a question of species survival.
- Real Women Love Cthulhu: Aphra is a deeply devour Aeonist that venerates the gods but more specifically the Yithians as well as the concept of You Can't Fight Fate.
- Religion is Magic: Aphra's interpretation of sorcery is that it is part of her heritage and a means of spiritual enlightenment in contrast to virtually every other character.
- Mythology Gag: Aphra's final speech is a parody of H.P. Lovecraft's The Horror at Red Hook where she looks at New York as a beautiful celebration of humanity using the same reasons as for why the writer treated it as a Wretched Hive.
- Summoning Ritual: Aphra and Caleb use this to make contact with the Deep Ones, who they haven't seen in two decades and who have had no news of what happened to those caught in the Innsmouth raid.
- Younger Mentor, Older Disciple: Aphra is Charlie's mentor despite the apparent differences in their ages. Played With in the fact that they're actually the same age and Aphra is Older Than They Look. Charlie is also better educated in some respects but can't tell the difference between what's real and fake.
Spector's Irregulars
Ron Spector
An FBI agent with an interest in the occult. He is determined to prove Aeonists have a role to play in the government.
- Armored Closet Gay: Justified by the time period as Ron would lose his job and be ostracized.
- Jewish and Nerdy: Ron Spector. Though he did serve in World War 2, he's more of a scholar and admits he's not been trained for the hand-to-hand stuff.
- Psychological Projection: Ron Spector has a deep desire to make sure America understands and appreciates that Deep Ones as well as other Aeonists can be loyal as well as useful American citizens. Aphra has no interest in this whatsoever. However, Ron as a closeted Jewish man working for the FBI in the Forties has a huge desire to convince the government to change its stance on minorities.
- Refuge in Audacity: Ron Spector for coming to a victim of internment and genocide in order to get their help against the supernatural.
Charlie Day
A bookstore owner with a limp leg. He wishes for Aphra to teach him magic.
- Entertainingly Wrong: He listens to Aphra's descriptions and concludes she's a Yithian in disguise.
- I Just Want to Be Special: He wants to study magic less for the power and more for the ability to feel like he's part of something more.
- Occult Detective: Charlie is an academic investigator of the occult who would normally be the protagonist in a Cthulhu Mythos story but must rely on Aphra because she's so much more knowledgeable about the subject than he is.
- Younger Mentor, Older Disciple: Aphra is Charlie's mentor despite the apparent differences in their ages. Played With in the fact that they're actually the same age and Aphra is Older Than They Look. Charlie is also better educated in some respects but can't tell the difference between what's real and fake.
Audrey Winslow
A rich co-ed at Miskatonic University.
- I Have Boobs, You Must Obey!!: Lampshaded when Audrey gets information from Barlow just by looking vulnerable and pouting at him. She notes that Spector wouldn't fall for it (ostensibly because he never switches his brain off, but actually because he's a closet homosexual). Aphra can't help being envious of this.
- Incompatible Orientation: Could be the situation with Audrey and Aphra as she's implied to have no interest in sex.
- Innocently Insensitive: Deconstructed as while she's far less racist than many women of her time an class, her comments regarding Ms. Dawson and Neko Koto are still hurtful and offputting to Aphra. She also assumes many of the rumors about Deep Ones are true even if she doesn't think they're bad things (like marrying demons).
- In the Blood: A distant ancestor of Audrey may have been a human experiment by the Mad Ones Under The Earth, and it's speculated that her fearless nature might have something to do with this. Unfortunately, while the experiments did give her a radically enhanced magical system that can attack curses and contamination, it is Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can. It activates to resist her being possessed by an Eldritch Abomination, but nearly takes her over instead.
- Rich Bitch: Audrey is significantly more well off than any of the cast other than Charlie (and probably more than him by a significant amount). She's also someone who casually wields her privilege like a club.
Neko Koto
The young daughter of the Koto family who grew up alongside Aphra.
- Morality Pet: An odd example as Aphra's relationship with Neko helped keep her sane both during and after her internment.
- Nice Girl; Neko is one of the kindest and nicest members of the cast.
Caleb Marsh
Aphra's younger brother who also survived the camps.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Caleb fulfills this role for Aphra. His confrontational angry personality contrasts strongly against Aphra's more sedate one.
- Book Dumb: A frustrating fact for Caleb in that he was even younger than Aphra when he was sent to the camp and was never properly taught to read or write English, let alone other languages like Enochian.
- Fantastic Racism: Openly despises humans and other people of the Air.
- Kavorka Man: Despite being a half-Deep One in poor health with shabby clothes, Caleb attracts both Neko and Ms. Dawson quite easily.
- Morality Pet: Has nothing but good things to say about the Kotos despite his otherwise justified loathing of humanity.
- Not Helping Your Case: Caleb ca barely hold back his hostility and insults to people like the staff of Miskatonic University or the government. Which does nothing to convince them to return his property.
Professor Trumbull
A human possessed by a Yithian and Miskatonic University's first female professor.
- Ambiguously Gay: Professor Trumbull had a relationship with a (probable) woman in a Yith's body while they were both in the future. She also had a very close relationship with her maid that she was upset had been severed by the Yith. Justified by the time period. The following novel confirms it outright.
- Cruel And Unusual Punishment: Her Yithian self removes Mary's ability to read.
- Does Not Get The Girl: Has two female lovers and both of them are lost due to the Yith.
- Grand Theft Me: Professor Trumbull had their body hijacked by one of the Yith years before and spent years in the Cretaceous Period in a Yith body as a result.
- Her Heart Will Go On: Writes in her letter in the future that she will find another love and encourages her lover in the future to do the same.
Barlow's Team
George Barlow
An FBI agent who disregards superstition and religion in his pursuit of magical benefits to the US government.
- Fantastic Racism: Doesn't trust Aphra and Caleb because of their nonhuman nature.
- Foil: Far less tolerant and more suspicious than Ron Spector.
- Horrible Judge of Character: A Downplayed Trope example. He doesn't trust Aphra Marsh because he believes (correctly) she has no love of the US government or its agenda. She's not a Russian spy, though.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Mary is actually the brains of the operation and an actual magician.
- Occult Detective: Is one of these alongside Ron Spector but his method is significantly more hostile (albeit not interested in resuming the persecutions of the Roaring Twenties).
- Science Hero: (Wrongly) believes reason and science will allow him to understand magic as a weapon for the United States' benefit.
Virgil Peters
Barlow's assistant and a brute of a man.
- The Brute: Aphra even refers to him as Barlow's 'stooge' at one point.
- Dumb Muscle: The least intelligent and inquisitive member of the group.
- Hate Sink: George and Mary have redeeming qualities while Peters does not.
- Occult Detective: Technically one of these but he has no interest in reading or scholarship.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: In addition to his distaste for the supernatural, he also makes it clear in his dialogue and thoughts that he doesn't trust Ron Spector for being a Jew as well as dislikes Ms. Dawson for being a former prostitute as well as black.
Mary
Barlow's secretary and an accomplished investigator and occultist herself.
- Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: Mary gets her ability to read and do math removed by Professor Trumbull as punishment for experimenting with magic.
- Career-Ending Injury: Professor Trumbull's brain damage was meant to be one of these but she continued to investigate the occult regardless.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: Mary attempts a summoning ritual that almost destroys Massachusetts.
- Horrible Judge of Character: While smarter than Barlow in some ways, she's someone who believes his theory that Aphra and Caleb are Russian spies until Aphra proves herself trustworthy.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Was Barlow's secretary officially but actually is an occult expert on her own.
- Occult Detective: Investigates the supernatural alongside Barlow and Peters.
Jesse Sadler
A Miskatonic student of the occult that was attracted to Aphra.
- Ambiguously Gay: Was in a relationship of some kind with Leroy and Sally.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Doesn't show up again after the events of Winter Tide.
Leroy Price
A Miskatonic student of the occult.
- Ambiguously Gay: Was in a relationship of some kind with Leroy and Sally.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Doesn't show up again after the events of Winter Tide.
