Characters / The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante

This is the character page for The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante. Spoilers are unmarked.

Brante Family

In General

• A Boy, a Girl, and a Baby Family: The family starts out as this with Stephan as the boy, Gloria as the girl, and Sir Brante as the baby. Later, when Stephan goes to Boarding School, the Player Character takes the role of the boy and his new younger brother Nathan takes the role of baby.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Possible. If Sir Brante's choices bring the house's harmony to 10 then he gets to spend a few peaceful days with his family. If it's at 7 when Lydia suffers a serious illness then Sir Brante gets the option to unite the family, restoring his mother's will to live and securing Gloria's adoption.
• Badass Family: Robert Brante and his son Stephan Brante are both skilled swordsmen, and it's possible for Sir Brante to become just as skilled as well. Gregor was skilled as well, considering the help he provides as a ghost can be enough for Sir Brante to kill the Arknian commander Otton. During the Revolt it's possible for Robert, Stephan, and Sir Brante to all fight off a throng of violent looters despite being heavily outnumbered.
• Big, Screwed-Up Family: How bad it is depends on Sir Brante's choices, but regardless there will be conflict and disagreements as different members of the family develop different worldviews.
• Blended Family Drama: When Robert and Lydia married they both had a pre-existing child (Stephan from his widow and Gloria from a sexual assault), and their total four children don't exactly get along.
• The Elites Jump Ship: Optional. During the revolt, Robert Brante's first instinct is to remain neutral. In addition to convincing him to side with or against the revolt, Sir Brante can also convince him to evacuate the family from Anizotte. Doing so causes the the Brantes to have less influence than if they stayed and helped the winning side.
• Family Portrait of Characterization: It's possible for Sir Brante to convince his father to commission one. It features the individual personality traits of the different members.
• Half-Sibling Angst: Since Stephan was the only child to inherit the noble Lot, he tends to look down on his commoner half-brothers and step-sister. It's so bad that when Gloria is attacked and needs rescuing Sir Brante is genuinely surprised to see Stephan try to rescue her. Some of the players choices can make this worse, seeing Sir Brante become hostile towards Stephan or Gloria.
• Impoverished Patrician: If the Brante family's wealth reaches zero, their lifestyle falls into jeopardy and they have to desperately take on debt, ruining their name and their chances of ennoblement in the process.
• Maligned Mixed Marriage: The aristocratic Robert's decision to marry the commoner Lydia has been a cause for embarrassment for the house as well as consternation for Robert's grandfather and eldest son.
• Neutral No Longer: The Brantes spend the years before the Revolt staying out of trouble and preoccupying themselves with their private ambitions and Family Drama. When the Revolt comes, however, Sir Brante can convince his family to pick a side and openly fight for freedom (as rebels) or order (as defenders of the Empire).
• Rags to Riches: Though not exactly "rags", the Brantes start pretty low on the Imperial social ladder, with half of the family born into the lowest caste. Possible goals of Sir Brante include making his family wealthy and/or respectful among nobles, obtain a hereditary nobility or even become close advisors of the Overseer.
• A Taste of the Lash: Gregor Brante and Lydia use this to discipline the children of the family.
• Took a Level in Cynic: The Brante family sides with the Empire and it wins a military victory, of if the Brante family sides with the Revolt and it wins with Sophia as the leader, then the Brantes become disillusioned with their old ideals.

Sir Brante

Voiced by: Brian Boland (English), Mikhail Sushkov (Russian)

The Player Character in the game. He is the son of the noble Robert Brante and the commoner Lydia, meaning that while he is born into the commoner's Lot he has the chance to change his Lot and become a noble or a priest. The game is from his perspective, and the player's choices determine the trajectory of his life.

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• The Ace: It is possible to make Sir Brante a person who is very good in one or several areas of expertise, e.g. a swordsman so skilled he can fight off multiple opponents and also happens to be a charismatic public speaker and a devious political schemer.
• All-Loving Hero: Optionally. If the right choices are made Sir Brante can be kind and self-sacrificing to all those around him.
• Ambiguously Bi: In Youth, one of the options is to visit the Markian Society. If he does, then a handsome young man approaches him there and tries to kiss him ... and Sir Brante doesn’t seem to object. Of course the Inquisition break up the party before events can go further.
• Amoral Attorney: In the Noble path it's possible for Sir Brante to trample the rights of commoners and the rule of law in favor of noble connections and career advancement.
• Anti-Hero: Sir Brante can be played as someone who means well but uses shady methods to achieve his ends, or as someone who does evil for good reasons (e.g. fear for his family's safety).
  • Especially true for Sir Brante who stays loyal to the Empire in any path. You can't exactly be a paragon of virtue if you serve (and benefit from) a corrupt and unfair social system, but that doesn't mean you can't have principles and do a lot of good nonetheless.
• Badass Preacher: As a priest, Sir Brante can be this, especially if he follows New Faith. Stopping crazy mobs dead in their tracks, hunting down violent mages, defending his home from looters and leading the whole damn Revolt against an Imperial Legion, you name it.
• Became Their Own Antithesis: The Lotless Sir Brante can betray the cause of revolution in the adulthood and serve the Empire he once opposed.
• Big Brother Instinct: Several events in Sir Brante's childhood and adolescence offer the chance for him to protect or stick up for his siblings.
• Big Brother Is Watching: A Lotless Sir Brante has a stat called Spy Network, which essentially tracks this. The higher it is, the more spies you have and the more you (and by extension, Felipe) can see and reach.
• Big Damn Heroes: Can become this to a few people;
  • He saves Nathan from Lydia when the former is just a baby.
  • He and Stephan save Gloria from commoner thugs who attacked her.
  • He can potentially save Lydia from being burned to death by Gregor.
  • He can save Sophia from noble riders in early Adolescence and from Dorius Otton in late Adolescence. As a Commoner Insurgent, he can save Sophia from Dorius Otton a third time.
  • In Youth, he can save the singer Alyse from being burned at the stake.
  • As a seminarian in Youth, he can save another seminarian student from being sentenced to death by voicing support for leniency.
  • He can save Tommas from being murdered by Dorius Otton.
  • As a Priest, he can save Octavia Milandius from committing ritual suicide as part of a La-Tari ritual.
  • As a priest again, during the Revolt, he can save New Faith inquisitors from execution.
  • As a noble, Sir Brante has several opportunities to save the life of Augustine El Borne.
  • In the revolt, if his family stays in the city, Sir Brante can save them from being slaughtered by looters.
• Blasphemous Boast: Sir Brante has the option of calling the Lots lies as early as infancy.
• Boxed Crook: In the Lotless path, he's captured by the Secret Chancellery and forced into service as their agent.
• Boys Like Creepy Critters: It's possible for Sir Brante to get an ant colony in childhood, and to feed beetles and caterpillers to it.
• Break His Heart to Save Him: Can do this twice to Gloria.
  • In the adolescence event where Sir Brante discovers Gloria's membership in a secret society of poets, if the player chooses to talk her into leaving them then it's clear from dialogue that he's primarily motivated by fear for his sister's safety - he says if she gets caught their father might disown her or the authorities might cut her hand off. Gloria seems to realize that her brother means well, because while she's angry her opinion of Sir Brante doesn't go down.
  • Later, during Peacetime, when Gloria asks for his help in a plot to get adopted by Robert, if the player refuses than Sir Brante states it'll only cause trouble for the family. Gloria doesn't take it nearly as well, but it's the only way to retain the option to unite the family later in the story.
• The Butcher: If he stays Sophia's loyal lieutenant to the end without convincing her to change, Sir Brante will become known as the Butcher of Anizotte, a revolutionary so ruthless and bloodthirsty that even his birth name became forgotten.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Averted. Since this game is framed as Sir Brante looking back on his past as an old man, any event that features was at least important enough for him to remember decades later.
• But Liquor Is Quicker: Can be on the receiving end in the start of Chapter 3. If he chooses to follow a group of fellow-students into a bar then he gets drunk from beer and a female student uses this opportunity to bed him.
• Cain and Abel: He and Stephan can become this in Chapter IV, with one killing the other in a duel. Stephan actually notes the irony of the situation and recalls a time when they were young and hit each other with a wooden sword.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Sir Brante gets the chance to call out both his parents and his grandparents.
• Celibate Hero: It's possible in the Commoner and Noble paths to play Sir Brante as a man who turns down all sexual advances. Surprisingly averted in the Priest path where he actually takes a Vow of Celibacy, as an affair with Jeanne is unavoidable.
• The Chessmaster: Chapter 4 for a Lotless Sir Brante is full of political players with conflicting agendas. You are one of those players. If you play your cards right, Chapter 4 can even end with the entire city moving in the direction you wanted.
• The Chosen One: Sir Brante receives visions from the Twins from toddlerhood (and meets the Shadow at birth), and in the epilogue, has the ability to change the very nature of the divine Law through a conversation with the Elder. This is particularly the case in the Priest path, as he becomes a priest in the first place by preaching a revelation from the Twins.
• Corrupt Politician: A career-oriented noble Brante tends to become this, as career is usually increased by unfair trials and powerful patronages. Speaking more broadly, a noble and a priest can acquire wealth through performance (or in some cases nonperformance) of their duties.
• Crusading Lawyer: Chapter 4 for a Noble Sir Brante can see him commit to the fight for justice for all, becoming the champion of the people against noble aggression.
• Death of a Child: There are three chances in the game for Sir Brante to die while he's still a minor. Downplayed in that these are all lesser deaths.
  • The first is striking his grandfather Gregor for burning his toy soldiers and then getting such a severe beating it kills him.
  • The second is performing a Diving Save to rescue Sophia from being trampled under the hooves of a nobleman's carriage.
  • The third is allowing Gregor to burn down the house while the family are all still inside.
• Determinator: Some decisions allow Sir Brante to display this trait, most notably his sacrament where he attempts to steal a noble's lot.
• Didn't Think This Through: A couple of events come across as this, such as Sir Brante getting in a fight with a noble child over a toy at the store. Justified given that in the first two chapters he's still a minor and thus quite impulsive.
• Dirty Coward: During the Revolt, it's possible for Sir Brante to abandon his family to be burned to death by looters. Near the end of the Revolt, it's possible for him to abandon his side and supporters. In both cases it's done to save his own skin.
  • The "Free Man" endgame in the Lotless path necessitates this trope. Instead of finding a way to subvert Secret Police or making a conscious choice to serve said secret police loyally, Sir Brante ruins several lives and betrays his comrades, so his family gains political influence and he can beg them to save his sorry ass.
• Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: In the Lotless path, Sir Brante can work with three of Felipe's enemies, making deals with Egmont and El Verman (who hate each other, incidentally) and working with Sophia to hide a stock of gunpowder without telling him. There's even an achievement for doing that. Just make sure your Manipulation is high enough to fool Felipe, or he won't be pleased.
• Easily Forgiven: Joining the Lotless has Robert cut him off from the family funds and reduces their relationship, but when he returns to Anizotte, Robert welcomes him back and even supports him opening a print shop, feeling that he can still be a credit to the family even as a commoner.
  • If noble Sir Brante betrays Remy El Verman at the last minute to save Augustin El Borne from a murderous conspiracy, El Borne makes no big deal about the fact that Sir Brante was an unwitting part of this conspiracy and schemed to replace his prefect. The same can be said of sister Jeanne if she finds out a priest Sir Brante used to be a Willist heretic.
• Et Tu, Brute?: There are several chances for Sir Brante to betray the trust of his family members, usually resulting in a loss of opinion from them.
• Extremely Protective Child: To compliment his optional Big Brother Instinct, Sir Brante can also be willing to protect his parents at any cost - even saving his mother's life!
• Failure Hero: Depending on your choices Sir Brante can fail at all his goals and possibly leave the world in a much worse state.
• False Friend: It's entirely possible to be this to Tommas Guerro.
  • In an event where Tommas is getting bullied at school by the sons of nobles, one of the four available choices is to side with the bullies in order to increase your family's reputation. Sir Brante has to apologize afterwards and share secrets about the noble sons for Tommas to agree to keep being friends with him.
  • In adulthood, when Tommas Guerro's commander Dorius Otton is trying to murder him, it's possible to do nothing and let Tommas die, or abuse Tommas' friendship for your own gain and then hang him out to dry.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Sir Brante starts his life as a mere human commoner, one among many. Over the course of the game, he has several options to grow into something powerful and dreaded. Examples include:
  • Becoming the leader of Secret Chancellery in the Lotless path. From a lowly rebel to the head of state security.
  • Transforming into the Shadow in the Priest path. From a mere mortal bound to his Lot to a god-like entity of pure Will.
  • Becoming The Butcher of Anizotte, the exterminator of Arknians and a revolutionary so horryfying that even his birth name is forgotten by all.
• Glory Hound: Sir Brante who seeks to improve his house's reputation tends to become this. Subverted on the Lotless path, where reputation is usually acquired through acts of treachery and scheming behind the scenes.
• Good Shepherd: Sir Brante can become this in the Priest Path, exemplifying the Elder Twin's love through his acts of kindness and understanding.
• Guile Hero: It's possible for Sir Brante's choices in childhood and adolescence to make him excellent at scheming, and there are quite a few situations where he can optionally handle situations in an underhanded manner.
  • The Lotless path IS this trope, as it demands constantly scheming, manipulating and outfoxing Sir Brante's enemies.
• Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Sir Brante's given name is up to the player to decide.
• Heroic BSoD If Sir Brante's willpower is exhausted he'll be locked out of some favorable choices, even ones which are important. It reflects how repeatedly having to making difficult decisions without having the time to relax and steel your resolve inbetween will break a person.
• Heroic Sacrifice: A few options.
  • In early adolescence it's possible for Sir Brante to suffer a lesser death by pushing a girl named Sophia out of the way of oncoming horsemen. Played straight if this is the first death Sir Brante experienced, as that would mean he didn't know about lesser deaths and thus expected to be gone for good.
  • In adulthood, when Dorius Otton is trying to murder Tommas Guerro, it's possible for Sir Brante so suffer a lesser death in the process of saving his friend.
  • In the Revolt, a rebel Sir Brante can betray the rebels by taking the gate and keeping it open long enough for the Imperial Legion to swarm through. Alternately, a loyalist Sir Brante can launch a suicidal attack on the rebel headquarters to capture Sophia and guarantee the revolt's defeat. In both cases his motivation is to prevent the rebels from massacring Anizotte, and in both cases he's executed by a rebel firing squad moments before the Imperial Legion swarms through the gates.
• A Hero to His Hometown: If Sir Brante sides with the rebellion but then betrays it by opening the gates to the Imperial Legion then at least initially the wider Arknian Empire remembers him as an insurgent who tried unsuccessfully to be on the winning side. In the city of Anizotte, however, he's remembered by the majority as the man who saved them from a revolutionary bloodbath.
• Hope Bringer: If Sir Brante leads the Revolt to victory, he becomes this to the rest of the Empire.
  • As a noble, he is viewed as the beacon of enlightenment and progress, an example for young nobles everywhere.
  • As a priest, he is remembered as the apostle and cofounder of New Faith, one of the wisest shepherds of his time.
  • As a commoner, he becomes the living proof that anyone from anywhere, no matter how lowborn, has the freedom to forge their own destiny and live their own lives.
• Interclass Friendship: Sir Brante is the son of a rich nobleman, and in adolescence he befriends a craftsman's son named Tommas and a maid's daughter named Sophia. Subverted in Youth, when it's possible for Sir Brante to break off the friendship or for him and Tommas to end up in the same social class.
• It's All About Me: It's possible to play Sir Brante as a selfish brat who doesn't care about his family.
• Last Stand: In the Revolt, there are three possible ways for this to be Sir Brante's true death.
  • Sir Brante tries to defend his family home from looters who think it's the apocalypse but fails, instead dying alongside his family.
  • Sir Brante realizes Sophia turned into a mass-murderess and betrays the rebellion, opening the gates of the city and defending it from a rebel counter-attack until the Imperial Legion can swarm through. The rebels execute him moments before their own defeat.
  • Sir Brante usurps control of the revolution for himself, lacks the forces necessary to defend the city, and refuses to flee. He fights to the bitter end before being captured by the Imperials and executed.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: If Sir Brante suffers a lesser death then after he comes back his parents give him this instruction on the matter. Sir Brante follows it too, because there's never an option to bring it up even when it would be relevant.
• Little Brother Is Watching:
  • In at least two events Robert tells Sir Brante that whatever choice he makes his brother Nathan will follow suit.
  • Sir Brante can be on the receiving end too. If the player chooses to let Gregor burn the house down with the family inside, the first thing Sir Brante tells Lydia when he next sees her is that he was just following the example she set for him - obey Nobles and accept suffering.
• Morality Chain: Optionally. If the player made the right choices then options become available for Sir Brante to convince his parents, his brother Stephan, and a possible ally Sophia to do the right thing when it isn't easy.
• My God, What Have I Done?:
  • In the Childhood event where Sir Brante pushes a noble boy in a toy store, if he denies it then Robert refuses to let the boy punish Sir Brante so the boy's father challenges Robert to a duel and wounds him. In the narration Sir Brante is guilty and horrified for having almost gotten his father killed.
  • If Sir Brante doesn't take a side in the feud between Stephan and Gloria then she runs away from home on the eve of her Arranged Marriage and curses Sir Brante for refusing to protect her in her time of need. He looks through the city for his sister but can't find her.
  • If Sir Brante helps Stephan convince Gloria to go along with the Arranged Marriage and keeps in contact with her then he's distraught to see Gloria so depressed and even begs her in vain to write poetry again.
  • In the Revolt, if Sir Brante sides with the rebels but doesn't lead them then he sees that Sophia is going to carry out a massacre of the city's population. A Sir Brante who sided with the rebellion can at this point choose to betray it to save the city.
• Player Character: The player character for the game.
• Precocious Crush: Can optionally develop one in adolescence by trying to return a dropped handkerchief to an Arknian Noblewoman. If he does she sneers and her guard punches the 11-year-old in the face.
• Protagonist Journey to Villain: It is possible for Sir Brante's life to become this if he makes enough bad choices.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: There are three opportunities throughour Sir Brante's life to give one to Stephan.
  • A noble Sir Brante can also give such speeches to two Arknians, Antony Foss and Dorius Otton. Both times he wounds Arknians' pride so badly they murder him on the spot in a fit of rage.
• Rags to Riches: Sir Brante is born into a lowly Lot, but the "best" endings for Sir Brante who stays loyal to the Empire usually involve his ascension to the top of his respective career.
  • An Imperial Nobleman can become a prefect, aka the supreme judge of his whole province, responding directly to the Overseer.
  • An Old Faith priest can be chosen by the Gods as patriarch of his whole community.
  • A Lotless can either become the right-hand man of Felipe El Ferro and later replace him as the leader of Secret Chancellery or replace Remy El Verman as the magistrate of Anizotte.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: It's possible for Sir Brante to get Nathan and Stephan out of jail by using his authority as a Judge or an Inquisitor, or to convince Robert to use his authority as a Judge.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: In the Noble path it's possible for Sir Brante to solicit bribes from his clients to increase his family's wealth. In the Commoner path he can use bribes to escape from punishments for his actions.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Sir Brante in a position of power has several options to forsake his duties in order to save or protect someone.
  • An Inquisitor can save a benevolent witch from trial by lying to his superiors that her magic is really the miracle of the Gods.
  • A Judge can shelter young dissidents from the Secret Chancellery, breaking the law but saving innocent lives.
• Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: It's possible for Sir Brante in the Priest path to reach this conclusion after having sex with Jeanne under the Silver Tree.
• Spanner in the Works: There are a few times when Sir Brante can screw up the plans of the adults in his life, for better or worse.
• Super Window Jump: Can potentially do this in Chapter 3. There's an event where he can go to a Fencing Club, a radical Salon, or the local Markian Society. The latter two locations end up getting raided by the Secret Chancellery and the Inquisition respectively, and this trope is how Sir Brante escapes arrest.
• Vindicated by History: Happens to Sir Brante if he initially sides with the rebellion but then betrays it to prevent Sophia from massacring the city. While the Empire outside of Anizotte initially sees him as an insurgent who tried unsuccessfully to be on the winning side, the narration says that later generations reevaluated him and gave him the praise he deserved.
• What You Are in the Dark: Several important choices can be made when Sir Brante is alone, no one can influence his decision, and a selfish option is more beneficial (or at least, costs him less).
  • The scene where Tommas is cornered by assassins and begs you for help. Saving his life drains your Heroic Resolve, costs you a bit of Reputation and a lesser death. Letting him die costs you nothing and replenishes your resolve.
  • A literal example can happen in the Noble path, as the scene in question takes place in the middle of the night. As Remy El Verman reveals his gambit to murder El Borne, you can either rush to warn the latter or do nothing and go home. If you choose to save El Borne, not only do you have to confess your wrongdoings to him, you also have to die at the hands of the assassins. Being a coward, on the other hand, costs you nothing and imediately ends the chapter (albeit in a very dark way).
  • A very tragic and morally ambigious situation precedes the "Glory to the Empire" ending. As Sir Brante understands that Sophia is preparing a full-scale revolt, he can either conceal her scheme or report her to the Secret Chancellery. Doing the former leads to a devastating conflict. Doing the latter leads to Sir Brante personally killing the woman he loves.

Stephan Brante

Sir Brante's older brother. The son of the noble Robert Brante and the higher-ranking noble Amalia El Borne, Stephan was born into privilege. This class difference between him and his siblings, combined with his upbringing, made him arrogant and haughty.

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• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other:
  • Though he doesn't directly call Lydia his mother, it's clear he sees her as such and loves her. In Chapter 2 he thanks her for raising him with kindness, while in Chapter 4 he reveals that as a child he wrote a song called 'Mother' specifically with Lydia in mind. If Lydia dies of her illness then Stephan is sincerely crushed by this.
  • Deep down, he does care about Gloria and it is possible for him to admit that their family's reputation isn't worth more than their happiness and demands that she legally becomes part of the family. Gloria is surprised and deeply touched by this as she never expected he would ever accept her.
• Big Brother Bully: Stephan becomes this as a result of his noble status and his grandfather's influence. Gloria gets the worst of it due to them having no blood-relation, leading to him trying to humiliates her during a dinner party and to later force her into an arranged marriage to get rid of her.
• Cain and Abel: He and Sir Brante can become this with one killing the other in a duel. He actually notes the irony of the situation and recalls a time when they were young and hit each other with a wooden sword.
• Crippling Overspecialization: He is the sibling associated with Diplomacy and Valor. He shows some competence in the Diplomacy trait as he navigates the social scene of nobility. Despite his many personality flaws he clearly has sky-high Valor, being extremely fearless and tied for second most difficult duel opponent in the entire game. But he is incapable of doing almost anything else, showing no talent for Scheming, Manipulation, Theology, or Eloquence. This has the potential to get him killed in the ending if he doesn't have support from your more well-rounded father. It also means that he's vulnerable to a dirty trick in your duel. Finally, it means that he can't effectively force Gloria into marriage; if he doesn't have support from Sir Brante or Robert, she'll run away and cause almost as much damage to the family name as being accepted into it would.
• Double Consciousness: The source of his conflict with his family is that he is torn between being the man Gregor taught him to be and being honest about how much he truly cares for Lydia and Gloria despite them being commoners. While he's more openly affectionate towards Lydia who he considers to be his mother, all his cruel actions towards Gloria are legitimately him trying to find ways to have her be happy without sacrificing everything Gregor taught him. Ultimately however he can only find happiness once Sir Brante helps him either accept Gloria or attaining his goals at the cost of his relationship with Gloria, with the other paths either resulting in him leaving the family forever or being killed.
• Extreme Doormat: He capitulates to Gregor's emotional abuse so deeply that he abandons all ethics and loyalty to his other family members, essentially becoming Gregor after the former dies.
• Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: Stephan's potential affair with Lady El Velasco, who is married to another man, is treated as morally grey. While she was arranged to marry a man she doesn't love, and would never have been given permission from her father to marry Stephan, Sir Brante can optionally point out how selfish this is given the fact that it'll disgrace both their families. Later on, Sir Brante can use this to blackmail Stephan into letting Robert adopt Gloria as a Brante, though it'll likely ruin their relationship.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: As an adult, Stephan kills a peasant just for grabbing him by the arm, an act that even the Empire considers criminal. In the ending where he becomes an El Borne, this trait and his lack of tact ensure he is never accepted by high society.
• Honor Before Reason: At least from his point of view. If the family unity score is high enough and other conditions are met, it is possible to have Stephan accept Gloria's official adoption for the sake of the family, despite it utterly demolishing any chance for the Brante family to become ennobled.
• Hypocrite: Despite working to behave the way he believes an aristocrat should, he'll still start an affair with a noblewoman from a much higher rank. Sir Brante has the option of telling him off for being so selfish as to risk hurting both their families.
• Jerkass: By far the most openly antagonistic family member, behind only (and because of) Gregor.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • When Gloria is attacked by street thugs he rushes into action to protect her, something that surprises his younger brother. He claims he's doing it out of duty rather than love for his sister, so it's up to the player whether or not he's telling the truth or is too proud to admit his feelings.
  • If Sir Brante successfully become a noble, Stephan states that he is thrilled to be his brother's equal, and is delighted when the two finally meet again. He is less complimentary in other outcomes, but unlike Robert, he's still okay with Sir Brante becoming a priest. And while he's really put out by Sir Brante staying a commoner, it's still possible to have a good relationship with him afterwards.
  • During the family vigil during the time of peace, Gregor demands that Stephan "cleanse the family of wickedness", Stephan initially protests that he can't harm Gloria, but then corrects himself to say he'll do what needs to be done for the Brante family. But as he leaves the crypt, Sir Brante sees that his face is wet from tears implying that he doesn't truly want to her his step-sister.
• Laser-Guided Karma: His being such an odious Big Brother Bully to Gloria can potentially see him muscled out of the family or even killed in a duel by his younger brother.
• The Mistress: He starts an affair with the Lady El Velasco, and if Sir Brante finds out and helps cover it up then Stephan continues this affair after she gets married.
• My Greatest Failure: Downplayed, but depending on your choices the ending can reveal that he bitterly regrets that while Sir Brante was out making history during the Revolt he did nothing and agreed with his father to not take sides.
• Never My Fault: Stephan never accepts that he might be to blame for as much strife in the family as Gloria and never considers that how he acts is in any way cruel.
• Nom de Mom: If he leaves the family on bitter terms then he gets permission from his uncle Augustin to take his mother's surname, becoming Stephan El Borne.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If Robert adopts Gloria as his daughter without Sir Brante first uniting the family then Stephan will leave for the capital and potentially even renounce the Brante name. Even if the family is united and he accepts Gloria as his sister, he'll leave for the capital if the rebels win because he can't stand to live in an egalitarian society.
• Spoiled Brat: He shows this trait as soon as he's introduced, and it gets worse after Gregor takes charge of him and sends him to a noble boarding school.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: Stephan's love affair is this. Even if Sir Brante helps keep his older brother's secret Stephan and his lover know they can never be married.
• Took a Level in Cynic: If the Brante family sides with the Empire and it wins a military victory against a Revolt then Stephan breaks off his affair with Maria El Velasco and enters his own arranged marriage.
• Tranquil Fury: Stephan reacts this way in Chapter 4 if you refuse to cooperate in his plot to pressure Gloria into an Arranged Marriage. He sits quietly, squeezes a drinking glass in his hand until it shatters, disinterestedly looks at the blood, and expresses quiet disappointment in your inability to see eye-to-eye on this.

Nathan Brante

Sir Brante's younger brother. The son of the noble Robert Brante and the commoner Lydia, like his older brother he was assigned the commoner's lot at birth but has the opportunity to change that. However, unlike his older brother, he lacks the drive to do so.

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• Big Brother Worship: As a child, Nathan can be very clingy toward Sir Brante. This can even be continued into adulthood, especially if Sir Brante decides to become a priest. On the eve of the Revolt, Nathan once more goes to his older brother for advice (potentially for the second time) which would determine his path in life after.
• Bully Magnet: Apart from his poor health, Nathan is bullied by Stephan and Gregor.
• But Not Too Bi: Nathan had sex with both men and women while he was in the Markian Society. He's never shown with any romantic or sexual partner, and Nathan only tells a Priest Sir Brante this.
• The Chosen One: In Chapter 4, it's possible for Nathan to start receiving visions from the Elder Twin and to learn that the Gods decided to grant Forgiveness to repentant sinners. He becomes a new prophet.
• Crisis of Faith: He has several. In his youth, Nathan first questions whether the Twins hate him. He later tells a Priest Sir Brante that he converted to the New Faith and that didn't do him much good either. Then he followed Father's Mark preaching and seemingly still couldn't find what he was looking for. After that he attempts suicide in order to see the Twins again. Finally, on the eve of the Revolt, he comes to Sir Brante for answers (possibly for a second time), and his crisis might finally be resolved, potentially even turning him into a prophet who taught the Twins mercy and forgiveness.
• Evil Stole My Faith: Possible. If Sir Brante gets four spirituality skill points in his adolescence then it'll trigger a special event where Nathan asks if the Twins really love him. Sir Brante's answer determines whether or not Nathan holds onto his faith.
• Foreshadowing: In his youth, Nathan says the Twins offer mercy. This is seen as utterly ludicrous, and even Nathan himself isn't quite sure why he said this. However, if Sir Brante says the right thing, Nathan can become a prophet in the end who successfully teaches the Twins mercy, forever changing the world and the afterlife.
• The Heart: Shares this role with Lydia. Being close with Nathan helps to increase family unity, and he can come off as a voice of humble reason in familial arguments.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: Nathan is meek, slow, constantly drunk and depressed and has no valuable skills or qualities. He is also sincerely humble and deeply empathetic, which potentially allows him to connect to the Twins Themselves and change the very nature of Divine Law. To put it simply, the most unassuming member of the Brante family can make the biggest possible change in the world for centuries.
• He Cleans Up Nicely: Nathan spends most of the game looking scruffy and unkempt paired with a perpetual frown, but a hopeful or prophet Nathan looks surprisingly handsome once he cleans up and puts on a smile.
• Hope Spot: If the player goes out of his way to make Nathan feel loved, he'll express the fear that he won't be able to survive if his big brother goes to Boarding School. Just as he fears, he flunks out of seminary school and fails to make something of his life.
• Jaded Washout: Becomes this in the four years between Sir Brante arriving in the capital and his return to Anizotte.
• The Load: Most of his presence consists of not being able to hold his own, bothering Sir Brante with his personal drama at the most inopportune of times, and generally being a frustrating distraction when you'd want to focus on something else. A family-oriented Brante, however, will see these drawbacks more than made up for thanks to Nathan being The Heart of family unity if you build up your relationship with him.

Gloria

Sir Brante's older sister. The daughter of Lydia but not Robert Brante, Gloria has few prospects in life. Marriage is her best bet for social advancement, but Gloria doesn't consider that a worthwhile trade-off.

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• Arranged Marriage: Stephan arranges for Gloria to marry a Nobleman of the Sword, despite her not wanting to. She only goes along with it if Sir Brante encourages her to, or if Robert forces her into it.
• Attempted Rape: A group of drunk commoners attack Gloria while she's writing poetry and threaten to "teach you your place!", but before they can her two brothers, Stephan and Sir Brante, come to her rescue.
• The Bard: Gloria's primary passion in life is poetry. The player gets to read one of her poems in childhood, and can potentially overhear her reciting a second one in adolescence. Additionally, even if the player chooses to discourage this passion it won't cause Gloria to stop.
• Bastard Angst: Her noble father refuses to acknowledge her, making her life miserable. Stephan and Gregor pile onto this, and Sir Brante can optionally as well. Alternatively, Sir Brante can also stick up for her at every opportunity.
• Big Sister Instinct:
  • When Gregor catches her and Sir Brante eating his candied fruits she tries to bring all the blame upon herself.
• Child by Rape: This is how Gloria was conceived. Sir Brante learns this when he becomes a 13-year-old, and can choose to either distance himself from her or to love her unconditionally.
• Driven to Suicide: This is implied by her final poem, if she marries out of the Brante family and the family collapses or is killed off.
• Happily Adopted: Possibly. If Sir Brante convinces Robert to adopt her then she is genuinely happy to be an official part of the family. If Sir Brante accomplished this by uniting the family then Gloria calls it the best day of her life.
• The Millstone: Though it's not her fault at all, she's a commoner and a bastard, and she chafes under her Lot. This means that she's an embarrassment to the Brantes and an obstacle to the family's objective of obtaining nobility.
• Morality Pet: If Sir Brante becomes a Judge and justice gets too low then she'll personally lead the protest at the prefect, hoping that seeing her causes you to become more just. It's up to you to decide whether or not this works.
• My God, What Have I Done?: If Lydia dies then Gloria has this reaction.
  Gloria: "We argued so much it killed her!"
• Neutrality Backlash: If Sir Brante helps Stephan pressure her into an Arranged Marriage then she expresses anger at Sir Brante but they can still retain a sibling relationship through correspondences and occasional visits. However if Sir Brante chooses to remain neutral in the rivalry between Stephan and Gloria then on the day of the marriage she disowns the whole family and especially Sir Brante before running away and never being seen by the Brantes again.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: If Gloria goes through with her Arranged Marriage, and if her family keeps contact with her, then she recovers from her initial depression and comes to reciprocate her husband's love.
• Spirited Young Lady: Gloria continues to create poetry despite her mother forbidding it, even joining a secret society where one of her poems criticizes the social order. If the player chooses, Sir Brante can encourage this passion both in childhood and in adulthood. Additionally, she likes when Sir Brante shows a rebellious spirit by telling off Gregor and Stephan, or by choosing to remain a commoner against the wishes of his parents.
• Stay in the Kitchen: A recurring theme in Gloria's life. Her mother Lydia wants her to accept her Lot as a commoner and to one day be a dutiful wife, while Gloria wants to write poetry.
• This Is Unforgivable!: The other noble families will never forgive the Brantes if they formally adopt her. No matter their previous status, the Brantes' reputation will hit rock bottom after this.
• Took a Level in Cynic: If Gloria goes through with the arranged marriage and the family keeps in touch with her, then, after she recovers, she abandons her fight for liberty and dedicates herself to being a proper Noble Lady. If the Brantes side with the revolt and it wins with Sophia as the leader, then Gloria is so horrified by the rebel atrocities that she vows never to write poems again.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: In Chapter 4, Gloria starts wearing men's clothing. When asked why, she says it's because women are forbidden to wear it.

Robert Brante

Sir Brante's father, as well as the father of Stephan Brante and Nathan Brante. He is a judge for the Arknian Empire and a Noble of the Mantle, which is a path he hopes his two younger sons will follow as well.

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• Cooldown Hug: During Lydia's Freak Out, if you tall Robert about it he rushes to the room and uses this trope to calm his wife down before she hurts Nathan.
• Corrupt Politician: At one point Robert asks his son, Sir Brante, to bear false witness in court to guarantee Gloria's attackers are convicted, and during another can use his authority to get Stephan and Nathan out of jail after they're both in trouble.
• Crusading Lawyer: Much more cautious than Augustine El Borne, but he's still using his authority as a judge to expand the rights of the commoners.
• Dirty Coward: He's so beholden to his abusive father Gregor that he won't even protect his own family from the man.
• Fatal Flaw: Robert is a caring father and a decent man, but often timid and indecisive. Depending on the player's choices, he will either learn to stand up for himself and his family, or fail to do so, which will lead to the family falling apart.
• Grew a Spine: Despite the above, Robert can optionally become a better man and stand up to his father if his middle son Sir Brante makes certain choices.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management: How he deals with family turmoil in chapter IV. He is too loving a father to get Gloria out of the house, but he is also too beholden to the idea of ennoblement, which can't be obtained with Gloria IN the house. For several years, Robert doesn't do anything about it, losing himself in work and leaving it for his sons to solve the problem. He only makes his choice when Sir Brante does.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: His personality is almost the polar opposite of his father's. Among other things, Gregor is single-minded, inconsiderate and hates commoners, while Robert is indecisive, caring and strives to improve the lot of the commoners.
• Missing Mom: His father is a major character, but we learn nothing about his mother; she isn't even mentioned during the game.
• Neutrality Backlash: When the Revolt comes, Robert's first instinct is to stay home and only protect his family. If he does, or if the family runs from Anizotte, not only does his social standing falter compared to if he fought for the winning side, Robert himself comes to regret his cowardice, feeling it prevented him from making a mark on history.
• Papa Wolf: The usually timid Robert will act decisively to protect his children: he will bend the law to get his sons out of jail (though he will chew them out for this afterwards) and, if necessary, will protect the young Sir Brante's honor in a duel; he is also very protective of Gloria despite her being an obstacle to his ambition to attain hereditary nobility.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: When Stephan and Nathan are jailed for a minor offense, one way Sir Brante can resolve this is by asking Robert to get them out. Robert does, but is not happy about this.
  Robert: Is this why I became a judge? To get my own sons out of jail?
• Second Love: He married Lydia after his first wife Amalia died, and he loved both women.
• So Proud of You: He is extremely proud of Sir Brante if he manages to become a noble, following in his footsteps. During the Revolt, he has another moment of this if Sir Brante and Stephan fight together to defend their home.
• Took a Level in Badass: Robert spends the majority of the game as a quiet civil servant and even a bit of a coward. On the day of the Revolt, however, not only can he fight fearlessly to protect his home and family from looters, he can also forsake neutrality and fight with or against the rebels.
• Took a Level in Cynic: If the Brantes side with the Empire and it beats the revolt militarily then Robert is terrified by Sophia's atrocities and abandons the fight for justice in favor of enforcing order. If the Brantes side with the Revolt and it wins with Sophia as the leader, then he becomes disillusioned with the fight for liberty.
• Uptown Girl: He's a Noble of the Mantle, and his first wife Amalia was a Noble of the Sword.
• What the Hell, Hero?: If noble Sir Brante obeys the Secret Chancellery and fabricates cases against potential mutiness, Robert is horrified that his son sent people to the gallows without a trial or evidence. During Night of the Serpents, Robert is both horrified and dissapointed that his son allied with the likes of Remy El Verman and bought his family's safety by throwing other people under the bus.

Lydia

Sir Brante's mother, as well as mother of Nathan Brante and Gloria. As a commoner she accepted that her Lot is suffering with humility, and her hope for her children is that they grow up to be pious.

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• Cooldown Hug: One of the ways to help Lydia calm down from her Freak Out before she hurts Nathan. Sir Brante can either give her one himself or call in Robert to give her one.
• Dark and Troubled Past: See Rape as Backstory below, but it gets worse. If Gregor succeeds in burning her to death, Lydia reveals that she's on her last life - at some point in her past she suffered two lesser deaths.
• Extreme Doormat: She's so subservient that she won't object when her husband tried to set her aside for another woman or even defend herself when her father-in-law tries to burn her. Justified because Lydia was told her whole life that her Lot is to suffer and that accepting it with humility is the only way she can reach the Peak of the Pillar.
• Freak Out: She suffers one after giving birth to Nathan and almost kills him. Sir Brante can optionally save his little brother's life, despite being a toddler himself. After this she feels immense guilt for this.
• The Fundamentalist: The most religious and prayerful of the household, and most concerned with her children following their Lots. Her children are genuinely surprised to see her speak ill of a member of the priestly Lot, and even then she only does so because that particular Priest was publicly denouncing the teachings of the Old Faith. Most notably, unlike Jeanne, there is no way to convert Lydia to the New Faith whatsoever. Regardless of the Revolt's outcome, she will die clinging to her commoner Lot and the Old Faith.
• Grew a Spine: A very minor example. Right before Sir Brante is about to head to college, Lydia and Robert start arguing over whether their son should become a priest or a secular judge. This marks the only time in the story where Lydia voices disagreement with her husband.
• The Heart: She's one of the most important things holding the Brante family together, and supporting her is a major source of familial Unity. Conversely, her death sends major shockwaves throughout the family and can be the final straw that tears the Brantes apart.
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: One of the ways Sir Brante can snap his mother out of her Freak Out before she hurts Nathan.
• Loophole Abuse: In one childhood event Sir Brante can demand to know why the Lots are the way they are, and Lydia angrily says she can't tell him because religious instruction is the Lot of priests and she's a commoner. So instead, she leaves a theology book, written by a priest and containing the answer to his questions, in his room for him to read.
• The Power of Love: Familial love is the only way she can overcome her fatal illness in Chapter 4.
• Rape as Backstory: She was raped by a nobleman and kicked out of the house after she became pregnant. She met Robert because he was the judge who heard her case. He took her into his house because she had nowhere else to go, and the two fell in love and married.
• Replacement Goldfish: Averted. While Robert married Lydia soon after the death of his wife, the two women are very different in terms of personality.
• Silk Hiding Steel: She believes that being an Extreme Doormat is her Lot. Within that Lot, though, she's capable of engaging in Loophole Abuse, a quiet leader for her children, and she believes that bearing up under suffering is a sign of strength.
• Tears of Joy: Has these if Sir Brante chooses to leave the room with her instead of politely greeting the noblewoman Gregor wants her husband to set her aside for. Lydia assures her son that he can't fathom how grateful she is for this gesture of solidarity.
• Token Religious Teammate: While all the members of the Brante family believe in the Twins, none are as devoted to them as she is. Subverted if her son Sir Brante takes the path of the Priest and if Nathan becomes a prophet.
• Uptown Girl: She's a commoner married to a nobleman.

Gregor Brante

Sir Brante's grandfather, as well as the grandfather of Stephan Brante, Nathan Brante, and the father of Robert Brante. He's the head of the family until his death, and is obsessed with enhancing his dynasty's prestige and rank at any cost. As the first Brante to rise from a commoner Lot to become a Noble of the Mantle, he hopes to someday hope to see his descendants elevate them to Nobles of the Sword.

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• And There Was Much Rejoicing: Downplayed. While nobody celebrates his death, the feeling in the Brante household after he's gone is one of relief that he can no longer torment them.
• The Corrupter: His efforts to turn Stephan into a "proper noble" turns the boy into an arrogant jerk. He can optionally have this effect on Sir Brante as well, as having a good relationship with this man requires the player to sacrifice his relationship with his mother and sister.
• Crippling Overspecialization: He is completely focused on Valor and Diplomacy, the two attributes associated with nobles, and shows absolutely no interest in anything else.
• Determinator: He will do anything to make sure one of his descendants becomes a Noble of the Sword. Even death won't stop his ambition.
• Dying Declaration of Hate: His last words are this if Sir Brante stops him from burning down the family home, and if Sir Brante refuses to cut his hand to mark his membership in the bloodline Gregor disparages him from beyond the grave.
• Evil Old Folks: He poisons Stephan against the rest of the family, tries to break up Robert and Lydia, and repeatedly beats and abuses his commoner grandchildren. He even tries to murder his daughter-in-law and optionally murders his grandson!
• Freudian Slip: He makes one when he's about to murder Lydia.
  Gregor: This is for my son's sake, for my son's sake, for my sake...
• Ghostly Goals: After his death the family has a ritual where his blood descendants cut their hands to officially join his bloodline and Gregor's ghost gives a personalized message to them. Gregor's goal is for one of his descendants to become a Noble of the Sword.
  Gregor: Don't let me down, boy.
• Hoist by His Own Petard:
  • Gregor's attempt to get his son Robert to set aside Lydia for a noblewoman is doomed to fail even if his grandson Sir Brante doesn't sabotage the effort. Gregor already poisoned his other grandson Stephan against Robert, causing him to put his foot down and forbid any such attempts in the future.
  • Gregor's attempt to burn down the family home and kill Lydia and her children qualifies. Either he dies in his own fire, or he dies of a rage-induced heart attack after his grandson stops him.
• Hypocrite: Despite having been born a commoner himself, he despises commoners and complains about their desire to gain dignity.
• I Lied: One of the ways he gets his son to set aside Lydia for a noblewoman is by stating that he'd let Robert see his eldest son if he did. Even if the dinner party goes perfectly and Robert's kids are well-behaved, Gregor still poisons Stephan against his father.
• Jerkass: It's notable that two of the three lesser deaths Sir Brante can optionally experience in his childhood are by Gregor's hands.
• Lack of Empathy: He shows an almost complete disregard for the feelings of other people.
• Murder-Suicide: How he dies if Sir Brante doesn't stop him. He attempts lights a fire in the house to kill his daughter-in-law and his commoner grandchildren. Either he kills all of them, only succeeds in killing Lydia, or fails entirely.
• Not Too Dead to Save the Day: As a departed ancestor, he can still influence the Brante family and even lend a hand in a Court of Honor. He can also bestow a powerful posthumous blessing, giving Sir Brante +3 Valor if he earns it.
• Obnoxious In-Laws: Hates his daughter-in-law Lydia because he blames his inability to become a Noble of the Sword on her marriage to his son. The day he dies he tries to burn her to death.
• Pet the Dog: He occasionally has moments like this.
  • If during the fight against the thugs you leave Stephan to go call guards over for help, Gregor praises Stephan for holding his ground like a nobleman.
  • If the family succeeds in becoming ennobled by the Sword, Gregor's ghost attends the ennobling ceremony and gushes over Stephan for making his dream come true. He remembered your role in this too, as his opinion of you increases significantly.
  • If you fight a duel to True Death against Dorius Otton during the revolt, and you call upon your blood-tide for help, Gregor's Ghost gives you a Rousing Speech where he tells you that You Are Better Than You Think You Are. Sure enough, this gives you the strength to kill Otton and save Augustine's life.
  • If you fight said duel against Otton before the revolt, you'll have no chance of winning, but Gregor will still give you a rousing speech, telling you to put yourself together and Face Death with Dignity, as your death will be an honorable one, worthy of a noble. You'll even manage to wound Otton before he kills you and, as his angry reaction will show, you'll be one among the very few who managed to do this.
  • While he scorns commoners in general, he will gradually come to respect Sir Brante should he repeatedly demonstrate a willingness to rise above his lot and stoically endure the pain this brings.
• Rags to Riches: The first member of the Brante family to become a noble.
• Rousing Speech: Gregor, of all people, gives one to Sir Brante when the latter is facing Dorius Otton in a duel. He insists that you're a stronger man than Otton.
• Secret Test of Character: His throwing young Sir Brante's toy soldiers into the fire can be interpreted as this. While he claims that he's doing it because it's not proper for a commoner to show interest in the military, he will actually respect Sir Brante if he puts his hands into the fire to rescue them, and scorn him if the boy just cries helplessly.
• Villain Has a Point:
  • While he expresses it as dickishly as possible, Gregor is not entirely wrong in that Robert's decision to accept a commoner woman with a bastard child into his house and his years-long refusal to resolve the question about said bastard's future in the family one way or another have hurt the Brantes in more ways than one.
  • If Sir Brante decides to speak with Gregor's ghost in one scene, Gregor says that a man (moreso a nobleman) should not be afraid to make his own decisions and take full responsibility for his actions. While the circumstances of this conversation are complicated, the point is still solid.
• Villainous Breakdown: He has one on the last day of his life, trying to burn the home down over him out of the crazed belief that it'll free him from the taint of having commoner family members.
• Villain Respect: If Sir Brante tried to steal a noble's Lot then Gregor takes note of him for the first time. Having that event allows Sir Brante to join the bloodline ritual at Gregor's funeral, which causes Gregor to accept him as his descendant even if he died hating Sir Brante.
  • Gregor also gives his blessing to Sir Brante and says that he is a worthy nobleman's material if the boy has Nobility 6 or higher by the time of Gregor's funeral. Most amusingly, one of the Nobility points needed to unlock this option can be obtained by stopping Gregor from burning down the family home.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: If Sir Brante maximizes Gregor's opinion of him and asks for his blessing to join his bloodline, the most Gregor will say of his grandson is that Sir Brante is "not incorrigible". Subverted if the Brantes become Nobles of the Sword - he comes back as a ghost to praise Stephan or Sir Brante for making his dream come true, and he encourages Sir Brante if the boy faces Dorius Otton in a duel.
• Would Hurt a Child: Strike him during your childhood and he won't hesitate to take your first life.

Amalia El Borne

Robert Brante's first wife and the mother of Stephan Brante. She died giving birth to Stephan and thus never got to meet any of her husband's children.

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• Dark and Troubled Past: Robert reveals that when Amelia died he never expected it to be a True Death. The implication of this is that she died lesser deaths before meeting him.
• Death by Childbirth: Amalia died giving birth to Stephan.
• The Lost Lenore: According to Lydia, after Amalia died Robert lost the will to live.
• Posthumous Character: She's dead well before Sir Brante is born, and the player only learns about her from others.

Aristocracy

Augustin El Borne

A reform-minded nobleman who hopes to fix the Empire from within. He is Amalia's brother and Stephan's uncle.

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• Crusading Lawyer: Technically a judge, but he fills this role in the legal system. He's dedicated to making all people equal under the law and to abolish the practice of honor duels. He's even willing to bring charges against Dorius Otton for murdering legion soldiers in duels.
• Death by Irony: If he isn't rescued during the revolt then Dorius Otton kills him by forcing him to fight a Duel to the Death. In other words, Augustine dies in a practice he devoted his life to outlawing and at the hands of a man he crusaded to bring to justice.
• Didn't Think This Through: El Borne's way to tackle the Otton case is somewhat clumsy. He wants to make charges against a powerful Arknian and pass judgement on him, fair enough. However, he asks a novice judge (Sir Brante), who may not even support his fight for justice, to do all the work and does not provide any resources or powerful allies for Brante to stand against Otton's wrath. After this, El Borne is content to just sit around for three years and wait for Sir Brante to produce a solution. When Otton threatens to assault the Prefecture unless his case is dropped immediately, El Borne has no countermeasures and simply begs for Sir Brante to do something.
• Internal Reformist: He knows the Empire is corrupt and deeply flawed, but he believes he can fix it from within.
• Neutrality Backlash: During the Revolt, his plan is to try to calm the rebels down, make peace and give concessions. His fellow judges think he's an idiot, Sophia is not interested in talking, and Dorius Otton has already decided to murder him. If Sir Brante doesn't intervene and make him pick a side, he'll die without making any positive impact on the Revolt.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His efforts to bring justice to Magra result in Dorius Otton attempting to murder him during the revolt. Without Sir Brante's intervention he suffers an undignified murder and is forgotten by history.
• To Be Lawful or Good: During the Anthony Foss trial he wants to be lawful, when said Arknian youth is charged with murdering legionary soldiers in defense of commoners, Augustine wants Sir Brante to prosecute the youth to the full extent of the law. If he fails to do so Augustin claims the trial told the world that Arknians are above the law ... even as the common people sing Sir Brante's praise for pardoning the one Arknian who stood up for them.
• Took a Level in Cynic: If he sides with the Empire and it beats the rebels militarily with then El Borne is so horrified by the rebel atrocities that he resigns from his post.
• Tragic Dream: He really wants to be an Internal Reformist and bring the rule of law to the Empire. The paradox is that the legal system can't contain Arknian nobles, who consider themselves to be above the law, and the Court of Honor (which the Arknians do accept) goes against everything he believes in and reinforces the system of noble privilege. Something's going to have to give: If he wants to both preserve the Empire and make changes for the better, he's going to have to accept the Court of Honor. If he wants to enforce the law against the Arknians, he'll have to change the system by force of arms.
• We Really Do Care: One of the ways Sir Brante can save him from Dorius Otton during the revolt is to climb on top of an overturned carriage and to rally the people to defend the Precinct, reminding them that Augustin has always defended them. Seeing the people galvanized by his efforts leads Augustin to side with the revolt.

Sir Tibor

A nobleman who built a school in Anizotte to teach commoner children whose families can afford it.

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• Man on Fire: Happens twice.
  • He's burned by one of his students, Brian, who reveals himself to be a witch.
  • During the revolt, Sir Brante sees his school on fire and sees him jumping out of the window while on fire too. Nothing can be done about this, as Sir Brante is already on his way to save his family from looters.
• Reasonable Authority Figures: If Sir Brante tells him about the bullying in school, Sir Tibor puts a stop to it right away.
• Stern Teacher: He gives his students a lot of work, and uses his ruler to hit those who lag behind, but he still wants his students to be prepared for when they study in Eterna.

Archduke Tarquinius Milanidas

An Arknian nobleman whose dynasty traditionally ruled the Magra region. He fears his power would be eroded by reformer nobles.

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• Dirty Coward: He hides away from his own city in the days leading up to the revolt, content to wait for others to handle it for him.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite being a tyrant, he's genuinely grateful if Sir Brante saves his daughter from committing ritual suicide in the La-Tari ritual.
• Evil Reactionary: A firm believer in this, wanting to regain the informally hereditary title of Overseer over his province.
• Feudal Overlord: He's considered tyrannical and ruthless even by Arknian standards, and it's revealed he knows all about Otton's crimes but does nothing because he considers humans beneath his care.

Octavia Milanidas

The daughter of the Archduke of Magra, Sir Brante first sees her in adolescence. The possible love interest of the Noble/Judge path.

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• The Beautiful Elite: Sir Brante's narration goes at length to describe how beautiful she was when he first saw her. Additionally she is an Arknian, putting her in the highest caste by default.
• But Now I Must Go: After her transformation, the being that was once Octavia must depart from the world.
  • Interestingly, this can be averted only outside her own path. In the Priest path, Sir Brante can persuade her to leave the La-Tari cult and return to her original faith in the Twins.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: If you take the Commoner/Lotless path, then Octavia is never seen nor mentioned again after her prior appearance in your childhood (unlike Jeanne and Sophia, who continue appearing in all paths outside their own).
• Dating What Daddy Hates: Octavia first propositions Sir Brante after her father's political opponent becomes Sir Brante's mentor, and if he agrees to be her paramour Octavia insists they have sex on her father's throne.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Octavia feels this way, and it's what leads her into the La-Tari cult. In the Priest path, if Sir Brante saves her from committing ritual suicide then he and Octavia have a long conversation about the meaning of life in which he convinces her to return to her Lot and to the Twins.
• Gilded Cage: Considers her home to be this.
• Hidden Depths: If Sir Brante starts an affair with Octavia than she reveals she feels trapped in the world.
• Lady and Knight: If Sir Brante agrees to become Octavia's paramour on the condition that she treat him as an equal then their relationship becomes this. She respects him for not immediately bending to her demand as any other man would.
• May–December Romance: Octavia was already an adult when Sir Brante was 11 years old. This still doesn't stop her from trying to take him as a lover if Sir Brante becomes a nobleman.
• Mistress and Servant Boy: If Sir Brante agrees to become Octavia's paramour without demanding to be treated as an equal than their relationship becomes this. Octavia uses him like an object and reminds him he's a subordinate.
• Precocious Crush: Can be on the receiving end of one from Sir Brante.
• Rich Bitch: How does she react when an 11-year-old commoner tries to return a silk handkerchief she dropped? She sneers and lets her guard punch the boy out. Later, if that boy grows up to be an adult and becomes a nobleman, she tries to coerce him into being her paramour.
• Sexual Extortion: Octavia tries to do this to Sir Brante in the Noble path. She tricks Sir Brante into coming alone to her father's castle, orders him to be her "plaything", and makes it clear she'll use her authority over him to make his life worse if he doesn't. If Sir Brante submits to her then the first accompanying picture shows him with his hands over his face in anguish.
• Woman Scorned: If Sir Brante refuses to oblige Octavia's intimate desires, she holds a grudge against him and tries to ruin his reputation at the noble gathering later.

Archduke Aegerius Monrogue

An Arknian Nobleman and the Archduke of Monia. He's the nobleman who tries to close the Imperial College to prevent the commoner students from becoming ennobled by the Mantle.

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• Didn't Think This Through: He apparently didn't expect the Emperor to intervene to prevent such an egregious breach of Imperial Law in the capital, nor did he expect his noble militia to be hesitant to kill the sons of other noblemen.
• Evil Reactionary: He wants to bring the Empire back to a time when nobility was only hereditary, and is willing to defy his Emperor to make that happen. To complete the image, he apparently dressed the captain of his province's Noble Militia in armor the narrator explicitly describes as old-fashioned.
• Karma Houdini: Other than his plan failing, Archduke Monrogue suffers no consequences for blatantly defying Imperial Law. Not even a reprimand; when the Emperor orders him to stand down he makes it clear he appreciates the Archduke's presence there.

Dorius Otton

An Arknian Nobleman, Sir Brante first sees him in late adolescence.

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• Appeal to Force: He has a very persuasive counter-argument to the rule of law or his Lot: He has a sword, and he knows how to use it. Not only will he force his enemies into death duels (which he is undefeated in), he'll even murder a priestly Sir Brante for daring to shelter Tommas with the Inquisition. If he's actually brought to trial and convicted of his crimes, he's still got a militia and the city's breaking into revolt, so good luck enforcing the sentence.
• Asshole Victim: Regardless of how little importance he had in the player's chosen path, if the Revolt happens, he survives and the Rebels win, the epilogue happily informs you that he is later tortured until he breaks, for your pleasure.
• Blood Knight: He loves dueling and takes sadistic pleasures in inflicting multiple lesser deaths to people who have slighted him in some way, which potentially includes Sir Brante.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: How he dies in most endings where the rebels win.
• Dead Guy on Display: If he's tortured to death by a mob of rebels then his mutilated corpse is displayed at the city gate.
• Evil Is Petty: Why is he gunning after Tommas? Because Tommas accidently bumped into him at a dance in the capital once. Otton is going out of his way to murder a man over a minor inconvenience that happened years ago.
• Fantastic Racism: If he's killed by Sir Brante in a duel, with his last breath he curses all humans.
• Hate Sink: No matter which route you pick, the story gives you ample reasons to despise the man. On top of being a rapist and a defender of a horribly unjust social system (even when it puts him at odds with his own Emperor), Dorius is also a sadistic, violent prick who murders people in and out of duels over the slightest offence. His victims include Sophia, Tommas and Sir Brante himself. Suffice to say, few tears are shed if he is humiliated by a Noble Sir Brante or killed during the Revolt.
• Insane Troll Logic: Otton's behaviour if he gets dishonorably discharged in the Court of Honor is this. He proclaims that the Court, a sacred mystical duel between two Arknians and their Blood Tides, was somehow "rigged" by Sir Brante, a mere human judge. Thus it "does not count" and he can stay in charge. His argument boils down to "a noble tradition doesn't mean squat for true nobles". Justified in that Otton really doesn't give a crap about traditions and honor; he is just talking out of his ass to stay in power.
• Karma Houdini: If the revolt is suppressed and Otton isn't killed then he resumes his command over Magra's military and lives to an old age, being remembered as a masterful duelist.
• Laser-Guided Karma:
  • If the rebels win he's executed after days of Cold-Blooded Torture, dying in agonizing pain.
  • If Sir Brante sentences Otton to True Death then he's executed by his own soldiers, whose brothers-in-arms he murdered for his amusement. Dorius is dragged to the gallows like a commoner and he dies bewildered, unable to comprehend how this is happening to him.
  • If Sir Brante slays Otton in a Duel to the Death then he bleeds out on the pavement, forced to face the fact that he was killed not only by a human but one he especially despised. His last words are to curse all humans.
• Last of His Kind: If he's killed by Sir Brante in a duel it's revealed that his blood-tide ran dry. In other words, he was the last Otton and his dynasty died with him.
• Logical Weakness: Dorius Otton parrots the idea of noble honor, but he doesn't actually understand it. In particular, he doesn't understand that a Court of Honor is more than a Duel to the Death, and that invoking one's ancestors and Blood Tide is not a metaphor. So, while he's invincible in a pure duel, his dishonorable nature can bite him in the ass in a proper Court proceeding against a more honorable prosecutor with strong ties to their ancestors. Both Gaius Tempest and Sir Brante can demonstrate this to him.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: A surprisingly benevolent example. One of the ways for Sir Brante to save Tommas' life is by calling in a favor with Archduke Milanidus. For all his belligerence, Otton still knows better than to disobey his feudal overlord.
• Pragmatic Villainy: During the revolt Sir Brante can convince him to put aside his thirst for vengeance and work with Augustin El Borne to suppress the revolt. Not because of any loyalty to the Empire, but because it maximizes his own chances of not getting ripped apart by rebels.
• Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: His servant Sophia ran away from his household because he used her as, in her own words, "a toy to play with". Later on, she outright calls him a rapist. Otton, meanwhile, refers to Sophia in sexual terms like "tart" and states that he had fond memories of her.
• The Rival: To Augustin El Borne, Sophia, and most likely also Sir Brante. Otton is just a little belligerent.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Even if he's exiled from the region by a court of law he refuses to follow this ruling, believing that his being an Arknian puts him above both civil law and noble traditions.
• Villainous Valour: Even if he's removed from his post on pain of death, when the revolt comes he'll still insist on staying in the city to help the noble militia. Subverted in that he's really using the opportunity to get rid of his rivals.
• Would Hurt a Child: One of his rape-victims, Sophia, was only 14. Additionally, if Sir Brante tries to stop Dorius from searching the building she's hiding in then Otton attempts to cut down the boy in cold blood.

Remy El Verman

The magistrate of Anizotte, Noble of the Sword, and a staunch traditionalist. He's determined to undermine the rights of commoners and restore the rule of the aristocracy.

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• Aristocrats Are Evil: Even if you support the Empire or the noble estate as a whole, you are unlikely to find Remy sympathetic or pleasant to work with. He's a smug, duplicious asshole, cruel and condescending to those beneath him and ready to betray even his closest allies the moment they stop being of use to him.
• Bewildering Punishment: Remy is genuinely shocked when the rebels drag him out to execute him, having no idea why the common estate hates him so much.
• Blackmail: If you help him retake control of the city in the Commoner Path then he uses the dirt you obtained on Felipe to make the whole Secret Chancellery leave Magra for good.
• Butt-Monkey: Out of all "villainous" characters, he is the most prone to turn into this trope. If Sir Brante makes certain choices, nothing ever works for Remy, he never gets what he wants, he is always outsmarted and betrayed, and he dies an undignified death right before the big climax. Amusingly, while most other Imperials at least have one or two "scripted" victories, El Verman can fail in every single goal he has.
• The Coup: His masterplan. Remy is plotting to murder Augustin El Borne and other "menaces to society" in one fell swoop, condemning them to True Death in the Court of Honor. If Sir Brante knows about this plan, he can either go along with it or help to subvert it.
• Failure Is the Only Option: No matter what you do or how the story goes, Remy can't survive the eve of the Revolt. Even if he has Sir Brante as an ally and his plans work, he still dies a bloody death from the hands of the rebels.
• Fair-Weather Friend: He's outraged in the Priest Path if you sentence Sir El Avilla to be burned at the stake ... until you show him the forged evidence of El Avilla being a heathen, at which point El Verman denounces him. Likewise, if you bring Otton before the court of honor in the Noble Path, El Verman does nothing to protect his former ally.
• Foil: He's this to Mayer Egmont. They're both wealthy city officials competing to decide the fate of Anizotte. Unlike his rival, Remy El Verman inherited his wealth and status and supports noble traditions.
• Meaningful Name: His name sounds a lot like Vermin, and his scheming nature can come across as rat-like.
• Pet the Dog: If Sir Brante allies with him then Remy can actually be helpful.
  • In the Noble Path, if you accept his deal, he'll praise you for how well you rose above your common roots. Before the Night of the Serpents, he gives you a banner so the Archduke's supporters know to spare your family.
  • In the Commoner Path, if you accept his deal and uphold your end, he'll shelter you from Felipe El Ferro. If you warn him about Mayer Egmont's march on his palace, he'll express genuine gratitude. Finally, when Remy forces Felipe to withdraw the Secret Chancellery from Magra, he explicitly forbids Felipe from targeting you again.
  • Highly debatable, since he's caught off guard at the moment, but if Egmont and his miners reach his palace, he promises to provide rations for the poor and pay for it from his own wallet.
• Smug Snake: El Verman thinks he's the smart and cunning political player who will save his city from ruin and crush the rabble under his heel, the ultimate Chessmaster of Anizotte. Unfortunately for him, the city is full of people and Arknians far more clever, bold, ruthless and powerful (actual magical powers included) than himself, and nearly each of them has a scheme or two of their own. Even if he isn't completely outgambitted by the end of Peace chapter, Remy is killed as soon as the Revolt starts and doesn't contribute squat for either side. Most ironically, one of those people more clever, ruthless etc. than Remy is optionally Sir Brante himself.
• Vigilante Execution: He's killed by rebels at the very start of the revolt.
• Villain Has a Point: Considering how Felipe's scheme can potentially blow up in his face and spell the doom of the Empire, Remy is right that the man is playing with fire.
  • Remy believes that if commoners get too much freedom, they will take up arms and destroy the country. While oppressive nobles like himself are the reason why commoners want to take up arms in the first place, he is absolutely right: too much freedom for commoners lead to the Revolt, with the total collapse of society as a very likely result.

Carlo Fockegraben

A judge in the prefect of Anizotte and a traditionalist. He's concerned with his own comfort and privilege, and believe the law exists to keep the commoners down.

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• Affably Evil: He presents himself as a jovial man, but he works to strengthen the privileges of the nobility even if it means making life for commoners worse or weakening the rule of law.
• Corrupt Politician: A very corrupt judge.
  • In the Noble Path, when Sir Brante is deciding the fate of Mayor Egmont's newspaper, Carlo asks Sir Brante to seize the newspaper and hand it over to him and his noble friends so the nobility can control the press.
  • In the Commoner Path, if you have a high spy-network then you can get Stephan and Nathan out of jail by blackmailing Carlo with a bribe from his judge.
• Fat Bastard: He's overweight and shamelessly corrupt.
• What the Hell, Hero?: If justice gets too low then commoner protesters will gather outside the prefect demanding change, and if you promise it to meet this demand then Carlo angrily derides you for caving to the masses.

Alan El Corvio

A Nobleman of the Sword and a powerful member of the Imperial court.

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• Burn the Witch!: A possible way for Sir El Corvio to be executed. In such an outcome he is convicted on forged evidence while he's unconscious and is woken up while he's tied to the pyre.
• Duel to the Death: He kills Sir El Este in such a duel. In the Noble Path and the Priest Path it falls to Sir Brante to judge him.
• Framing the Guilty Party: In the Priest Path, Sir El Corvio's illegal Duel to the Death against Sir El Este sees him brought before the Inquisition due to being religiously motivated. If Sir Brante has enough intrigue he can forge evidence linking the murderous El Corvio to the La-Tari ritual and burn him at the stake for heathenry.
• Hidden Depths: This arrogant noble is an adherent of the New Faith, a religion that calls for the abolition of the Lots and an egalitarian society.
• Off with His Head!: Another way for this man to be executed.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: He's friends with the Magistrate and a favorite of the Emperor's court, so the only way you can bring him down is if you have your own powerful connections.
• Small Role, Big Impact: In the Noble path especially. His duel with El Este, one among many, can provoke a permanent ban on the Court of Honor in Magra, putting an end to the centuries-old tradition.

Felipe El Ferro

An Adviser of the Secret Chancellery and Noble of the Sword. Sir Brante can meet him if he joins the Lotless or becomes a Judge.

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• Affably Evil: He can be polite and generous, especially if he likes you, and isn't that bad of a boss to work for if you're competent. However, displease him in any way and he will not hesitate to use threats, coercion and torture to get his way, and if you fail him in the end he will track you down and murder you unless you have the protection of other powerful people.
• The Bad Guy Wins: For a Lotless player, Chapter 3 ends with Felipe's near complete victory, destroying most (if not all) of the Lotless and having you and Sophia under his service ready to pull the same again. He can even manage this again at the end of the story, achieving all his goals with the help of Sir Brante.
• Big Brother Is Watching: This is how he is able to force Sophia and Sir Brante into his service. Felipe knows near everything and if you fail him he will find and kill you. He also aims to expand his reach and authority even further.
• The Chessmaster: Successfully manipulates the Lotless through Sophia to remove dissidents and bring charges against a prominent New Faith priest, though the latter failed to stick. He tries it again in the very next chapter, this time even to greater success if Sir Brante decides to remain loyal to him, culminating in his rise in power and the utter destruction of a rebellion (to the point where an entire chapter is skipped because the Revolt is utterly defeated with little effort). Or it can blow up in his face if Sir Brante proves to be less loyal.
• Didn't Think This Through: While El Ferro's masterplan is pretty smart, it has one glaring weakness: its success depends on complete loyalty of two people (three if Sir Brante is forced into Felipe's service). One of those people is a vengeful murderous sorceress, the other one is an avaricious sociopath who has no compunctions against selling his boss out for profit, and the third one initially obeys only out of fear. As Agents Provocateurs, all three have to operate with certain autonomy, which gives them multiple opportunities to betray Felipe and ruin his plan. Needless to say, in all paths but one the whole operation crushes and burns, and El Ferro very likely ends up dead.
• Do Wrong, Right: If you are captured trying to escape from him, he'll express disgust at your uselessness and, when you try to weasel out of it, he'll object that you couldn't even betray him properly; you ran without any allies or resources. He can respect someone who's disloyal but competent, but that's just insulting.
• Evil Mentor: He takes on this role to a Commoner Sir Brante who stays loyal to him until the end. After his scheme goes off perfectly, Felipe explains that he was grooming Sir Brante to be his successor within the Secret Chancellery. Sir Brante accepts the job offer without hesitation, and the epilogue reveals he went on to become just like Felipe.
• Evil Virtues: Though undeniably cruel, cunning, ruthless and power-hungry, Felipe demonstrates several admirable traits, perhaps more than any other "evil" character in the game.
  • Honesty. El Ferro always keeps his promises and dispenses rewards and punishments fairly, without pettiness or favoritism. He also rarely, if ever, lies to his agents or withholds crucial information from them.
  • Gratitude. If you show true loyalty to him, Felipe rewards you in numerous ways: money, reputation, more authority to do your job as you see fit, and even simple pleasures that are forbidden to your Lot, like a glass of wine or a night in a fancy bathhouse.
  • Loyalty. El Ferro prizes personal loyalty and trust, even calling it "the only thing worth having in our line of work". He also despises traitors and weasels who have no loyalty to anyone but themselves.
  • Responsibility. Felipe might be one of few Imperials who craves more power, but not for his personal gain. He takes it as his responsibility to preserve The Empire and order within it, and to save the world from the Wrath of the Gods. In one scene, he shows disappointment in how few people in power understand how serious their duty really is.
• The Extremist Was Right: The Last Straw is a managed revolt that he's using to win greater power for himself, but as a matter of fact, Anizotte's a powder keg for reasons that have nothing to do with him or Sophia. Something will inevitably light the spark, and then all the social ills plaguing the city will explode into a full-fledged revolt. Felipe's plan is, in fact, the best way to stop the Revolt before it gets out of hand and provide a catalyst for Empire-wide social reform (especially given just how hard it can be for Sir Brante to find a peaceful solution otherwise). In the end, he did serve the Empire.
• False Flag Operation: He tasks both Sir Brante (if you are forced into his service) and Sophia with recruiting rebels and stirring up a revolt in order to prove the importance of the Secret Chancellery to the Emperor and expand his own authority and gather all insurgents in one convenient group that he can easily put down. A Lotless Sir Brante will experience this twice over the course of the story.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: He's unpopular even among Imperial Loyalists, with both the Magistrate and the Overseer seeing him as a rival for power in the region.
• Gone Horribly Right: If the player does not discover or reveal Sophia's treachery, the revolt he formed for his own ends turns out to be much harder to put down than he anticipated.
• The Handler: For Sophia and a Commoner Sir Brante, against their will. In one ending, he is upgraded to The Spymaster.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: In his own attempt to incite a false revolt in order to serve the goal of defending the Empire, he can potentially spell the doom of that Empire by giving rebels too much power and resources.
• Karma Houdini:
  • If Sir Brante successfully helps him achieve his goal, Felipe gets everything he wants and dies of old age, confident he would be rewarded by the Twins.
  • Moreover, if Sir Brante chooses to oppose him by allying with Remy then Felipe escapes the city just before the revolt. Felipe's career in the Secret Chancellery halts over the debacle, but he gets to live out his days.
• Karmic Death: If Sir Brante decides to conspire with Sophia, after forcing the two of them to help him instigate a revolt that he can easily put down to further his own ends, he is betrayed and murdered on the eve of the rebellion.
• Killed Offscreen: Even in the Noble and Priest paths he disappears and Sophia leads a very real revolt, making it clear Sophia kills him even without Sir Brante's help.
• Out-Gambitted: If Sir Brante is skilled enough then it's possible to turn the tables on Felipe's schemes and to even kill him.
• Pet the Dog:
  • To his credit, if Sir Brante is loyal to him and proves himself capable, Felipe is generally affable and helpful. If his plan succeeds, Felipe successfully secures a pardon for Sir Brante's crimes and offers a position in the Secret Chancellery, which the epilogue might show to be a cozy position that allows the player to eventually rises to the top of the organization while achieving fame and security for his family.
  • In the Noble Path, if Mayer Egmont uses gunpowder to commit acts of terror and Sir Brante doesn't free him from prison then Felipe not only doesn't go after Sir Brante but even helps cover his tracks. While Sir Brante did help Mayor Egmont get gunpowder, he only did so because the industrialist claimed it would only be used to increase Magra's wealth.
• Properly Paranoid: He mistrusts Sophia and potentially Sir Brante. He is absolutely correct about the former and potentially correct about the latter.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He knows his business, provides his employees with excellent support, and doesn't object to a little corruption by his agents so long as the work gets done. He's also extremely helpful if a Nobleman Sir Brante gets in over his head with Mayer Egmont's schemes. And for a Secret Police boss, he's very forgiving of mistakes and minor betrayals - though his idea of "forgiving" usually means torture and often a lesser death. Just don't try to quit his organization.
• Secret Police: The Secret Chancellery, which he is a part of. He can rise to the top of the organization in one ending.
• Secret Test of Character: If he does not already have high regards for Sir Brante, Felipe storms right into Brante's private time at one point accusing him of treachery. He may well be correct, but it turns out he's just bluffing, and passing this (potentially stressful, if you really were making deals behind his back) test improves his opinion of you.
• Smug Snake: Can become this if Sir Brante proves to be both disloyal and cunning enough. Felipe acts as if he's in control all the time, confident that his pawns are under his thumb and can't betray him with any hope for success. In the meantime, said pawns inspire and organize a well-supplied and disciplined group of rebels fully capable of taking a major city by force. Yet, even after this plot is discovered, Felipe is so arrogant that he tries to act as if he's invincible right till he is beaten to a bloody pulp and shot by a firing squad.
• The Unfettered: He will do whatever it takes to defend the Empire and achieve his agendas, never displaying a shred of doubt.
• Villain Has a Point:
  • You are unlikely to find him sympathetic, but after you see what Sophia is like as a rebel leader, it's hard to deny that he has a point about mistrusting her.
  • If you help Remy El Verman kick him out of the city, Felipe warns the Magistrate that the province is going to experience a real revolt without him there to prevent it. The next chapter proves him right.
  • During the Nobleman path, he comes to Sir Brante demanding suspected rebels to be arrested and executed without due process. If the player goes against his wishes and investigates the case properly, it's revealed that Felipe was entirely right despite the lack of evidence and Sir Brante barely manages to avert an attack in the planning.
• Villain Respect: Claims to have this toward Sophia, acknowledging her willpower and capability.
• We Can Rule Together: A version of this. Should Sir Brante serve Felipe loyally and maintain the Spy Network at a high score, Felipe displays legitimate pride in Sir Brante as a agent, gives him a high ranking position in the Secret Chancellery, and ensures both safety and prosperity for his family.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He believes himself to be this, defending the foundation of the Empire and the will of the Twins. He believes failing to do this may spell the end of the world as we know it for the Empire and the people.
• You Have Failed Me: He's not a bad guy to work for...if you're competent and loyal. However, he is absolutely ruthless in dealing with incompetents and traitors. Betray him, or fail to produce interim results, and torture followed by lesser death is a likely result. Try to quit, or fail in his overall objective, and he'll have you executed permanently.

Jose El Peletier

A wealthy Noble of the Sword from Magra who falls in love with Gloria.

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• Babies Ever After: If Gloria is married to him and keeps in touch with the Brantes, she and Jose raise a son together.
• Graceful Loser: If noble Sir Brante beats him in a fencing tournament and later boasts about his victory, Jose takes this defeat in stride and confirms his opponent's valor and skill.
• Happily Married: What he hopes for with Gloria. How successful their marriage is depends on whether or not the Brantes maintain familial ties with El Peletiers.
• Honor-Related Abuse: If Gloria is married off but does not keep in touch with the Brantes, she tries to run away. El Peletier takes this attempt as an insult to his honor and becomes a full-blown jailer for his wife. We are not given any details, but his abuse takes Gloria to an early grave from depression.
• Nice Guy: Aside from a drop of chauvinism (understandable, given the world he lives in), and one optional example of Honor-Related Abuse detailed above, Jose seems like a better guy than most nobles in the game. He doesn't act like an arrogant jerk, admires Gloria's rebellious fashion sense and passion for poetry and makes it clear that he wants to make Gloria's life as happy and comfortable as possible. His love is called outright "selfless" in the epilogue.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He barely appears in the game, but his romantic interest in Gloria affects the Brantes greatly.
• Stay in the Kitchen: How he sees a happy marriage, and the reason why Gloria doesn't like him at first. While he is ready to oblige Gloria's every desire and let her pursue her passions, he still wants a Housewife, a homemaker for his manor and a mother for his heirs. The main question of his plotline is whether Gloria can ever become content with such fate.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: The maximum amount of scenes Jose can appear in? Four, one of them with no dialogue. Aside from his general "polite noble" attitude and his infatuation with Gloria, we know nothing about him.

The Imperial family

Uther II Tempest

The supreme ruler of the Blessed Arknian Empire.

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• Dropped a Bridge on Him: If the rebels defeat his Legion in battle, or if neither side wins in the Revolt, Uther II is abruptly killed in his palace by an unknown party.
• The Emperor: The last monarch in a long, long line.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Though he does not hesitate to drown any rebellion against him in blood, if Sir Brante captures Gaius Tempest in battle, Uther is not ready to sacrifice his brother and agrees to negotiate.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: He is so far removed from the main plotlines of the game that virtually everything about him is unknown, except for his title.

Gaius Tempest

The Emperor's brother and the Overseer of Magra province.

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• Everyone Has Standards: Gaius stands against unnecessary violence, only taking up arms when he sees no other option. If the Revolt is defeated peacefully, he pardons those rebels who did not fight against his forces. Also, while he supports noble priviliges and Arknian supremacy, he despises nobles like Doris Otton and Remy El Verman, who are disloyal to the Empire and only care about their own power.
• Final Boss: Sort of. He leads an Imperial Legion in Final Battle, eager to crush the rebellion and restore his rule over Anizotte. Thus, he is the last adversary a rebel Sir Brante has to defeat in combat or force to comply in order to win the conflict and end the game.
• Frontline General: Has no problem beating the tar out of a corrupt subordinate or leading his soldiers into bloody battle.
• Internal Reformist: To a degree. He understands that the Empire has to change and evolve in order to prosper, and he can support several progressive reforms (see below). However, he is too much of an Arknian to consider really big changes, like true equality under the law, and his squabbles with old aristocracy, as well as the looming threat of rebellion, constantly prevent him from changing Magra for the better.
  • If the Revolt wins peacefully, he finally becomes a full-blown reformist, making Anizotte the first free city in history and writing new laws for the Empire.
  • If the Revolt surrenders peacefully or is sabotaged by Secret Chancellery, Gaius makes gradual changes, preserving the power of nobility but granting commoners more rights and protection.
  • If, however, the Revolt is defeated in battle, Gaius abandons any progressive ideas: keeping commoners in line to prevent a new rebellion becomes his sole concern.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: Gaius is one of supreme rulers of Magra, not to mention the member of the Imperial family, and a very skillful combatant. If you help him summon Dorius Otton to the Court of Honor, Gaius defeats his enemy in what seems like minutes. During the Revolt, if rebel Sir Brante chooses to defeat an Imperial Legion in battle, Tempest personally leads the last desperate attack on city walls and slays quite a few rebels with his sword before being outnumbered and captured.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Though prideful and smug like any Arknian, he is perhaps the most reasonable member of the ruling class. These are just several examples:
  • He encourages young students and cadettes of common birth to get education and gain the Nobility of the Mantle, saying there should be a law to make such a right permanent.
  • If noble Sir Brante gets him as Powerful Benefactor, Gaius can approve the law that grants all commoners the right of self-defense.
  • He sees Dorius Otton for a cruel, traitorous scumbag he is and wants to remove him from power at first opportunity. Although he is hesitant to judge a fellow Arknian in the court of law, he has no problem with facing Otton personally in a deadly duel.
  • He's willing to listen to a priest Sir Brante and stop a violent persecution of New Believers.
  • If a commoner Sir Brante makes certain choices, Gaius can ease the tax burden on commoners and suspend tax priviliges of those who have more (i.e. nobility).
  • At the end of the Revolt, should rebel Sir Brante get enough support from the people and come to negotiate, Gaius eventually agrees that peace treaty is the best solution. During negotiations, he is far more concerned about order in his province than about his personal power and reputation. He then convinces his brother that The Empire has to change and commoners should be given rights and freedoms.
• Reassigned to Antarctica: It's implied that Gaius's appointment as Overseer is the result of the traditionalists in the Imperial court scheming to keep him from influencing his brother to implement further reforms. Additionally, the Milanidas family is upset is upset that he's "stolen" a position that has been in their family for generations and he ends up spending most of his time and resources in the Peace chapter dealing with their interference.
• Tranquil Fury: His default mode of showing disapproval. Any time Gaius gets angry, the narration describes his behaviour as terrifyingly calm, with icy cold stares and short sentences said in a polite and precise manner.

Old Faith Priests

Jeanne

A priest's niece, Sir Brante meets her in adolescence while on a field trip to the Silver Tree. The possible love interest of the Priest/Inquisitor path.

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• Action Girl: She takes up arms during the Revolt in defense of the Old Faith, despite such things being illegal for members of her Lot, meaning she is willing to defend her faith even if doing so may result in that same faith damning her to eternal suffering.
• Batman Grabs a Gun: Despite being a stark fundamentalist with an oath of non-violence, she still takes up arms against the Revolt, even if it damns her.
• Broken Pedestal: As a child, she believed Father Lennart to be a good and just man. As an adult, she despises the New Faith he stands for.
• Crisis of Faith: During the Revolt, she believes it her duty to defend the Old Faith, but it's also to obey her Lot and not take up arms. She can't resolve the paradox, so she takes up arms and attempts to kill her fellow Inquisitors and crush the New Faith, even if it means damning herself. An Old Faith-supporting Sir Brante can Take a Third Option and defend the Old Faith while holding true to his Lot, while one who supports the New Faith can resolve the crisis by converting her.
• Defector from Decadence: If Father Lennart becomes the Patriarch of Magra then Sir Brante will have a chance to convert Jeanne to the New Faith.
• Despair Event Horizon: If the Old Faith falls over the course of the Revolt, Jeanne crosses this (assuming she lives). Sir Brante can successfully encourage her to convert to the New Faith however, pulling her back from the edge.
• Everyone Has Standards: Jeanne is a zealous and at times ruthless defender of the Old Faith. However, even she thinks Ulrich often goes too far.
• The Fundamentalist: In her first scene she angrily tells a heretic pilgrim to stay away from Sir Brante and asks him to come with her to church to be inspired by the Old Faith.
• Jeanne d'Archétype: It's in the name. She is a deeply devout and well-intentioned blonde woman of humble origin who takes up arms to defend her faith, potentially sacrificing herself in the process. It is also inverted however, as instead of leading the Rebels, she is a defender of the oppressive status quo.
• Last Stand: If Sir Brante doesn't support Jeanne then she and the other Inquisitors of the Old Faith die defending the temple of the Sliver Tree from an angry mob of New Faith believers.
• Love Hurts: During Chapter 4 for a Priest Sir Brante, Jeanne may confess to him that she has feelings for him, but had to ignore it all this time because as Priests neither of them are allowed to indulge these feelings. He may choose to reciprocate despite it all.
• Making Love in All the Wrong Places: If Jeanne confesses her romantic feelings for Sir Brante and he reciprocates, the two make love. Not only is this sinful as they are both members of the Priest Lot, they chose to make love immediately afterward under the Silver Tree, a sacred site. Played for drama, as they're spotted and brought to a tribunal much later.
• My God, What Have I Done?: During the revolt, if Sir Brante is an empire loyalist but not a priest then he can save her from the collapse of the Temple. Despite surviving, she laments how she broke her lot by picking up a sword and attacking Father Lennart during the skirmish.
• Naughty Nun: Played for Drama. Jeanne can gradually fall in love with Sir Brante and eventually make love with him. However, doing so fills her with guilt and shame that can break their romance unless Sir Brante comforts and supports her.
• Nephewism: Her parents died before she was old enough to remember them, and she was raised by her priest-uncle.
• Preacher's Kid: Technically a Preacher's Niece, but she fills this role in the story. In the one scene where she appears as a child she is the well-behaved version of this trope.
• Strangled by the Red String: Zig-Zagged. Jeanne is the only Love Interest in the game who's gonna have hots for (and have sex with) Sir Brante regardless of his own choices or their previous relationships. However, if there was no sincere sympathy between them before the sex scene, Sir Brante will have no choice but to push Jeanne further away. So, they are bound to become lovers, but they are certainly not bound to remain together afterwards.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She calls Sir Brante out if he helps Father Lennart overthrow Patriarch Cassius. You've legitimized the New Faith and set a precedent for the faithful community as a whole deciding who their Patriarch is.

Jeramiah Haag

An Inquisitor in Eterna and an educator at the seminary in that city.

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• Good Shepherd: He honestly believes in his cause and wants to advance it, and to do so peacefully.
• Hypocrite: It's not his Lot to command you, as he notes when you first speak with him. And if you argue with him in favor of the New Faith then, he tells you that maybe the seminary and the Priest's Lot is for you. But then, if you become a priest and continue arguing for the New Faith, he'll go out of his way not only to punish you but to keep you from having a chance to argue against him. It's only your choice if you make the choice he wants.
• So Proud of You: He reacts this way to Sir Brante in the Priest path if the latter writes a paper extolling the Old Faith and pointing out the flaws in the New Faith.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He disappears from the story after Sir Brante graduates from the seminary and accepts the Priest's Lot.
• Writing Lines: How he punishes Sir Brante in the Priest path if the latter writes a paper defending the New Faith; he makes Sir Brante write new copies of the writing of Istarius by hand.

New Faith Priests

Patriarch Fotis

The Patriarch of Magra at the beginning of the game. He's the founder of the New Faith.

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• Inspirational Martyr: Despite his death, he and his teachings are remembered throughout the empire years later and lead to a rise in popularity for the New Faith.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: He's first seen in the scene where he was executed.

Father Lennart

The abbot of the temple next to the silver tree Fotis' successor as leader of the New Faith in Magra. He hopes to become Patriarch and to spread his faith.

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• Actual Pacifist: He genuinely wants to avoid violence, preferring to meet attacks from the Old Faith believers by turning the other cheek. In the revolt, when he leads his procession to the temple, he and his followers are at first peaceful in their approach.
• Good Shepherd: A morally-upright religious teacher who preaches love and compassion while still challenging the deeply unfair Lots. His only flaw is an inability to reign in his more radical followers, but even that's not from a lack of effort.
• My God, What Have I Done?:
  • He reacts this way in the Religious Riots event, where an angry mob of New Faith believers burn Patriarch Cassius at the stake. He didn't think his followers would do this with their freedom, and he doesn't want his ascension to the Patriarchate to be paved with blood. After the Vigilante Execution he apologizes to Cassius' ashes.
  • He also reacts this way during the Revolt if the Gods destroy the temple but he survives, claiming that he was wrong and he renounces the New Faith in despair at it's apparent rejection by the Gods.
• Turbulent Priest: His teachings cause distress to the traditionalist aristocracy and to the Old Faith, especially if Sir Brante helps it spread.

Ignasis Avertini

A New Faith priest who appears briefly in the story.

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• Bit Character: He only appears in two scenes.
  • In the Priest path, if Tolerance of Faith gets too low, he'll ask the Inquisition to investigate the burning of his church by Old Faith zealots.
  • If Tommas Guerro's wedding happens and Sir Brante doesn't officiate then Avertini serves as the officiant.
• Forgiveness: If Sir Brante offers his own money to rebuild the church then the first sermon Father Avertini gives to his flock in the new church is a call for them to forgive the arsonists.
• Good Shepherd: Like Father Lennart, he uses his religious authority to preach love and kindness as well as opposition to an unfair hierarchy.

Heretics

Father Mark

A heretic who preaches a complete rejection of the Twins in favor of freedom in life. His radical preaching has made him a lot of enemies, with Sir Brante potentially among them.

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• The Anti-Nihilist: The basis of his belief system. He sees the Lots and Laws as violations of human freedom and he sees the Peak of the Pillar as Cessation of Existence. Therefore, the only path to freedom is secularism.
• Big Fun: He's chubby, affable, and genuinely has good intentions.
• Burn the Witch!: How he dies if he's captured by the Inquisition and sentenced to death. His last words are defiance against the Twins.
• Can't Stop the Signal: A pre-radio example. He wants to print his ideas in little books so they can continue to spread even after his death.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Though it's not shown, he suffers this at the hands of Ulrich if he's captured by the Inquisiton. Apparently he held out for awhile before giving in. Reporting him to the Secret Chancellery leads to the same result.
• Defiant to the End: When he's burned at the stake, his last words are a shout of defiance against the Twins.
• Food as Bribe: In the Judge path, if Sir Brante drops the charges against Father Mark, he shows his thanks by sending Sir Brante some bottles of fine wine. This wine is so expensive it counts as two units of wealth.
• For Happiness: This is his belief; freedom from all sorts of tyranny and living for pleasure and happiness, because only the Cessation of Existence awaits after death.
• Good Counterpart:
  • He reaches the same insight as Father Ulrich, but takes it in a completely different direction. They both believe that Twins are absolute Will. Unlike Ulrich, he seeks to free people from the tyranny of Will instead of imposing it on others.
  • He taught Cassius to reject the Twins. However, Mark would never force his views on anyone, recognizes that his way isn't for everyone, and focuses on just teaching people to live free of the Twins. Cassius wants to force his way on the world, to destroy the Faith and make the Twins go away.
• Good Shepherd: While the philosophy he's teaching is the opposite of the Faith, he's still honestly trying to make people's lives better when he's preaching it, and he does his best to guide Nathan through his own troubles.
• The Hedonist: Averted. While many of his followers tend sink into excessive indulgences, Father Mark himself considers addiction to be just another form of tyranny. He says that some people can't handle freedom at first, and he tells Nathan to stop drinking.
• Hero of Another Story: His role in the story is relegated to this to a non-Priest Sir Brante. He's one of the defendants a Noble Sir Brante must judge, and he approaches a Commoner Sir Brante seeking help in publishing and distributing his tracts.
• Nature Lover: Implied. If he's captured by the Inquisition and tortured then he'll tell Sir Brante that he loves winter in Magra because the desolate sands reminds him of frosting on a cake, and he wishes he could see it from his dungeon cell. As a reminder, this mental image gave him comfort during Cold-Blooded Torture.
• Nay-Theist: He never denies that the Twins exist, just that they're deserving of worship.
• Nervous Wreck: He becomes this if Sir Brante decides to save him from Patriarch Cassius' lynch mob by sentencing him to a lesser death. Even though Mark would get a chance to escape after his rebirth, he admits that he's afraid of the Gods overpowering his will and changing him. If Sir Brante's experiences with lesser deaths are anything to go by this fear is unfounded.
• Nice Guy: Regardless of whether he is right or not, Mark seems to be a very friendly fellow who wants the best for others. Even after Nathan betrays his trust, Mark forgives the man, which is not a courtesy he would extend toward less righteous folks.
• Non-Uniform Uniform: He wears a habit like a monk, but without any religious symbols.
• Plea Bargain: As an Inquisitor, one of the ways Sir Brante can get evidence against Patriarch Cassius is by offering Father Mark one. In exchange for providing testimony and a list of witnesses, Father Mark will be allowed to leave Magra with his life.
• Turn to Religion: Discussed if Father Mark is saved from Cassius' lynch mob by a lesser death; Jeanne is angry that Sir Brante let him escape to spread his anti-Twins rhetoric but Father Ulrich expresses confidence that this trope will happen. Mark disappears from the story after that so we never know which of them is right.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: If he is saved, Mark disappears from the story entirely and is not mentioned in the epilogue. It is unknown if he continues preaching, disappears from public eye entirely or begins turning to religion after his first lesser death.

Father Ulrich

A priest from the capital, who later becomes head of the Inquisition in Magra. Known for his uncompromising approach to rooting out heresy, he is secretly a heretic himself.

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• Dropped a Bridge on Him: If any side wins decisively in the Revolt with Sir Brante as the leader, Ulrich is unceremoniously captured and executed in the epilogue, his Willist powers apparently not doing him any good.
• Evil Mentor: Can be one to Sir Brante by teaching him the doctrine of the Will.
• The Evils of Free Will: As a Willist, he believes that the best way to lead the flock to the Peak of the Pillar is to take control of their Wills, so that they can no longer violate the new Lot he has given them.
• Failure Is the Only Option: If Ulrich enacts his masterplan to subjugate the populace with his Will, he is successful...for approximately one minute, before the Twins obliterate him.
• A God Am I: In his triumphant endings, he claims to be the Twins made flesh. They disagree with him.
• The Heretic: Secretly adheres to the Willist heresy, which says that Law and Love are both created by and subordinate to the Will, and may be disregarded for a higher purpose. The Will manifests as mastery over others, and one serves the Twins by mastering others' will. According to Jeanne, this is the worst possible heresy; she considers it worse than the New Faith or even Markianism.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: He can teach Sir Brante the doctrine of the Will and its use. He can be such a good teacher that Sir Brante overpowers his Will and kills him.
• Hypocrite: Driven to eliminate heresy at all costs, including the New Faith, but is knowingly a heretic and preaches a secret doctrine to Sir Brante.
• Jerkass Has a Point: When dealing with Father Lennart's book on the teachings of Patriarch Fotis, should you choose to compromise and censor it instead of either dropping the hammer or allowing its publication, he rightly points out that that's kind of a stupid decision. By redacting the attacks on Prophet Isatius from the book, you've spent weeks of labor to create a milquetoast book that nobody's actually going to want to read, and the only good thing that came out of it was setting a precedent for the Inquisition to act as a Media Watchdog.
• Mind Manipulation: A master of exerting his Will to control others.
• Sinister Minister: A merciless mass-murderer who sees the Inquisition as a tool of his own Will.
• Torture Technician: The pre-eminent torturer of the Inquisition.

Patriarch Cassius

The Patriarch of Magra after the death of Patriarch Fotis. He's a favorite among the aristocracy, but secretly a disciple of Father Mark.

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• Bolt of Divine Retribution: How he dies if he manages to get reelected as patriarch at the conclave. Knowing they're listening, he condemns the Twins and demands they leave humanity to its own fate, so in return they shoot a pillar of fire down upon him and kill everyone in the temple.
• Burn the Witch!: How he dies in most endings in the Priest Path; he's killed either by the Inquisition or by New Faith fanatics.
• Deceptive Disciple: Originally a follower of Father Mark, they had a falling out because Cassius wanted to force Mark's teachings on the world.
• Defiant to the End: If he's burned at the stake he curses the Twins with his dying breath.
• Didn't Think This Through: He believes that the Twins are imposing their tyrannical Will on the world and it needs to stop, so he challenges them on their holiest day. He didn't imagine that they'd just drop a Bolt of Divine Retribution on him.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being a Manipulative Bastard, he's genuinely horrified if Sir Brante chooses to burn a kind nature witch at the stake. He rushed on the scene to save her from what he thought would just be an arrest, but he was too late and saw her painful death.
• Godhood Seeker: Father Mark claims that Cassius wants to replace the Twins as the god of this world.
• Hypocrite: Despite being the leader of the Church in Magra, he despises the Twins and secretly plots to free the world from their influence.
• Killed Offscreen: In the Noble and Commoner paths he stops being the Patriarch of Magra by the time of the revolt, so it's clear he is killed by either the Inquisition or the New Believers even without Sir Brante gunning after him.
• The Men First: When he's facing a coup by the New Faith, who charge him with heresy, and Father Lennart grills his followers among the priests, he instead agrees to answer Lennart's question so his people won't have to be humiliated.
• Pet the Dog: He helped a nature witch become a priestess of the Twins and gave her a post in a village, allowing the village to benefit from her powers while letting her believe her powers are a miracle of the Twins. If Sir Brante in the Priest Path arrests her for witchcraft then he tries in vain to save her.
• A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Father Mark taught Patriarch Cassius to reject the Twins. Instead of turning to secularism, Mark believes that Cassius instead seeks to deify himself in place of his old gods. This leads to Mark having little to no hesitation in giving much needed incriminating evidence against Cassius that can prove instrumental to turning his flock against him.
• Rage Against the Heavens: He plans on doing this during the conclave when he's reelected as Patriarch, and in the Priest Path it falls to Brante and Jeanne to stop him.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: He wants to blaspheme against the Twins during a sacred ritual when they're said to be paying the most attention to the world, in the hopes of causing the Twins to leave the world alone. He so believes God Is Evil that he's willing to deny anyone else the chance to worship the Twins.

Rebels

Sophia

A commoner girl from Sir Brante's neighborhood. Sir Brante only meets her on two occasions, though they have a significant impact on the other's life. The possible love interest of the Commoner/Lotless path.

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• Because You Were Nice to Me: At the end of adolescence, if Sir Brante confronts Dorius Otton to protect Sophia from him then she'll use her magic to paralyze the lord's men-at-arms.
• Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: If Sir Brante becomes a Commoner Insurgent and gets his hands on gunpowder than Sophia will ask to borrow five barrels and refuse to say what they're for. If you give them to her she uses them to bomb a tax-collection caravan, a prominent nobleman's manor, and the Inquisition's chapterhouse. This results in high civilian casualties.
• Civilization Destroyer: During the revolt, if Sir Brante chooses to be The Dragon to her Big Bad, then the epilogue states that after the Anizotte Massacre she leads her horde of murderous rebels to burn the whole empire to the ground and drive the Arknians to extinction. Humanity survives, but it's progress is reset and nothing remains of the Empire.
• Compelling Voice: Sophia can instill strong emotions in her listeners or command them to do things they might not otherwise be compelled to do through magic.
• The Confidant: If he chooses the Commoner path than Sir Brante can become this to Sophia. She even tells him that if he betrayed her trust it would kill her.
• The Coup: If a Heel Realization is impossible then the only way Sir Brante can take control of the revolution is by this. Sophia refuses to concede power peacefully, terrifies her former followers with a Villainous Breakdown, and is summarily executed.
• Downfall by Sex: Sir Brante only gets the option to murder Sophia on behalf of Felipe after becoming her lover. When she realizes this Sophia curses herself for trusting you.
  Sophia: Stupid girl!
• Et Tu, Brute?:
  • During the second time Sir Brante meets her, if he tries to hand her over to Dorius Otton then her state changes to enraged.
  • If Sir Brante discovers Sophia's treachery and decides to remain loyal to Felipe, he is tasked with murdering her, even though he is her lover. She shows him nothing but contempt and hatred in her dying moment.
• Evil Former Friend: Happens in the Priest and Noble Paths if you were kind to her in adolescence but don't rally support for her in the revolt. This girl who you used to make laugh and whose life you saved twice at great personal risk sees you as only another oppressor to be killed.
• Fantastic Slurs: Refers to the blue-skinned Arknians as "blues". She's the only character to use this phrase.
• Final Boss: Should you choose to side with the Empire against the rebels in any path, she is the rebel leader whom you must either capture or kill in order to successfully quell the revolt.
• First Girl Wins: She's the first love interest Sir Brante meets, and might be the first girl to elicit romantic feelings in him, so if she and Sir Brante become lovers and remain so until the end this trope applies.
• Heal the Cutie: This happens after a successful revolt if Sir Brante helped her have a Heel Realization.
  "Your actions gave Sophia hope for a better world."
• Heel Realization: Sir Brante can induce one in her during the revolution, convincing her not to carry out a Reign of Terror. If this happens she'll step down as Rebel Leader in favor of Sir Brante.
• Hero of Another Story: If Sir Brante becomes a Commoner Insurgent than Sophia becomes a Deuteragonist, but if Sir Brante becomes a Priest or a Noble then after adolescence she vanishes from the story until she's revealed as the leader of the revolt.
• He Who Fights Monsters: If she leads the revolution then she massacres her home city, executing everyone who remained neutral and even her supporters who opposed the bloodshed. She then proceeds to conquer and burn the rest of the Arknian Empire, and annihilate the Arknians altogether.
• The Lad-ette: By the time you meet her again in adulthood she's cut her hair short and become fond of drinking, smoking, and swearing.
• Love Redeems: The only way to cause her Heel Realization. Sir Brante has to have risked his life to save her on three different occasions and be her lover (and also have a maxed out Manipulation stat).
• Made a Slave: Towards the end of the Lotless Route, a Sir Brante with 20 Scheming can betray her to Dorius Otton.
• Nay-Theist: The only time Sophia talks about her own beliefs is a single line of dialogue where she scoffs at the idea that she'll go to the Peak of the Pillar after she dies. Whether this is because she's a Markian, or because she expects to burn at the Base for her life, it shows a willingness to defy the Gods for her ideals.
• Oblivious to Love: Of the three possible love interests for Sir Brante, Sophia is the only one who doesn't take the initiative in starting a romance.
• Parental Betrayal: After Sophia ran away she first went to her parents, but they tried to turn her in to her master to save their own hides.
• Professionals Do It on Desks: If she and Sir Brante are lovers, and he supports her plan to murder Felipe and launch a real revolt, then she'll initiate sex with Sir Brante on his desk at the print shop.
• Rape as Backstory: Implied. The reason she ran away from the Arknian Noble's home is that he used her as, in her own words, "a toy to play with". She winced after saying that.
  • Later confirmed in the Lotless Path of chapter 4 when she refers to Otton as her rapist.
• Rebel Leader: One of the three possible leaders of the revolution.
• Rescue Romance: If Sir Brante tries to save her during his second encounter with her then that counts as the childhood romance event. The feelings are mutual too; Sophia kisses him on the cheek before fleeing. Rescuing her twice in childhood is a necessary prerequisite for Sir Brante to confess his love for Sophia in adulthood.
• Revenge Before Reason: If Sir Brante chooses to remain a Commoner and sides with the rebellion then Sophia leads her fighters into an ambush in her effort to kill Otton. Sir Brante can either let her die, proactively betray her, or bail her out.
• Rousing Speech: She is noted to be a very good public speaker, able to gather people to her cause. It is likely one of the many reasons why she is the "default" leader of the revolt.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: In the Commoner path she'll ask Sir Brante to invite her to dinner with the family when she hears Augustin will be there. If he accepts then she arrives well-dressed, well-behaved (apart from a Stealth Insult to Stephan), and the family finds her to be charming.
• Stealth Insult: Delivers one to Stephan if Sir Brante invites her to dinner with the family by subtly comparing him to Felipe.
  Sophia: I assure you, Sir Stephan, your brother's benefactor is one of the most respectable noblemen I've ever met! I'm sure the two of you would have a lot in common if you ever happen to meet.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: If a rebel Sir Brante usurps control of the revolt from her, or if a loyalist Sir Brante captures her alive for trial, then for a brief moment he sees in this hateful mass-murderer the cheerful girl he met by the side of the road in childhood.
• Violence is the Only Option: It is impossible to achieve the peaceful resolution between the rebels and Imperial Legion in Chapter 5 with Sophia surviving.
  • Should you side with the Empire, she is the rebel leader who will either be killed in combat or captured alive and later executed.
  • Should you side with the rebels, you MUST overthrow AND kill her to take over leadership of the rebels. Taking over by inducing a Heel Realization in her will NOT suffice, since you will still lack enough support from the Clergy and/or Nobles to achieve the peaceful resolution, forcing you to still engage in battle with the Legion. In the chapter 5 scene where Sophia rallies a crowd, all options which do not kill or overthrow Sophia are locked into getting zero support from the clergy.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: If Sir Brante can't induce a Heel Realization with his love then she becomes dead set on making the world suffer as much as she suffered.
• You Are Not Alone: Can be on the receiving end of this from Sir Brante. This leads to him being the only person in the world she trusts.

Father Fuad

A commoner who chose the path of the Priests and who is considered extreme even by New Faith standards. While most New Faith priests believe Isatius was merely mistaken in creating the Lots, Fuad believes the prophet was a liar.

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• Sinister Minister: During the revolt he's more than willing to support Sophia's massacre of the city.
• Unwitting Pawn: If a Commoner Sir Brante assists Felipe in his scheme, Alida and Fuad play into their hands to the end, leading to an easily defeated revolt and providing a convenient reason for Felipe to acquire even more power and authority.

Alida Sirin

A woman who joined the Last Straws to avenge the execution of her sister.

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• Defiant to the End: In the Noble path, if the gunpowder plot goes off, from her prison cell she proudly admits to her crime and expresses no remorse.
• Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: She looks like a delicate woman of refined class, but she's determined to avenge her sister and is willing to accept civilian casualties to make that happen.
• Physical Scars, Psychological Scars: She has a small scar under her eye and she's seeking bloody vengeance against the Empire.
• Unwitting Pawn: If a Commoner Sir Brante assists Felipe in his scheme, Alida and Fuad play into their hands to the end, leading to an easily defeated revolt and providing a convenient reason for Felipe to acquire even more power and authority.
• You Killed My Father: Her reason for joining the rebels.
  Alida Sirin: My sister was hanged in Eterna after the Trial of the Fifty. ...I just want her murderers to hang.

Mayer Egmont

A wealthy Commoner who owns several mines and a newspaper printing shop, a member of the Lower Quarum of Anizotte, and secretly a rebel.

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• Internal Reformist: Downplayed. While he wants to revolt against the Empire, his goal is not independence for Magra - instead he wants Anizotte to become a free city. This would entail Magra remaining in the Empire, but would give Anizotte the right to decide its own laws and for the Lots to be equal.
• Rags to Riches: He's stated to have earned his fortune in his own lifetime despite remaining a commoner.

Other Characters

Tommas Guerro

The son of a commoner craftsman, he and Sir Brante become childhood friends after getting into a fight in early adolescence.

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• 10-Minute Retirement: If the revolt wins with Sir Brante as the leader then Tommas brings his family back to the city and joins the new regime's military, becoming the Captain of the city guard.
• Big Damn Heroes: When a classmate named Brian uses magic to attack the teacher, Tommas and Sir Brante work together to subdue Brian before he can hurt anyone else.
• Bully Turned Buddy: First introduced bullying Nathan, and regardless of how Sir Brante handles the situation they get in a fist-fight and then have to hide together to avoid getting in trouble with their parents. After this they become friends.
• Call to Agriculture: If Sir Brante saved him from Otton and the rebellion is defeated then Tommas spends the rest of his life as a farmer in the countryside. He lives in peace and names his son after his best friend.
• Cruel Twist Ending: If the revolt wins with Sophia as the leader then the revolution comes to his village and Tommas is murdered by his former neighbors.
• Friendship Trinket: In Youth he offers for you both to swear eternal friendship to each other and to wear matching brass rings to recognize this.
• Happily Married: If Sir Brante helps Tommas escape the city without exiling him, he'll get married to a girl he's in love with and name his son after Sir Brante.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: It's possible for Sir Brante and Tommas to become this in Youth. If you've chosen a noble path or your relationship with Tommas is high enough, you can exchange brass rings and make a vow of eternal friendship.
• Interclass Friendship: He's the son of a craftsman, and he ends up befriending a noble's son.
• Laser-Guided Karma: He's first introduced bullying Nathan, and later on he himself is being bullied in school.
• Leitmotif: After adolescence, Tommas' leitmotif is "Voices of the Past". It first plays when he asks Sir Brante to take an oath of eternal friendship with him.
• Meaningful Name: His surname literally means "warrior", and he joins the Imperial Legion as a soldier.
• Nice Guy: As an adult, he can be unfailingly friendly and helpful toward Sir Brante, especially if the two are friends.
• Prestige Peril: He thought that becoming a Noble of the Mantle would end his suffering. He was wrong; it only threw him into a life of military rations, constant drills, and spiteful bosses looking for someone to abuse. If he survives, he abandons the noble lifestyle, citing that at least commoners are Beneath Notice and allowed to be honest about their suffering.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Can certainly be the Manly Man in this pairing if Sir Brante remains his friend and is played as a Sensitive Guy.
• Wedding Episode: If he survives and leaves the city on his own terms then he returns briefly to tell Sir Brante about his impending wedding and invites Sir Brante to attend. Sir Brante can even officiate the ceremony in the Priest path.

Aylis

A performer in Eterna and secretly a witch. Sir Brante encounters her while studying in that city.

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• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted. If she's rescued in the Commoner's path then Sir Brante notes that being tortured by the Inquisition did her appearence no favors.
• Big Damn Heroes: Could end up on the receiving end. If Sir Brante takes the commoner path then it's possible for him to rescue Aylis from an execution literally moments before her pyre is lit.
• Burn the Witch!: How she dies if Sir Brante doesn't save her.
• The Bus Came Back: If she survived in the Priest Path, then she can appear again later on as an actress in a troupe. Sir Brante can spare another witch by convincing her to join Aylis' troupe.
• Childhood Friends: Was this with Jeanne, but their friendship potentially falls apart if Jeanne is unable to accept Aylis' new lifestyle.
• Hot Witch: She's a witch and very attractive, so much so that in the Judge path Sir Brante is smitten with her.
• Put on a Bus: If she lives then she vanishes from the story.
• Rescue Sex: In the Judge path, if Sir Brante drops all charges against her then she'll take him back to an inn and they'll spend the night together.
• Shipper on Deck: In the Priest path, if Sir Brante convinced Jeanne to accept Aylis for who she is and then sent another witch to join Aylis' troupe then in the update letter to them Aylis subtly encourages Jeanne's feelings for Sir Brante.
• The Wicked Stage: She came to Eterna to become an actress, which is considered a shameful profession.

Higher Beings

The Twins

The Gods who created Arknians, Humans and the rest of the world.

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• And Now for Someone Completely Different: At the end of the game, the player becomes the Younger Twin and, having just played through the entirety of Sir Brante's life, get to pass judgement on if he belongs at the Peak of the Pillar or the Foot.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Twins are a pair of inhuman, divine beings who don't actually have a clue what 'good' or 'evil' means or what it is to the average mortal person. Their favored disciple invented the Lots on his deathbed and they've been blindly allowing their establishment ever since, assuming the laws are 'good' since the mortals seem to love upholding them so fervently and so far it seems to have worked. Towards the end of the game, Sir Brante might actually get a chance to speak directly to The Elder and try to teach him a little bit more about human morality.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: If Cassius gets reelected as Patriarch, he blasphemes against the Twins, condemning them and demanding they leave humanity to its own fate. In response, they shoot a pillar of fire down upon him and kill everyone in the temple.
• Cessation of Existence: If you subscribe to the theories of Cassius and Mark, then getting sent to the Peak or the Foot of the Pillar doesn't really matter, since both essentially result in this. During the ending, sending Brante to the Foot does appear to actually be this, as his soul is slashed into pieces and falls into the darkness below the Foot before fading away. The Peak is a bit more ambiguous from the description of Brante if he's sent there.
• Forgiveness: Something they noticeably lack. As loving as the Elder is, not even he forgives a sin once committed. If you get a prophet Nathan ending, Nathan and Sir Brante can teach them to start forgiving sins properly repented.
• Polar Opposite Twins: The Elder appears as an old man, holds a whip and generally seems to represent the suffering and toil of the Commoner Lot but also unconditional love. Meanwhile, the Younger looks like a young man, carries a sword and represents the nobility and aggression of the human nobility and the Arknian race, but is also the embodiment of order and law.

The Shadow

A mysterious figure who was present during your birth.

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• The Evils of Free Will: Seems to represent willpower (in opposition to the Elder's love and the law of the Younger). Whether this is "evil" or not is debatable given the ambiguous nature of the Twins.
  • If you acknowledge him during your birth you gain Willpower.
  • On the Priest path, Ulrich will tell you about the banned third book of the prophet which contains the knowledge of a third brother God who could bind mortals to his will with a collar, which sounds similar to the collars the Inquisition uses to bind mages and seal away their abilities.
  • During the games ending, Sir Brante faces judgement at the hands of the Twins for his decisions in life... unless he's made a very specific set of choices which cause him to become the Shadow by exerting a huge amount of Willpower, allowing him to renounce the Gods' power over him and Take a Third Option to getting judged to go to the Peak or Foot of the Pillar.
• Humanoid Abomination: It's a giant, incomprehensible shade composed solely of willpower and defying Gods. Its goals and actions after the endgame are also shrouded in mystery, because the game ends right then and there.
• Stable Time Loop: If you follow the convoluted path to get the Shadow ending option, then you become the Shadow and are present at your own birth. It's also implied that you are somehow responsible for creating the Willist heresy that Ulrich taught you.
• Take a Third Option: Going down the Inquisition path, storing up lots of Willpower and maxing out your Theology allows you to do this at the end of the game when the Twins judge you following your death. It allows you to renounce the Twins, angering them and making the Younger attack you. However, you realise the Twins can no longer do anything to you as you have become a shadow rivaling them in power.