Protagonists
The Red Vixen/Lady Melanie Lovejoy
A foxen Noble who secretly moonlights as a space pirate.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Lady Melanie is sweet and compassionate, but as the Red Vixen she'll hunt down your family's enemies for you if she feels the need.
- Character Development: Gradually becomes less self-centered and more remorseful as the series goes on.
- Pirate Girl:
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Very much the Red Oni to Salli's Blue, right down to personal color themes, being more outgoing and outrageous.
- Secondary Character Title: Despite the name of the series being The Red Vixen Adventures, only one of the stories have been from her point of view.
- Secret Identity: As the Red Vixen.
- Space Pirate: Of the "Yo, ho, ho!" variety, quite deliberately.
- Stripperiffic: In her Red Vixen persona she dresses in as little as she can get away with.
- Uncle Pennybags: Thinks nothing of financially bailing out the Darktails after they lose a vital cargo (that she stole, admittedly).
Lord Rolas Darktail
The brooding protagonist of Captive of the Red Vixen.
- Always Second Best: To his twin sister, starting with being born five minutes after her.
- Berserk Button: Do not attempt to harm a vixen in Rolas' presence.
- But Not Too Bi: Only seems to be interested in Melanie, since his previous m/m relationship blew up badly.
- Deadpan Snarker: Rolas dishes out plenty of snark to the Red Vixen while he's her captive.
- Gayngst: Played with. Rolas seems to be in severe denial about his relationship with Dak, but it turns out that it's more because he made an Anguished Declaration of Love that blew up in his face than being bi.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Until Melanie brings him out of it.
- Manly Gay: Most descriptions of him emphasize his musculature, and he's not afraid to get into a fight.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something:
- The Resenter: Though he does his best to suppress it.
Lady Sallivera Darktail
Rolas' twin sister, Heir to House Darktail, broken after surviving her ex-husband's abuse.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Normally quiet and unassuming, until she beats a pirate to death with an iron bar while rescuing Alinadar.
- Broken Bird: Thanks to the abuse she suffered when she was married to her husband.
- Character Development: Goes from being barely able to go outside in public to the practical minded ruler of a colony world, and Ali's devoted romantic partner, over the course of the series.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Married to a violent and abusive husband on a planet where spousal abuse is barely thought possible.
- Electronic Eyes: Got a cybernetic replacement for the eye her husband ripped out.
- Iron Lady: Once she recovers mentally from Kev's abuse, she tends to project this in public.
- Never Be Hurt Again: Early in Captive of the Red Vixen Salli spends much of her time in her rooms, and speaks very quietly and meekly to even her own family. Rolas notes that she learned to speak very carefully to avoid triggering one of her husband's rages.
- Planet Baron: Eventually Salli becomes this as their House's colony on Greenholme prospers.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue Oni to Melanie's Red, wearing blue dresses, being more law abiding and more firmly in control.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Administrator of their family's colony world.
- The Load: During most of Shadow of the Red Vixen Salli is dependent on Ali for help, having no experience in combat or escaping pirates. Until...
- Took a Level in Badass: ...Ali is badly wounded, and Salli must rescue her.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: Genteel and refined, up to the point where Ali is hurt, then the beatdown begins.
Alinadar Blacksailor
A former child soldier in the employ of the Red Vixen.
- Action Girl: Ex-pirate, now bodyguard, with the skills to match.
- Bodyguard Crush: Developed crushes on both the Red Vixen and Sallivera. The former was not reciprocated, the latter eventually was.
- Covert Pervert: Very quietly lusts after Salli until their relationship deepens in Shadow of Her Sins.
- Cute Bruiser: Easily the shortest and most physically dangerous character in the series.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Saw her family murdered by pirates when she was six, and subsequently enslaved by them.
- Designated Victim: Though Rolas and Sallivera have their share of troubles, the worst injuries and emotional trauma tend to happen to Ali. To the point that Day uses #alimustsuffer in some of his posted stories.
- Happiness in Slavery: At least when she was the Red Vixen's "pet". Very much averted under her prior role as Bloody Margo's Child Soldier.
- Mistaken for Junkie: Actually a former junkie, taking meds to control her addiction. Albeit secretly as she's ashamed of it.
- The Mole: In the service of the Red Vixen, when she's hired to be Salli's bodyguard.
- Penny Among Diamonds: Most of Ali's trials in Shadow of Doubt come from being thrust into the middle of Salli's noble family, while being viewed as a commoner at best and a murderous criminal at worst.
- Pirate Girl: Tends to be more pragmatic than her boss, and not as deliberately sexy.
- Pragmatic Hero: Doesn't hesitate to stun allies if it means keeping them safe, and taking out enemies as efficiently as possible.
- Recruited from the Gutter: By the Red Vixen, which partially explains her undying loyalty.
- Walking Armory: Tends to be very well armed, if discreet when required.
- Would Hurt a Child: Murdered multiple children while she was Bloody Margo's slave, having no choice in the matter.
Marturari "Marty" Greycoat
A self-centered mercenary fighter pilot who is shot down by the Red Vixen.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Despite being indentured to a brothel, and cheerfully admitting he enjoys the view, he makes a point not to hit on his co-workers.
- Contrasting Sequel Maincharacter: Compared to Rolas, Marty is a loudmouthed womanizer who is perfectly willing to betray the Red Vixen instead of Rolas' Honor Before Reason protection and chaste behavior around her.
- Deadpan Snarker: Always ready with a snide comment about his situation.
- Face Death with Dignity: When he thinks the Red Vixen is going to space him, Marty calmly requests she contact his father to let him know what happened to him.
- Happiness in Slavery: While Marty cheerfully snarks about his situation, he doesn't resent Madame Habebti for it, and admits he could have it a lot worse.
- Jerkass Hero: Doesn't hesitate to throw the Red Vixen to the wolves when he sees a chance to escape.
- The Casanova: Hints that he Really Gets Around, and tries to hit on the Red Vixen when he's first captured.
Antagonists
Bloody Margo
A violent and evil space pirate
- Evil Is Petty: Tends to constantly belittle and insult her victims, and denies Salli a bucket to throw up as she recovers from multiple stunnings.
- Fat Bastard: Shown as such in her brief scene in Shadow of the Red Vixen. Later in Shadow of Sins she's forcibly lost a great deal of it.
- Large and in Charge:
- Space Pirate: Of the decidedly more practical and dangerous sort than the Red Vixen.
- The Dreaded: Was never seen directly until her very last appearance in Shadow of Her Sins
- Would Hurt a Child: Worse, she made Ali do it.
Brutal Compton
The first officer of the Relentless.
- The Dragon: To Bloody Margo
Countess Evelina Highglider
An evil and spiteful Noble with a vendetta against House Darktail
- Aristocrats Are Evil: She and her son are the only two straight examples in the series honestly.
- Big Bad: Of the first two novels
- Driven to Suicide: Mentioned in Shadow of Her Sins to have hung herself with her son after their last attempt to torment House Darktail failed.
- Evil Is Petty: Blames House Darktail for getting her wife-beating son institutionalized indefinitely, so she sabotages their infrastructure, levies punitive taxes on them, leaks their trade routes to pirates, attempts to assassinate her ex-daughter-in-law...
- Non-Action Big Bad: Never engages in direct violence, despite hounding House Darktail unmercifully
- Villainous Breakdown: At the end of the Captive, which gets her stripped of her title and institutionalized.
Lord Kevinaugh Highglider
Countess Highglider's son, and Salli's ex-husband.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Salli's family had no idea about his evil until he gouged her eye out.
- Domestic Abuse: Beats and mutilates Salli over the course of their marriage.
- Driven to Suicide: Kills himself in-between Shadow of the Red Vixen and Shadow of Her Sins after his mother's latest plot fails.
- The Ghost: Only gets one brief moment of screentime, and no lines, at the end of Captive.
Minor characters
Count Longear
The Mother Country Minister of Justice and discreet ally of House Darktail
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Does his best to help House Darktail.
Dak Cannonloader
A Stellar Patroller who previously was in a relationship with Rolas
- Manly Gay: Is described as well-muscled and even more heavy-set than Rolas.
- Old Flame: To Rolas. Unlike most examples, he's very happy to find out that Rolas moved on and married after their relationship ended.
- The Bear: He's got fur all over instead of a beard, but otherwise fits the trope.
Fahdah
A former member of Bloody Margo's crew, who protected Ali as best she could
- A Day in the Limelight: Gets a short story
devoted to her after the events of The Red Vixen at Sea. - The Atoner: Deeply regrets her time as a pirate, and is grateful for her punishment.
- Cool Big Sis: Acted as this for Ali when she was younger.
- Cruel Mercy: Survives her time as the ardalian's slave, only to be sentenced to lifetime indenture after her rescue for her former crimes.
- Mind Rape: Suffered for two years as an ardalian's puppet, before being rescued by Melanie.
- You Can't Go Home Again: The reason she didn't tell her family she was alive after her rescue from the ardalian, believing she's undeserving of their love and forgiveness.note
Fin Blacksailor
A Blended civil protection officer and spouse to one of Alinadar's aunts
- Ambiguous Gender: Dresses in loose unisex clothing to obscure their gender.
- Pronoun Trouble: Other characters refer to Fin by name or a neutral "they".
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Even after Ali pulls a stunner on their kids, they recognize Ali's PTSD for what it is and forgives her.
- Sex Shifter: Can change from male to female, or remain in a neuter state.
Lt. Commander Lu Blacksailor
An officer of the Stellar Patrol and Alinadar's brother.
- Honor Before Reason: Arrests Ali when he discovers she was a Space Pirate, the day he found her.
- I Will Find You: Searches for Ali for twenty years, after their ship is attacked by Bloody Margo.
- Survivor's Guilt: Also one of the reasons he searches for her.
Matri and Arlonis Darktail
Rolas and Salli's parents.
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Matri more than Arlonis.
- My Greatest Failure: How they both perceive their failure to protect Salli from her ex-husband's abuse.
- No Name Given: Up until Shadow Of Doubt Rolas and Salli merely refer to them as "Mother" and "Father."
- Parents as People: They love their children, but are often distracted by the events of the books.
Mistress Habebti
The madam and owner of a high-class space station brothel
- Benevolent Boss: Watches out for her "girls and boys" up to providing them a medical facilty in her brothel.
- Miss Kitty: Seems to run a clean and high-class brothel.
- Statuesque Stunner: Being a Wazagan, she's several heads taller than Marty or the Red Vixen, and well muscled.
- This Bed of Rose's: Gives Ali and Marty shelter after the Red Vixen is captured by Brutal Compton.
Nari
A mousy Service Caste servant of House Darktail
- Alas, Poor Villain: Even after near-fatally poisoning Ali, Salli can only feel pity towards Nari, not anger
- Legacy of Service: Her family have been serving the Darktails for several generations.
- Love Makes You Crazy: Perhaps literally. It's suggested that watching over her for two years in case Salli tried to commit suicide might have sent Nari off the deep end.
- The Mole: Turns out to have been unwillingly serving Countess Highglider during the events of Captive of the Red Vixen and Shadow of the Red Vixen.
- Psycho Lesbian: Though the female-on-female issue is less prominent than the "Psycho" part.
- Stalker with a Crush: Goes to extreme ends to "protect" Sallivera from Ali.
Nef Clawstroke
An irritating reporter for a Foxen tabloid
- If It Bleeds, It Leads: Records the incident of the attack on Ali so his news site can post the lurid video on their front page.
- Immoral Journalist: Thinks nothing of ambushing Salli for an impromptu interview when she and Ali arrive at the spaceport.
Zaker
A former bodyguard employed by Countess Highglider, and now working for House Darktail, much to Salli's dismay
- The Mole: Secretly working for Count Longear to try and figure out who the real mole is in House Darktail.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Zaker quits smiling, she's genuinely worried about something.
- Red Herring: One of Salli's suspects in the series of attacks in Shadow of Doubt.
- Smug Smiler: Always has one on her face, making Salli and Ali instnatly suspicious of her.
