The Sun Eater Sollan Empire / Characters

Due to size, the page has been split. Warning: All spoilers prior to Kingdoms of Death are unmarked.

open/close all folders

Delos

House Marlowe and Retainers

Crispin

Crispin Marlowe

Hadrian's younger brother. The main character of the short novel The Lesser Devil.

Big Brother Instinct: Towards his sister Sabine.
Character Development: By the time of The Lesser Devil, Crispin has become much more mature and responsible. He undergoes even more development over the course of the story.
Mr. Vice Guy: Even as an adult, Crispin hasn't lost his appetite for colosso fights or concubines.
The Musketeer: While Hadrian almost exclusively relies on his sword, Crispin switches between highmatter blade and disruptor pistol about equally, occasionally fighting Sword and Gun style.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: The Lesser Devil reveals that this was he source of his Jerkass behavior towards Hadrian as a boy; as an adult, Crispin still feels like he lives in his now-gone brother's shadow.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He clashes with Hadrian in their youth and later on is initially rude and mocking towards the adorators, but over the course of The Lesser Devil the more noble parts of Crispin's character make themselves known.
The Unfavorite: It says something about Alistair's parenting that both brothers think that they are this.

Alistair

Lord Alistair Marlowe

"We aren’t like those other nations, son. There’s no congress, no body politic here. When I make a decree, I make it. Personally. No proxies, no fallbacks. The old systems of democracy and parliament only allowed the cowards to hide. Our power depends not on the consent of the people but on their belief in us.”

The Lord of Devil's Rest, father of Hadrian and Crispin.

Abusive Parents: He cares little for either of his sons beyond their ability to carry on the legacy of house Marlowe.
Bad Boss: Maybe not towards those in his immediate household, but conditions among House Marlowe's uranium miners are dreadful, and Alistair continues to keep their quotas high while ignoring requests for better equipment or safer conditions.
Beneath the Mask: Alistair, as Gibson explains, grew up with no friends, lost his father at a young age, and was married to a woman who cared nothing for him. All these factors contributed to the cruelty and aloofness he displays now.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: How Alistair dealt with the Orin rebellion, killing the entire house down to the children and opening their palace to vacuum.

Liliana

Lady Liliana Kephalos-Marlowe

The wife of Alistair and mother of Hadrian and Crispin.

Abusive Parents: Not to the same degree as Alistair, but Liliana is frequently absent from her children's lives; When Hadrian is beaten within an inch of his life by muggers, she didn't even visit him.
Lipstick Lesbian: Liliana embodies the conventional beauty of a highborn palatine lady and prefers the company of her girls over that of her husband, or of raising her sons for that matter.
Parental Favoritism: Explicitly tells Hadrian that he is her favorite and helps him to escape Delos.
Really Gets Around: Contrasting her husband, Liliana fills her time with various girls and keeps a full harem.

Gibson

Tor Gibson

Hadrian's scholiast tutor and father figure.

Gibson was born Prince Phillipe of House Bourbon, the eldest son of Prince Charles LIII. After his father passed over him as heir, Phillipe led a civil war against his house that lasted for decades before his own son, Augustine, betrayed him. Phillipe was sentenced to the Imperial prison planet of Belusah. He later negotiated his way to exile on Syracuse, where he entered the scholiast order and was later brought into the service of House Marlowe.

Ambiguously Evil: While imperial history portrays Prince Phillipe very poorly, we never get his side of the story and whether he ever thought he had a just reason for attempting to overthrow his brother.
The Bus Came Back: Alistair exiles him Gibson from Delos and Hadrian assumes that he died some time during the many decades of his adventures, only for him and Hadrian to be reunited during the events of Demon in White.
- He appears again after the climax of Kingdoms Of Death, having survived in fugue the five hundred centuries since his last appearance.
Catchphrase: "Kwatz!", a Zen utterance.
Helpful Hallucination: There is a part of Hadrian's subconscious that speaks in Gibson's voice, reminding him of the various scholiast aphorisms and conversing over moral dilemmas. This is probably why the Quiet uses the guise of Gibson to communicate with Hadrian.
The Mentor: Gibson's tutelage forms a core part of Hadrian's character long after they part ways for the first time.
Parental Substitute: Hadrian sees Gibson as far more of a father figure than his actual father.
That Man Is Dead: All scholiasts give up their old identity to enter the order; Gibson never tells Hadrian anything of his life before. For very good reason, given his past as a usurper and would-be fratricide.
Tuckerization: Gibson is named (both in universe and out) after Princeton professor Christopher-Marcus Gibson, a childhood friend of the author.
The Usurper: As Prince Phillipe, he attempted to kill his brother over the throne and led a civil war to take it when that failed.

Jean-Louis

Jean-Louis Albe

Jean-Louis Albe was an adorator from the village of St. Maximus. After rescuing Crispin and Sabine and helping them fight of Orin-Natali's assassins, Crispin had him elevated to the Patrician class and appointed him as his lictor.

Berserk Button: He manages to keep it to himself, but Jean-Louis is clearly furious at Crispin's crude joking about the Virgin Mary.
Empowered Badass Normal: Jean-Louis is already a crack shot with his hunting rifle, but becomes even deadlier when the heroes discover a cache of modern weapons, including a powerful MAG rifle.
- At the end of The Lesser Devil, he is given genetic and surgical enhancements that elevate him to the Patrician class.
Friendly Sniper: Jean-Louis is easygoing and goes out of his way to help the stranded Marlowes, and when they're attacked by mercenaries, proves himself an absolutely deadly shot with a conventional hunting rifle.
I Choose to Stay: Subverted; he initially turns down Crispin's offer to be elevated due to his fear of him or his descendants being persecuted for their faith; However, Father Laurent convinces him to change his mind.
Real Men Love Jesus: His devotion to Roman Catholicism is so deep that he (initially) turns down Crispin's offer to be elevated to the Patrician class.
Vitriolic Best Buds: By the time of Four Devils, he's become Crispin's closest friend, despite their frequent bickering. tv t

St. Maximus

Laurent

Father Laurent

Born Lorn of Almonhas, Father Laurent was the Catholic priest of St. Maximus and a former Imperial Centurion.

Actual Pacifist: While he doesn't discourage the people of St. Maximus or the Marlowes from defending themselves, Laurent himself has put down the sword for good.
Good Shepherd: Laurent is a kind and wise leader to the village of St. Maximus, and deeply committed to his Catholic faith
Heel–Faith Turn: In his own eyes, Laurent was a brutal conqueror before converting to Christianity and renouncing the sword.
Old Shame: Deeply regrets the atrocities he inflicted against the people of the worlds he brought into Imperial compliance.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Laurent is still haunted by what he saw and did in the Imperial Legions.

Emesh

Heavyworlder: Emesh has slightly higher gravity than the norm, resulting in its natives being on average shorter and stronger.
Single-Biome Planet: Aside from a single continent and a few humid islands composed of sedimentary deposits, Emesh is covered in oceans.

Borosevo

Cat

A young woman who becomes Hadrian's friend and later lover while he is stranded on the streets of Borosevo.

Fantastic Racism: What she feels isn't extreme, but she's greatly unnerved by the coloni of Emesh and feels "they're just wrong". That said the Umandh are distinctly non-humanoid.
I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Decades later, Hadrian will regret that he didn't risk discovery by his father in order to get Cat help.
The Pollyanna: Despite all she's lived through, she never quite loses her innocence and kindness to others even when dying of the Rot.
Street Urchin: Unlike Hadrian, Cat has lived in poverty in Borosevo her entire life.
Younger Mentor, Older Disciple: Hadrian is decades older than Cat, but he'd led the sheltered life of a Palatine. It was Cat who taught him how to survive on the streets and become a expert thief.

House Mataro and retainers

Balian

Lord Balian Mataro

The Count of Emesh, Lord Balian Mataro takes in Hadrian as a tutor for his children Anaïs and Dorian after discovering his palatine heritage.

A Lighter Shade of Grey: Compared to Alistair. Both are ruthless autocrats, but Balian genuinely cares for his children and spouse.
Ambiguously Bi: While he's dedicated to Luthor, Count Mataro remarks to Hadrian that being married off to a wealthy lord or lady would both have their charms.
Bald of Authority: Balian is bald and the planetary lord of Emesh.
Foil: Starkly contrasts Hadrian's father, Alistair.
Good Parents: One feature in particular that marks him as a foil for Alistair; Count Mataro is proud of his children and wants what's best for them.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: Does this twice in quick succession when Liega and Gilliam Vas are getting on his nerves. Probably the only person on Emesh who could get away with telling either of them off without consequences.
Gilliam: [Valka] is a heretic.
Balian: And you're a self-righteous little hobgoblin.
Liega: Balian, please. A measure of decorum.
Balian: I am the lord of this planet, grand prior. Have a care how you address me.
Super Breeding Program: Downplayed, this is where Hadrian learns how wide a gulf there can be between Palatine bloodlines. Balian is significantly less than 200 years old but is already getting old. A child between Hadrian and his daughter would have greatly improved the quality of House Mataro's genes.

Luthor

Lord Luthor Shin-Mataro

Lord Husband to Count Mataro and father of Anaïs and Dorian, Luthor Shin-Mataro is a former administrator of the Wong-Hopper Consortium.

Foil: As Balian is to Alistair, Luthor is to Liliana, being much more dedicated to his spouse and invested in the lives of their children.
Spot the Thread: Luthor realizes after Hadrian's departure that it would be quite strange for a woman to be a Jaddian ruler, and that "Kalima" is actually covering for someone else.

Anaïs

Anaïs Mataro

The elder of the two Mataro siblings. Balian hopes to marry her to Hadrian in order to tie his bloodline to the Imperial peerage.

Arranged Marriage: What Balian hoped to arrange between her and Hadrian; Hadrian is a cousin to the Imperial line on his mother's side, and adding him to their household would elevate the relatively young Mataro line.
Brainless Beauty: Downplayed: She's not an idiot, but she doesn't have much interest in things outside the palatine courts, and Hadrian finds her unbearably dull compared to Valka.
Opportunistic Bastard: Hadrian believes that she just wants his highborn heritage added to her bloodline. Her own actions, however, insinuate that she really does care for him or at least thinks they could be happy together.

Dorian

Dorian Mataro

The younger Mataro sibling.

Dumb Is Good: One of the main factors towards Dorian being one of the most likeable of the upper palatine crust; He's just too naïve to play cutthroat politics.
Foil: To Crispin. Dorian idolizes the Colosso, but is portrayed as much more friendly than Hadrian's boorish younger brother.
Nice Guy: Dorian is naïve and very privileged, but a fairly pleasant person otherwise. He's much more open-minded than his sister, at least around Hadrian. He even gets along somewhat well with Gilliam.

Gilliam

Gilliam Vas

The bastard intus son of Emesh's grand prior, Gilliam Vas is a high ranking member of the Terran Chantry and Count Mataro's council.

Arc Villain: During the latter part of Hadrian's time in the colosso and most of his tenure as Anaïs and Dorian's tutor.
Bastard Bastard: Gilliam is the illegitimate son of the Grand Prior on Emesh and embodies all the worst aspects of the Terran Chantry.
Berserk Button: Don't insult his mother.
Jerkass: Vas is generally unpleasant to just about everyone he meets.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Gilliam is truly devoted to his mother; he takes insults against her very poorly and is quick to get her out of the way of danger.
Evil Cripple: As an intus (the naturally-born child of a palatine), he suffers from several genetic disorders and is the main antagonist for Hadrian's time in House Mataro
Fantastic Racism: Views everyone below the Palatine class as savages.
Handicapped Badass: Despite his various intus birth defects, Gilliam is a skilled swordsman and almost a match for Hadrian.
Knight Templar: He genuinely believes that his paranoia and scorn for anything not sanctioned by the Chantry are protecting Emesh and house Mataro from alien or foreign subversion.
Sinister Minister: A devout and fairly high-ranking member of the Terran Chantry on Emesh.

Expedition to Calagah

Elomas

Sir Elomas Redgrave

A former adventurer and traveler spending his retirement as an amature xenologist, Sir Elomas Redgrave sponsored Valka's research in Calagah.

Cool Old Guy: In his first meeting with Hadrian, Redgrave commiserates with Hadrian's role as the Mataro children's tutor and insults Gilliam Vas to his face.
Gentleman Adventurer: In his younger days.
Secret-Keeper: One of the few who knows that Valka is actually studying the Quiet.

Olorin

Sir Olorin Milta

A Jaddian Maeskolos in the service of Lady Kalima who befriends Hadrian on Delos.

For his true identity, see Prince Kaim under Other Human Powers.

Cool Sword: Carries three highmatter swords, one of which he later gifts to Hadrian.
Master Swordsman: A given for any Maeskolos.
Shout-Out: Olórin is the Maiar name of Gandalf . ^note
Super-Soldier: As a Maeskolos, Olorin is enhanced with strength and speed beyond even the highest bred palatine.

Forum

Capital world of the Sollan Empire, Forum is a gas giant with a breathable atmosphere. The enormous Eternal City floats within, from which the Emperor rules the galaxy.

The Imperial Aventine House and Retainers

Emperor William

Emperor William XXIII

Emperor William the Twenty-Third of the House Avent, Firstborn Son of the Earth, Guardian of the Solar System, King of Avalon, Lord Sovereign of the Kingdom of Windsor-in-Exile, Prince Imperator of the Arms of Orion, of Sagittarius, of Perseus, and Centaurus, Magnarch of Orion; Conqueror of Norma, Grand Strategos of the Legions of the Sun, Supreme Lord of the Cities of Forum, North Star of the Constellations of the Blood Palatine, Defender of the Children of Men, and Servant of the Servants of Earth was the Emperor of the Sollan Empire during the events of Hadrian's tale.

William appears on the cover of Demon in White.

Big Good: Despite his flaws, William's leadership has proven vital to the Empire's efforts to defend against the Cielcin.
Bling-Bling-BANG!: The handle of his personal highmatter sword is ornately gilded and studded with gemstones.
The Chains of Commanding: William carries heavily the centuries of death and destruction that have come by the claws of the Cielcin during his reign.
Doomed by Canon: William is heavily implied to be the Emperor that dies above Gododdin when Hadrian destroys its sun.
The Emperor: As the Sollan Empire quite intentionally models itself off of Rome, their rulers are meant to be the successors of the Roman ceasers and share that title.
Fatal Flaw: William is selflessly devoted to the protection and good of his people. The rest of humanity, on the other hand...
- This is what ultimately drives an irreparable wedge between him and Hadrian; after Valka's death, William tries to be empathetic but doesn't see why Hadrian would be paralyzed with grief over someone who was "only Tavrosi".
The Good King: Hadrian and even Valka feel this about William. The Emperor actually loves his people and will his risk own safety (and unfortunately that of others) to save them. He's also been protecting Hadrian from the Chantry all this time.
Honor Before Reason: On Perfugium, William refused to evacuate until as many colonists as possible had been rescued, even though his death or capture by the Cielcin would have devastating consequences for humanity.
Reasonable Authority Figure: William is not perfect and frequently acts according to his own interests at the expense of Hadrian's wellbeing, but he's still doing his best to lead humanity. Despite the grief he goes through on his behalf, Hadrian still respects William and thinks of him as a good man.
Royal "We": Only in the most serious and top-secret of circumstances will he drop this.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: William plays an active role in directing the war effort at the strategic level and has made multiple trips around the galaxy to see the worlds of the Empire directly.
Secret-Keeper: From investigative reports, William has long known about the Enar, Watchers and the Quiet.
Slave to PR: For a very good reason; William is a symbol of civilization for trillions of people. Anything that would shake that image could result in chaos across the entire empire.
Still the Leader: Is constantly reminding Hadrian that despite being the people's hero and The Chosen One, William is still the emperor of mankind.
Super Breeding Program: More so than even high-ranking palatines, the Emperor and his bloodline are part of a selective breeding program to re-create the power of God-Emperor William I.
The Stoic: William has been trained by scholiasts and attempts to use their aphorisms to remain regal in the face of the many trying circumstances he faces.
Too Important to Walk: Only on formal occasions, where the Emperor is carried on his thrown by a hundred men. While he's working or in a less formal meeting he has no problem using his own feet.
Try to Fit That on a Business Card: As seen above, his formal list of titles is quite long.

Alexander

Prince Alexander

Alexander was the one-hundred-seventh-born child of William and Maria. The Emperor appointed him as Hadrian's squire.

Ambiguously Gay: Lorien half-jokingly guesses that rumors are spreading in the Imperial court that Hadrian is trying to seduce the prince. Later, Alexander is extremely embarrassed when his brothers mock him by insinuating that he has a crush on his mentor.
Broken Pedestal: Hadrian's less-than-stellar teaching methods, hidden disdain, and rising popularity drive Alexander to enmity with his former hero.
Green-Eyed Monster: Alexander never gets over his envy of Hadrian's fame, and refuses to accept that he secretly wants the throne.
Heel–Face Revolving Door: His disposition towards Hadrian shifts several times over the series, particularly in Ashes of Man.
Hero Worship: His initial view towards Hadrian.
Royal Brat: Downplayed; Alexander looks down on homunculi, inti, and anyone he views as below him. He also demonstrates little patience and chafes under Hadrian's teaching methods. That being said, both Hadrian and William recognize that Alexander has the makings of a great leader if properly nurtured.
Spare to the Throne: One hundred and six times over! This is the fate of most of the hundreds of royal children; shaped for the throne but never expected to take it or allowed to have children of their own.
- However, Gibson wonders if William might be considering Alexander as his successor after all; the Emperor is not required to name the Crown Prince to the throne, and usually doesn't because the Crown Prince tends not to be much younger than the Emperor himself and therefore destined for a short reign.
The Squire: William appoints him as this to Hadrian near the beginning of Demon In White.

Empress Maria

Empress Marai Agrippina

The Empress Maria Agrippina was the wife of William and mother to the royal children.

Fantastic Racism: Finds the idea of Hadrian's friends including homunculi, a Tavrosi, and "other degenerates" scandalous. She is also quite scornful towards the patrician caste.
God Save Us from the Queen!: Maria does not like the idea of Hadrian marrying Selene, and takes it upon herself to publicly humiliate him and attempts to have him killed.
Mama Bear: Despite having over a hundred children, she cares deeply for them all and promises to deal with anyone who would let one come to harm.
World's Most Beautiful Woman: As the most highborn palatine lady in the galaxy, Maria was genetically tailored by the peak of human science to be an icon of human perfection.

Nicephorus

An androgyn homunculus, Nicephorus was the Lord Chamberlain of the Empire and the Emperor's closest confidant.

Ascended Extra: The Emperor's genderless homunculus steward appears briefly in Demon in White and Kingdoms of Death before having a central role in the plot of Ashes of Man.
Affectionate Nickname: William calls it "Nic".
Beneath Notice: As noted under Ascended Extra above, Hadrian had met Nicephorus several times before but assumed that an androgyn homunculus couldn't be that important.
First-Name Basis: Nicephorus is possibly the only human in the galaxy other that Maria who can call the emperor "William" to his face.
Flat-Earth Atheist: Rather scornfully rejects Hadrian's claims to have conversed with the Quiet despite the evidence.
The Good Chancellor: Nicephorus is William's closest confidant and is utterly loyal to him. Despite its mistrust of Hadrian, it never acts in a way that would go against the Emperor's will.
"It" Is Dehumanizing: Averted. Despite sharing the same pronoun as the Cielcin, Nicephorus is portrayed as fully human and a loyal and well-meaning, if rather hostile to Hadrian, servant and friend to the Emperor.
No Such Thing as Space Jesus: Nicephorus insists that the Watchers and the Quiet are simply just other types of aliens, no more supernatural than humanity or the Cielcin.
Only Friend: Nicephorus is perhaps the closest thing William has to a true friend, someone he can be completely honest with.
Pretty in Mink: Wears an ornate fur-collared cloak during his and William's secret meeting with Hadrian.

William the First

God Emperor William the First

The King of Avalon, heir to the exiled British monarchy, leader of the resistance against Columbia and her machines, and first emperor of the Sollan Empire, William the First lived thousands of years before Hadrian.

The Chosen One: William was given visions by the Quiet that allowed him to defeat the Mericanii.
E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi: The main weapon that allowed the human forces to defeat the machine was the warp drive, the knowledge of which was granted to William by the Quiet.
God-Emperor: Revered as a deity by the modern Terran Chantry.
- Those who know the true story, however, instead refer to him as God's Emperor.
Royal Bastard: Not William I but his son. The God-Emperor never loved his wife and sired his heir through his mistress Catherine the White, making every Sollan emperor a direct descendant of a bastard son. It's unknown if this caused any problems at the time, given William's status as the Universally Beloved Leader of all humanity, but by the time of the books the empire has all but stamped out this fact from history.

The Imperial Government

Bourbon

Lord Augustin Bourbon

Lord Augustin Bourbon was the Imperial Minister of War at the the time of Demon in White.

Arc Villain: One main antagonists of Hadrian's time on Forum in Demon in White.
Famous Ancestor: While not all of the palatine houses' claimed ties to ancient earth nobility are legitimate, per Word of God the Bourbons of the Sollan Empire are the real deal.
Fat Bastard: No one knows how Bourbon, with some of the most highborn genetics in the palatine constellation, manages to be as corpulent as he does.

Others on Forum

Irshan

Irshan was Prince Phillip's personal gladiator, a Maeskolos of Jadd.

Arrow Catch: Hadrian throws a spear directly at his face; Irshan catches it easily.
Bare-Handed Blade Block: Downplayed; Irshan is fast enough to slap aside Hadrian's sword with his bare hands.
Cyanide Pill: The Chantry implanted a rather nasty one inside him; Dispholide, a poison that can dissolve a fully-grown man with just a few grams.
I Am Not Left-Handed: Twice in his duel with Hadrian. After the latter disarms him, Irshan stops playing around and goes for the kill, subduing the Halfmortal in seconds. After Hadrian manages to turn the tide, Irshan reveals that he's carrying a hidden highmatter sword.
I'm Melting!: Dissolved into a puddle of blood and goo when the dispholide capsules in his bloodstream are activated.
Super-Reflexes: Fast enough to catch a spear thrown by Hadrian straight at his face.
Worthy Opponent: Claims that it is an honor to face Hadrian, although that may have been an act; his jovial demeanor drops once he starts going for the kill.

The Sollan Legions

Legion High Command and Officers

Bassander

Bassander Lin

"We are what the Empire has.”

Initially a lieutenant of the 437th Legion, Bassander Lin is a Mandari officer of the Imperial Legion who's life intersected with Hadrian's on multiple occasions.

Control Freak: One reason the rest of Red Company dislike him; Bassander almost compulsively monitors the security footage of his ship.
Cool Sword: Wields a highmatter sword that he claimed from the defeated Admiral Whent.
Dented Iron: Being kicked in the chest by Bahudde broke nearly every bone in his body. The fact that he survived at all is remarkable, but decades later Bassander relies heavily on a cane to walk.
Headbutting Heroes: Hadrian and Bassander's relationship varies across the series, usually landing somewhere between Teeth-Clenched Teamwork at best and actively trying to kill each other at worst.
Heel–Faith Turn: After hating Hadrian through most of the second book, he witnesses Hadrian's resurrections and eventually becomes firm believer in his destiny as the savior of humanity.
Jerkass Has a Point: Hadrian eventually has to admit that Bassander was right about one thing; peace negations with the Cielcin where never going to work.
My Master, Right or Wrong: Lin is absolutely devoted to the Imperial Legion. As in, the Legion itself. If he believes his immediate superior is acting in a way that jeopardizes the war effort, he's perfectly willing to go over her head.
Nerves of Steel: Uptight he may be, but Bassander never loses his composure in a crisis.
Rank Up: By the time of Kingdoms of Death, Bassander is a Tribune in the 409th Centaurine Legion.
This Is Reality: At one point, Bassander tells Hadrian that they're not in one his stories; he's not a hero and doesn't hold the Empire's fate in his hands. The reader and the future Hadrian recounting this know better.
We Used to Be Friends: An interesting example; in his narration, Hadrian refers to them as former friends when recounting their first meeting on Emesh. It takes quite some time and a good deal of conflict before the two actually become friends.

Hauptmann

Lord Titus Hauptmann

Titus Andrew-Louis Hauptmann was the Duke of Andernach and First Strategos of the Legions of Centaurus. He led the Imperial fleet that attacked the Otiolo Scianda during their peace talks with Hadrian and the Red Company.

Combat Pragmatist: Titus exploits the truce between the Otiolo Clan and the Imperial emissaries aboard the Demiurge to attack and cripple Aranata's fleet.
Cultured Badass: Like Hadrian, Titus was classically trained by a scholiast and has an extensive knowledge of literature.
Manipulative Bastard: As much as Hadrian despises what Titus did, he can't help but admire how expertly the First Strategos manipulated the Red Company, the Cielcin, and Kharn into producing one of the Sollan Empire's greatest victories over the Pale.

Legion Intelligence

Oliva

Sir Hector Oliva

Sir Hector Oliva was an officer in Legion Intelligence's Special Security Division and a student of Cielcin language and culture. He was tasked with escorting Hadrian and Valka from Colchis to Nessus after their return to the Sollan Empire. While only a minor character in Hadrian's tale, his own story had yet to be written...

Agent Peacock: Sir Hector wears his uniform with stylish sloppiness, and keeps his carefully braided hair almost waist-length. He's also a skilled swordsman who's destined to become one of humanity's greatest heroes.
The Casanova: In his own words, he may not have a girl in every port, but neither does he limit himself to one per port.
Hero of Another Story: Oliva's already had his share of swashbuckling adventures by the time of Ashes Of Man. After his encounter with Hadrian, he would go on to be one of the Empire's greatest heroes, leading a courageous defense of Nessus and going down in history as the only other human to cross blades with Doryaica and live to tell about it.
Mildly Military: Despite his high rank in Legion Intelligence, Oliva's uniform, grooming, and bearing display little concern for protocol.
Reassigned to Antarctica: He's been stationed on Colchis for so eight years; he had previously rescued an archduke's daughter, who expressed her gratitude in a way her father was not happy about.
Swashbuckler: Leans into this archetype, particularly when set against Byronic Hero Hadrian.
Too Much Alike: Hadrian sees too much of his younger self in Oliva really get along with the knight.

437th Centaurine Legion

Smythe

Dame Raine Smythe

Knight-Tribune of the 437th Legion of Centaurus, Dame Raine Symthe first met Hadrian on Emesh and would commission his mission with the Red Company.

Defiant to the End: Her last words are calling for Hadrian not to give in to Aranata's demands.
Four-Star Badass: Symthe is one of the highest officers of the 437th Legion and still leads from the front.
Iron Lady: A very tough, very competent Legion officer who worked her way up from the plebian caste.
The Needs of the Many: In order to secure the possibility of peace with the Cielcin, Symthe sells twenty thousand human settlers to Kharn Sagara.
- She later claims that she didn't know that the colonists would end up as SOMs or food for the Cielcin, but admits that she did know that she was condemning each of those people to a life of serfdom at best.
Old Soldier: Raine has been in the Imperial Legion for a very, very long time.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Raine is not perfect, nor does she always see eye-to-eye with Hadrian, but she's always willing to listen to reason and make the best choice that she can given the circumstances.

Sir William

Sir William Crossflane

Dame Symthe's first officer.

Cruel and Unusual Death: Aranata brutally tears his throat out with its teeth.
Number Two: Has served as second in command under Symthe for decades.
Senseless Sacrifice: He tries to offer himself up to Aranata so that the prince will spare Raine and the other hostages, but only buys them a few more seconds.

409th Centaurine Legion

Sharp

First Centurian Quentin Sharp

"Worse ways to die than saving the Emperor.”

Quentin sharp was the commander of the 409th's Ninth Special Detachment, the Dragonslayers.

Elites Are More Glamorous: Sharp and the Dragonslayers are one of the 409th's best special forces units and receive a good deal of focus in Ashes of Man, as well as their own short story.
Friendly Sniper: Sharp is a crack shot with a MAG-rifle, capable of putting a depleted-uranium round through the eye of a combat golem from several meters and multiple solid walls away.
Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better: Uses a plasma burner for close range, but his weapon of choice is a high-powered magnetic rifle.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Introduced midway through Ashes of Man, and dies by the end of the same book.

Irchtani

Centuries ago, the scholiast explorer Tor Simeon discovered the planet Judecca, home to a race of intelligent, bird-like xenobytes called the Irchtani. His crew mutinied, planning to leave Simeon for dead and become rich by selling these exotic aliens into slavery, but with the help of the Irchtani Simeon was able to defeat them and ensure that the xenos would live as subjects to the throne, rather than slaves.

In the present day, Irchtani volunteers serve as auxilia to the Imperial legions.

Barda

Barda was kithuun and chiliarch to the Irchtani auxilia on Gododdin.

Older and Wiser: Much more level-headed than Udax.

Udax

Udax was a young Irchtani warrior in Barda's unit.

Defeat Means Friendship: After Hadrian defeats him and shows mercy, Udax serves the Red Company with fierce loyalty for the rest of the book.
Hair-Trigger Temper: It seems like every word out of Hadrian's mouth was enough to release his pent-up anger at humanity and send him into a murderous rage, although it's later revealed that the Chantry had paid him off to assassinate Hadrian, so he was likely just deliberately trying to start an incident.
Hot-Blooded: Even with the caveat under Hair-Trigger Temper above, Udax never loses the fierce attitude he takes to just about everything.
I Owe You My Life: Without Hadrian's direct intervention, he and his co-conspirators would have certainly been executed for attacking an Imperial Knight.

Others

Edouard

Edouard Albe was a Legion Intelligence Officer and friend of Hadrian's. Not much is known of him, other than that he is a Christian and had not yet met Hadrian by the time of Ashes of Man.

Ambiguously Related: Edouard shares his last name and Catholic faith with Jean-Louis, but it is unknown how the two are related.
Early-Bird Cameo: Hadrian refers to him multiple times starting in Empire of Silence, but he has not actually made an appearance in the story yet. From an in-universe perspective, Hadrian sees him as part of his vision from Brethren, but didn't know who he was at the time.
The Ghost: Referenced occasionally in Hadrian's narration, but as of Kingdoms of Death has not appeared on the page.
Real Men Love Jesus: One of the few details known about Edouard is that he is one of the few, possibly only, Christians that Hadrian has met.
Unseen No More: Per Word of God, Edouard will have a prominent role in books 6 and 7.

Paulos

Tor Paulos

Tor Paulos of Nov Belgaer is the in-universe collector and translator of Hadrian's memoirs, as well as the author of the appendices.

Agent Scully: Despite the many records of Hadrian's life and accomplishments, Paulos asserts in the appendices that there is no evidence for the existence of the Quiet or the Watchers.
Framing Device: His translation and collection of Lord Marlowe's memoirs for the Sollan archives form the novels we get to read.

Argyis

Lord Damon Argyis

Lord Damon Argyis was the Imperial ambassador to the Lothrian Commonwealth.

Foreign Culture Fetish: His decades as ambassador to the Lothrians have resulted in Argyis developing an appreciation for their culture and art that Hadrian finds distasteful.

Characters / The Sun Eater Sollan Empire

Edit Locked