History Characters / DoctrineOfLabyrinths

* GeniusBruiser: Quickly learns both Troian and Kekropian.
* GentlemanThief: Averted. Mildmay is illiterate, swears constantly, and has no illusions about the morality of his career.

[[folder:Robert of Hermione]]
Robert's is the brother of Stephen Teverius's late wife, Emily, and acts as a major antagonist to Felix, publicly exposing him as a former prostitute and tormenting him during his spell of insanity.

* ManipulativeBastard
* MindRape: He performs one on Felix at [[BedlamHouse St. Crellifer's]] mental asylum.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He gets away with a lot of obnoxious and unethical behavior due to his relationship to Lord Stephen.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kolkhis]]
Sometimes known as Kolkhis of Britomart, and to her followers as Keeper, Kolkhis is a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's Britomart district, running thieves, cardsharps, and assassins. Her favorite [[TykeBomb pupil]] was Mildmay, who she raised from the age of four, made her lover when he was thirteen, and turned into an assassin shortly thereafter. He broke away from her at around age seventeen, but she continues to want him back.
----

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Khrysogonos]]
An acolyte in the Gardens of Nephele, assigned to tend Mildmay. He originally despises Mildmay as a thief and murderer, but comes to care for him and alerts Felix to Mildmay's dire situation.

[[folder: Gloria Aestia]]

Tibernian noblewoman who married Gareth Teverius with the plan of overthrowing the monarchy and placing her son, Shannon, on the throne as a puppet king. People in the Lower City still remember her as the Golden Bitch, "a soubriquet she had earned seven times over" (Felix, ''The Virtu'').
----
* EvilMatriarch
* WickedStepmother: Planned on murdering at least one (probably both) of her stepchildren.


[[/folder]]

[[folder:Khrysogonos]]
An acolyte in the Gardens of Nephele, assigned to tend Mildmay. He originally despises Mildmay as a thief and murderer, but comes to care for him and alerts Felix to Mildmay's dire situation.

* TheAtoner: He feels so guilty about mistreating Mildmay that he thinks he deserves to be put back to scrubbing floors with the novices.
* UpperClassTwit: He wears expensive jewelry and is, initially at least, very snide toward Mildmay.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kolkhis]]
Sometimes known as Kolkhis of Britomart, and to her followers as Keeper, Kolkhis is a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's Britomart district, running thieves, cardsharps, and assassins. Her favorite [[TykeBomb pupil]] was Mildmay, who she raised from the age of four, made her lover when he was thirteen, and turned into an assassin shortly thereafter. He broke away from her at around age seventeen, but she continues to want him back.
----

[[folder:Thaddeus Lalage]]
A former Eusebian turned [[WellIntentionedExtremist fanatical Cabaline]]. He befriended Felix over their shared experiences with abusive wizards and rescues him from St. Crellifer's, but turns on him when Felix fails to quickly return to normalcy.

** IceQueen: Mildmay describes her as "cold as a dead fish" on Felix's return to the Mirador, but the description applies most of the time. Remarkably, [[ManipulativeBastard Malkar]] managed to gain her love anyway-- likely just so it would hurt more when he turned on the Cabalines.

[[folder:Thamuris]]
-> ''"Love and betrayal, the gorgon and the wheel. The dead tree will not shelter you, and the dead will not stay dead. Though you do not seek revenge, it will find you all the same."''

A guest in the Gardens of Nephele, Thamuris is an powerful young wizard/scholar dying of consumption, related to his covenant's use of Pythian casting, in which the future follows a pattern set by the prophect, over which the caster has no control.

[[folder:Gideon Thraxios]]
A recent Eusebian refugee from the Bastion, Gideon helps Felix to ameliorate the effects of the Mirador's spell on Mildmay and risks his life to cast a healing spell on Felix's broken fingers. After Felix, Midlmay, Mavortian, Bernard, and Gideon flee Hermione together, Mavortian forces him to accompany them across Kekropia, but Gideon, Mavortian, and Bernard all find themselves captured in Aiaia. By the time Mildmay and Mehitabel rescue them in ''The Virtu'', prejudiced locals have badly starved him and cut out his tongue as punishment for joining the cult of the White-Eyed Lady. During the return journey, he and Felix become lovers, but they break up in ''The Mirador''.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Mildmay notes that it's easy to feel so sorry for Gideon that you forget how dangerous he can be.
* ChildSoldiers: He used to be one.
* DrivenToSuicide: Almost; he settled for ritual fake suicides instead.
* {{Gayngst}} He feels a lot of this, possibly because his early sexual experiences were fraught with fear and pain, or at least not much pleasure.
---> [[SexGod Felix]]: "Has no one ever bothered to make this good for you before?"
---> Gideon: "Not like this."
* MalevolentMutilation: The Aiaians cut of his tongue for his religious beliefs.
* MysteryCult: He joined the White-Eyed Lady's banned religion in his teens.
* Telepathy: How he communicates with fellow wizards after the Aiaians cut out his tongue.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vincent Demabrien]]
Briefly mentioned in Felix's narration for ''Mélusine'', this UnhappyMedium is a long-lost (and [[TheWoobie long-suffering]]) friend from Felix's childhood. [[SexSlave Sold to a pimp]] by his bankrupt mother when he was twelve, Vincent remained a Pharoahlight prostitute until bought by BastardBoyfriend Ivo Polydorius, probably around fifteen years ago.
----

[[folder:Philip Lemerius]]
Father of Enid Lemeria and Antony Lemerius, as well as natural father of Semper Philipson, whom he finds an embarrassment due to his bastardy and career in theater. He is a friend of Lord Stephen, but very few other characters find him appealing, due to his prudish and overbearing nature.

* AristocratsAreEvil
* DoubleStandard: While he once fathered a bastard, he won't even let his daughter attend theater.

[[folder:Arsène L'Hiver]]
Junior envoy from Tibernia; a pompous, homophobic wizard who frequently quarrels with Felix. At the end of ''The Mirador'', he suggests that Stephen not execute Felix and Mildmay in Mélusine, on the grounds that doing so could damage the Mirador's magical energies.

* AssInAmbassador: Even his boss seems to think so.
* HeteronormativeCrusader: He despises Felix for his homosexuality.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ivo Polydorius]]
Marathine nobleman and Vincent Demabrien's jealous, masochistic owner.
----

Briefly mentioned in Felix's narration for ''Mélusine'', this UnhappyMedium is a long-lost (and [[TheWoobie long-suffering]]) friend from Felix's childhood. [[SexSlave Sold to a pimp]] by his bankrupt mother when he was twelve, Vincent remained a Pharoahlight prostitute until bought by [[BastardBoyfriend Ivo Polydorius, probably around fifteen years ago.

[[folder: Gloria Aestia]]

Tibernian noblewoman who married Gareth Teverius with the plan of overthrowing the monarchy and placing her son, Shannon, on the throne as a puppet king. People in the Lower City still remember her as the Golden Bitch, "a soubriquet she had earned seven times over" (Felix, ''The Virtu'').
----
* EvilMatriarch
* WickedStepmother: Planned on murdering at least one (probably both) of her stepchildren.


[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mavortian von Heber]]

Norvenan wizard driven by revenge against a man named Beaumont Livy.

* BestServedCold: He's spent much of his life in pursuit of Beaumont Livy. [[spoiler: And he dies for it, too]]
* BrainsAndBrawn: How he seems to view his relationship with Bernard.
* ConsummateLiar: According to Mildmay.
* HandicappedBadass: Although he can barely use his legs, he reveals the presence of the Hermione fantôme, metaphorically stands up to a captor who's got him drugged and locked in a room, and crosses probably most of a continent at least twice.

[[folder:Robert of Hermione]]
Robert's is the brother of Stephen Teverius's late wife, Emily, and acts as a major antagonist to Felix, publicly exposing him as a former prostitute and tormenting him during his spell of insanity.

* ManipulativeBastard
* MindRape: He performs one on Felix at [[BedlamHouse St. Crellifer's]] mental asylum.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He gets away with a lot of obnoxious and unethical behavior due to his relationship to Lord Stephen.

[[folder:Khrysogonos]]
An acolyte in the Gardens of Nephele, assigned to tend Mildmay. He originally despises Mildmay as a thief and murderer, but comes to care for him and alerts Felix to Mildmay's dire situation.

* TheAtoner: He feels so guilty about mistreating Mildmay that he thinks he deserves to be put back to scrubbing floors with the novices.
* UpperClassTwit: He wears expensive jewelry and is, initially at least, very snide toward Mildmay.

[[folder:Kolkhis]]
Sometimes known as Kolkhis of Britomart, and to her followers as Keeper, Kolkhis is a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's Britomart district, running thieves, cardsharps, and assassins. Her favorite [[TykeBomb pupil]] was Mildmay, who she raised from the age of four, made her lover when he was thirteen, and turned into an assassin shortly thereafter. He broke away from her at around age seventeen, but she continues to want him back.

[[folder:Shannon Teverius]]
Youngest-known son ([[MamasBabyPapasMaybe at least legally]]) of Gareth Teverius by his second wife, Gloria Aestia, the fabled "Golden Bitch," from which fact he gained the unpleasant nickname of "Golden Whelp"; half-brother of Stephen and Victoria Teverius. Much to Stephen's disapproval, he has been in a relationship with Felix for nearly five years at the start of ''Mélusine''. While he and Felix split acrimoniously, he later becomes a loyal friend to Mehitabel Parr.

* BastardBastard: Played with; people keep expecting the likely son of Gloria Aestia and Cotton Verlalius to do something terrible, but his offenses mostly consist of spreading rumors about and sniping with his ex.
* CampGay: Catty, a flamboyant dresser, and a huge [[AllGaysLoveTheater devotee of theater]].
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: His much older brother Stephen is the head of the family and hates Felix more than just about anything else in the world. Guess who Shannon moved in with.
* DramaQueen: Especially in comparison to his more [[SiblingYinYang grounded and sensible siblings]].
* HeelFaceTurn: In ''The Mirador'', he grows into a reliable friend to Mehitabel and shows kindness to Felix after his fall from grace.
* GenerationXerox
* MaliciousSlander: He spreads a rumor that Felix and Mildmay are sleeping together. They'd feel better about it if it weren't so close to the truth.
* PokeThePoodle: His attempts to lash out at Felix are too petty and ridiculous to land him in actual villain territory.
* PrettyBoy: Famous for it.
* RoyalBrat: Shannon's behavior early in the series is a headache for his brother, his lover, and probably that poor guard lieutenant.
* SiblingYinYang: He's the polar opposite of Stephen and Vicky, both of whom are dour, stoic, and sensible. [[spoiler: This might be something to do with the fact that he's almost certainly not related to them by blood.]]
* StalkerWithACrush: Of Felix, when ''The Mirador'' starts.
* {{Yandere}}: In ''Mélusine'', he seems to change his mind over whether he wants Felix or not on every few days that he sees him.

[[/folder]]
[[folder:Stephen Teverius]]
Lord Protector of Marathat, brother to Victoria, half-brother to Shannon. Stubborn and phlegmatic, he generally tends well to the country, at least by comparison to his recent predecessors.
----

-> "Love and betrayal, the gorgon and the wheel. The dead tree will not shelter you, and the dead will not stay dead. Though you do not seek revenge, it will find you all the same."

!! Character Sheet for ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]''.

A listing of characters from the tetrology ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]'', by Creator/SarahMonette. Caution: Since characters often die, survive, or react based on the acts or luck of other characters, unmarked spoilers likely will exist.

---> "I did not believe in redemption, or atonement; if anything existed beyond this frail and sordid life, I knew I was already damned. Knew, and did not care."

Felix Harrowgate, the most gifted wizard of the [[StarScraper Mirador]], the seat of power in the country of Marathat. Although he pretends to be the son of a noblewoman fleeing political unrest in the far-off country of Caloxa, a political enemy within TheMagocracy reveals near the beginning of ''Mélusine'' that Felix actually grew up as a prostitute in the Marathine capital of Mélusine. He still suffers from his past as a plaything for [[BloodMagic blood wizard]] Malkar Gennadion.

---> "Since you ask, no, it ain't a nice way to live, but it beats the fuck out of dying."

---> "Are you planning to execute me, too? I'd like to know before I make dinner plans."

She worked both as an actress and as a spy for the Bastion (a stronghold for the Kekropian military). She trades her knowledge of and contacts within Kekropia for assistance fleeing to Marathat, where she starts over as an actress at one of Mélusine's major theaters. She and Mildmay are FriendsWithBenefits in parts of ''The Virtu'' and ''The Mirador'', and she retains considerable fondness for both redheaded brothers.

---> "I fear ''my'' heart is more gears than flesh."

Appearing only in the final novel, ''Corambis'', Kay is a margrave of southern Corambis, Kay Brightmore [[ChildSoldiers went to war]] against Usaran raiders at age fourteen. He supports Gerrard Hume, the son of Caloxa's dead king and Kay's [[IncompatibleOrientation secret object of desire]] in an uprising against the Corambin conquerers. The rebellion ends when Gerrard and most of his top commanders die attempting to awaken an ancient [[SealedEvilInACan engine of destruction]]. The incident leaves Kay blinded and at the mercy of his captors, one of whom, the duke of Glimmering, puts him through a macabre HumiliationConga that includes publicly exhibiting him chained to Gerrard's catafalque.

[[folder: Gloria Aestia]]

Tibernian noblewoman who married Gareth Teverius with the plan of overthrowing the monarchy and placing her son, Shannon, on the throne as a puppet king. People in the Lower City still remember her as the Golden Bitch, "a soubriquet she had earned seven times over" (Felix, ''The Virtu'').

* EvilMatriarch
* WickedStepmother: Planned on murdering at least one (probably both) of her stepchildren.

[[/folder]]

A psychopathic blood wizard who found then-adolescent Felix in a brothel and groomed him to become a member of polite society, while brutalizing him and casting the obligation de sang on him. He steals Felix's power to break the Virtu, burn much of the Mirador, and destroy its wards in ''Mélusine''.

Norvenan wizard, driven by revenge against a man named Beaumont Livy, who [[DrivenToSuicide]] drove Mavortian's love to suicide some time in the past. He uses a spell to call the most useful person to him, thus winding up with Mildmay.

Despite his modest skill as a wizard, Robert's status as the brother of Stephen Teverius's late wife, Emily, gives him enough power to act as a major antagonist to Felix, publicly exposing him as a former prostitute and tormenting him during his spell of insanity.

Sometimes known as Kolkhis of Britomart, and to her followers as Keeper, Kolkhis (first name unknown) is a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's Britomart district, running thieves, cardsharps, and assassins. Her favorite [[TykeBomb pupil]] was Mildmay, who she raised from the age of four, made her lover when he was thirteen, and turned into an assassin shortly thereafter. He broke away from her at around age seventeen, but she continued to want him back.

Youngest-known son ([[MamasBabyPapasMaybe at least legally]]) of Gareth Teverius, by his second wife, Gloria Aestia, the fabled "Golden Bitch," from which fact he gained the unpleasant nickname of "Golden Whelp"; half-brother of Stephen and Victoria Teverius. Much to Stephen's disapproval, he has been in a relationship with Felix for nearly five years at the start of ''Mélusine''. While he and Felix split acrimoniously, he later becomes a loyal friend to Mehitabel Parr.

--> "Love and betrayal, the gorgon and the wheel. The dead tree will not shelter you, and the dead will not stay dead. Though you do not seek revenge, it will find you all the same."
A guest in the Gardens of Nephele, Thamuris is an powerful young wizard/scholar dying of consumption, related to his covenant's use of Pythian casting, in which the future follows a pattern set by the prophect, over which the caster has no control.

A supposed refugee from the Bastion; in reality, a spy. He uses his identity as a refugee to [[HoneyTrap seduce Felix]] in the misguided belief that he can earn the latter's trust, while using the identity of "Lieutenant Vulpes" in coercing Mehitabel to spy for Louis Goliath.

Kay's stubborn, proud sister, whom he forced to marry the duke of Murtagh. The marriage lacked the desired political result due to her barrenness. Despite the abusive history between her and Kay, Murtagh says that she "was as near hysterics as I have ever seen her" when she learned of his capture by the duke of Glimmering.

--> "I want to be a virtuer, and fuck the Women's College and what women should or shouldn't do and all the rest of it."

[[folder: Narrators]]
! Felix Harrowgate

! Mildmay the Fox

! Mehitabel Parr

! Kay Brightmore

[[folder: Other Characters]]

! Gloria Aestia

Tibernian noblewoman who married Gareth Teverius with the plan of overthrowing the monarchy and placing her son, Shannon, on the throne as a puppet king. People in the Lower City still remember her as the Golden Bitch, "a soubriquet she had earned seven times over" (Felix, ''The Virtu'').

! Malkar Gennadion
A psychopathic blood wizard who found then-adolescent Felix in a brothel and groomed him to become a member of polite society, while brutalizing him and casting the obligation de sang on him. He steals Felix's power to break the Virtu, burn much of the Mirador, and destroy its wards in ''Mélusine''.

! Mavortian von Heber

! Robert of Hermione

! Khrysogonos

! Kolkhis

! Thaddeus Lalage
A former Eusebian turned [[WellIntentionedExtremist fanatical Cabaline]]. He befriended Felix over their shared experiences with abusive wizards and rescues him from St. Crellifer's, but turns on him when Felix fails to quickly return to normalcy.

! Elvenner Packer
Famous banker and mayor of Mélusine.
Tropes related to Elvenner Packer include:

! Victoria Teveria
Eldest known child of the late lord protector Gareth Teverius, she is sister to Stephen and half-sister to Shannon. Outside of an ill-fated affair with Malkar, she is very dour and strict. Mehitabel describes her as "[s]tern, regular, and uncompromising."

! Shannon Teverius
Youngest-known son ([[MamasBabyPapasMaybe at least legally]]) of Gareth Teverius, by his second wife, Gloria Aestia, the fabled "Golden Bitch," from which fact he gained the unpleasant nickname of "Golden Whelp"; half-brother of Stephen and Victoria Teverius. Much to Stephen's disapproval, he has been in a relationship with Felix for nearly five years at the start of ''Mélusine''. While he and Felix split acrimoniously, he later becomes a loyal friend to Mehitabel Parr.

! Stephen Teverius
Lord Protector of Marathat, brother to Victoria, half-brother to Shannon. Stubborn and phlegmatic, he generally tends well to the country, at least by comparison to his recent predecessors.

! Thamuris

! Ginevra Thomson

! Gideon Thraxios
A recent Eusebian refugee from the Bastion, Gideon helps Felix to ameliorate the effects of the Mirador's spell on Mildmay and risks his life to cast a healing spell on Felix's broken fingers. After Felix, Midlmay, Mavortian, Bernard, and Gideon flee Hermione together, Mavortian forces him to accompany them across Kekropia, but Gideon, Mavortian, and Bernard all find themselves captured in Aiaia. By the time Mildmay and Mehitabel rescue them in ''The Virtu'', prejudiced locals have badly starved him and cut out his tongue as punishment for joining the cult of the White-Eyed Lady. During the return journey, he and Felix become lovers, but they break up in ''The Mirador''.

! Vincent Demabrien
Briefly mentioned in Felix's narration for ''Mélusine'', this UnhappyMedium is a long-lost (and [[TheWoobie long-suffering]]) friend from Felix's childhood. [[SexSlave Sold to a pimp]] by his bankrupt mother when he was twelve, Vincent remained a Pharoahlight prostitute until bought by [[BastardBoyfriend Ivo Polydorius, probably around fifteen years ago.

! Isaac Garamond

! Philip Lemerius

! Arsène L'Hiver

! Ivo Polydorius

! Isobel Brightmore
(Also Isobel Carey) Kay's stubborn, proud sister, whom he forced to marry the duke of Murtagh. The marriage lacked the desired political result due to her barrenness. Despite the abusive history between her and Kay, Murtagh says that she "was as near hysterics as I have ever seen her" when she learned of his capture by the duke of Glimmering.
Tropes pertaining to Isobel Brightmore:

! Ferrand Carey
The duke of Murtagh, wife of Isobel, and brother-in-law of Kay. He rescues Kay from the duke of Glimmering and makes him Vanessa Pallister's fianceè and warden of Grimglass. A [[controlled SafeSaneAndConsensual sadist]], he hires Felix for violent sex, for which he later feels considerable remorse (although Felix himself regards the experience as harmless). Frequently called "Murtagh."

! Corbie, Gartrett

! Gerrard Hume

[[folder: Background and Historical Characters]]

-!! Character Sheet for ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]''.

!! Character Sheet for ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]''.

Felix Harrowgate, the most gifted wizard of the [[StarScraper Mirador]], the seat of power in the country of Marathat. Although he pretends to be the son of a noblewoman fleeing political unrest in the far-off country of Caloxa, a political enemy within TheMagocracy reveals near the beginning of ''Mélusine'' that Felix actually grew up as a prostitute in the Marathine capital of Mélusine. He still suffers from his past as a plaything for [[BloodMagic blood wizard]] Malkar Gennadion, who introduced him to the Mirador for his own purposes and who proceeds to [[MindRape mystically use]] to destroy the [[PowerCrystal Virtu]], an event that also renders Felix psychotic and unable to access his own powers. After he convinces Mavortian and Gideon to save his newfound half-brother Mildmay the Fox from the Mirador's curse, Mildmay returns the favor by escorting him to the distant Gardens of Nephele, where, according to Felix's dreams, healers exist who can repair his mind. Although brave, witty, and charismatic, Felix also [[UnscrupulousHero has a taste for cruelty]] which he attempts (with [[BondageIsBad mixed success]]) to channel into [[SafeSaneAndConsensual violent sex with willing men]]. Tall, pale, and redheaded, with one gold and one blue eye, he appears very exotic to most Marathines. After the midpoint of ''The Virtu'', he and Mildmay share a bond outside of brotherhood, as he casts the obligation d'ame on him, at Mildmay's request.

Tropes pertaining to Felix Harrowgate:

A former [[TykeBomb teenaged assassin]] for a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's [[WretchedHive Lower City]], Mildmay broke away from her influence and, at the beginning of Mélusine, earns a living as a cat burglar. Despite telling himself that he "know[s] better," he falls for his demimondaine client Ginevra Thomson. Thrown into disarray by her [[TheLostLenore murder]], he becomes involved in Mavortian von Heber's schemes regarding Felix, then suffering from Malkar's assaults and the [[TheMagocracy Cabalines']] suspicion. When he sees Felix's face and similar coloring, he realizes that they are actually half-brothers. Given Mildmay's Lower City-bred hatred of the Mirador, it comes as quite a shock, but he feels beholden to Felix for the removal of a curse and escorts him to the far East in hopes of finding a cure for his insanity. Due to lingering traces of the curse, combined with the stress of the journey, he suffers a permanently crippled leg. His accent and [[FaceOfAThug badly scarred face]] lead many people to underestimate his intelligence and capacity for kindness After becoming Felix's esclavin in the obligation d'ame, he adopts the more respectable name "Mildmay Foxe".
Tropes pertaining to Mildmay the Fox:

While making their return to Marathat in ''The Virtu'', the half-brothers encounter Mehitabel, currently working as a governess in a bourgeois household in eastern Kekropia. As it turns out, this is one of her [[MasterOfDisguise many disguises]]: she worked both as an actress and as a spy for the Bastion (a stronghold for the Kekropian military), and immediately recognizes the Cabaline tattoos. She trades her knowledge of and contacts within Kekropia for assistance fleeing to Marathat, where she starts over as an actress at one of Mélusine's major theaters. Unfortunately, the spymaster of the Bastion still [[IHaveYourWife holds her great love]], Hallam Bellamy, captive, and, through Lieutenant Vulpes, forces her to use her [[FemmeFatale wiles]] to seduce information from prominent Marathines. She and Mildmay are FriendsWithBenefits in parts of ''The Virtu'' and ''The Mirador'', and she retains considerable fondness for both redheaded brothers until her character exits the series with the end of ''The Mirador''.

A margrave of southern Corambis, formerly Caloxa, Kay Brightmore [[ChildSoldiers went to war]] against Usaran raiders at age fourteen. Many years later, he supports Gerrard Hume, the son of Caloxa's dead king and Kay's [[IncompatibleOrientation secret object of desire]] in an uprising against the Corambin conquerers. The rebellion ends when Gerrard and most of his top commanders die attempting to awaken an ancient [[SealedEvilInACan engine of destruction]]. The incident leaves Kay blinded and at the mercy of his captors, one of whom, the duke of Glimmering, puts him through a macabre HumiliationConga that includes publicly exhibiting him chained to Gerrard's catafalque. Meanwhile, the awakened machine begins sucking in the energies of machines and living beings within the region of Summerdown. Kay appears only in the final novel, ''Corambis''.

Tropes pertaining to Kay Brightmore:

! Aestia, Gloria
Tibernian noblewoman who married Gareth Teverius with the plan of overthrowing the monarchy and placing her son, Shannon, on the throne as a puppet king. People in the Lower City still remember her as the Golden Bitch, "a soubriquet she had earned seven times over" (Felix, ''The Virtu''). After her death, the Teverii attempted to obliterate all legal reminders of her, something made more difficult by the fact that Shannon [[GenerationXerox looks just like]] her. He has only one keepsake from her, a necklace with flower-shaped links, which he gives to Felix to take into exile.

! Bellamy, Hallam
Mehitabel's great love, a Kekropian wizard who attempted to flee. Louis Goliath caught him, [[ColdBloodedTorture cut off his thumbs]], and [[AndIMustScream locked him in an oubliette]], later [[IHaveYourWife using him to coerce Mehitabel]] into spying for the Bastion.
! Cordelia, Amaryllis
Marathine noblewoman, killed by her husband after marrying a king of the Cordelian dynasty. Mehitabel, Gideon, and Antony discover her crypt in the Mirador, despite the fact that she has a dummy tomb at an Emarthian villa. Mildmay describes her as "Gloria Aestia with guts."
! Cresset, Cerberus
Former Witchfinder Extraordinary, assassinated by Mildmay.
! Goliath, Louis
Much-feared [[TheSpymaster spymaster]] of the Bastion. Via Isaac Garamond, he coerces Mehitabel into spying for Kekropia. At some point he had a sexual relationship with Gideon Thraxios.
! Levant, Porphyria
Blood wizard who trained Brinvillier Strych; ultimately defeated by a wizard (probably of the Mirador) named Loël Fairweather. Felix can still feel the mikkary pouring off her emerald rings, still stored in the Mirador.
! Methony
Felix and Mildmay's mother. Born in Troia, she rebelled against her strict father and became pregnant with Felix by an unknown man, then fled the country when Felix was a few months old. By the time he was old enough to remember her or she had Mildmay, she was working as a prositute in Mélusine. She died in the Great Fire when Felix was eleven. He strongly resembles her, both physically and temperamentally.
! Strych, Brinvillier
Blood wizard, teacher of Vey Coruscant, who burned Jane Teveria to death in the Hall of the Chimeras. In ''Mélusine'', Vey Coruscant attempts to resurrect him, but can't, since his body is missing from the Boneprince. [[spoiler: As it turns out, he's alive and well, under the name of Malkar Gennadion]].
! Teveria, Jane
Grandmother of Stephen, Victoria, and Shannon. She attempted to purge crime from the Lower City by killing large numbers of delinquent children. Brinvillier Strych burned her to death in the Hall of the Chimeras.
! Teverius, Cornell
Scheming cousin of Lord Stephen and pawn of Vey Coruscant, Kolkhis, and Robert of Hermione; assassinated by Mildmay.
! Teverius, Gareth
Late Lord Protector, an ineffectual leader and a womanizer; father of Stephen, Victoria and (legally) Shannon.
! Verlalius, Cotton
Lover and co-conspirator of Gloria Aestia; possible biological father of Shannon Teverius.
! Wolsey, Zephyr
A harmless minor witch in the Lower City. The Mirador charged him with heresy and burned him at the stake, probably during Cerberus Cresset's tenure. He was a close friend of Mildmay.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Characters, First Encountered in ''Mélusine'']]
! Astyanax
A wizard in the Gardens of Nephele. He and Felix have a brief affair, prior to Felix's discovery that he had laid a compulsion on Mildmay.
! Bernard
Half-brother and bodyguard of Mavortian von Heber. Himself an annemer, he relies on his intimidating appearance and skill with a sword to survive. Although he and Mildmay do not like one another, Felix thinks they have much in common.
! Cardenio
[[WeirdTradeUnion Cade-skiff]] and close friend of Mildmay; shy, sweet, and very smart. He brings the Kalliphorne's news of Mildmay's kidnapping to Felix.
! Claudio
Henchman of Vey Coruscant. He participates in the attack on Mildmay and Ginevra in the Boneprince graveyard.
! Chandler, Hugo
Musician, admirer of Austin Lefevre... and [[spoiler: informant for Vey Coruscant and possibly Kolkhis of Britomart]].
! Cordelius, Magnus
A ghost or spirit who encounters insane!Felix in the lower reaches of the Mirador in ''Mélusine''. He wants desperately to be put to rest, something Felix accomplishes in ''The Mirador''.
! Coruscant, Vey
[[BloodMagic Blood witch]] who [[TheDon runs]] the Lower City's Dassament district. Formerly a pupil of Brinvillier Strych, she attempts to use Mildmay and Ginevra in her failed attempt to bring [[BackFromTheDead him back from the dead]]. Felix, using the obligation d'ame, [[spoiler: forces Mildmay to assassinate her]].
! Cowry, Faith
A nature-witch (and therefore heretic); the lover of Ginevra's friend Estella Velvet; arrested during a [[BurnTheWitch witch hunt]] in ''Mélusine''. As Mildmay later finds out, [[spoiler: Estella traded his whereabouts for Faith's release]].
! Diokletian
A celebrant in the gardens of Nephele. He locates Felix while practicing oneiromancy and encourages the younger man to seek him out. Once among Methony Feucoronne's many lovers (and therefore possibly Felix's father), he turns out to be far less nurturing and more disapproving than Felix might have hoped.
! Elvire
Madam of the Goosegirl's Palace and one of Mélusine's most reliable information brokers; reputed to have once been a mistress to Lord Gareth Teverius. She comes to despise Mildmay for aligning himself with a Cabaline, brother or not.
! Eoline, Vida
Somewhat like Felix, Vida is a beautiful, powerful member of the Cabal and Curia. He notes that her "cold, ruthlessly rational intellect" had made them "often allies, more rarely friends". She is the lover of Thaddeus de Lalage.
! Foss, Sherbourne
A shy, sweet-natured young man with a crush on Felix. Although Felix does not reciprocate his attraction, he considers him a friend and mourns his death in ''Mélusine''.
! Gennadion, Malkar
A psychopathic blood wizard who found then-adolescent Felix in a brothel, then groomed him to become a member of polite society, while also brutalizing him and casting the obligation de sang on him. He steals Felix's power to break the Virtu, burn much of the Mirador, and destroy its wards in ''Mélusine''. Felix kills him to save Mildmay in ''The Virtu''. [[spoiler: As it turns out, "Malkar Gennadion" is an alias for Brinvillier Strych. Whether Strych had faked his own death a century ago, or come back from the dead, remains unknown.]]
Tropes pertaining to Malkar Gennadion:

! Heber, Mavortian von
Norvenan wizard, driven by revenge against a man named Beaumont Livy, who [[DrivenToSuicide]] drove Mavortian's love to suicide some time in the past. He uses a spell to call the most useful person to him, thus winding up with Mildmay. He suffers from disabled legs, likely also a result of Livy's cruelty, and relies heavily on his annemer half-brother and bodyguard Bernard to function. [[spoiler: He dies facing Malkar Gennadion, who turns out to be Beaumont Livy under a different name.]]
Tropes pertaining to Mavortian von Heber:

! Hermione, Robert of
Despite his modest skill as a wizard, Robert's status as the brother of Stephen Teverius's late wife, Emily, gives him enough power to act as a major antagonist to Felix, publicly exposing him as a former prostitute and tormenting him during his spell of insanity. He gets his comeuppance in ''The Mirador'', when Mildmay reveals that he [[spoiler: has been involved for years in a monarchist plot involving, among others, Gloria Aestia, Vey Coruscant, and Kolkhis of Britomart]].

! Jean-Phalene
Owner of a bar in Alchemic where Mildmay, Bernard, and Mavortian all briefly work.
! Kalliphorne
An anthropophagous, mermaid-like monster who lives in the Sim. Phoskis Terrapin believes he has her caged, but in reality she can readily escape her trap. She enlists Mildmay, Mavortian, and Bernard to cure her husband of a magical illness and becomes quite fond of "the foxlike one", tipping off Cardenio when it sees him boated away from the city by Malkar and even befriending Felix, whom she considers Mildmay's "littermate," while he true-dreams.

Sometimes known as Kolkhis of Britomart, and to her followers as Keeper, Kolkhis (first name unknown) is a [[TheDon don]] in Mélusine's Britomart district, running thieves, cardsharps, and assassins. Her favorite [[TykeBomb pupil]] was Mildmay, who she raised from the age of four, made her lover when he was thirteen, and turned into an assassin shortly thereafter. Targets he killed for her include Lord Cornell Teverius and Cerberus Cresset, the Witchfinder Extraordinary. He broke away from her at around age seventeen, but she continued to want him back. In ''The Virtu'', she helps smuggle Felix into Lamia to rescue Mildmay from Malkar... at the price of a book confiscated by the Mirador. Ruthless, imperious, and cruel, she delights in manipulating people and especially seems to enjoy setting Mildmay and her current favorite, Septimus Wilder, at one another. Later in ''The Mirador'', Mildmay discovers that [[spoiler: she was in league with Vey Coruscant for well over a decade and took part in a plot to restore the monarchy]].
Tropes relating to Kolkhis

! Lalage, Thaddeus
A former Eusebian turned [[WellIntentionedExtremist fanatical Cabaline]], probably of Midlander origin. He befriended Felix over their shared experiences with abusive wizards and rescues him from St. Crellifer's, but turns on him when Felix fails to quickly return to normalcy. He hates Gideon Thraxios and wrongly believes him to be a spy, a fact that [[spoiler: Isaac Garamond]] attempts to manipulate to the Bastion's advantage.
Tropes pertaining to Thaddeus de Lalage:

! Lefevre, Austin
Poet and lover of Ginevra; murdered alongside her by Vey Coruscant's crime syndicate.
! Lilburn
A fanatical member of the Order of St. Crellifer. Felix sees him as a corpse.
! Lollymeg
A fence in Ruthven. She helps move Mildmay's stolen goods.
! Margot
Childhood friend of Mildmay, who regards her as a sister. Once a member of Kolkhis's syndicate, she now heads up GangBangers in the Lower City. While pursued by the City Guards in ''Mélusine'', Mildmay takes refuge with her pack, but one of her underlings tips off the police, who massacre much of her pack. She survives, but the friendship does not.
! Novalucrezia, Giancarlo of
Head of the Curia, and thus Marathat's highest-ranking wizard. He fails to immediately recognize the compulsions laid on Felix and has a terrible scowl. Nonetheless, Mildmay considers him "a fair man, about as fair as a hocus could be". In ''The Mirador'', he repays Mildmay's service to the Mirador by asking Lord Stephen for clemency regarding Felix's heresy.
! Orphelin
A sadistic warder in St. Crellifer's. He torments Felix with cruel questions and subjects him to a TraumaticHaircut and ShamefulStrip.
! Packer, Elvenner

! Rindleshin
Leader of a Mélusinien pack and personal enemy of Mildmay. In ''The Virtu'', he attacks Mildmay as the latter re-enters the city, but Felix foils the attack by making Rindleshin's knife red-hot.
Sadistic warder of [[BedlamHouse St. Crellifer's]] insane asylum.
! Terrapin, Phoskis
Lower City criminal who controls an access route to the Sim. Kolkhis once had Mildmay live with him, theoretically as leverage over her, but really so he could deflect some of the suspicion for Cornell Teverius's murder away from her and onto Phoskis. He hates Mildmay, and tries to feed him to the Kalliphorne, whom he mistakenly believes he controls.
! Teveria, Victoria

Tropes pertaining to Victoria Teveria:

! Teverius, Shannon
Youngest-known son ([[MamasBabyPapasMaybe at least legally]]) of Gareth Teverius, by his second wife, Gloria Aestia, the fabled "Golden Bitch," from which fact he gained the unpleasant nickname of "Golden Whelp"; half-brother of Stephen and Victoria Teverius. Much to Stephen's disapproval, he has been in a relationship with Felix for nearly five years at the start of ''Mélusine''. While he and Felix split acrimoniously, he later becomes a loyal friend to Mehitabel Parr. [[spoiler: Luther Littleman's ghost implies that Shannon is indeed not of "the blood of the Teverii."]]
Tropes pertaining to Shannon Teverius:

! Teverius, Stephen
Lord Protector of Marathat, brother to Victoria, half-brother to Shannon. Stubborn and phlegmatic, he generally tends well to the country, at least by comparison to his recent predecessors. He dislikes homosexuals in general and Shannon and Felix in particular, and is eager to punish Felix for treason based on flimsy evidence in ''Mélusine''. Over time, he becomes more aware of his failings: he declares Shannon innocent of treason when he could have used Ivo's plot to have him executed; upon discovering that Mehitabel, now his [[TheMistress mistress]] had spied on him, she allows her to testify privately; and he exiles rather than executes Felix and Mildmay for Felix's heresy. His formal justification for the last decision is Arsène L'Hiver's claim that executing Felix in Mélusine might damage the Mirador's magical energies, but, since he could simply have them killed elsewhere, he's likely repaying Mildmay (whom he initially despised) for his loyalty in uncovering Ivo Polydorius's monarchist plot.
Tropes pertaining to Stephen Teverius:

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Lord Stephen. Mind you, what he does isn't always ''good'', but he takes it very seriously.

A guest in the Gardens of Nephele, Thamuris is an powerful young wizard/scholar dying of consumption, related to his covenant's use of Pythian casting, in which the future follows a pattern set by the prophect, over which the caster has no control. However, he has become addicted to his use of Pythian casting and endangers Mildmay by delivering a [[TheProphecy "huphantike"]] for him:
-> "Love and betrayal, the gorgon and the wheel. The dead tree will not shelter you, and the dead will not stay dead. Though you do not seek revenge, it will find you all the same."

Tropes pertaining to Thamuris:

! Thomson , Ginevra
A demimondaine, recently arrived in Mélusine from a provincial location named Wraith. She and Mildmay share a passionate affair. Vey Coruscant has her killed shortly after she leaves Mildmay.
Tropes related to Ginevra Thomsen:

! Thraxios, Gideon
A recent Eusebian refugee from the Bastion, Gideon helps Felix to ameliorate the effects of the Mirador's spell on Mildmay and risks his life to cast a healing spell on Felix's broken fingers. After Felix, Midlmay, Mavortian, Bernard, and Gideon flee Hermione together, Mavortian forces him to accompany them across Kekropia, but Gideon, Mavortian, and Bernard all find themselves captured in Aiaia. By the time Mildmay and Mehitabel rescue them in ''The Virtu'', prejudiced locals have badly starved him and cut out his tongue as punishment for joining the cult of the White-Eyed Lady. During the return journey, he and Felix become lovers, but they break up in ''The Mirador'' as a result of Gideon's sexual reticence and Felix's cheating with a variety of men, including strangers. He and Thaddeus share an enmity dating back to their time as Eusebians together, possibly involving Gideon's one-time status as "catamite and confederate of Louis Goliath, spymaster of the Bastion." In spite of the breakup, Felix experiences a dramatic HeroicBSOD when [[spoiler: Isaac Garamond murders Gideon in a failed attempt to frame Felix and have him executed]].
Tropes pertaining to Gideon Thraxios:

! Vassiliyev, Dmitri
Weather-witch for the crew of the ''Morskaiakrov''. He is a Merrow, as are his crewmates; they are short, sturdily-built, red-headed, and gray-eyed. He encourages Mildmay to be gentle with insane!Felix.
! Vassiliyev, Ilya
The ''Morskaiakrov'''s cook. He appreciates Mildmay's abilities as a cook and storyteller.
! Velvet, Estella
Demimondaine, friend of Ginevra Thomson, and girlfriend of Faith Cowry. As Mildmay discovers in ''The Mirador'', [[spoiler: she gave the police knowledge of his whereabouts in exchange for releasing Faith, who had been arrested for heresy]].
! Xanthippe
The Gardens of Nephele's archon, who becomes livid when she learns that her covenant's wizards have neglected Mildmay's injuries.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Characters, First Encountered in ''The Virtu'']]
! Anna Sylvia
A blonde, blue-eyed prostitute patronized by Mildmay in Kekropia. He picks her for her resemblance to [[TheLostLenore Ginevra]]. Her services do not disappoint.
! Arakhne
A young Troian of noble birth, fleeing a feud in her home country in the assumed identity of a boy named Phaëthon, aboard the ''White Otter''. After learning of her plight, Felix and Mildmay help her escape a trap awaiting her in Kekropia. However, she is needy, self-centered, and snobbish, and after this rescue, they leave her to her own devices.
! Clef, Mortimer
Senior envoy from Tibernia to Marathat. Although himself annemer, he possesses a good grasp of magical principles and proves a competent conversationalist when dealing with wizards.
! Fleur
Cabaline wizard who attempts to revive a past friendship with Felix.
! Gauthy, Florian
Bourgeois eleven-year-old traveling with his family aboard the ''White Otter''. Much to his parents' disapproval, he befriends Mildmay. On land in Klepsydra, Felix and Mildmay rescue him from a booby-trapped maze honoring the White-Eyed Lady, where Florian's tutor had brought him.
! St. Rose, Edgar
Cabaline and friend (or at least friendly acquaintance) of Felix. Mildmay wonders if they're lovers, a question the series never answers.
! Vilker, Ingvard
Closeted gay secretary to Florian's father, Kerr Gauthy. He makes a pass at Felix while aboard the Morskaiakrov, leading to Felix panicking unexpectedly. Only later does Felix realize that his newfound fear of being trapped results from his earlier MindRape by Robert of Hermione.
! Yarth, Elektros
The somewhat paranoid captain of the ''White Otter''. He forces Felix to relinquish his rings for the duration of Felix and Mildmay's passage.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Characters, First Encountered in ''The Mirador'']]
! Baillie, Drin
Handsome, but snobby, self-pitying and lecherous, lead actor of the Empyrean.
! Colquitt, Corinna
Gossipy and hard-living but good-natured actress who works alongside Mehitabel at the Empyrean. Mehitabel thinks she was likely once a prostitute and "ha[s] no idea where Corinna had learned to read."
! Dawnlight, Jenny
(Also known as Guinevere Dawnlight) A childhood acquaintance of Mildmay, she ran away from Kolkhis's pack and became a demimondaine in Candlewick Mews before contracting smallpox, which ruined her looks. She now works for the necromancer Augusta Fenris. Mildmay gets her out of jail, where she's being held for digging up Luther Littleman's grave.
Tropes pertaining to Jenny Dawnlight:
* BodyHorror: Smallpox left her with scars and missing teeth.
* HighClassCallGirl
! Demabrien, Vincent
Briefly mentioned in Felix's narration for ''Mélusine'', this UnhappyMedium is a long-lost (and [[TheWoobie long-suffering]]) friend from Felix's childhood. [[SexSlave Sold to a pimp]] by his bankrupt mother when he was twelve, Vincent remained a Pharoahlight prostitute until bought by [[BastardBoyfriend Ivo Polydorius, probably around fifteen years ago. He spent most of that time secluded at Arborstell, but returns to Mélusine when Ivo puts forward a daughter as a marriage candidate for Lord Stephen and with attempts to resume his friendship with Felix, who proceeds to manipulate Vincent's visions for his academic gain. After Ivo's downfall, Crowell Polydorius throws him out to starve, but Mehitabel takes him in and makes him her secretary.
Tropes pertaining to Vincent Demabrien:

! Dravanya, Susan
Briefly mentioned in Mélusine, she gets her first dialogue in ''The Mirador'', where she appears as the Empyrean's [[AlphaBitch stunning but shallow]] lead actress. She abruptly deserts to the Cockatrice, throwing her former coworkers into disarray.
! Fenris, Augusta
A necromancer in the Lower City's Scaffelgreen district and the employer of Jenny Dawnlight. She and Mildmay use Luther Littleman's bones and ghost to uncover the monarchist [[ThePlan plot]] involving [[spoiler: Vey Coruscant, Ivo Polydorius, Kolkhis of Britomart, Gloria Aestia, Cornell Teverius, Cotton Verlalius, Hugo Chandler, and Robert of Hermione]].
! Fisher, Gordeny
The Empyrean's ingenue, likely a former delinquent, from the Lower City. She rejects Septimus Wilder as a suitor.
! Garamond, Isaac
A supposed refugee from the Bastion; in reality, a spy. He uses his identity as a refugee to [[HoneyTrap seduce Felix]] in the misguided belief that he can earn the latter's trust, while using the identity of "Lieutenant Vulpes" in coercing Mehitabel to spy for Louis Goliath. When his schemes to gain information go awry, he murders Gideon and [[FrameUp frames]] Felix for the crime. Felix escapes the murder rap, but is exiled along with Mildmay for a different crime-- using magic to drive Garamond insane. In ''Corambis'', Garamond, still mad, commits suicide by leaping from St. Crellifer's roof, which Felix sees in his dreams.
Tropes relating to Isaac Garamond:

! Lemeria, Enid
Quiet, repressed daughter of Philip Lemerius, sister of Antony Lemerius, and half-sister of Semper Philipson. She becomes Lord Stephen's fianceé.
! Lemerius, Antony
Stuffy nobleman and gifted amateur historian; lover of Mehitabel; son of Philip Lemerius (whom he hates), brother of Enid Lemeria, and half-brother of Semper Philipson.
! Lemerius, Philip

Tropes pertaining to Philip Lemerius:

! L'Hiver, Arsène

Tropes relating to Arsène L'Hiver:

! Littleman, Luther
The ghost of Vey Coruscant's quondam master, who reveals ThePlan to Mildmay and Augusta Fenris.
! Polydoria, Zelda
Ivo Polydorius's fifteen-year-old daughter, whom he puts forward as a [[ArrangedMarriage potential wife]] for Lord Stephen.
! Polydorius, Crowell
Marathine nobleman. The dynastic branch of the Polydorii passes to him after Ivo's conviction for treason. One of his first acts is to throw out Vincent Demabrien.
! Polydorius, Ivo
Marathine nobleman and Vincent Demabrien's jealous, masochistic owner. Along with Vey Coruscant, Kolkhis of Britomart, Robert of Hermione, Hugo Chandler, Gloria Aestia, Cotton Verlalius, and Cornell Teverius, he has engaged in a decades-long plot to overthrow the Marathat's protectorate and restore the monarchy.
Tropes pertaining to Ivo Polydorius:

! Verlalius, Lionel
Shallow, spendthrift nobleman and lover of Mehitabel.
! Wilder, Septimus
Kolkhis's latest assassin and lover, in ''The Mirador''. He and Mildmay come to realize that they're NotSoDifferent. He loves Gordeny Fisher, who rejects him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Characters, First Appearing in ''Corambis'']]
! Albern, Thomas
Duke of Glimmering and Kay Brightmore's captor. He loathes Kay Brightmore not only for treason but also for the mass execution of prisoners of war, including Albern's older brother, Geoffrey. Often referred to by the name of his duchy.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: His treatment of Kay,in retaliation for the murder of prisoners of war.
! Ashmead, John
Dean of the magicians' college in Esmer. He casts the binding-by-obedience on Felix, but refuses to recast it when Felix's fantôme removes it. He hires Felix to work as a professor and, after Felix falls into disgrace due to his experience with Edwin Beckett, finds him a position as Virtuer of Grimglass.
! Edwin Beckett
Obsessed Corambin who wants to reawaken the Clock of the Eclipses with [[DeusSexMachina sex magic]]. To this end, he hires Felix, now working as an S&M prostitute again, for an orgy and [[RapeAsDrama forces him]] past the limits of their arrangement.
! Brightmore, Isobel

! Carey, Ferrand

Tropes pertaining to Ferrand Carey:

! Carey, Julian
Ferrand Carey's nephew; secretly an aethereal, or medium, for which fault the duke mistreats him. He loses his close friend Cyriack Thrale when he fails to hide his abilities. He and Kay forge something of a bond, as Kay convinces him to escort him back to Summerdown and Murtagh later sends Julian to live at Grimglass.

A young Bernathan [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold prostitute]] whom Felix originally [[PlatonicProstitution hires to share her knowledge of the city]] with him, and who later becomes both his apprentice and madam. She has grown accustomed to hiding her magical talent, both from her fear of enslaving "warlocks" and due to her culture's prejudice against female magicians. After moving to Esmer with Felix and Mildmay, she seduces the latter in what Mildmay believes is a case of SettleForSibling. She opts to remain in Esmer, with hopes of becoming a Virtuer, when the brothers depart for Grimglass. For reasons unknown, she dislikes her first name so intensely that hse doesn't want to share it. Her appearance is Ygressine rather than traditionally Corambin, making her worry about looking "like a half-breed jezebel."

Tropes pertaining to Gartrett Corbie:

! Dothaw
Usaran warlord. He convinces Kay to return to Summerdown and again offer himself to the machine.
! Druce, Priscilla
Physician-practitioner who uses magic and herbs to treat Mildmay's lung infection. Since Marathat forbids healing magic as heresy, Felix finds her knowledge of the subject fascinating.
! Emily
Colleague of Gartrett Corbie. Apparently she hold some sway in Bernatha's red-light district, since she manages to chase away Sunny Pingree's gang.
! Hume, Gerrard

Tropes pertaining to Gerrard Hume include:

! Hutchence
Cheerful member of the Magicians' Circle. Felix likes him, despite his excessive loquacity.
! Lapwing, Roderick
Murtagh's secretary, who arranges his extramarital liaisons. According to Murtagh, he seems to "enjoy accomodating my more outrageous requests."
! Pallister, Vanessa
(neé Vanessa Carey) Widow of the warden of Grimglass and relative of Ferrand Carey, who arranges for her to marry Kay.
Tropes relating to Vanessa Pallister:
* ArrangedMarriage: To Kay. She just wants someone to run Grimglass for her.

* YourCheatingHeart: Takes a mistress while searching for a wife, with the express purpose that each will undercut the other's power base.

A recent Eusebian refugee from the Bastion, Gideon helps Felix to ameliorate the effects of the Mirador's spell on Mildmay and risks his life to cast a healing spell on Felix's broken fingers. After Felix, Midlmay, Mavortian, Bernard, and Gideon flee Hermione together, Mavortian forces him to accompany them across Kekropia, but Gideon, Mavortian, and Bernard all find themselves captured in Aiaia. By the time Mildmay and Mehitabel rescue them in ''The Virtu'', prejudiced locals have badly starved him and cut out his tongue as punishment for joining the cult of the White-Eyed Lady. During the return journey, he and Felix become lovers, but they break up in ''The Mirador'' as a result of Gideon's sexual reticence and Felix's [[YourCheatingHeart cheating]] with a variety of men, including strangers. He and Thaddeus share an enmity dating back to their time as Eusebians together, possibly involving Gideon's one-time status as "catamite and confederate of Louis Goliath, spymaster of the Bastion." In spite of the breakup, Felix experiences a dramatic HeroicBSOD when [[spoiler: Isaac Garamond murders Gideon in a failed attempt to frame Felix and have him executed]].

* YourCheatingHeart: He pays men for sex even though he's been married for five years.

* BadassGay: Most of the time, he could burn you to a cinder with a thought.

* DeadpanSnarker/GentlemanSnarker: When conversing with anyone who annoys him in any way. Which is to say, with any humans.

* MindRape: Malkar's assault on him early in ''Mélusine'' drives the plot of the first two books. Later, Felix inflicts a similar fate on [[AssholeVictime Vulpes]].

* ComeToGawk/ShamedByAMob: When Stephen drags him through the Plaza del'Archimago in ''Mélusine''.

* Yandere: In ''Mélusine'', he seems to change his mind over whether he wants Felix or not on every few days that he sees him.

* GreenEyes: While he has no magic of his own, he has the uncanny ability to never get lost ever, even in the middle of magical labyrinths.

---> "Love and betrayal, the gorgon and the wheel. The dead tree will not shelter you, and the dead will not stay dead. Though you do not seek revenge, it will find you all the same."

* Seer: Although one of his prophecies will eventually kill him.
* Telepathy: He uses this for long-distance communication with Felix.

* Country Mouse: She's clueless about how to survive in Mélusine.

* ShamefulStrip: Courtesy of Brother Orphelin, at [[Bedlam House St. Crellifer's]].

* Telepathy: Uses it to talk with Gideon and Thamuris.

A listing of characters from the tetrology ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]'', by SarahMonette. Caution: Since characters often die, survive, or react based on the acts or luck of other characters, unmarked spoilers likely will exist.

A listing of characters from the tetrology ''[[Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths The Doctrine of Labyrinths]]'', by Sarah Monette. Caution: Since characters often die, survive, or react based on the acts or luck of other characters, unmarked spoilers likely will exist.

completely different story.

* [[BrotherSisterIncest Sibling Incest]]: His attraction to Mildmay.

* TheCaretaker: Of Mildmay, who's fallen seriously ill, in ''Corambis''. Felix takes this role very seriously, to the point of prostituting himself to pay a doctor.
* CampGay: Other than wimpiness, t's hard to think of a single gay stereotype he doesn't at some point play into.

* ComeToGawk/ShamedByAMob: When Stephen drags him through the Plaza del'Archimago in ''Mélusine''.

* DeadpanSnarker/GentlemanSnarker: When conversing with anyone who annoys him in any way. Which is to say, with any humans.

* TheDogBitesBack He snaps down hard on Malkar in ''The Virtu''. [[spoiler: That's why Malkar isn't around for the third and fourth books.]]

* TheOathbreaker: As Mildmay says, "I don't know of anything you care enough about to swear by," possibly because of the many times Felix has sworn by his soul and broken the vow.
* TheOphelia: A definite gender inversion in Felix in ''Mélusine''.

* SexGod: Gideon didn't know it was possible to have sex as good as it is with Felix.

* SquishyWizard: Not as graceless as some of his colleagues, but he's still so physically inept that Mehitabel laughs when Vulpes asks if he was the one who beat Mildmay to a pulp in ''The Mirador''.

* InterruptedSuicide: While trying to avoid being possessed by a fantome (''Mélusine'').

* AttemptedSuicide: While trying to avoid being possessed by a fantome (''Mélusine'').

* WickedStepparent: Planned on murdering at least one (probably both) of her stepchildren.

! Druce, Patricia

* FriendsWithBenefits: With Mehitabel.

* GentlemanThief: Averted. Mildmay can't write, swears constantly, and has no illusions about the morality of his career.

* WhenSheSmiles: Mildmay says her smile is "as bright as a handful of diamonds in the sun."

* AttemptedSuicide: While trying to avoid being possessed by a fantome (''Melusine'').

* ComeToGawk/ShamedByAMob: When Stephen drags him through the Plaza del'Archimago in ''Melusine''.

A ghost or spirit who encounters insane!Felix in the lower reaches of the Mirador in ''Melusine''. He wants desperately to be put to rest, something Felix accomplishes in ''The Mirador''.

A psychopathic blood wizard who found then-adolescent Felix in a brothel, then groomed him to become a member of polite society, while also brutalizing him and casting the obligation de sang on him. He steals Felix's power to break the Virtu, burn much of the Mirador, and destroy its wards in ''Melusine''. Felix kills him to save Mildmay in ''The Virtu''. [[spoiler: As it turns out, "Malkar Gennadion" is an alias for Brinvillier Strych. Whether Strych had faked his own death a century ago, or come back from the dead, remains unknown.]]

Famous banker and mayor of Melusine.

[[/folder]]