History Literature / DeadWest

* [[Lord and Knight LadyAndKnight]]: The Porcelain Doctor and Gervas have this dynamic, down to the kneeling and hand-kissing (maybe even with shades of CourtlyLove). Gervas even gets knighted after a while, courtesy of the Beast. Note that this is apparently a well-tested ritual, and the oath seems to help synchronize our narrator with Niall, and providing him access to several favours.

* BadassInDistress: The Porcelain Doctor was kidnapped once, by a Scottish ex-soldier, in ''Porcelain''. He lost his glasses in the process, and got hit several times. He was otherwise assaulted, too, and judging from a few words, the soldier molested him. So by the time [[DigDamnHeroes Gervas and the Merry Company]] arrives, the good doctor has already burned through his binds, ignited a few idiots with an offered brandy, scared off most of them, but not before he made one to hand him his cane, then put a sword through his kidnapper's stomach.

* SelfMutilationDemonstration: [spoiler: used by Gervas, demonstrating that Niall is out of control. He cuts himself with a piece of a broken teacup, and it almost instantly heals. Inverted with that Gervas himself doesn't have a HealingFactor, but the Porcelain Doctor's PowerIncontinence worsened. Our narrator points out that it still hurt, but he managed to convince Niall to try and rein in his new powers by training on him.]

** Tortor is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. But they don't have to use anything but their brain.

** Gervas and Mordechai being MistakenForGay, with several NotWhatItLooksLike moments. Gervas MistakenForBadass, and contemplating to buy a parrot.
** The Porcelain Doctor cannot finish his damned book!

Dead West is a peculiar little web novel series (in Hungarian), it was available for a short time only for a few people. The author was discouraged by her family, so she took it off. Still, it was an intruguing storyline with a rich, well-developed world.

* AdultFear: [[FridgeHorror Copiuos]] amounts for Cedric. [[spoiler:His beloved baby brother is on the other side of the world, and he knows Niall is most likely dying. He cannot help him, and cannot follow him, as he is currently in war, and his little brother wants to do this alone anyway. The only person whom Niall lets to accompany him is an elderly BattleButler.]]
* AlternateHistory: seems to be mostly similar to our own, but significant persons (e.g. Jesus) are all aristocrats, and Britain always had a queen since the victorious rebel of Boudica. Africa had lost all of its magic/ruling aristocrats in a rumble that degraded the paradise kingdom to the Sahara, and Asia experiences a transition from magic to psychic/tech. It is the age of Steam. North America is slowly invaded by Europeans as most of its population was wiped out by a massive war and plague, and South America is mostly occupied by animals, since something killed all people there. Australia seems to have won the lottery with a society formed by the strongest commoners, a few nicer aristocrats, and magicians. Japan is closed from Westerners by magic, but it seems that there are quite a few aristocrats, too.
** AllMythsAreTrue: or at least inspired by existing life forms or abilities. Merlin was the first Westerner wizard who decided to subject himself to an Aristocrat without any struggle. Jesus was an aristocrat king with truly exceptional abilities, and most likely possessed a psychic crystal, which was given him by an angel. Several exceptionally gifted aristocrats (and the Porcelain Doctor himself) end up as Warrior or Soothing Saints.

* {{Badass}}: everyone. Even the butlers and maids. Comes in multiple flavours!

* BattleButler and battle maids, the servants [[spoiler:of the [=MacArkill=] family.]]

* BilingualBonus: several times. Most of the times, we have TranslationConvention for languages our narrator speaks (it is quite neccessary, as they are using several languages even within the same conservation, if they want to discuss something discreetly in the presence of others), but sometimes there is no such thing. You have to know Scottish Gaelic to enjoy these, but they are mostly funny.

* {{Bromance}}: between the narrator and the Porcelain Doctor. Maybe more than that from Gervas' side. In the last novel, this becames a [[spoiler: TragicBromance, with Niall's eventual death by Gervas' hands.]]
* BroughtDownToBadass: [[spoiler: all aristocrats in a certain area of Africa, when some kind of ancient magic erupts, giving back magic to the previously blank continent. In the middle of a battle. They handle it quite well, since most of the aristocrats are trained in normal combat and medicine, but they have to leave the continent in a hasty tactical retreat.]]

* CoveredInScars: The [=MacArkill=] brothers, and Gervas in the end. Justified with that the formers are warriors from a very young age, and Gervas as their knight gets many chances to fight and get maimed. [[spoiler: Niall thinks because of this that he hasn't got good looks, and may have been scared away a few girls when disrobing. Gervas has a strong opinion about this, namely that he loves them; he thinks they show how strong is the Porcelain Doctor in reality, and appreciates the [[EveryScarHasAStory ones known by him.]]]]
* CombatMedic: The Porcelain Doctor and his squad on the British side, the Boers have von Ranzow and his doctors. They are very much adored in-universe for this, [[spoiler: and Niall and von Ranzow both end up as Warrior Saints in their lifes, a rare honour.]] Note that usually the only person to fight on the battlefield is Niall, when he is challenged, as he is the only aristocrat in the field lazaretum, and thus he is in the unique position to not to lose his immunity after the duel. When Gervas joins him as his knight, he is the only one challenged, since opponents presume that he is an aristocrat as well, and they never bothered to check his family tree when just one [[HeroicBuild quick glance]] "reveals" his nobility.

* DesignatedLoveInterest: Carolina seems to be this for Gervas. It is up to debate how much is it caused by the fact that [[UnreliableNarrator Gervas]] recounts these years for his grandson after he married his FirstLove, and how much is for the fact that Gervas already seemed to be quite infatuated with the Porcelain Doctor by the time he was introduced to [[ActionGirl Carolina]].
** Most likely, this is deliberate, due to the fact that Gervas has married Alexandra, and he feels uncomfortable explaining to a tween that grandpa has loved anybody else than grandma and other grandpa. Nevertheless, he declares that he is in love with Carolina as soon as he meets her. She fits his outlines for a perfect wife, that's sure, but still...
* DudeLooksLikeALady: played with. People frequently mistake the Porcelain Doctor for a pretty girl, but it is mostly because he spends his time next to [[HeroicBuild Gervas or his equally gigantic brother]]. Next to them everyone would look like a girl. When they can get a second glance, or hear him speak, they mostly reconsider (and think he is Gervas' husband).
** He later gets flanderized into a full-fledged example, but it might be justified by Niall becoming more and more emaciated and fragile as his illness progresses. And the fact that his hair becomes longer and longer doesn't help.
* EpilepticTrees: In-universe. [[spoiler: There was a legendary master spy almost two hundred years before the story starts, named Gervas Klarenfeld, the Hound. He was an Austrian aristocrat in the service of the Empress Maria Theresa, disgraced at the end of a war he helped to win, and presumably executed by the French monarch. His entire family disappeared, either fled from the empire or also killed by his numerous enemies. Then at the end of the 19. century, we have our narrator, named Gervas Klarenfeld... His family is Prussian, and his father deliberately named him after the master spy, trying to give his family a better reputation. Gervas ended up growing into a [[HeroicBuild giant by commoner standards]], and his [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower exceptional abilities]] help to confuse everybody, leading to the wide-spread belief that he is, in fact, the heir of the Hound, and an aristocrat by birth. He doesn't like this, but more than once abuses other's beliefs about him, notably when he delivers a verbal CurbStompBattle to Cherryworth. Cherryworth himself is the Queen's Sleuth, and considers Gervas a WorthyOpponent, whom he would rather have on their side. Also, Cherryworth is the one who starts the rumours spread at light's speed, after investigating Gervas' involvement with the [=MacArkills=]. From his side of the story, it is easy to see why he thought this; Gervas looks remarkably similar to the late Hound, the name is the same, and he really entered into the clan's service with a misdated knight's contract, resulting in Cherryworth believing that he was specifically recruited by Cedric to guard his little brother. And of course a mighty aristocratic clan with royal blood in their veins wouldn't employ a mere commoner, that would be undignified. And Gervas does demonstrate some skills what might be "veiled gifts", with the help of some ColdReading and eavesdropping, and uses his supposed MindReading to make threats to Cherryworth. This misstep paired with the fact that Gervas actually received a minor noble rank for his military valours resulted in the EpilepticTree quickly spreading. This is more annoying than amusing for our narrator, although it actually helps several times, and earns him a MemeticBadass status in-universe.]]

* ForgetsToEat: well, not exactly forgets... the Porcelain Doctor. Combination of disgusting hallucinations and his medication's side effects tends to conclude in this. He actually suffers ill consequences, getting weaker and weaker, and he was underweight to begin with. Everybody near him tries to make him eat, but they are rarely successful (except [[BattleButler Thomas]]).

* FunctionalAddict: the Porcelain Doctor (and most aristocrats) are addicted to some kind of substance. For Niall, it is heroin. His brother drinks. Their father died from alcohol poisoning, since he passed the functional part in his late twenties.
** Justified by the fact that the aristocrats' metabolism seems to differ from a commoner's. They need other types of pharmaceutical medicines, or increase the dose for let it properly working. Judging from something Niall babbles during a hallucination, even their brains look different.

* GirlOnGirlIsHot: played with; one FriendlyRival bounty hunter company offered to pay the Merry Company's tab, if [[ActionGirl Carolina]] kisses [[DudeLooksLikeALady the Porcelain Doctor]]. She enthusiastically does this. Twice. Then Gervas tooks the role of the party crasher and informs them that the good doctor is, in fact, a man.
** Gervas imagination runs wild in the brothel scene, as Carolina disappears with a girl.
* GlassCannon : the doctor averts this [[spoiler:when using his powers]]: he can take damage as much as he can dish out. [[spoiler:When temporarily depowered, he becomes this.]]
* GoodOldFisticuffs: it seems like the most honorable aristocratic duels involve swords or this. It ends up quite funny, when even in the middle of a raging battle, officers drop their guns to have a go at each other. Gervas even lampshades this, stating that he now understands why battles are so long. He might be right, some soldiers even stop to watch their lords wrestling in the middle of a freaking artillery display or under heavy gunfire. This is the more friendly version of honor battles, rarely ending with death (unlike with swords), and Gervas is frequently participating in these when defending the lazaretums.
* HeroicBuild : the protagonist, Gervas is frequently mistaken as an aristocrat, due to his height and muscular build. Most of the aristocrats are above seven feet tall, and more than two hundred pounds. This ties into their supposed origin (in this world's Bible, the Nephilim are them).
* HeroicBSOD: quite a few instances. When Gervas has them [[spoiler: e.g. after realizing that his best friend is dying, or when it dawns on him that he himself helped to progress his addiction]], they are quite understated, but Niall has an epic one in Diamond, induced by a secret mission from the Queen. He even cries, something he never did before, and Gervas suspects [[spoiler: he might have been raped.]] He needs a few days to recuperate. It is stated that this always happens when Cherryworth, the Queen's Sleuth spirites him away.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: the Porcelain Doctor, big time. Pale, pretty face, with no sign of stubble? Check. Slim figure with narrow waist and with barely visible muscles? Check. Long, flowing ginger hair, big green eyes? Check and check. The Le Tellier twins also qualify, even if in a bit more statusque sense.
* {{Macguffin}}: [[spoiler: the crystals.]]
* MagicalNegro: it implied to be the case with the MacArkill family's servants. This or they are terrifyingly competent in taking care of crazy lords with PsychicPowers. They are stated to be [[BattleButler Battle Butlers and Maids]], and Thomas always seems to find something to cook a gourmet meal with, even in the wilderness, and manages to serve it like in a high-life restaurant. It says something when your lord thinks that you are the only one [[spoiler: openly]] needed to accompany his precious baby brother to a journey on the other side of the world. Because you are the only one who can occasionly get him to actually eat. Thomas is just that qualified. Oh and he is also able to clean and repair clothes, and find everything his young master might need. His wife, sons and daughters seem to be the same. Gervas suspects that they are a kind of elves like brownies or magicians in service of the [=MacArkill=] family. As magic is persecuted in the aristocratic Europe and Asia, entering into an aristocrat's service is the best way to survive.

* NoodleIncident: Several, most of them in their BackStory. They would explain a lot about our narrator... Like how he is [[ImprobableAimingSkills one hell of a sniper]] and good with GoodOldFisticuffs.

* NotWhatItLooksLike: A fine example: Charlie finds our protagonists in bed after a confusing night... The Porcelain Doctor is chained to the bed, and Gervas has only pants on. Funnier for the fact that Charles is not upset about her sister's suitor apparently bedding the young doctor, his dismay is about using chains after the Porcelain Doctor just have been injured. Gervas is franctic, but he was telling the truth. There was no sex involved, and his shirt has been burned off by the doctor... but noone believes them. There are much more incidents like this, and after a while, they just give up explaining (not like they could tell the whole truth).

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: the shamblers. These are the re-animated corpses of the European settlers, always reassembled by the native spirits magic. Since ThePlague all but wiped out the Native Indians, they are the only thing keeping the westerners to conquer the continents. It seems to be effective. Apparently their speed, power and abilities are depending on freshness. They can be stopped for a few night by destroying their brain stems, or cutting them into pieces, but they are constantly reassembled by the spirits.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: the Amber Duchess and the Porcelain Doctor; a beautiful, fragile-looking Scottish [[RebelliousPrincess duchess]] paired with a [[CombatMedic young]] [[BraveScot Scottish]] [[{{Bishounen}} earl]]. Granted, it didn't start with mutual love, but they had a lot of respect towards each other, and after getting married, the doctor soon started to reciprocate the duchess' love. [[KnightTemplarBigBrother The Beast]] obviously spent a lot of time searching for the perfect lady for his little brother
->"I have to spend the rest of my life in her company after all."

* PsychicPowers: the aristocrats have these in several flavors, and if they speak about it, they almost exclusively use Latin terms. Note that these are not referring to the abilities, but for the users themselves.

*** Actually, they seem to mean respectively the users of psychic shield and armor. One refers to an ability to stop any kind of offense (even gunfire, and can be extended for others nearby), the other is good for lessen the power of the attacks which reach the user.

* RunningGag: Gervas and Mordechai being MistakenForGay, with several NotWhatItLooksLike moments. Gervas MistakenForBadass, and contemplating to buy a parrot.
** Also, the Porcelain Doctor cannot finish his damned book!

* ScarsAreForever: played with. Most of the characters are too young for the scars to fade totally away, and some are simply too deep for disappear. [[spoiler: Niall is able to heal himself with very little traces, but from some angles, even the more than a decade old scars on his face are visible. He is also quite aware that he looks horrible with a body CoveredInScars, and mistakenly believes that it makes him appear entirely unappetizing. He tries to hide his scars so the others won't get suspicious that maybe he is not only a mere doctor, but luckily, when he ultimately fails, the Merry Company misinterprets the scars as traces of ParentalAbuse.]] Gervas himself states that his own scars are hardly noticable, but still there. Notable with Niall's handprints on his abdomen, but it might be justified; he burned him pretty deep.
* SmugSnake: downplayed with the Queen's Sleuth. He is quite nice when not spiriting Niall away for HeroicBSOD -inducing secret trips, and after Gervas delivers him an epic verbal beatdown, his first act is trying to convince [[GracefulLoser Cedric to tie Gervas to the MacArkills as tightly as possible, raise his knightly favors and keep our narrator as close to his little brother as possible]]. But he does nick the Porcelain Doctor for the Queen's service for time to time, and does abuse his temporarily higher status, up and including to kissing the doctor, French-style (ostensibly trying to erase his memories). He also keeps him in this type of service, and only treats Gervas nicely because he thinks he is the descendant of Maria Theresa's Hound.

* TheSouthpaw: suprisingly common amongst aristocrats. [[spoiler: Niall and Cedric are southpaws, which is handy for several reasons, and the fact that the Porcelain Doctor is left-handed serves as an early clue that he is an aristocrat, despite his small size.]]

* TechnicolorEyes: some of the aristocrats. Most of the cases this is simple heterochromia, but Cecil's eyes are amethyst, Arabell's are amber (hence the Amber Duchess nickname), and the two [=MacArkill=]'s eyes seems to [[MoodRingEyes]] change their colour. This is most likely because they actually have gray eyes, and lighting and the uniforms do change the percepted colour.

* UnsettlingGenderReveal: zigzagged. Gervas meets the titular porcelain doctor on a steamship, [[spoiler:and concludes that the waifish, slim redhead with the creamy skin and the narrow waist ("like wearing a corset") and soft voice, wearing dainty glasses must be a crossdressing woman. He swores to protect the doctor, who is quite baffled, but accepts... then later, on a train, after a clash with "shamblers", the doctor disrobes a bit. Our narrator promptly tries to look away, but peeks a little, and does a Double Take. The doctor was, in fact, a he. Not that this stops Gervas. Even better, almost everybody mistakes him for a girl. Carolina even grabbed his loins (cue minor freakout, from both parties), and wasn't too sure even after that!]]

* NoodleIncident: several, most of them in their BackStory. They would explain a lot about our narrator... Like how he is [[ImprobableAimingSkills one hell of a sniper]] and good with GoodOldFisticuffs.

** I'd be interested in why Gervas had to climb a roof and broke into an attic just to watch an elderly noblewoman commit adultery.
** Or why he hates his father so much.

** BadassNormal: Gervas. He is a GeniusBruiser in [[BadassInANiceSuit sharp clothes]] and keeps up with most of the Aristocrats [[spoiler:even with the [[RedBaron Beast]]!]] The Merry Company may also qualify.
** BadassBookworm and BadassInANiceSuit [[spoiler:the honorable Sir Niall]] Mordechai Calloway [[spoiler: [=MacArkill=]]], the Porcelain Doctor. [[HandicappedBadass He walks with a cane]]. Said cane hides a sword. He can use it.
** BattleButler and battle maids, the servants [[spoiler:of the [=MacArkill=] family.]]
** FourStarBadass: The Porcelain Doctor's beloved big brother. Also known as [[spoiler: [[RedBaron the Beast]], the most honorable Lord William Cedric Stewart Calloway [=MacArkill=]]].

** Most likely, this is deliberate, due to the fact that Gervas has married Alexandra, and he feels uncomfortable explaining to a tween that grandpa has loved anybody else than grandma [[{{YMMV}} and other grandpa]]. Nevertheless, he declares that he is in love with Carolina as soon as he meets her. She fits his outlines for a perfect wife, that's sure, but still...

** Most likely, this is deliberate, due to the fact that Gervas has married Alexandra, and he feels uncomfortable explaining to a tween that grandpa has loved anybody else than grandma [[YourMileageMayVary and other grandpa]]. Nevertheless, he declares that he is in love with Carolina as soon as he meets her. She fits his outlines for a perfect wife, that's sure, but still...

* EpilepticTrees: In-universe. [[spoiler: There was a legendary master spy almost two hundred years before the story starts, named Gervas Klarenfeld, the Hound. He was an Austrian aristocrat in the service of the Empress Maria Theresa, disgraced at the end of a war he helped to win, and presumably executed by the French monarch. His entire family disappeared, either fled from the empire or also killed by his numerous enemies. Then at the end of the 19. century, we have our narrator, named Gervas Klarenfeld... His family is Prussian, and his father deliberately named him after the master spy, trying to give his family a better reputation. Gervas ended up growing into a [[HeroicBuild giant by commoner standards]], and his [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower exceptional abilities]] help to confuse everybody, leading to the wide-spread belief that he is, in fact, the heir of the Hound, and an aristocrat by birth. He doesn't like this, but more than once abuses other's beliefs about him, notably when he delivers a verbal CurbStompBattle to Cherryworth. Cherryworth himself is the Queen's Sleuth, and considers Gervas a WorthyOpponent, whom he would rather have on their side. Also, Cherryworth is the one who starts the rumours spread at light's speed, after investigating Gervas' involvement with the [=MacArkills`]. From his side of the story, it is easy to see why he thought this; Gervas looks remarkably similar to the late Hound, the name is the same, and he really entered into the clan's service with a not dated knight's contract, resulting in Cherryworth believing that he was specifically recruited by Cedric to guard his little brother. And of course a mighty aristocratic clan with royal blood in their veins wouldn't employ a mere commoner, that would be undignified. And Gervas does demonstrate some skills what might be "veiled gifts", with the help of some ColdReading and eavesdropping, and uses his supposed MindReading to make threats to Cherryworth. This misstep paired with the fact that Gervas actually received a minor noble rank for his military valours resulted in the EpilepticTree quickly spreading. This is more annoying than amusing for our narrator, although it actually helps several times, and earns him a MemeticBadass status in-universe.]]

* NotWhatItLooksLike: A fine example: Charlie finds our protagonists in bed after a confusing night... The Porcelain Doctor is chained to the bed, and Gervas has only pants on. Funnier for the fact that he is not upset about her sister's suitor apparently bedding the young doctor, his dismay is about using chains after the Porcelain Doctor just have been injured. Gervas is franctic, but he was telling the truth. There was no sex involved, and his shirt has been burned off by the doctor... but noone believes them. There are much more incidents like this, and after a while, they just give up explaining (not like they could tell the whole truth).

* CombatMedic: The Porcelain Doctor and his squad on the British side, the Boers have von Ranzow and his doctors. They are very much adored in-universe for this, [[and Niall and von Ranzow both end up as Warrior Saints in their lifes, a rare honour.]] Note that usually the only person to fight on the battlefield is Niall, when he is challenged, as he is the only aristocrat in the field lazaretum, and thus he is in the unique position to not to lose his immunity after the duel. When Gervas joins him as his knight, he is the only one challenged, since opponents presume that he is an aristocrat as well, and they never bothered to check his family tree when just one [[HeroicBuild quick glance]] "reveals" his nobility.

** Most likely, this is deliberate, due to the fact that Gervas has married Alexandra, and he feels uncomfortable explaining to a tween that grandpa has loved anybody else than grandma [[YMMV and other grandpa]]. Nevertheless, he declares that he is in love with Carolina as soon as he meets her. She fits his outlines for a perfect wife, that's sure, but still...

* EpilepticTrees: In-universe. [[spoiler: There was a legendary master spy almost two hundred years before the story starts, named Gervas Klarenfeld, the Hound. He was an Austrian aristocrat in the service of the Empress Maria Theresa, disgraced at the end of a war he helped to win, and presumably executed by the French monarch. His entire family disappeared, either fled from the empire or also killed by his numerous enemies. Then at the end of the 19. century, we have our narrator, named Gervas Klarenfeld... His family is Prussian, and his father deliberately named him after the master spy, trying to give his family a better reputation. Gervas ended up growing into a [[HeroicBuild giant by commoner standards]], and his [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower exceptional abilities]] help to confuse everybody, leading to the wide-spread belief that he is, in fact, the heir of the Hound, and an aristocrat by birth. He doesn't like this, but more than once abuses other's beliefs about him, notably when he delivers a verbal CurbStompBattle to Cherryworth. Cherryworth himself is the Queen's Sleuth, and considers Gervas a WorthyOpponent, whom he would rather have on their side. Also, Cherryworth is the one who starts the rumours spread at light's speed, after investigating Gervas' involvement with the [=MacArkills`]. From his side of the story, it is easy to see why he thought this; Gervas looks remarkably similar to the late Hound, the name is the same, and he really entered into the clan's service with a not dated knight's contract, resulting in Cherryworth believing that he was specifically recruited by Cedric to guard his little brother. And of course a mighty aristocratic clan with royal blood in their veins wouldn't employ a mere commoner, that would be undignified. And Gervas does demonstrate some skills what might be "veiled gifts", with the help of some ColdReading and eavesdropping, and uses his supposed MindReading to make threats to Cherryworth. This misstep paired with the fact that Gervas actually received a minor noble rank for his military valours resulted in the EpilepticTree quickly spreading. This is more annoying than amusing for our narrator, although it actually helps several times, and earns him a MemeticBadass status in-universe.]] [[spoiler: Then there are the EpilepticTrees about the Porcelain Doctor, also in-universe. He might or might not be a RoyalBastard, but he also is believed to be a WholesomeCrossdresser, a SweetPollyOliver, an angel in human flesh, his own brother's son or lover, either as a woman or as a man, even if he is currently believed to be an actual sibling. This annoys him to no end, and actually causes him to be considered as a disgrace by most of the clan. The only family member who clearly loves him is his brother, and he states that he is his little brother, a full-fledged [=MacArkill=], period. No matter what evidence surfaces.]]

* BackToBackBadasses: [[spoiler: Gervas and Niall. This is good for both of them since the Porcelain Doctor has trouble keeping his balance without his cane or buffing himself with his abilities first, and can take care of each other's opponents with different styles. Mostly, Gervas shoots and beats up the ones who are too close to them, and Niall destroys everything he can reach with his swords, while protecting themselves with his abilities. Mostly demonstrated in fights against the shamblers or in Africa when not on the battlefield. Gervas notes that they pulled this off pretty well, in BattleCouple-style, even for the first time. He theorizes that receiving the similarly outlined education and dance lessons might have helped, although it seems that with his oath he synchronized with his friend.]]

** BattleButler and battle maids, the servants [[spoiler:of the MacArkill family.]]

* BigBrotherInstinct: The Porcelain Doctor commonly inspires this in almost everyone. It annoys him to no end, as he is perfectly capable to take care of himself, thankyouverymuch. [[spoiler: It's caused by his aura, called "the devil's veil". Normally, it shows him pretty frail and inspires protective instincts and love in the affected. He cannot turn it off most of the times, and when the devil's veil is off, he is terrifying.]]

* {{Steampunk}}: The general setting seems to be this. The ships and trains they use are running on steam, and two supporting characters are established creators and users of various steam-powered inventions. One of them is a shooting range with moving figures! There are also steam-powered cars, and zeppelins (the protagonists can't use them [[spoiler:because of the Porcelain Doctor PlayingWithFire abilities. Aristocrats like him have a red marking in their passports, and banned from using zeppelins.]])

* CombatMedic: The Porcelain Doctor. Von Ransow.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Gervas to a lesser extent; he is perfectly polite and usually jovial, but he can twist a two-inch steel bar, and if you annoy him, he will make you a nice and tightly fitted cravat from said steel. The Porcelain Doctor combines this with BewareTheQuietOnes. He is calm, collected, soft voiced, blushes like a girl and if not disturbed, just sits quietly, reading something. But if you push his BerserkButton, you better run. [[spoiler:He is not a royal knight for just looking good, and by the ripe age of 22 (which is not even legal age in this setting), he is a revered war hero, and received several medals for his medical services on battlefields... oh, and for single-handedly defending the lazaretums on said battlefield. Several times. Alone. With a very pronunced limp. His [[RedBaron nicknames]] include the Aog (death), and Two Angels (one for mercy, one for death).]]

* CoveredInScars: The [=MacArkill=] brothers, and Gervas in the end. Justified with that the formers are warriors from a very young age, and Gervas as their knight gets many chances to fight and get maimed. [[Niall thinks because of this that he hasn't got good looks, and may have been scared away a few girls when disrobing. Gervas has a strong opinion about this, namely that he loves them; he thinks they show how strong is the Porcelain Doctor in reality, and appreciates the [[EveryScarHasAStory ones known by him.]]]]

** He later gets flanderized into a full-fledged example, but it might be justified by Niall becoming more and more emaciated and fragile as his illness progresses.

* OneLastKiss: [[spoiler: Gervas kissing a comatose Niall, right before the MercyKill]].

** AllMythsAreTrue: or at least inspired by existing life forms or abilities. Merlin was the first Westerner wizard who decided to subject himself to an Aristocrat without any struggle. Jesus was an aristocrat king with truly exceptional abilities, and most likely possessed a psychic crystal, which was given him by an angel. Several aristocrats (and the Porcelain Doctor himself) ends up as Warrior Saints.

* BlessedWithSuck: Aristocrats. Or CursedWithAwesome, it depends. Their gifts are slowly killing their brains, and they easily become addicted to the rush of using said powers.

* ForgetsToEat: well, not exactly forgets... the Porcelain Doctor. Combination of disgusting hallucinations and his medicatin's side effects tends to conclude in this. He actually suffers consequences, getting weaker and weaker, and he was underweight to begin with. Everybody near him tries to make him eat, but they are rarely successful (except [[BattleButler Thomas]].

* ForgetsToEat: well, not exactly forgets... the Porcelain Doctor. He actually suffers consequences, getting weaker and weaker.

** Justified by the fact that the aristocrats' metabolism seems different from a commoner's. They need other types of pharmaceutical medicines, or increase the dose for let it properly working. Judging from something Niall babbles during a hallucination, even their brains look different.

* GoodOldFisticuffs: it seems like the most honorable aristocratic duels involve swords or this. It ends up quite funny, when even in the middle of a raging battle, officers drop their guns to have a go at each other. Gervas even lampshades this, stating that he now understands why battles are so long. He might be right, some soldiers even stop to watch their lords wrestling in the middle of a freaking artillery display or in heavy gunfire. This is the more friendly version of honor battles, rarely ending with death (unlike with swords), and Gervas is frequently participating in these when defending the lazaretums.

* FunctionalAddict: the Porcelain Doctor (and most aristocrats) are addicted to some kind of substance. For Niall, it is heroin. His brother drinks. Their father died from alcohol poisoning, since he passed the functional part in his llate twenties.

* ActionGirl: Carolina. [[RebelliousPrincess The Amber Duchess Arabell.]] [[FirstGirlWins Alexandra.]] [[BadassAdorable Evelyn.]] The [=MacArkills=] and Gervas seems

** BadassBookworm and BadassInANiceSuit [[spoiler:the honorable Sir Niall]] Mordechai Calloway [[spoiler:MacArkill]], the Porcelain Doctor. [[CrippledBadass He walks with a cane]]. Said cane hides a sword. He can use it.

** FourStarBadass: The Porcelain Doctor's beloved big brother. Also known as [[spoiler: [[RedBaron the Beast]], the most honorable Lord William Cedric Stewart Calloway MacArkill]].

** In-universe, Niall's aura, the Devil's Veil, is seen as this. Anyone affected by his aura views the Porcelain Doctor as the most precious, fragile and innocent thing ever, and it induces BigBrotherInstinct big time, but the false innocence could seduce people into trying to crush him. His aura only changes to "Sharp" when he is in a real rage, and this always comes as a big shock, as his powers are quite terrifying. After it's back, the who people just witnessed an epic CurbStompBattle delivered by him, resume to treat him as a baby. Even Gervas, who gets several first-hand tastes of his true powers, can't help himself.

* DeathGlare: The Porcelain Doctor has a mean one, paired with colour-changing eyes. When he is calm, his eyes are green. Blue is a good indicator that he is pissed. This is not real colour change, when he openes his eyes more, their colour changes with the light. He made enemies flee and forced Gervas to beg for his life in a panic just by casting an ice-cold glare.

* {{Bromance}}: between the narrator and the Porcelain Doctor. Maybe more than that from Gervas' side. In the last novel, this becames a [[spoiler: TragicBromance, with Niall's eventual death by Gervas' hands.]]

* FunctionalAddict: the Porcelain Doctor (and most aristocrats) are addicted to some kind of substance. For Niall, it is heroin. His brother drinks.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Gervas gets some books for his friend to entertain himself while he is bedridden, a few of them with "slightly frivolous content, quite popular in England." The narration avoids any explicit description, but is quite clear that our narrator gave the good doctor porn.

* MagicalNegro: it implied to be the case with the MacArkill family's servants. This or they are terrifyingly competent in taking care of crazy lords with PsychicPowers. They are stated to be [[BattleButler Battle Butlers and Maids]], and Thomas always seems to find something to cook a gourmet meal with, even in the wilderness, and manages to serve it like in a high-life restaurant. It says something when your lord thinks that you are the only one [[spoiler: openly]] needed to accompany his precious baby brother to a journey on the other side of the world. Because you are the only one who can occasionly get him to actually eat. Thomas is just that qualified. Oh and he is also able to clean and repair clothes, and find everything his young master might need. His wife, sons and daughters seem to be the same. Gervas suspects that they are a kind of elves like brownies or magicians in service of the MacArkill family. As magic is persecuted in the aristocratic Europe and Asia, entering into an aristocrat's service is the best way to survive.
* MistakenForBadass: A bit downplayed with Gervas Klarenfeld; the narrator, originally just a commoner journalist gets mistaken as an aristocrat, almost constantly. The confusion is fueled further by his name, which he shares with a long dead legendary (aristocrat) master spy, the Hound of Maria Theresa, and by his HeroicBuild. He really is a commoner, with no ties to said spy, and with no PsychicPowers, but since the master spy had the power to avoid detection and read minds, and Gervas is quite skilled in ColdReading (and eavesdropping), he cannot convince most people that he is a commoner. The only characters who believe him are the Porcelain Doctor and the Beast, since they reason he has nothing to gain by lies. And even the Beast thinks that he might have some of the Hound's blood.

* NiceToTheWaiter: Gervas. The MacArkill brothers. And since the Steel Knight and the Porcelain Doctor both treated [[BattleButler Thomas]] very politely, the Merry Company also humoured them. Them [[spoiler: correctly]] thinking [[MagicalNegro Thomas]] is a free man instead of a slave also helps.

* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: the Amber Duchess and the Porcelain Doctor; a beautiful, fragile-looking Scottish [[RebelliousPrincess duchess]] paired with a [[CombatMedic young]] [[BraveScot Scottish]] [[{{Bishounen}} earl]]. Granted, it didn't start with mutual love, but they had a lot of respect towards each other, and after getting married, the doctor soon started to reciprocate the duchess' love. [[KnightTemplarBigBrother The Beast]] obviously spent a lot of time searching for the perfect lady for his little brother ("I have to spend the rest of my life in her company after all.")

** Aura is some kind of projection of an [[PersonalityPowers Aristocrat's personality]]. Most of the time, it is [[BattleAura "Sharp"]], sending a message that the projector is very, very dangerous (and at least one of his powers is very useful for hurting people). Another common aura is "Soft", it is more calming and inspire happiness (common for Medices and Ariolus). The third is [[BlessedWithSuck "Devil's Veil"]], and pojects innocence and inspires BigBrotherInstinct in the onlookers. What is peculiar that is doesn't seems to respond to the user's main abilities. von Ransow, an aristocrat with only Soft abilities has this, and Niall's abilities are mostly good for killing everything.

* ArcWords : Porcelain body, steel soul, golden heart, diamond will. It is used to describe the young doctor, and has a MeaningfulEcho in every single novel.