Characters / Affairs of the Court

The PC

The protagonist, a young noble who has just come-of-age and is sent to court to secure a spouse and the family's fortune. To proceed through the trilogy, they must win over the Monarch by the end of the first game, but how they do so, and what they do after, is up to them...

• A Deadly Affair: Has plenty of opportunities to get into one of these throughout the trilogy, and multiple flavours of them, too.
  • "Choice of Romance": The "killing your lover's spouse" variant is an option for improving your status in court, but it isn't a requirement.
  • "Choice of Intrigue": Regardless of whether you've married the Monarch or not, "killing your spouse's lover" is a possible way to get rid of Adelita.
  • "'Til Death Do Us Part": "Killing your spouse's lover" is again an option, this time for dealing with Lucí(o/a), but you can also engage in "killing your spouse", both to protect yourself and to free yourself up for a relationship with de Mendosa or de Vega.
• The Charmer / Manipulative Bastard: Will end up one of these, depending on your Charm and Subtlety scores. The game highly encourages you to flesh at least one of them out to survive, though maintaining both is difficult since improving one typically requires you to sacrifice the other.
• Chick Magnet: Catches the eye of no less than three people the minute they set foot in court, not to mention de Vega and the unwanted attention of Tomas de Reyes in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
• Cruel and Unusual Death:
  • There are quite a number of ways for the PC to die, especially in "'Til Death Do Us Part", where the Monarch could have you burned alive for a variety of reasons.
  • The PC can inflict many of these on others, directly or indirectly, with special mentions going to:
    • The Blood Magic Death curses a PC can use throughout the trilogy.
    • Defending yourself against an assassination attempt by Killing Them With Fire in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
    • Again in "'Til Death Do Us Part", you can throw de Mendosa or de Vega under the bus when rumours of you committing adultery spread, in which case they are subjected to Cold-Blooded Torture.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: If you flee the country in the third game, you die of a random fever a year later. This doesn’t happen if you’re legitimately exiled, though.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: If you manage to reach a Bittersweet Ending—or the Golden Ending—then you have earned it.
• Expy: Is essentially Anne Boleyn—even if male! They may or may not be more successful.
• Gold Digger: What your family wants you to be, and can be this in a romance with Torres or the Monarch. Averted in a romance with de Mendosa.
• Happily Married: Potentially to the Monarch. The PC can also marry de Vega or de Mendosa at the end of the third game.
• Henpecked Husband: Played with in regards to the Monarch; the best way to avoid angering them is to never openly oppose them and agree with whatever they say, but you can work behind the scenes or subtly sway their opinions with flattery.
• I Did What I Had to Do: How they justify their actions in Court, and they can do it a lot.
• Impoverished Patrician: Their noble family has fallen on hard times, and are relying on the PC to restore them to status.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: A very hard status to maintain—almost impossible, in fact, but a PC can be this, in which case they can get the Golden Ending.
• Kick the Dog: You better believe this comes up. While certain actions are needed to improve your position, some of them—such as offering to murder your sibling—are completely unnecessary.
• Mama Bear / Papa Wolf: The PC can refuse to hide away while assassins try to kill their sons, running out to fight them off themselves.
• The Mistress: If you aren't comfortable murdering the Monarch's consort and marrying them yourself, you can settle for being just this, though it is a less secure position.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: An option in all three games; in the first it's to marry the Monarch yourself, in the other two it's to stop their eye from straying.
• Not with Them for the Money: It’s possible that the PC can marry the Monarch out of love, not a desire for money or status. With Torres, though, they’re definitely Only in It for the Money.
• Rags to Royalty: They do hail from a noble line, but theirs is very poor. If you want to continue the trilogy you thus have to do this.
• Teen Genius: Canonically, they navigated court politics and won over the Monarch at sixteen. Additionally, if you have a high Booksmart or Magic skill, then they're quite the prodigy, particularly in the case of the latter, since being skilled in magic allows you to murder the Consort with highly-advanced Death magic at sixteen.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: The PC can blackmail, sabotage, poison, and outright assassinate others all for the sake of keeping themselves and their families safe. In fact, it's a lot more difficult not to be one.
• What Beautiful Eyes!: The Monarch compares them to brilliant gemstones at one point.
• Yandere: Once a game, the PC gets a rival for the Monarch’s affection. If they murder all three of them, it’s not inconceivable to call them this.

 

King/Queen Agustin(a) de Iberia, the Monarch

The Monarch, a hedonistic and selfish ruler who notices the PC when they first set foot in court and decides to pursue them. While naturally the PC takes advantage of this, the Monarch is also very temperamental, and navigating court politics while pleasing them is one of the series's challenges.

• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: If Juanita was killed in "Choice Of Intrigue", then the Monarch will mention missing her in "'Til Death Do Us Part". Thoroughly averted with the Consort if they leave or are executed, however.
• Betrayal by Offspring Their illegitimate son Tomas de Reyes tries to overthrow them in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
• The Caligula: They were never a nice ruler, but they go off the deep end in "‘Til Death Do Us Part" thanks to sheer paranoia and manipulation from Tomas de Reyes.
• The Casanova: They are very smooth-talking and very good at winning people over.
• Cultured Badass: They’re an incredibly potent Death Mage, but also well-versed in poetry and art.
• Depraved Bisexual: Attracted to both men and women, largely focused on their own desires, and becomes very violent in the third game.
• Expy: Of King Henry VIII.
• Happily Married: Potentially to the PC.
• The Hedonist: The defining character trait for them. Their pleasure comes before all else, even the good of the country.
• Ladykiller in Love: Implied in "Choice of Romances". In "Choice of Intrigue", they’ll go back to their skirt-chasing ways. If the PC manages to produce a Life Mage child, or otherwise suitably impress them, they’ll fall even deeper in love and give up their promiscuity for good.
• Mama Bear / Papa Wolf: They get pissed when they learn of the assassination attempt on their sons in the third game, and order a bloody massacre of the people behind it.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: If she’s female and the PC is male, then Agustina is the blunt, hedonistic huntress, while he’s the clever, charming mage.
• Morality Chain: The PC is acting as one for them by "'Til Death Do Us Part", with limited success.
• My God, What Have I Done?: They’ll be horrified if they accidentally kill their opponent during the tourney in the first game.
• Offing the Offspring: Can execute Juanita on false accusations of treason in "Choice of Intrigue", and can execute their Bastard Bastard Tomas after learning about his plan to overthrow them.
• Royal "We": Refer to themselves as “we”, generally. They only use singular pronouns during serious situations.
• Sanity Slippage: In the third game, thanks to their bastard son’s mind manipulation.
• Shoot the Dog: They go off the deep end in the third game and, most likely, will have to be put down to protect your family and all of Iberia.
• Stalker with a Crush: They are very persistent of the PC, but they will stop or lose interest if the PC doesn't reciprocate.
• Third-Option Love Interest: For the PC in "Choice of Romance" in contrast to Torres and de Mendosa. Since continuing to the later games requires you to romance them, they also form an Official Couple with the PC. They assume this role again in "'Til Death Do Us Part", this time with de Mendosa as Betty and de Vega as Veronica.
• Unstoppable Rage: Once they get mad, there's pretty much nothing you can do except get out of the line of fire.

 

Gabriel(a) de Mendosa

One of the romance options in the first game, a young noble with rebellious ideas and dreams of revolutionizing court.

• Betty and Veronica: In "Choice of Romance", the poor, adventurous, and rebellious Veronica to Torres' Betty and the Monarch's Third-Option Love Interest. This gets reversed in "'Til Death Do Us Part", where the idealistic and passionate de Mendosa becomes the Betty to de Vega, who takes their place as the Veronica.
• Covert Pervert: They like sneaking risqué imagery into their poems.
• Happily Married: Potentially with the PC in "Choice Of Romance". It’s possible to marry them and set up a democracy in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
• Magitek: A major plot point in "'Til Death Do Us Part" is their invention of Death Rods, which will allow commoners with the slightest bit of magic in their blood to cast Death spells. They meet a lot of pushback for this idea because of fears that it will cause massive social upheaval and destroy The Magocracy.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Will be horrified when their Death Rod backfires and kills de Vega’s wife.
• Nice Guy: Is the nicest and most moral of all the romance options in "Choice of Romance". Downplayed in "'Til Death Do Us Part", which is much more morally grey overall.
• Nice Guys Finish Last: Given that the trilogy canonically has the PC pursuing the Monarch at the end of the first game, at the very best Mendosa will just be let down gently. Though this can change in the third.
• Rebellious Spirit: They hate the way society is, and make sure people know.
• Stalker with a Crush: In the third game, if the PC isn’t interested in them, then de Mendosa becomes very pushy for a relationship. At one point, they’ll try to break into the PC’s room at night—the PC has to tell them five times to go away and threaten to call the guards; de Vega, in contrast, only needs to be told once to leave.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Espouses belief in (relative) social equality and rejects the social norms of the court.
• Woman Scorned: Dumping them for the Monarch causes them to write a scathing poem about you and distribute it across court, which tanks your Reputation.

 

Carlos/Carlotta Torres

The third of the romance options in the first game, Torres is an aging, wealthy merchant hoping to marry into nobility through the PC.

• Anguished Declaration of Love: If they love the PC, and the PC pursues the Monarch, they’ll give one.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Only if they love you, though. If not, they give you a Reason You Suck Speech.
• Meal Ticket: Your ticket out of poverty if you marry them, and they know it.
• Nobility Marries Money: An extremely wealthy commoner looking to marry into the nobility, and PC is an impoverished aristocrat looking to marry someone rich.

 

Mateo/Magdalena

The PC's younger sibling and one of the few people they trust unequivocally at court.

• Annoying Younger Sibling: The PC can perceive and treat them like this, but they can also Pet the Dog.
• Beware the Nice Ones: If the PC kills their husband and stepdaughter and they find out about it, they become a Crusading Widow and have you assassinated as retribution.
• The Confidant: For the PC, especially in the second and third games when the stress of keeping their position catches up with them. Shares this role with their uncle, acting as the idealist to his pragmatist when giving advice.
• The Cutie: Two years younger than the PC and infectiously excited at all times.
• Genki Girl / Keet: Never loses their enthusiasm for life and the courts. Unless...
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Is the bubbly and somewhat superficial foolish sibling to the PC's scheming and ambitious responsible sibling.
• Happily Married: To Don Felix in the second and third games. Played with since the two aren't in love, but they are very amicable with him and have a good relationship with their stepdaughter.
• Morality Pet: Even the most amoral and selfish of PCs can be nice and loving to their younger sibling.
• Motor Mouth: Talks faster than any of the other characters, making it difficult to tell what they are saying.
• Oblivious Younger Sibling: Is kept in the dark about some of the PC's more extreme actions, though their level of success varies based on their Subtle, and there are serious consequences if their sibling finds out about them murdering their husband and stepchild.
• Shipper on Deck: They ship the PC with de Mendosa, sighing over the romanticism of it all.

Luis de Vega

The Monarch's right-hand man, Luis de Vega strives for the betterment of Iberia above all else. Depending on how it's played, he can become the PC's greatest ally, or their worst enemy.

• Awesome by Analysis: Being an advisor, de Vega shows a great awareness of politics and court dynamics, which he, and potentially the PC, can use to great effect in dealing with their enemies.
• The Consigliere: Acts as one to the Monarch, and to a lesser extent to an allied PC.
• Crusading Widow: If the PC still sides with de Mendosa in "'Til Death Do Us Part" after his wife's death by Death Rod, he becomes determined to take both of you down. If you maintain a good relationship with him, he reserves his ire for de Mendosa.
• Drink-Based Characterization: Drinks brandy, representing his formal and closed-off demeanour and his strong-willed pursuit of a secure future for Iberia.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Can get spectacularly drunk in the PC's room after his wife's funeral, where he reveals who he is Beneath the Mask.
• Happily Married:
  • To his wife Sofía. Until "'Til Death Do Us Part", that is...
  • ...though he can marry the PC at the end of the game.
• In Vino Veritas: When he drinks with the PC in "'Til Death Do Us Part", he turns out to be quite a Sentimental Drunk, spending several hours talking about his wife. He also lets slip that he has feelings for the PC, which can lead to Kissing Under the Influence unless they refuse to kiss or sleep with him while he's inebriated.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: Luis de Vega is driven by a desire to protect Iberia at any cost, even after the Monarch begins their descent into Sanity Slippage. He can be convinced to plot against the Monarch on the basis that their downfall is necessary for the good of the nation.
• Not So Stoic: Gets a few moments in "'Til Death Do Us Part":
  • Completely unravels after Sofía dies. Gives a furious What the Hell, Hero? speech to the PC if they didn't side with him during the debate, blaming them for her death. If the PC did side with him, he breaks down crying in front of them and gets drunk the night after her funeral.
  • Shows a surprisingly shy and awkward side if romanced, and has a lot of trouble proposing to the PC after they execute a successful coup.
• Previously Overlooked Paramour: Is explicitly stated to not be romantically attracted to the PC in "Choice of Romance" but gets Promoted to Love Interest after the death of his wife in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
• Sleeping with the Boss's Wife: If romanced in "'Til Death Do Us Part", especially if the PC is a consort instead of The Mistress. Lampshades how dangerous this could be after the fact, and asks to break up with the PC to protect them. It is possible to refuse, however, in which case de Vega continues his relationship with you while the Monarch is actively undergoing Sanity Slippage.
• The Stoic: A quiet and serious man who keeps his focus squarely on his duties as an advisor.
• The Strategist: As advisor to the monarch, de Vega fills this role, and he can also serve as one for an allied PC.
• The Unfettered: In a setting full of characters pursuing incredibly ruthless means to achieve their goals, de Vega is one of the clearest examples of this trope, to the point that he is willing to commit treason for the good of Iberia.