Members of the Court | Saint-Cyr staff | Louise and her entourage | Charlotte and her entourage | Hortense and her entourage | Isabeau and her entourage | Éléonore and her entourage | Henriette and her entourage | Gertrude and her entourage | Olympe and her entourage | Adélaïde and her entourage | Jeanne and her entourage | Victoire and her entourage | Gabrielle and her entourage | Diane and her entourage
The characters who appear in Book 5, Éléonore et l'Alchimistenote .
Éléonore d'Aubeterre
The main character of Éléonore et l'Alchimiste. A sweet, shy and dutiful girl.
- Cunning Linguist: She learns German very fast and is good at it; while she keeps a little French accent, she can pass off as a native.
- Darkest Hour: After escaping from Dresde Castle, Johann is arrested. Without any money to return to France, she very briefly falls to begging for money outside of a church.
- The Determinator: Even though she doesn't really believe in the Philosopher's Stone, she will stop at nothing to find the formula, as it means life or death to Johann.
- The Dutiful Daughter: The reason she agrees to marry Von Watzdorf is that he promised her to pay all of her sisters' dowries.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: She is dressed in all purple on the cover of her book.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: She is one of six sisters, for whom it is very difficult to provide; as a result, all of her sisters are also this trope.
- Old Man Marrying a Child: At seventeen, she is betrothed to a man in his sixties.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: How she is depicted on the cover of her book. The "Ivory Skin" is even more apparent after her months in prison, since she never sees the sun anymore.
- Riches to Rags: Her richest point is when she is engaged to Baron Von Watzdorf and taking part in his French society; the poorest when she temporarily falls to begging to pay for her return to France after being separated from Johann.
François d'Aubeterre
Father to Catherine, Joséphine, Éléonore, Marie, Gilberte and Antoinette.
- Gentleman and a Scholar: He is very knowledgeable in history, geography and botany.
- Meaningful Rename: He cut down the "Préault" from "Préault-Aubeterre" as it is the name of a relative who rebelled against the King.
- Single Sex Offspring: Despairs at only having sired daughters, despite Éléonore pointing out that a son wouldn't have much to inherit from him.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: He keeps his distances from his remaining daughters, seldom even speaking to them; he apparently acted the same way toward his wife near the end.
Madame d'Aubeterre
Mother to Catherine, Joséphine, Éléonore, Marie, Gilberte and Antoinette.
- Missing Mom: She passes away shortly after Esther.
Catherine d'Aubeterre
The eldest Aubeterre sister.
- The Ghost: She never appears on-page.
- Old Man Marrying a Child: Because she is the prettiest of the sisters, she had the privilege of marrying a man old enough to be her grandfather, thrice a widower, who took her without dowry.
Joséphine d'Aubeterre
The second Aubeterre sister.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Barely, but she does come around to accepting that joy and fun are the way to keep Marie healthy, and grows a little more lenient towards Olympe and theater out of love for her sister.
- The Dreaded: Through her misguided care maintaining her in a depressive state, she has become this for Marie, and therefore Olympe.
- The Dutiful Daughter: Neck deep in eldest daughter syndrome, she is unwed and entirely devoted to her family.
- Freudian Excuse: Olympe soon comes to realize that the reason she is so smothering to Marie, to the point that she seems to maintain Marie in her illness only to take care of her: she was Promoted To Parent after their mother passed away, and while her devotion to her family gives her life meaning, it is never rewarded.
- Promotion to Parent: She has been acting as a mother to her younger sisters, especially Marie, the only one who remains at home.
Marie d'Aubeterre
The fourth Aubeterre sister.
- Friend to All Living Things: Animals don't fear her, even wild ones, and her father claims she talks to trees.
- Ill Girl: Her illness was brought upon by depression and her incapacity to cope with the death of her mother. She also has frequent panic attacks, and her priest believes that the devil is trying to possess her. She is ill during the first half of Book 8.
- Like Parent, Like Child: According to her father, she is the one most like her mother.
- Middle Child Syndrome: The fourth of the sisters, she is also considered the least pretty of the bunch.
Gilberte d'Aubeterre
The fifth Aubeterre sister.
- The Ghost: She never appears on-page.
Antoinette d'Aubeterre
The youngest Aubeterre sister.
- The Ghost: She never appears on-page.
Baron Georg Von Watzdorf
The ambassador of Saxony in France, and Éléonore's betrothed.
- The Gambling Addict: Implied, this is the reason he ruined himself and needs to leave Versailles in a hurry.
- Kavorka Man: He is past sixty, toothless, and homely on top of it; yet Sophie implies that he is fairly popular with the ladies of court.
- Nephewism: According to Johann, he liked him more than his daughter because he was a boy.
- Old Man Marrying a Child: In his sixties, he plans to marry a girl of seventeen.
- Uncle Pennybags: To Johann, his actual nephew: he funds his research.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: By his own admission, he was a terrible father to Elke, leaving her to basically fend for herself when he became ambassador.
Madame de Réaumont
Baron Von Watzdorf's housekeeper in Versailles.
- December–December Romance: She gets engaged to Herr Von Poellnitz, as he wishes for a womanly presence in his children's life.
- Hartman Hips: The first thing Éléonore notices about her, which is exaggerated by her petticoats.
- Maid and Maiden: Played With. She is the Maid to Éléonore's Maiden, but as she develops an affection for Herr Von Poellnitz, she becomes closer to the Maid herself.
Sophie de Saint-Cassien
Éléonore's lady-in-waiting before her departure for Saxony.
- Lady-In-Waiting: First to Éléonore, then to Madame d’Aulnoy, but she does not like it.
- Marry for Love: She gets engaged to Des Closets as they are kindred spirits.
- Spirited Young Lady: She wants to travel and have adventures; when told that men find independent women unattractive, she easily claims that men and marriage are fun but irrelevant in the end.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: She’s a quick thinker and adapts easily to new situations.
Herr Von Poellnitz
Éléonore's German teacher in France.
- December–December Romance: He gets engaged to Madame de Réaumont, as he wishes for a womanly presence in his children's life.
Elke Von Watzdorf
Baron Von Watzdorf's daughter.
- Heel–Face Turn: After mercilessly chasing Éléonore out of her house upon her father's death, she decides to help instead when she sees her begging in the street months later.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Her father was never be satisfied with her, because she was not a son.
- Parent with New Paramour: She does not take kindly to the idea of her father remarrying.
- Passed-Over Inheritance: The reason she hates Éléonore so violently: she believes that she has come to steal her inheritance, either for her or her future son.
- Taking the Veil: She decides to join a carmelite convent after her father's death.
Johann Böttger
A young alchemist looking for the Philosopher's Stone.
- The Determinator: He is genuinely convinced that he can make the philosopher's stone; though he is pragmatic enough to swtich to a more realistic project when his life is on the line.
- Deuteragonist: His actions end up leading the story more than Éléonore's for the biggest part of it.
- Distressed Dude: Averted. After being locked up, he finds a way to keep himself alive by trying to make porcelain instead, and manages, to the point that he is more of a Non-Protagonist Resolver.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Averted, as he doesn't actually propose for months, but he declares his love for Éléonore three days after meeting her.
- Historical Domain Character: He is losely based on alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger (1682-1719).
- Mad Scientist: Of the
Adorkable kind. He is deeply devoted to his craft and passionate about it.
Bertha
Éléonore and Johann's maid in the Dresde dungeon.
- Gossipy Hens: Her chattering keeps Éléonore sane during her months of imprisonment with Johann.
- Heel–Face Turn: Played With. She never asked to be a goaler in the first place, so when she sees a chance for Johann and Éléonore to escape, she helps them.
Johann Sigismund Kusser
A German composer returning to Paris to exchange with other musicians.
- Artists Are Attractive: A smooth, galant, handsome composer.
- Cultural Cringe: Downplayed, but he finds German music too harsh and too deeply rooted in Cultural Posturing, while French music is smoother and more open to foreign influences.
- Dogged Nice Guy: He is very pleasant to be around and more or less courting Éléonore, but her heart belongs to Johann. He still flirts with her for the thrill of it after she tells him so.
- Historical Domain Character
- Middle Name Basis: Éléonore calls him Sigismund, because of the One-Johann Limit.
- You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Uses this trick to help Éléonore cross the border by grandiloquently invoking his little fame in front of the guards and claiming that she is traveling with him.
Ninon de Lenclos
An old courtesan who hosts Éléonore in Paris.
- Cool Old Lady: Witty, generous and well-connected - a true fairy godmother.
- Hidden Depths: Éléonore is hesitant about staying with her before learning that she is close friends with Madame de Maintenon.
- Historical Domain Character
- I Was Quite a Looker: Once the most famous courtesan in Paris, she remains very popular in her seventies for her sharp wit and her society.
- The Nicknamer: Part of her conversation; she dubs Éléonore a knightess for her quest to save her Distressed Dude.
- Silver Fox: Éléonore thinks that she remains very elegant for a woman her age.
Charles Perrault, Pierre Mignard and Jean de la Fontaine
Famous artists in Parisian society.
- Historical Domain Character: All of them are among the most famous writers and artists of the time, see La Fontaine and Perrault’s pages.
- No Help Is Coming: They’re all eager to offer their help to Éléonore’s cause in front of Ninon, but being busy old men, they’re not too eager to act up on it. Perrault does however put Éléonore on the Richelieu lead.
Jean de la Hautemaison
A friend of Kusser's in Paris.
- Master of Unlocking: He is fascinated by locks and clocks, which is useful to break into the library at night. He also knows how to look for secret passages.
- Momma's Boy: To his old wet nurse Clo.
- The Musketeer: By profession.
Clo
The cook at Richelieu House in Ruel.
- December–December Romance: She is engaged to Joseph.
- Old Retainer: To Hautemaison; she used to be his wet nurse. He got her her job and visits her on occasion.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Clo is likely short for Clothilde.
Joseph
The steward at Richelieu House in Ruel.
- December–December Romance: He is engaged to Clo.
- Old Retainer: Has worked his whole life in Cardinal de Richelieu's former house, and his father before him.
- Stealing from the Till: He keeps some of his employer’s wine bottles in store to drink at his future wedding.
Madame d’Aulnoy
Ninon's friend and Sophie's new employer.
- Cool Aunt: Played With. She's eager to greet her niece from the West Indies, and just as eager to place her in a convent until marriage.
- Grande Dame: Has shades of this, being somewhat The Fundamentalist and full of Cultural Posturing. Sophie still thinks her kind.
- Historical Domain Character
Georges des Closets, knight of Ménillets
A porcelain trader Éléonore meets in Nantes.
- Bragging Rights Reward: Considers the recipe of the Philosopher’s Stone he received for freeing an old Turkish doctor to be this, as he sees unearned gold as pointless, immortality as blasphemous, and cannot decipher it anyway.
- Crash-Into Hello: How he meets Éléonore: he bumps into her at the East Indies Company offices.
- Fair for Its Day: Unlike other French explorers in the series, he is very respectful of foreign people and cultures, notably the Chinese whom he trades with, and calls others out on Cultural Posturing.
- Gentleman Adventurer: He is a porcelain trader who often journeys between France and China.
- Good Samaritan: Bought the freedom of an old Turkish doctor who was wasting away rowing on a galley.
- Marry for Love: He becomes smitten by Sophie's free spirit and proposes to her within three days of knowing her, though he makes it a long engagement as they both have journeys to finish.
