Characters from Jim Butcher's The Cinder Spires Steampunk series.
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Spire Albion
Gwen
Gwendolyn Margaret Elizabeth Lancaster
The hot-headed heir of House Lancaster, one of the greatest noble houses of Spire Albion. She insists on joining the Spirearch's Guard, as is tradition, despite her mother's protests.
- Action Girl: In the prologue, her first action is leaving home. By blasting the door open.
- Badass Adorable: She's described as looking like a porcelain doll... and responds to an encounter with enemy marines by blasting the officer in the face with her gauntlet from 5 feet away.
- Blue Blood: She comes from one of the politically highest houses with old and noble traditions. That said, she isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty when working on matters.
- Control Freak: Her critical flaw — Gwen often wants to help and take control of situations, assuming she's the smartest or most qualified to "help". Twice she tries to help Bridget, once making matters worse by her mere presence, the other time almost sabotaging Bridget's attempt to negotiate with the Aurorans. By the end of the book, Gwen shows awareness of this tendency.
- Cutting the Knot: Shows extreme tendencies towards this as a primary problem-solving method. When detailing the team's various duties, Spirearch Addison explains that Gwen's job will be "to avoid, overcome, or knock down any obstructions that may block [Master Ferus's] path." In the second book, when faced with an obstinate conman, Grimm just tells Gwen, now his XO, to "inspire competence", and feels a vague shred of pity for the other man as she bears down on him. She's also got absolutely no compunctions about either threatening to shoot someone, or shooting someone outright if it's more practical.
- Good Counterpart: To Madame Cavendish. Both are somewhat imperious and utterly obsessed with protocol, prone to reacting violently to insults, given the role of smoothing obstacles for their respective sides, and they're both classically attractive. The main difference is that Madame Cavendish is Ax-Crazy and takes breaches in protocol as an excuse to commit murder, while Gwen is perfectly sane, compassionate, and is only liable to demand an apology or satisfaction from those she believes to have been educated in the same proper manners as she has (in other words, those who she feels should know better).
- The Gunslinger: Gwen has extreme difficulty learning how to use a sword when she joins the Guard... but give her a gauntlet and she'll take your head clean off.
- Hot-Blooded: See Action Girl and Cutting the Knot. She tends to take the most direct, straightforward solutions out of a problem — including responding to information that they're being followed by a footpad working for one of the powerful criminal guilds of Habble Landing by spinning and sending a gauntlet blast just past his ear, before telling him to go back to his masters and warn them that they are not prey. Rowl is impressed. Everyone else is somewhat horrified.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's arrogant, a bit of a Control Freak, not always the best with people in general by her own admission, and frequently blunt to the point of rudeness. However, she is also kind (though she admits she isn't always very good at it), has a supreme distaste for bullies, loyal to and protective of her friends, and extremely brave. Additionally, her obsession with protocol also relates to her habit of extending all courtesy and a sincere apology to Rowl, a cat, when she realises that she has not treated him with the respect that he is due as someone technically as noble as she is, seeking to make amends. She's also pretty self-aware to begin with, blithely remarking to Bridget early on that she'd forgotten that Bridget hadn't been raised to be "devious and under-handed" like her and Benedict, and after the final battle comforts Bridget and explains to her that she's not very good at making friends because of her negative traits.
- Lady of Adventure: She considers herself this, being extremely well mannered and priding herself on it. Others disagree with the 'lady' part (see Cutting the Knot).
- Like Mother, Like Daughter: As her old retainer notes in the prologue, she departed her home in a manner very similar to Gwen's mother: blasting her way out of the place.note Her mother is also impressed and cries tears of joy at her daughter's devotion to serving, though Gwen mistakes them for normal tears of shock and dismay. One reading of Gwen's comment on her own pose of self-absorption suggests that her mother wears a similar mask and she's aware of it (the phrasing leaves it ambiguous whether or not she's spotted it).
- Meaningful Name: 'Lancaster' was the name of one of the royal houses of England; note . More prosaically, it was also the richest Duchy in England (allowing the bid for the crown). Albion is also one of the ancient/mythical names for England.
- Mirroring Factions: While Gwen at first overlooks the cats, vaguely recognizing them as somewhat intelligent, but not on human levels (when in fact, they very much are), before Benedict sets her straight, personality wise she's actually got the most in common with them. The stubborn pride that borders on arrogance, tendency to rewrite history to show her in a better light, hyper-sensitivity to insults, somewhat forceful application of good intentions, a supreme dislike of being "inadequate", and an immediate and violent response to threats (something which stuns and actually impresses Rowl)... all are traits primarily displayed by cat characters.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: As she reveals from time to time, she's not half as self-absorbed as she pretends to be, offhandedly explaining to Benedict and Bridget that it was that or pretending to be an air-headed twit, which she couldn't bear. While her pride does get in the way of her common sense, she's far more shrewd, observant, and ruthless than she lets on.
- Pride: Gwen's greatest flaw. She's from the most noble of Albion's houses, and the heiress of the house. This has left Gwen with a large amount of pride, which motivates her, for good and for ill. Most of the first book's arc for her involves her moving beyond her pride and recognize both her shortcomings and limitations, and that sometimes others really do know better.
- Her first chapter, with her leaving to join the Spirarch's Guard, is motivated by her pride, convinced that she knows so much about crystals that she'd get nothing more to learn from a classical education. This initially seems like arrogance, but as events prove, she's not entirely wrong, earning the grudging respect of Predator's unconventionally brilliant chief engineer.
- Upon joining the guard, the narration notes how Gwen's pride is hurt by noticing how her education and general fitness is lacking compared to some of the other members of the guard — that Gwen has trouble with suddenly being "inadequate".
- Her pride pushes her to interact in Bridget's behalf when she clashed with Reginald Astor — Gwen's pride already having been wounded by how he gawked at her during training and the aforementioned feeling of inadequacy during training. She inadvertently ended up making things worse, since now Reginald having been humiliated in front of a Lancaster had no choice but to demand satisfaction. Through the book, Bridget pushes Gwen to stop assuming she knows whats best for everyone. To her credit, Gwen recognises this and tries to reel in a little, also doing her best to help Bridget prepare for the duel that she'd inadvertently got her into.
- Getting her pride insulted almost leads her to challenge someone she didn't know to be the Spirearch himself to a duel. He finds it both amusing and an opportunity to judge her character.
- She's initially dismissive of Captain Grimm and clashes with him, even refusing to acknowledge he and his crew saved them from the Aurorans by re-interpreting the events as some sort of master plan on her part that he just happened to be a part of. This is partly because she can't accept the idea that she was out of her depth and that she was saved by a man cast out from the navy for cowardice. Benedict and Bridget both disagree with her assessment, the former even accusing Gwen of living in a separate reality from the rest of them.
- However, it's hinted that this is just her typical brand of Obfuscating Stupidity, and that part or more of her real motive is a more reasonable suspicion that Grimm had something to do with the attack. She'd already run into Auroran agents in disguise as Albion soldiers, has every reason to suspect that there's at least one traitor in Spire Albion, and that anyone who could figure out the Aurorans' tactical aims in attacking the Lancaster vattery was either in on it, or a tactician on par with the legendary Admirals of the past. Since Grimm was drummed out of the Fleet for cowardice, the latter seems extremely unlikely. After she gets to know him better, via his crew's testimony (while they're too tired to obfuscate), close observation, she realises a) his Honour Before Reason tendencies mean he's not a traitor or a coward (and probably took the fall for someone else — probably Rook — after the Perilous), b) that he really is just that good. At that point, she defrosts considerably.
- More positively, while she takes a certain pride in her social position, she believes very firmly that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility and that as a member of the nobility educated in good manners and responsibilities, she must exercise those manners and responsibilities to the fullest, and make up for any missteps she has made. When she realises that cats really are totally sapient, that Rowl is of similar social rank to her in the cat context, and that she has therefore wrongly been disregarding him, she requests a proper introduction, apologises, and offers to buy him food, Bridget notes that she isn't mocking in the slightest but being entirely sincere, explaining to Rowl that while she'd probably unintentionally insulted him she was doing her best to make amends.
- Rebellious Princess: Well, rebellious heiress, but as the very Hot-Blooded scion of a major noble house, whose father is the current Prime Minister of Albion, she certainly applies.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: When she can't threaten her way through a problem, she uses bribery. As she points out, her job is not to get things done cheaply or discreetly, but quickly.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: She starts showing signs of this towards the end of the book, with nightmares of the young Auroran officer whose face she blasted off from point blank range just as he was lit up by the gauntlet's light.
- Shipper on Deck: Soon after becoming friends with Bridget and seeing the slow budding relationship Bridget has with Benny, Gwen considers it her job to help them become a couple and if need be force her mother to agree to the marriage, rapidly calculating political and social arguments in their favour.
- Taking You with Me: Threatens this early on when the Aurorans take Bridget hostage, by pointing her gauntlet at their demolition charges to create a Mexican Standoff.
- With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: She's got a very strict notion of the obligations of nobility and she will stick to it no matter what; she joins the Spirearch's Guard for the traditional year of service despite the easier options and the easy out that being her family's only heir would give her, simply because of this. The Spirearch notes this about her when playing King Incognito, asking if she would hold him more accountable if he was a noble rather than a commoner. Her unhesitating answer is 'yes'.
- Wrench Wench: While she was definitely raised as an elite Blue Blood, her family are also the ones that create the crystals that power the entire society, meaning that she knows her way around them like few others (it reaches the point where she can recognise not merely which make a new crystal is, but which individual crystal it is and which vat it came from, at a glance). And, in a pinch, she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty — or fried.Gwen: Which one is that?
Journeyman: Well, that there is one of the brand-new Mark-IV D lift crystals.
Gwen: Yes, I know. Which one is it?
Bridget
Bridget Tagwynn
Heir to House Tagwynn, a lesser house that is little more than an old band of merchants with some history. She sees little value in nobility and tradition, but joins the Spirearch's Guard because her father wished it.
- Cunning Linguist: She is one of the very few people in the story who can speak Cat, making her invaluable several times.
- Expy: Tall? Check. Skilled in unarmed combat? Check. Has issues with nobles? Check. Has an intelligent Cat companion that goes with her everywhere? Very much so check. Bridget is young Honor Harrington in a Steam Punk setting.
- Freaky Is Cool: When Bridget sees the true power of what an etherealist can do, namely Folly changing all her little light crystals into conducting electricity and destroying a horde of young silkweavers, Folly believes Bridget will back away in fear. Bridget is simply amazed and thanks Folly for saving their lives.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Early on, she calmly suggests a plan to the Aurorans that will leave both her friends and the Aurorans alive, but the Aurorans' plan foiled — and her, most likely, dead. Thankfully, the Auroran is willing to wait it out instead, and they're rescued by Grimm.
- Later, she comes up with a plan to distract the spiders to give Folly a chance to run away at the cost of her own life, dismisses the plan as stupid, and does something else entirely.
- In-Series Nickname: Her cat name is "Littlemouse," despite the fact that she's probably the biggest person in the book. According to Rowl, she was a very small child, hence the name, who had the bad manners to grow.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Crosses over with Heroic BSoD. While escaping from the burning Temple of the Way, Bridget beats an Auroran Marine to death with her bare hands. This haunts her at the end of the book.
- Only Sane Man: Shared with Grimm most of the time. Considering she spends a great deal of the book with Folly, Gwen, or Rowl, this isn't surprising.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Literally. Bridget has no combat training to speak of, but she spends her days hauling around slabs of meat weighing a hundred and fifty pounds each. This means that with even minimal hand to hand training, she's a formidable opponent.
- Unwanted Assistance: Invoked She has this attitude towards Gwen early on, to the point of it almost becoming a running gag. First, she's upset because, as she points out, Gwen's inserting herself into the verbal conflict between her and Reggie basically forced Reggie to escalate and call for a duel. Later on, when Bridget is being held hostage by an Auroran infiltrator, she berates Gwen for her efforts, which are threatening to make the situation worse.
Rowl
Rowl, Prince of the Silent Paws tribe
Kit of Chief Maul of the Silent Paws, and close friend to Bridget.
- Cats Are Mean: Quite unbelievably arrogant, self-centered and condescending, Rowl is a perfect example of this. On the other hand, he's loyal, brave, and obviously deeply cares for Bridget.
- Blade Below the Shoulder: An interesting variant. Cats in this universe fight with special spurs created for them by humans. He gets a set toward the end of Windlass and proceeds to show just how lethal they can be.
- Cats Are Superior: He certainly thinks so. His internal monologue reveals that he has claimed not only most of the main cast as 'his', but also the entirety of the Predator.
- Combat Pragmatist: Part of being a cat. His first solution to his human getting caught in a duel is to suggest killing her opponent in his sleep.
- Fragile Speedster: Like all cats, he's not particularly tough. But he is vicious in a fight, even by cat standards, exceptionally skilled, and incredibly fast and agile.
- Hypocritical Humor: Cat diplomacy revolves around two cats feigning disinterest in one another in a contest for who can keep it up longest. When he does engages in this contest with a Habble Landing cat, it takes hours for them to get done with it. However, after rescuing the humans from a swarm of silkweavers, Rowl chafes at how long it takes Grimm and the rest of the humans to get organized and get on with the fight, even though it was a matter of a few minutes at most.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: He considers Mirl, one of his clan's "whiskers," aka spy and scout, to be insubordinate. She regularly chides him. He is thinking about composing a song for her.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Most obvious with Bridget a.k.a. Littlemouse, but he does his best to help the protagonists, even while... well, see Cats Are Mean.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He makes a point of being decidedly unimpressed by any human (though it is hinted that Longthinker a.k.a. Lord Albion, has his respect), and it is notable when in Windlass when he is genuinely impressed: specifically, when Gwen responds to being informed that the party is being tailed by a Mook of one of the major gangs in the habble (and of how powerful said gangs are) by spinning around, firing a gauntlet blast just past the guy's ear, and informing him in icy cold tones to let his masters know that they are not prey. He can't find anything to fault in it, unlike most of the party's actions, and is actually both stunned and impressed by that, noting that it's exactly how one should deal with would-be predators.
- He also, after only a few days acquaintance, gives Grimm the cat name of 'Grim Ship-Trees'. This is deeply rare, usually the result of years of acquaintance, and very Serious Business among cats, with Bridget being genuinely astonished.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Definitely, even if most of the cast don't get to hear him talk about it.
- This Is My Human: As far as he's concerned, Bridget belongs to him. Well, as far as he's concerned everything belongs to him, but she's the one who he puts effort into keeping safe.
- Undying Loyalty: To Bridget. His response to her being captured? Through sheer daring, martial skill, and charisma, he effectively conquers the Nine Claws to gain their aid. He puts it best.Rowl: "I would knock down a Spire for you, Littlemouse."
- Warrior Prince: Even for a cat, he's a vicious fighter. The complicated politics of cat tribes makes this an inevitability.
Grimm
Captain Francis Madison Grimm of the Albion Merchant Fleet
A disgraced captain of the Albion Fleet, now in command of the Albion privateer vessel Predator. He is withdrawn and cautious, but still has strong feelings about his dismissal.
- The Ace: He's an exceptionally skilled privateer captain who's the cause of 1/4 of the Auroran merchant fleet's losses in the previous two years, has the absolute loyalty of his very well trained (if somewhat disreputable looking) crew, is an intelligent political observer, a good judge of character (which saves his life when dealing with Cavendish), a decent fighter with a sword or a gauntlet or a pistol (which he went to considerable trouble to master), and is inferred to be a tactician of truly legendary skill by an initially suspicious Gwen (who thought that with his reputation, it was far more likely that he was a traitor) and later by the similarly skilled Major Espira. His main problem is that he's got a chronic case of Honour Before Reason, which leads him to turn down the flag-captaincy of Valiant, a heavy cruiser in Bayard's squadron (flag-captain, in this context, is only one rank below Commodore, and two below the Admiralty) in part because it wouldn't come with a full retraction of his unjust dismissal for cowardice.
- A Father to His Men: Emotionally attached to them like a father, too. Deliberately cultivates an air of being calm and in control, so as to keep his men's morale up. And he will see to it that his crew gets fed if he has to put on an chef's apron and cook dinner himself... but only one that's more or less nourishing, thus attending to his crew's needs, while offering an unspoken rebuke to the senior crewmember who allowed it to happen and not encouraging the crew to want him to cook again.
- Amazon Chaser: His ex-wife is a tough-as-nails Sky Pirate, and one of his old flames in the second book is captain of a ship of steampunk vikings. Both are exceptional fighters and captains. It is safe to say that Grimm Has a Type.
- The Captain: As mentioned, he captains Predator, and fits the archetype like a glove.
- Dating Catwoman: His relationship with Ransom, though he's entirely willing to shoot her ship down if needs be (he'd just really rather not).
- Embarrassing Middle Name: Hates being called by either his first or middle name. His Friend on the Force (or rather in the Admiralty) Alex calls him "Mad". So does his ex-wife on the single occasion in book one when she's being sincere.
- Hidden Depths: Everyone thinks Grimm's clever and brave; but over the course of book 1 he's revealed to possess even more guile, savviness (especially when reading people), and intelligence than he lets on. With a set of brass ones to match.
- Honour Before Reason: Accused of being/observed that he's prone to this by a number of characters. He responds to the offer of the plum position of flag-captain by his old friend Alex Bayard (who's a Commodore) - a position that would mean he'd be commander of the squadron's flagship, on the fast-track to an Admiralty - that he'd only accept it if the Fleet officially restored his commission and absolved him for the Perilous incident, which he is all but stated to have been a scapegoat for.
- The Perilous incident is also indicated to have been this, with it being remarked that he could have fought his dishonourable discharge — apparently on very reasonable grounds — but didn't for the sake of the Fleet. The psychopathic Captain of Perilous - who may or may not have murdered the previous captain to take command - had already killed a couple of officers for questioning insane orders, and was beating a very young Bayard to death, so a 17 year old Grimm promptly slit his throat to save Bayard's life. He then willingly took the fall after Bayard got in a duel over the incident and killed his opponent, having resolved to Never Be Hurt Again.
- Lethal Chef: The captain is not the cook, thank goodness. It's partly deliberate, so no one asks him to cook unless it's serious, and as a punishment for the officer responsible for not arranging for a replacement - who gets a double sized bowl of stew, without salt, every drop of which is to be eaten under the watchful eyes of the crew at pain of extreme displeasure.
- Politeness Judo: He uses this to great effect when confronting Cavendish. It saves his life the first time, and likely the second time as well.
- Officer and a Gentleman: He was cashiered from the Fleet as a scapegoat, yet continues to act the part. It saves his life when dealing with Cavendish.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Even the villains know he was kicked out of the Fleet for cowardice thanks to the Noodle Incident aboard the Perilous. Grimm himself even remarks on it. Of course, as events prove, he is a very long way from being a coward, and it's hinted that he was pressured into taking the fall for the Perilous incident, when the real culprit was the scion of a very politically powerful family. The second book reveals it's a little more complicated - while Rook wasn't actually directly involved in the Incident, beyond being there, he didn't have the guts to stand up to the insane Captain as Bayard had (which nearly got him beaten to death) or Grimm (who slit the Captain's throat to save Bayard's life). Grimm then took the fall partly to protect Bayard, who'd got into a duel over the matter and killed his opponent, while Bayard gave him Predator, intended as the foundation of a trading empire, as thanks.
- Overly Long Name: His ex-wife likes to taunt him with it.
- Pirate: Sort of. He's a privateer, but he remains staunchly loyal to the Spire - though he does threaten to leave for Spire Olympia if backed into a corner, it was likely a fairly meaningless threat.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Has no problems at all accepting help from such odd sources as Ferus and the cats, and the respect he shows makes the latter willing to give him far more help than they would other humans.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Subverted. He's got a red and black Palette Swap of the Fleet Uniform, commissioned for him by his crew after their first highly successful run as Privateers. Despite that, he's a true Officer and a Gentleman with strong principles and absolute loyalty to his crew, and a kind and considerate man under his Stiff Upper Lip. He thinks it lends him a credibly piratical air... though he also thinks that the skull shaped silver buttons are a bit much.
- Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Early on he is given a lucrative offer to sell what is left of the crippled Predator to a well-connected commodore (and old enemy) who clearly wants to break her down for parts. Grimm refuses. When the commodore threatens to use his connections to take the ship anyway, Grimm slaps him (twice) and threatens to publicly denounce the man, kill him in a duel, and throw his body off the Spire. Not necessarily in that order.
- Stiff Upper Lip: He maintains this in his role of captain, seeming always in control and calm, even when he's inwardly panicking. He later confesses to Gwen after the events of the book, give him a week or so and he will be a gibbering mess as he deals with all the guilt of the men dying under his command and the horrors he saw this time. For now, he has his duties to do.
- The Strategist: He's an exceptionally talented commander, with his figuring out the true aim of the Auroran attack in a matter of moments in the midst of a firefight being described as putting him on a par with the legendary fleet admirals of the past. However, the person inwardly noting this, Gwen, initially considers it a reason to mistrust him, on the grounds that the alternative is that he was in on the attack and that she's been given very good reason to believe that there's an Albion mole in place working for the Aurorans — a profile that Grimm's reputation as a privateer captain of a scruffy ship who was cashiered by the Fleet for cowardice fits better than the tactical genius one. Once she gets to know him and sees him in action, she realises that he's not a mole and really is that good (his discharge having been politically motivated). His enemies have a similar opinion of him, with Espira wondering in the second book how the hell the Albion high command could possibly be stupid enough to have cashiered such a brilliant officer.
Creedy
Commander Byron Creedy
Grimm's new XO, busted down from the Fleet as punishment for an unspecified minor offence.
- Commander Contrarian: Part of an XO's job in the Fleet is to provide a sounding board for the captain, to (privately) disagree with his plans in an effort to find any flaws and correct them. It's a good policy, but it's annoying if you're not used to it.
- Culture Clash: Privateer vessels work differently from Fleet, so there's some friction as he expects the crew to act in strict accordance to regulations, and they... don't. As the book goes on, he steadily adjusts.
- Ensign Newbie: Serves as this in the first few chapters, until he gets some character development and starts fitting in more.
- Number Two: Being the second in command on Predator, he's this to Grimm.
- Put on a Bus: By The Olympian Affair he has left Predator and is presumably back with the Fleet.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He is described as being extremely tall and dark-haired. When seen from Bridget's perspective he is described as handsome.
Benedict
Benedict Michael Sorellin-Lancaster
Gwen's cousin, a warriorborn of House Lancaster. He's a few years older, and helps her fit into the Spirearch's Guard. He mostly does this by training her, then laughing at her.
- Animal Eyes: Comes with being a Warriorborn.
- Beast Man: A mild example, but Benedict's Animal Eyes and other lion-like traits seem to suggest he and the rest of Warriorborn are likely either these or Half-Human Hybrids.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Benedict is a kind, friendly guy, for the most part. However, Grimm notes in the first book that while Benedict presents himself as "a gregarious member of Habble Morning's upper classes", he is in fact exceptionally dangerous for reasons that are only partially related to his Warriorborn physiology, identifying him as one of the few properly dangerous individuals he's met in his life, and at one point hopes like hell that someone else has picked up on the signs of Benedict's fraying temper. The cats concur (and approve). In Warriorborn, he proves capable of dominating a group of three other dangerous fellow Warriorborn, two of whom are experienced killers, through force of personality.
- Big Brother Instinct: While remaining quite calm when Gwen is hurt by the silkweaver venom and a brutal concussion, he also takes time to point out to another character that he now has a personal and upgraded interest in finding the persons behind it.
- Big Eater: Comes up repeatedly because of his increased metabolism, though he's somewhat ashamed of it. Gwen, naturally, has none of it and more or less bullies/manipulates him into eating what he requires. Unlike most examples it actually turns dangerous toward the end of the first book, when he's recovering from a near-lethal poisoning. Bridget is warned not to interrupt him until he's eaten, as he might actually attack her.
- Expy: As the teasing older brother figure to one of the main protagonists who struggles with an inborn nature that gives him superhuman abilities and animalistic traits that he strongly dislikes, has a much shrewder understanding of politics than he usually lets on, and who intelligent characters immediately clock as dangerous despite his youth and urbane demeanour, he's almost a carbon copy of Thomas Raith.
- Fantastic Racism: On the receiving end, as Gwen's POV implies, if to a lesser degree than Ciriaco is in Aurora (unlike Ciriaco, he can achieve high rank, but Gwen notes that none of the most eligible female bachelors would consider him as a prospect unless he were the heir of House Lancaster). This is delved into a little more in Warriorborn, a novella exclusively from his POV set immediately before The Olympian Affair, where he and a fellow noble Warriorborn discuss their experiences with this and how they react to it.
- Hidden Depths: He's much more politically aware than he lets on, and more ruthless than he shows around his much loved younger cousin. He also struggles more with his feral instincts than he likes to admit.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: His feelings towards his gifts are unclear, but he dislikes the distance it causes with his peers. So he often pretends to be normal when he knows he isn't, pretending to be weak and not eating enough for his accelerated metabolism. This is explored more in Warriorborn, where he's around three criminal fellow Warriorborn who all, in varying ways, have given into their animalistic instincts.
- Just a Flesh Wound: He passes off an injury from a previous mission as a Guard with this to Gwen. It's not.
- Like Brother and Sister: He's a cousin of Gwen's, but the two act like bickering siblings and clearly love each other dearly.
- Nice Guy: He's courteous, polite, and helpful, and very protective of his friends and family.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: After Benny notes the full political ramifications of Reggie and Bridget's duel, including how the Cat Clans would respond, a group Gwen hadn't included into her calculations, she notes she has never seen this side of Benny before. Most of their house sees him as a "distant and disinterested observer — not a political asset."Benedict: And I shall remain so in their eyes, if you please. Politics is the purview of scoundrels, tyrants, and fools. I only observe because I prefer not to become their victim.
- Religious Bruiser: He's a follower of the Ways and while young, a comparative veteran Spirearch Guard.
- Shirtless Scene: Strips off his shirt to act as impromptu bandages when Gwen wordlessly points out that she has run out of petticoat. Bridget is immediately and thoroughly Distracted by the Sexy.
- Super-Soldier: As a warriorborn, he has enhanced strength, reflexes, and senses. Even the cats are impressed with him. (Though it might be more accurate to say they are less unimpressed with him than most.)
- Think Nothing of It: His attitude when the Spirearch talks about some of his previous missions in service to the Guard, including one when he was badly injured.
- Wilfully Weak: He doesn't like to demonstrate his full range of superhuman abilities because he is abundantly aware that most people perceive him as more inhuman as a result, and a degree of Freakiness Shame.
- Wolverine Claws: Though they're never seen, it's heavily implied that he has these by the Warriorborn novella.
Master Ferus
Master Efferus Effrenus Ferus
An old Etherealist. His compulsion makes him unable to cope with doorknobs, and he has a large collection of objects he requires to retain his sanity.- Badass Bookworm: His knowledge of the ether is what makes him dangerous, though he's implied to be a more than capable hand to hand fighter, having once been a marine.
- Badass Teacher: To Folly. And formerly, Madame Cavendish.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Ferus is an almost stereotypical Etherealist — can't figure out doorknobs, sometimes forgets clothes, sends his assistant on obviously ridiculous fetch quests, et cetera. However, if you invade his home... There Is No Kill Like Overkill. And if you threaten his apprentice and her friend, all the silliness will vanish in an instant.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Like every etherealist. He can't deal with doorknobs, and has a large collection of Noodle Implements he needs to keep his mind from getting lost.
- Cool Old Guy: Not too old to get drunk and lead a parade around the bar, singing a Bawdy Song.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Not so much moron, but decidedly loony, what with etherealists getting stranger with age. As for the badass part, he is an etherealist, uses ether to take down several Aurorans in horrifying ways, and past service in the Albion Marines means he is no slouch in a physical fight either.
- Drunken Master: Gets very drunk as part of his attempt to locate Madame Cavendish. The idea is that by getting sufficiently drunk he can change the way his mind works, thus simultaneously bypassing mental shields she might have raised specifically against him and making it harder for her to recognize him.
- Energy Absorption: Can absorb the energy from etheric weapons, then send it back at the attackers.
- Heroic Sacrifice: In The Olympian Affair, he dies in the process of wresting control of the mistmaw and redirecting it from Spire Olympia onto the Auroran fleet.
- Heroic Willpower: The price any etherealist pays for their abilities is to lose parts of their mind. They fill it with other things, such as Ferus' odd bits and bobs. However, given time, the loss becomes too great and most etherealists die in bed, trapped in their own body. Ferus, despite the vastness of his loss, retains himself by sheer willpower. This is especially impressive when he is forced to give up his collection to Madame Cavendish on threat of Folly and Bridget's lives.
- Kill It with Fire: The Auroran marines should have known better than to threaten an etherealist with etheric weapons. He superheated the copper cages of their gauntlet weapons. The less said about what came next, the better.
- Multiple-Choice Future: Claims to have the ability to see the various futures before him. Folly fully believes he does. Some of the actions he takes imply he really can do that note — though he does admit sometimes being surprised by futures he didn't see coming.
- Old Master: He has shades of Yoda, what with being an eccentric old teacher, who's much more dangerous than he appears at first glance.
- Power at a Price: For all his power over etheric energies, Ferus is compelled to have various, random bits and bobs, like some string or a ball of wax. If they are taken from him, he curls up into a ball, muttering and crying to himself.
- Retired Badass: He's an old man who used to be a Fleet marine and is a powerful and highly intelligent Etherealist.
- The Smart Guy: He's the most knowledgeable of the main characters, by far.
Folly
Folly
An etherealist, and Master Ferus's apprentice. Her primary compulsion seems to be an inability to talk directly to anything other than the jars of lumen crystals she carries at all times.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Like every etherealist, the power she taps has torn holes in her mind, which she must fill with various compulsions.
- Cloud Cuckoo Landers Minder: Despite her own oddness, she functions as one for her master, collecting the Noodle Implements he needs to satisfy his compulsions and handling the arcane technology of the doorknob.
- Companion Cube: Has a vast number of nearly-depleted lumen crystals she keeps as pets. She cannot directly address anyone other than these crystals. The only exceptions to this seem to be other etherealists, the Enemy, and Captain Grimm on the deck of Predator, which itself has some extenuating circumstances — she's mentally linked to the Sapient Ship in question.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Okay, more odd than 'moron', but Folly is still the apprentice of one of the most powerful etherealists in the business, and it shows. Such as when she talks 987 lumen crystals into electrifying a nest of silkweaver larvae. Or when she not only manages to keep the evil being that has seemingly ensnared Madame Cavendish from binding her to its will, but also manages to escape from it with her mind intact, by reshaping the dreamscape she's in.
- Cute Witch: Between her youth, her appearance, and her friendly and well meaning oddity she definitely qualifies.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: She has a few over the book. One includes the Spire crumbling to dust and being destroyed, but the kicker is this isn't just a symbolic dream, it is a vision of a possible future. One that Master Ferus shares, and apparently sees as increasingly likely.
- Freakiness Shame: Not over her appearance, but the raw and dangerous power she truly possesses. When she displays her power in Shock and Awe, she fears Bridget will be scared of her, and she will lose a friend. Bridget subverts her expectations and thinks Folly is awesome.
- Multiple-Choice Future: Like her master, she can predict possible futures, but she is far less skilled at it.
- Nice Girl: Her viewpoint chapters show her to be a very caring and sensitive person, if a bit fragile because of the effect of ether on her mind.
- Power at a Price: For her power over etheric energy, Folly is compelled to collect hundreds of lumen crystals. She treats them with motherly affection, and like they have their own personalities. Which, given what we learn about airship cores, may not be entirely unjustified.
- Required Secondary Powers: Whether she has this ability because of training or simply because she's an etherealist is unclear, but she can multitask well enough to give 987 crystals complex etheric instruction, simultaneously and individually, in a high stress situation. This also helps her handle seeing the future.
- Rummage Sale Reject: Attention is given to her way of dressing — apart from the mismatched socks and candy-cane hair, Folly spends much of the first book wearing a yellow dress and way too many handkerchiefs tied on her arms. As an apprentice etherealist, this helps her function and retain a (vague) sense of sanity.
- Shock and Awe: Tells 987 lumen crystals how to emit electricity instead of light, frying hundreds of larval silkweavers.
AMS Predator
AMS Predator
Captain Grimm's airship, and one of Spire Albion's most legendary crafts.- Cool Airship: Naturally. By the start of the story, Predator has such a reputation as a privateer vessel, the Aurorans deployed the Itasca, widely known as their best battlecruiser to take her out. She's one of the two fastest ships in the sky (and only lost because of sabotage), and unusually powerful for her size. After she Took a Level in Badass, she runs rings around practically every other ship in the sky, forcing Itasca to run every single system to breaking point and try and clip her from range to slow her down.
- Deflector Shields: Like all airships, she can generate protective shrouds to dissipate etheric attacks.
- The Dreaded: Well-known amongst the enemy's fleet for hunting and capturing its merchant vessels. To the point where the Aurorans deployed their best battlecruiser to sink her at the beginning of the book.
- Espira recognizes Predator by name and curses it when he sees it's chasing them, as Predator is responsible for 1/4 of the Auroran merchant Navy's losses in the last 2 years.
- I Shall Taunt You: Usually sings when entering a combat dive, but responds to a dive into the mist to escape Itasca in the prologue with what sounds like mocking laughter. Cue Grimm inwardly wishing that his ship (which he vaguely, and correctly, suspects is sentient) was a little more sensible. The Olympian Affair reveals that Predator can be quiet... when she feels like it.
- Lightning Bruiser: She's got shades of it before, thanks to an exceptionally powerful core crystal making her one of the two fastest ships in the sky and giving her an unusually powerful set of Deflector Shields. However, after she gets new crystals, including a battleship's lift crystal (designed to lift something 35 times the size of Predator and therefore massively saving on energy requirements for lift), she's unquestionably the fastest ship in the sky, can pour fire that destroyers would envy, and has an even stronger deflector shield. As a stunned Grimm realises, the new crystals mean she can "dance with the finest in the world."
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: As ship names go, Predator brings the message across pretty clearly.
- Sapient Ship: Grimm has vaguely suspected that Predator is alive for a long time, but it's finally proven when Folly has a conversation with the ship, and tells it how to sense her master's collection. In The Olympian Affair, she starts talking to Grimm directly thanks to Folly. Grimm being Grimm, he's stunned, then just rolls with it.
- Stronger with Age: Predator may well have the oldest core crystal in existence, and unlike most kinds of etheric crystal, core crystals get more and more efficient as they are used. When Gwen finally sees the core crystal, she nearly Face Faults; this crystal has a nearly raw shape, and every other crystal she knows of has been shaped with facets... for centuries.
- Took a Level in Badass: After the damage from the Itasca fight, the Spirearch gives Predator brand-new trim crystals and a fresh lift crystal designed for a ship many times bigger. As a result, she's now unquestionably the fastest ship in the sky, able to expend 75% or more less power on lift (the main power drain) and spend it elsewhere instead, and capable of pouring fire that battleships would envy until her cannons melt. A stunned Grimm realises that thanks to this, Predator can now "dance with the finest in the world."
- Warrior Poet: Every ship makes different noises when it dives into battle. Some shriek or boom, some sound like drums or trumpets. And when Predator dives into battle, she sings.
- Wave-Motion Gun: At the beginning of The Olympian Affair Grimm has Predator fitted with a new forward-mounted chase gun. The gun is so large that it won't entirely fit inside the ship's hull and so powerful that even with Predator's power core they can't fire it and run all the ship's systems at the same time. While not on a par with dreadnought weaponry, it is immensely overpowered for a ship of Predator's size and class.
Spirearch Albion
Spirearch Addison Orson Magnus Jeremiah Albion
The hereditary ruler of Spire Albion. His position is mostly ceremonial, with the houses running the show. Officially. He has the final command of the Spirearch's Guard.- Authority in Name Only: Double Subverted. In theory, he's the hereditary absolute monarch of Spire Albion, but really, political authority is devolved to the Prime Minister and the noble houses, while he's a dotty old scholar with a ceremonial role... or so he'd like everyone to believe. In fact, he's arguably the power behind the throne (despite technically sitting on the throne).
- Batman Gambit: When he meets with Grimm after the attempted attack on the Lancaster estate, he doesn't order Grimm at all to help further defend the Spire. When his request to Grimm to use the Predator to transport Addison's private team to Landing is initially refused, the Spirearch simply offers Grimm inexpressibly valuable brand new crystals to fully fix the damaged ship for just this one simple job. As Grimm inwardly notes, his own nature means that he couldn't just walk away after that, neatly tying him to the Spirearch's service.
- Big Good:
- For the citizens of Spire Albion. He will do most anything to protect them.
- He shows a direct interest in House Tagwynn's continued existence, acting behind the scenes to make sure Rowl can legally be Bridget's second, and indirectly remarks to Gwen his desire that the duel doesn't go badly for the Tagwynns. Gwen immediately realises the remark is intended to be an order.
- Cool Old Guy: Cool middle-aged guy, anyway, who casually chats with his favourite street vendors, very charming in a twinkly-eyed sort of way when he chooses to be, entirely egalitarian in his outlook, and dangerously skilled chessmaster.
- The Chessmaster: He is an excellent judge of character. He will use whoever and whatever is available to protect his Spire from destruction. He does not think less of warrior-born, men who have been dishonorably discharged from service, a young lady who has a hot temper, a young lady who talks with cats, cats, and etherealists. He further respects the criminal elements and knew ahead to bribe the guilds to make sure Habble Landing's citizens are safely evacuated should some attack happen there. Each one of these players or actions play a key role in the end to mitigate the damage from fire bombing in Landing and taking down one of the enemy's oldest and most powerful ships. And in the second book, Grimm speculates that he knew what was coming and let it happen to jolt Albion out of an appeasement stance towards Aurora. It is hinted that he may well be right.
- Crazy-Prepared: He has Rowl declared a citizen by a judge, and a copy of the judgement given to the master-at-arms, in anticipation of Reginald raising an objection to his being Bridget's second in their duel (Only Citizens in good standing can be Seconds).
- Don't Call Me "Sir": He dislikes being called "Sir" or by titles. He repeatedly tries to get Gwen to call him "Addison" with mixed results.
- Establishing Character Moment: His first scenes are him disguised as a low rank citizen talking with a street vendor on very friendly terms. He then shows nothing but respect for Benedict, despite the man being warrior-born, and subtly orders Gwen to help protect House Tagwynn during their duel. Then, again, when Grimm comes to visit his office, he notes that there is a scale model of every ship in the Albion fleet in said office, with recently destroyed ones removed, and carefully positioned at eye height as one enters the room is a book titled Means of Execution Through The Ages. In other words, simultaneously establishing him as a charming, egalitarian ruler with a certain sense of authority... and, despite his pretensions at being a dusty old scholar and historical quirk, indirectly the real power in Spire Albion.
- Good Is Not Soft: It is at one pointed noted, by Grimm when he works out just how dangerous Addison is, that a book titled Means of Execution Through the Ages is carefully placed at eye level of anyone entering his study. In the second book, he openly admits that while he values Grimm very much, he sees him and his crew as expendable when it comes to it. Grimm accepts it more or less because of his intense sense of duty and because Addison never pretended to be anything else.
- The Good King: Theoretically, he has no real power, but still fills every other criteria, being just, kind, and fair to all people and sentient beings regardless of their background. Practically, he's got a lot of power that not so many people have actually realised, carefully applied, and is dedicated to using it for the protection of his home spire and the world as a whole. However, Good Is Not Soft. Not even remotely.
- In-Series Nickname: He is called "Addy" by the restaurant owners he frequents in his civilian guise.
- The cats refer to him as "Longthinker", hinting to his true nature.
- In The Olympian Affair several high-ranking non-Albions from other spires call him "the old spider".
- King Incognito: He regularly dons civilian's clothes to wander around parts of his spire. He frequents one restaurant whose owners have regularly refused to move to working on his kitchen staff because he loves their cooking. They refer to him simply as "Addy." He encounters Gwen in such a form and she doesn't recognize him at all. As he dryly puts it, most people know him from his portrait, painted when he was much younger and much angrier.
- Manipulative Bastard: Called such by Grimm when Grimm is being offered materials to fix and refit the broken Predator for taking on a simple task — materials that later turn out to be enough to make her the fastest and most mobile ship in the sky.Grimm: I say that you are are a manipulative son of a bitch, sire.
Addison: Each and every day of the week. - Obfuscating Stupidity: He hides his intellect and ruthlessness behind a friendly, harmless appearance of a dotty middle-aged man who mostly just fills ceremonial functions.
- Puppet King: Supposedly and officially.
Unofficially is a very, very different story. - Secret-Keeper: By the end of the book thanks to Grimm's efforts and not mentioning it in his official report, Addison has the last two copies of the book Spire Aurora was searching for.
Abigail
Duchess Abigail Hinton
One of Albion's most highly ranked nobles, and the long term mistress of Commodore Bayard, with much social scandal attached - and while they like it that way, things are a little more complicated than they seem... Mentioned in the first book, she becomes a crucial POV character in the second.
- Manipulative Bitch: She's perhaps Albion's most accomplished spy, so she's this by default, and arranges the situation so that as Bayard's second, Grimm is the one who'll have to duel the feared Auroran champion, Valesco, an Axe-Crazy warriorborn murderer, rather than Bayard himself. Bayard is, to put it mildly, not pleased. Grimm on the other hand is entirely phlegmatic about it, mostly because while he lacks Bayard's technical skill as a duelist, he beats Valesco because he doesn't treat it as a game and is willing to get hurt to make the kill.
- Master Swordswoman: She's good enough to spar with, and even beat, Bayard, one of the finest duelists in the world. She also wins her own duel against an experienced duelist and warriorborn, who has every single possible advantage on her save for the fact that she 'has' to go for the kill.
- Pintsized Powerhouse: Tiny noblewoman, master spy, Master Swordswoman, and capable of punching another woman in the face so hard that she knocked a tooth out.
- Pregnant Badass: In The Olympian Affair, though she doesn't realise it until her Felicia informs her as a distraction in their duel. She still wins.
- Uptown Girl: She's part of an incredibly rich and powerful noble house, while Bayard is very minor nobility. This is part of the reason they aren't married - if they did, her house would effectively absorb and end his, which would leave Bayard as the man who ended his line. It also contributes to some tension with Grimm (which she recognises isn't fair or rational), because Predator was her gift to Bayard, and meant to be the basis of a trading empire that would make the House of Bayard sufficiently powerful that it wouldn't be subsumed when they did marry. Then it ended up being given to Grimm after he took the fall for the Perilous Incident, which rather sank that plan. The remaining resentment vanishes when Grimm tells her what happened (suffice to say, he was protecting Bayard).
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: She has absolutely no compunction about plotting murder to protect her lover, or even poisoning him so he can't fight in the duel, meaning that Grimm has to take his place, which could very easily have got Grimm killed. Grimm isn't bothered. Bayard, on the other hand, very much is.
Bayard
Commadore Alexander Bayard
A highly-ranked fleet officer, commander of the Valiant, and a friend of Grimm since the "Perilous" incident.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Bayard is affable and cheerful - he's also capable of going through a fight that injured Grimm without a scratch, was seriously considered a potential match for a Warriorborn in a duel, and
- Casual Danger Dialogue: He remains cheerful even in the face of being attacked by surface monsters and having his friend attacked, though it's clear that he was genuinely upset by this.
- Deadpan Snarker: Magnificently so - during their conversation in the first book, he says practically every single line with a sarcastic inflection.
- Friend on the Force: Serves as this to Grimm, being his ally within Albion's fleet.
- Master Swordsman: Considered one of Spire Albion's best duelists, and handily holds his own in a fight that gets even Grimm injured.
- My Greatest Failure: Seems to view the fact that Grimm was drummed out of the fleet as this - he throws his old friend a bone several times trying to get him back in, and mentioning this is pretty much the only thing that puts a dent in his cheeful facade.
Journeyman
Journeyman
The grumpy engineer of Predator, who's too valuable to fire and knows it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He might be gruff, uncompromising and rude, but he warms up a lot to Gwen when she proves that she can work with engines.
- Mildly Military: Thanks to being way too valuable to ever fire, and not technically being on a fleet ship, Journeyman observes exactly no kind of military protocol.
- Mr. Fixit: Predator's chief engineer, and definitely good at his job
- Non-Action Guy: Due to being basically irreplacable, he's the one member of the crew who never goes into active combat.
- Vetinari Job Security: As a brilliant engineer and prodigy, Journeyman can't really be fired if Grimm wants Predator at her best.
Mr Kettle
Mr Kettle
Predator's helmsman, and one of its senior officers.
- Ace Pilot: Kettle is Predator's helmsman, and he knows his stuff, capable of outflying an ambush from Auroran vessels even before Predator's upgrades.
- Berzerk Button: Captain Ransom - apparently, her cheating in a race left a mark, considering Kettle suggests blowing her ship out of the sky with a "weapons malfunction" as soon as she shows up, and works with Stern to sabotage her ship before they even know she's working with the villains.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: Creedy ends up assigning him to guard Grimm during the battle at the start of the first book, and he takes this role a number of other times.
- Undying Loyalty: As most of the crew, to Grimm - when someone mentions the result of the Perilous incident, he straight-up growls at them.
Stern
Lieutenant Stern
One of Predator's officers, formerly a midshipman who seved with Grimm on the Perilous, and followed him out of the fleet afterwards.
- Friendly Sniper: Affable and polite, and also Grimm's first choice when handing out the long guns. In the second book, he's given command of the Predator's [[BFG oversized chase gun]], and proves to be just as good a shot with that.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: He's capable of, in extremely poor light, delivering a long-distance Boom, Headshot! in a scenario where, of the other three snipers firing, two missed their targets and the last was a leg hit. Shortly beforehand, Bridget describes what would be necessary to solve the situation favourably to Albion as someone being 'perfectly stealthy' and making the perfect shot at the correct target on his first attempt. She writes it off as being a very low probability of success - and Stern proceeds to do exactly that.
- Humble Hero: His response to being praised by Grimm for his Improbable Aiming Skills is to credit another member of the crew with the 'good shot', because they'd hit their target in the leg, giving the group a prisoner, as opposed to Stern's Boom, Headshot!.
- Nice Guy: Stern is pretty much always polite and usually smiling, and the meanest thing he does outside of combat is make sure the entire crew can perform a fleet-perfect salute to annoy fleet officers.
- Plucky Middie: Was this in the fleet, is now an officer on the Predator.
- The Sneaky Guy: Stern is small and sneaky, so ends up scouting ahead of landing parties several times - he can also, apparently, sneak on to a guarded airship, all the way to the engine room, interfere with the engine and get out again without ever being spotted. Grimm describes him as moving as quickly and quietly as a warriorborn.
- Undying Loyalty: Stern apparently followed Grimm out of the fleet, against Grimm's express instructions, and joined him in private service, giving up a commission in the fleet to do so.
Spire Aurora
Madame Cavendish
Madame Sycorax Cavendish
A very dangerous and utterly insane etherealist in league with "the Enemy", and principal antagonist of the first book.- A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: She's a former student of Master Ferus, and they're now clearly enemies.
- Ax-Crazy: She hides it under a very rigid demeanour of old-school courtesy, but everyone can tell she's violently insane within seconds of meeting her. Compare, for example, Folly's endearingly weird way of dress with her immaculate lavender grey gown.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Averted. This is a very bad sign, since there are only two kinds of etherealists: Cloudcuckoolander and Ax-Crazy.
- Color-Coded Eyes: Has gray eyes which are used to symbolize her cold, relentless, and inhuman nature.
- Demonic Possession: A minion of some kind for the Enemy, the Tyranima, though it's unclear just how much free will she retains.
- Doublethink: A woman obsessed with manners who has absolutely no moral issue torturing, assaulting, and murdering people on the slightest pretext, including "because it's convenient" and "because they were slightly rude to me".
- Etiquette Nazi: Her particular (or at least, most obvious) quirk as an etherealist is an obsession with manners and protocol. To the point where she will horribly maim or kill anyone who is fails to meet her standards of courtesy in her presence.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She seems to be genuinely upset at Sark's death and at her inabiltiy to stop the surface world creatures from eating his corpse.
- Evil Counterpart:
- To Gwen: Both are obsessed with proper behavior and quite willing to use force, but Gwen sees The Rules as part of a noble's responsibility to protect people, while Cavendish uses the slightest breach as an excuse to violently harm others. Gwen is also aware of how her flaws hurt her and others.
- To Folly: Both women are etherialists, but Cavendish is nattily dressed, and almost always courteous, and a psychopath, while Folly dresses in mismatched clothes, is compassionate and friendly, and can only talk to her crystals, which is rude. Also, Folly is Ferus' apprentice and minder and is generally non-violent, while Cavendish has her own creepy servant who's violent at the drop of a hat.
- To Grimm: He's an travelling airship privateer captain who cares deeply about his men, his ship, his honor, and his spire. He let himself be drummed out of the service to protect others. She's a lunatic etherealist (redundant) who's themed after and works with spiders, who tend to let people come to them, and seems to care about nothing but herself and manners. Both of them are highly intelligent strategists who command others, but are personally capable of doing violence. Grimm has a stormy past with his more amoral ex-wife, and Cavendish has a lot of mutual enmity with her former teacher...
- Ferus. He's her former teacher, he can be eccentrically charming, and hates to use violence. By contrast, Cavendish creeps out everyone she meets, and constantly has to restrain herself from harming others, which she enjoys. Like him, she's very good at it.
- Faux Affably Evil: Always courteous and polite, and insists on other behaving the same way. Even while she's torturing or mind raping someone.
- The Man in Front of the Man: It's revealed that, beyond being an Auroran agent, she is working for an unknown but incredibly powerful being.
- Mind Rape: Her weapon of choice seems to be a psychic attack so severe that its victims claw out their own eyes.
- Mundane Solution: She is as vulnerable to high-velocity bits of metal as anyone else. In fact, shooting or some other physical attack is needed when she can manipulate ether energy, like a gauntlet's volley.
- Photographic Memory: As revealed in her final scene, her having lost the MacGuffin book only sets her back by the few days it takes her to write out hundreds of pages.
- Politeness Judo: Whether you're an enemy or ally, your best chance of surviving a meeting with her is to be pretty good at this. It's theorised that her particular etherealist's compulsion centres around this, so it's possible she actually finds it difficult to directly harm those who practise it, and difficult to not harm those who fail.
- Power at a Price: For her power over etheric energy, she is compelled to follow the rules of polite society. If one keeps in form with them, and she maintains herself, even if she wants to hurt the person. Failure means any number of unpleasant responses.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Normally she's extremely calm, soft-spoken and obsessively polite, but when given an excuse to unleash her power on someone who's been rude to her, her expression is described as "absolute pleasure".
- Squishy Wizard: She has immense power and is immune to the energy of ordinary gauntlets, but she's as vulnerable to being stunned or injured by other means as any other human.
- Uncanny Valley Girl: Grimm's skin starts to crawl the second he sees her, and most people who talk to her don't even notice that she's actually quite physically attractive, as they get pre-occupied by how wrong everything about her feels.
- Villainous Breakdown: As her plans go wrong, she becomes somewhat more testy and has to visibly force herself back into bland politeness. Given how rigid her self-control is normally, her little slips tend to produce an Oh, Crap! moment in those around her.
- 0% Approval Rating: Her methods don't exactly inspire loyalty from anyone but Sark. Her own allies are speculating on whether or not to murder her because she sickens them just that much in the first book. And after one and a half books of bullying Espira and terrorising/murdering/experimenting on his men, and making him accomplice to something truly awful by unleashing a mistmaw on several colony spires, he turns on her and does his level best to kill her.
Major Espira
Major Espira
The commander of the Auroran marines infiltrating Spire Albion. The secondary villain of the first book, who's just doing his job. In The Olympian Affair, he is promoted to Colonel for his actions in the first book, and ultimately performs a Heel–Face Turn after becoming utterly disillusioned with what his superiors are willing to do - and make him do.- A Father to His Men: He cares about his marines deeply. This is a key part of why he turns on Cavendish.
- Affably Evil: Genuinely polite to Bridget and Folly when they're captured, and regretful when he has to hand them over to Cavendish.
- Culture Justifies Anything: Like most Aurorans, he justifies his actions as other Spires not deserving the prosperity they enjoy while Aurora suffers — he sees the Albions as thieving rats because they became prosperous by building a new shipping dock for their spire, allowing more easy and plentiful trade. In the second book, it becomes clear that this is a rationalisation to deal with the often horrible things that he's ordered to do and has had to do.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He dislikes Madame Cavendish, and considers killing her when his mission is done, relenting as the leaders of Spire Aurora find her too valuable — and he's not entirely sure that he could manage it before she retaliated. In The Olympian Affair, he gets sick of her and them and does his level best to pull it off. He also refuses to have a captive, who has to die to keep their secret and who is only technically alive after Cavendish Mind Raped him for answers, fed to the silkweavers while alive.
- Everyone Has Standards: Morphs into this over The Olympian Affair as he steadily performs a Heel–Face Turn - this time, his horror is at the wholesale devouring of entire Spires by Cavendish's pet mistmaw, and her turning people into crystal zombies, resulting in him turning on her.
- Evil Counterpart: To Grimm, being a skilled commander from a poor background who's A Father to His Men and an Officer and a Gentleman.
- Heel–Face Turn: In The Olympian Affair, being utterly appalled by what he's been ordered to do and sick of working with Cavendish.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: He's a loyal son of Aurora, and a good man despite the often horrible things he's asked to do. In The Olympian Affair, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with what he's asked to do, and later downright furious at how his sincere and idealistic patriotism has been used by amoral superiors to treat him as an attack dog. Cue Heel–Face Turn, and a determination to return to Aurora and use his influence to bend his home spire onto a saner path.
- Officer and a Gentleman: A villainous variation, who's essentially just doing his job, much like Grimm. And much like Grimm, he came from a lower-class background. The associated mannerisms help keep him alive around Cavendish and, like Grimm, drive him to turn on a brutal superior and take full responsibility and judgement for his actions.
- Punch-Clock Villain: He's just doing his job, characterising it to himself at the end of the first book as trading the lives of people he doesn't know to protect those he does. However, his actions increasingly haunt him.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: During the endgame of The Olympian Affair, Espira delivers a stinging verbal evisceraction to Madame Cavendish as a distraction (and to vent his spleen). The addresee is rendered apoplectic with rage.
- Self-Made Man: Started out near the bottom of Spire Aurora and worked his way up through sheer skill.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He has definite shades of this in The Olympian Affair, being haunted by a passing incident in the first book when during the escape he instinctively killed a young apprentice who startled him. It plays a large role in his Heel–Face Turn.
- Would Hurt a Child: Played With. He is reluctant to hand over Folly and Bridget to Cavendish, for good reason, even though both are legally enemy combatants, and while he instinctively cuts down a young apprentice who startles him during his escape at the end of the first book, the incident haunts him all through the following book.
- Worthy Opponent: He's begrudgingly admiring of Grimm in the first book, and in the second, he outright wonders how the hell the Albion Fleet could have been so stupid as to cashier such a ridiculously competent officer.
Ciriaco
Sergeant Ciriaco
A Warriorborn Auroran Sergeant, and Espira's de facto second-in-command, being the most featured villainous character after Cavendish and Espira. Granted the Auroran rank of Hero after his action in Windlass.
- Beast Man: As with all other Warriorborn.
- Due to the Dead: Gives Benedict his name and acknowledges his request to remember him when it looks like Benedict will have to die in exchange for sparing Gwen and Bridget (on the grounds that he's too dangerous for even Ciriaco to contain while occupied with the other two, let alone carry out his mission).
- Everyone Has Standards: He's a Punch-Clock Villain at worst and while he's willing to do a lot for Aurora, there are lines he won't cross.
- Quietly all but begs Espira not to ask him to send a living man 'up the ropes' to be Eaten Alive.
- He also has a very sincere and deep-rooted objection to rape, taking a moment to inform Bridget — who was his prisoner and had assumed that she would be 'raped and murdered' — that he'd gut any man who laid a hand on her, and if that she did have to die, he'd kill her quickly and cleanly. When Bridget observes that he is not a rapist, but he is a murderer, his response is, "you seem to have it just about surrounded, miss."
- He absolutely despises Cavendish and Sark (the former, at least, being absolutely vile), bluntly responding to Espira's comment that he should be glad they're on the same side that he absolutely isn't, and later quietly floating the possibility of murdering the former at a convenient moment. It's also hinted that he intentionally left Bridget's weapons behind to give Bridget and Folly half a chance against Cavendish and Sark. He also immediately backs Espira when the latter is sickened by Cavendish and her plans and decides to turn on her.
- Evil Counterpart: To Benedict, though he's a Punch-Clock Villain at worst.
- Fantastic Racism: On the receiving end, as indicated by Espira's thoughts when he briefly wishes that he was a Warriorborn like Ciriaco with the associated stamina, before noting that if he were, he wouldn't have reached officer rank. This is elaborated upon in the second book, when his status as a Hero of Aurora thanks to the raid meant he was offered officer rank, but by following the unwritten rules and refusing, seeming to know his place, he gains more wealth and reward and popularity.
- Healing Factor: A limited one, like all Warriorborn, that lets him recover faster.
- Mercy Kill: To the young verminocitor who had stumbled across the Auroran encampment and was to be sent 'up the ropes.' He also states to Bridget that if she was taken as a hostage and her death was required, it would be clean and quick.
- Punch-Clock Villain: He's just doing his job, freely acknowledging that he's a murderer, and has no particular malice for any of the heroes, even after Gwen blows the head off the young Lieutenant he'd been mentoring — like him, they're just doing their jobs.
- Sergeant Rock: Functions as this to Espira's Captain Smooth, and it's indicated that he was The Mentor to Espira when the former was just starting out.
Captain Castillo
Captain Castillo
Captain of the fabled Auroran battlecruiser Itasca, who serves as Predator's nemesis in The Aeronaut's Windlass.
- The Ace: Clearly an extremely skilled captain, perhaps even the equal of Grimm himself; he doesn't put a foot wrong the entire book, his downfall only coming when he's outnumbered four to one—and even then he gives as hard as he gets. The crew of Predator are genuinely impressed by his ability.
- Cool Airship: The Itasca is noted as a very famous ship, and destroying it is considered a major morale-booster for the Albions even if its loss doesn't hurt the Armada all that much. It certainly lives up to its reputation, both as Itasca and recommissioned as Belligerent in The Olympian Affair.
- Everyone Has Standards: He works very hard to help rescue the stranded aeronauts of Thunderous. According to Grimm, no aeronaut would ever willingly let another fall to the horrors of the surface.
- Evil Counterpart: To Grimm, although only in the sense that he's part of the Auroran Armada. He even wears his arm in a sling, just as Grimm does for most of the book.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Bayard mentions that the two of them play chess in The Olympian Affair.
- Graceful Loser: Surrenders once he sees that victory or escape is no longer possible - and specifically surrenders to Grimm, recognising who was the ultimate architect of his defeat. Grimm notes that he could have fought on to a much bloodier end if he wanted, but didn't.
- Punch-Clock Villain: From what we see of him, he doesn't appear to be a bad guy at all, just on a different side.
Other
Captain Ransom
Captain Calliope Ransom
The captain of the Mistshark and Grimm's ex-wife.- Advantage Ball: In the climax, Ransom deals with Madame Cavendish, and puts multiple layers of defense in place. Including explosives in the cabin floor and a second-in-command with orders to shoot her if she comes out of the cabin "acting weird." By the sequel, Cavendish has apparently spent time reviewing her notes and uses Calliope's crew for leverage.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Ransom is on the side of herself and her crew, and that's it. Anyone else is fair game to have the knife stuck in at some point.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all her flaws, she actually does care about Grimm (and Predator, which was once her home), As she tries to get Grimm to leave on a job so he and Predator are not there when the time will come for her to destroy the docks. She fires upon the ship last even though the Predator was closest to her position when her attack happened. She also cares very deeply about her crew, which Cavendish exploits.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Grimm notes that her attack on Landing's port wouldn't include attacking civilians or non-merchant ships and non-Fleet ships. When she does attack, she only fires on legitimate targets that can help in Albion's economy or defense.
- During The Olympian Affair, she, like Espira and Ciriaco, draws the line at wholesale slaughter of an established spire.
- Extended Disarming: She deliberately doesn't leave her weapons behind when boarding Predator... just because it'll annoy Grimm to have to deal with her that much longer.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Grimm pays her back for sabotaging the Predator in the wind trials by similarly sabotaging her ship, slowing her to a lesser speed and allowing the Predator to easily catch up.
- Punch-Clock Villain: She's just doing what she's been paid for.
- The Rival: To Grimm, especially following a race in the past where she won by sabotaging Predator. They were also married. Needless to say, that must have been a dysfunctional relationship.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Is the only character in the book to successfully tell Madame Cavendish to shut up.
- Troll: Spends most of her interactions with Grimm doing her best to annoy him as much as possible.
Captain Ravenna
Capain Ravenna
Captain of the PAS Stormmaiden and influential member of the Pike Alliance fleet, introduced in The Olympian Affair. A warriorborn and a hunter of dragons. Also a friend and lover to Captain Grimm.- Animal Eyes: She is a warriorborn so she has feline eyes.
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Chaotic Good: Like most members of the Piker fleet, she does her duty in the manner that suits her. At her core, though, she's honorable, loyal and true to her word. She supports Grimm as best she can, subject to her obligations of duty to her home fleet. - Half-Human Hybrid: She's warriorborn.
- Ms. Fanservice: She dresses in daring leather outfits adorned with dragon feathers and is unabashedly sexually aggressive.
- Pirate Girl: Like most Piker aeronauts, she acts as a privateer against the designated enemies of her home fleet.
- Super-Soldier: She has the enhanced strength, speed and senses of a warriorborn, besides being a skilled fighter in her own right.
