Characters

Pronunciation: ih-kah-RUSS bee-KAH-mehn-oss

Gender: Male, female, or non-binary

Age: Middle

Short description

Icarus has been a model Second House necromancer all their life. Their name is well-known in the Cohort, as they rose to prominence not once but twice. A mysterious leave of absence between their tours raised some questions, but their talent and efficiency as a front-line necromancer quickly silenced any doubts. However, there are whispers that their recent performances have been lackluster, and this current mission has been an outright disaster. Will this once-bright star burn up before its time?

Themes

Grief, loyalty, doubt

Pronunciation: SEE-zarr oc-TAY-vee-ahn

Gender: Male, female, or non-binary

Age: Old

Short description

Everyone knows Caesar Octavian’s name. If they don’t, they know their title: the Emperor’s Hound. Revered in the Cohort, lauded in the Houses, feared on the free planets, and despised by Blood of Eden. In their long life, Caesar has conquered countless colonies in the Emperor’s name, with blood, bone, and fury. Together with their cavalier, they were an unstoppable two-person army.

But time has caught up with them. Age is creeping into their bones, their body betraying them with pain and slowness. This mission, meant to solidify their legacy, is crumbling despite their best efforts, and they’re trapped in a bunker with enemies who would love nothing more than to see them dead.

Is it time for Caesar to lay down their sword and find someone worthy to take up their mantle - or to blaze out in a final act of glory?

Themes

Imperialism, nationalism, legacy

Pronunciation: MESS-ah-leen trih-PAR-tsee-us

Gender: Male, female, or non-binary

Age: Young

Short description

Messaline Tripartius’s beautiful and elegant appearance is a membrane stretched too thin over the roiling sea of their madness. Born into privilege as the cherished heir of the Marquis of Ida, Messaline’s golden childhood should have given them everything they ever wanted - but there’s an emotional void inside them that has led to an insatiable hunger. That hunger manifests in unsettling ways, making them a dangerous mix of charm and unpredictability. Their cavalier, Castor Trich, used to be their anchor, but Castor’s recent deterioration has only deepened Messaline’s instability.

Now, trapped in the bunker, Messaline is too close to something - or someone - that they crave. How far will they go to still their insatiable appetite?

Themes

Codependence, cannibalism, madness, toxic relationships

Pronunciation: LAY-dah DISS

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Young

Short description

It’s tough being the Cohort’s latest heartbreaker. Leda Dis has experienced a meteoric rise, thanks to their stunning looks and undeniable charm. A cover model for the Cohort’s magazines, a coveted spokesperson, and even the cavalier to a celebrated veteran necromancer they helped restore to glory - Leda seems to have it all. But beneath the surface, their life is anything but effortless.

Maybe they’re too impulsive, too brash, too ruled by their heart. Maybe it’s the growing realization that the Empire has molded them into a mere pawn for propaganda. Or perhaps it’s because their heart aches for the one person they can never have.

Themes

Forbidden love, institutional abuse, agency

Pronunciation: RUTH OTT-ay

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Old

Short description

At first glance, most wouldn’t suspect Ruth Otte of being one half of the most ruthless necromancer-cavalier duo in living history. They are pious, calm, and generally soft-spoken. But when the topic turns to faith, their mask slips. Within Ruth burns the fire of a true believer - a religious zealot whose passion borders on dangerous obsession. They are determined to see the wildfires of faith spread, no matter what those around them think or want.

Themes

Religious fanaticism, mentorship, forced religious conversion

Pronunciation: CASS-torr TRICK

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Middle

Short description

Castor Trich has always been the half of a whole. First, to their twin sibling, Pollux. Then, to their unstable necromancer, Messaline. Competent as a cavalier but fractured as a person, Castor struggles to function without someone to complete them. People generally view Castor as charismatic but mad, as they’re often found speaking to empty air or lost in distant stares. Others find it hard to reach them. But beneath their layers of codependency and erratic behaviour is someone yearning for connection before their madness swallows them whole.

Themes

Family, grief, madness, codependency

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Middle

Short description
Heaven was not born into Blood of Eden, but it’s hard to find rebels more committed to the cause than them. They’re driven, smart, charismatic, and surprisingly knowledgeable about how the Houses operate. 

Now, in the bunker, Heaven is forcibly confronted with something - or someone - from their past. They’d hoped they could leave this part of themselves behind, but this time, running away won’t be so easy.

Themes:

Family, ideology, rebellion, toxic relationships

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Young

Short description
Some join Blood of Eden out of conviction. Some out of vengeance. And some just want to fight.

America isn’t a political person. They don’t always follow protocols or understand history. But they love getting physical - and they’re very, very good at it. This tendency to act before thinking has landed them in trouble with Blood of Eden before. Now, trapped in the bunker with no clear plans or action, all their pent-up energy is boiling over. America has already picked a fight or two and is growing restless. Are their ideals strong enough to survive this pressure cooker, or will they cave to anyone who offers them a way out?

Themes

Conviction, doubt, rebellion

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Old

Short description

They were not born as Despair. But no one would argue that the name they chose after the worst event of their life had happened to them doesn’t fit them. Despair carries an old wound that never healed and is quick to lash out at those that don’t share their obvious hatred of the Empire. Even within Blood of Eden they are seen as a volatile extremist. But they have reason to be.

Of all the Blood of Eden rebels to be trapped in a bunker with House representatives, it just had to be Despair. And they’ve got scores to settle.

Themes

Grief, revenge, rebellion, lost love

Pronunciation: YOOR-ee

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Young

Short description:

Eury has never known life outside House rule - it seemed tolerable enough, until their brother left to join the Cohort. Since then, Eury has struggled with vulnerability, mood swings, and a jealous aversion to the Cohort, which has landed them in trouble more than once.

Now, as the youngest in this bunker, Eury finds themselves caught in the chaos of war, alone and unsure who to trust. They’re desperate for someone to care for them, to provide the stability they lost. They just want someone to love them like they’re family. Is that too much to ask?

Themes:

Emotional transference, codependency

Pronunciation: AG-nuss

Gender: Male, female or non-binary.

Age: Old

Short description
Agnus remembers the so-called “free life”. For them, it meant hunger, poverty, and constant struggle. Life under House rule, while flawed, has at least provided stability. But now, with the Blood of Eden rebellion stirring conflict and necromancers arriving on their planet, Agnus is forced to confront the meaning of loyalty, rebellion, and survival. 

But they are so very tired, and all they truly want is rest and peace in the twilight of their years.

Themes

Submitting to oppression, imperialist assimilation, lost love

Pronunciation: ann-DROH-meh-dah

Gender: Female

Age: Middle

Short description
Andromeda wears her sadness like a mantle. Though she’s not been on this planet long, she’s become a quiet pillar of support in the neighbourhood. Always willing to provide for those in need (a meal, credits slipped discreetly under the table, or a safe place to hide), she offers warmth, but keeps her distance. Everyone knows not to ask about her past, as her secrets run deep.

But now, with the Resurrection Beast looming and death on the horizon, Andromeda might want someone to confide in, after all this time.

Themes:

Grief, secrets, submitting to the inevitable.

Andromeda’s storyline touches on deep lore in the Locked Tomb books. Therefore this role is only available to people who are familiar with preferably all three books, but at least Harrow the Ninth.