Archibald Seymour, the Duke of Somerset, is a dark and dangerous man to all who oppose him. Whether it be the men who dare to risk the chances of Archibald’s racing horse or the ones who chase the girl he, himself, was after – you should run. Dressed as a man who should know better, Archibald’s techniques range from rumour to bruised knuckles. You can find him in the Theater, or perhaps in those hedonistic haunts of a time gone by. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll find him at the commons listening in on laws that his late father would’ve once opposed.
Luc Wynn
Youngest son of a Welsh baron, Luc was always destined to be one of three things: A military man, an academic, or a priest. With his compassionate nature and personal desire to see all wrongs righted, and a true devotion to the words of Christ, there was only one real option for him. Having spent the last five years as an ordained curate in the East End, his newest promotion to assistant to the Bishop of London has given him a bit of culture shock. Back among the well-to-do of the city, cognizant of his status as protégé to an important man, Luc is doing his best to serve his family, the Church, and God.
Nathaniel Blackwood
Tall, dark, and imposing in his presence, Nathaniel Blackwood is a furnishing undertaker who has taken over his role in the family business and is currently on a venture to further solidify their enterprise’s name in the professional London scene.
Giovanni De Mura
Giovanni was born in Naples and came from a poor background. His father was a foundry worker, and his mother a seamstress. Giovanni started out as a street singer. At 22 he made his stage debut in Naples, and lived for a few years the life of a starving artist, traveling around Italy and Portugal and earning very little. His voice grew in power and weight as he aged, and at the age of 29 in Milan he met an opera manager from London who, after hearing him sing, engaged him for a six season contract with the Royal Opera. In London, Giovanni suddenly finds himself very successful – for the first time in his life, he has money, fame and recognition. Whether or not he can survive the allures of success remains to be seen.
Jacob Smith
More widely known as Mr Forsythe, Jacob Smith is an illegitimate son of the late Marquess of Sligo, a medium, a performer, and a charlatan. Utilising his knack for acting, he targets wealthier relatives of recently departed and strives to make them depart with their fortunes as well. A person of dubious morality, he is out for himself and his closest associates. Jacob is determined to make his séances more popular while not getting caught.
Joseph Warrens
Only the best of the best survive the harsh streets of Whitechapel, and Joseph Warrens has long since proven himself among those ranks. Born and raised in the poverty-stricken and dangerous streets he would later police, Joseph has a keen understanding of the woes and challenges that the people of his jurisdiction face. He spent his entire career in Whitechapel, and now has risen to the rather unenviable position of superintendent over Division H of the London Metropolitan Police. He is responsible for every success and failure of his men, and with the unique challenges Whitechapel offers, it’s often more failures than successes. While he is fiercely loyal to his men and fiercely protective of the streets that are his to protect, he has long since learned to play the bureaucratic games that his position requires. While his integrity (such as it is) has mostly remained intact, it has not made him the most popular of the Met’s superintendents, and the political aspects of his position also mean that he isn’t the most popular with his own constables, either. Still, Joseph puts the work and the people of his jurisdiction first, and will continue to do so until death takes him or he is relieved of his position.
Rhett Fitzroy
The Duke of Grafton is the best friend and worst enemy one could ever have. He is married to the love of his life, but that does not prevent him from considering other options within reason. He is a precocious man who loves roses, politics, and fencing. The Duke is willing to offer his expertise in all three, often picking and choosing his battles on the last two without provocation.
Meredith Trevor
The son of a successful Welsh banker, Meredith’s poor behavior during the last decade has seen him cut off from his father’s financial support. In spite of his good education and gentry breeding, Meredith has little love for the world of business and money – save for the methods of spending it. It was spending it, and spending too much time in gambling parlors, that saw him indebted to Lord FitzMaurice and thus whored out at Maggie’s Place. While FitzMaurice keeps him on a short leash, Meredith’s affection for the man has long since waned. Instead, he finds his eye drawn more and more often to the enforcer, and now manager, of the brothel: Martin Love. Meredith is well aware of the dangerous game he plays, but he has never been one for caution… Or denying himself his worst desires.
Martin Love
One doesn’t dream of one day running a brothel full of homosexuals, and indeed this is not the life that Martin ever imagined for himself. After a career as a constable with the London Metropolitan Police was cut short by running afoul of a gang, he was introduced by a mutual associate to Lord Oscar FitzMaurice. With his knowledge of London policing and his connections at Scotland Yard, Martin seemed ideal to help protect the secrecy of Maggie’s Place. Over time, his role has expanded; after the Madame of the brothel abruptly quit some months ago, Martin was unceremoniously promoted. He’s done well enough in the role, but the stress of dealing with a large number of young, often catty, men and the nature of the clients the brothel attracts, on top of his normal duties of seeing to protecting the brothel from the attentions of the police force and gangs who think they’re owed protection money, has pushed Martin right to the edge.
Enzo Esposito
Enzo has always felt torn between two versions of himself. French and Italian; serious, dutiful son, and fun-loving artistic soul; normal, and deviant. Brought by his mother to London a few years ago, he does his best to portray himself in the way she expects and is proud of. To that end, he got a job as a telegram messenger, biking around the city to deliver telegrams to a wide variety of individuals. It was through that job that he was introduced to Martin Love, the proprietor of Maggie’s Place, who was quick to offer the handsome young man a place at the brothel. Though it is not the kind of work that Enzo ever imagined himself doing, there is a certain freedom to it that keeps him working there in spite of the danger and the distasteful aspects of it. (The money doesn’t hurt, either.)