A lot has changed from Ciel’s position as a Dowager Baroness in London earlier this year. Married to the Duke of Grafton, whom she was always so very close with, Ciel emerges into the new year as a new image of herself. If only marriage could make her so happy, and if only the decision had not been made in the hope of saving herself from a threat to her life! Though one must wonder why such a prestigious man would take her as a second wife at all.
Archibald Seymour
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.
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.
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.
Queenie Kirkham
Orphaned at age five by the death of an ill mother she cannot remember, Queenie has never known more than a life of hardship. Her older sister, Cat, did whatever needed to be done to keep the both of them off the streets, jumping from brothel to brothel to keep a roof over their heads. Queenie didn’t argue when she became old enough to sell her own body, but she and Cat have been plying their trade for a decade at The Gun, and the pull of the associated Black Powder Gang has been stronger than Cat’s warnings. In addition to her brothel work, she acts as a courier now for Rosie Wilkes, earning a reputation but no coin, and has grand ambitions to pull herself and her sister out of prostitution forever.
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.
Lila Scriven
One of the “Twins” that lead the 40 Lambs, Lila is the mastermind behind the entire enterprise. Though many consider her the ‘softer’ of the Twins, Lila is as ruthless as Beatrix, her ‘wife’. The daughter of an English soldier and his Indian wife, Lila has seen how society rejects those deemed lesser or different, and has resorted to carving out a place for herself and her family. Now that the gang has met with such wild success, her ambitions have grown accordingly. She will allow nothing to threaten the success and peace that she has worked so hard to create. All that matters is herself, her wife, and the family they have found.
“Mama” Beatrix Scriven
One of the “Twins” that lead the 40 Lambs, Beatrix is often known as “Mama” or “Mama Bea” by her “lambs,” the women that make up her gang. Beatrix is the leader who wields the iron fist. When the Twins get their hands dirty, it’s Beatrix’s hands that end up bloodiest. Though the concept of the gang and its success is largely due to the strategic mind of her other half, it’s Beatrix’s force of will and willingness to be brutal that has allowed the gang to flourish. She is not a woman of halves. She is devoted entirely to her ‘wife’ Lila, to the gang, and to seeing their power continue to grow.
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.
Peter Scrymgeour
The famed concert pianist and unidentical “twin” brother of the Earl of Dundee. Always roving for creative peers, musical students, enemies, and lovers. None of these are mutually exclusive.