Mortimer Blake is the indomitably cheery sawbones of Harley Street — a studied man from the upper-middle class with lofty moral conditioning and a manner of conduct that might just fall a bit short of his convictions. After a stint as a field surgeon and years of charitable work in London’s hospitals and in the poor districts, he is trying to get wealthy and steady and decent. Unfortunately, his true desires lend themselves to none of those goals. Will he figure it out or fall from grace and end up mired in scandal?
Johnny Brown
Johnny Brown has recently been promoted to become the Head Gardener of Somerset House, for though the House itself has very little garden to tend to, there are manicured lawns stretched out against the Thames fringed by seasonal blooms and scents — alongside a large greenhouse that sports rare flowers given by travelling dignitaries. All in all, Johnny spends most of his time around the House in order to keep an eye on those in his care and those treasured persons in his life. But isn’t there more to life than work?
Daniel Wheeling-Hare
Born last of three brothers, Daniel never expected–or wanted–to inherit the family title. He identified himself as a musician first, as the son of a peer at a distant second. Tragedy, however, has a way of adjusting all sorts of perspectives, and Daniel has recently become the fourth Viscount Briarewe, with a manor estate and a London townhouse and a pair of siblings more inclined to view him as an entertaining uncle than an appropriate guardian. As if matters weren’t grave enough, he’s also gradually and inevitably losing his eyesight, and everything hinges on his ability to keep that fact a secret for as long as possible.
Ulysses Laughton
An artist, a Casanova and a little bit of an escape artist. Ulysses is bold and outspoken, an individual always on the prowl for his next subject, his muse. He prioritizes his art over most of his relationships and is downright fanatical when it comes to subjects or people that manage to catch his fancy. People know a great deal about him, but does anyone know him really? His secrets are abundant, though they hide quite easily behind an easy smile and a brilliant demeanor. Ulysses is enigmatic, though it is almost as if he had appeared from nowhere. With no family, and only some very close friends, Ulysses’ background is shrouded in mystery and, if one was to delve in further, full of fire as well. Rumors surround Ulysses and he wears them proudly, like a badge of honor. He is charismatic, he is inflammatory and his goal is to explore the world until eventually, he is lit ablaze, where he then wants to go out in glory.
Erastus Radclyffe III
Erastus is a young man brimming with jest, optimism, and a seemingly endless supply of irritating ideas. As his father’s only son, all expectations and prospects rest squarely on his shoulders. Yet, rarely does Rast meet these obligations without adding his own twist—always according to his own will and often to his own benefit. For do not be deceived by his good humor; beneath it lies a sharper mind than he lets on, one that is both keen and perceptive.
Achille Quemper
A captain deals with his ramping misfortunes that cripple his sanity and the poor souls associated with him. Each adventure seems more dangerous than the last. Though the captain pulls everyone to safety, the amount of close calls has become unnerving. And the trauma has become too much for even Achille to handle. Only one question remains, is he really fit to sail?
Xiao Walker Yu
Resourceful and persistent, Walker is a jobbing immigrant from China that arrived in England to support his family. The mysterious tag-along to the newly inherited Duke of Argyll, in name he is the man’s personal secretary. In practice though… The title is far from all-encompassing.
A trained fighter from a military family with a smooth tongue, Xiao is eager to put his skills to use. An immigrant from the east is not the most welcomed companion, and the adjustment in lifestyle has Xiao desperate to earn. Nothing is impossible if the price is right.
Eoin McDaniels
Eoin McDaniels is a chronic fuck-up; now in his 30s, he has spent the better part of a decade in an on-and-off love affair with opium—this vice at least made him a menace primarily to himself. That is changing. The Dublin-born man is, despite his addiction, still strong as an ox and has recently joined the ranks of the Greenstreet Gang. It is not far-fetched to worry that the backing of the gang will prompt him to unleash his destructive potential on the neighbourhood, instead of directing it inwards.
Maximilian von Habsburg-Lorraine
The irrepressible second son to Austro-Hungary’s ruling family, Max has long dodged the worst of his family and government’s machinations and expectations purely by the good luck of [i]not[/i] being his (crown prince) brother. As archduke he still has expectations aplenty, and he has more or less met those expectations. He has no intentions of ever ruling himself, and has made no secret of it, though he has never abdicated his position. The many previous efforts to arrange a dynastic marriage have all been flat-out denied, which has resulted in his most recent trip to London – ostensibly in the hope of finding a vaguely suitable wife, but realistically to put a few thousand miles between himself and his suffocating familial expectations.
Jesús de Torres y Pineda
With a long and rich history that stretches from Catalonia to England, Jesús has long since anchored himself among the many of London itself, embedded in the city of Troy’s lost Giant descendents, Jesús is an esteemed and celebrated Professor of History at the London College University where he imparts wisdom, advice and easy relationships. Though his personal life is somewhat questionable due to an illegitimate child and the curious rumour that it’s mother had been of Islamic origin, England hopes to adopt him as their own.