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?
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.
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.
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.
Meredith Trevor
Site Canon Character
Prostitute
25 – 30 · Male
FC: Aneurin Barnard
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
Site Canon Character
Manager of Maggie’s Place
35 – 40+ · Male
FC: Andreas Pietschmann
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
Site Canon Character
Telegram Messenger, Prostitute
20 – 25 · Male
FC: Tyrone Smithers
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.)
Sila Nanuq
Sila is a quiet and intimidating figure at first glance. He is a gentle giant for the most part. Sila is an artist who wants to create, make friends, and find a greater sense of community. Sila will fight to protect the people he loves, even if he might not stand up for himself.
Arthur Beckwith
The valet to the Duke of Somerset, as matchless in his dedication to his work as he’s been in the quantity of his sexual exploits. From uncertain parentage he’s risen to nearly the highest realm of service, careful to keep his professional and private lives separate.
Timothy Anderson
Site Canon Character
Detective Inspector, Special Irish Branch, London Metropolitan Police
30 – 35 · Male
An Irish immigrant, Tim has fought for everything he’s ever had. Even with the connections his adoptive father, Superintendent Joseph Warrens, Tim has worked extremely hard to prove that he is just as capable as any other member of the Met. While his birth family does have connections to the Fenians, he has done everything in his power to distance himself from them and their beliefs, including changing his surname when he moved to London. With a chip on his shoulder the size of a city block, he’s spent his entire career in the Met hiding who he is and where he came from, and endeavors to prove himself on a daily basis – even if he’s only proving himself to himself. Recently, he’s been tasked with investigating the Greenstreet Gang, the budding turf war with the Black Powders, and any possible connections there might be with Irish republican sympathizers.