Characters

Since the mysterious and untimely death of her husband, a nephew of the Dowager, the Countess has had a second life living in a haze of parties and masquerade balls on the arm of many a powerful entity. Her “devil may care” attitude may mask a shrewd manipulator looking to climb socially through the Thornclaw Clan, some believe, upon the bodies of its members.

She’s the youngest daughter of the Lord and Lady Thornclaw. She’s made of Sugar and Spice and everything devilish. She seems sweet and playful at first, but watch out, her  “games” and “pranks” often are deadly serious. She often sits at the side of the Dowager, listening to her tales of the old days. Beware to anyone who tries to get between them.

Sweet, kind, and a beautiful conversationalist, this lady will make you feel seen. Her lovely wings flutter gently in the breeze as the thousands of eyes dappled throughout her feathers follow your every move. Her affection for beautiful souls makes her a wonderful companion, but if you love your life you’d better hope you don’t meet her for a very long time.

His giant size and brusque manner only hide the simple sweetness of the Lord Thornclaw. Highly emotional he is easily sent into blind rages and fits of sadness, his heart worn boldly on his sleeve no matter how hard he tries to maintain a powerful, reserved presence. His love for his Manor is exceeded only by his love and loyalty to his family. The Dowager believes him to be far too weak-hearted to become the leader of the Thornclaw clan at her passing and while he stays by her side through the ages, his loyalty will most likely never be returned. 

Ah yes, the wise old seer. She is the younger sister of the Dowager Thornclaw and sees all. The only thing that seems beyond her ability to predict is how she can get her hands on the family fortune after her sister passes. Beware, those who get their fortunes told often end up . . . unfortunate.

The Admiral has been the scourge of the high seas for countless millennia. His military reputation is only outmatched by his reputation as a blowhard. When he deigns to rise out of his underwater city to attend a feast, be warned: if he begins telling stories of the good old ancient days, run for the sake of your sanity.

He sits deep within his lab brewing up concoctions and technological innovations to serve the purposes of the Thornclaw family.  His elixirs are known for many effects: inducing love, curing ills, inciting riots, and instilling madness. In his shoppe, surrounded by countless bottles of unsettling liquids and unnameable devices he toils long hours working to aid the Dowager in the lengthening of her already long life. The Apothecary is also known to keep strange company as he seeks ingredients from often unsavory beings from around the universe.

The Architect, at the Dowager’s request, is constantly building additions onto the manor and is seemingly never done. Anyone trying to figure out his maze-like plans are apt to go insane from his use of non-euclidean geometry to design the labyrinthine and maddeningly confusing layout of the monstrous abode. It is said that visitors should beware of wandering the house alone, they may never find their way out. Some say you can hear the calls of lost beings echoing through the night as they seek an exit from the ancient home.

Sly and smooth, the charming Bachelor is the eldest grandson of the Dowager Thornclaw. His exquisitely-tailored suits and sharp look is a way of hiding his con man career. His slick words work wonders with his Marks, as well as the ladies and the men, but the Dowager can always see right through him. He’ll need all of his wits to get his claws on the family fortune.

He has long sought out the answers to the diversity of life in the worlds of Thornclaw Manor. His research casts doubt on the Darwinian nature of life in the Multiverse. He has seen disturbing and obscene creatures develop through bizarre alterations in biology that defy logic or simple evolutionary process. He also casts doubt on the idea that there is any kind of “intelligent design.” The maddeningly chaotic development of life suggests that if there was a “designer,” he or she must be either out of their mind or an omnipotent yet blind idiot god.