T.J. Laverne

Elder brother of Alexandra Brighton, and son of Phineas and Aurora. Living in New Orleans, he is an unsuccessful chemist who has dedicated his life to Alchemy. Though he is 30, or thereabouts, he could easily pull off 20. His blazing golden-honey hair stands atop his head in a strange array as if he has been electrocuted, and his bright, fervent chestnut eyes are flecked with the same golden-honey. He is tall and somewhat gangly and smiles more than most people. He has a passionate energy that most people cannot keep up with, and falls head over heels with many women that do not return his sentiments.

Younger sister of Ivan Brighton, and daughter of Phineas and Aurora. As a brilliant archaeologist and linguist, she is being paid to translate the Egyptian "Book of the Dead," though her life’s dedication is set at finding the mythological "Book of Thoth." She is cursed with being viewed by the entire race of men as tantalizingly beautiful, at just five feet tall. Her long, dark hair falls in voluptuous waves and curls down her back, and her eyes are a stunning shade of silver-grey in a face of lucid-white skin. Because of this, she goes to extreme lengths to hide her beauty and force people to see her intelligence and worth, instead.

Lab assistant at the local University in New Orleans, and assistant to Ivan in his Alchemy work, as well as Ivan’s longtime friend. A timid man of dainty proportions, he has chocolate brown, longish, wavy hair that sits rather messily upon his head, and orbish, ocean blue eyes in a simple, almost peaky face. Though he is not handsome by conventional means, his eyes and face are kind and gentle. Overly meek and shy, he speaks hardly a word to Alex, and cannot seem to bring himself to look her straight in the face.

Astrophysicist who arrives mysteriously on Ivan and Alex’s doorstep with an invitation. For fifteen years he has been employed by a faction of the United States government, dealing with matters concerning global security. An exceptionally tall, lanky man, he is likely middle-aged, as his fuzzy, dull brown hair recedes far upon his forehead, and he wears small, round, silver spectacles low upon his nose. Oddly dressed, he is, for lack of a more appropriate term, quite nerdy, and he takes his profession perhaps a little too seriously.

Stationed in Tacoma, Washington as captain of the Sea Nymph, native of Turkey, and son of Matthias Kouros. Five years ago he came forward with a claim that a secret society near Mount Latmos in Turkey is plotting to “kill” the sun. An exotic-looking middle-aged man, he often wears clothes that excentuate his muscles and buttocks, for all to admire. His hair is a sleek black, with a matching, thick mustache, and he frequently wears a musky perfume strong enough to choke everyone on his ship. Yet behind his ridiculous facade, he has a pleasant, handsome face, and a warm and surprisingly comforting smile.

A maid/cook/waitress employed at the Hyde Inn in Washington Territory. Her skin somewhere between a tan and a burn, she appears as if she has been cooked by the sun for far too long, and her hair looks as if it is actually made out of straw. Though she is bony, she looks as if she has been out running with wild animals for years. Her eyes, though they are cutting, are a most brilliant shade of brown as if a roaring fire is lit in their depths. Severe, stubborn, and often short-tempered, she has a passion that scares even Ivan, and often makes him fear for her sanity.

Cabin boy of Ambrose Kouros on the Sea Nymph. A handsome boy of sixteen years, he has copper skin, dark mischievous eyes, and dark hair that sits in small curls close to his head. Most likely of Spanish descent, he was born in the southwest not knowing his parents, and knows every state of the western frontier. He is reverent to his captain, Ambrose, who has taken him in like a son, and has a strong liking for growing things.

Lives in New Orleans near Ivan and Alex. His heart has recently been broken by a woman he had loved since childhood, and an aura of serious melancholy clings to his every breath. With her wedding fast approaching, he cannot bear to stay in New Orleans and follows Ivan to Washington Territory. Tall and strapping, his skin is a smooth mahogany, and his eyes are deep, soulful pools one could sink into. He is an exceptionally beautiful man, almost to the point of being godlike.

Indentical twins from England, whom Ivan meets on the ship traveling to Port Essington, Canada, posing as fur traders. Corin is friendly and outgoing and Callum is studious and quiet, but both are multi-talented, intelligent, knowledgeable, and artistic, and have traveled the world. Corin is a smiley young man, with long, sandy hair that is tied behind his head at the neck; while Callum has short, messy hair of the same color, a messy stubble of a beard, and a pair of small silver glasses upon his nose. Not really fur traders, they claim to have seen signs that led them to the Pacific Northwest, which they believe were intended to lead them to Ivan.

Guest of Hyde Inn in Washington Territory, with more energy, excitement, and enthusiasm than anyone, even he, can handle. He speaks almost nonstop, doesn’t appear to sleep at night, and takes up knitting as a means to channel some of his energy. A robust redhead, he is older than Gideon or Ambrose, but has a face that is very pale and little-boyish. He joins Ivan’s crew on a whim.

Native of Scandinavia, he shares a compartment with Ivan and Simon on the train from Denver, Colorado to Ogden, Utah. Grey and pruney, with a tiny gut, a withery beard, a toothless smile, and a high, quivery voice, he is kind and gentle, but speaks mostly in an unknown foreign tongue. He is almost always found singing in a high vibrato and strumming upon his mandolin. He has lived through many hardships, and his wife died many years ago, for whom he still grieves. He has been a nomad in the years since, without a home or a friend.

Of Polynesian descent, he has been living at the Hyde Inn in Washington Territory for several years. Always sitting in dark shadows in the corner of the dining room, everyone finds him unnerving. He doesn’t speak to anyone and never has visitors. In one respect he is exceptionally beautiful, and in another he is hideous. Very young, he has smooth olive skin, coal black hair, and deep set, black almond eyes. His face is gaunt and harsh, his eyes are hollowed almost to the back of his head, his cheeks are sunken in, and at times he appears sallow and sickly.