A GUIDE TO A THIRD SON’S UNLUCKY RISE TO PROMINENCE
A Third Son’s Unlucky Rise to Prominence
Third Prince Amarex (Rex) Yggdrasil is a prince in name only: he has little power, minimal authority, and few allies beyond his three primary retainers and two hundred loyal soldiers. Upon the sudden death of his grandfather, the new king, Rex’s father Damien, declares that Rex and his six siblings must vie to secure the right to be named heir to the Arbor Throne of Everlast in a competition known as the Round of Sovereigns. While Damien orders the competition to be bloodless, a rapid, unexpected series of deaths pushes Rex from obscurity to one of the main contenders for the throne. In addition, Rex’s grandfather, Morris, made a request on his deathbed that Rex be given command of Fort Mercury for the duration of the Round, the fort that lies on the border with the lone, hostile continental superpower: the Holy Hyperion Empire, led by the Holy Emperor. Rex’s unexpected success in this role makes him the tentative frontrunner in the competition and earns him new allies as the Round of Sovereigns quickly becomes bloody, underhanded, and tragic. However, Rex and his allies prevail, and he is named Crown Prince of Everlast. Upon Rex’s ascension as Crown Prince, he begins an unofficial tour of the Western nations, witnessing the effects of internal tensions as well as the specter of the encroaching Empire.
Character Guide
Main Cast
Amarex Yggdrasil (Rex)
Third son of Damien Yggdrasil and protagonist of this story. Fourth born of Damien Yggdrasil’s children overall and a Prince of the Kingdom of Everlast. Now Crown Prince of Everlast. Boyfriend of Astarte, Korrina, and Sophia.
Astarte
Rex’s personal maid and one of his three primary retainers. An elf. Formerly a member of Elven Intelligence. Become one of Rex’s girlfriends after the most recent Round of Sovereigns concluded.
Korrina Issen
Commander of Rex’s meager forces and Rex’s bodyguard. One of Rex’s three primary retainers. Adopted daughter of Yorick Issen. A country girl who was experimented on by the Elven Fundamentalists in her youth. Became one of Rex’s girlfriends after the Round. Received knighthood while Rex was in the Demon Country.
Sophia Isolde (Sophie)
Alleged daughter of Damien Yggdrasil, in actuality Tanner Preston and Victoria Isolde. Former Second Princess of Everlast. Victoria’s younger half-sister. Current President of the Isolde Company. Became one of Rex’s girlfriends after revealing her true parentage.
Olivia Farival
Former Colonel at Fort Mercury, now Brigadier General and de facto Fort Commander of Mercury and Laurel’s garrisons, as well as Everlast’s Second Army. Serves as the spokesperson for the soldiers of Fort Mercury. Possibly from a noble house in the Principality.
Makoto Nakatsuma
A mysterious member of Demon Country counterintelligence, specifically a Demonic Adjudicator. Worked with Rex to apprehend Gustav and Victoria Yggdrasil for their crimes and now serves as one of his advisors. Eventually revealed to be the Demon Lord’s heir and the True Child of Madranada the Detective.
Diamond
President of Succubun LLC. A rabbitfolk who loves barbeque chicken drumsticks and marches to the beat of her own drum. Self-declared bunny girl. One of Rex’s financial backers and allies.
Sapphire (Aphrise the Dreamer/Aphi)
Chief Executive Officer of Succubun LLC. Also known as the Azure Jewel for her investment profile in the Commerce Union. Becomes one of Rex’s allies and advisors. Eventually revealed to be the youngest of the Great Devils, Aphrise the Dreamer.
Shaam Russo
President of the Red Hound Company, rival of the Isolde Company. Revealed to be a foxfolk and the aunt of Ruby. Wears an eyepatch after a wound received at the Canopy Theater. Current ally, financial backer, and advisor of Rex.
En Yggdrasil
A glowing child and part of the Goddess, now a fusion of Rex and his various love interests. Claims to be Rex and his love interests’ collective daughter.
Amari Rosen
Rex’s mother. Passed away when Rex was six.
Damien Yggdrasil
Son of Morris Yggdrasil and King of Everlast. Father of six legitimate children, including Rex.
Morris Yggdrasil
Grandfather of Rex and father of Damien and Nora, as well as eight other legitimate children. Deceased hours before the story began.
Nora Yggdrasil
Morris’ Yggdrasil’s firstborn and favorite child. Was the frontrunner for the throne in the previous Round but bowed out to stop the escalation of the Round caused by Damien orchestrating the murder of their brother.
Jason Yggdrasil (Jase)
Son of Damien Yggdrasil and Madeline and grandson of the former Field Marshal. The First Prince of Everlast and former frontrunner for the throne. Deceased.
Madeline
Daughter of the former Field Marshal of Everlast and mother of Jason. Has a husband and two kids, Jason’s stepfather and half-siblings.
Gustav Yggdrasil (Gus)
Son of Damien Yggdrasil and his magic tutor, Minnie Wyles. The Second Prince of Everlast. Wrote a thesis on the World Tree. Deceased after his confrontation with Rex in the World Tree’s sanctuary.
Abigail Moore
Gus’ bodyguard and favored lover, formerly a minor noble in the Principality and Ninth Sword of the Heavenly Blades. Deceased after her duel with Korrina Issen.
Minnie Wyles
Gustav’s mother and Damien’s former tutor at Palace Bower. Betrayed Nora’s faction in the previous Round to secure better conditions for herself and Damien. Fatally stabbed by Phyla Dagan during the final hours of the most recent Round.
Adrian Bacht
Victoria’s bodyguard and favored lover. A former underworld operative who nearly died and was saved by Victoria’s intervention. Killed by Rex after Emily’s assassination.
Victoria Isolde
Victoria and Sophie’s mother. Former head of the Isolde Company. Stole the company from her mother after her father died and was also responsible for falsifying Sophia Isolde’s parentage. Killed by Sophia and Madame Isolde in the aftermath of Emily Cecant’s assassination.
Madame (Sophia) Isolde
Sophia’s grandmother and a famous former actress. Courted by both Morris Yggdrasil and Vinnie Triste in her youth. Choose Vinnie. Sophia’s bodyguard and advisor.
Vinnie Triste
Co-founder of the Isolde Company and a sex symbol in his youth. Worked with Madame Isolde to build up the Isolde Company into a continental force. Died fairly young.
Tanner Preston
Sophia Isolde’s father and the Demon Country’s ambassador to the Principality. His identity as Sophia’s father was obscured to grant Victoria Yggdrasil further aid in her bid for the throne.
Claudius Yggdrasil (Claudie)
Son of Damien Yggdrasil and Zin. The Fourth Prince of Everlast. Made numerous deals with international criminal organizations in an attempt to gain power. Deceased.
Zintefical the Covenant (Zin)
Damien Yggdrasil’s bodyguard and favored lover. Mother of Prince Claudius. The Second Eldest of the Great Devils, Zintefical, governor of promises. Cloaked in shadow the majority of the story.
Orson Talbot (Talbot)
Rex’s head butler and one of his three primary retainers. Formerly a low-level officer in Everlast’s armed forces, specifically in intelligence. Retired from intelligence work after one of his charges was killed on his watch. Longtime partner of Phyla Dagan.
Emerald and Ruby
Diamond’s lieutenants and longtime friends. Also rabbitfolk/bunny girls.
Ricardo Belmonte
Jason’s former bodyguard, adopted brother, and Yggdrasilian familiar. A prodigiously talented archer. Now serves as one of Prince Amarex’s primary retainers.
Esteban Bannier
Commander of Fort Conifer and de facto head of Everlast counterintelligence.
Julius Polk (Polky)
Commander of Fort Igneous and protege of Allison Zorris. Looks up to Korrina.
Allison Zorris
The Obsidian Edge. Former commander of Igneous. Suffering from a chronic injury that forced her early retirement, but has since returned to service.
Gregory Mondeck
General and Fort Commander of Mercury. Demoted to colonel. Longtime miser in opposition to Central Command. Died in the Fort Mercury affair.
Phyla Dagan
Field Marshal of Everlast. Surrogate parent to Emily Cecant and longtime partner of Orson Talbot. Has numerous injuries from her longtime dangerous work.
Ursus
Rex’s ursine Yggdrasilian Familial and dear friend. A big bear made of bark.
Serpen
Claudie’s serpentine Yggdrasilian familiar. Now resides within Ursus
Avi
Sophie’s avian Yggdrasilian familiar. Can now manifest portions of Victoria’s familiar.
Cloudburst
Emily’s former mount, now Rex’s. A kirin.
Singer
Korrina’s six-legged horse. Has a hostile relationship with Rex.
Silverdrop
Olivia’s six-legged horse
Yorick Issen
Former Commander of Fort Laurel and adopted father of Korrina. Deceased.
Emily Cecant
Former Commander of Fort Laurel, killed in an assassination attempt on herself and Rex. Developed feelings for Rex shortly before she passed.
Nimeri and Torvald
Former joint-leaders of the Fifth Army, now commanding officers in Everlast’s Second
Seymour Neus
Mayor of Arboria and coordinator of the experiments on Korrina and of the relationship between the Elven Fundamentalists and Everlast that allowed Astarte to enter Rex’s service. Died due to overdosing on a numbing agent out of fear of being tortured to death by Korrina.
Regulus Hyperion the Third
Current Emperor of the Holy Hyperion Empire. Younger than Rex, but already preparing to fulfill his ancestor’s dreams of expanding the Empire across the continent.
Aaron Solis
The former Emperor’s secret child responsible for building up the Empire’s strength. Said to be the Empire’s prophet. Longtime nemesis of Gregory Mondeck, eventually killed by his hand at the conclusion of the Fort Mercury Affair.
Talesin
The weakest of the Elder Dragons. Resides in Everlast’s frontier with the glowing girl.
Loegres
The eldest and most powerful of the Elder Dragons. Resides in the Optical Archipelago.
Ouroboros the Glutton
The only Elder Dragon who could rival Loegres in power. Massive, and with an insatiable appetite. Died in the final conflict with Those Who Remain. His falling corpse formed Great Ouroboros Lake in Everlast.
The Goddess
The First Dryad and the strongest being in Eterna. Governor of all Life in Eterna. Currently half-alive, half-deceased.
The Endbringer
The strongest of the Great Devils of the Unnamed. Guardian of the End. Eventually revealed to have partially revived as Amari Rosen.
Rosriamena (Rosri)
The Endbringer’s true name
Those Who Remain(ed)/Ascended
The Goddess, the Devils, the Elder Dragons, and their allies and their opposition respectively
Chamomile
Torvald’s mother, a former sex worker in the Empire whose relationship with an Imperial Noble resulted in Torvald’s conception
Donner
Nimeri’s father, a former sanitation worker who lost a leg due to infection. Found Nimeri abandoned by the sewers and adopted her.
Margot Cavendish
Former Grand Princess of the Principality and Countess of Cavendish. Mother of Mary Cavendish. First Sword, or strongest swordmaster, of the Heavenly Blades.
Mary Cavendish
Daughter of Margot Cavendish and current Countess of Cavendish. Revealed to be the half-daughter of the former Count Hurd.
Lucas Hurd
Current Count Hurd at the beginning of the story. Mary’s half-brother on their father, the former Count Hurd’s, side. Fell off his horse and died in the Cavendish Border Dispute.
Doris Delcashur
Third Sword of the Principality and a retainer of Countess Farival
Clayton
Commander of Cavendish’s Knights
Edith
Head Maid of Cavendish Manor
Colonel Shockey
De-facto steward of Cavendish and head of their intelligence. Revealed to have loyalties to other counties, primarily Graham. Killed attempting to assassinate Rex.
Countess Farival
Head of Farival County. Descended from the Water Nymphs.
Countess Ruthyn
Commander of the Principality’s largest armies and close ally of Farival and Cavendish.
Count Graham
The wealthiest Count, and thus the most anti-war.
Count Renir
Deeply tied in international business and suspected of having criminal ties
Count Lorimer
Commands the largest fortress city on the front lines, the Drum
Tobias Osbern
Chancellor of the Empire and Commander in Chief of the Imperial Military
Crichton
Commander of Imperial Fort Beta, the fort on the border with Cavendish and one of the five Imperial “garrison dog” border forts.
Vharley
The young general of the Fifty-Eighth Imperial Army. Has doubts about the upcoming war
Harlow
A colonel in the Imperial Army and Vharley’s second-in-command
Casey Maxwell
Chief Adjudicator of the Demon Country and Madranada’s last student. A workaholic with terrible luck in love.
Eckland Balree
Steward of Argos Demonia and de facto head of the Demon Country civil servants. One of the few who knows the Demon Lord’s true identity.
Oculon of the Crypts
One of the seven Elder Dragons. Formerly resided in the Empire but was driven out. Now resides in the Demon Country. All-but mad and obsessed with the Endbringer.
Laevatin
One of the seven Elder Dragons. Lives of the Demon Country’s coast. Said to be the older sister of the Glutton, only with a far more discerning palette.
Hiro Nakatsuma
De Facto Demon Lord, Madranada’s body double, and father of Makoto. Simultaneously one of the weakest and last remaining demons to have arrived directly from the Unnamed. Partner of Madranada
Madranada the Detective (Adra)
Fourth of the Great Devils and the Demon Lord, Sovereign Protector of the Demon Country. Mother of Makoto and partner of Hiro. Governor of mysteries and secrets.
Ulric Usterglen
The corrupt Argos Demonia Minister of Finance. One of Madranada’s many children who did not inherit her powers. Killed in a raid on his bank spearheaded by Makoto.
Darios Cour
One of Makoto’s fellow Demonic Adjudicators and longtime friends. Looks up to Makoto after she took him out in one blow. Deeply in love with his girlfriend.
The Twins, Jemiviles (Jemi) and Nyveluses (Ny) the Two-Faced
The Fifth and Sixth Great Devils, both deceased.
Lifencrife the Bloodflame (Lief)
Third of the Great Devils. Once believed to be deceased, now believed to be the mastermind behind the events that nearly brought ruin to Madranada’s family. Governor of the Bloodflame, font of demonic biology.
Eterna
The world where this story takes place.
House Yggdrasil
The Kingdom of Everlast’s royal and only noble house who reside in Palace Bower on the island where the World Tree sits.
The World Tree
The greatest Divine Artifact in Eterna
Divine Artifact
Powerful objects believed to have been blessed by the gods
Great Ouroboros Lake
The lake surrounding the World Tree. Revealed to be the resting place of the Glutton.
Arboria
The Capital of Everlast
Venia
Everlast’s second-largest city and the country’s trade hub
Orcane Port
A small shipping port grown and turned into a smuggling hub by Victoria Yggdrasil.
Forts Mercury, Igneous, and Conifer
The three border forts of Everlast, each headed by a Fort Commander. Mercury is on the border with the Empire, Igneous on the Border with the Principality and Commerce Union, and Conifer with the Woodlands and the Demon Country.
Fort Laurel
Everlast Central Command. Also known as the White Flower Building. Located in Arboria.
Everlast’s Second Army
A combination of the Fifth Army and Twelfth Army defectors and the remnants of Fort Mercury’s Garrison.
The Frontier
A term for the monster-filled wilderness on Everlast’s borders.
The Isolde Company
The premier mercantile company operating in Everlast. Primarily deals in sea routes.
The Red Hound Company
A newcomer to the Everlast mercantile scene but already Isolde’s greatest rival. Primarily deals in land routes. Gave the start-up funds for Succubun LLC.
Succubun LLC/Jewelry Credit Union
A traveling service that can give you any fantasy for a price. Uses derivatives of Sapphire’s magic to transport clients into their wildest dreams, usually of an illicit variety. Entirely made up of self-professed bunny girls, save Sapphire, for branding. Legally the Jewelry Credit Union, if rarely referred to as such.
The Bean and Vine Cafe
A cafe sponsored by Sophia Isolde. A popular date spot.
The Grand Arbor Club
Everlast’s most exclusive club and restaurant. Considered by some, including former King Morris, to be overpriced and overrated.
Arboria Circuit
Built by Morris Yggdrasil’s mother and used by both mother and son frequently. Known for its regular races and high stakes bets.
Canopy Theater
Everlast’s premier performance venue.
The Principality of Western Nations
A nation headed by a council of powerful nobles, one of whom serves as Grand Princess/Prince. Changes over the years have distributed more and more power to the general populace and the minor nobility.
Heavenly Blade
The strongest human swordfighters outside of the Empire
Thalin
Capital of the County of Cavendish and de-facto secondary capital of the Principality due to its former lady serving as Grand Princess. Contains the historic Old Town and the modern, memorial New Town.
Thalin’s New Town
The section of Thalin once burned down in an Imperial Raid barely disguised as a wyvern attack. Many children were taken, and many more civilians died.
Nymph’s Raiments
A clothing store inspired and owned by House Farival.
The Holy Hyperion Empire
A theocratic monarchy and the largest and most powerful nation in Eterna
The Border Forts/Garrison Dogs
Forts Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Staffed by the Garrison Dogs, the most elite units in the Empire besides the Fifth Army and the Order of the Golden Blade.
The Order of the Golden Blade
The Hyperion Temple’s ace fighting force. Works independently from Imperial Armies.
The Fifth Army
An army entirely composed of commoners and the strongest single force in the Empire. All members defected or were killed during the Fort Mercury Affair.
The Twelfth Army
A convict unit filled with dissidents and criminals. Defected or were killed in the Fort Mercury Affair. The army continues with new dissidents and criminals.
The Optical Archipelago
An unexplored land where the mysterious Monstura allegedly reside
The Demon Country
A nation headed by the Demon Lord.
Argos Demonia
The capital of the Demon Country, resting place of the Endbringer, and seat of the Demon Lord. Split into seven districts named for each of the Great Devils.
Tower of Devils
The primary monument of Argos Demonia. Said to be the last gateway to the Unnamed.
The Unnamed
Land of the Devils and Demons. Also believed to be the location of the afterlife.
Temple Major of the Seven Great Devils
One of Argos Demonia’s main landmarks and the center of Devil worship.
Random Darts Cafe and Bakery
A cafe frequented by the civil servants and officials in Argos Demonia.
Covenant Park
A park in Argos Demonia for lovers, born of Zin’s magic.
Egar
A small village that serves as a border checkpoint between the Demon Country and Everlast.
Demonic Adjudicator
The Demon Country’s strongest fighting force. Adjudicators serve as intelligence, detectives, law enforcement, special operatives in war, and roaming judges and executioners.
The Continental Woodland
A collective term of the land in which the beastfolk, elves, and dwarves reside
The Mesmonan Commerce Union
A nation headed by a council of powerful merchants