Song of the Shrike II 🐩

Octavian Republic || Octavia is a country in Western Europe.
Official language: Octavian.
Capital: Romus.
Major cities: Romus, Lucre, Triticum, Septentrion, Moesime and the Forbidden Lands.
Currency: Danar.
National motto: "Purity of blood - Purity of thoughts."
Population:
— 3.3 million purebreds.
— 8.5 million half-breeds.
More precisely, the number of lower ones is not established.
Religion - Octavianism/Octavian Church.
[Octavian Christianity].
A Brief History of Octavia.
The lands are controlled by the Roman Empire. In 476, the Roman Empire falls. Dark Ages | Fragmentation from the 4th to the 8th centuries. From the 8th to the 11th centuries, the creation of the Great and Minor Houses [Solarus, Marsen, Mercuro, Venusian, Pluto, etc.]. From the 12th to the 17th centuries, the Octavian Kingdom. The head of state is the king. House Solarus was the most powerful House. From the 17th to the 20th century, the Octavian Empire - The Rise of the Empire. The Octavian Kingdom becomes the Octavian Empire. Revolution against the Berco dynasty. The First Octavian Republic, led by the Council of Elders.

Pureblood (Medium Dark Matter, Light Hair).
They inhabit all cities except the Forbidden Lands. They are the upper caste, the elite of society, whose position is based on magic and a strict system of privilege. There are some purebloods who have decided to leave for the Forbidden Lands (Drags). Drags seek freedom from Octavia's public opinion. A subculture that originated among pureblood teenagers in the city of Triticum, in the south of the country. Pureblood teenagers wear grunge/drag-style clothing, dye their hair, get piercings and tattoos. "Drags" socialize with half-bloods and the lower classes, going against Octavia's status system and rules. Vinippers are a subculture that originated on the outskirts of Septentrion, the northern capital of Octavia. Pureblood teenagers were inspired by the book and film "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess and decided to commit "ultraviolence" against half-bloods and the lower classes. Vinippers believe in the superiority of purebreds.
Half-breeds (Dark hair, low level of dark matter).
intermediate caste between the elite and the lower classes: They are in a vulnerable status: above the lower classes, but deprived of the privileges of the pure-blooded.
Lower (Dark hair, no dark matter. But some can be "extractors" who extract dark matter).
The most oppressed layer of society, standing at the bottom of a rigid caste hierarchy. They are a marginalized group, openly despised by purebloods and considered "dirty." Their status is so low that even half-bloods look down on them.

Dark matter is a special substance or energy that only purebloods can control. The ability to control dark matter is directly linked to the "purity of one's blood": the more ancient and "purer" the bloodline, the greater the individual's command of the power. Half-bloods have weak or unstable magic, while lesser half-bloods lack it altogether.
A Brief History of Dark Matter.
1521 – first appearance of dark matter in Europe (Spain).
1644 – First appearance of dark matter in Octavia.
1808 – Foundation of the Academy of Saints and Greats; the Academy was founded by Pascal Marcius Bercot.

The Academy of Saints and Great Ones is a prestigious institution of higher learning for purebloods. It is located in Romus, the capital of Octavia.
Patrician is a student.
Polis is a dormitory building.
A messenger is a delivery service employee.
The Senate is the building where the highest governing body of the Academy meets.
Prefect - head of the House (the person responsible for order in the polis and the behavior of the patricians).
The Comitium was a separate building (similar to an amphitheater, but with a roof) with a common hall for speeches to the patricians.
Plebeian - a half-breed worker on the grounds of the Academy of Saints and Great Ones.
Insula is a house in which plebeians live.
Thermopolium is a dining room with a kitchen for the plebeians.
The rector is the head of a higher education institution.
Vice-rector - deputy rector.
The Octonium is a large dining hall for purebloods only.
The first table in the octonium is intended for the rector and vice-rectors.
The second table is for professors and members of the Senate.
From the third to the seventh tables for the patricians of the Houses of the Faculties.
The eighth table is for guests (if any).

—HOUSE SOLARUS
Color: gold
Star: Sun
Patron God: Janus
First year: Gautier Heathcliff, Leon Kager, Oliver Broom
The best of the best, with great ambitions and a desire to fight to the end.
Fifth year: Gideon Heathcliff, Lumiere Waldin, Oscar Watermill
—HOUSE MARSEN
Color: ruby ​​red
Planet: Mars
Patron God: Mars
First Year: Darcerian Cotillard, Lilith Lestienne
The best of the best, but dangerous, aggressive, with a difficult character.
—HOUSE OF MERCURO
Color: jade
Planet: Mercury
Patron God: Mercury
First Year: Harper O'Neill, Gathersby Flynn
the best and more or less adequate ones, who look down on the first two houses.
—HOUSE OF VENUSIANS
Color: sky blue
Planet: Venus
Patron God: Venus
First Year: Olivia Broom, Abigail Milne
Octavia's best girls.
—PLUTO'S HOUSE
Indigo
Planet: Pluto
Patron God: Pluto
First Year: Scariel Lowe, Orson Moreau
The most problematic ones refuse to work together, they are solitary outcasts.

The Forbidden Lands are one of two districts into which Octavia is divided. The other is the Central District, where purebloods live. The Forbidden Lands surround Romus, Octavia's capital, and are essentially its slums, home to "free" half-bloods and lowborn.
Chaos and devastation reign in the Forbidden Lands. There are many dangerous diseases, which mostly infect lowborns, less often half-breeds, and pure-bloods are only infected through contact with the infected. The country's economy is essentially based on the slave labor of lowborns and the barely tolerable labor of half-breeds. Getting from the Forbidden Lands to the Central District is quite a quest: you need to contact the Department of Half-Breed and Lowborn Migration. Lowborns caught in the wrong district without permission are detained and held in police stations for days. A group of "scavengers," or "rats," as journalists have dubbed them, has emerged from the slums. It consists of lowborns—"carriers of death," people with strong immune systems capable of carrying viral dust and infecting others.

Gautier Heathcliff
Briefly, a purebred high school student from the Central District of Romus, a champion of caste equality. He learns that Crown Prince Killian Paris Burko is the Emperor's lost son. Fair-haired, pale-skinned, gray-eyed, and thin.
Relationships
Skariel—his closest and most painful friend. A half-breed from the Forbidden Lands who has infiltrated Gauthier's life. He trusts him, visits him at night, helps him with exams. But he often disappears without warning, which angers Gauthier.
Jerome—a Lowborn who grew up in a boarding school with Skariel. Gauthier's mirror image. At first hostile, then becoming attached.
Gideon—the elder half-brother, domineering and hot-tempered. His care is expressed through violence, even to the point of striking him with dark matter. He opposes Gautier's accession to the throne. He is attached to Gautier.
Lumière—A mentor at the Academy and Gédéon's childhood friend. He reveals to Gautier the truth about his origins and convinces him not to trust even his adoptive father.
Leon, Oliver, Olivia - An island of normal teenage life.
Scariel Lowe
In short, a half-breed from the Forbidden Lands, an orphan raised in a boarding school. A manipulator behind the mask of a cheerful friend. His goal is to overthrow the Council of Elders and ascend to the throne. A fan of Alexander the Great and Arthur Rimbaud. Scariel is the Heathcliffs' illegitimate son, but no one knows about him. Tall, fit, with long, dark hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.
Relationships
Gauthier—Scariel—has purposefully infiltrated his life, posing as an accidental savior from the paparazzi. The mask of best friend has become ingrained in him—and he himself is confused about manipulation and sincerity.
Jerome—Scariel's closest accomplice, soulmate, and right-hand man. Jerome is unconditionally loyal to Scariel. But Scariel repays him with cruelty: in a fit of rage, he harms Jerome. And so Jerome began to distance himself.
Edward is a Half-Breed who shares a house with Scariel and Jerome. Serious, reserved, and wise, he's a father figure for Jerome and a restraining force for Scariel.
Gideon—Skariel—is a threat to the family order. Their direct clashes are few, but the tension is constant.

Jerome Butler
Briefly, a lowborn member of the Forbidden Lands, an orphan raised in a boarding school. Member of the "Union of the Damned." Dislikes purebloods and the Central District, fears dark matter and the Migration Department. No longer a shadow of Skariel. Tall, dark red hair, brown eyes, thin, pale skin.
Relationships
Gauthier—At first, he doesn't trust her, like all purebreds. Gradually, a forced trust develops between them.
Skariel—Jerome can neither leave nor forgive him. As he lives with him, he realizes Skariel is dangerous and tries to do something about it.
Edward—Warns Jerome about Scariel's manipulations. Hints that Scariel cannot be trusted.
Val is an employee of the Deep Hole Club and Jerome's friend from the Forbidden Lands.
Cameron is Adam's partner and treats Jerome well.
Adam is a half-breed, an authority figure in the Forbidden Lands. Aggressive, with tattoos and pierced ears. Skariel hates him. They have a hostile dynamic with a hint of sadistic dominance. But they are forced to work together.
Gideon Heathcliff
In short, Gauthier's older half-brother, a pureblood. A popular patrician at the Academy, top of his class in dark matter mastery. He aspires to the Council of Elders. He's reserved but fiery. Tall, slender, blond, blue-eyed, and freckled.
Relationships
Gautier—his concern is expressed harshly: he scolds him for failures and protects him from "bad influences." Gautier fears him and is ashamed of his breakdowns. Gideon is against his friendship with Skariel and his accession to the throne.
Skariel—Gideon, from the first glance, is displeased with his brother's friendship with the half-breed, seeing him as a threat to the family's order. Gideon is his mentor at the Academy.
Lumiere—Lumière, the only one who can hide letters for Gideon and understand him at a glance. But Lumiere reveals the truth about his origins to Gautier behind Gideon's back, knowing he's against it.
Oscar—Gideon speaks to Oscar through gritted teeth. Oscar, in a drunken stupor, would drive up to the Heathcliffs' house at night, shouting Gideon's name. They were childhood friends, then had a falling out.

Lumiere Waldin
Both parents died during the coup. Raised by relatives in the North, he graduated from the Corps of Pages (Military Academy). Fanatically devoted to the Berko dynasty, he would give his life for the restoration. Gautier's mentor at the Academy of Saints and Great Ones. He knows everyone's secrets, but skillfully hides them. Dark-gray-eyed, scarred, tall, fair-haired.
Relationships
Gauthier—Mentor at the Academy. He knows Gauthier is Crown Prince Killian Burko and is guiding him to the throne. An alliance between student and teacher against a common enemy—the Council of Elders.
Gideon—Lumière flirts, Gideon resists, but gives in. However, Lumière, behind Gideon's back, leads Gautier to the throne—and Gideon is against it.
Maximilian is Lumiere's older brother. They don't have a very good relationship.
Leon Kager
His parents died during the coup. He is the nephew of police officer Jan Kager. He has been involved in ballet since childhood, like his mother, the renowned Octavian ballerina. He is fair-haired, blue-eyed, slender, and short.
Relationships
Gauthier—A school friend. Gauthier gets into a fight with Cleveland to protect Leon—a rare instance of aggression on his part.
Oliver—A close friend and classmate. They play baseball together, and Oliver jealously guards Leon, testing his reactions to his mentions. Their relationship is warm, with a hint of jealousy.
Olivia is a friend from the same group. She and Leon have a quiet friendship within their school circle.
Skariel—I met him through Gauthier. They sometimes chat together.
Cleveland—A childhood acquaintance; they went to ballet together. Cleveland is an aggressor and bully: he hits Leon, threatens, spits, and blackmails.

Oliver Broom
Quiet, sensible, but gets into trouble. He's disgusted by all girls except his sister. Gay. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, dark-brown-eyed, thin.
Relationships
Gauthier—A school friend. Together, they get into a scandal with Scariel and the Academy—each taking the blame to protect the others. They trust each other, but Oliver often gets nervous and loses his temper.
Leon—A close friend. Oliver jealously protects Leon, testing his reactions. A warm bond with a hint of jealousy.
Olivia is Oliver's older twin sister. Olivia teases Oliver, impersonates him, and calls him a "stupid little boy." Oliver gets angry and asks her to keep quiet so their father doesn't find out.
Scariel—Scariel saves Oliver from a scandal with Bernard. Oliver also applies for Scariel's admission to the Academy, risking the family's reputation.
Hunter - Oliver and Olivia's father, tough, hot-tempered Oliver says that his father often prefers to ignore him.
Olivia Broom
In short, Oliver's older twin sister. Usually serious and quiet, but loves to tease her brother. Blonde, blue-eyed, short, and thin. One of the most beautiful girls at the Lyceum. In love with Gideon Heathcliff.
Relationships
Gauthier—The object of his early crush. Oliver tells Gauthier that Olivia is in love with him, but she's actually in love with Gedeln. She expresses her distrust of Skariel.
Oliver—The younger twin brother. She teases him, impersonates him, calls him a "silly little boy." Oliver gets angry and asks her to keep quiet so their father doesn't find out.
Leon—A friend from the same school group. A quiet friendship within their circle—without any particular conflicts or tensions.
Scariel—Meets Gauthier through Gauthier. Scariel purposefully makes "advantageous connections among Gauthier's purebred friends"—Olivia being one of them. Olivia distrusts Scariel and senses her deceit.
Hunter—Olivia is his daughter. He treats her normally, but not Oliver.

Adam Sherr is a half-breed, an authority figure in the Forbidden Lands, and Mister N's ​​"watchdog." Tall, strong, covered in tattoos, with a wild look and a baseball bat. He physically humiliates Jerome.
Cameron Klaber is a half-breed, Adam's partner, eighteen years old. With dark, wavy hair, a handsome face, and a timid expression, he doesn't look scary, despite being covered in bruises and bandages. He despises Scariel and refuses to participate in his plans.
Mr. N (Tony) is a huge, corpulent half-breed with a double chin and a heavy gaze. His real name is Anthony, but in his youth, he was known as "Tough Tony," and he would dispose of his accomplices with the words, "No offense, buddy." A crime boss, he has seized control of much of the Forbidden Lands.
Edward Lowe is Skariel's uncle, a half-blood and a father figure to Jerome. Serious, reserved, and wise, he is the only restraint Skariel has.
Noel is a character from the boarding school where Scariel and Jerome grew up. It is only known that Scariel may have gained the power of dark matter while defending himself from Noel's attack.
Oscar Watermill is a purebred, a classmate of Gideon's, and the eldest son of his father's best friend, Gautier. Taller than Gideon, he resembles a "giant grizzly bear in a shirt," standing 191 cm tall. He is the owner of a chain of elite liquor factories, the "king of hard liquor," a ladies' man, and a heavy drinker.
Darcerian Cotillard is a purebred, 182 cm tall. He engages in daring, provocative correspondence with Skariel, complete with revealing photos. In reality, he's trying to become the best at the Academy and belittle Gauthier.
Guillermo de Faria - Darcerian's mentor. He is in a quiet feud with Gideon.
Bernard Don is a pureblood, a student at the Academy of Saints and Great Ones, 185 cm tall. Blackmailer: forced Oliver Broom to steal tests from his father's office, and then began to demand more, threatening to tell Mr. Broom.
Gabriella Heathcliff is Gautier and Gideon's younger sister, a purebred, "an enthusiastic summer child." Scariel calls her "Little Bibi." She has blue-gray eyes and was born on January 1st.
Cleveland McKinzie is a thoroughbred, Leon's bully. But Leon himself bullied Cleveland in the past.