Ambrogio. Pronounced Am·Bro·Geo. In The Devil Pulls the Strings (TDPTS) Ambrogio’s the first vampire or Vampire All-Father. Vampire origins are found in folklore, and Ambrogio’s story is believed to be a fake myth less than a century old. Search online to read more about Ambrogio.

Sapphire Anjou. French Diplomat’s daughter and NYU Music Student. Sapphire is fierce, stunning, and sensational, and also one of six finalists competing in a prestigious Paganini Violin Competition. Sapphire is 5’8″ tall, thin, with sparkling hazel eyes, dazzling smile, and long warm blondish-brown Ombre locks in loose waves just past her shoulders. Sapphire is often seen with a burgundy porkpie hat on her head and her violin case in her hand.

Baba Yaga. A supernatural being and force of nature which often appears as a village grand-mère or one of a trio of sisters of the same name. In myth, she can appear as an antagonist, a mentor, a helper and her depictions vary in stories, from child eater to helping a protagonist on their quest.

Belvedere Castle. An architectural hybrid of Gothic and Romanesque styles. Belvedere Castle is more ornamental then functional. Located in Central Park in Manhattan, New York City. It contains exhibit rooms and an observation deck, and since 1919, housed the New York Meteorological Observatory, and now the United States Weather Bureau.

Blaine and Beau are two older men dressed in dark blue, NYU Security stitched in yellow on their shirts and hats. Blaine has snowwhite which explodes from under his hat. While Beau is shorter than Blaine, a good foot shorter. And Beau’s hair and beard are dyed an unnatural red that naturally reminds everyone of a taco gone rancid.

Boone Daniels. Small-town Missouri musician suffers from panic attacks since he lost his parents when he was six. Boone lives in a trailer park with his Aunt and cousin in Wentzville, MO. Boone works as a handyman at his aunt’s trailer park, seasonally at the area Ren Faire, and also plays some nights and weekends in his friend’s band the Village Idiots. Boone is 6’1″, with rock star dark brown wavy hair, blue eyes, wiry, and often found wearing blue jeans, Tshirt, black steel-toed boots, and sometimes his leather jacket.

Cybele. (Kybele). Pronounced sai·bel, Cybele was the ancient Phrygian Mother of the Gods, a primal nature goddess worshiped with orgiastic rites in the mountains of central and western Anatolia. The Greeks identified her with their own mother of the gods–the Titaness Rhea.

Domovoi. Pronounced Dome·oh·voy. In Slavic mythology, domovoi are similar to brownies and house elves, and found throughout Slavic culture. In TDPTS domovoi guard the Lavender and Roses Society’s caverns, tunnels, libraries, and are six-inch tall, friendly and docile bluehaired, orange-skinned shapeshifters from the Eastern Domovoi Clan. Domovoi remain friendly and docile until you steal anything they guard. Then they track you down and swarm-attack you until what’s stolen is retrieved, and whereas piranha leave bones, the domovoi do not leave bones when they are finish with you.

Dragons and Nymphs Society. Unholy Ancient Order of Dragons and Nymphs Society is an ancient secret society that has been around since before recorded history. Rumors persist members of the Dragons and Nymphs are vampires and werewolves and other supernatural beings who covet rare and magical items of power to open portals into the netherworld, summon demons and trap the souls of mortals.

Graves. Alabaster Graves. Alabaster is pronounced Al·Ah·Bas·Ter. In TDPTS, Graves is Egyptian and the leader of steampunk vampire coven at the Dragons and Nymphs Society. In Egyptian Alabaster is “a-labaste,”which refers to vessels of the Egyptian goddess Bast.

Ivan. Baba Yaga refers to protagonists in her stories as Ivan because she can smell their Russian blood. She often calls Boone, Ivan because of his Russian ancestry on his father’s side.

Lahash and Zakun. Steampunk vampire assassins.

Laureus. Pronounced Law·Re·US. Laureus is a Scottish Warrior and Lavender and Roses Society Guardian.

Lavender and Roses Society. Protects antiquities and sacred, magical, mystical relics, ruins, and objects from falling into the wrong hands. Be those the hands of misguided mortals, otherworldly beings, or hordes of demons. The most powerful artifacts are hidden away in pocket dimensions in their headquarters and down below in their caverns and tunnels.

Mélusine and her sisters Mélior and Palastine are triplets. Mélusine was born first and is an inch taller than both her sisters. Mélusine is pronounced Mul·Lah·Seen. Mélior is pronounced Mil·Ee·Ore. And Palastine is pronounced Pal·As·Stine. Past stories show their mother, fairy Queen Pressina met a king who ruled over Albania. The king persuaded Pressina to be his wife, and Pressina promised only on condition he never come to see her when she had children. The king was told Pressina gave birth to three daughters. The king was overjoyed and forgot his promise and visited her. Pressina cried bitterly because the king broke his word and she took her three daughters and disappeared. When the girls turned 15, Mélusine (also called Mélusina) learned the truth and with the help of her two sisters, seized the king and shut him up forever in the heart of a mountain. Queen Pressina did not wish this for the king and punished her children for what they did and condemned Mélusine to become every Saturday, a serpent from her waist down. Search online to discover more about Mélusine’s story and her fate.

Flynn Michaels. St. Louis Ren Faire knight and creator of the band the Village Idiots. Best friends with Boone Daniels.

Papa Pip. Leader of the Domovoi Clan at the Lavender and Roses Society.

Plutonium. Once believed to be a gate to hell, the Plutonium is the sanctuary of the Greek god of the underworld, and can be seen in Hierapolis, Turkey.

Rizos. Detective Michael Methuselah Rizos. Hardboiled, street savvy New York City police detective and no-nonsense professional who’s beenaround- the-block. He’s gruff, full of gumption, able to take a punch or three to the face and give as good as he gets and then some.

Sinti. Ambrozij Serafin Sinti is a self-serving, shrewd, soulless sociopath and cursed Romani immortal. Sinti is tall and thin with ebony-eyes and jet black-hair. Romanian Pronunciation of Ambrozij is Am·Bro·Zsheesh. Romanian Pronunciation of Serafin is Sir·Rah·Fin.

Stone. Professor Abel Solomon Stone is a balding, white-bearded man, thin, bookish frame, youthful wrinkles, a smile that crinkles, a pipe and drab tweed jacket and vest complete his ensemble. Stone’s also a scientist, inventor, and New York University (NYU) Professor teaching strings, music theory, and higher-level mathematics to advanced students. He’s also the last remaining Archivist at the Lavender and Roses Society.

Tor. Glastonbury Tor. A hill near Glastonbury in the English county of Somerset, topped by the roofless St Michael’s Tower. Known as one of the most spiritual sites in the country. Its pagan beliefs are still very much celebrated.

Trinity Church. A historic parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, located at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City.

Wickhamby. Pronounced Wick·Ham·Be. Professor Lucius Benedict Wickhamby is one of Sapphire Anjou’s university professors. Wickhamby’s a dark-haired demanding, well-dressed elitist European obsessed with musical perfection. He’s a Paganini Expert, and the Strings and Music History Professor at NYU. Often found presenting lectures, correcting students, organizing musical themed-functions, researching and qualifying Paganini facts, and playing the violin at public and private events.