Secret City/Characters

Cortes's team
A highly professional team of well-payed mercenaries who often get involved in various world-important schemes. They had reached the point where their reputation works for them, so now they can take the most interesting cases.

Cortes
A former member of USSR intels and Special Purpose Forces, expert of infiltration and diversions. After trying the most dangerous missions and becoming wanted in six countries, he retired and decided to spend the rest of his life in peace and luxury, only to get overwhelmed with boredom. Learning about the Secret City and magic opened a new horizons for him; he became the mercenary and assembled the team.


 * Anti-Hero: Type II.
 * Awesome, Dear Boy
 * Badass Normal
 * Combat Pragmatist: "If the enemy doesn't see you, don't be a fool: keep silence and shoot him as fast as possible."
 * Consummate Professional
 * Cynical Mentor
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Determinator
 * Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: He was the one who killed Cthulhu, though it wasn't that Cthulhu.
 * Do You Want to Haggle: If he didn't, he would went bankrupt.
 * Hannibal Lecture
 * Hired Guns
 * Impossibly Cool Weapon: A circular saw gauntlet.
 * Knight in Sour Armour
 * Money, Dear Boy
 * Older and Wiser: to Artyom. And to the girls as well.
 * Only Known By Their Nickname
 * Screw the Money, I Have Rules / Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right: Not only he dares to step in the way of Santiaga when he feels that would be right, but tells it him in the eyes.
 * Self-Made Man
 * The Smart Guy
 * Training From Hell: He received it well and now what he praises the most is the comfort. And now he is doing it to Artyom...

Artyom Golovin
Formerly an young everyman, one day he got introduced to the Secret City. He appeared strong enough not only to accept the fact that magic existed under his nose, but also to survive some dangerous things he was pulled into, and ended as a new member of Cortes team. He is usually the hero of books.


 * The Apprentice
 * Badass Adorable
 * Badass Normal
 * Badass Boast: "Killing mages is hard, but easier than killing Black Moryanas".
 * Big Damn Heroes
 * Break the Cutie. Cortes wanted him to kill the sympathetic villain of the second book, to show him that emotions should be left aside.
 * Combat Pragmatist. Though still not as much as his mentor.
 * Crazy Prepared: There are lots of useful things in the glove box of his car... just in case.
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Do You Want to Haggle: He learned it from Cortes, after all.
 * Hand Cannon
 * The Hero
 * Hired Guns
 * Improbable Weapon User
 * Grievous Bottley Harm
 * The Lancer: To Cortes.
 * One Head Taller: To Inga.
 * Power Tattoo: These are, actually, built-in artifacts, since he has no magical powers.
 * Private Detective. Sometimes his contracts involve this.
 * Spider Sense: His tattoos grant this. "Royal Hawk Wide-awake" detects anyone hostile nearby. Dark Court Marking allows him to see through morok and sense magic currents.
 * The Stoic
 * Took a Level In Badass
 * Training From Hell

Inga Volkova
A 19-year girl from the rich family, whose magical powers were discovered when she was a child. As a result, she had grown up into a very skilled witch, well-adjusted to the magical world. Seeking for some adventure, she became The Dragon for the Big Bad Kara and eventually encountered Cortes' team. After Kara was killed (and Inga saved from her) by Artyom, she fell in love with him and appeared in the next book as his girlfriend and the new, but reliable member of the team. She is notable for switching from air-headed impulsive girl to a cold, collected mercenary in less than second.


 * Action Girl
 * Adorkable
 * Ascended Extra
 * Badass Adorable
 * Badass Abnormal
 * Crazy Awesome: When she pulls her Let's Get Dangerous.
 * Consummate Liar
 * Deliberately Distressed Damsel
 * Destructo-Nookie
 * Determinator. Yeah. Once tied to a bed, she struggles out the ropes, despite the skin on her wrist and hand being torn in process.
 * The Dragon: Formerly.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Heel Face Turn
 * Killer Rabbit
 * Let's Get Dangerous
 * Lovable Alpha Bitch
 * Lovable Rogue
 * Mystical Waif
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse
 * The Power of Acting: Can cry at will and play any role the situation demands.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Not as much as her teammates, but she's the only character (onscreen) to kill more than one Kadath boss.
 * Violently Protective Girlfriend: To Artyom
 * Weak but Skilled. Not so weak, however.

Yana Mannerheim / Laz'
A long-term member of Cortes' team and his girlfriend, she worked as a sniper/cover/information seeker of a team and had no magical power... until it was revealed that she was the descendant of Hyperborean Witch Laz', Kadath hierarch and the Concubine of Azag-Toth, who hid his Concubines between ordinary Chels. After an injection of "steam", synthetic Golden Root extract ,which was the source of Kadath power, Laz's powers and memories were reborn in poor girl, and she became the leader of uprising Kadath army. Howewer, she was not going to sacrifice her love to Cortes and found the will to reject Kadath philosophy and stop the invasion. She is still Cortes' fiancee and team member, but now she has become one of the most dangerous combat mages in Secret City.


 * Anti-Anti-Christ
 * Anti-Hero
 * Bald of Awesome
 * Bald of Evil, briefly.
 * Bald Women
 * Berserk Button: Never. Ever. Hurt. Cortes. For the God's sake.
 * Bishonen Line
 * Blessed With Suck: Golden Root gives her an awesome power, but she is now an addict and will die without a regular shots of it. Good thing she has enough of it for all her life...
 * Brainy Brunette, formerly.
 * The Chick / The Smart Girl: also formerly.
 * Cold Sniper
 * Combat Pragmatist
 * Drives Like Crazy
 * Enemy Within: She gets better.
 * Eyes of Gold: Solid gold eyes; they revert to golden irises and finally to her former blue eyes when she's low on her serum.
 * Femme Fatale
 * Hammerspace: The Eaglepole is seven feet long when compacted. Where else is she supposed to keep it?
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * Impossibly Cool Weapon: The Eaglepole of Laz', a large double-ended multi-bladed polearm/halberd.
 * Jack of All Stats: Among the Concubines
 * Magic Knight
 * One-Man Army
 * The Power of Hate: Kadath philosophy.
 * The Power of Love: Vs The Power of Hate. Love wins.
 * Punch Punch Punch Uh Oh: versus Kitano warrior, who is immune to any magic. Cue her hospitalisation.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: when she thinks Cortes is killed.
 * Took a Level In Badass: and how. Several levels, perhaps.
 * Training From Hell
 * Unstoppable Rage
 * Violently Protective Girlfriend: To Cortes
 * Waif Fu

Kara
Kara was the Keeper, the Chel's strongest mage whose task is to keep The Black Book, a book which contains the most powerful secrets of Chel magic, from the Great Houses. She, however, mostly (ab)uses the Book for her own benefit, and will use anything, from starting crime wars to bringing The Unmasqued World to SC, to further her goal - eternal youth.

"Santiaga: She'll have to share the book with all Chels.
 * Big Bad: Second and third books.
 * Blondes Are Evil
 * The Chessmaster: Even Santiaga falls (almost) the victim of her gambits.
 * Comes Great Responsibility: Averted. Despite being the Keeper, she doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself. Santiaga explains this when he ponders that she will not break The Masquerade:

Ortega: It's her duty, she's the Keeper.

Santiaga: Yes, the Keeper... except that real Keeper would never, under any circumstances, risk the Black Book, especially for their own presonal gain. Kara won't share her power with anyone, she thinks she can use the book as she wishes.

Ortega: Can't she?

Santiaga: She's the Keeper, not "the Owner". I guess I don't need to explain the difference."


 * However, her abuse of the Black Book bites her in the ass. Cortes, cynical and mercantile as he is, targets her  mostly because her actions could lead Great Houses to the Book (possibly ending human domination). The Book itself changes the Keeper as soon as the successor proves to be ready.
 * Eternal Youth Seeker
 * Evilutionary Biologist
 * Genius Bruiser: One of the strongest mages, and an accomplished genetist and chessmaster.
 * Karmic Transformation: She was able to fool the time over years, preserving her beauty, but once she is devoid of Black Book and mana, the time gets its revenge.
 * MacGuffin: Three of them: Mara's bracelet, the Black Book and the Bath of Turning.
 * Mad Scientist
 * Magitech
 * The Man Behind the Man: Behind Bohdan le Sta, Anti-Villain of the second book.
 * Manipulative Bitch: Great Houses, Muggles, mobsters, idealictic human mages, she plays them all.
 * Mind Control: Through Mara's bracelet, she is able to control Black Moryanas, who are in And I Must Scream state at that time. She enjoys it.
 * Moral Event Horizon: To start a war between Secret City and two clans of local mobsters, she smuggles a mind-controlled Moryana into the club belonging to one of clans, and carnage ensues. Depending upon how do you count resulting Ludicrous Gibs, there were from 50 to 80 victims, mostly innocent bystanders.
 * Older Than She Looks: She appears to be in her early forties, but really is 108.
 * Only Known By Their Nickname
 * Rapid Aging: see Karmic Transformation above.
 * Villainous Breakdown: After she lost the Black Book.
 * Worthy Opponent: Santiaga initially sees her like that.

Santiaga
A Commissar (military leader and Prince's right hand) of the Great House Nav', responcible for it's defence (and offence), intelligence and security, who uses any opportunity to increase the power of Nav. He is an Avatar, the vessel where the Prince placed all those his traits and qualities which, as he thought, could prevent him from being a perfect ruler. As a result, Santiaga's personality drastically differs from those of other Navs, but despite - or in spite of - this, he is the most competent Commissar in Nav's history. Cunning, creative, charismatic and efficient, he is a legendary figure of Secret City.


 * A Father to His Men
 * Anti-Hero: Type III
 * Authority Equals Asskicking / Asskicking Equals Authority
 * Badass: Arguably the biggest badass in the series.
 * Badass Abnormal
 * Cultured Badass
 * Four Star Badass: his title is somewhat equal to a Field Marshal.
 * Badass Boast
 * Boisterous Bruiser: often plays this to annoy his opponents.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Is a constant annoyance and irritation for the Prince? Check. Had countless affairs with female Lyuds and Chels? Check. Wears luxurant white suits, collects art pieces, has a ridiculously expencive car? Check, check, check. Resisted Unpersoning when promoted? Check. Is the most competent Commissar ever? Check.
 * Casting a Shadow
 * The Chessmaster
 * Combat Pragmatist: Surprisingly, subverted by his refusal to use any other weapon than his stiletto, otherwise played stright. More like Tactical Pragmatist.
 * Cowboy Cop
 * Dark Is Not Evil
 * Dating Catwoman / Interspecies Romance / Mayfly-December Romance: Multiple times, each time leading to a minor Tear Jerker.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: Prefers to not kill but domesticate defeated enemies.
 * Gambit Roulette: Justified: not only is one of his analysts a professional seer, but Santiaga himself can somewhat foresee the future. Oh, and he is just that experienced.
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Gentle Giant
 * Gentleman and A Scholar
 * Gentleman Snarker
 * Graceful Loser: in rare cases when he's Out Gambitted.
 * Hammerspace: His stiletto appears in hand whenever needed. Not sure whether he has it "packed" or just materializes it on the fly.
 * Hannibal Lecture
 * Healing Factor
 * Humanoid Abomination
 * Jerkass: All Navs are jerkasses. Santiaga was "born" as a pure distillated Jerkass, but, after several centuries, got bored and grew out of it.
 * The Lancer / The Dragon: To the Prince.
 * Leave Him to Me: When it comes to fight, he takes on the most dangerous enemy.
 * Lightning Bruiser
 * Magnificent Bastard: And how. A rather heroic example for the reader, but to most people in-universe he is this trope incarnate.
 * Man in White: To the much annoyance of the Prince. Santiaga himself claims he wears white only because black is too hot, especially in summer. Indeed, when it comes to real battle, he switches to black battlesuit.
 * Martial Pacifist: Despite being such a powerhouse, he dislikes violence and tends to avoid it.
 * Marty Stu: Started to slide here in the middle of the series, but was somewhat fixed later.
 * Mind Rape: When other ways of interrogation fail...
 * One-Man Army: Ierarchs of Kadath are huge Nigh Invulnerable monsters. In a climatic battle, 98 Nav warriors took down three of them. Santiaga took down the fourth singlehandedly. With a stiletto. Not even losing his breath in the process.
 * Really At Least Ten Thousand Years Old
 * Shut UP, Hannibal
 * The Stoic. He lost his cool only one time. In fifteen books. And still, he went into Tranquil Fury.
 * Super Speed
 * Super Strength
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky
 * Tranquil Fury
 * Turns Red: As an Avatar, he can switch places with the Prince and uses it in a battle at least once.
 * Weapon of Choice: the Nav Steel stiletto.
 * Xanatos Gambit: His job consists mostly of pulling Xanatos Gambits for the benefit of Nav'

Ortega
A Garka commander, Santiaga's operative, second-in-command and right hand, Ortega seems to be quite young (for a Nav), but competent and reliable. He has been working with Santiaga for several millenia, studying his methods, but yet feels more comfortable at battlefield or among analysts than at diplomatic missions.


 * The Apprentice
 * Badass Abnormal
 * BFS: Can materialize a sword large enough to split a massive table in half along. It shrinks and disappears when not needed.
 * Casting a Shadow
 * Combat Pragmatist
 * Dark Is Not Evil
 * Dual-Wielding
 * Idiot Ball: When he trips over a tripmine. At least he improves the situation on the fly.
 * Iron Butt Monkey
 * Healing Factor
 * The Lancer: to Santiaga.
 * Lightning Bruiser
 * Made of Iron: See below.
 * Major Injury Underreaction: After being nearly consumed by Sphere of Destruction and sent crashing through a server by an emergency portal, Ortega mildly complains about half of his foot being disintegrated. Santiaga decides that he will recieve a compensation for his destroyed shoes, but has to regenerate his heel himself. Ortega still seems to be more concerned about the shoe.
 * Not Quite Dead: It wasn't him that was killed in the first book, it was just his "doll".
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: Doesn't deny himself a pleasure to Mind Rape a child molester/killer/eater. Santiaga, in turn, is reluctant to stop him.
 * Tall, Dark and Snarky
 * The Watson

Hoof Shibzich
An uybooy (tenner commander) Red Hat. Stupid, suspisious, greedy and generally covardly (though he has many Badass moments), Hoof is always seeking for profit, but said motivation often leads him (and his men) in trouble. Hovever, he really is one of the most competent uybooys; this, combined with his loyality to current Great Fuhrer Sledgehammer, bought him the place of The Dragon.


 * Ascended Extra
 * The Alcoholic: Justified.
 * Bad Boss: to his tenner.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Comic Relief
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
 * Dirty Coward
 * The Dragon: To Sledgehammer
 * Drunken Master: Justified, as his brain literally runs on alcohol.
 * Karma Houdini: He starts (unintentionally) several Red Hat crime waves, sometimes does Bullying the Dragon and is prone to endanger The Masquerade, but manages to escape unscratched. While someone else may get hanged.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Mostly.

Sledgehammer Shibzich
Prior to the events of the first book, one-eyed Sledgehammer was a Fuhrer (as Red Hats call their chief) of Shibzichs, the smallest Red Hats' clan, didn't have much of power and was the weakest among the fuhrers. But when the Messenger was defeated and one of fuhrers killed, Sledgehammer took his chance. He challenged the other fuhrer to a duel and killed him, thus taking all the power and becoming Great Fuhrer. Immediately after he proclaimed his loyalty to the Green House and the Queen, saving his people (and himself) from genocide.


 * The Alcoholic: Justified.
 * Asskicking Equals Authority: He is one of the badassest Red Hats.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Sort of. His place provides him with an endless supply of an alcohol, which helps keep his brains fit and outsmart potential rebels.
 * Bad Boss: He rules Red Hats with the iron hand, mistreats them, frequently hangs rebels and most noisy criminals, forbids robberies... but it's justified, as else all the family will be punished. Demonstrative executions? The Only Way They Will Learn.
 * Crowning Moment of Awesome: After his awake from the coma, he learns that rebels took his power. In less than couple of hours, he returns to the Southern Fort alone and reclaims the throne. His arguments? A live grenade in his hand and a truckload of explosives in his jeep. He was, howewer, under the effect of an artifact which negated fear and panic, allowing its owner to think coldly and clearly, but still.
 * Drunken Master: Justified, as his brain literally runs on alcohol. He even falls into "alcoholless coma" at one point
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Let's Get Dangerous
 * The Smart Guy: not by human measures, but he still is the smartest Red Hat (a quality which brought him to the throne).