Characters
Major Characters
These are characters of great importance to the lore, who are usually mentioned and referred to several times throughout the game. It also includes some more minor characters that do not have much weight on greater events in this world's history but more focused developed stories of their own.
Iain Callahan
Iain Callahan was a great leader and national figure for the Wardens, responsible for many of the most important events in Foxhole history. He was the first leader of a unified Caoiva,[1] bearing the title of Archon. Despite misconceptions that he was an emperor, he and the Archons after bore no such title.
Iain was born during the age of the Breaking, a period in which the Clans of Caoiva found themselves in a dire struggle against each other that had lasted for decades and ravaged the country, with no signs of coming to an end. At the time, the Callahan Clan was the bottom rung of Caoivish royalty, likely owning very little other than some lands near the Great Warden Dam in Howl County,[2] and had decided to ally themselves with the more powerful Mercy family. It was with their help, and that of ten men known as his loyal The Hands, Iain would set off on a journey to unify the warring clans.[1] He went from kingdom to kingdom, talking to the ruling kings to try and convince them to join his cause.[3]
Many accepted, while others tried to punish him for his actions. Such was the case of the Barrony Clan, rulers of the Heartlands, who captured him and had him imprisoned in the King's Cage for a year, making him lose three of his Hands. However, his tenacity would win over his captors, eventually allowing him an audience with the King of the Heartlands, who would agree to join Callahan.[3][4]
But not all would fold as easily, with many rival Clans having to be subdued in conflict.[5] However, eventually he and his allies would convene on neutral ground at the centre of the country, the site where he would later found the capital city of Sunhaven,[6] and agree upon unification. The founding clans would establish a council known as the Witan,[7] which would choose to elect Callahan as the ruling Archon of the country.[8] It was somewhere around this time Callahan founded the Wardens as a unified standing army for the country.
What came after this period is not well known, but Callahan is credited with fending off an invasion from the northern Kingdom of Nicnevin,[1] who after having taken control of Callum's Keep with superior technology would engage on a series of border clashes with the fledling Caoivish state. In the end, Callahan woould recognise the Keep as protected Nevish territory, choosing to instead focus his ambitions elsewhere,[9] Notably, after the war with Nicnevin he would focus his ambitions towards turning Caoiva into a powerful trade empire,[10] establishing relations with the southern Kingdom of Veli.
During the height of his rule the Colonial Legion of the Mesean Republic would begin expanding into Veli. This would worry Callahan greatly, prompting him to begin construction of the mighty Bulwark,[1] a great defensive wall to protect his country. However, as a consequence this would lead the southern Kingdom to a brutal Civil War between the monarchy and republican rebels. Callahan would choose to intervene in this conflict, creating the Hands of Veli for the Velian aristocracy, and supporting them with his own Wardens. At the closing stages of the war, sometime around the year 500,[11] Callahan would be killed in battle by Velian Republican Colonials shortly before the Battle of Red River.[12] He was soon avenged by one of his eight children,[13] future Archon Fionn Callahan.[12] The location of his grave is currently a secret.[14]
Due to his immense historical importance for the country, his likeness can be seen all over the map, with many statues of him being found all over the map. His name is also seen on several locations, such as the entire region of Callahan's Passage. However, among the general Caoivish populace it appears not everyone shares the same respect for Iain, with some mocking those who worship the first Archon.[3]
Silas Maro
Silas Maro was a commander of the Colonial Legion bearing the rank of Legatus Prime,[15] and the great-grandfather of the Legate Thea Maro. The legion that would eventually be led by his gread-granddaughter would bear his namesake, [16] being known as the Swords of Maro.
He is credited as the first person to have set foot on the ruins of the Bulwark after the First Breaching and the person responsible for this event.[17][18] For this he would become greatly renowned, becoming a hero for the Legion and a centre-piece for Colonial propaganda. This event took place roughly in the mid 700s, after which he would move his troops to take the Caoivish capital of Sunhaven. However, he would be the victim of an assassination during the siege of the City, [16][17] leading to the defeat of the Colonial troops and them being driven behind the Bulwark once more.
Thea Maro
Thea Maro (782 - 847) was a Velian colonial and the great-granddaughter of Silas Maro and daughter of Magister Janus Maro. She was a renowned military commander who by the end of her life would bear the rank of Legatus Domini [15] and have her own legion, the Swords of Maro.
She was born in the town of Therizó in Terminus, presumably under Warden occupation, and was raised to become an expert tactician and possessed exceptional natural gifts. For reasons unknown she was never evacuated from the city. At a young age she would begin to train local peasants and farmers and start up a resistance, forming of a crew of loyal friends who would become known as her trusted Swords. She would also gain the trust of the local Warden forces before betraying them, starting and leading a successful revolt against the northern occupiers, executing the local Warden commander herself. For her deeds in Therizo she would be granted a pair of Obsidian armillae by the Mesean Republic, even before she had officially taken up arms with them.[19]
Having joined up with the Legion, she would lead the colonials into the Heart of Caoiva, crossing the Bulwark once more and eventually defeating the Wardens and their incompetent Archon Duncan MacConmara at the Battle of Sunhaven.[7][17] She would offer the Caoivish to surrender and join the Republic, but they would swiftly refuse,[17] beginning a new period in history known as the Boreal Wars. She would continue to outsmart the Caoivish Archon, breaking through Caoivish inner defenses and pushing further north,[20] although she would would meet stark resistance at the hands of Jon "Powderkeg" Barrony, with a stalemate eventually reached at the Moors. Several failed attempts would then be made to take the mountain fortress of Whedon's Row that served as the capital-in-exile of the Wardens, with Thea deciding to instead attempt to starve them out.[21]
She was without a doubt a great commander, utilising unconventional and radical tactics,[20] although her deeds may have been greatly exaggerated by Colonial propaganda. It does appear however that many doubted her abilities, particularly among the Mesean Senate. Ironically, having recognised her worth they would eventually offer her a position as Senator representing Veli, with her refusing and choosing to remain on the field.[20] But even some among her own troops would begin to doubt her, believing that her campaigns were only fueled by her growing pride and ego, despite Thea's claims it was all to secure their legacy. This seems to have been caused by her judgement beginning to be clouded by the many sycophants that had begun surrounding her. [22] As a result, some would choose to desert the Swords,[16] particularly one of her most loyal allies, a man we only know as the Traitor.
She would die at the age of 65, never seeing the War come to an end. She was buried alongside her most loyal Swords in a memorial graveyard in her hometown of Therizo. It is unknown whether or not she had any children, but the Maro family would remain influential throughout the decades, with a senator by the name of Eris Maro representing Veli in the Senate as far as the year 1000.[23]
Jon Barrony
Jon “Powderkeg” Barrony was a Caoivish Witan councilor and military commander. He was a member of the renowned Barrony Clan of the Heartlands.
He is known to have been a great leader, obtaining numerous victories while operating from a checkpoint at the Bulwark in Sableport.[24] During the Boreal Wars he would go on to hold back the Velian Colonials in the north following the Warden defeat at the Battle of Sunhaven at the hands of Thea Maro. He would also negotiate with the Nevish monarchy, leading to an agreement being signed that would form the basis of the Nevish Alliance.[7]
Niall Callum
Niall Callum,[25] known to the Nevish as Big Bjørn, was a Caoivish King and leader of the Callum Clan. Often referred to as the "King of the Cape", he ruled over the territories of Callum's Keep in the northwest sometime around the early 400s.[9]
During the time of the Breaking, he would choose to remain neutral throughout the conflict, never aligning with Callahan. Thus, the Callums would avoid joining Caoiva upon the country's unification.[26]
After Callum’s death, the Caoivish and the Nevish came to blows over ownership of the Keep. It changed hands until Nicnevin took control of the region through superior military technology for the time, with Callahan officially recognized Callum’s Keep as protected Nevish land in an offering of peace.[9]
He left behind four daughters, the eldest of which was called Mary, who died of a mysterious illness.[27] They were buried alongside their father at the Royal Cemetery on the Trail of the Dead south of Callum's Keep.
Ambrose Leon
Ambrose Leon, known to his peers as the Lionheart, was a famous ship captain in the Colonial Legion, known to have been born in the region of Origin.[28] His legacy is of great importance to the Republic, with the great Titan battleship being named in his honour and modelled after his namesake flagship.[29]
During the Great Wars he led the Howling Lions, a naval company that helped the Legion cinch a stranglehold on the western Caoivish coast by raiding and invading Fisherman's Row[30][31] and making beach landings in Farranac Coast.[32] During the colonial push north during the Boreal Wars the Mesean Senate ordered his fleet to take control of Callum's Keep. There he was defeated by the Nevish king Olavi Koskinen and his flagship was sunk. His fate after the battle is unknown.[9]
His lineage lived on even after his disappearance, but it appears they may have fallen from grace, with one of his relatives, Kastor Leon, possibly being forced to partake in gladiatorial combat at the Ichorus Amphitreate in Kalokai.[33]
Alekos Dimas
Alekos Dimas was a Colonial commander bearing the rank of Legatus. During his time in the Legion he was deployed in Aktío and then Veli, serving under Silas Maro during the events of the First Breaching.[18]
He was later possibly assigned to training new recruits for the Legion in the north, a job he notably disliked,[34] until he was forced into early retirement by the senate in the year 783.[18] Afterwards he appears to have abandoned his duty and remained in the north, taking care of several children (possibly his old recruits), and living at least to the year 800.[35][36]
His story is told in a series of Journals, which appear to have been copied and distributed around, with someone having a vested interest in keeping people from reading certain contents, destroying any copies they find.[36]
Morgan
Morgan was presumably a Warden soldier deployed in Fisherman's Row at the time of the Colonial invasion of the region. While the island fell quickly, she led a group of refugees into a mine north of the town of Eidolo leading to a secret alcove where they would hold up for a long time. [37]
During this she would sneak onto a ship headed towards Westgate, killing two colonials with a knife in the process, promising to return to the island with reinforcements to rescue her comrades. [38] She would then sneak onto a truck headed to the Heartlands, which she would eventually crash, leaving behind evidence of her involvement in the form of a signed recruitment poster. Her journey afterwards is unknown, but she seems to have come into contact with the Hanged Men and reached a deal to help smuggle out the refugees.[37] Despite her heroic actions, it is possible this may have caused issues with the Warden leadership, forcing her to desert.[39]
At some time after this she would come into contact with the Traitor, with the two of them falling in love and deciding to escape into Nicnevin through Morgen's Crossing.[40] They would reach it safely and have a daughter together around the same time, in time leaving on a boat to find a new home.[41] Her fate afterwards is unknown.
The Traitor
The Traitor (781 - 860) was a Velian Colonial and a high ranking member of the Swords of Maro, bearing the rank of Gladius.[15] His position meant he was likely very close to Thea Maro and part of the group of friends she made during their times in occupied Therizo.[42]
During the Boreal Wars his faith in the legion would become tested, eventually choosing to abandon his allegiance to the Legion. During his travels he would also learn about Velian history, reinforcing his newfound convictions, and would come to find a woman he would fall in love with, which is later revealed to be Morgan.[40]
Together with her they would move from the Farranac Coast to Morgen's Crossing, leaving behind messages, some of which are stated to be marked with the carvings of Stars. It is theorised that they may have founded some sort of secret refugee route for deserters, many of which would end up reaching the Crossing and leave behind messages of their own.[39][41]
He and Morgan would have a daughter together and take a boat to find themselves a new home. However, it appears that he was found by his old comrades in the Legion during his final years, as the date of his death is found on his grave in Therizo. The grave itself has been vandalised, with markings calling him a "traitor" and "cold blood".[15]
Minor Characters
Minor characters are those who have some relevance to the lore but are either not particularly important to the overarching history or do not have well developed story-lines about them.
Fionn Callahan
Son of Iain Callahan, theorised to be his eldest. After the death of his father he took command of the Hands of Veli and rallied them to continue fighting. Under his leadership they managed to defeat the colonials at the the Battle of Red River. Afterwards he would go on to succeed his father as the second Caoivish Archon. During his rule Northern Veli would come to be subjugated and possibly incorporated by Caoiva.[12]
Carden Callahan
The fourth son of Iain Callahan, and father of Dermot Callahan. During a series of riots that spread from Whedon's Row southwest into Ogmaran in the Moors he showed his skill in diplomacy, putting down the insurection without bloodshed. Afterwards he created and led the Brigade of the Eight Sons. He died in battle at the hands of Velian rebels.[13]
Fionn Mercy
The ruling Archon of Caoiva during the Millenium year (shortly before current time).[43] Theorised to possibly still be in power by the time the game is set.
Carol Gough-Mercy
Member of the Gough-Mercy family,[44] possibly a subbranch of the larger Mercy Clan. She served in a Caoivish salvage detachment known as the NSRF[45] around the time of the fall of Sunhaven shortly before the Boreal Wars. This was apparently contrary to the desires of her family,[46] likely due to her noble status conflicting with such a meagre profession.
Áed Mercy
Rumoured bastard of Dermot Callahan and illegitimate grandson of Carden Callahan, with his mother being of the Mercy Clan. During the Great Wars he was captured by Colonials during an early Mesean incursion into Morgen's Crossing. He was never seen again, with it being believed that upon learning the truth of his lineage, Áed, poisoned by the Legion’s influence, took up arms against his brethren.[47]
Duncan MacConmara
Archon of Caoiva during the early stages of the Boreal Wars, and the only one to not bear the Callahan or Mercy names. Before that he is known founder of the city of Jade Cove in the Farranac Coast. However, he proved to be an incompetent military commander, being defeated and outsmarted by the Velian legate Thea Maro at every turn, leading the Wardens to their defeat at the Battle of Sunhaven. Because of this, Witan Councillor Jon Barrony would instead be the one to lead the defense against the Legion.[7]
Olavi Koskinen
Nevish king that defended Callum's Keep against the attack ordered by the Mesean senate, defeating the Lionheart's fleet in a naval battle during the Great Wars.[9]
Ur Deadtooth
A Picarian deserter and pirate who led a group known as the Reavers and founded the town of Old Captain in The Fingers. At some point he began making deals with Mesea,[48] eventually choosing to sell his town and comrades off in exchange for a Colonial Battleship and it's crew. [49] Some time before betraying his men he is known to have established relations with the Hanged Men.[48]
Cara
Cara was a Warden soldier at some point deployed in Farranac Coast, where she would participate in a "body count" game with her friend Saorsie,[50] keeping count of their kills with a cave tally.[51] Afterwards she appears to have moved to the Reaching Trail, where her Loughcaster rifle can be found next to the site of a shocking massacre. It is unknown whether or not she was a victim of the carnage, but her rifle appears to be cursed, incapable of firing and oozing blood from the barrel.[52]
Avery Cirillo
Avery Cirillo was a colonial soldier, the child of a Velian noble and a Caoivish refugee. During "Operation Twisted Arrow" she served as a grenadier for the Third Spears regiment in Acrithia. While holding back a Warden advance, she lost her left leg to bombing by Warden aircraft. Despite her injuries, she manned a nearby anti-air cannon and returned fire upon the Warden bombers. Inspired by her, fleeing soldiers stopped retreating and remained to provide support to Avery, leading a complete shattering of the Warden advance. For her bravery, she was rewarded by a state-of-the-art prosthetic by Polemarch Leventis. She remained on the battlefield for decades to follow.[53]
The Cirillo House would relocate to an old fort southeast of Patridia which would become known as the Temple of the Third Spears.[54] This location would eventually serve as the centre of a bustling refugee camp, notable for housing a large amount of children.[55][56]
Notable Families
Throughout the lore there exist several families whose names are either repeated several times or are relevant to important events in the world's history. It is advisable to keep watch for them, as they are likely to keep appearing in the future.
Callahan Clan
One of the founding Clans of Caoiva, with its most notable member being Iain Callahan, the country's founder and first Archon. Despite their current status, the clan used to be among the lowest within Caoivish royalty. During the events of the Breaking they chose to ally with the more powerful Mercy Clan to survive the raging conflict, intermarrying with them and becoming very close.[3]
After unification they become one of the most important Clans in the country, holding the Archonship several times. However, they would also wage a political war with their old allies in the Mercy Clan, competing over the leadership position.[3]
It is not known what lands they historically owned throughout the country, but Iain Callahan used to have a farmstead in Howl County near the Great Warden Dam, making it possible that was the general area of their rule.
Known Family Members:
- Iain Callahan: Founder of Caoiva and first Archon.
- Fionn Callahan: Son of Iain, succeeded his father and became the second Archon.
- Carden Callahan: Fourth son of Iain.
- Dermot Callahan: Son of Carden Callahan. Father of Aéd Mercy.
Mercy Clan
One of the founding Clans of Caoiva. They are one of the most powerful and influential Clans in the country, having held the Archonship many times.[7] During the times of the Breaking they married heavily with the Callahan Clan, eventually helping Iain Callahan in his quest to unite the warring clans. However, in recent times their relationship has soured, with the two families fighting over the leadership of the country.[3]
It is not known what lands they historically owned, but it is theorised to have been somewhere around the River Mercy that bears the same name as that of the Clan, likely the area of the Linn of Mercy.
They appear to have subbranches of the family, specifically one known as "Gough-Mercy".[44]
Known Family Members:
- Carol Gough-Mercy: Member of the Gough-Mercy Subbranch.
- Aéd Mercy: Bastard child of Dermot Callahan and grandson of Carden Callahan.
- Fionn Mercy: Ruling Archon during the year 1000.
Barrony Clan
One of the founding Clans of Caoiva, known to have ruled over a vast Kingdom stretching from the Caoivish Heartlands and likely as far as the King's Cage. However, despite their considerable power and influence, they have never held the Archonship.
During the Breaking they are known to have imprisoned Iain Callahan for a year, before eventually choosing to ally with him to unite the country.[3]
Known Family Members:
- The King of the Heartlands: Member of the Barrony family who imprisoned and later befriended Iain Callahan.[3]
- Jon "Powderkeg" Barrony: Witan Councillor and military commander during the Boreal Wars.[7]
- Percival Barrony: Member of the Clan during the rule of Archon Fionn Mercy.[43]
MacConmara Clan
One of the founding Clans of Caoiva, notable for being the only one to have held the Archonship that isn't the Callahan or Mercy Clan.[7] Their area of rule is unknown, but they may have been present somewhere around the Moors, where the town of MacConmara Barrows is located. The MacConmara Shorerunner landing craft also appears to be named after the clan, implying one of it's members was involved in its creation.
Known Family Members:
- Duncan MacConmara: Ruling Archon during the early stages of the Boreal Wars.
Callum Clan
One of the Clans of Caoiva that ruled over Callum's Cape, but notably one that didn't join it after unification. During the events of the Breaking the Clan remained fully isolated, not aiding any side of the conflict, which led to it retaining their independence.[9]
During the Less Sophisticated Times the ancestors of the Callum clan earned their riches by sending foot soldiers and warships to foreign lands, aiding countries such as the Golden Empire of Mesea in their conquests. It is believed that Callum's Keep was funded almost exclusively by these deals.[57]
After the Caoivish unification an the death of Old Callum, the Keep would change hands between Caoiva and the Kingdom of Nicnevin, before eventually being secured by the latter thanks to superior technology. This led to a series of border clashes until the territory was recognised as protected Nevish land.[9] It is now known what happened to the Callum family afterwards, but their family graveyard can still be located on the Trail of the Dead south of Callum's Keep.
Known Family Members:
- Niall Callum: The King of the Cape, who ruled during the latter days of the Breaking.[25]
- Mary Callum: Eldest daughter of Niall Callum, known to have died of a mysterious illness.[27]
Maro Family
A powerful Velian family, renowned for giving rise to several famous military commanders. They are also known to hold important positions within the political sphere of the Mesean Republic.
Known Family Members:
- Silas Maro: Military commander, famous for being the one to perform the First Breaching during the Great Wars. Great grandfather of Thea Maro.
- Janus Maro: Father of Thea Maro. He held the position of Magister.
- Thea Maro: Military commander of the Legion during the period of the Boreal Wars.
- Eris Maro: State Consul representing Veli in the Mesean Senate in the year 1005.[23]
Leventis Family
A powerful Velian family, know to have held many powerful political positions within the Mesean Republic.
Known Family Members:
- Polemarch Leventis: Member of the family of unkown name who held the mysterious rank of Polemarch.[58]
- Alexander Leventis: Member of the family who was accepted to join the Magisters.[59]
- Deimos Leventis: One of the Magisters Prime heading the Mesean Senate in the year 1005.[23]
Bassett Family
A family believed to be the founders of the Bassett Motor Society or BMS, and thus likely be particularly well off. Despite the seemingly neutral position of their family, their origins appear to be from Kraunia.
Known Family Members:
- Guion Bassett: State Consul representing Kraunia in the Mesean Senate in the year 1005.[23]
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 History Book
- ↑ Howl County Description
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 A Chronicle of Ashes - Whedon's Row: Chapter IV
- ↑ King's Cage Description
- ↑ Callahan (Battleship) Description
- ↑ Sunhaven Sign
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 A Brief History of Caoiva Vol. II
- ↑ Callahan Statue (East)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Callum's Cape Description
- ↑ Faction selection screen text
- ↑ Developer Comments
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Red River Description
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 A Brief History of Caoiva Vol. I
- ↑ Developer comment, must be sourced
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Grave of Thea Maro
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Musings of a Deserting Soldier
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Inner Haven Vol. 1
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Journal of a Legatus
- ↑ Terminus Description
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Inner Haven Vol. 2
- ↑ Old Transcript
- ↑ Letter to Juno
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Mesean Senate Notes
- ↑ Sableport Description
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Grave of Niall Callum
- ↑ A Brief History of Caoiva Vol. III
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Exhumed Corpse
- ↑ Origin Description
- ↑ Titan Description
- ↑ Volta r.I Repeater
- ↑ Fisherman's Row Description
- ↑ Landing APC Lore
- ↑ Old Fight Advertisement
- ↑ Journal of a Legatus
- ↑ Horror
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Rusting Bones
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Mouldy Letter
- ↑ Ragged Journal
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Hidden Message
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Journal of a Deserting Soldier
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Deserter's Message
- ↑ Terminus Description
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Nevish Alliance Notes
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Rusty Sabre
- ↑ Abandoned Workshop
- ↑ NSRF Letter
- ↑ Morgen's Crossing Description
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 Unmarked Letter
- ↑ The Fingers Description
- ↑ Tent Notes
- ↑ Cave Tally
- ↑ Cara's Rifle
- ↑ Acrithia Description
- ↑ Stone Carving
- ↑ Makeshift Alter
- ↑ Makeshift Encampment
- ↑ A Brief History of Caoiva Vol. III
- ↑ Acrithia Description
- ↑ Admissions Letter