roxie's parents had a lot of money, and a lot of material things, but they never seemed to hold much care or concern for her. so when the apocalypse came to their lovely house, they took off to somewhere safer and left rox behind, still just a small child.at first, people still took care of her - old workers for her parents, local people. but death took some of them, and she drove away the rest. as a result, her fear of rejection doubled even further, and she became increasingly needy for affection.in the following years, she became more creative to survive, making indoor gardens and safe hiding places. she raised herself on romance movies and love songs, and became obsessed with the idea of a relationship. but after a heart-wrenching betrayal at the hands of her first love, maverick, her outlook took a darker turn. she resorted to cannibalism and violence to survive and get her way.she's known locally as a somewhat dangerous and delusional eccentric, and becomes a bit of an urban legend, but deep down she still means the best for others. she's gentle and generous; she takes holly and liam in when they need shelter, and becomes their biggest asset and friend.

ROXEANNE

she/her, teen

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fight, true neutral, extrovertLIKES: dancing, baking sweets, old movies and songs, vintage clothes, calligraphy, gardening, feral dogs, tea, making surprises for other people's birthdays, fairytales, the ronettes, keeping up her own rules at home, kisses on the cheekDISLIKES: waking up late, cabbage, people grabbing her, being asked too many questions, changing plans, loud strangers, improper manners

maverick was the first boy roxie loved, back when she was trusting and naive. he was hurt, so she took him in and nursed him back to health.however, once he heals, she still wanted to keep him around. with their age difference and her never-ending kindness, he eventually exploited her childish dedication and love, treating her like a toy and bullying her to his beck and call. his abuse came in nearly every form. she put up with him for a long time, but it was still too much for her to let go.for that reason, he was also the first boy roxie killed. an ax to the chest, drowned in the bathtub for good measure.

MAVERICK

he/him, teen

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fight, neutral evil, extrovertLIKES: football, vintage toys, roughhousing, welding and leather-working, competitionDISLIKES: his mother, rainy weather, being given direction or instruction

stubborn and no-nonsense, holly is much like her parents, two journalists who loved to take her out to their cabin every summer. they raised her there after the apocalypse hit, training her to use weapons and stay safe, but both died due to contamination when she was 12 or so. she lived on her own in the cabin until samael's cult forced her to look for a new home.the woods surrounding her are full of traps and dangerous faces, but she's prepared with a crossbow and nail-studded bat. she also brings along a lighter, a camera, and an album of old family photos, made of a torn-up wallet, plastic bags and duct tape. to move safely into the future, she learns she must let go of her past and the parts of her family that are holding her back.throughout her search, she meets everyone on the map. at one point, she joins a benevolent but aggressive team of raiders, and later takes shelter in a farming community, gaining valuable allies.eventually, she runs into a very lost and confused liam, helping him survive and eventually escape his family destiny as they both settle down in roxie's house. she is the sense and sensibility to roxie's fairytale outlook, pessimistic but protective of anyone who treats her with decency and respect.

HOLLY

she/her, teen

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flight, true neutral, introvertLIKES: nostalgic memories, photography, long range weapons, mysteries, giving advice she doesn't take, scrapbooks and journals, oversized jackets, venison, quiet hikes, stompy boots, big pocketsDISLIKES: crowds, fire, blatant stupidity, the city, overly sweet food, people trying to joke around when shes being serious, being watched

almost all of liam's life has been spent surrounded by the same few walls of his older brother's cult compound. according to samael, liam is destined to be god's next vessel, the one to take his place should anything ever happen to him. this is due to the intensity of the brainwashing liam's experienced in comparison to his other older brothers - he's the baby of the family and has been exposed to it the most.but liam doesn't want to take his brother's place. he wants nothing to do with the cult, in fact, and despite his lack of knowledge on the outside world, he tries to make an escape.he's naive, soft, and a little out-of-touch, but very kind and willing to fight in the end. holly finds him and protects him, and he cares deeply for her and eventually roxeanne.

LIAM

he/him, teen

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freeze, neutral good, ambivertLIKES: adventure books, documentaries, checkers and card games, holding hands, hair ruffles, kickball, fishing, soft voices, nightlights, heavy knit blankets, fidgety braceletsDISLIKES: dogs or other wild animals, bright white lights, needles, sour food, unclear instructions, taking medicine

samael was raised under a different name by his parents alongside a slew of little brothers. he grew up obsessed with religion, medicine, and war history, but managed to keep from being too much of an outcast by reading people and acting for their approval.he was a teen when the apocalypse hit, and in such troubling times he was often brushed aside by his parents in favor of the young ones. many responsibilities were pushed onto his shoulders with little benefit in return.so when his mother had another child, liam, he was even more jealous. he almost killed the baby, but grew attached and killed his parents instead.his obsession with religion, desire for control, and ruthless charm lead him to the path of starting a cult, with a story of "being god's vessel" that he's almost tricked himself into believing.the message spreads both by force and kinder means, and sam becomes an icon of terror due to the accurate rumors of his penchant for violently wiping out threats, drugging cult members, and pseudosexual sadism.

SAMAEL

he/him, late 20s-early 30s

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flight, lawful evil, ambivertLIKES: chess, poetry, song of songs/solomon, switchblades, long coats, soft sweaters, being way too good at whistling, learning other languages, radio shows, pet namesDISLIKES: competitors, bad listeners, most forms of physical affection from most people, cigarette smell, stains

before the disease, liri was a bit of a party animal, singing at clubs, constantly out doing something wild or getting dragged down into addictive behavior. her twin brother was her anchor, keeping her safe and out of trouble, trying to get her to take care of herself. and when the apocalypse hit, they stayed safe and alive together.soon enough, samael's cult members did "outreach" in the area where liri and her brother were hiding out. they trusted the cult, and had nowhere else to turn. but once they were inside, her brother understood the danger they were in and tried to escape. he attacked samael in the process, leaving a giant gash down sam's back - samael killed him in return.sam had been experimenting with future drugs and psychological manipulation to keep some members in line, and ended up using a lot of this on liri. she lost memories of her brother other than lingering feelings, and grew very, very attached to samael.and the feeling was mutual. over time, samael not only sees her as his favorite, but falls in love with her - though he's deeply in denial about it for a long time. but liri is mentally unstable, and easily tricked - so liam uses her as a means of escape. blaming her for the potential downfall of his cult, sam exiles her in spite of himself.

LIRI

she/her, early 30s

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fawn, lawful neutral, extrovertLIKES: singing, playing piano, drama movies, piercings, echoey rooms, clubs, forgoing shoes, flowy skirts, using too many pillows, snow, lots of attention, ornithologyDISLIKES: isolation, silent spaces, bugs, tortilla chips, having to self-soothe after a tricky time, not being in on a secret