Ephraim ti Horn is a Gray ex-legionnaire, mercenary, and one of the four narrators in Iron Gold and one of the five in Dark Age.
"Once a loyal member of the revolutionary Sons of Ares, Ephraim ti Horn lost everything in the Rising, including his husband, Trigg. In the years since, Ephraim has had no choice but to turn to a life of crime in order to survive, but when a dangerous new client hires him for the heist of the millennium, Ephraim quickly realizes he is in over his head…"[1]
After his fiancé, Trigg ti Nakamura, dies at the blade of Aja au Grimmus, Ephraim joined the Sons of Ares.[2] At one point, his men are captured by Society operatives and skinned in front of him. After the The Solar Republic is formed, Sovereign Virginia au Augustus pardons the Gold responsible. This makes Ephraim hate the Republic.
Ephraim would go on to become a high-end thief who steals valuable items such as the Razor of Silenius au Lune for brokers. He lives in Imbrium City on Luna, and his only friend remaining is an Obsidian by the name of Volga Fjorgan.
While Ephraim pretends not to care about his associates, he has on several occasions been kind to them, and assisted them out of difficult situations. He once saved the lives of Dano and Cyra from prison and debtors respectively.[3] When Dano and Cyra attempt to use Volga’s savings to leave Luna behind, he chastises them and protects Volga, knowing she wanted to use the money to open a research zoo on Earth.
Background[]
Ephraim was born in 707 PCE at Courneuve Hospital, in Evenstar, Hyperion. At the beginning of Iron Gold, Ephriam resides at 777 16B Salt Place, Upper West Promenade Level 17.[4]
Ephraim spent over a decade fighting as a legionnaire, and as recruiter and scarHunter for the Rising thereafter. When he was younger he was proud of the pins that marked him as a legionnaire and warrior, he now believes that it just made him a pet[5]. For a period after his departure of the Society's legions, Ephraim worked for Piraeus Insurance Company[6], a private security firm specializing in the recovery of "high-value property" such as art, sculptures, and jewels. [2]When Ephraim worked for Piraeus Insurance, his official title was 'high-end claims investigator'. [7]
Two years after Ephraim left the legions, he went to the Mass, a sprawl of shops, restaurants, and merchant stands around the Atlas Interplanetary Docks, where he met Trigg in a themed bar. Trigg spilled a glass of milk down Eph's back and instead of punching the clumsy Gray, Ephraim laughed and closed the bar down drinking with Trigg.[8] Ephraim once took Trigg ice-skating, Trigg wasn’t very good at it.[4] Trigg proposed to Ephraim while they were on a vacation off the coast of the Agean Sea.[9] Ephraim believed he was never worthy or deserving of Trigg's love.[10]
Upon joining the Sons of Ares, Ephraim was a recruiter, and then a Scar Hunter - a unit whose purpose was to hunt and kill Peerless Scarred. On a mission to find a Gold that had been organizing raids in Endymion, Ephraim and his team were captured. Ephraim had to watch while his team was skinned alive. He was the only survivor. Later, the Gold who killed Ephraim's entire unit was pardoned by Sovereign Virginia Augustus, causing Ephraim to leave the Rising behind.[11]
Appearance[]
Ephraim is 5ft 9in tall (1.75m), slender, and 46 at the beginning of Iron Gold[5]. He wears a silver watch, gifted to him by Trigg. He has a swollen face as a result of years of drinking and fighting[5]. According to Lyria, he looks to be a man in his thirties.[6]
Ephraim owns an Omnivore 540, a semi-automatic railgun manufactured by Titan Arms. It is powered by rechargeable Ion cells that drive each round along unique parallel reactive conductors. It possesses an internal diameter, is multicaliber friendly and has an autonomous forge in the magazine. It is considered a rare weapon, with only twenty thousand ever being made. In Ephraim’s own words: “Metal goes in. Death comes out.”[12]
Personality & Emotions[]
Ephraim is, on the surface, a very rough and closed off person who does not seem to care about anybody, even himself. Eventually it turns out he cares deeply about several people such as Volga and Trigg. Trigg's death left him depressed. He also starts abusing the drug Zoladone, which effectively eliminates emotional response. He eventually gains an addiction.
Trauma, Addiction, Alcholism, & Anger[]
Ephraim obsessively re-watches the final moments of his fiancé’s life as he’s killed by Aja on the bridge in Attica, Mars. It fuels his hate, and part of him blames the Reaper and Holiday for cowering behind cover as he was slaughtered mercilessly by Aja au Grimmus. [13] Ephraim is a self-confessed alcoholic and drug abuser. He has a pessimistic view of life. He verges on nihilism and believes most people to be “liars, bastards, or just plain stupid”[5]. Ephraim cares about little more than his next job and his next drink. He only truly values a few people in his life, and rarely shows any real emotion towards them, preferring to push them away to protect himself from getting hurt. Ephraim is traumatised by the Gold who skinned his unit during the Rising, and using substances to cope.[4]
Iron Gold Tetralogy[]
Battle of Luna
Ephraim participated in the Battle of Luna, it is stated he served during all three years of the bloody conflict, likely as a scarHunter.[4]
Iron Gold (753 PCE)[]
Ephraim is a Freelance thief working for a White Broker named Oslo. He is commissioned to steal the Razor of Silenius au Lune. He hides inside sarcophogi with the three members of his gang: Volga, Dano, and Cyra. They exit their hiding spots and reach the exhibit holding the Razor. They steal the Razor and leave the Museum as alarms blare. Later, Ephraim meets with his broker and hands over the Razor. Oslo informs Ephraim that there will not be another job.
Ephraim meets with his crew, dispersing the funds, and drinking heavily. They part ways and Ephraim later meets with the sister of his late fiancee TrIgg, Holiday ti Nakamura. Ephraim antagonises some thugs inside the bar and Holiday points Volga out to Ephraim, he hadn't noticed her and realises that his instincts are slipping due to his alcoholism and addiction. He sends her away and Holiday tells him that this is the last time they will meet on Trigg's birthday to honor him. She confronts him for his behaviour and when he refuses to back down, she leaves. Devoid of another job and feeling low after more drinks, he stumbles outside and attempts to throw himself from the platform to his death, he is stopped when Syndicate Thorns punch him unconscious.
Ephraim awakens inside the fortress of The Duke of Hands. He is strapped to a chair and the Duke interrogates him about his most recent job, the Razor Heist. When he refuses to name his source or broker, the Duke threatens to cut off his hand. Ephraims stays silent and, impressed by his scruples, the Duke releases him. The Duke reveals that he donated the Razor to the Museum temporarily then hired Ephraim to steal the Razor from himself. He presents Ephraim with two options: The Heist of the Century or a painful death.
Meeting with Cyra, Volga, and Dano, Ephraim explains the situation. Ephraim forces them to understand that they have no choice, there is no escape, and that they will be killed by the Syndicate if they do not oblige. Now with the crew on board, Ephraim devises a plan to accomplish the theft. He must abduct the children of the Reaper, and the Goblin - Pax and Electra. He enlists a Green Black Market tech named Kobachi to create a gas bomb that can be worn covertly. He targets a Red Valet new to House Telemanus. When she takes the day to explore Luna, Dano pickpockets a nearby Gold and she blames the Red Girl. Ephraim saves her from the Gray Watchmen and takes the girl, Lyria, on a day out to gain her trust. He gives her his contact info and they correspond. When Lyria gets another day free, they picnic in Hyperion and Ephraim gives her a replica of his Bacchus pendant created by Kobachi, manipulating her into accepting it.
Following Quicksilver's birthday, the crew initiate the kidnapping. Ephraim activates the gas bomb pendant and inside the shuttle, all are knocked unconsciousness and some are killed. Ephraim, Volga, and Dano enter the shuttle and Ephraim goes to kill Lyria but forgets the safety is on. He fires, then hesitates, deciding to take her along with the children. Volga collects Pax and Electra when Kavax au Telemanus rises from the floor. Dano shoots him several times but Kavax brutalises the Red, killing him. Volga puts him down, almost killing the giant Gold. Ephraim and Volga recollect their targets and flee. Ephraim drives to a dead drop and places Lyria in the trunk, warning her to be silent. Cyra is waiting and is informed of Dano's death.
Ephraim, Cyra, and Volga arrive at the Duke's fortress with the children. They enter and discuss the heist. The Duke beats Pax, yelling at him to "Weep!" and cementing his power over the children. Ephraim witnesses Lyria flee, after she disobeys him and spies on their conversation. The Duke informs Ephraim that he has a traitor in his crew and Cyra is revealed to have been beaten and tortured by Gorgo. Ephraim forgives her and asks the Duke to let her go, so he obliges, having Gorgo toss her off the half-built skyscraper. Ephraim and Volga leave after being paid for their services.
Ephraim and Volga rent a penthouse suite and talk about the situation following the abduction. Ephraim berates Volga when she tells him she just wanted to pay him back for everything he did for her. Bringing her to Earth, giving her a job. She feels like she owes Ephraim. He dismisses her and she leaves after their argument escalates. Later, Ephraim travels to a spaceport where they booked travel to Earth so Volga can use the money to open a Research Zoo for carved animals. When Volga does not arrive, Ephraim understands that their friendship is over and changes destinations. When he leaves briefly, the staff of his ship are escorted out by Lionguards and when he returns, Holiday and Lyria are waiting for him. Holiday opens her pad and Sovereign Virginia Augustus negotiates with Ephraim. She asks that he return the children and in return, Volga, who they picked up and have in custody, will be given a pardon.
Ephraim persuades them to leave him on the street so Syndicate Thorns note he has not disappeared and he makes contact with them later that day. He is taken back to the Duke's fortress and blindfolded. Ephraim awakens inside the skyscraper and is greeted by Gorgo. He is met by the Duke and they dine. He attempts to seduce the Duke and gets him alone when the Duke's guards and Gorgo are both dismissed. Ephraim takes the Duke hostage and learns of the children's location: inside a vault, two floors down. He drags the Duke at gunpoint toward the vault. He is forced into a firefight when a group of Obsidians witness the situation. Ephraim has the Duke open the vault and collects the children, and some stolen art. He backtracks up to the office, fighting his way through Syndicate Thorns. Inside the Yacht of the Duke, Gorgo waits for Ephraim. Ephraim realises this when Gorgo does not appear throughout the firefight. Gorgo ambushes them and Ephraim is shot when Gorgo kills the Duke of Hands. They escape the skyscraper and contact Holiday. Ephraim realises that they are not in Hyperion anymore, they are in Empyrion. He is to be met halfway by Lionguards. Suddenly, the communications are cut off and an ominous voice announcing herself as "The Queen" tells Ephraim that the shuttle is being remotely piloted back towards the skyscraper they just escaped. A desperate Ephraim tells the children to buckle up and, half dead and high on Zoladone, detonates several explosives near the shuttle's engines. As the ship descends with both engines destroyed, Ephraim laughs insanely. This is what he was made for.
Dark Age (754 PCE)[]
After purposefully crashing their ship to escape the Syndicate, Ephraim finds himself alongside Pax and Electra being brought to the AllTribe of the Obsidians on Mars. He is at first kept as a captive, but then is able to prove his worth to Sefi. She asks him to convince Pax that he is a friend, keeping him close, but Ephraim remains secretly loyal to the boy, having developed a fondness for him over their time together. They develop a secret code they use while speaking to keep apprised of their escape plans. During his time with the obsidians, he shows his cunning to Sefi and gains trust with the AllTribe. He eventually comes up with an attack plan for the Obsidians to conquer a homeland for the AllTribe. As a token of his victory, he is invited on a hunt, where he slays the beast.
He is treated as a friend by Sefi, who he later learns wants to barter the children for Volga. He learns that Sefi has only befriended him because of the influence he has on Volga, who she hopes to have as her heir as Queen of the AllTribe when she passes. Ephraim notices inconsistencies in Sefi's behavior and leadership. When he learns of an attack on the Pandora (Victra's flagship) using Alltribe ships, he realizes that Sefi is being manipulated and framed by Volsung Fá, prompting him to flee with Pax and Electra aboard the Snowball. When he feels a pain leaving, he discovers a heart spike, which Electra removes from his body so they can escape. As they are hunting for Volga, Ephraim hears a distress call from Lyria, which they then amplify to call all of Mars to support the escape before Ephraim, Pax, and Electra go answer the distress call.
After they reunite with Lyria, Volga, and Victra, Ephraim realizes the guilt he feels at abandoning the Obsidian AllTribe, which he has become to think of as family. He decides to return to warn Sefi of the betrayal of one of her inner circle. Ephraim, realizing the depth of the deception orchestrated by Volsung Fá through his intermediary Xenophon, decides to return and warn Sefi. He believes that Xenophon, who had been close to Sefi, has been manipulating her and turning the male Obsidians against her.
Ephraim, with Ozgard and loyal Skuggi (Obsidian spirit warriors and assassins), attempts to free Valdir and reach Sefi to expose Xenophon's treachery. However, the Valkyrie capture Ozgard and kill most of the loyal Skuggi. Xenophon and the Ascomanni then ambush Ephraim before he can reach Sefi.
Xenophon brings the captured Ephraim before Sefi, reveals his allegiance to Atlas and Volsung Fá, and admits to manipulating the Obsidians. Following this, Volsung Fá arrives, overpowers the Valkyrie and Sefi, declares his claim to the throne, and cruelly mutilates Sefi.
Ephraim then tries to fight back, despite being tied up. Xenophon claims Ephraim could be useful if he wasn’t such a disloyal person, but recommends Fá kills Ephraim. Fá then thanks Ephraim for raising Volga, his heir, but states he must get out of the way so he can mold Volga into the perfect heir. Fá then tells Xenophon to kill Ephraim using the heartspike they had implanted earlier. Ephraim has rigged this to be a bomb, and momentarily declares victory that his bomb has killed Fá as it explodes. Unfortunately, this victory is short lived, as Fá has survived the blast despite being severely injured. He declares that Ephraim is “Worthy” before ripping out his heart and eating it.
Relationships[]
Romantic Interests[]
- Trigg ti Nakamura
Ephraim's late fiancé (although Ephraim calls him his husband, feeling that fiancé cheapens their relationship). Trigg was killed by Aja au Grimmus while aiding in Darrow's rescue from the Jackal in Morning Star. Trigg and Ephraim met in a themed bar while the former and Holiday ti Nakamura were on leave from the Thirteenth.[2]
Allies[]
- Volga Fjorgan
Volga met Ephraim on Earth and he took her to Luna to repay a debt. As an Obsidian, Volga slid into a bodyguard/muscle role on Ephraim's jobs. Volga cares deeply about Ephraim and worries about him constantly. Ephraim initially rejects her friendship but comes to care for the girl, affectionately calling her 'Snowball'. She is Ephraim's only remaining friend at the beginning of Iron Gold.
- Holiday ti Nakamura
Though Ephraim and Trigg were only engaged, Holiday still considers Ephraim her brother-in-law. For several years following the death of Trigg, Ephraim and Holiday mourned him together on the anniverary of Trigg's birth. Due to Ephraim's worsening condition and drug abuse, Holiday ends their relationship, feeling that Ephraim is just using her brother's death as an excuse to vent out his anger and hate at the Republic.
A Red and a member of Ephraim's crew, killed by Kavax au Telemanus during the kidnapping of Pax Augustus and Electra Barca. Dano immigrated to Luna from Earth, got caught pickpocketing, and was bailed out by Ephraim.
A Green and another member of Ephraim's crew, killed by Gorgo for betraying Ephraim for more pay from The Duke of Hands. Cyra was deep in debt to data sharks when Ephraim relieved her debts, likely saving her life.
Enemies[]
Following the kidnapping of Pax au Augustus and Electra au Barca, Ephraim betrays The Duke of Hands and attempts to return the children to Soveriegn Virginia au Augustus and Victra au Barca at the behest of Holiday and Lyria.
Ephraim infiltrates The Duke of Hands' hideout and seduces the Duke, holding him hostage, and using him as a body-shield to reach the children. The Duke is shot by Gorgo in the escape.
The Syndicate placed a bounty on Ephraim's head following his rescue. The Duke of Hands was killed by Virginia au Augustus.
When Ephraim returns to Sefi and her Alltribe in Dark Age, he attempts to save her from the incoming coup launched by Xenophon on behalf of Volsung Fá and his Ascomanni. After Fá duels Sefi and kills her, he bites out Ephraim's heart, declaring him 'Worthy.' Later, when Fá accompanies Lysander and Atlas in Lightbringer, he states that he thinks Atlas would have liked Ephraim, showing respect.
A White, and a deep-cover Gorgon operative who infiltrated Sefi the Quiet's Alltribe, Xenophon systematically isolated Sefi from her closest advisors and allies before launching a coup on behalf of Atlas au Raa for Volsung Fá, an Ascomanni warlord. Xenophon is an operative of the Gorgons, the Fear Knight's personal legion. Ephraim frequently comes into contact with Xenophon during his time with Sefi's Alltribe, sometimes as allies, sometimes as adversaries. Ultimately, they part ways as enemies when Fá arrives on Mars.
Trivia[]
- Figment, a minor character serving Victra Barca in Dark Age, is listed as one of the best Freelancers in Hyperion by Ephraim. [4]
Quotes[]
“Hell hath no fury like a woman packing a railgun.” – Iron Gold, Ch. 6: Eternal City
“Grays: Short in life, long in memory.” – Iron Gold, Ch.14: The Anniversary
“Shoulda put a Gray as Sovereign. At least we finish shit.” - Iron Gold, Ch.14: The Anniversary
“Just as Obsidians are made to be killing machines, Pinks are made to be fucking machines. Both can be very persuasive.” – Iron Gold, Ch.18 The Duke of Hands
“Life’s a mountain, Volga. Try to move it, you’ll go nowhere. Try to help someone else, you’ll fall right down with them.” – Iron Gold Ch.24, Kobachi’s Tech Emporium
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Pierce Brown website
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Morning Star, Ch 53
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch.19: Pernod
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Iron Gold Ch.18: The Duke of Hands
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Iron Gold Ch.6: Eternal City
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Iron Gold, Chapter 50
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch.7: The Arbiter
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch. 14
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch. 51
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch.14: The Anniversary
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch. 59
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch.24: Kobachi's Tech Emporium
- ↑ Iron Gold, Ch.31: Kites