Lysander au Lune is the grandson of former Sovereign of the Society Octavia au Lune. He was Octavia’s heir until her deposition by Virginia au Augustus in 743 P.C.E. After The Rising, he fell under the guardianship of Cassius au Bellona, and spent his formative years with Cassius in exile, rescuing imperiled ships around the Asteroid Belt.
Grandson of the deposed Sovereign, Lysander au Lune was spared by Darrow ten years ago on the condition that he would live under the tutelage of Cassius au Bellona. When investigating a crippled ship in deep space, Lysander and Cassius rescue a mysterious Gold woman and, in doing so, are thrust into the center of a violent coup among the Golds of the Rim. Will Lysander follow Cassius’ teachings, or will he choose to forge his own bloody destiny among the Golds? [1]
Background[]
Lived on Luna ever since the death of his parents. Groomed by Octavia to be the next Sovereign. He sees Darrow as his childhood hero after witnessing Darrow's campaign and siege of Olympus during his years in the Institute.
For his sixteenth birthday, Cassius gifted him with the razor of his brother Karnus au Bellona. It was considered to be a very honorable gesture as Cassius held onto it for sentimental reasons.
Personality[]
In his younger years, Lysander was quite innocent and very honest, taught to never lie. He was brave for his age, overcoming fear to behave reasonably and with calm even in intense and dangerous situations.
He was brought up in an incredibly strict household. Being the grandson to the Sovereign of men, he grew to be able to read people and see through social masks. He had the advantage of being taught how to use the Mind's Eye by Octavia, which also helped in being able to see through people.
While Lysander sympathizes with the lowColors and Darrow's reason for the Rising, Lysander believes that order brought by Gold rule is far better than the chaos that currently rules the Solar system.
He has also shown care for the lives of lowColors.
Appearance[]
According to Darrow, from first seeing him, Lysander's eyes are so bright they are considered like golden crystals, beyond gold. Lysander has long golden hair and is quite lean and tall. In Dark Age, he gets a severe burn half his face, which impairs his sight in one eye. By the Long Night, Darrow notes that he has gone bald from radiation poisoning
Biography[]
Golden Son[]
Lysander is present when his grandmother, Octavia au Lune, offers Darrow a chance to join her, and to make him one of her Olympic Knights. When Darrow refuses and is confronted with three Stained, it is Lysander who stops Darrow before he even starts. He confesses to having watched all his videos from the Institute and the Academy several times. Lysander presents a box containing Octavia's Oracles, which are used in a game of truths between Darrow and Octavia.
Later, Lysander is kidnapped by Mustang as leverage for Darrow and House Augustus's passage back to Mars. He doesn't show any fear and understands the politics of the game. Lysander yells out to Aja to prevent her from attacking Quinn , but she severely wounds Quinn before they are able to make their escape. Before they could even land, Tactus takes Lysander and escapes the ship.
Morning Star[]
Lysander is ten years old now and is reintroduced in the tail end of the book. He is there at his grandmother's side when Cassius, Antonia, and Adrius bring her Darrow, the supposed dead body of Sevro, and Mustang. He is witness to the death of Antonia au Severus-Julii, the Truth Knight, the Joy Knight, Aja au Grimmus, and his grandmother, Octavia. At one point, he attempts to fend off Darrow and the others. Cassius tells Lysander to drop the sword he's holding, but it's when Octavia tells him to stop that he does. After Octavia's warning to stop Adrius from destroying Luna, Lysander suggests to Darrow to call on the Ash Lord for his help. It is through Lysander's plea to his godfather to listen to them that prevents Luna from being completely decimated. And though Octavia died by their hands, Lysander accepts that Mustang is their conqueror and new Sovereign. The now alive Sevro wants to end the Lune line by killing Lysander, however, Cassius does not allow this. Lysander is now under Cassius' protection and claims him as his ward, bringing Lysander with him to explore space in self-exile.
Iron Gold[]
Ten years after fleeing Luna, Lysander is a ward of Cassius au Bellona, together they roam the Asteroid Belt and the far reaches of the Core. Cassius attempts to mentor the boy, trying to mold him into a good man, not just a warrior, or a politican. Lysander is not entirely convinced, believing Cassius to be a noble fool, a drunk, and a traitor to the Society. Despite the kindness shown to him by Cassius, Lysander harbors doubts about the fall of the Society, believing that one day it could be brought back to its full glory. On their travels, they picked up a Blue outlaw, Pytha xe Virgus, who now acts as their Pilot.
The crew of the Archimedes arrive near the Vindabona in the Asteroid belt. Lysander and Cassius enter the ship, learning that it was overtaken by Ascomanni. As Lysander and Cassius traverse the ship, they find several hostages and a Gold, who has been tortured. Using his Razor, Lysander frees the woman but she attacks him, "borrowing" his Razor and using it to kill some of the Ascomanni. He injects her with stims for her injuries, allowing her to walk and fight her way back but she quickly succumbs once more. Lysander and Cassius escape the Vindabona with the crew and the mysterious Gold. The Ascomanni chase after them. Outgunned, and with nowhere to run, Lysander goes to treat the injured Gold girl and she tells him to sail for Asteroid S-1392.
The Archimedes is pulled inside a Rim warship where Lysander, Cassius, the Gold girl, and the crew of the Vindabona are greeted by Pandora, a Venator of the Krypteia. Lysander and the others are subjected to torture before Romulus au Raa arrives alongside his son, Diomedes. The Gold girl reveals herself as Seraphina au Raa. They are taken into Rim custody for breaching the Pax Illium agreement between Republic and Rim. Lysander is isolated from Cassius and Pytha and they are taken to a remote outpost where House Raa is split into two factions. Seraphina was dispatched by her mother Dido au Raa to retrieve important evidence, and Romulus states that they are chasing ghosts. After a short confrontation between the two parties and a skirmish, Dido takes Lysander and Cassius into her custody, and launches a coup against her husband and Sovereign, Romulus. He is arrested for Treason and Gross Negligence against the Rim for not presenting the evidence of The Reaper destroying the Docks of Ganymede in the closing moments of the Battle of Illium.
Now a prisoner in the Rim, Lysander is given a small room while he awaits his fate. One night before a dinner, Seraphina enters his room, interrogating him and flirting with him. Later on, House Raa eats together, with guests Cassius and Lysander. They disguise themselves under false identities as Martian Traders, but after tensions rise and Dido namedrops the Morning Knight's name, Cassius lunges across the table, and is quickly subdued. Bellerephon challenges Cassius to a duel in the Bleeding Place for killing members of House Raa at Darrow's Triumph. Dido reveals the safe hidden inside the Archimedes containing Cassius and Lysander's razor, mementos, and documents that would reveal who they are. Seraphina found the safe as she disembarked the ship after they escaped the Ascomanni.
Cassius duels Bellerephon in the Bleeding Place, killing him in minutes, he suffers minor wounds. He attempts to spare the man's life, negotiating with Dido for their release from Rim custody. She sends three more members of House Raa against Cassius in response, he kills the first two quickly, before Dido sends out Seraphina. Lysander recognises the gambit. With every kill, hatred against the Republic is amplified. Dido spends the lives of her family members to force the Rim into the Solar War. Dido attempts to coerce Lysander into opening the safe, so she might learn Lysander's identity. As Seraphina and Cassius trade blows, Lysander leaps from the stands and announces his identity to the spectators. He decalares himself Lysander au Lune, Grandson of Sovereign Octavia au Lune, Heir of Silenius.
At Romulus' trial, Romulus is found guilty of Treason and Gross Negligence when chance strikes, and is handed down the sentence of death. This is done to the horror of Dido and his family members. She intended for him to be convicted only of Gross Negligence, allowing her and her husband to rule as Co-Consuls of the Rim Dominion. At Akari's Tomb, Romulus says goodbye to his family. Lysander is the only attendee that is not of House Raa. Romulus asks Lysander to stop the Rim from being destroyed as a consequence of the Solar War. Romulus kisses his wife Dido goodbye, declaring his love for her. He bids farewell to his family members and meets the dust. Later on, Dido, now Consul of the Rim, meets with Lysander who declares himself an Iron Gold and announces his intention to join the war and restore Gold to its former glory.
Dark Age[]
Travelling with Rim Diplomats Diomedes and Seraphina, Lysander boards the Annihilo, meeting with Love Knight Kalindora au San and Storm Knight Ajax au Grimmus, Lysander's DNA is tested to confirm his identity. Ajax and Diomedes, both Storm Knights, speak tensely before Ajax pisses on the Rim Knight's cloak. Lysander is escorted to meet with Dictator Atalantia au Grimmus and confers with Primus' of Society Remnant powers - House Votum of Heliopolis, led by Scorpio, House Falthe of Earth led by Scipio, and House Carthii of Venus, led by Asmodeus. Lysander pledges to earn his birthright, the Morning Throne, and his Peerless Scar by falling in the Ash Rain over Mercury.
While being fitted for PulseArmor, Lysander speaks with Pytha, who attempts to dissuade him from falling in the Rain. After the fitting and the cermonies, Lysander watches his childhood friend Ajax, now a Peerless Legate of the Society Remnant, and prepares to fall in the Rain. Alongside praetorians of Legio X Pardus "The Iron Leopards", Lysander falls in the Rain. He breaches orbit and lands on Mercury. In his first skirmish, Lysander kills four Republic soldiers. The Iron Leopards move toward Heliopolis, but meet resistance when Republic forces descend on them, killing Seraphina. Ajax splits his legion away from Lysander after the Love Knight and Rhone ti Flavinius declare fealty to House Lune over House Grimmus.
Lysander and several others burn their starShells and are forced to move on foot through the Storm. At the downed Storm God, Lysander and his remaining men are met by The Reaper of Mars. In the ensuing fight, Lysander's eye and right side of his face are burned horrifically.
Light Bringer[]
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
- "Is a man a coward if he realizes that bravery is just a myth the old tell the young so they line up for the meatgrinder?" - Dark Age, Ch. 10: The Ash Rain
- "History is so often molded from tainted clay by those who remain" - Iron Gold, Ch. 8
- "[Alexandar au Arcos] looked haughtier on camera, and Grandmother's Securitas file said he was incredibly arrogant, intelligent, if not too creative, with a paternal deficit complex after the death of his father. His defensiveness of the Reaper suggests the complex's newest placeholder." - Dark Age, Ch. 43
- "If we cannot find common ground today, in two years it will not be the Rising against the Society. It will be the Core against the Rim." - Light Bringer, Ch. 17
- "Noble thoughts flee. No more peacemaker. No more politician. No more feeble seed. I am Iron. I am Death. I am Gold." - Light Bringer, Ch. 22
Trivia[]
- Lysander was a Spartan general that defeated Athens, and the first Greek to have gained a cult.
References[]
- ↑ Pierce Brown Books - Meet Lysander - May 22, 2017