| “ | "If your heart beats like a drum, and your leg's a little wet, it's because the Reaper's come to collect a little debt." | ” |
— Golden Son, Chapter 35
| ||
Sevro is a Gold and one of the main characters of the Red Rising Trilogy and the Iron Gold Trilogy. Throughout the course of the books, Sevro is one of Darrow's most loyal followers, and is leader of Darrow's Howlers.
Personality
Sevro is indifferent to others that he does not know, but is very loyal to certain people. He is also cunning as exhibited during the time at the Institute when he takes the other houses by surprise. Sevro was probably considered to be a scrapper throughout the series, especially in the first book. He is also said to be cold and have a distinct cruel side to him, which is seen early in Morning Star, particularly with Sevro's callous treatment of his enemies. Sevro, however, is ultimately a good person and overcomes his darker side. He has a quick wit and a crude sense of humor which he is not at all shy about. Sevro has a sensitive side which sometimes results in him overreacting. He values loyalty above all else.
Appearance
Sevro is short for a Gold, standing at about 5'9"[1], a possible result of his half-Red heritage. As a Peerless Scarred, he possesses the characteristic wound across his cheekbone. According to Darrow, he has abnormally long toenails, which he uses to hang off of ledges. As leader of the Howlers, he also has a large wolf tattoo across his back. He later gets a mohawk and a goatee in an obvious attempt to woo Victra, resulting in Darrow teasing him. Initially, he had his normal golden eyes. However, he lost one to the Jackal during their time at the Institute, and it was later bionically replaced. By the time of the Rising, Sevro has had both eyes replaced with Darrow's old Red eyes, which he views as a symbol of their friendship and his own connection to Red culture. He was given a skull tattoo on his right hand Ragnar to symbolize them being blood brothers, the same is on Ragnar himself and Darrow.
In Golden Son, Darrow describes him as 'the ugliest angel ever shit out of heaven'.
Skills and Abilities
Due to his small stature, Sevro is agile even for a Gold. While at the Institute, he was one of the few lowDrafts that could keep pace with (and even outrun) the highDrafts. He is extremely stealthy, often hiding in order to catch his opponents off guard. Even the monstrous Titus au Ladros and his followers feared to attack Darrow as Sevro would kill them in their sleep.
He is an excellent survivalist and scout, successfully evading the other factions of House Mars during his time at the Institute. At the same time, Sevro proved resourceful, surviving alone in the valley for extended periods of time. He even found out the location of the other Houses on his own, succeeding where even Darrow and Cassius failed. Sevro is an excellent hand to hand fighter, capable of defeating opponents of superior physical capability. Through skill and observation, he can defeat Golds of the highest stock such as Priam au Caan. He even obtained his wolf cloak by killing a wolf barehanded, using his fingernails to wound it during the battle.
Sevro has proven himself to be a skilled tactician and leader, organizing the underestimated lowDregs into the vicious and feared Howlers. Deceptive and sneaky, he specializes in infiltration and sabotage. Sevro is capable of sowing chaos and deceiving his foes regardless of their strength. At one point, he and the Howlers even kidnapped Lysander, heir to Sovereign Octavia au Lune, from inside the Sovereign's Citadel. Sevro also led the Sons of Ares after the death of his father, personally planting spies in the Jackal's forces and rescuing Darrow from a mountain fortress.
Involvement
Pre-Series
A Different Breed
Sevro was born to Fitchner au Barca and his Red wife, Bryn of Cryssos. In order to give birth to a Gold child, Bryn underwent illegal biological modification. This act was later discovered by the Society's bureaucracy, leading to Bryn's death by achlys-9, a poisonous gas. For his heritage, Sevro was labeled a Bronzie (the genetically inferior members of the Gold caste) and was mistreated for much of his early life.
In secret, Fitchner began a rebellion against the The Society known as the Sons of Ares, taking up the mantle of Ares. This left Sevro without any parents, forcing him to fend for himself. As a result, Sevro developed into a skilled survivalist at a young age.
Red Rising
Entering the Institute
Like many other Golds, Sevro took a test to enter the Institute, a training school for potential military officers in Gold society. Despite his low score, he was accepted and was the last person drafted into House Mars by Fitchner, who had become Mars' Proctor. The first trial was the Passage: a series of death matches among the students to obtain their House rings and determine who would remain at the Institute. For his trial, Sevro was paired with Priam au Caan, an excellent student and swordsman. Due to his abysmal test performance and small stature, he was intended as a sacrifice for Priam's ascension. Sevro, however, defied the odds and killed Priam by crushing his trachea.
The students were later dropped into a valley with limited resources and forced to conquer one another through armed conflict. Different factions developed within House Mars, forcing the students to choose sides in order to survive. Unlike the others, Sevro swore allegiance to none and acted on his own. Earning a frightening reputation for his sudden disappearances and savage nature, Sevro was regarded with extreme caution by many. Fear of him grew even more when it was discovered that he had killed a wolf with his bare hands, wearing its skin as a trophy and earning the nickname "Goblin".
The Howlers
As the game went on, one faction within House Mars became extremely violent. Led by Titus au Ladros, they began terrorizing members of their own House. However, another Gold named Darrow au Andromedus (secretly a Red spy biologically remade into a Gold) had gathered a group of students under his leadership. Composed mainly of lowDrafts, they intended to take control of the House by defeating Titus. Stalking Darrow and his followers, Sevro saved him and another Gold, Cassius au Bellona, after they were almost captured by House Minerva.
He then began aiding Darrow's faction, surprising them with his skills in the wilderness and scouting the locations of the other Houses. After some time, Sevro took control of the lowDrafts, helping them kill wolves to create their own cloaks. Known as the Howlers, they helped Darrow defeat Titus and House Minerva. With Darrow as Primus, Sevro and the Howlers acted as his bodyguards as they consolidated control over the other factions. Darrow then informed them about the existence of the Jackal, the Primus of the feared House Pluto. Sevro proposed that he and the Howlers assassinate the Jackal, securing Mars' position in the competition. However, this proposal was rejected, leading to a rift between Darrow and Sevro. Regardless, Sevro went through with his plan and left the House Mars fortress behind.
Goblin and Reaper
Sevro and the Howlers were able to find the fortress of House Pluto, nestled deep within a mountainous area of the valley. Despite successfully infiltrating the stronghold, they were discovered and forced to fight their way to freedom. Sevro was wounded in the escape, losing his eye to the Jackal's knife in the darkness of the citadel. Leaping from a cliff, he and his allies made their way back to House Mars. Upon arriving, they discovered that Cassius had betrayed Darrow, taking up the title of Primus after leaving his former friend for dead in the forest. Some time after, a large sickle was seen burned into the side of a hill during the evening. Sevro then realized that Darrow was alive, with the shape resembling Darrow's personal weapon: a slingBlade.
Abandoning House Mars, Sevro led the Howlers in tracking down Darrow. They also engaged House Apollo during their search, causing Sevro to become known as a "one-eyed demon" among the other Houses. Ultimately, they found Darrow (who had been styling himself as the "Reaper") and began to fight alongside him. Sevro continued to lead the Howlers, defeating numerous Houses to gather enough resources to face the Jackal.
Among Wolves
After some time, they were able to capture the Jackal, who had disguised himself as a student of House Jupiter. With
his hand nailed to a table with a knife, Sevro and the Howlers watched as the Jackal sawed off his own hand. However, the Proctors interfered, having aided the Jackal numerous times throughout the game. In the ensuing struggle, Pax au Telemanus, a fellow Howler, was killed by the Jackal. Enraged, Sevro himself led the hunt for their foe, relentlessly tracking him through snow-covered terrain.
They eventually realized that the Jackal had been spirited away to a cave by one of the Proctors. Angered by the death of their friend, Sevro and his allies stormed the fortress. Led by Darrow, they were able to subdue the corrupt instructors. Afterwards, Sevro reunited with Darrow and the rest of their allies. With the Jackal having escaped once more, Mustang decided to pursue him with a portion of their army. While she was away, Sevro was given the task of editing the footage captured by the Proctors to display the rigging of the competition. While editing the footage, Darrow suddenly curses using Red
slang in front of Sevro, causing to Sevro to quietly develop doubts about Darrow's background. However, Sevro was pulled away from his duties when it was revealed that Mustang was the Jackal's twin sister. Anticipating her return, Sevro joined the Howlers to prepare for another battle. When she returned, Mustang instead brought the Jackal back as a captive, securing victory for their army.
After the Institute
Lone Wolf
Despite their exemplary performance at the Institute, Sevro and the other Howlers did not receive any sponsorships from high ranking Golds due to their status as Bronzes. Instead, they were sent off to monitor projects on far off planets. Sevro went to Triton, regularly communicating with Darrow and Roque, another friend from the Institute. During his time there, Sevro was approached by Dancer, who sought to recruit Sevro to the Sons of Ares. Dancer then revealed Darrow's status as a carved Red, confirming Sevro's suspicions.
Sevro agreed to join the Sons, feeling the same dissatisfaction with Gold rule like the lowColors. Acting both as Darrow's bodyguard and an agent undertaking high risk missions, he remained inactive until Mustang contacted him and the Howlers. With the Summit of the great families on Luna nearing, she decided to use the opportunity to undermine Sovereign Octavia au Lune with the help of Sevro and the Howlers. Sevro left Triton, arriving on Luna two months before the Summit.
Golden Son
Reuniting the Pack
The night of the Summit, Darrow and other members of House Augustus were held captive by the Sovereign after Darrow challenged and humiliated/mutilated Cassius in a duel. Mustang finally contacted the Howlers as part of her plan to escape Luna with the rest of her House. Sevro and the Howlers then infiltrated the Sovereign's Citadel and kidnapped her grandson, Lysander, to use as barter for safe passage from Luna. Afterwards, they freed Darrow from his room and fought their way to the rest of House Augustus.
Leading The sons
Morning Star
Sevro assumes the identity of Ares after his father Fitchner has been killed at the end of Golden Son. Using haemanthus he fakes his death at the hands of Cassius who has secretly flipped allegiances to overthrow the Sovereign. Upon being resurrected, Sevro helps turn the tables to help kill Aja au Grimmus, rescuing Cassius, Darrow, and Mustang from near-certain death.
The Solar War
Iron Gold
Sevro joins Darrow in his flight from the republic to assassinate the Ash Lord. Upon realizing the hollowness of the victory, he leaves Darrow to return to Luna and his family.
Dark Age
Relationships
Family
Fitchner au Barca
Victra au Barca
In Morning Star, Sevro and Victra begin a relationship, which ends soon after Sevro confesses his feelings for her. It's only after Sevro nearly dies saving Cassius's life does Victra realize her love for him. Victra then proposes to Sevro, and they get married on the ship.
Electra au Barca
He has three living children, all girls. The eldest is Electra au Barca and the middle child is Calypso. In Iron Gold, the youngest is referred to as Diana, however in Dark Age her name is Selene.
Friends and Howlers
Darrow O'Lykos
Virginia au Augustus
Ragnar Volarus
Clown & Pebble
Quinn
Cyrianna au Tanus (Thistle)
Others
Cassius au Bellona
Gallery
- See more here
Trivia
- Barca is a reference to Hannibal Barca, the Carthaginian conqueror of much of Rome. Hannibal was seen as a cunning strategist and incredibly cagey.
- In a signing for Sons of Ares, Volume 2: Wrath, he stated he was aware of the faux pas in Sevro's daughter's name from Diana in Iron Gold to Selene in Dark Age, which was his mistake.[2]
Quotes
- 'Shit escalates.'
- 'If your heart beats like a drum and your leg's a little wet, it's 'cause the Reaper's come to collect a little debt.' - Golden Son, Ch. 35: Teatime
- 'I like to think I'm an endangered species.' - Golden Son, Ch. 46: Brotherhood
- "Through the thorns to the stars. You fancy little fart. Omnis vir lupus." - Golden Son, Ch 18: Bloodstains
- He literally fucked a terrorist, I can say what I want." - Dark Age, Ch. 29: The Dust of Reverie
References
- ↑ Reddit, I'm Pierce Brown, author of the NYT bestselling Red Rising Trilogy. AMA!, February 2, 2016.
- ↑ This was a Red Rising blog after all, Sons of Ares Vol. 2: Wrath signing, February 22, 2020.