“Fear takes many forms…”
Ringed by an immense wall, the gothic city of Obellium has been ostracised by its neighbours. Here, those with money prosper, living in security and comfort. Those without are relegated to the smog drenched working districts, dying by the score via poverty and illness. For the homeless children like Frederick, life is a free-for-all. Living in an alleyway with other youngsters, all are fearful of the Gaslight Terror, a serial killer of urban legend who stalks the city without prejudice. To earn enough to eat, Frederick resorts to shining shoes outside a nearby train station. In an insurmountable act of kindness, the young boy is gifted a toy teddy bear by one of his customers.
Returning to what he calls home that night, the toy transforms into an indescribable horror and it’s only the intervention of the Gaslight Terror himself that ensures that Frederick remains in the land of the living. With blunderbuss in hand, the stranger, Samuel, reveals that the creature is a Mimic – a beast that can adopt the form of any object and he has been hunting them. Considerably shaken, Frederick can do nothing else but obsess over the revelation he’s witnessed. With his friend murdered by one of these creatures, Frederick follows Samuel to his hideout, an apothecary shop ran by his wife, the boy insisting on further answers. With the alarming disclosure that the creature was gifted, Samuel strikes a deal with the youngster, taking him on as his apprentice to rid the city of Mimics for good.
With a rash of high profile murders rocking the cities aristocrats, the pair must unravel their connection to the Mimics and uncover a conspiracy that is slowly bringing the city closer to destruction. But those responsible have noticed and such grand designs are not so easily swayed from their path…
Those facing this grizzly fate
Characters
Samuel
The "Gaslight Terror"
When a body is discovered in the streets of Obellium, the first name on the lips of the people and the pages of the papers is the “Gaslight Terror”, a proposed serial killer who dances between local myth and supernatural horror. In reality, their fascination, Samuel, stalks the night hunting Mimics, murderous creatures feeding on the population. Calculating and fiery, Samuel is not a people person. He prefers his own company, and will normally only socialise for his own ends. Beneath it all lies a scarred, tired and foremost dangerous man, who is willing to face the abyss to accomplish his goals. Even with Frederick beneath his wing, Samuel’s obsession with hunting down Mimics is becoming borderline suicide for reasons that remain his own…
Frederick
The street urchin
When a run in with Landes leaves him fighting for his life, a chance encounter with the fabled “Gaslight Terror” leaves Frederick’s worldview rocked. After hunting down his saviour, Frederick is taken on as Samuel’s apprentice to hunt Mimics down, abandoning the other destitute in Slate Lane. While gutsy, Frederick is a traumatised young man who strives to do right at every turn, regardless of circumstances and need. Despite living in the gutter, he clings to his moral outlook with pride, unwilling to compromise his principles. After discovering his friend was murdered by a Mimic, Frederick soon becomes concerned at this integrity eroding.
Elouise
The apothecary
A consummate professional, Elouise is the owner of the Lady Apothecary, a well-known pharmacy in Obellium’s Windberg district. Despite Samuel’s reckless behaviour, Elouise begrudgingly helps her husband, knowing full well that without the poisons and aids she concocts as rudimentary weapons, his death would be all the more likely. This, however, comes at a price. Their relationship is strained from personal tragedy, and their conversations routinely devolve into snide attacks or awkward silences. Elouise strongly believes that she’ll be informed of her husband’s death in the morning newspapers, and fears there’s no swaying him from his mission.
Landes
The enemy
Landes is the right-hand man of industrialist Henry Bollinger, which grants him almost total access to all corners of the city. It is he who Frederick has a fateful run-in with, sending his life on an unpredictable trajectory. Cold and straight talking, Landes operates with unquestioned authority and whenever a Mimic attack takes place, he’s normally seen having heated conversations with local business owners. Landes is unpredictable in both his appearances and his dealings. His grand plans remain a mystery, with plenty of actions putting him at odds against his employer. The only certainty is that his handling of Mimics makes him a dangerous foe indeed.
Ribbon
The flower seller
Bubbly and attentive, this flower girl is a regular face in Slate Lane. So called for the namesake red ribbons in her hair, Ribbon sees herself as a surrogate guardian for the younger orphaned children. Her bright outlook and demeanour has infatuated many a young boy, but almost all stumble at conversing. That’s because Ribbon communicates only in “hand talk”, a form of rudimentary sign language. Some know the basics, but engaging in any decent conversation is a difficult task. Her interest in Frederick starts after he begins to act out of character, and the more she digs, the closer the pair become – and the more danger she unwittingly puts herself in.
Bollinger
The industrialist
Hailing from a long line of industrialists, the Bollinger family are credited with Obellium’s incredible promotion from a small mining colony to a thriving industrial powerhouse. When other nations sought to take the bounties from the sprawling mine beneath, it was this name that became synonymous with the repelling armaments from their many factories and the huge protective walls that keep its occupants safe. Henry Bollinger the seventh continues the philanthropy of his lineage, most recently bankrolling the city-wide celebratory festival to mark Obellium’s independence from the Cruden Empire which has long threatened to consume them.