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Main Characters
Alice Watson → Main Article Alice Watson
John Adams → Main Article John Adams
William Albury → Main Article William Albury
Zephyr Addams → Main Article Zephyr Addams
Levi Rupe → Main Article Levi Rupe
Savannah Cable → Main Article Savannah Cable
Supporting Characters
Stanley Houseman (Stan)
The Origin of Eternity I
Stan’s involvement in the events is recounted through the memories of Alice Watson, as he has been missing for 20 years. Alice recalls their first meeting and the fateful encounter with John Adams, which, influenced by Stan, leads Alice to abandon her plans for revenge and take a more peaceful path.
His love for Alice shapes his further life. He settles down with her, managing to lead a stable life largely unaffected by the curse of his partner. However, he carries secrets that Alice slowly uncovers, questioning the foundation of their relationship. At the end of Volume 1, Alice must face the fact that Stan apparently led a double life.
The Origin of Eternity II – Metamorphosis
Again, all participations are based on Alice Watson’s memories. This soon leads her to an unknown descendant that Stan had always kept secret from her. As this descendant would be next in line to fulfill the star potential once acquired by Stan, a race against time ensues, as John Adams also seeks to track down this descendant and eliminate him as a potential threat. Only at the end does the truth about his secret unfold: During a short break in his relationship with Alice, he met Helena Gilbert, who later changes her name to Helen Albury. Thus, William Albury is his son and heir to the star potential.
The Origin of Eternity III – Stigma
Initially appearing only in memories, Stan later reappears after Alice discovers he is still alive and is housed in the sanatorium of Zephyr Addams. Their reunion ends the secrecy, which Stan justifies by not wanting to lead John Adams or Zephyr Addams to William. He also wishes to prevent William from getting caught in the crossfire and to allow him to lead a normal life instead. In Alice’s presence, he realizes that her love has long been directed towards William and encourages her to pursue these feelings, as he believes it is the cure for her own suffering. It also turns out that Stan had given his oath to Zephyr Addams at that time, when Stan was critically injured in a battle with John Adams in Africa. However, Addams was unable to complete the awakening, which led to Stan later transferring his destiny to his son William. He supports her decision to join the mission against John Adams but soon dies in her arms, something he had always wished for.
Max Bennett (Maxwell Bennett)
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
He is a supporter of Alice Watson and a former member of Serendipity. When William visits Max, he has distanced himself from his family and Serendipity for years. After an attempt by the splinter group Force S to recruit Max, he left Seaport and stayed out of the affairs of the stars and the secret group. He runs a campground in Vermont. Initially skeptical of Alice, he helps uncover the background of the assassination attempt on Alice and his father Bill Albury. When he meets his hated stepmother Helen Albury and learns from her that Alice once voluntarily entered into a pact with John Adams, he seemingly turns against her and joins Force S under Helen Albury’s leadership.
In Volume 2, however, it becomes clear that he does this only to better gather information about the attacks, believing that the conspiracy was orchestrated by Force S itself. He also discovers that Helen is in contact with another group of stars to negotiate a deal with them. After the fall of Force S, Max officially takes on assignments for Serendipity, now led by his half-brother William. Helplessly, he witnesses William being shot by Helen at the end of Volume 2, and his rescue attempt is unsuccessful. In the presence of the arriving 3 Bright Stars, Max witnesses William being awakened as a star.
In the third volume, he tries with Alice to track down William, who disappeared after the events at the end of the second volume. When he finds him in Zephyr Addams‘ sanatorium, he has a conversation with Will, whom he still considers his brother, even though they are not biologically related. He confides in him that he is in a partnership with Jake Nielsen – an aspect of his life he had always kept secret from his family. Max is also the one to bring Stanley Houseman and Alice to the meeting point of the Bright Stars and John Adams in time. He is there when Stan dies in Alice’s arms and promises to watch over the dead while she tries to save Will from Adams. At the end of the volume, he talks to Will on the phone and announces that Bill will live with him in Vermont from now on.
Tabula rasa 1
Alice visits Max at his campground, and they reminisce about Will and his tragic death. Max and Alice took care of his brother in the months before Will’s death and were also there at his last breath.
Helen Albury / Helena Gilbert
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
She is the mother of William Albury and the wife of Bill Albury. She is the second antagonist to Alice Watson. She sees it as her mission to eradicate the existence of the stars and works towards this goal with the sub-organization „Force S“ that she founded. Only later is her true motive revealed, explaining why she hunts the stars and even contemplates killing her husband: She seeks the immortality of the stars herself and tries to acquire it through a special ritual. For years she managed to hide that she has a son with Stanley Houseman: William—whom she is willing to sacrifice to achieve immortality. The plan fails, and she is later captured by her former allies. After a final confrontation with William, he makes it clear that after everything that has happened, he will never share the same room with her again.
Helen is described by most as ruthless and power-hungry, sharing similar traits with John Adams, whom she claims to hunt. As a young member of Serendipity, she was once tasked with keeping an eye on Alice Watson. During her observations, Watson’s partner, Stanley Houseman, increasingly becomes her focus, for whom she develops strong feelings. Although warned by her then-mentor Bill Albury not to contact Houseman, she breaks her oath and initiates an acquaintance without revealing she has been secretly watching Stan. The right moment seems to have come when Houseman and Watson separate after an argument, and he remains alone in Owls Head. Houseman indeed enters into a liaison with Helen, who then hopes for a steady relationship. She is even willing to leave Serendipity for this. However, the dream shatters when Watson and Houseman reconcile, and he ends the relationship with Helen. Helen cannot bear the rejection and shortly thereafter discovers she is pregnant, with Houseman being the father. It is Bill who convinces her to keep the child and accept it as his own. They marry, and Helen drops her name Helena Gilbert. She never gets along well with her stepson Max from the start, and the relationship deteriorates further when the boy lives with his father and Helen after the death of his mother (Bill’s first wife). She also fails to connect with William, her and Houseman’s son, focusing more on her career and role at Serendipity. During this time, she develops the plan to use William’s destiny as a potential star to attain immortality herself. She subjects everything else to this goal, becoming even more ruthless in the process.
Following the events of the trilogy, Helen lives in a psychiatric facility for criminals, as she is convicted of attempting to kill her husband.
Bill Albury (William Albury Sr.)
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
William Albury Sr. is the father of Max Bennett, the adoptive father of William Albury Jr., the husband of Helen Albury, and the ex-husband of Meryl Bennett. He is a member of the organization „Serendipity“ and is considered the discoverer of John Adams‘ 8th and thus last star: Alice Watson. Additionally, he is a university professor of history and the rector of Balham University in Seaport. He researches the origins and goals of the Dark Stars and later traces the Bright Stars, led by Zephyr Addams. He knows the true identity of William Albury, whom he nonetheless raises and regards as his own son. He strives to keep this secret to protect William from danger, particularly from John Adams, who hunts the remaining star candidates. Through his research, he discovers the possibility of a single exchange between a star and a non-star. The knowledge of the Ritual of Exchange benefits his unwelcome wife, who not only harbors a strong hatred for Alice Watson but also envies her immortality. When he tries to dissuade her from her plan (which includes William’s status as a star candidate), he opposes her but ultimately falls victim to her. After an assassination attempt on his life and a long coma, he wakes up thanks to the healing powers of his adoptive son and is shocked to find that, contrary to his wish to keep William out of everything, he now stands at the center of the conflict.
Tabula Rasa 1
Now retired, Bill lives with his son Max and Max’s partner Jake in Vermont. When Will becomes seriously ill, he takes over his care and also looks after Alice, who is overwhelmed with grief. Later, he helps his daughter-in-law find a lead on the missing Zephyr Addams and translates his old diary entries at Alice’s request, which Alice receives from Luise out of Zephyr’s safe.
Jim Donovan
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
Jim Donovan has been a long-standing and loyal member of Serendipity and once the best friend of Bill Albury. However, after a falling out, there has been a silence between the two for years, partly due to Jim’s antipathy towards his friend’s wife (Helen Albury). Jim has a daughter (Lea Brannigan), but he kept it a secret from her for a long time that he is her biological father. Thus, Lea knows Jim mostly as a good friend of her mother. The relationship between them is difficult but gradually improves over the course of the series until they eventually co-lead Serendipity. Jim is involved in his old friend’s research, which gives him rudimentary knowledge about the origins of the stars. This knowledge is expanded by tracking down Groover Sparrow—John Adams‘ 7th star, who became mortal again through an unspecified ritual and transferred his place to an unknown supporter of his former mentor. He helps this person to go into hiding in a monastery, where he withdraws due to his disfigurements.
After the first Trilogy
He continues to live in Seaport and drives forward the investigation and chronology of events with his daughter Lea at Serendipity.
Lea Brannigan
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
Lea Brannigan is the daughter of Jim Donovan and, like her father, a member of Serendipity. After a difficult youth, culminating in the revelation that Jim is not just a family friend but her biological father, she increasingly distances herself from him. This plays into the hands of Helen Albury, who has an open enmity with Jim and finds it advantageous to take his daughter under her wing. Lea works as an assistant for Helen Albury, both professionally and personally, and joins the militant sub-organization Force S, co-founded by her boss. Lea is initially supportive of Helen Albury’s plan to securely isolate the Dark Stars from society due to her fear of them. However, her acquaintance with Alice Watson profoundly changes her outlook, especially after Alice saves her life twice. Lea still harbors feelings for her ex-boyfriend, William Albury, but realizes that he is drawn to Alice Watson. Not wanting to stand in the way of this, she later co-leads Serendipity with her father Jim, after multiple incidents leave the leadership vacant.
After the Trilogy
She continues to live and work in Seaport. She co-leads Serendipity with her father Jim.
Luise Cable
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
Background
Luise comes from a wealthy background and has had a passion for music since early childhood. She studies medicine and meets the musician Roy during her studies. She saves him from jumping off a bridge (awakening moment). They fall in love and marry. It is Roy who nurtures Luise’s love for music, sparking in her the desire to abandon medicine and pursue a career as a musician. However, this does not happen, as Roy dies after another suicide attempt. At his funeral, she meets Zephyr Addams and Don Merino. Zephyr awakens Luise as the third Bright Star shortly thereafter.
Luise appears nameless in this volume, in a photograph given to Alice Watson by Lea Brannigan. Together with Cy and Don, she attends the meeting with Helen Albury at Seaport airport. She witnesses the attack on Will by his mother. After Cy awakens Will as the 8th star, she, along with her allies, takes care of him. During a shared excursion, Luise tries to get closer to Will, but he indignantly rejects her advances. Her attempt to distract him from Alice thus fails. Later, she apologizes for her behavior, and they eventually become friends.
Tabula Rasa
Ten years after the victory over John Adams, Luise co-runs the sanatorium with Cy. Although not in a romantic relationship, Luise and Cy decide to become parents together, as they share common values and beliefs. This unusual arrangement initially surprises their friends, but with the birth of Savannah, conceived through IVF, their co-parenting decision becomes normalized.
Cy’s disappearance does not initially worry Luise, as she is used to him periodically isolating himself from the outside world whenever he faces difficult decisions or needs to process significant events. However, when weeks pass with no sign of him, she begins to worry and entrusts Alice with a collection of Cy’s diaries to provide a foundation for her search for him.
Don Merino
The Origin of Eternity 1-3
He is the first Bright Star awakened by Cy. Don acquired his star potential when he risked his own life during an earthquake disaster to save the earthquake-affected community he belongs to. Together with Luise, he forms the core team, and for many years, the three of them follow the paths of the Bright Stars. As the group later expands, he remains Cy’s most important advisor and occasionally stands in for him, especially when Cy takes one of his notorious breaks. After the failed attempt to capture John Adams during the Suriname incident and the heavy losses of four of their companions, he and Luise remain as the last surviving stars by Cy’s side. They then establish the sanatorium „Soul Ark,“ which they run as equals. During this time, he also befriends Stanley Houseman, who was taken in by them, heavily injured, after the incident in Owls Head and has been living undiscovered in the sanatorium ever since. Don has the most relaxed demeanor of the three Bright Stars and can thus interact with his surroundings on a different level, especially when William is admitted to the sanatorium. Nevertheless, he is loyally devoted to Cy and supports the leader to the best of his ability.
Tabula rasa
After the victory over John Adams, Don decides to transfer his shares in the sanatorium to Luise and Cy and starts a new life in Spain, where he opens a beach bar.
Spencer Gibson
The Origin of Eternity 2
A good friend of Alice and her art agent. He has insights into Alice’s unconventionally long life without knowing the further details. He is also acquainted with Stanley Houseman. Alice and Will seek refuge with him while fleeing from Force S.
Leonie Dahlen
Second Born
Leonie is a talented and educated teacher who works as a governess for a well-known banker. Her dream is to open her own school one day. She meets Paul when he moves into the house across the street, and later he hires her for a few lessons since he lacks much education himself. Through this, a friendship develops between them, which increasingly turns into mutual attraction. However, when her employer forbids her from further contact with Paul, as he considers the bachelor, who is notorious as a womanizer, an unsuitable companion for his employee, Leonie has to comply and breaks off contact with Paul. Nonetheless, she comes into the sights of the enigmatic Rosa Winter, who wants to use Leonie as leverage against Paul. Rosa kidnaps the young teacher and forces her to attend a meeting where Paul is given a choice: to join a group called the Dark Stars led by Levi Rupe or to sacrifice Leonie’s life. Before Leonie is put in danger, she and Paul are saved by John Adams, who reveals himself as a runaway member of the Dark Stars. Through the previous conversation, Leonie now also learns the true origins of Paul and his brother John. Despite struggling with the knowledge that the two are actually Abel and Cain, she offers Paul refuge with her brother Gregor and his acting troupe. Away from the approaching conflict—and their usual conventions—Leonie and Paul fall in love. When John asks Paul to help him in the fight against Rupe, it is Leonie who warns Paul not to trust John. Later, when Paul returns and faces the decision of taking a great risk to defeat Rupe, she senses his desire for peace with his brother and supports him in this. Back in the city, she stands by him when they learn that Hugo Wedekind has fallen victim to a murder plot. After bailing Paul out of jail, she is drawn into the events between the brothers when John ultimately turns against his brother. She faints during the fight and thus does not learn that Paul and John make a pact: John will let Leonie live if Paul promises never to see her again. When Leonie awakens, Paul has disappeared and is officially considered dead. Shortly afterward, she is surprised to find out that Paul has bequeathed all his wealth and properties to her. This allows her to fulfill her dream of opening her own school. Although she suspects that Paul is still alive, they never see each other again, thus Paul keeps his promise.
Fiona Seligmann
Second Born
Fiona is approached by Paul and John, and is identified by John as a member of the Ferrymen. From her, the two learn that every person has a soul, which can be made visible by the Ferrymen in the form of a coin. The notches on the coin reveal how much guilt the individual has accumulated. The coin also allows a person to sell part of their soul to the Ferrymen. Paul and John see this as an opportunity to have the Ferrymen forge a weapon to fight Rupe. Although both are willing to sell part of their souls for this, Fiona cannot use John’s coin because it is cursed, which she associates with the Mark of Cain. Therefore, only Paul can sell a significant part of his soul. However, Fiona wants to confer with the Ferryman first, as she needs the approval of the head leader. Later, she appears with Julian Harper, the leading Ferryman, and negotiates a deal where the Ferrymen will forge the weapon they need, and Paul will work off the debt in the afterlife.
Julian Harper
Second Born
Harper is the leader of the Ferrymen, having ascended after his predecessor was overthrown for allowing Levi Rupe to return to the realm of the living. After the fall of the old Ferryman, Harper is the one who endures the challenging trials necessary to crown a new head. Harper appears emotionless yet diligent. His subordinates treat him with respect that borders on fear. He becomes involved when the resurrected Cain and Abel seek out his subordinate Fiona Seligmann to inquire about a weapon that would enable them to defeat Rupe. He eventually grants his approval but warns Paul (Abel) that the weapon can only be used against Rupe. Should he ever seek a way to defeat Cain, he must find a person who can activate the weapon for that purpose. Harper refers to this person as a „guiding star,“ to which only a few can metamorphose.
Tabula rasa 1-2
In the present, it is Harper whose position as the leading Ferryman is shaky, as he is now seen as too weak and inconsistent. His downfall eventually leads to „Tabula rasa“ – a state where the interworld exists without leadership and rules, which can lead to the obliteration of both the living world and the afterlife.