Characters of the science fiction webcomic Terra. Much of the information comes from the Codex cast page
. Beware of unmarked spoilers.
The Resistance
Grey O'Shea
Born: 2280, Dublin, Ireland, Earth
Grey O'Shea is an infiltration specialist, and captain of the Evening Star. He was born on Earth (Dublin, Ireland) but spent his late teen years on a mining colony stationed on Mercury. As soon as he hit his 18th birthday he enlisted in the UEC Mobile Infantry, and in only a year he possessed the skills necessary to specialize as a sniper. After several years, a tragic turn of events cost the lives of Grey's entire unit, with him being the sole survivor. Now with the Resistance, he trains under Agrippa Varus on the tactics and combat skills of a Resistance Agent.
- Ace Custom/Sniper Rifle: From the codex, his favored weapon is a custom-built C8-1 “Silent-Striker” Sniper Rifle featuring an extendable barrel and bipod and with a maximum range of 3 km.
- The Apprentice: To Agrippa, who is training him as a Resistance Agent.
- Friendly Sniper: He's a bit of a wisecracking joker and thoroughly lethal with most firearms.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Has done this at least twice so far, starting with the Right Behind Me incident with Alex elaborated on the main page.
- Permastubble
- Sole Survivor: The rest of his unit was killed in an Azatoth ambush.
Agrippa Varus
Born: 2258, Asurian Capital, Asura
The son of Consul Argo Varus, who served as the Empire's ambassador to other worlds, Agrippa was raised to treat other species with more compassion than the rest of his species. An exceptionally skilled combatant and leader, he joined the Asurian military at an early age and eventually reached the rank of Paladin. Unfortunately his father was later outed as a founding member of the Resistance and he and his family were ordered executed for treason. Agrippa escaped with a high-ranking Resistance operative, Eve Arlia. Agrippa joined the Resistance and has since become their top Agent and Eve's personal assassin and bodyguard. And lover.
- Interspecies Romance/Mayfly–December Romance: With Eve, a Varelien. In addition to being a cross-species relationship, Vareliens live around twice as long as Azatoth.
- McNinja: Definitely modeled off the pop-culture ninja visually. See here especially, after which a commenter called him an "alien space ninja".
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: He was raised in frequent contact with other species and as such does not treat them with anywhere near the Fantastic Racism exhibited by many other Azatoth.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: You do not want to get on his bad side, as he has no problem slitting a man's throat in cold blood.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: With the emphasis on the Proud. Agrippa has a strong sense of honor and was not afraid to chew out Solus Kalar for gunning down civilians in a flashback.
- Token Nonhuman: The only nonhuman among the main cast. This is no longer the case after Rei joins.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Because you'd be executed for treason.
Alexis Hawke
Born: 2282, Titan Colony
Formerly a slave serving under the Shadow Cabal, Alexis Hawke was forced to rebuild her life at a young age. At 19, she managed to secure her place in the UEC officer entry program, and qualified to become a deep space fighter pilot. She then spent the next several years stationed on the UEC space station Terra, patrolling nearby Earth based colonies for alien threats as part of the Jolly Roger Squadron. After being stranded on a distant alien world alongside Flight Engineer Rick MacFarlane, Alexis faces a new challenge as she confronts a life she had been fleeing from for years.
- Ace Pilot: Something of an Informed Ability at this point, given that the only time she's been seen flying so far she was shot down.
- Action Girl: From her military training she's an accurate marksman and competent fighter, though between Grey and Agrippa she's somewhat Overshadowed by Awesome.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: The scar over her left eye came from being elbowed in the face by the Shadow Cabal slavers who captured her.
- Made a Slave: Captured by the Shadow Cabal during their massacre of Titan Colony and given to Solus Kalar as a slave. As far as the Asurian Empire is concerned she still is one. She and the Resistance disagree. Violently.
- Sole Survivor: Of a Shadow Cabal slave raid on Titan Colony. She still has nightmares about it.
Rick MacFarlane
Born: 2278, New York, United States, Earth
Rick MacFarlane was raised on Earth in a military family. At 16, he learned that his father, a sergeant in the United Earth Coalition, had been killed in action. The pension that they received was pitiful, and Rick was forced to take a job as a vehicle technician at a local garage to help keep his family afloat. It was during that time that he met his future wife, Rachel. After a few years Rachel discovered she was pregnant; desperate to give his family a better life, he enlisted as an officer in the UEC. At age 23, Rick was offered a position as a Flight Engineer.
- Guy in Back: To Alexis during the dogfight scene.
- Military Brat: Raised in a military family.
- Mr. Fixit: So far he's gotten Agrippa and Grey's ship off the ground twice, scrounging a source of drive coolant the first time, overriding a lockdown the second.
- Non-Action Guy: A fact lampshaded by Grey when he finds him after the Resistance shoots his and Alex's fighter down and Rick pulls a gun on him. It's clear to Grey that Rick's never had to use his weapon in combat before.
- Punch-Clock Villain: He joined the UEC military to feed his family and was only ever a villain while acting as Alexis' Guy in Back during the UEC air raid on the Resistance base.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: He's the dad in question. Chapter eight opens with a flashback of him in the last stages of getting ready to go on deployment, and his daughter has gone so far as to steal his ID to try and keep him from leaving. He was also apparently supposed to help her finish a kit of some kind, which never happened.
Rei Antares
Born: 2283, Asurian Capital
The younger sister of Agrippa's old friend Talos, she had a promising future until Sovereign Northazul ordered the Antares family purged. Talos got Rei to safety and ended up raising her by himself for most of her life. As their story picks up Talos is trying to hand her off to the Resistance to keep her safe as the Shadow Cabal closes in, but both groups are ambushed by Shadow Cabal mercs and Talos is killed.
- Break the Cutie: On top of her family's execution, Catella kills Talos right in front of her. After Agrippa lets Catella go, he tells Grey that Rei will be gunning for her now.Agrippa: Once I saw what had happened, I knew it wasn't my fight anymore.
- Combat Pragmatist: For all her training, Rei is still a teenager with no combat experience going up against full-grown adults, all of whom are either seasoned mercenaries or professional soldiers. Because of this, she relies on sneak attacks in combat and is easily overpowered anytime she gets into a direct confrontation.
- Faux Action Girl: Despite receiving training from Talos and claiming to be able to defeat Gray in combat, Rei is defeated or captured in almost every fight scene she appears in. Unlike most examples, this is justified and ultimately downplayed. Rei is an adolescent armed with only a single knife. In contrast, all of her opponents were adults who had guns, numbers, and experience on their side. It's not that Rei is incompetent, she's just punching above her weight.
Eve Arlia
Born: 2237, Planet Varel
Eve was raised to turn a blind eye to the plight of the worlds threatened by the human/Azatoth war. As she grew older she rejected this upbringing and left Varel to seek out like-minded individuals in the varied resistance movements across the galaxy, including Consul Argos Varus. With them she helped formalize the Resistance, an organization determined to take down the corrupt factions, and lead the galaxy to a unified future. When Sovereign Northazul ordered Varus and his family executed for his treason, Eve rescued his son Agrippa.
- Green-Skinned Space Babe: Blue-skinned, but close enough.
- Interspecies Romance: With Agrippa.
Talos Antares
Born: 2267, Asurian Capital
Died: 2309, Akira IX
An old friend of Agrippa and a scion of a very wealthy and traditional Azatoth family, he joined the military when he came of age. When he returned home for a visit he found to his horror that Sovereign Northazul had ordered his family purged for perceived connections to the Resistance. Talos rescued his sister Rei and the two have been running ever since.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Fights valiantly against Catella to protect Rei, even managing to grab one of her swords, but ultimately takes a knife to the chest. Shoot the Shaggy Dog only avoided by a Big Damn Heroes moment from Grey.
- Parental Substitute: Raised his sister Rei while they were on the run together from the Shadow Cabal.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Because you're wanted for treason.
Antagonists
General Cole Winters
Born: 2251, Colorado, United States
Raised in a military family, Cole Winters knew he was destined to serve humanity at a young age. He enlisted in the United Earth Coalition as an infantry officer, and due to his high intellect and family influence, he rose through the ranks rapidly. He became renowned for his strategic planning, his tactics, while considered by many to be quite brutal, never failed to get the job done. Winters now serves as the Defence Representation for the UEC. Though he claims to have Earth’s interests at heart, his past actions make one question what his real motives are.
- Bad Boss: Executed his subordinate after he criticized his We Have Reserves attitude.
- Big Bad Ensemble: Alongside Solus, he's one of the main antagonists of the webcomic. He's the one leading the UEC's efforts to hunt down the Resistance, having ordered the airstrike against the Resistance's base at the start of the story, and is currently tracking down the main cast by using Rick's family.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: He subjects Grey to this after capturing him.
- General Ripper
- Military Brat: Per his bio.
- We Have Reserves: Orders the Jolly Rogers to destroy a Resistance base with no support, no backup, and no hope of rescue if they're stranded. Since they're that good, they pull it off at the cost of two fighters and four men (two Red Shirts die, Alex and Rick eject and are rescued by Grey).
David Hayes
Born: 2275, Vancouver, Canada
David Hayes was born on Earth but spent his formative years at a labour camp on a distant colony. This camp was owned (though not publicly) by weapons/tech manufacturer, Jacob Eden. David worked tirelessly for several years mining resources until one day an accident nearly claimed his life. Eden, while on a routine visit, was impressed by David’s determination to survive despite all odds stacked against him. He took it upon himself to help the young man, mending his wounds and installing biological implants to replace the body parts he had lost. Eden then used his connections with a nearby mercenary group, the Death Watch, to convince them to take David under their wing. After several years the mercenary group disbanded and David moved on to Bounty Hunting. Eden is his primary client, employing David to kill or capture anyone who gets in his way.
- Bounty Hunter: It's his occupation. Currently, he's been hired by Winters to track down the Resistance.
- Electronic Eye: He has a bio-mechanical right eye.
Sovereign Northazul Kalar
Born: 2149, Asurian Capital
Northazul Kalar comes from a lineage of political leaders. From birth he had been brought up to believe that the Azatoth were superior to all other sentient life. In the military, Northazul was a fierce tactician, winning countless wars against opposing species. In time, he gained the favour of the Azatoth elders and secured his position as Sovereign of Asura. Now, Northazul continues to cloud the judgement of the Azatoth public with his lies and fascist beliefs. He oversees the the Shadow Cabal, benefiting greatly from their extortion and enslavement of so-called “lesser” species.
- Badass Longcoat/Fur and Loathing: Wears a long cape with fur trim and is a Retired Badass Evil Overlord.
- Even Evil Has Standards: As vicious as he is, he rejects his son's suggestion of using biowarfare against the UEC, considering it dishonorable.
- Evil Overlord: Leader of a powerful empire with his own personal army in addition to the official one, dressed all in black, is known to have ordered at least one purge, et cetera.
- Fantastic Racism: Raised to believe the Azatoth a superior race.
- Kick the Dog: Is known to have had at least two entire families executed for one member's treason. Namely, that of Argos Varus.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Evil Overlord with red eyes? Hmmm.
- Retired Badass: Since the Azatoth believe in Asskicking Leads to Leadership, this is a requirement of the Sovereign.
Solus Kalar
Born: 2261, Asurian Capital
Solus is the only son of Asura's Sovereign Northazul, who had tutored him at a young age in combat, politics, and leadership. When he became eligible, he began his service in the Asurian military. In little time at all, Solus rose to the rank of Sentinel, commanding his troops with ruthless intensity, not sparing anyone who opposed the Azatoth. Over time, Solus became frustrated with the limitations of his position, and, using his father’s wealth and resources, decided to form his own private army, the Shadow Cabal.
- Arch-Enemy: Seen as this by Agrippa.
- Bad Boss: After Catella kills Talos but then fails miserably against Agrippa, Solus basically leaves her to fend for herself on Akira IX, implying she's not even worth the effort of a You Have Failed Me.
- Big Bad Ensemble: The authors appear to be setting him up as this alongside General Winters.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: Despite his father’s speciesism, the Shadow Cabal is shown to be comprised of individuals from various species, including humans.
- Kick the Dog: Question: How do you know somebody's a bad guy? Shooting a defenseless civilian scientist in cold blood is a decent answer.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Azatoth eyes come in most colors of the rainbow, it seems. Why, oh why, would they give a cunning, sadistic brute like this red eyes? Don't answer that.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: According to the codex he used his to have the execution order for Kaleb Ceros (see below) overturned so he could use him in the Shadow Cabal.
- You Have Failed Me: Downplayed. Instead of having Catella killed after Agrippa curbstomps her and tells her to tell Solus he's coming after him, he just fires her. The "lost puppy" look on her face at this was something to see.
Catella Myrha
Born: 2272, Azatoth colony on Chimera VII
Catella was the sole survivor of an attack by human raiders on a small Azatoth Colony (Chimera VII). She was only seventeen years of age, left ravaged, beaten and traumatized. After that event, she was forced into life in the outer colonies, picking up work as a mercenary. Over time, she became apathetic and hardened to the world around her, taking work that other mercenaries wouldn’t touch. Solus Kalar took notice of her efforts and offered her a position in the Shadow Cabal. Catella accepted, and has since stayed close to him, ready to carry out his will.
- Archaic Weapon for an Advanced Age: Dual wields scimitars against people armed with assault rifles, and to great effect.
- Dark Action Girl: A vicious fighter. She nearly kills Grey at one point and is only driven off when he knifes her in the side as Agrippa returns. She proves no match at all for Agrippa, though.
- Deflector Shields: Her armor is equipped with one capable of No Selling small arms fire.
- Dual Wielding/Sinister Scimitar: Favors a pair of short, curved swords in combat.
- Fantastic Racism: Unlike most Azatoth villains she has an actual excuse for it, given what happened to her as a teenager.
- Rape as Backstory: Possibly implied by the wording of her bio (see above where it says "left ravaged, beaten and traumatized").
- Sole Survivor: There seems to be a pattern here...
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Wears her hair in a mid-back-length ponytail, and see Dark Action Girl.
Kaleb Ceros
Born: 2261, Asurian Capital
Died: 2309, Akira IX
Kaleb Ceros is an extremely dangerous individual. He takes joy in the suffering of his victims, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who stood in his way. He met Solus during his service with the Asurian military. Kaleb was detained and charged for beating one of his subordinates to death. The order came in for his execution, but Solus, having authority, spared his life. He knew that Kaleb had the apathy he needed in an assassin who would carry out his will. Kaleb currently serves as Solus’s right hand man, responsible for taking out the Shadow Cabal’s most important targets.
- Coup de Grâce/Slashed Throat: After wounding him with a grenade, Agrippa slashes Kaleb's throat with a combat knife.
- Sadist: Stated to enjoy the suffering of his victims. Ends up being an Informed Attribute because he winds up on the wrong end of an angry Agrippa.
