Juno Steel | The Second Citadel
Tropes describing characters from the Second Citadel storyline of The Penumbra Podcast. Note that only spoilers from Season 3 onward will be hidden — all spoilers from Seasons 1 and 2 are unmarked. Proceed with caution.
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The Second Citadel
Marc and Talfryn
Sir Marc
Voiced by: Stefano Perti
One half of the would-be knight duo. Completely determined to be formally knighted despite the obstacles placed before him.
- Big Brother Instinct: Rushes off to scream that he thinks might be Tal. It's not.
- Determinator: He took the knight exam hundreds of times. The actual knights are the only things holding him back.
- Disabled Snarker: His legs are paralyzed and cause him pain. Barely a minute goes by when he hasn't made a quip about the situation at hand.
- Foolish Sibling: He's the brother who wanted to be a knight in the first place. Plays fast and loose with the pills he needs to function.
- Like Brother and Sister: Says this about himself and Rilla, she doesn't disagree.
Sir Talfryn
Voiced by: Jason Millen
The second half of the would-be knight duo. Less keen on perilous adventures, but accompanies his brother anyway.
- Asexuality
- Big Eater: Insists he isn't, but Marc claims otherwise.
- Cowardly Lion: Would rather run and/or hide from trouble, but when push comes to shove he is both clever and very brave, looking for third options, and one couldn't have a more staunch ally.
- Responsible Sibling: He's the brother who takes odd jobs to keep them in the black. Dotes on Marc, whether Marc likes it or not. But will occasionally pull a stunt.
- Only Sane Man: He may be anxious, but among him, Angelo, Damien, and his brother, he's the only one paying enough attention to his surroundings to make coherent conclusions.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: He's a far better tracker than Marc, and occasionally works as one to put food on the proverbial table. Found a shortcut around the Lake of Tranquillity that even the Queen wasn't aware of.
Sir Caroline
Sir Caroline
Voiced by: Leslie Drescher
The first-ever female knight in the queen's service. Serious like a heart attack and somewhat ruthless.
- Determinator: Is able to attack a creature of pure fear, despite the fact said creature was able to hold off three other leads just with it's psychic powers.
- Good Is Not Nice: Is a very capable knight, but can be rather rude to her fellow knights. (Then again, the other knights are also often rude to her.)
- Ice Queen: So very standoffish.
Word of God says she's just kind of like that. - Only Sane Man: In 'Lady of the Lake', she's in charge on the mission with Damien and Angelo as Investigator General. She takes initiative and researches the situation while the others are less helpful; Sir Damien is too distraught over Rilla's kidnap to be much use, and Sir Angelo spends most of his time comforting his friend.
- She Is the King: Although she serves the Queen, she's referred to as "Sir" Caroline.
- The Smurfette Principle: Sir Caroline is the only woman in a citadel of male knights. Lampshaded when Angelo implies this is her special skill.
Sir Angelo
Sir Angelo
Voiced by: M. Sutherland
One of the queen's most famous and powerful knights. Extremely physically strong but not quite as sharp as his best friend and rival Sir Damien.
- Friendly Rivalry: Happy to be "best rivals" with Damien.
- The Heart: Of the characters, Sir Angelo is the most likely to stand his ground on the correct course of action.
- Innocently Insensitive: Really doesn't pick up on Sir Caroline's offence when he tells her to smile more.
- Large Ham: Subtly is not his strong suit.
- Literal-Minded: Has a tendency to take Damien's more flowery metaphors very literally.
- Super-Strength: Stronger than any other knight so far.
Sir Damien
Sir Damien
Voiced by: Matthew Zahnzinger
Also one of the queen's most famous and powerful knights. Likes poetry and the sound of his own voice. Somewhat obsessed with his rivalry/friendship with Angelo.
- Bad Liar: Particularly when panicking or anxious.
- CatchphraseDamien: I must speak my heart.
- Crisis of Faith: During 'The Battle at World's End'.
- Determinator: Sir Damien has fought monsters while sick, comatose, and with a leg fractured in five pieces.
- Friendly Rivalry: With Sir Angelo.
- Guilt Complex: According to Rilla, he can barely handle the guilt he makes up, much less actual blame. He's very insecure.
- Motor Mouth: So very talkative. He becomes babbling when he's upset.
- Named After Somebody Famous: He's named after Saint Damien the Tranquil, a founder of the Second Citadel. Regularly prays to him for guidance.
- Nervous Wreck: He often has to be calmed down from anxiety attacks, and frequently prays for tranquillity.
- Retired Badass: He sends a letter of resignation to Queen Mira in part two of "The Lovers of the Fallen Tower" so he can focus on improving his relationship with Rilla and Arum.
- Warrior Poet
Lord Arum
Lord Arum
Voiced by: Noah Simes
Lord of the Swamp of Titan's Bloom. A humanoid lizard who doubles as a trap making architect.
- Born of Magic: Was created by the Keep.
- Calling Parents by Their Name: Even though the Keep technically created him and is his parent, he just calls it "Keep."
- Hates Everyone Equally: Hates humans, but seems to hate his fellow monsters almost as much.
- Lima Syndrome: After developing a crush on Sir Damien, Arum slowly begins to feel things for Rilla while she's stuck at his keep.
- Lizard Folk: As Noah Simes says in the episode commentary, he is literally a lizard.
- Monster Lord: He's not called "Lord" Arum for nothing.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: In his first fight, he has four knives in his four hands.
- Single Specimen Species: The only lizardman of his kind. Justified as he was created by the Keep.
- The Symbiote: With the Keep. He protects it, takes care of it, and is nourished by it, but if he is cut off from his connection with it, he starts to die.
Rilla
Amaryllis, aka Rilla
Voiced by: Melissa Ennulat
The local herbalist/doctor of the Second Citadel. A woman of science and technology in an age of so-called "magic potions." Makes medicine for Marc and is engaged to Damien.
- Blunt "Yes": Marc suggests using instant fire starter. She heartily agrees.
- Doctor's Orders: Reminds Marc that she's his healthcare provider, and therefore the final authority on his medication.
- Love Confession: While on trial in monster court, she confesses the truth that she loves Lord Arum.
- Nature Hero/Science Hero: She scours the deadly jungle on her own to find specimens to research.
- Science Destroys Magic: She's determined to end snake oil "magic potions" with her evidence-based research. She's got far to go, though.
- Stockholm Syndrome: She, like her fiance, develops feelings for Lord Arum while he holds her captive.
The Keep
The Keep
Lord Arum's sentient home in the Swamp of Titan's Bloom.
- Adorable Abomination: It might be an Eldritch Abomination, but it dotes on Lord Arum, is very cheerful, works hard to make its inhabitants happy, and lulls Arum to sleep when he overworks himself.
- Botanical Abomination / Living Structure Monster: It is a sentient plant/building.
- Cool House: It's a sentient plant/building! It can reform itself to whatever shape required of it, expand and "build" new rooms, and its front door is a portal to anywhere in the Swamp of Titan's Bloom.
- Doting Parent: To Arum. The Keep created Arum to take care of it and it dotes on him like a loving parent, telling him not to work to hard, singing him lullabies, and generally just being a mom to him. It also would do anything for him, up to hurting itself to protect him.
Quanyii
Quanyii
Voiced by: Melissa Dejesus
A mysterious witch the group meets in the jungle. She has a flighty personality, but always seems to be secretive.
- Ambiguously Evil: It mostly comes down to the setting. She's a witch, the rest of the characters are knights, there's a conflict there even if she seems mostly willing to help out. It turns out she's actually entirely there to protect her girlfriend, Sir Caroline.
- Cloudcuckoolander: It's hard to tell whether it's this or Obfuscating Stupidity, but it's clear she has a screw loose.
- Lipstick Lesbian
Olala
Olala
Voiced by: Marge Dunn
A shapeshifter child cared for by the nuns in the Garden of Graves in the Western Wastes, until the convent was attacked and she was forced to flee.
- Adorably Precocious Child
- Half-Human Hybrid: She professes herself to be half human and half monster.
- Happily Adopted: The sisters of the Garden of Graves clearly loved her very much, especially Sister Tiilei.
- Organ Autonomy: Occasionally grows a tail that she talks to, and that sort of talks back.
- Tarot Troubles: With the Thoughtstream.
