If you want to know more about the main characters of the Tales From Undersea series, here’s some juicy details (don’t worry, they’re spoiler free):

Alethea Hera

Real name: Priscilla Stephenson

Age: 36

Race: Caucasian

Nationality: British

Birthplace: Bath, UK

Sex: Cis female

Orientation: Bisexual

Appearance: Average build, strong, tall, long brown hair, grey eyes.

Virtues:  Brave, strong, capable.

Vices: Paranoid, stubborn

Skills: Leadership, planning, combat

Weapons: Four barrelled pistol, long sword. Occasionally uses a dagger

Likes: Pastries, ballet, Greek mythology

Dislikes: Opera, high society, parrots

Favourite item: Robert’s gun

Background: Alethea was born Priscilla Stephenson to a rich family in Bath, UK. As a girl she was incredibly shy and quiet. At age 16, her parents tried to find suitors for her, and rejected Robert Holburne because he ripped his pastry instead of cutting it. The two got along well and fell in love anyway, but their parents didn’t approve so they ran away together to the Undersea Kingdoms. They were happy but short on money so they joined Redscalp’s Pirate crew. After many adventures, they were betrayed by Louis who left them to be killed by a cipactli. Robert sacrificed himself to save her and died. She was rescued by the Barracuda. Kei convinced the captain to let her stay on the sub. Priscilla was distraught and deeply depressed over Robert’s death until she gave birth to their daughter, Marina. She changed her name to avoid detection from the authorities, who were after Redscalp’s crew. Becoming a strong warrior mother, she worked her way up the ranks until she became the Captain of the Barracuda, which she has been for five years now. Now she is beginning to tire of the dangers of the pirate life and wants to retire and build a safe and stable life for her daughter, but that will require one last mission…

Inspiration: Kyoko Honda (Fruits Basket), Thirrin Lindenshield (Icemark Chronicles), Aunt Josephine (ASOUE)

 

Marina Hera

Age: 17

Sex: Cis female

Orientation: Homosexual

Race: Caucasian

Birthplace: Barracuda

Appearance: Fair skin, cropped black curly hair, green eyes, skinny.

Virtues: Brave, intelligent

Vices: Impulsive, argumentative

Hobby: Reading

Skills: Swimming, combat, engineering, lockpicking

Weapons: Blanch percussion pistol, rapier

Background: Marina is the daughter of Alethea Hera (real name Priscilla Stevenson) and Robert Holburne, but was born after her father died. Her mother raised her on the Barracuda.  While Marina has been raised as a pirate and used to combat situations, it still worries her mother, which causes a lot of tension and fights between the two of them.

Inspiration: Jim Hawkins (Treasure Island), Princess Tiabeanie (Disenchantment), Terri Waters-Waters (Gayle)

 

Shu Kei

Sex: Cis female

Age: 39

Orientation: Bisexual

Race: South east Asian

Nationality: Cantonese

Appearance: Short stature, short greying hair. Brown eyes.

Languages: Cantonese, English

Virtues: Strong, kind, intelligent

Vices: Bossy, sarcastic, greedy

Hobby: Gambling

Skills: Organisation, keeping order, combat, lockpicking

Likes: Luxurious things, tea with honey

Hates: Men

Weapons: Four barrelled turn-over pistol, rapier, longsword

Duties: She takes charge of the sub whenever Alethea Hera isn’t there. Her duties include day to day management of the craft and seeing Alethea’s orders are carried out, dividing the plunder, discipline, controlling the food and water supplies, and deciding what to plunder from found vessels.

Inspirations: Anna Fang (Mortal Engines), Washimi (Aggretsuko),

Note: In Cantonese name order her name is ‘Shu Kei’ but in Western name order it is ‘Kei Shu’.

Background: Kei was a prostitute until she married a Pirate and had a son with him. They were successful until her husband abandoned her. She and her young son moved Undersea and joined the Barracuda, becoming friends with Priscilla Stephenson and even convincing the Captain at the time to let her and her new born baby stay on board, since she was also raising her own child on the sub. She rose up the ranks, becoming Priscilla (now Alethea’s) quartermaster.