Character Spotlight: The Four Slayers

They barely appeared in Outlaw Trigger. In fact, many readers might not remember them at all. But according to Epic author Lee Stephen, the four slayers who joined the Fourteenth will have a substantial role in the third installment.

"Everyone has wanted to know about the Nightmen," Stephen said. "One of the best parts about Hero is going to be slowly pulling back the curtain and revealing the members of the Russian sect."

Viktor Ryvkin, Nicolai Romanov, Auric Broll, and Egor Goronok were sent to the Fourteenth as reinforcements, participating in Outlaw Trigger's closing battle. The red carpet wasn't exactly rolled out for them, but with fulcrum Yuri Dostoevsky leading them on, the Fourteenth had no choice but to watch them join rank. With several months having passed between Outlaw Trigger and Hero, the four slayers have had a chance to carve out their places in the unit.

Viktor Ryvkin
"Ryvkin is a character that will definitely evoke emotions," Stephen said. "Of all the positions in the military, none are more defined by self-sacrifice and service than a combat medic. Now put a Nightman's mentality in a medic's role. The results are going to be truly unique."

So far, the medical roles in EDEN have been filled by female characters, a characteristic that has not gone unnoticed by some readers. But rest assured: the power is about to shift the other direction.

"You'll know right off the bat that he's a very intelligent individual. You can't be a medic if you're not smart. So the question remains now...is a smart Nightman a good thing? You'll have to answer that for yourself."


Nicolai Romanov
Romanov made the biggest splash in Outlaw Trigger, in the form of a private conversation with Yuri Dostoevsky. There, the first traces of his personality came into light. When Hero kicks off, his character will be impossible to ignore.

"Fans are going to love or hate Romanov," explained Stephen. "But I can assure you, no one would want him as a friend." According to Stephen, Romanov has some of the more unsettling traits found in any Nightman. "Every Nightman is a murderer, and to be a murderer is a horrible thing. But some traits go beyond that. Some traits are truly disturbing, and Romanov is truly, truly disturbed."

Stephen has confessed that one of the more challenging aspects of Hero has been delving into the dark nature of The Machine. "It doesn't matter what Nightman you examine, there's the same bottom line for each one: they all took a life to get there."


Auric Broll
The only German in the ranks of the Fourteenth, Auric stands out by not standing out. But is that a good thing or not?

"Auric is your friendly neighborhood killer. He's probably not the kind of person you'd expect a Nightman to be. You'd probably find him an amicable guy." It's that amicable element, Stephen says, that makes Auric the natural Nightman to befriend. "Ivan Baranov was similar in presentation. You could have a conversation with Ivan. You can have a conversation with Auric, too. The question is, should you want to?"

According to Stephen, trust is an element of Hero that presents itself from almost every angle. Who should be trusted? Who can be trusted? No one is a Nightman for the right reasons.

"It will be interesting to see which Nightmen--if any--fans root for."



Egor Goronok
If looks could kill, Egor would already be dead. Described in such phrases as 'horse-headed', 'iron-jawed', and 'wide-eyed', even a mother would be hard-pressed to find something remotely appealing with this slayer.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it. Egor is ugly, to the extent of being freakishly so. Throughout EDEN, Nightmen are referred to as monsters. For Egor, those words could be literal."

Though the positional roles of Nightmen differ from their EDEN counterparts, Egor would still slide into the demolitionist category. He is large, brutish, and heavy-weapons packing. "Readers have caught glimpses of demolitionists in action throughout the series, such as Donald Bell in Richmond and of course William Harbinger with the Eighth in Novosibirsk. But no one has really seen a demolitionist in full-fledged action. Readers will definitely see that with Egor."

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