Shimoa Hallwinter

“I am the viper that bites, slowly killing him with venom. I will bear the whispers that herald his death.” - Shimoa Hallwinter, *Rebirth*

Shimoa Hallwinter is the main character of Sanguine Sovereign. Son of Ygraine and Janus Hallwinter, he is half elven and half human.

## Appearances

#### Appearance

Shimoa is a male half-elf with long black hair he inherited from his father. His eyes are also blue like his father’s. Due to his mother’s elven nature, he is thin and lanky. He wears his hair long in a more elven fashion. He usually wears a long purple coat over a black vest, black pants and black knee-high boots. He is often seen wearing his mother’s cross.

#### Personality

Shimoa is cold, calculating, highly intelligent and fueled by vengeance. Seeing his mother die and assuming that to be his father’s response to her threats, Shimoa seeks first and foremost revenge upon his father. Despite what he considers as noble intentions, Shimoa can also be quite bratty and entitled, due to his upbringing.

## Biography

Shimoa was born to Ygraine Hallwinter. His father was not present for the birth, but was instead informed about it by a maid. His mother named him “Shimoa” which she stated was a “traditional name from her homeland”.

As a child, Shimoa was very faithful, attending church with his mother. He prayed hard for his father’s affections, saddened by Janus’ neglect.

One night as he was heading towards his room, Shimoa wandered by Janus’ office where he heard angry voices. He heard Janus and Ygraine arguing about his upbringing, with Ygraine demanding that Janus be more involved. She threatened to leave him and return to her homeland, which would leave Janus without any money. This saddened Shimoa, who later asked his mother if she meant it. She denied it, saying it was only a threat to make Janus more involved.

That very night, Shimoa wandered out of bed to find his mother bleeding on the floor, having been stabbed by an assassin who took her circlet. Ygraine gave Shimoa her cross, asking him to remember her and not let his voice be silenced. She voiced regret that she could not teach and protect him for longer and died in his arms. At the funeral, Shimoa sees his father with another woman after giving an undetailed and unenthusiastic speech about her. Shimoa also takes note of a strange brunette man crying over Ygraine's death, a man who drops her favorite flower into the casket in mourning. Shimoa wonders at the man's identity but does nothing.

After the funeral, Shimoa confronts his father, accusing Janus of killing Ygraine. Janus denies this, even when presented with the facts that he prospered immensely by her death. Janus tells Shimoa to stay out of his way after Shimoa declares his hatred for his father. He then retreats to his bedroom to cry, cuddling a plush toy. He decides to seek revenge on his father by bringing him down.

Shimoa continues to live at the Hallwinter Estate with Giana, Janus and Juliana.

## Relationships

### Ygraine Hallwinter

Shimoa loved his mother very dearly. She was the only parental figure Shimoa could depend on, due to his father's neglect. Her loss affected him deeply as he stated that her death was also the death of his innocence.

### Janus Hallwinter

Shimoa and his father do not get along. Shimoa believes Janus to be responsible for Ygraine’s death and thus swore vengeance. The two do not interact often.

### Juliana Hallwinter

Shimoa has almost no interaction with his stepmother, unable to forgive her when she stood by his father’s side at Ygraine’s funeral. For this and implied years of racism, Shimoa and Shay conspire to ruin Juliana's reputation, to force her into a trap. His opinion of her is significantly lessened in *Saving Face* when he confronts her about the removal of his mother's portrait in the house. Despite appearing to agree with the actions, Shimoa internally refers to her as a "hag" and thinks about killing her.

### Giana Hallwinter

Shimoa and his sister actually get along very well, with him very protective of her. The two consistently like to tease each other, even at social events and parties. He discusses her proection with Shay but is denied. He does consider her a means to an end, as he plans his words more carefully when aware of her presence. Giana is continuously oblivious of her brother's actions, though she does actually suspect him to be a much more insidious person than he appears.

### Shay Shadowdwell

Shimoa and Shay have a tense but friendly relationship, with both of them trusting that the other could betray them but easily working together. Shimoa is aware that his mother and Shay were close, but chooses not to know the details. Shimoa is also aware of Shay's existence as a changeling, but unlike his mother does not possess the ability to recognize her in any form unless he is informed.

### Elisa Amn

Shimoa and Elisa often play chess, as neither of them knows of any other opponents. Elisa is always the winner, which frustrates Shimoa. The two care deeply about each other without political gain, which is unusual for Shimoa. Their relationship is almost deeped further when the two dance in the chapter *Lavender Waltz* but the very next chapter involves Shimoa rejecting her advances and denying his feelings for her.

### Rilahni

Shimoa is initially attracted to Rilahni and interested in her because she is an elf, and not a servant. After being coerced with Rilahni's perfume, Shimoa becomes pliant to her will, especially when she suggests the two spend some time "in private". Due to her perfume's bewitching influence, Shimoa is easily entranced by her and even engages her in intercourse while he is under the influence.

## Trivia

Shimoa's original design and character drew influence Seymour Guado from Final Fantasy X. His personality, however, was more influenced by Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones. His name, *Shimoa*, is actually Seymour's name in romaji.

The flower that symbolizes Shimoa throughout the story is a lily. While lilies are objectively pretty, they can also be life-threatening if ingested. This is also what Janus refers to Shimoa as when denying Shimoa's masculinity as a child.

Shimoa as an adult still has the green plush snake toy he had as a child, seen with him in both Bedtime and Rebirth. In *Unseen Moments* it is revealed that the toy is named "Mr. Noodle" and is Shimoa's confidante, as well as a cuddle toy. In the same chapter, Shay is made aware of this by the same maid who told Janus of his birth.

## Gallery

Shimoa Character SheetVertical Thumbnail, featuring Shimoa and ElisaThumbnail ShimoaShimoa Original Concept DesignShimoa in Casual WearShimoa Disguised as a PeasantShimoa's Initial Party ClothingMasquerade ShimoaShimoa as a Funko PopSpotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1zSVmjn9qikNTOrngQDhyQ?si=bkOHq1g5QkuPncONLXL7dg