Byron McAlistair

Art by gladthatwefoundyouhere

**Byron McAlistair** is the protagonist of the third act of The Dolls of New Albion.

## Biography

Byron is the son of Fay and Edgar McAlistair. He grew up with enormous wealth as his father was one of the most powerful men in the city.

Byron found no contentment in his wealthy upbringing and passionately rebelled against his father’s world, which he would love to tear down. Like most angry young men, he saw a world full of hypocrisy and greed, with few true values at the center.

The Voodoopunk subculture is perfect for him and Byron immersed himself in it completely. He was one of the leaders of the movement, along with his friend Amelia. They spent their days in rebellious activities including drugs, sex, dancing, and rituals for spirit possession.

Byron and the Voodoopunks ran a campaign to elect Jasper the doll as mayor of the city. They ran on a platform that promised that the Doll knew that everyone was equal in the end, with a call to walk away from the system and to throw it all away. The campaign was going well and gaining momentum until Jasper sang his song and Amelia committed suicide.

Since Amelia's suicide note contained the words from Jasper's song, the city became fearful of the Dolls. Byron and the voodoopunks continued their campaign, which only increased the distrust and panic until riots broke out. Bonfires were lit and dolls were thrown into the flames. During the chaos and violence, Jasper was almost destroyed but was saved by Bryon.

The city suffered a large amount of damage and order was restored by the imposition of martial law. This was the very thing Byron had been decrying and railing about. He became even more rabid until the police came to “ask him some questions” one day. Byron never returned.

## Relationships

Byron loved his mother Fay, but he hated and despised his father Edgar. His parent's marriage was miserable, this was clear to Byron, and that it was his father’s doing was also clear, in no small part because his mother Fay spelled it out to him time and time again. Fay was instrumental in incubating Byron’s distance and antipathy towards his dad Edgar.

Jasper the Doll was Byron’s closest childhood companion and his attachment to Jasper is unhealthy. Byron’s love for Jasper is wrapped up his misplaced love for his father. Unable to love his father out of resentment, he kept his father emotionally distant, which was easy since Edgar spent more and more time away from his family and terrible home life. Thus Jasper’s emotional distance resembled his father, but Jasper was passive and harmless, unable to inflict any sort of influence on the world or Byron. Jasper’s hyper passivity is the perfect antithesis to his father’s active power and influence.

Charlotte was Byron's trophy wife. Although Byron is gay, as a popular politician it was in Byron’s best interest to be married, and Charlotte was willing. She was not blind at all to Byron’s lack of sexual interest in her, but he was a rising star with a great deal of money and could give her a child, which she wanted very much. A child and a secure, even posh environment to raise it was acceptable to her, and she and Byron were close and warm with each other throughout their short marriage.

Byron and Charlotte had a daughter named Priscilla McAlistair. Byron was taken away by the police while Priscilla was only a toddler, and thus they never really got to know each other.