Tartarus Family

The **Tartarus family**, known occasionally as just **Tartarus**, is a crime family operating in El Asilo, out of their large estate towards the western border. They are not commonly known to be involved in criminal activity, and present themselves as patrons of the arts, providing money and resources to many writers, artists, actors, and musicians in the city in exchange for 10% of their output and/or profits. They provide the same deal to other gangs and criminal organizations within the city, and are actually something of a neutral party, given the diverse nature of the factions they sponsor. They don't seem to care about much besides pulling the strings and profiting off of whoever runs the city.

## History

The Tartarus family was founded some time ago by Nyx (real name unknown) and her then-husband, Adair Liddell, and sponsored Vantage in their bid to take over El Asilo. A member of the Tartarus family has always sat on the board of Vantage as the head of the assassination department, though who that member is has varied (currently it is Musetta). The organization was originally made up of simply Nyx's biological family, though she quickly began "adopting" young adults (often orphans) with powers into the fold as her "children" and raising them into the family business.

At some point (it is unknown exactly when), Nyx made a deal with Albatross for eternal youth, in exchange for someday losing her eyesight. As she has relayed to other people, Adair was the one who eventually blinded her, and the two had an ugly divorce.

Tartarus sponsored mostly smaller criminal organizations around the city until 2016, when Nyx's "son" Moore's powers had predicted that Preston Winters was supposed to die. Around this time, Tartarus approached the Greenback Gang to offer their patronage. Unfortunately, Mayor Winters did *not* die, and Tartarus was left baffled as to why, though Nyx has since tasked Agents Song and Darling with finding out. The Greenbacks also agreed to work for Nyx in a double agent capacity, pretending to cooperate with her ex-husband Adair while mostly keeping an eye on him for her.

In 2018, several members of the Tartarus family, plus Adair, aided Agents Song and Darling in a power play against Vantage that involved kidnapping Lissa, one of Nyx's biological children who resides permanently in the Vantage labs. Nyx does not know about this, and likely never will. However, seemingly as a consequence of the power play, Albatross set a series of events into motion that ended in Nyx's "son" Thatcher being murdered.

## Tartarus Manor

The Tartarus family's base of operations is Tartarus Manor, a large, Gothic mansion located near El Asilo's western border. Many of the family members also live there, though some prefer to live on their own and travel to the manor for events and family meetings. The manor has three maze-like stories and a basement, as well as a patio area, a garden, a croquet field, and a hedge maze with a pool and pool bar at the center. Known rooms within the manor include a library with two floors, Nyx's personal tea room, a basement torture room, and Lissa's bedroom, still furnished as though for a child.

## Members

### Nyx

The family's matriarch. Constantly wears an ornate mask shaped like a five-pointed star when in public/interacting with those outside the family. Blind. Not the real mother of most of the Tartarus children. Immortal, thanks to Albatross, and has never given any indication as to her true age.

### Maddox Murry

Nyx's current boyfriend, a seemingly meek man who doesn't contribute much to the family's day-to-day operations. Manipulates darkness.

### Erszebet Archer

An assassin and enforcer who gains superstrength by feeding off the negative emotions of those around her. Despite this, she seems as chipper as they come, and is always excited to cause a ruckus. Aisling and Helena's sister by blood.

### Helena Archer

A laid-back enforcer and bodyguard who often pairs up with Oakley on assignments. Creates and controls light constructs, and can use them as solid projectiles as well as sources of heat. Erszebet and Aisling's sister by blood.

### Musetta Liddell

A shapeshifter, and the acting director of Vantage's assassin program. Capricious and sadistic, but usually polite. Usually wears a mask or blindfold due to having scarred eyes that are sensitive to light. Oakley's twin, Lissa's older sibling, and Nyx and Adair's child by blood.

### Oakley Liddell

A stoic family negotiator who always dresses completely in black, and has never been known to smile. Only seems to enjoy Helena's company. Teleports through shadows. Musetta's twin, Lissa's older sister, and Nyx and Adair's daughter by blood.

### Lissa Liddell

Musetta and Oakley's younger sister, under constant observation in the Vantage labs due to powers she cannot turn off, which cause anyone in a certain vicinity of her to go into a sudden, uncontrollable frenzy of violence and rage. Intensely lonely. Wears a butterfly-shaped Venetian mask to cover up scarring on her face. Friends with Connie, as her powers don't affect him. Nyx and Adair's daughter by blood.

### Holland Moran

A negotiator and information gatherer who can put people to sleep on demand. Usually busier with napping and raising his two kids, Poppy and Porter, than with doing important mob work. Thatcher's brother by blood.

### Kare Davenport

An enforcer and bodyguard who can move faster than the speed of light, but only when no one is directly observing them. Laid-back to the point of belligerence, usually seen either smoking or chewing on a toothpick. Often paired with Connell on assignments.

### Connell Maynard

An enforcer and bodyguard who can store objects in a pocket dimension (mostly used for weapons). Training as a marksman, and prefers sniping to close-range combat. Frequents punk and alt-rock shows in the city. Often paired with Kare on assignments.

### Donovan Bright

The family lawyer, a prim and proper man who can travel through mirrors. Was once the acting head of the Vantage assassin department, before handing the job off to Musetta. Operates out of an office in Tartarus manor. Similarly to Nyx, he's older than he looks.

### Moore Clyde

A taxidermy enthusiast obsessed with death and the artifacts people leave behind afterwards (usually bones). Can see the date that people will die floating over their heads. This date is not particularly static, and can change based on decisions people make. Someone who has already died and come back to life, or has powers that directly affect their probability of dying (such as regeneration), will have a blank clock.

### Patton Thibodeaux

A desire manipulator with a personality that, ironically, leaves a lot to be desired. His powers can make people willing to kill or die for something as simple as a salad fork, and he uses them often for his own entertainment. Has managed to make enemies of both Reuben and Janice in the past few years, simply by being himself. Gale and Philomena's brother by blood.

### Philomena Thibodeaux

A family negotiator who is usually a full-time EAU student, but sits in on events and deals when necessary, due to her powers. Can project her emotions onto everyone within a certain distance of her "aura", and nudge everyone in the room towards feeling a certain way. Gale and Patton's sister by blood.

### Gale Thibodeaux

A negotiator-in-training with powers that are, by his own admission, mostly useless to mob work. Can manipulate both his age and others', aging them up or down on a sliding scale. Mostly uses it to get into bars, since he's currently actually eighteen. Patton and Philomena's brother by blood.

### Evander Duran

The family's accountant, a nervous, uptight sort who is constantly put-upon by most of his siblings (Musetta and Patton tend to be the worst offenders). Can negate or dampen other peoples' powers for up to an hour after making skin-to-skin contact with them, which is usually used for transporting Lissa places. Narcissa's brother by blood.

### Narcissa Duran

Tartarus's media spokesperson, and a model in her free time. Very outgoing and occasionally vain. Sometimes hangs out with Orianthe's friend group. Can amplify other peoples' powers through skin-to-skin contact. Evander's sister by blood.

### Soren Arias

An annoying grad student with hypercompetence in deduction and detective work. Uses their powers to track people down for Tartarus, as well as rearranging crime scenes to cover the family's tracks and keep their names out of police investigation. Working with Agents Song and Darling as a criminal informant in exchange for their allegiance to the family. Does some private investigation work on the side. Frequently infodumps about what their powers are telling them, either out loud or in notebooks, to keep from becoming overloaded with information. Ellie's sibling by blood.

### Ellie Arias

A healer who can only completely heal people who are on the brink of death. Easily fed up with people who aren't Soren, who she always seems to manage to tolerate. Works as an on-call nurse for the Winters Memorial Hospital. Soren's sister by blood.

### Clark, Lacey, and Atia Morra

**T**riplets who can deliver vague prophecies of the future - but only with great focus, when all three of them are together. When they're not doing that, they generally scout artists for the family to sponsor. Clark is a guitarist in a punk band, while Lacey works for a community theater, and Atia is a studio art major at PAFA.

## Former Members

### Adair Liddell

Nyx's ex-husband, father to Musetta, Oakley, and Lissa. A shapeshifter and possibly a cannibal. Stockholder and benefactor of many, many businesses in the city, though with less sinister intent than Tartarus. Loves his children and visits Lissa often.

### Aisling Archer

Helena and Erszebet's brother by blood, a chipper air manipulator who voluntarily estranged himself from the family in order to focus on his studies and actually having a life outside of crime. Still keeps in touch with his sisters from time to time.

### Thatcher Moran

Holland's deceased younger brother. Was an enforcer often paired with Musetta on assignments, who could control peoples' nervous systems.