Alger

Biodata

Power Progression

• Terminology discrepancy: A later passage says Alger learned the Acting Method after advancing to “Storm Guardian,” whereas the first gathering explicitly identifies him as a Sequence 8 Folk of Rage. The supplied passages do not reconcile these descriptions 29 136.

Background / History

Alger was born on an island and belonged to a choir before being expelled. When discussing whether animals could survive Beyonder potions, he recalls those days and a priest at the island’s church in connection with his own entry into Sequence 9 91.

He joined the Church of Storms and spent years sailing the seas. Despite his experience, he considered himself an undervalued Sequence 8 Beyonder and believed that his position within the Church would probably limit him to Sequence 7. Discovering the Acting Method made him question why the orthodox churches withheld knowledge that could reduce the risks of advancement 23 25 29.

Appearance

• Hair: Dark blue, fluffy, and somewhat disheveled 22.
• Features: Deeply chiseled, with strong, rugged facial lines 22.
• Clothing: A robe embroidered with lightning patterns 22.
• First gathering demeanor: Taut posture and eyes showing uncertainty and suspicion 22.

Personality

Alger is cautious, analytical, and reluctant to act without understanding the balance of power. During the first gathering, he studies the exchanges between the Fool and Temperance, weighs whether they are allies, and lets others speak before committing himself. He regards the encounter as either an extraordinary danger or an extraordinary opportunity 22 23.

He is pragmatic about trade and advancement. Once he accepts that he cannot control his summons, he seeks benefits to compensate for his vulnerable position. Temperance’s freely shared knowledge both delights him and worries him: it offers valuable secrets while diminishing the bargaining value of information he painstakingly accumulated 26 91.

His initial suspicion develops into profound reverence for the Fool. He frequently interprets ambiguous remarks as evidence of divine knowledge or far-reaching plans, sometimes reaching conclusions Klein himself does not understand. He also stops himself from investigating other members’ identities, believing their concealment reflects the Fool’s wishes 89 138.

Alger remains capable of patience and dry sarcasm. He provides Audrey with continued guidance after their transaction and mocks the government’s efficiency while discussing proposed reforms 90 141.

Abilities & Skills

Storm-Pathway Beyonder

Alger is explicitly identified as a Folk of Rage during the first gathering, but the supplied passages do not show him using combat abilities 29.

• His chair above the gray fog bears a Storm-pathway symbol combining an anchor, lightning, and waves 29.
• Klein sees an ocean-blue color deep within his ether body, evocative of fierce winds and rolling waves 88.

Potion Knowledge and Instruction

Alger possesses genuine Sequence 9 Sailor and Spectator formulas and offers to sell either to Audrey 25 26.

• Explains the dangers of formulas that are partly genuine and partly falsified 25.
• Teaches ingredient order, dosage precautions, basic preparation, meditation, and daily practice 28.
• Provides Audrey with Spectator acting rules after their initial transaction 90.
• Explains that an animal surviving a Sequence 9 potion may become supernatural and, depending on the potion, gain human-level intelligence 91.

Acting Method

Temperance’s explanation replaces Alger’s earlier emphasis on mastering and exploring a potion with digestion through acting 28 29.

• Recognizes the method’s importance immediately and treats the guidance as life-changing 29.
• Refines his understanding through the Fool’s explanation at a later meeting 88.
• Seeks precautions from Derrick, learning that a Beyonder must remember they are only acting 140.
• Previously regarded murmurs and mania as normal consequences of advancement 136.

Maritime Experience and Languages

Years at sea have given Alger familiarity with major languages and maritime contacts 23.

• Has some knowledge of Loenese, Feysac, Intisian, Lenburg’s language, and native dialects spoken at sea 23.
• Does not recognize the Chinese spoken by Temperance 23.
• Commands the Blue Avenger and directs its route and port stops 143.

Intelligence and Underworld Connections

Alger operates across both legal and illicit channels as a Church captain 141.

• Shares intelligence about Ludwell, the Admiral of Hell, and the increasing activity of secret organizations 91 141.
• Knows how forged and officially registered identities can be obtained in Loen’s port cities and Sonia Sea free ports 141.
• Distinguishes convincing forgeries that fail police cross-checks from genuine registered documents obtained through corrupt officials 141.
• Warns Audrey that summoning Spirit World creatures requires precise incantations and can be dangerous 89.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Blue Avenger — Ship under his command, operating on the Sonia Sea 143.
• Lightning-patterned robe — His clothing at the first Tarot Club gathering 22.
• Navigation and writing tools — A telescope, sextant, ink, and quill are present on the mahogany desk in his captain’s cabin 143.
• Roselle’s diary pages — Collects and supplies pages to the Fool; additional pages remain on his desk after a gathering 134 143.

Relationships

• Klein / Zhou Mingrui — The Fool — Tarot Club leader whom Alger initially fears and later reveres. Alger proposes recurring gatherings and offers his experience, contacts, and resources in return for continued access 21 26 29 138.
• Lin Chuan — Temperance — Source of crucial Beyonder knowledge, especially the Acting Method. Alger regards him as an ancient being comparable to the Fool and adjusts his conduct around his perceived expectations 24 29 134 140.
• Audrey Hall — Justice — Fellow founding member and first potion-formula customer. Alger guides her into the Spectator pathway and continues providing advice afterward 27 28 29 90.
• Derrick — Sun — Fellow member from the City of Silver. Alger seeks his Acting Method precautions and agrees to obtain the Bard formula for him; Derrick sincerely calls him a good person 139 140.
• Williams — Owner of the Warrior and the Sea bar in Pritz Harbor, used as the delivery contact for Audrey’s Ghost Shark blood payment 28.
• Church of Storms — His institutional affiliation and source of religious knowledge, but also an organization he believes offers him limited prospects and withholds essential advancement guidance 23 27 29.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Founding the Tarot Club

• Accidentally summoned from a ship on the Sonia Sea alongside Audrey during Zhou Mingrui’s ritual 21.
• Requests the Fool’s protection as witness to his transaction with Audrey 26.
• Sells the Spectator formula for at least 100 milliliters of Ghost Shark blood. Directs delivery to Williams at the Warrior and the Sea bar, on Pelican Street in Pritz Harbor’s White Rose District, with the message that it is what “the Captain requested” 27 28.
• After learning the Acting Method, proposes regular gatherings. Klein establishes meetings every Monday at three in the afternoon, and Alger chooses the Hanged Man as his code name 29.

Developing the Club’s Exchanges

• Asks what payment the members should offer for the Fool’s explanation of acting. The Fool requests three Roselle diary pages each from Alger and Audrey 88 90.
• Suggests sharing everyday news when formal questions run out, pointing out that ordinary information may be an important clue to another member 91.
• Supplies five diary pages at a later gathering 134.
• Recognizes the City of Silver as part of the Forsaken Land of the Gods and interprets Derrick’s recruitment as evidence of the Fool’s extraordinary reach 138.
• Agrees to obtain the Bard formula within one or two weeks during the exchange discussions with Derrick 139 140.

Aurora Order Investigation

• Reports an Aurora Order Listener searching for the True Creator’s sanctuary; the Listener is the target Alger has gone to sea to pursue 141 143.
• Raises the subject partly to avoid unknowingly acting against an organization allied with the Tarot Club. The Fool tells members not to regard the Aurora Order as enemies, but to wait and observe 143.
• After the gathering, orders the Blue Avenger to stop for a day at the Rorsted Archipelago so he can try to purchase the Bard formula 143.

Notable Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Temperance. Your guidance is as precious as my life.” 29

“Perhaps we could chat casually and share things happening around us. Information that seems perfectly ordinary to us might be a crucial clue to someone else.” 91

“In the name of the curly-haired baboon, I wish them success.” 141

Trivia

• Alger first considers choosing the Pope as his Tarot Club code name, but rejects it as too ostentatious before settling on the Hanged Man 29.
• He explains that many people believe Roselle based the Hanged Man card on the True Creator’s appearance 143.
• The Book of Storms injunction “Do Not Test God!” restrains his impulse to probe the Fool’s reaction during the discussion of the True Creator 143.