Empire of Silence

Hadrian Marlowe is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is writing an account of his life as he awaits execution for war crimes that foreshadow the presumed ending of the series. He is the eldest son of the Marlowe family, a mid-ranked palatine family. He is, however, unique among his family because he alone displays compassion, empathy, intelligence, and curiosity for other cultures. His father, Alistair Marlowe, deeply dislikes his quirks and eventually disinherits Hadrian, making his younger brother, Crispin the heir instead.

Hadrian is genetically engineered and is therefore physically marked as a palatine (upper-class noble) by his clear pale skin, black hair, purple eyes, symmetrical features, superhuman strength and healing capacities, and long life. However, he is shorter than most palatines, who are generally engineered to be tall. Primarily raised and educated by his mentor, the scholiast named Gibson, Hadrian displays tremendous intelligence and has particular skill in languages, gaining fluency in Mandar, Jaddian, Lothrian, Durantine, Classical English, two Tavrosi dialects, and Cielcin.

He is curious and adventurous, wishing to become a scholiast (scholar) like his hero Simeon the Red. His obsession with stories hints at his romantic sensibilities, and although he has abstract knowledge of the cruelty of the Sollan empire and the Chantry, his privilege prevents him from fully understanding the real lived experiences of those who endure colonial subjugation and poverty.