Originally published in Dream Theater · 2016
2016 tour program character descriptions
Article5 min read
Emperor Nafaryus
The Emperor of G.N.E.A and Head of the Realm. The husband of Arabelle and father of Daryus and Faythe. Also known as Lord Nafaryus.
As the autonomous ruler of the Great Northern Empire, he uses his power and supremacy to control the allocation of wealth and resources throughout the Empire, creating both widespread economic dependency and a system of social oppression among the lives of its citizens.
Nafaryus is threatened by the apparent influence that a so-called ‘savior’ named Gabriel has over the people of the small village of Ravenskill. With his spirit and soul becoming more and more delinquent due to the rise of the NOMACS, the Emperor will stop at nothing to ensure that his precious daughter Faythe is not caught up in the allure of Gabriel’s magnetic presence.
Empress Arabelle
The Empress of G.N.E.A. The wife of Nafaryus and mother of. Daryus and Faythe.
Arabelle is the voice of reason and wisdom in the Imperial Family who oftentimes provides guidance to the power-hungry Emperor. While she is a devoted wife who stands strong with her husband at the Head of the Realm, she is not hesitant to challenge him or offer counsel when she feels the Emperor’s perspectives are shortsighted.
As a loving and intuitive mother she recognizes and supports Faythe’s desire to pursue a future with Gabriel even though her husband views him as an enemy and a threat to the Empire. She is accepting and forgiving of her son despite his wrongdoings and evil-minded intentions. Arabelle plays a crucial role as the grounding force and gracious matriarch who will help to unite the Empire and restore peace to its people.
Faythe
The Princess of G.N.E.A. The daughter of Nafaryus and Arabelle and sister of Daryus.
Faythe seeks to explore a more purposeful life than what she has experienced living within the sheltered solitude of the Imperial Palace. Her secret, impassioned love of music and yearning for life’s deeper meaning is what immediately attracts her to Gabriel upon hearing him sing for the first time. The unbreakable connection formed between them is what helps her in fulfilling her destiny as the empathetic and compassionate ‘princess of the people’ whom she feels she was always meant to be.
Daryus
The Crown Prince of G.N.E.A. The son of Nafaryus and Arabelle and brother of Faythe.
Daryus is extremely envious of the Emperor’s outward favoritism towards his sister and is tired of living in her shadow despite his unwavering loyalty to his father. He hopes to end this unjustness by single-handedly apprehending Gabriel and delivering his prisoner to the Emperor. The conspiring prince uses Arhys’ love for X and the promise of a better life for his son as leverage to persuade him to betray his brother Gabriel.
Gabriel
The brother of Arhys and ‘Savior of Ravenskill’. Recognized by the people as ‘The Chosen One’.
Gabriel was born with the supremely divine gift of music and his astonishing abilities provide inspirational healing and spiritual nourishment for the citizens of Ravenskill. People’s lives have been devoid of self-expression and artistic creativity for a very long time and they look to Gabriel as the one who will finally be able to free them from the chains of adversity and oppression. He has a hard time viewing himself as a ‘deliverer’ or ‘shepherd’ however, and oftentimes questions his role in society, constantly searching for the true meaning and purpose in his life. His strong bond with his brother Arhys helps give him the fortitude to face the challenges thrust upon him in this harsh world as they all struggle to survive. Although he is seen as a threat to the Empire by Lord Nafaryus, it is his relationship and allegiance with Princess Faythe that will ultimately lead him to realize the full potential and power of his gift and to eventually fulfill his destiny.
Arhys
The Commander of the Ravenskill Rebel Militia. The widower of Evangeline and father of Xander. The brother of Gabriel.
Arhys truly believes Gabriel to be ‘The Chosen One’ and the predestined savior of Ravenskill. His faith in Gabriel’s gift is so strong that he is willing to risk everything on the road to revolution and in the fight for justice and freedom for the people of Ravenskill. It is for young Xander however whom he is most committed to, and whom he is determined to provide a better life for in the name of his deceased wife, Evangeline. He is tempted by Prince Daryus to betray Gabriel in exchange for Xander’s liberty and prosperity, forcing him to make the impossible decision between the security of Xander’s future and the fate of Gabriel’s freedom.
Evangeline
The departed wife of Arhys and mother of Xander.
Evangeline was Arhys’ first and only love who died during the traumatic birth of their son, Xander. Having lived a toilsome life fraught with misery and hardship, she provides the inspiration for Arhys to ensure that X will be able to rise above the woes of an oppressive existence. On her deathbed, Arhys pledges his commitment to a better life for X in her memory and promises her that he will dedicate his own life to the freedom and well-being of their son.
Xander
The son of Arhys and Evangeline. The nephew of Gabriel.
Since 8-year-old Xander never knew his mother, it is his father Arhys whom he solely depends upon to provide the love, guidance and protection he needs as a young boy. In turn, X is the principal motivation for Arhys’ crusade in the pursuit of freedom and a better life for his son. Growing up in quiet Ravenskill far from New Mainland and all its debauchery, he is a trusting boy spirited with the wide-eyed hope of what the future may bring. In his mother’s memory, X wears the cross that once belonged to her as a symbol of her love and as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice she made for him. He looks up to his father who shows him the importance of fighting for what you believe in, and to his uncle Gabriel who shows him just how liberating the transformative power of music and creative expression truly can be.
The ‘Noise Machines’ that manufacture and perform artificial, electronically conceived music.
NOMACS were initially made by people in their quest to produce the world’s most perfect music but instead, turned into something much more insidious. Born out of the vacuum created as a result of the suffocation of human expression along with exponential advances in technology over time, their digital cacophony of emotionless, sonic madness is now the only music remaining in this world. Nafaryus uses their imposing presence as a way to manipulate an increasingly obedient and compliant society. The constant exposure to their brand of noise has created a spiritual drought among the residents of The Empire and a void that is most certainly begging to be filled.