Darrow, born a Red and Carved into a Gold to destroy the Society, has conquered the Institute's rigged war game. After his wife Eo was hanged for singing of freedom, the Sons of Ares remade him as Darrow au Andromedus to infiltrate the Gold elite. He endured the Passage—killing his friend Cassius's twin Julian—rose to lead House Mars, was betrayed and gutted by Cassius, then saved by the clever Mustang (Virginia), who taught him to lead through willing loyalty rather than slavery. He built an army of free followers, destroyed House Apollo, killed two Proctors, stormed floating Olympus, and lost the loyal titan Pax. Believing Mustang—secretly the Jackal's twin sister and ArchGovernor Augustus's daughter—had betrayed him by taking half his army to her brother, Darrow despaired. But Mustang proved true: she captured the Jackal herself and delivered him bound and naked as a gift. Her older brother had been murdered by Cassius's kin Karnus; she does not claim the Jackal in spirit and stands with Darrow. Darrow won the game. At the victory ceremony atop Olympus, before the assembled Drafters and dignitaries, ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus—the man who killed Eo—cornered Darrow. Impressed by his strength and needing apprentices after losing his own eldest son, Augustus offered patronage, the Academy, fleets, and power in exchange for Darrow's silence about the rigging and his oath as a lancer of House Augustus. Caging his fury, Darrow saw the path to rise high enough to one day break the Society's chains for all in bondage. Kneeling before the very tyrant who hanged his wife, he swore the oath: 'I will forsake my father. I will abandon my name. I will be your sword.' Augustus named him Darrow, Lancer of House Augustus, and bid him rise—for glory, power, and the war yet to come.