Character from Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Wild, mercurial Gold — beautiful and broken, a hedonist who almost found redemption before the war swallowed him. Darrow believed he could be saved. The universe disagreed.
Tactus au Valii-Rath was Gold hedonism distilled to its purest and most dangerous form — brilliant, charming, utterly without self-control. A creature of appetites, he took what he wanted because Gold society told him he could. Darrow saw something redeemable in him and spent considerable effort trying to channel Tactus's chaos toward something constructive. Whether that faith was justified died with Tactus, who was killed before his story could resolve. He represents the tragedy of Gold's wasted potential — everything they could have been if their culture didn't reward the worst in them.
Tall and rangy with wild dark hair and the feverish beauty of someone burning too bright. His eyes are restless, hungry, never settling on one thing for long. Moves with a dancer's fluidity that becomes a predator's when cornered.
Also known as: Tactus, Valii-Rath