Halo: The Lost Keys is a full-cast fan audio drama set within a dark military science-fiction story inspired by the Halo universe. Blood of the Gods follows a mixed team of ODSTs, Spartans, ONI personnel, and support staff sent to the abandoned colony world of Coral on what initially appears to be a recovery mission.
Their objective is simple on paper: locate a missing Spartan team, recover surviving scientists, and secure information from an ancient Forerunner installation.
Almost immediately, everything begins to go wrong.
The team’s carrier, the UNSC Gungnir, suffers a catastrophic incident while approaching the planet. After a desperate evacuation and heavy losses, the surviving team reaches the surface and enters the facility—where they discover that the disappearance was only the beginning.
Inside, they are confronted by Covenant forces, Flood contamination, infected Spartans, ONI secrets, and growing distrust within their own command structure. The deeper they travel, the less clear it becomes who the real enemy is.
The story combines Halo-style military action with survival horror, taking inspiration from the darker parts of Halo as well as films such as Alien and darker sci-fi. Expect claustrophobic environments, graphic combat, body horror, blood and gore, morally uncomfortable decisions, dark humor, interpersonal conflict, and quieter character-driven moments between battles.
This is not intended to be a simple “Spartans kill aliens” story. The cast is built around soldiers with very different backgrounds, loyalties, experiences, and ideas of what duty actually means. Relationships evolve under extreme pressure, rivalries become trust, old trauma resurfaces, and some characters will not survive the mission.
We are currently recasting both new and previously established characters, so prior involvement with the project is not required.
Actors should be comfortable performing:
military dialogue and radio communication
intense combat scenes
profanity
emotional and dramatic material
horror and graphic subject matter
character interaction ranging from dry humor to serious interpersonal conflict
Some characters have very specific vocal directions, while others are intentionally more open to interpretation. We are more interested in a believable performance than an exaggerated “military voice.”
The project will feature a dedicated narrator alongside individual actors for the primary cast. Small background roles, announcements, Marines, and miscellaneous characters may be doubled by the narrator or other cast members.
Dark. Violent. Atmospheric. Character-driven.
The goal is to make the listener feel like these characters are competent soldiers trapped somewhere they were never meant to find.
There will still be humor and personality throughout the story, but as conditions deteriorate, the atmosphere becomes increasingly oppressive and horrific.
ODST Lieutenant David Scully, Spartan Commander Jason Lexington, Spartan-II Sighorn-077 “Smiley,” Spartan-IIIs Meko Hamada, Rickard B-127, and Jack G-092, Spartan-IV Michael Axtonn, ODSTs Cameron Kallista, Kellie Shepard, April Hernandez, Darren Church, and Colby Peterson, AI Ulio, ONI scientist Dr. Erin Strada, and the Narrator.
Each casting role will include a character description and several audition lines designed to demonstrate different parts of the character’s personality.
Welcome to Operation Red Haven. Try to make it back alive.
Excited to announce we have several new roles posted. Please feel free to check them out. We have some amazing casts forming. We also have LIVE directions meetings. These are not roles for you to speed though, smaller lines are fine but most of our intentions revolve around ensemble cast recordings. Thanks and good luck.
Today 8.15.26 we are re-casting several characters that their original actors have moved on from acting, or they have become AAA actors and can no longer do smaller projects like this fairly. That being said ANYONE that tried for a role and hasn't been short listed yet feel free to audtion for these. They are MAIN characrters critical to the long term of this project. Thank you and I look forward to hearing each and everyone.
Voice Actor
The narrator carries the military-horror atmosphere and will also perform miscellaneous one-line characters such as Marines, ship personnel, radio operators, Covenant background voices, and announcements. The delivery should be cinematic without becoming melodramatic. Calm descriptions should make the violent moments hit harder.
“For several seconds, nobody moved. The facility hummed quietly around them, as though whatever had happened here had simply gone back to sleep.”
“The infected Spartan struck Church hard enough to throw him across the chamber. Armor cracked against metal, and somewhere in the darkness his pistol skittered out of sight.”
“There was no cheering when the doors finally opened. They had survived. For the moment, that was all anyone could say.”
Voice Actor
Career Marine and ODST veteran. Thick, weathered voice with natural authority. He has dry gallows humor and swears freely, but he should never sound like a cartoon drill sergeant. Scully doesn't need to shout to command a room. His fundamental priority is his people. - Think Avery Johnson spirit without doing a Johnson impression.
“If command knew what was waiting for us down there, they would've sent a battalion. Instead they sent us. That ought to tell you something.”
“Nobody breaks formation! You wanna die, you ask my goddamn permission first!”
“I can live with a failed mission, Lexington. I've done it before. What I won't live with is burying my people because you needed to prove something.”
Voice Actor
Formal, articulate, ambitious Spartan commander with strong ONI connections. Lexington believes deeply in hierarchy, duty, and his own ability to command. He should generally sound controlled rather than angry. When he finally loses composure, it needs to matter.
“Lieutenant, I appreciate your concern. Nevertheless, the mission parameters have not changed, and neither has my authority.”
“Spartans, engage the enemy. Hamada, secure the doctor. Everyone else, kindly stop improvising before one of you gets us killed.”
“You mistake compassion for leadership, Scully. Sometimes completing the mission requires accepting that not everyone will be coming home.”
Voice Actor
A veteran of the Human-Covenant War who fought as a normal human before becoming a Spartan. His armor and augmentation may be new, but warfare isn't. Cocky, competitive and still somewhat immature. His rivalry with Jack should sound like two soldiers constantly testing one another.
“We'll see how they stand up in a real fight. The armor might be new to me. War isn't.”
“Jack, if you've got another brilliant idea, now would be the time. Preferably one that doesn't involve crashing us into something.”
“I've watched better soldiers than me die thinking experience made them untouchable. I'm trying very hard not to learn that lesson twice.”
Voice Actor
Spartan-III, Gamma Company. Jack is physically enormous but surprisingly young. Brilliant blue eyes, black hair, facial scars beneath the helmet. He is sarcastic, mechanically inclined, an excellent pilot, and a practical problem-solver.
The actor should sound young without sounding childish. His jokes are usually how he handles stress.
“Sir, escape pods get us off the ship. A Pelican gets us off the ship with ammunition, supplies and something large enough to shoot back. I vote Pelican.”
“Rick, quit measuring your dick and move! You can prove you're the better Spartan after we're no longer falling out of orbit!”
“Funny thing about spending your whole life training for war. Nobody ever teaches you what you're supposed to do when it stops feeling normal.”
Voice Actor
Massive Spartan-II and old war veteran. Smiley speaks very little, so every line should matter. He is calm, observant and intimidating without trying to intimidate.
He believes completely in finishing the mission, but unlike Lexington, keeping the team alive is part of completing it.
His relationship with Ulio reveals the man beneath the armor.
“Tell me where we're going, who we're fighting, and who needs to come back alive.”
“Are they clear?”
(Terminally Wounded)-(EW-LEE-OH)"Ulio ...Its bad. Don't think we are walking away from this one..."
Voice Actor
Smiley's AI. Ulio should feel less like a computer assistant and more like his emotional shield. She understands what the Spartan-II program made him and quietly reminds him that he still has a choice in who he becomes.
The inspiration is almost a Spartan queen beside her warrior king: she doesn't weaken him; she gives his strength direction.
“You don't have to prove anything to them, Sig. You already know who you are.”
(Sig is severely wounded and asking about his team) “They're clear. The Pelican made it.”
“I'm here. I'm not going anywhere...I need you get on your feet soldier. You can not let....leave me.”
Voice Actor
Spartan-III and survivor of the Fall of Reach. Former Fireteam Frontier member and later ONI operative. Small for a Spartan, fast, agile and extremely capable.
Meko is playful, sarcastic and bubbly enough to occasionally annoy people, but underneath that personality is someone who has survived things most soldiers never will. Six years after Reach, very little genuinely surprises her.
“There. Much better. I was starting to feel exposed.”
“ONI says it's classified. Which usually means somebody made a terrible decision and doesn't want us asking whose idea it was.”
“I've seen worlds die. Trust me, joking about it is considerably easier than explaining what that looks like.”
Voice Actor
Spartan-IV and former Helljumper. Veteran, grounded and deeply sympathetic toward ODSTs. Becoming a Spartan never erased where he came from.
Axtonn respects command when command earns respect. He eventually becomes one of the key figures preventing the Scully/Lexington conflict from becoming a firefight.
“Helljumpers don't leave one of our own behind, sir. Spartan armor didn't change that.”
“Everybody lower the damn weapons. Whatever trial you two want to have can wait until we're somewhere that isn't infested with the Flood.”
“Being a Spartan gave me better armor. Didn't give me better people.”
Voice Actor
Highly capable ODST with a strong personality. Confident, provocative, flirtatious and occasionally convinced she's untouchable. She initially has little patience for Spartan mythology and enjoys provoking people simply to see how they'll respond.
Her humor and sexuality are intentional parts of her personality, but competence always comes first.
“If the Spartan wants to impress me, he can start by carrying something heavy and staying out of my firing lane.”
“Shep? You good? Come here, you've got something in your back.”
“I thought we were dead back there too. I'm just not sure I've figured out how I'm supposed to feel about being wrong.”
Voice Actor
Fall of Reach survivor who originally served in the Army before eventually joining the ODSTs. Combat medic with abilities well beyond what most people expect from a normal Helljumper.
She is funny, wise and frequently a pest. She spent the Fall of Reach fighting alongside elite Spartans and has become extraordinarily dangerous without ever acting impressed with herself.
She also has a darker fascination with blood, wounds, pain, surgery, prosthetics and human augmentation. Shepard should sound medically trustworthy while occasionally making people wonder whether she's enjoying her job a little too much.
“Hold still. You're bleeding on my equipment, and somehow that's the part of this situation that's irritating me.”
“That leg is salvageable. Probably. Though if it isn't, I've seen some very impressive prosthetics.”
“Cam...I thought we were dead back there.”
Voice Actor
ODST breacher/heavy-assault specialist, not the team's primary medic. Combat-lifesaver qualified.
April has strong Vasquez/Michelle-Rodriguez-style energy: loud, aggressive, funny, physical, fearless and completely comfortable being at the front of a fight. Proud Marine attitude.
She knows Scully by reputation and initially becomes considerably more respectful when she realizes who he is.
“Specialist Hernandez reporting—wait. Holy shit. You're Scully. Sir. I definitely meant sir first.”
“Door's reinforced? Good. Means I get to use the expensive explosives.”
“You tell Shepard I don't need a medic. I need my armor, my shotgun, and about ten minutes alone with whoever shot me.”
Voice Actor
ODST. Quietly observant, cautious, dryly funny and constantly prepared. Church isn't cowardly; he simply believes that preparation keeps people alive.
His tragedy is that he prepares for nearly everything—and dies because of one thing he fails to account for.
Underplay him. His humor is dry rather than loud.
“I like letting the Pelican finish landing first.”
“Paranoid? No. Prepared. Always prepared.”
“I've got one arm, a knife, and a very bad idea. I've worked with less.”
Voice Actor
ODST combat technician. Comms, electronics, diagnostics, battlefield troubleshooting, security systems and basic equipment repair.
Peterson isn't intended to dominate scenes. He's reliable, professional and useful—the person everyone notices when something stops working.
He understands enough battlefield medicine to assess casualties, but he is not the team medic.
“Comms are dead, door control is fried, and whatever built this place apparently hated maintenance technicians.”
“Give me thirty seconds. If the panel starts smoking, give me sixty.”
“I can fix equipment, Lieutenant. People are somebody else's department.”
Voice Actor
ONI scientist recovered inside the Forerunner facility. Intelligent, exhausted and carrying information the others desperately need.
She should not sound helpless simply because she isn't a soldier. Erin understands considerably more about the facility, ONI and possibly Lexington than she initially reveals.
There should be a sense that surviving the facility has changed her.
“Those aren't simply Flood specimens. This facility was cataloguing them. Studying variations, infection patterns...everything.”
“You keep asking me what happened here. I'm trying to explain that I don't know which answer is worse.”
“Lexington, whatever you were promised, you cannot control this place.”
Voice Actor
Kovum is a towering Sangheili Zealot and the primary Covenant antagonist in Within Reach. He is a deeply religious fanatic who sees humanity as heretical and believes their extermination is a sacred duty. Despite his zealotry, he is a capable battlefield commander who uses flanking, retreats when necessary, and adapts quickly. His voice should be deep, commanding, and controlled, with anger breaking through only when his faith or authority is challenged.
Commanding / Religious Sermon “Look upon this world. They cling to every ruined street as though the dirt itself can save them. Let them. The Prophets have judged these creatures unworthy, and we are the hands that will carry out that judgment. No retreat. No doubt. Cleanse them.”
Quiet Threat / Fanaticism “You misunderstand me, human. I do not hate you. Hatred is personal. What happens here is not. Your species has touched what was sacred, and for that there can be only one answer. Tell me what you know, and I may allow your death to be brief.”
Combat / Losing Control “Demons! You have delayed the will of the gods long enough! Break their armor! Tear them from their machines! If they would deny the Great Journey, then let Reach become their tomb!”
Voice Actor
Amanda Rivers is a young ODST and combat medic serving during the Fall of Reach. She’s capable, compassionate, and tough under pressure, with a grounded military professionalism that can give way to dry humor or genuine emotion when things get personal. The performance should feel natural and human rather than overly “soldier-like”—confident in combat, but with warmth and vulnerability underneath.
Combat: “Contact left! Keep moving—I’ll cover you. Gray, don’t you dare bleed out on me now.”
Tense: “Something’s wrong. That hallway was clear thirty seconds ago… and now it’s too quiet.”
Emotional: “You don’t get to decide you’re expendable just because the mission went bad. I’m getting you home.”
Voice Actor
David Grey is a battle-hardened UNSC soldier and team leader who has learned to keep moving even when a mission starts falling apart around him. He’s practical, stubborn, protective of his people, and carries a lot of guilt beneath the surface. His voice should feel grounded and experienced—calm and commanding in combat, rougher when frustrated, and emotionally restrained rather than melodramatic.
Combat: “Not sure how we win this one.”
Confrontational: “Look it’s more complicated than that. Lets just slow down and make a plan.”
Emotional: “Don’t...It’s on me. I thought with this invasion with this destruction we could trust...well humans.”
Voice Actor
Mona is a skilled sniper and Insurrectionist survivor caught in the Fall of Reach. Calm, intelligent, and quietly dangerous, she can be warm and persuasive one moment and coldly determined the next. Her performance should feel grounded and morally complicated, with a subtle intimate edge in scenes with David Grey—never cartoonishly villainous.
Russian accent: Reference Sniper Wolf MGS
Calm / confident: “Call me Mona Lisa...You wouldn’t be able to pronounce my name.”
Tense / grim: “Unlucky...these beasts have come to kill us...All of us...”
Ideological / emotional: “You’re right, I had to make a call, the Spartans have been killing us and I’m supposed to just trust you? Back in New Alexandria, the men and women at the circle, you left them knowing what would happen. I could have just as easily been one of them. I choose to fight…”
