Characters – Midst

THE CHARACTERS of UNEND

The Granddaughter

Mother-in-Training

The preeminent Daughter of the Mothers Merciful, this mindful young acolyte is next in line to become a full-fledged Mother. They have been called away from the Mothers’ Deep Coenobium to continue their training aboard the Ship under the enigmatic guidance of Mother Artifice. What unique expertise the Granddaughter brings to the crew remains to be discovered, but one thing is for sure: Realization will transpire, and when it does, it will not be unclear.

Merlin Vot

Chief Cosmologist

Who could be more qualified to serve as the crew’s chief cosmologist than superstar professor Merlin Vot? This tenured, published, and devilishly handsome academic hails from the renowned Bernhard & Gottle Institute, whose universities and research outposts can be found throughout the Un. Though he specializes in Un-focused research, Merlin seeks to understand the cosmos as a whole – not merely theoretically, but through direct observation. Equally at home in a library, a bocular workshop, a remote research outpost, a lecture hall, and the deck of an advanced exploration vessel, Merlin’s expertise and persistent curiosity will no doubt serve the mission well.

Cleophee Guilemoth

Ebonreef Envoy

Born and raised on the marvelous islet of Guilemoth, the vivacious young envoy of the Fold’s Ebonreef barony is beyond delighted to be part of the crew – and to finally see the Un with her very own eyes. What Cleophee may lack in experience she makes up for in enthusiasm, and, after all, her baronial family’s glamorous mystique is its own kind of qualification. Equipped with houseplants, comic books, effervescent positivity, a beloved pet, and a different outfit for every occasion, Cleophee is ready to experience all the cosmos has to offer and make friends along the way.

Mother Artifice

Mother

The Ship would never have become what it is without the assistance of the Mothers Merciful, and no individual from that mysterious order has been more involved than Mother Artifice. As the Motherly mastermind behind the Foldlight, he understands the Ship’s workings on a level that the rest of the crew, capable though they may be, can scarcely hope to match. Thankfully, he is as generous with his wisdom as he is eccentric in his manner. From Foldlight maintenance to Granddaughter mentoring, his duties are numerous, but Mother Artifice is always up to the task.

The Bocular Man

Mechanical Marvel

What started as a casual tinkering project to occupy Merlin’s restless mind during the long days at Uppermost Outpost turned out to be a major bocular achievement. The Bocular Man, while certainly not alive and only mimetically sentient, nevertheless has a certain innocent charm about him. Maybe it’s the politely curious expression on his faceplate. Maybe it’s the genteel voice of his inventor, speaking through him in a variety of courteous pre-recorded statements. Maybe it’s the way he can carry your stuff for you. Who knows? The magic is in the interior.

Everett Shearwater and Micky Fluke

Stagecoach Co-Pilots

The Stagecoach needs two to fly. Whether it’s through the reactive darkness of the Fold or the perilous brightness of the Un, Everett and Micky’s complementary blend of skills and temperaments made them the perfect long-haul trucking team for Midst’s Postal Express. Now bringing their experience and Stagecoach to the Ship, this dynamic duo is ready to keep tackling the challenges of the cosmos together.

THE CHARACTERS of Midst

LARK

Hunter/Trapper

She’s an odd one, people will tell you. A relatively new transplant to Vermillion County, she keeps to herself and ekes out a modest living in the red wastes outside the settlement of Stationary Hill. How she gets by, nobody quite knows — but when she shows up in town every week peddling fresh hides from the territory’s most dangerous predators, folks know better than to ask questions.

Moc Weepe

Impresario, Black Candle Cabaret

Always in the background and occasionally on the stage, Mr. Weepe is a longtime fixture of Stationary Hill’s most fashionable (and only) supper club. Good with guests and even better with numbers, his adroit management and cunning business savvy have elevated the cabaret from a failing sideshow to an enviable local institution.

Phineas Thatch

Adsecla to the Prime Consector

Recently-appointed right hand of Jonas Spahr, one of the Trust’s most celebrated figureheads, young Phineas Thatch has risen from the lowest tier of society to occupy a station of spectacular prestige. With the eyes and ears of a doting public exceedingly upon him, Thatch strives to perform his role with the utmost Valor — and to ultimately earn a momentous accolade rarely afforded one of his upbringing.

Atticus Concord

"Businessman"

Back when he was a newspaper reporter and still used his real name, Concord found his zest for life and level of income significantly bolstered when he threw journalistic integrity to the wind and applied his top-notch investigative skillset to identifying and blackmailing crooked businesses. He’s done quite well for himself in this new line of work, conquering one shifty operation after another, and now his sights are set on the decidedly questionable businesses of Stationary Hill. He expects he’ll earn his pay in no time.

Jonas Spahr

Prime Consector of the Trust

Darling of the media and foremost public agent of the Trust, Jonas Spahr is spectacularly good at his job. He accomplishes high-stakes deeds with aplomb, serves effortlessly as spokesperson for the Trust’s charitable operations, and performs admirably as a handsome, enviable representative of Un society’s tireless pursuit of Valor. He’s been doing this for a long time and has settled into his fame and status with total confidence. And yet, somehow he manages to seem pretty humble about it and still be the kind of guy you could totally hang out with.

Sherman Guthrie

Bartender, Black Candle Cabaret

Dab hand behind a bar, Guthrie brings easy charm and decades of wine and spirits expertise to the Black Candle. Previously a popular bartender at several of the Un’s more prestigious hotels, Guthrie and his young daughter, Tzila, relocated recently to Stationary Hill in what some have argued was possibly the worst career move of all time. For his many admirers in Stationary Hill, Guthrie’s presence is exceedingly welcome — no matter the detriment to him.

Tzila Guthrie

Precocious Preteen

A far cry from the dangerous, mica-strewn expanses of her upbringing, the rugged sprawl of Stationary Hill provides Tzila with boundless diversions. Her father worries she’s bored. She’s not, but she suspects that he is, so she keeps him company at the Black Candle Cabaret whenever he’ll let her hang out there. She draws a lot. She has a knack for it.

Saskia Del Norma

Founder, Black Candle Cabaret

Former headliner in the Un’s competitive entertainment scene, Ms. Del Norma’s elegance and mystique provide the backbone of Stationary Hill’s sophisticated cabaret. Once a mainstage attraction in the establishment’s early years, she now takes more of a backseat in the club’s programming and operations, preferring to focus on matters of music and choreography. The cabaret’s regular performers routinely cite Del Norma as one of the more fair and supportive managers they’ve ever worked under.

The Grandmother

Figurehead, Lazaretto of the Mothers Merciful

Live in the Fold long enough, and you might find yourself with a strange tearror-inflicted ailment that conventional medicine cannot treat. In such cases, a visit to the occult healers known as The Mothers is usually advised. Overseer of the Fold Shallows’ local chapter of Mothers, the Grandmother ensures that all ailments brought to her facility’s attention are met with swift, benevolently uncanny treatment.

Imelda Goldfinch

Field Notary, Stationary Hill Mission

A passionate ambassador of the Trust and all it represents, Notary Goldfinch holds the tenets of her doctrine nearer and dearer to her heart than all but the most devout of Trustees. Having earned a reputation as a fiercely devoted public servant with a brilliant grasp of the complexities of notarial practice, Goldfinch has been granted the opportunity to extend the benefits of the Valor system to the lucky unsuspecting people of Stationary Hill. She could hardly be more thrilled!

Jedediah Pom

Media Attaché to the Consector

An institution in his own right and an eternal staple of the teletheric airwaves, award-winning news anchor Jedediah Pom has provided generations of Un listeners with gripping coverage of the Consectorship. Having personally witnessed the deeds of Jonas Spahr and a half-dozen other Prime Consectors preceding him, Pom has led an enviable life of high adventure—and is a familiar and beloved voice on the home teletherics of countless Un residents. Rumors of his impending retirement have provoked justifiable outrage.

"Backpack"

Teletheric Broadcast Technician, Assistant to Jedediah Pom

Oh, yeah: her. She follows Jedediah Pom around and carries his microphones and stuff. She’s an intern, which probably means she’s paid “in experience.”

Kozma Laszlo

Baron of the Fold Shallows

Ask anyone: Kozma Laszlo is a confident, capable, shadowy, and dynamic figure within the United Baronies. She owns Midst, she owns a lot of other islets in the Fold Shallows, and she probably knows more about you than you do about her.

Imogen Loxlee

CEO, Loxlee Lights

Ever since her husband’s untimely death, Imogen Loxlee has reigned with elegance as the Upper Trust’s Most Valorous individual. As the sole proprietor of her late husband’s industrial empire, Mrs. Loxlee manages to perform admirably as both influential socialite and capable figurehead of the Loxlee brand. Newly re-married to a handsome young suitor, her future looks every bit as bright as her patented lightbulbs.

Hieronymous Loxlee

Valorous Philanthropist

A distinguished philanthropist famed for his humanitarian efforts cosmos-wide, Hieronymous Loxlee is dedicated to spreading the beneficence of the Trust to those who need it most. He travels frequently to disadvantaged islets and occasionally even as far as the Delta to help those less fortunate. As his recent marriage to Mrs. Loxlee would suggest, his close working relationship with Loxlee Light’s owner has grown into something more, and elevated him to the Trust’s second-most-Valorous individual in the process.

Landlord

Good Old Boy

A foldhound of advanced age and stoic temperament, Landlord has been hanging around Stationary Hill and its environs as long as anyone can remember. When he tired of the rambling life, he struck up a sort of roommate arrangement with the local recluse Lark. He’s not her dog, they just happen to live together. No one would dare suggest there’s some kind of affection between the two.