Midst characters

Midst is a science fiction audio drama by Third Person set in a universe divided into the Fold, where it is filled with a tangible darkness, and the Un, where it is filled with crystalline mica. The narrative follows three protagonists—Lark, Moc Weepe, and Phineas Thatch—as The Trust takes interest in the islet of Midst, located in the Mediun at the border between the Un and the Fold.

Main characters

Midst follows three protagonists: Lark, Moc Weepe, and Phineas Thatch.

Lark

Main article: Lark

Lark is a hunter and trapper living in the desert surrounding Stationary Hill in Vermllion County on Midst. She is described as a "crotchety outlaw" and is a gruff older woman of few words.

She is relatively new to the county and lives in a small, sparse cabin with the dog Landlord. She hunts strange creatures that live in the Fold, like blindings. She uses a single red glove that she created to stun and kill them with Fold; experimenting with this glove has inflicted a Lichtenberg-like scar of darkness that runs up her arm to the side of her neck. She is known to tell fortunes by casting objects out of a bag, but she is lying about what she sees in people's futures; she can glean the future for only herself when she casts fortunes for others.

She is on good terms with Sherman Guthrie, who trusts her to look after his daughter Tzila.

Moc Weepe

Main article: Moc Weepe

Moc is Saskia's business partner at the Black Candle Cabaret and is described as a "weird diabolical bastard." He is bald, with very light opalescent skin, which he indicates was the result of an incident with the Fold. He and Saskia are suspicious of Atticus. He is also untrusting of Imelda Goldfinch, but as he is with Atticus, intrigued in the potential business opportunities, and willing to play along. Moc is a mainstay of Stationary Hill and Midst, having lived there for six or seven years. As of "Coda" (Midst 1x12) he had been a partner at the Cabaret for about four years, and is planning to turn it and Saskia over to the Trust. He has a condition that requires he extract Fold-like ichor from his veins.

Phineas Thatch

Main article: Phineas Thatch

Phineas is the second-in-command or Adsecla to the Prime Consector Jonas Spahr. He has short, dirty-blond hair and wears silver armor and carries a mica mace. Phineas was permitted to take the lead in the Ginsberg case, and implied to Ginsberg he had risen from very humble beginnings. He is described as a "freakishly virtuous cultist". As of "Zero" (Midst 1x06), he still has a slightly higher balance of Caenum in his account with the trust.

Residents of Midst

Sherman Guthrie

Main article: Sherman Guthrie

Sherman Guthrie is the bartender at the Black Candle Cabaret. He is the single parent of a preteen daughter, Tzila, who is often at the bar, and he is on good terms with Lark and is her dealer for an unknown item. Prior to arriving in Stationary Hill, he was a bartender in upscale Un hotels.He is a fugitive of the Trust, and was nearly beaten to death by Phineas Thatch shortly before Moonfall as Phineas tried to get information about Fuze's death during the raid on the Black Candle Cabaret. Lark believes him to be dead. He was taken by the Trust, and confirmed to be alive. As of "Security" (Midst 2x07), he had been healed and informed of the fate of Midst, but did not know where Tzila was, and was being kept in Highest Light. He explained to Jonas that he went into Breach because having a negative balance feels like being a fugitive anyway.

Tzila Guthrie

Main article: Tzila Guthrie

Tzila Guthrie is twelve-and-a-half year old the daughter of Sherman. She often sits at the bar sketching the entertainers and is friendly with Fuze, a regular there. She was raised in the Un and was taken into Breach when her father fled the Trust four years before Midst, in the year 620.

Her father asks Lark to look after her during the cabaret's burlesque performances. She is asked by Fuze to deliver a letter to Notary Imelda Goldfinch, resulting in a Trust investigation led by Phineas Thatch. She is with Lark when the moon falls and flees Midst for Sequester with Lark and Phineas. Tzila believes that Sherman is dead, as Lark saw him unconscious and dragged by Phineas at a distance and mistook him for dead, though she does not know details beyond the Trust's involvement. She learns the truth and of Phineas's responsibility while she and Lark are sneaking out of the lazaretto of the Mothers Merciful, and she feels betrayed that both Lark and Phineas withholding information from her.

Saskia Del Norma

Main article: Saskia Del Norma

Saskia Del Norma is the founder of the Black Candle Cabaret and is its co-owner with Moc Weepe. Formerly a follower of the Trust, she became disillusioned with its society and began helped Breached individuals escape the Trust. Her cabaret serves as a front for this work.

Moc ultimately betrayed her to the Trust, and she was arrested by Phineas Thatch in a raid on the cabaret. However, she and the Breached individuals were abandoned when the Trust fled the tearror caused by the moonfall. She survived the ensuing tearror, but it caused her to have two physical bodies while retaining one mind. Ahead and in the wake of the tearror, those who remained in Stationary Hill looked to her for leadership.

She owns two foldhounds named Lloyd and Bartimaeus.

Landlord

Landlord is a foldhound. He has lived in Vermillion County longer than most residents of Stationary Hill, and he is so named because the earliest settled felt "like he owned the place". He is an older dog with jowls that resemble a bloodhound, and he possesses a largely indifferent temperament. He typically lives with Lark in her cabin in the desert outside of Stationary Hill, and she begrudgingly considers him one of her few friends. After Midst was struck by a massive tearror, to which he is immune as a foldhold, he comes into the remains of Stationary Hill and is greeted by Saskia and her foldhounds.

Atticus Concord

Atticus is a former investigative reporter turned businessman who seeks out opportunities to blackmail businesses with illegal dealings. He is new to Midst, and has recently set his sights on the Black Candle Cabaret. He was killed by Moc Weepe after attempting to blackmail the Cabaret first for trafficking escapees from the Trust, and when that did not work, attempting to blackmail Weepe for planning to turn the Cabaret over to the Trust himself. His sister is Meryl Concord.

Fuze Peabody

Francis "Fuze" Peabody is a friendly, charming, and well-liked regular at the Black Candle Cabaret. He wears a poorly fitting but nice suit and has a large mustache to hide his mouth, which is upside-down due to an incident with the Fold. He seems to be on cold terms with Lark. He is also introduced in his first appearance as about to be murdered. Lark murders him after he sends an anonymous letter to the Trust Mission; their final meeting indicates they'd known each other for some time. His body was found by Tzila and Phineas. Phineas also finds that Fuze had broken even in the Trust, and had worked for Loxlee Lights for at least 50 years.

Ettie and Ellie Kerr

Ettie and Ellie Kerr are contemporary dancers at the Black Candle Cabaret. They are identical twins with black hair, russet skin, and brown eyes and are of medium height. They were formerly Trustees and after they Breached they went into hiding on Midst. They have a very close relationship, to the point that they can communicate intuitively without speaking. Ettie generally has a more nervous disposition and speaks more haltingly than the somewhat more assertive Ellie, though both are frightened and unsettled by Lark.

They inquire about Lark's fortune-telling skills and have sought many fortunetellers in the past. They believe Lark's ability to be real (though she is actually lying to them) and are told that two men are in their future. They are intended to be arrested with the other Breached individuals in a raid on the cabaret led by Phineas Thatch, but the raid is abandoned as the Trust evacuates ahead of a massive tearror caused by the moonfall.

Ettie and Ellie are among those who shelter beneath the post office, where they attempt to find a clear frequency on the teletheric and tune into Jonas Spahr's empty statement about the state of Midst. The tearror changes their appearances, causing Ettie to have a longer nose and Ellie to have a broader jawline; both of them secretly wished to be longer identical and are pleased with the change. Afterward, they exit the cave but enter into a "bizarre" argument where Ettie is overcome with laughter for reasons Ellie does not understand. Some days later, Ettie is no longer laughing constantly, presumably through aid from the Mothers Merciful.

Ogden Shearwater

Ogden Shearwater, often known simply as the Postmaster, is the first and so far only postmaster of Stationary Hill. Due to a Fold tearror, he floats. Confirmed to be among those sheltering in the post office. He shattered when the tearror hit.

Emmet Crowne

"Emmett" redirects here. For the Campaign 2 ogre, see Ogre § Emmett.

Emmet Crowne is a bartender at the Black Candle Cabaret. He is a short man with ruddy skin, black hair, and green eyes, and he is described as socially adept. He is a former Trustee and previously lived in Highest Light where he was a co-worker of Sherman Guthrie, implying that Emmet also worked at the Delagny Hotel. He Breached at some point after 13.9.620, four years before the events of Midst, and fled to Midst. His mother Melinda Crowne was a close family friend of Sherman's before Sherman Breached.

Emmet is at the far end of bar when Saskia Del Norma speaks to Sherman about reducing his hours and about trusting Lark; Emmet pretends that he is not listening to the conversation and subtly directs patrons toward him to give them privacy. He is in the cabaret when Phineas Thatch raids it in search of Breached individuals and is arrested. However, the moon falls shortly after, causing The Company to abandon everyone in the bar to flee Midst.

Emmet is among those who remain on Midst ahead of the tearror caused by the moonfall and shelters in the caves beneath the post office. The postmaster brings him upstairs to retrieve Saskia, in case she needs to be dragged back down, and Emmet remarks that Saskia shouldn't open the door for anyone who arrives after the declared cut-off time. When the tearror hits the town and begins altering reality, Saskia thinks that she hears Emmet beautifully singing opera. The tearror also makes it so that he "no longer remembers his mother, nor will he ever again," though he did not realize this for a while. He survives the ordeal and helps one of Saskia's two bodies out of the caves afterward.

Bets and Walter

Bets and Walter are Tzila Guthrie's friends and are about her age, twelve and a half. "Bets" is short for "Betty", "Betsy", or similar. Walter is the son of a builder.

They are playing with Tzila and gossiping about the the Company presence in town when Phineas Thatch, Prime Adsecla of the Company, approaches her to ask after Fuze Peabody. They flee from Phineas and hide nearby behind trash cans to observe Phineas and Tzila's interaction. Walter and Bets are safely evacuated on unships following the moonfall and return to Midst the day before "Exposed" (Midst 2x19). After Saskia Del Norma and Hieronymous disallow Tzila to accompany them to the Highest Light in search of her father Sherman Guthrie, they follow Tzila to the cabaret after she storms off. The three of them conspire to have Walter and Bets take turns impersonating Tzila from inside her bedroom at the cabaret while Tzila sneaks aboard Hieronymous's ship to the Highest Light. They successfully trick Saskia into believing Tzila is still on Midst until after the ship arrives at the city.

Goe

Goe (pronounced "Joe") is a mechanic, bocular engineer, and owner of Goe's Garag. He is seen as dependable and hard-working. After the final "e" on his garage's sign fell off his sign years before Midst, he was so amused by calling it a "garag" that it remained and became an in-joke among residents.

He does not usually allow self-service in his garage, but because he trusts that she knows what she's doing, he and Lark have a special arrangement that allows her to repair her own vehicle. He is in Stationary Hill following the tearror. Because he has the most technical training among the remaining residents, he is tasked with repairing teletheric and underfold communication. Though this is outside his specialty, he agrees to try.

Meryl Concord

Meryl Concord is the sister of Atticus Concord. She has apparently been living in Stationary Hill since before Midst as Atticus says that he is staying with her. Saskia Del Norma finds her to have an edge in her eyes with a "strange, cordial, polite, charming, yet weirdly coded, threatening, mysterious demeanor" similar to Atticus. She evacuated Midst after the moonfall and returned a number of days later. She sought Saskia in search of Atticus, knowing that he had business at the Black Candle with Moc Weepe and that he disappeared before the tearror. Saskia realizes that Weepe did something to Atticus but does not share this with Meryl. Saskia does tell Meryl that she believes Weepe will not be returning to Midst, to which Meryl suspiciously observes, "How nice... for him." She is still in Stationary Hill looking for her brother about three days later. She introduces herself as "Meryl Concord", but it is known that "Atticus Concord" is not actually her brother's name.

Other residents

A number of other residents of Stationary Hill appear only briefly or are mentioned only in passing.

• The maître d' at the Black Candle is an unidentified man in Breach, possibly Melvin Rivers. Though he is referred to by narrators as the maître d', he actually has no formal job title and is uncertain what his role actually is at the cabaret. He is described as "a hateful and angry person" and is dismissive of guests. He is particularly distrustful of men in suits despite seeing many of them. He is addicted to an unspecified drug. He is present in the cabaret when Phineas Thatch raids it for those in Breach.
• Patricia owns Patricia's Cafe, the only cafe in Stationary Hill. She has multiple children. The tearror permanently replaces her secret tendency toward self-hatred and debilitating anxiety with a bright, supportive, effortlessly nurturing inner monologue. Once the tearror passes, she helps one of Saskia's bodies outside.
• Mr. Stex is a regular at the Black Candle Cabaret. Of those on Stationary Hill, he opened an account with the Trust early, before the announcement of the sale of Midst to the Trust, and owns a small abacus of Valor beads. He is among the volunteers who help Imelda open new accounts after the announcement of the sale.
• Melvin Rivers is a Breached individual working at the cabaret. He is of medium height and has brown hair, flushed skin, and teal eyes. He is possibly the unidentified maître d'.
• Natasha Hatfield is a Breached individual working at the cabaret. She is short and has black hair, russet skin, and violet eyes.
• Conrad Volle is a Breached individual working at the cabaret. They are androgynous and tall, and they have red hair, flushed skin, and amber eyes.
• Fiona is a resident whose left leg was turned into a man named Jacob by the massive tearror.
• Mr. Pott has his nervous system removed from his body and taken away by a vortex of lightning during the massive tearror.
• Maurice is an employee at the general store who vanished during the massive tearror. He also disappeared from the memories of the other residents aside from "a weird feeling they'll get sometimes when they look at perfectly-arranged pyramids of fruit".
• Giselle owns the only roofing company in Stationary Hill. The tearror replaces her personality with frogs.

Residents of the Highest Light and the Un

Jonas Spahr

Main article: Jonas Spahr

Jonas Spahr is Prime Consector of the Company. He is tall with long dark hair and a short beard and is typically wearing his gold Consector's armor. As Prime Consector, he functions as the "arm of the Trust" and is tasked with executing its will. He is a public figurehead within Trust society akin to a celebrity. Many years before the events of Midst, he participated in a Trust mission to the Delta, where he brought Phineas Thatch into the Trust. Phineas was later inducted into the Company and promoted to Jonas's second-in-command.

Jonas and his unit are sent to Midst to aid Notary Imelda Goldfinch as she introduces the islet's residents to the Trust. Imelda sends Phineas and other members of Jonas's unit to raid the Black Candle Cabaret without Jonas's knowledge or authorization; when Jonas arrives at the cabaret, his presence unintentionally pressures Phineas into attacking Sherman Guthrie. The Trustees flee Midst ahead of a massive tearror, and Jonas allows Phineas to be left behind despite not wanting to do so. Jonas regrets abandoning Phineas and begins to understand his culpability in Phineas's behavior, especially after Sherman explains Phineas reacted to his presence. After his return to the Highest Light, he harbors increasing doubts in the Trust's mission and his place within Trust society.

Imelda Goldfinch

Main article: Imelda Goldfinch

Imelda is a short, older lady with curly hair. She wears a pantsuit, the blazer of which is covered in sequin-like scales, as well as a sash covered in Valor beads. She is the new Notary of the Trust in Stationary Hill. She bumped into Moc Weepe at the Post Office, in an incident the narrators referred to as spelling his doom.

Demarin Ginsberg

Demarin Ginsberg is a servant at the Fleit estate and a caretaker of Milton Fleit Jr. He worked at the estate for many years, for at least five traversals. He was close with Magdalyne and Nicholas Fleit, Milton Jr.'s parents, before their deaths and described them as having made him feel like a member of the family.

Shortly before "Mica" (Midst 1x03), he Breached, kidnapped Milton Fleit Jr., and fled the Highest Light. He is pursued by the Company under the direction of Jonas Spahr and Phineas Thatch to an abandoned ship trapped on a mica berg, and Phineas leads the operation to rescue Milton. Cornered, Ginsberg reluctantly threatens Milton with a knife, then quickly releases him. He and Phineas subsequently have a brief conversation, during which Ginsberg laments the amount of Caenum debt he has and asks Phineas if he truly believes that no one is irredeemable to the Trust. However, Spahr has Ginsberg arrested before Phineas can answer. During his arraignment hearing, Ginsberg admits that he began engaging in Breach seditionary thoughts and activity after the Company killed Magdalyne and Nicholas Fleit during their Breach attempt, particularly because of the way that Milton Fleit Sr. raised Milton Jr. without memory of their parents and pretended they did not exist. He corresponded with an anonymous Breach contact, who informed him that his position was useful to the Breach. They offered their help in exchange for Milton Sr. Ginsberg failed to kidnap Milton Sr. and, panicking, hoped that Milton Jr. would be sufficient. During the hearing, he identifies Midst as where the Breach takes individuals after they leave the city, prompting the Trust to buy Midst to close in on the Breach.

Jedediah Pom

Jedediah "Jed" Pom is the Voice of the Teletheric, a broadcast reporter and news anchor who is "a cross between a circus ring-master and a radio shock-jockey". He narrates the exploits of the Company, especially its Consectors, and has followed variously a dozen or half dozen Prime Consectors before Jonas Spahr over a course of thirty years. He is considered "an institution in his own right" and is beloved by people across the Un. He is a large, ruddy man with a large handlebar mustache and a pompadour. He has a bombastic manner and is described as "all bluster, all outrageous performance". He exaggerates events he relays to make them more interesting for the broadcast. He is well-recognized and well-loved by his listeners throughout the Un. He is always accompanied by his assistant, who is known simply as Backpack. He is not a member of the Upper Trust.

Jedediah and Backpack are present when the Company unit under the direction of Jonas Spahr and Phineas Thatch rescue Milton Fleit Jr. The two subsequently attend the Loxlee Gala, which Pom is both enjoying and covering for his work. He recognizes and calls over Phineas so that he can introduce him to Meshkala; Phineas is conscious of his presence when Meshkala tries to confirm that Phineas was formerly a ward of The Family. Jedediah and Backpack are sent to Midst with Jonas and Phineas, and he makes the official announcement of Midst's sale to the Trust over the teletheric. When Midst's moon falls, causing a massive tearror to sweep toward the islet, Jedediah reports the pandemonium live, forcing the Company to destroy his equipment on Imelda's orders to stop him from making further careless statements. A short time later, he closely watches an argument between Jonas and Phineas about Phineas's behavior; Phineas believes that Pom will report the details in the next day's tabloids. Jedediah is evacuated back to the Highest Light aboard Jonas's ship.

En route, he badgers Spahr for a statement on the moonfall. Several days later, Backpack says that the Upper Trust put Pom "on assignment" to prevent him from continuing to cover Midst including Sherman Guthrie's situation, which has become a sensitive topic with the public. Spahr finds this situation suspicious. Kozma Laszlo spoke to him over teletheric while she was traveling to the Highest Light to congratulate him on his sabbatical and to confirm whether it is truly a sabbatical. He is present among the general populace at the announcement of Weepe's appointment to Tripotentiary, and he is invited to speak by Imelda Goldfinch to help quell discontent. On the way to the stand, he passes the now-disgraced Spahr and remarks to him, "I always thought you'd be my last Consector, but not for these reasons." In a speech prepared for him by the Upper Trust, he confirms rumors of his retirement, thus this is his final broadcast, and emotionally extols the virtues of Trustees and expresses hope for the Trust's future. This successfully wins over the crowd.

Backpack

"Backpack" is Jedediah Pom's broadcast assistant. She carries on her back the teletheric equipment that broadcasts and records what is spoken into an attachment microphone, which she holds out for Pom and those she's recording. Her real name is unknown to many characters, even to the narrators, and she is referred to as "Backpack" because of the equipment. She is about sixteen and is skinny and underfed. Her account has a Valor balance.

She accompanies Jedediah as he narrates the exploits of the Company, and it stated that it is odd for her to appear alone. She and Jedediah are present when the Company unit under the direction of Jonas Spahr and Phineas Thatch rescue Milton Fleit Jr. She is sent alone to what she and Phineas mistakenly believed was Phineas's breaking even ceremony to record a statement from Phineas about the event for the daily broadcast. She arrives after Milton Fleit Sr. leaves and is the only other person present; she points this out, having expected others to attend. She subsequently accompanies Jedediah to the Loxlee Gala, then to Midst to cover its sale to the Trust. Her equipment is broken by the Company, under the orders of Notary Imelda Finch, to prevent Jedediah from carelessly reporting the destruction of Midst by a tearror any further. She is evacuated to the Highest Light aboard Jonas Spahr's ship.

Several days later, she covers Sherman Guthrie's release from Company custody for the media under authorization from the Upper Trust. When Spahr questions why she is attending rather than Pom, she nervously informs him that Pom is "on assignment" elsewhere to keep him away from sensitive topics relating to Midst. Spahr finds this situation odd. She apologetically records interactions between Spahr and Sherman, even the silent elevator ride to the lobby, but makes the unusual decision to stop when Spahr suddenly and desperately offers to pay off the remainder of Sherman's Caenum debt. She remains silently present as Sherman's account balance is retrieved and Spahr finds that the debt has already been paid by Moc Weepe. About three days later, she accompanies Pom to the assembly announcing Weepe's appointment to Tripotentiary and monitors the teletheric broadcast of Pom's speech.

Milton Fleit

Milton Fleit Sr. is the Senior Notary of the Trust. He is an old man with a serious and grave manner and frown lines throughout his face. His posture is stooped from many years of working at a desk. He wears his Valor as an turban and is often dressed in long robes. He is described as dour and "stone-cold" person, and he is non-reactive and continues to appear composed and level even when others attempt to discomfort him. His family owns an arboretum.

His grandson Milton Fleit Jr. is kidnapped by the family's servant Demarin Ginsberg during Ginsberg's attempt to Breach. Milton Sr. invites Phineas Thatch, who led the Company mission to rescue Milton Jr., to meet with him at the Central Vault. Phineas mistakenly believes that he is to break even, but Fleit simply wants to thank him. When Fleit learns of of Phineas's misconception, he offers to balance Phineas's account. Fleit takes the liberty of adding a gratuity from his own account, but it is not enough to zero out Phineas's account. He then returns to his office, where he and several colleagues are meeting Baron Kozma Laszlo regarding the sale of Midst to the Trust. He attends the Loxlee Gala some weeks later and is accompanying his grandson around the gardens of the Loxlee estate. They briefly speak to Phineas but neither acknowledge Phineas led the rescue rather than Spahr. Fleit ultimately remarks that Phineas has achieved great things, then swiftly leaves without looking back.

Following the moonfall and the Catastrophe on Midst, Fleit leads an Upper Trust meeting about the resulting economic crisis. He invites Prime Consector Jonas Spahr, who was present on Midst, to contextualize events. However, Spahr explains a different Midst incident in which Phineas attacked Sherman Guthrie, a lead in the investigation of the murder of Maximilian Loxlee. He quietly asks Spahr if he is feeling alright because he had gotten "off-message", then swiftly sets aside the murder case as having no actionable items and refocuses conversation onto the economic crisis. Some days later, he summons Spahr again before the Upper Trust to inform him that: Phineas has been discharged; Spahr is removed from the Maximilian investigation; and Spahr will be court-martialed for Phineas's actions to restore public confidence in the Trust's integrity.

Fleit delivers the sentence at Spahr's court-martial, removing him as Prime Consector. The next morning, he attends the public assembly announcing Moc Weepe's appointment as Tripotentiary, a new and temporary sole authority superseding the Senior Notary as one of three leaders of the Trust. Fleit retains his position as Senior Notary, though Weepe subsequently appoints Imelda Goldfinch as Archauditor to manage all notaries, including Fleit. Two days after the assembly, he attends a dinner with Kozma Laszlo and other Trust officials to discuss the moonfall. He promptly turns the initially casual conversation to the moonfall, noting that he spent the past days re-reading the bill of sale for Midst and related documents. He remains "unconcerned and unruffled" through Kozma's blunt forcefulness, even when she states that she is coordinating the Breach and caused the moonfall. When she demands that the Trust meet her requests or face destruction, Fleit explains that only Weepe has the authority to make decisions now.

Imogen Loxlee

Imogen Loxlee is the CEO of Loxlee Lights, a lightbulb manufacturer, and the Most Valorous of the Upper Trust. She is an elderly black woman with long white hair, and she is described as having aged well ("exceptionally well-preserved"). She is poised, elegant, and stately. Over fifty years before the events of Midst, she was married to Maximilian Loxlee, who was then CEO of Loxlee Lights and Most Valorous. She immediately succeed him in both roles upon his murder. She married Hieronymous less than a year before "Gala" (Midst 1x08), and he took the Loxlee surname in reference to her greater social station and renown.

She hosts the annual Loxlee Gala at her estate. Jonas Spahr tells Phineas Thatch that Imogen wrote to him expressing interest in meeting Phineas to thank him for his part in Milton Fleit Jr.'s rescue. Imogen eventually arrives at the gala with Hieronymous and wearing a dress entirely made of Valor beads. She speaks to Phineas only briefly and distantly before moving on to other guests. Some weeks later, she attends an Upper Trust meeting to discuss the moonfall on Midst and plan solutions to the resulting economic crisis. Spahr, who is supposed to deliver a field report from Midst, instead announces that Phineas was investigating a new lead on Maximilian's murder; while on Midst, Phineas attacked Sherman Guthrie in the course of the investigation and subsequently disappeared. Imogen expresses hope that there will finally be justice but supports having Phineas distanced from the case and stripped of his rank.

She presides over a public assembly a number of days later and reveals that Moc Weepe has overtaken her as Most Valorous. She additionally announces that Weepe has been appointed temporarily as Tripotentiary, a new and temporary sole authority of the Trust. Two days later, she hosts Kozma Laszlo and other Trust officials at her estate to discuss the moonfall over dinner, though Imogen is reluctant to describe the incident directly. Kozma states that she is coordinating the Breach and caused the moonfall, and she demands that the Trust meet her requests or face destruction. Imogen maintains her composure and observes that the situation is "awkward" as only Weepe has the authority to make decisions now.

Hieronymous Loxlee

Main article: Hieronymous Loxlee

Hieronymous Loxlee is a member of the Upper Trust and is the second most Valorous member of the Trust. He is also the current husband of the Trust's Most Valorous Imogen Loxlee, whom he married less than a year prior to "Gala" (Midst 1x08); he took her surname to reflect her higher status. He is noticeably younger than Imogen and is described as "one of those tall, dark, handsome types" and as "quite fetching". He is formerly the partner of Sherman Guthrie and is the other father of Sherman's daughter Tzila, though Tzila is unaware of this. Secretly, he is one of the two main coordinators of The Breach alongside Kozma Lazslo.

Maximilian Loxlee

Maximilian B. Loxlee was the owner of Loxlee Lights, a lightbulb manufacturing company, and the Trust's Most Valorous individual in history. He was murdered on 10.6.575, forty-nine years before Midst, on the premises of a Loxlee Lights manufacturing facility. Thirteen-year-old Clara Mire, later known as Lark, bludgeoned him to death with the heatsink of a Shadowbox-class lightbulb, the largest lightbulb Loxlee Lights produces. His wife Imogen Loxlee took over Loxlee Lights and the position of Most Valorous after his death. Lark acquired an amount in Caenum equivalent to his balance in Valor for the murder, resulting in her becoming the Trust's most Caenumous (or, least Valorous) individual. She evaded capture for the next five decades, and by Midst, set in 624, it had been a long time since anyone came forward with information about the murder. Fuze Peabody knew that Lark killed Maximilian, though kept this to himself.

Upon the arrival of Prime Consector Jonas Spahr on Midst during season one, Fuze anxiously writes to Spahr that he had information on the murder and Lark kills Fuze. The note prompts an investigation led by Prime Adsecla Phineas Thatch. Eventually, this results in Sherman Guthrie naming Lark as Fuze's and Maximilian's killer to Moc Weepe, who mobilizes the Trust in search of Lark for the murder to reclaim Maximilian's lost Valor, eliminate the imbalance created by the murder, and fix the economic crisis created by the moonfall.

Olga Costigan

Olga Costigan is a former Prime Consector and member of the Upper Trust. She wears an eyepatch and is depicted in appendices as having black hair with a gray lock. Jonas Spahr served as her Prime Adscela before he was promoted to Consector. Five traversals before Midst, she was dismissed as Prime Consector following Breach activity in the Highest Light and was succeeded by Spahr. She has retired from the Company, though it is not stated if she retired immediately upon her dismissal or remained with the Company for a time (as Spahr does following his own).

During Midst, she attended the Loxlee Gala and later attended "with interest" the Upper Trust meeting regarding the catastrophe on Midst. After Spahr is dismissed as Prime Consector, he overhears other passengers on the public light rail recalling that Costigan was also dismissed following a scandal. He sees her in the crowd at the assembly announcing Weepe as Tripotentiary, and she silently encourages him to keep up appearances.

Imelda's friends

Imelda Goldfinch has a group of five female friends: Penelope "Penny" Antwhistle, Gertrude "Gert" Hall, Lucille, Desiree, and Maeve. All are notaries with Valorous accounts, and they have brunch together at The Heights at least once a week. Imelda, Penny, and Gert attended preparatory school together. Imelda describes Lucille as "the comedian of the office" and Desiree as glamorous and keeping up with latest fashion trends. Penny's brother is also a notary, working on the islet of islet of Gloria.

Imelda invites all of them to brunch with Weepe at the Consector's mansion the day after he is appointed Tripotentiary. All are excited, especially having never been at the mansion before, but Maeve is nervous and shy. They politely do not comment on Weepe's translucent skin nor his blood-draw machine. When he makes a show of announcing that he is appointing an Archauditor, they all enthusiastically recommend Imelda for the role. During a conversation about Midst, a small issue occurs with his machine, prompting Penny to ask if a tearror caused his condition. She pushes for further answers when he explains that he has Fold in his blood. He changes the topic to Desiree's shoes, which excites Desiree, but Gert dismisses it as insensitive conversation when many in the Trust are struggling during the economic crisis. The women complain about how difficult their jobs are during the Valor freeze. Lucille eventually praises Weepe's solution to the economic crisis in hunting for Lark, though all are "too polite" to explicitly state that Lark will be ritually sacrificed if found. Gert is annoyed when an attendant misspeaks Weepe's form of address and is said to be likely to manually debit their account of Valor for the mistake. The brunch ends, and Weepe attempts to send them home with a random assortment of items as gifts.

Other Trustees

A number of other Trustees appear only briefly or are mentioned only in passing. Most of these named characters are members of the Upper Trust, a collection of individuals with high amounts of Valor that functions as a governing body. However, because membership to the Upper Trust simply requires a high amount of Valor, which may be inherited, many are not skilled in governance, politics, or economics.

• Milton Fleit Jr. is a child of an Upper Trust family and the grandson of Milton Fleit Sr. He was kidnapped by Ginsberg and was rescued, unharmed, by Jonas Spahr's unit in a mission led by Phineas Thatch. He later attended the Loxlee Gala under the supervision of his grandfather. He briefly spoke to Phineas but was more interested in finding Jonas to get his autograph.
• Agatha Ledge, inventor of the Incendiary Imaging Device, a massive camera that captures images using mica and electricity and dropping a sheet of metal into acid. The device is incredibly dangerous and sets its immediate surroundings on fire; historically, it killed multiple people with each capture, though fatalities are decreasing. She uses the device to take a portrait of guests attending the Loxlee Gala in "Gala" (Midst 1x08). Kozma Laszlo, en route to the Highest Light, speaks with her over teletheric to arrange for a demonstration of the Incendiary Imaging Device.
• The Miravette twins, younger members of the Upper Trust. They inherited their Valor in an old money-like manner and are descendants of an individual who did a favor for a member of the Upper Trust and received a donated of Valor in return. They recognized Phineas Thatch at the Loxlee Gala and briefly spoke to him, but they quickly and awkwardly moved on. They also attended the Upper Trust meeting.
• Val Meshkala, executive manager of the Family, a Trust organization that oversees Unlifts and brings them into the Trust.
• Speaker Corsovia, a member of the Upper Trust who attended the Loxlee Gala.
• Ambassador Isadore Riley, a member of the Upper Trust who attended the Loxlee Gala.
• Udo, Prime Consector at the time of Maximilian Loxlee's death. At some point, presumably after leaving the Company, he established a wine label. He died before the events of Midst.
• Gretel, a member of the Company. She is guarding Sherman Guthrie's room at the Delagny Hotel when Jonas Spahr and Hieronymous Loxlee visit him. Spahr states to Hieronymous that Gretel is managing the situation here in his absence and instructs Hieronymous to notify her as he leaves. She later guards the assembly at which Moc Weepe is appointed Tripotentiary and is standing next to Spahr in rank. At the end of the event, she observes that Spahr has said nothing for the duration and asks him what he thinks, to which he replies that what he thinks does not matter.
• Arno Delagny, owner of the Delagny Hotel chain and member of the Upper Trust. As the Upper Trusts discusses how to resolve the Valor crisis, he suggests purchasing a new islet.
• Magdalyne and Nicholas Fleit were the parents of Milton Fleit Jr. and the daughter and son-in-law of Milton Fleit Sr. Demarin Ginsberg, who worked at the Fleit estate, stated that they seemed like exemplary Trustees. He additionally remarked that they made him feel like a member of the family. Five traversals before Midst, they Breached and were pursued by Prime Consector Olga Costigan and her Company soldiers, including Jonas Spahr. The precise events after they were found is unclear, but the situation escalated and became violent. In a rage, Costigan killed Madgalyne, who gouged out Costigan's eye as she fought for her life, and Nicholas was also killed during the encounter. Costigan was dismissed as Prime Consector, and Spahr was appointed as her successor. After their deaths, Milton Sr. raised their son without memory of them and behaved as if they did not exist, driving Ginsberg to ultimately Breach himself.

Residents of the Fold

Kozma Laszlo

Main article: Kozma Laszlo

Baron Kozma Laszlo owns all islets within the Fold Shallows including Midst, for which she is also mayor (nominally an elected position). The Fold Shallows is a member of the United Baronies, and Kozma is further a member of the organization's Department of the Exterior. She and Hieronymous Loxlee became the primary organizers of The Breach, a route that smuggles individuals who wish to leave The Trust into the Fold.

During Midst, she meets the Upper Trust in the Highest Light to sell Midst to the Trust. Following the moonfall, the Upper Trust summoned her back to the city to discuss what she may know about the incident. En route, she adds Phineas Thatch to her entourage and attempts to convince him to work for her. At a dinner with the Upper Trust, she identifies herself as a facilitator of the Breach and claims responsibility for the moonfall (though she omits Hieronymous's participation). She gives the Trust one day to agree to her various demands or be destroyed. The next day, she is killed by Moc Weepe, who reveals himself to be the former Baron of the Fold Shallows that she believed she killed. As a result of her death, the Breach enacts a contingency plan to destroy the Central Vault.

Mothers Merciful

The Mothers Merciful is an organization of occult healers with chapters throughout the Fold. The Mothers treat a variety of ailments physical and emotional and also treat Fold afflictions. The local chapter in the Fold Shallows works from a lazaretto by Sequester and is led by an individual called the Grandmother.

All mothers wear black, floor-length gowns with a horned headdress similar to a cornette. Except for the Grandmother, all mothers have covered faces and are largely indistinguishable from one another, though they can identify one another. Mothers are named in a pattern of "Mother" and an ailment or symptom. At least one mother, Mother Trauma, uses he/him pronouns.

Mother Calamity is tasked with preparing aid for Midst. Mothers Anguish and Trauma tend to Phineas Thatch's distress following his abandonment on Midst. Mother Trauma, whom Phineas finds standoffish and mean, is also a specialist in a kind of Fold moth that produces a small tearror as they leave their chrysalis; these moths and tearrors are used in a treatment called eclosion therapy.

Other named mothers are: Ennui, Cholesterol, Fracture, Dissociation, Amnesia, Anemia, Grief, Delusion, Cyst, Malaise, Indigestion, Addiction, and Seizure.

Fold Barons

• Dirkmore of the First Fathom
• Hannigan of the Mid-Abyss
• Priska of the Ebonreef

References

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