The Mansion of E by Robert M Cook :: background information
Eyebolts Gnolls Trogs Saurs Gobules Nomes Fixits Male Motihauls
Pales Deep Wyrms Shallow Wyrms Sapient Jibjibs Helipaths Future Fuzzes in the Hollows Metalmins and robots Ghast Little Floaty Things
Amorphous Ball of Light/ABOL: energy being, believed to be sapient and highly intelligent.
Biters: little creatures resembling 3"-high Gobules (q.v., to whom they are distantly related) with horns or antennae. Baby Gobules resemble these but without the antennae.
Boogiemen:
Bugs: the Nomes (below) speak of an intelligent race they call Bugs who were wiped out in a war, and may well be Ettins (below) under another name.
Demons: very strong and physically dense creatures who are refugees from a dimension where they are under constant threat – some are quite humanoid, others more like isopods, Ents or giant, winged insects. The most human-like ones of all, who can pass for human except for their pointed ears, come from Zark, the others from Fratz. They aren't necessarily malevolent but some go on a rampage after being dragged through from their home world without warning, and/or feel that the flimsy creatures they encounter in the human world aren't really real, just some sort of illusion.
Djinns: like demons but more subtle and less violent, and capable of granting great boons. Come from Zark, and look fairly human above the waist, with the lower body tapering away into a thin stringy extension.
Ecadems: big but fragile creatures who are rare in the Basement as the result of some kind of disaster caused by the Breach,
Ettins: an ancient, long-dead race with superior technology, who kept other sapients in a kind of zoo in the basement under the Mansion of E, and had two brains. Flashback silhouettes suggest that they were 15-20ft tall, and the one individual we have seen in colour was a pale terracotta shade. They were roughly bipedal and had long upright heads which were very wide at the top and nearly as wide at the bottom with a narrow "waist" in between, and with three jointed antennae on the top of the skull, lipless mouths and slits for nostrils. They had tentacles for arms, and thick trunk-like "legs" which each consisted of a bunch of three tentacles grouped together, and they seem to have shimmied along on their "bottoms" with their leg-tentacles spread out rather than standing up on them. All tentacles ended in a bunch of dexterous fingers, and the antennae on the head terminated in little bulbs which were magically active in some way.
Eyebolts: tubby short-legged man-sized bipeds without heads: their brains are between their shoulders, their mouths (with quite human-like teeth) and nostrils are on the front of their chests and their long "necks" terminate in a single enormous eye and a small pair of antennae ending in round blobs: male antennae consist of two straight sections jointed in the middle, while female antennae come as a single piece which curves down towards the end. Individuals are differentiated by the patterns of coloured rings around their necks. Their ground colour is a kind of pale greyish-mauve, and the rings are either purple or white.
Ferns: large, intelligent, fairly friendly carnivorous plants resembling Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Bred by Linus, the combat botanist, possibly from these plants we see in a Nome herbalist's home and/or from these plants found on riverbanks in Moonin.
Fixits: artificially bred creatures resembling Pilgrim or Leprechaun hats, with a single eye concealed in the "buckle", retractable antennae poking out of the crown of the hat, and four legs and a set of jaws hidden under the brim. May be descended/modified from the "third eye" creatures worn by Gobblems in the remote past. Female Fixits are usually pink, and have curlier antennae than the males. By sitting over the brain-cases of other sapients and attaching their probe-like feet, they can commune with them mentally and often take them over and use them as zombie mounts.
Fuzzes: tiny intelligent shaggy-furred bipedal creatures who come in several varieties, and have two-digit hands and feet. The smallest, and the commonest ones we see in Sylvester's time, are predators, ranging from about 2" to 6" across, and look like red-brown hairballs with eyes and teeth, and tiny hands and feet tucked into the fur without visible limbs. Some of these small to medium-sized round Fuzzes appear not to have hands at all, but they probably just keep them hidden in their fur when not in use. They are either spherical, or narrower at the bottom and wider and flatter across the top, and in Sylvester's time they appear less sophisticated than the Smyts, with whom they sometimes seem to be at war. However we do also see Smyts and Fuzzes sharing celebrations as friends, and we do see a tiny Fuzz wielding a studded club, another carrying a flaming torch, and Fuzz and Smyt children dressing up as each other for Hallowe'en.
There is also a big, blocky, violent version of a Fuzz in Sylvester's day that's about the size of a cat, and has clearly visible limbs. We only see one of these, so they must be rare in the Basement, but we also see a glimpse of what look like elongated, Gnoll-sized Fuzzes "Out West", both in imagination and in realtime, and one of them is wielding knives. An In memoriam strip honouring Bob McGrath, one of the Sesame Street crew, features an elongated bright yellow Fuzz who is guinea-pig-sized and appearing in the role of "Big Bird", although that may just be a visual joke. The same strip shows a green Fuzz, and we also see purple ones. We know that in the future, of which more anon, purple Fuzzes, at least, will really exist, but even in the future most Fuzzes are a bright chestnut brown, unless very old, when they go a more muted light liver-brown with grey tinges. At least, I assume the greying-liver colour is a sign of age, since the two Fuzzes whom we see who are that colour are both old: but they are also sisters, so it's possible it's a colour variant. But we do see an unrelated female further into the future, who can be assumed to be mature because she is a teacher, and who shows signs of greying at the tips of her fur.
The people of Spire City in Mechana breed the tiny Fuzzes for size, intelligence and musical ability, treating at least semi-sapient creatures as pets (but you can say the same about Scalpsuckers and Trogs in Audravania, and the Audravanians kill their semi-sapients and cut them up for meat or usable body parts). In Sylvester's time we see a larger-than-usual, squarish Fuzz in the Basement who is kept in a cage like a pet bird, sings in notes tinged with rainbow magic and is a kind of amaranth-colour, a purplish-brown. This Fuzz may well have been imported from the Spires, and may mark the first appearance of the genes that would later separate Fuzzes into brick-brown and purple varieties. We also see a probably-domesticated red-brown Fuzz named Dinger, one of the flat-topped ones, who is used as a bell, although his musical range seems to be limited.
In the future, far enough that in the Hollows Humans and Smyts are mere memories, we encounter a sophisticated Fuzz society with advanced culture and technology: they probably inherited rather than built the technology, but they at least know how to service it. These Fuzzes have a more slender, vertically-extended shape and a distinct head, and we can tell that they have fairly long arms and legs even though they are hidden by their shaggy fur. We can work out that they are about 8" tall by comparing them against the Metalmin 3375, who we know was about hamster-sized before he was converted to a biped. There are hints that the Hollows might be the ruins of the Spires, and certainly these future Fuzzes are descended from the Fuzzes bred in the Spires, and have raised singing to a high art which is important to their courtship.
These future Fuzzes are still mostly red-brown with sandy hands and feet, and in the Hollows the red-brown ones live in what's called the Brick Zone, but there's also a Purple Zone where the Fuzzes have purple fur which forms three antennae-like tufts on their heads, tipped with bobbles which may be actual antennae but are more probably just beads. The Human women in the Spires wore (not grew) antennae and we see that some of the Fuzzes they bred had antenna-like tufts, so these are probably their descendants. Some of the purple Fuzzes have sandy hands and feet, ans some have pink ones. They seem to have a less technologically advanced society than the Brick Zoners.
Brick Zone Fuzzes normally wear hats, but when we see them bareheaded they don't have the antenna-like tufts. There was a folk-hero named Frizzlegarb, of unknown species, who lived in the distant past, relative to the main action of the series. There is also a Brick Zone Fuzz named Frizzlegarb who lives in the sophisticated Fuzz society of the Hollows in the future, wears a hat and a rucksack and is a great adventurer. Legends about the folk-hero say he interacted with a Willigig, so the folk-hero Frizzlegarb may well be the future Fuzz Frizzlegarb, who was carried back through time.
Frizzlegarb is described as a "Fuzz Mk 4". If the little tiny round ones are Mark 1s, and the bigger ones of Sylvester's day are Mark 2s, maybe the Purple Zoners with their tufts are Mark 3s. Or maybe Purple Zoners are Mark 5s and Mark 3 was the flat-topped, amaranth-coloured singer in a cage that we saw in Sylvester's time.
At the start of Part Eight we meet a many-greats-niece of Frizzlegarb's named Grekcora, who is brown with sandy hands but also has two definite antennae, ending in bright green bobbles, and we see a flashback to her teacher who also had two antennae. However, these appear to be artificial antennae which they have adopted as a style in tribute to the Humans of the Spires. There are hints that the Fuzzes of Frizzlegarb's time may be living in the ruins of the Spires, or at least are descended from the Fancy Fuzzes bred for show by the Spire culture; and we see flash-forwards of a future Grekcora whose antennae become more elaborate as her status increases, in the same way that those of the Spire Humans did. Grekcora is fairly round as a chld, but as an adult she seems to be, apart from the antennae, a standard Brick Zone-type Mark 4 Fuzz.
Gargoyles: these are manufactured or artificially-bred, temperamentally shy winged creatures who are bound to the Mansion (or to similar Ettin constructions) and carry out external repairs. Among the things which Sylvester lists as being at roof-level are "gargoyle dens". There is an indication that they are sapient creatures who can read, because there's a door from the interior to the roof which has a notice on either side, on the inside saying "ROOF mind the gargoyles", and on the outside "NOT RooF MIND THE H8MANS".
Ghasts: human-sized, three-eyed humanoids made of slime-mould colonies, with a helmet-like top to the head. They look superficially identical but have hovering bits of ectoplasm ("Little Floating Things") which travel around with them and differentiate them, like heraldic badges or trademarks, and females have a little fleshy tuft above where their ears would be if they were human. Live on fungi and lichen which they are rumoured to lick off the walls, and reproduce in special breeding pools which can be set up in only a few specific locations. When they die their biped form falls apart but their individual cells survive, and carry their memories back to the communal pool from which future Ghasts are grown.
The Gibber: many-in-one energy being(s) who always speak(s) the truth, including about the future, and was/were created out of a party of Gnolls who were overtaken by some sort of magical accident. Appear(s) as a darknes full of half-seen, simplified faces.
Gnolls: smallish, furry, spindle-limbed bipeds vaguely resembling tailless lemurs or baboons, and having a roughly ten-year lifespan. They have a jagged edge to the mouth, yet their mouths are quite flexible, and they do seem to have teeth as well. It is mentioned that part of their anatomy is called a clavin: it must be quite high up as one refers to being "up to [her] clavin" in something. They style their hair very individually as a sort of personal badge of identity,
The Gnolls in the basement, who mainly seem to eat beetles and beans and are at the high end of human intelligence, are substantially brighter than those out in the forest, who mainly eat earthworms. At one point a Gnoll named Cully briefly travels forwards in time, and meets a clothed female Gnoll named Lizshella who is some sort of nun or priestess. She appears to have fluffy green hair underneath a headscarf (although it may well be dyed), and is much bigger than the Gnolls of Sylvester's day – nearly human-sized.
Gnolls have grooves on their skulls into which a Shallow Wyrm can integrate neurologically. This may be a sign of their close relationship to Gobblems, who wore "third eye" symbionts.
Gobblems (or Gobble'Ems in some dialects): roughly humanoid creatures usually shown with snarling, carnivore jaws, large backswept ears and a "third eye". On close examination they actually look like bald, pointy-nosed Gnolls and the extra "eye" is actually a separate, symbiotic critter. Said to have been builders but frighteningly hostile, known only from legend and from palaeontology (and by looking through a Panegate), although we see one working on making a little Fuzz-sized table which incorporates the "MoE" logo of the Mansion (this table is connected to a Willigig, so the information about the logo may have been sent back into the far past). Obviously closely related to Gnolls, if not directly ancestral to them, which explains why Gnolls still have grooves on their skulls which can integrate a symbiont.
Gobules: medium-sized bipedal scavengers, around 4ft tall, who have a ball-shaped body with a large mouth and other facial features on the front of the ball, a prehensile tongue, two rubbery bird-like legs with dexterous toes, and no other limbs or obvious features apart from occasional tufts of hair or simple wattles, and coat-markings. The consumption of new or unusual foodstuffs in front of witnesses has ritual significance for them. They reproduce by producing swarms of tiny non-sapient young only a few of whom survive and become fully conscious, at which point they are taken on by specialised mentors.
Helipaths: very intelligent, genderless, flying creatures resembling a cross between an air-breathing, seven-armed octopus and a helicopter. The rotating blade part on top is called a liftinator; their ears are underneath, among the arms; and they have no mouth,
Horned frogs: roughly frog-like and frog-sized but with extra, retractable features including miniature bull-like horns, claws and a long tail with an arrowhead-shaped tail-fluke at the tip.
Humans: like Earth-humans but with four-digit hands. They are closely related to Nomes, although not inter-fertile with them.
Ichyoids: long-lived, semi-aquatic green bipeds with lobster-claw "hands", and tentacles around the mouth (or under the chin, anyway – it's not entirely clear where their mouth is), ranging from about 8-60ft tall. Many live under the sea but the Riddler lives in what is probably fresh water, and we see some of them walking about apparently breathing air.
Jibjibs: brightly-coloured flying birds, about chicken-sized – outside the Basement they are unintelligent and raised for meat, but the ones in the Basement are often much bigger and are at least moderately intelligent. Some seem dozy and flighty but others are trained engineers or business-beings. Their nostrils are near the tip of the beak, implying that they probe for food. The most common colour is similar to that of a mallard, with the male having a green body, a pale-blue neck and a dark-blue head, and the female being in shades of brown: but other colour variants are seen, such as both sexes being green with de-saturated pale blue heads and necks; the colours of neck and head being reversed so the neck is a darker blue than the head; or an all-over plain blue-grey.
Killer trees: originally bred by Linus, the 14th Earl of E, these look like normal trees but have weaponry concealed behind hatches in their bark, and are able to speak to lure victims to climb them.
Metalmin: Robots of various types. Some, mostly Ettin-made, are roughly human-shaped, have individuality and consciousness and are identifiable as individuals by their differing configurations of antennae: the name "Metalmin" especially applies to these, and is probably a corruption of "metal man". There are others that are less humanoid – including some which look and act somewhat like dogs, and various maintenance and security machines – some of which are Ettin-made and some made by Factor-E nearly 200 years before Sylvester's reign, and which are generally of lesser intelligence.
Motihauls: greenish, hairless man-sized humanoids with strong sexual dimorphism (and pale blue teeth). Females have a crescent-shaped top to their skull, rising smoothly into a pair of hornlike spikes, while males have a more human-like cranium crowned by a bunch of rather rubbery, flexible wattles, like a cross between hair and a coxcomb. The genders live largely separate lives, e.g. sharing a communal hall which is split down the middle and has separate police forces etc. by gender. They are evidently a bit frog-like: the males at least are very good underwater swimmers who are able to breathe in fresh water, and their young are referred to as "tads". They do not have to touch each other in order to breed, so they probably release sperm and eggs into the water.
Mugwumps: froglike bipeds the size of a smallish human, with prominent upper canine teeth like a mammal's, who used to arrive in large raiding parties out of the sea and were seen as a pest, but are now believed to be extinct.
Nomes: small (3'6"-ish) humanoids closely related to humans (although not inter-fertile with them) and having pointed ears; always wear hats; able to perform species-specific magics such as opening up Tardis-like spaces inside tree-trunks, and persuading tree-squids to guard their villages.
Oozes: another type of slime-mould creature, resembling amorphous, man-sized slugs with (usually) one or two eye-stalks, and able to put out tentacles etc. as they please. Able to walk on ceilings, where many cultivate fungi and, bizarrely, wear hats. Possibly related to this organism we see in a Nome herbalist's home.
Pales: dark bipeds about the size of a ten-year-old human child, with a single (or occasionally double) back-swept spike on the back of the head and a vaguely ant-like appearance, who communicate with each other mainly by ultrasonics and gestures,
Queen Snakes: look like giant snakes or air-breathing Moray Eels, superficially similar to Wyrms but not related to them, with scale-plates on the belly and snake- or eel-like faces but with mammal-like eyes. They communicate in a hissing language and have some kind of joint society with the Ecadems. There's one on the security staff at the Le Tree restaurant who seems to be very large – maybe 25ft long.
Saurs: little intelligent, egg-laying, feather-crested therapod dinosaurs with very short thick tails (so it basically just looks as if their backsides come to a point), about child-sized, bipedal and with human-like knees but with the body balanced horizontally over the hips rather than upright. Omnivorous, opportunistic scavengers. A larger, less intelligent, more aggressive subspecies called Sawtooths exists. Outside the environs of the Mansion non-sapient Sawtooths are probably the norm, as we are told that people in Moonin hunt Saurs, and that they are bigger than the Mansion ones.
Scalpsuckers: creatures which resemble an air-breathing octopus with a tufted tentacle on top of the head, and which live by grooming scurf and parasites off other creatures.
Sciencebugs: arthropod-equivalents about 1" long with quite advanced technology – look as if they are wearing mini space-suits and are fanatically religious. Possibly the same or closely-related species as Trundlebugs.
Sessile snake things: so-far un-named creatures, vaguely similar to Wyrms and having the same extreme size-range, but with beakier faces, no apparent mouth and their tail-end attached to and probably growing out of flower-like buds on bizarre plant-like things, with one snake per bud and (that we've seen so far) up to three buds per plant. The giant female we see, Tand, has manipulative tentacles on her head: the small ones, both male and female, do not. We see one plant with two male snakes, Ahz and Skiv, and one which has two males plus a small female in the middle: there is a strong suggestion that Tand grew in between Ahz and Skiv and then broke loose, but also that her tail end is now rooted to something else. The plant-things to which they are attached are called Growths.
Shades: some apparently medium-sized intelligent beings watch The Scary Lady from behind a barred internal window inside the Mansion, and refer to her as The Destroyer: we see nothing of them except their hands and eyes, but those eyes have cat-like, vertical slit pupils and the hands have five digits, which rules out their being most, possibly all of the other species we've met. The Operator called them "Shades". Later, however, we see a hand which looks as if it is one of theirs but has three fingers, which may mean Rob changed his mind about that detail.
Smyts: little skinny beaked and tailed, point-eared biped scavengers generally ranging from about 1"-5" tall (the really tiny ones may be children). They are so small they don't have proper hands or mouths: they seem to soak up nutrients through the skin of the beak, and to manipulate objects with their tiny, pointed arms using static cling. They come in a wide range of solid colours and seem to have a complex and varied culture – we see Smyt monks, superheroes, jugglers, trundlebug-riders (also here), warriors (one in coolie hat, one with flaming sword), Holmes and Watson (plus somebody evidently stalking them), even a Smyt punter for whom the Weirdo seems to be putting on a puppet show. A set of illustrations of ceremonies and holidays in Smyt society shows them cooking, weaving, sculpting, fishing, playing ball games, sailing boats, using seige engines and honouring their dead. The mysterious graffiti-artist Fnord, whose tag is scattered throughout the Basement, appears to be a Smyt.
In the far future of Grekcora's day, we see bright-green Smyts who are a bit taller, around 8", and have proper arms with elbows and two-digit hands, actual tiny mouths, and visible nostrils at the ends of their beaks. It is not clear whether this is a genuine change of form, or merely a design decision by Rob. They always did have two-digit feet.
Sneeches: dangerous, paranoid, very non-human aliens around 12ft tall, who have a quite advanced technology which revolves around growing specialised organic machinery which looks like a cross between a very distorted, squat boabab and a sponge. The ones in the Basement are so-called alabaster Sneeches and are descended from prisoners of war of the Ettins. They seem to be broadly bipedal with a lot of arms, and come in several varieties each with specialised natural weaponry, and given quite arbitrary mineral names: charcoal Sneeches breath fire, which at least makes some kind of sense, and are quite chatty;
Spindizzies: artificial life-forms, friendlier but less humanoid than Gargoyles, created by the Ettins and restricted to the building they serve. They live in indoor service areas, including behind the walls, where they process and disseminate information and keep the machinery of Ettin buildings running. In appearance they are grey-skinned and hairless with large square eyes and a roughly humanoid upper body which trails away into a tail like a djinn's.
Spyders: Shelob with a degree in Higher Mathematics.
Super rocks: some of the boulders in the Hot Zone are intelligent and able to speak: some even grow legs and scuttle about.
Tentacled whatnot: water-dwelling bright green beastie with at least seven long prehensile tentacles. It has a "head" mounted on a long flexible neck, with a small spike or fin on the back of the head and two large eyes which are sometimes dark and sometimes a glowing pale-blue, but no other features or obvious sensory organs, so its mouth and nose if any are elsewhere and it's not clear whether the brain is in the "head" or not. It's clearly highly intelligent as we see one using a mallet, trowel etc. to fill a gap in its ceiling.
Tree-squids: air-breathing, highly predatory giant squid.
Trogs: similar to Saurs but with only vestigial tails [which change design over the course of the strip, from tailless to long thick tails to small, stringy tails] and with a more upright stance – males also usually have little paired wattles or tufts on their necks, just behind the jaw. More agile than they look, and as such able to sleep hanging upside-down from the ceiling.
Trogs reach breeding age at around eight years old and most young Basement Trogs are highly intelligent, but after a fairly long life, probably about thirty years, their lives fork down two alternate courses. They may grow old in a normal way, become decrepit and die. Alternatively they may become as they say "adult", although it's really like a whole new different lifespan tacked on after the first one: they remain physically agile, alert and strong but their intelligence and memory declines sharply, and their previously beakish muzzles become flat. "Adults" then live another complete lifespan as long as the first one, and if they survive to great age their minds deteriorate even further and they become dangerously predatory. Nearly all female Trogs (speaking loosely, Wrawa says 90% but from what Robert has said it sounds like more than that, maybe 99%) die of old age probably at around thirty, although a few live a lot longer (but still apparently with normal inteligence). Nearly all male Trogs change and become "adult": many of them commit suicide when they feel their mental faculties starting to deteriorate.
Most Trogs have lightish-coloured body-fur and darker hair (or possibly feathers), but occasional "darkpelters" are born, with dark fur and light hair. They have a more powerful digestive system than lightpelters and are able to eat slimegrubs, as well as being resistant to Trog repellant. Trogs sometimes form sexual relationships with Nomes, often sub/dom relationships with the Trog as the sub, and darkpelters are especially likely to do so.
Outside above ground humans breed Trogs for leather and it is probable that these domesticated Trogs are neither fully sapient when young, nor hugely aggressive when old. However, intelligent Trogs do also exist in some above-ground regions.
Trundlebugs: these millipede-like arthropods are usually presented just as wildlife, albeit wildlife for which people have some affection: but there's a scene which appears to show a Trundlebug as a student in school, which raises the possibility that they are sapient, and that they might be the same species as the fully-sapient Sciencebugs, or closely related. Sometimes the small Smyts of the Basement ride them. There's also a reference to the somewhat larger Fuzzes of the Hollows riding Peddlebugs: I thought these might be large Trundlebugs, but they appear to be Trundlebug-shaped Metalmins.
Tunnel rats: these are cat-sized, mongoose-like, bad-tempered animals with pale eyes, and are generally treated as pets or wildlife. But we see one named Thesar wearing a shirt and helping a Gnoll technician to monitor a screen, which implies they are at least semi-sapient. There's a suggestion that they may be marsupials.
Wendigoes: cold-adapted, physically delicate intelligences, about the size of a short human and (according to Sylvester) vicious. We see a stuffed specimen (and a soft toy version, and a little horned snub-nosed demon who is said to look like a mini Wendigo) and it looks like a white, snub-nosed, tailless monkey with webbed feet and cow-like horns. The ones in the Basement died when their habitat failed, but they are mentioned as still existing elsewhere, including having a habitat at the Human-owned Spires, and we glimpse them in holiday travelogue specials. We mainly see them with coats of a sort of donkey grey – so perhaps the white is just a winter coat. A Wendigo, portrayed for some reason as pale blue, is the unlikely hero of a popular series of children's books about Willy or Willie the Wendigo. The real ones do have blue eyes.
Wilfs (or Wifts in some dialects): humanoids with long pointed ears and vestigial-looking, bat-like wings – said to have been dreamers but frighteningly hostile, known only from legend and from palaeontology (and by looking through a Panegate). They seem to have had three or more glowing shapes or lights above or around their heads, somewhere between antennae and Ghast Little Floaty Things. The Willy the Wendigo children's books show them with pink skin and three flat shapes, square, triangle and circle, like cards attached to the head on wires: but they also show Willy himself as blue, and a female Motihaul with Human hair, so their biological accuracy is doubtful. Perhaps the three organised, glowing shapes were some sort of wizwitch headgear which concentrated the magical orbs which were otherwise spread out around their heads.
Willigigs: time-travellers, about Gnoll-sized, with two arms, a prognathous jaw, a hair or feather crest on the back of the head and something which looks like Raybans but may be a part of the creature – the lower part of the body is concealed in a sort of organic-looking, tentacle-studded hovercraft which seems to be their time-travel device, but may also be part of the Willigig itself. Protus at one point thinks about the fact that he cannot walk as humans do, implying that he either has no legs or his legs don't work, and we also see an image where Protus floats in mid-air without his cloud and his body ends in a tail like that of a Djinn: but it's part of a memorial image for the webcartoonist John Lotshaw and also shows Rosemary as a centaur, so I'm not sure how seriously we should take it.
Wyrms (pronounced Wee-yurm): snake or eel-like creatures with vaguely human-like faces. They have a complex life-cycle involving two sizes, one about 10ft long and as thick as a human thigh, with very human faces; the other 10" long and about as thick as your thumb, with less human-like faces: as some part of their reproduction the large forms have to ceremonially "eat" the smaller ones in some non-literal way.
The tiny form, called Shallow Wyrms, have a smooth pointed tail which can be used as a basic limb and short but useable flipper-arms; the large ones, called Deep Wyrms, have three short manipulative tentacles on the end of the tail. Both sizes are dotted with little tags which may be vestigial flippers but which don't seem to be useable, and both have irregular, individually distinctive and flexible wattles on their heads which may also be prehensile, at least in Shallow Wyrms. Their range extends all the way down into the Hot Zone in the planet's mantle, and they eat minerals. They are ruled, wholly or partly, by a character called Mother Byng, and laws are enforced by officials called Cousins. In addition most of the Shallow Wyrms, at least, are organised into socio-political units called Rings.
and there were also:
We know the approximate date of its founding because Milo, the 9th Earl of E, became Earl 361 years before the main action of the strip, ruled for 36 years and was the first Earl to convert to the religion of the Brush, which was new in his day. One of the Founding Oracles, Violet, preached in the Northwoods and is believed to have visited the Mansion of E and blessed their earth-stone. Milo may have heard her preach, so their lifetimes overlapped, and we know he converted some years after becoming Earl because he had time to go defeat his neighbours, go on a long journey, meet his future wife, marry her, then later marry her again after they converted. So Violet was (still?) alive and preaching about 350 years before Sylvester's time.
We know that the religion's holy book is called The Words of Violet, described as "the words of the Brush, as given to us by its inspired messengers". Violet represents Knowledge, and travelled around the Near World "tirelessly [relentlessly] spreading the word". The religion spread rapidly, and contributed to the decline of the slave trade.
Daisy, the first Prime Oracle, who represents Order, came from Moonin, and after an event called the Daynight, which is shown as something like an aurora borealis but in the rainbow colours of magical Fire, she made a Trek to Gilad and met the other Founding Oracles there. The Daynight had an unspecified strong effect on people near it. Daisy cut herself off from her embarassingly rustic origins, and only visited Moonin twice under "bureaucratic duress".
Joice, who represents Inspiration, was "a ditz who got herself rather pointlessly killed". Jennie grew a garden, including the contraceptive Stiflebloom, and by spreading Stiflebloom to new areas the religion improved the lot and status of women. Kathryne "sat around on her butt guarding Daisy". Hettie "strode forth to Explore, took darkness, took the unknown and made it... well, important, useful, showed it was part of the Brush". Evangeline was born in the capitol: all of their childhood homes have since been turned into shrines. Paintings of all these women decorate the interiors of the Temples.
Their Creation Myth, as written by Violet and recounted by Sylvester, goes like this: "In the beginning, there was nothing. And then suddenly there was darkness, and in the midst of darkness there was the Brush. And the Brush Meditated on the Darkness and Was Inspired. And the Brush Ignited the Sun. And the Brush Forged the Stars and Hung them in the sky. And the Brush Painted the Wide World and all the other Spheres. And on the Wide World (and Perelandra and Barsoom at least...) the Brush Created Life ... Life in wild variety was Drawn Forth. It was the Dawn." There were many early life-forms that are now extinct but the primary ones were the Wilfs and Gobblems, the Dreamers and Builders, who built their wonders, even on the moon itself, but then they "... fell into conflict. And thus was the Dawn War. And Forests burned, and Seas boiled and Mountains crumbled down. The very Stars were pulled down from the sky." Sylvester says that one might be "a bit of an exaggeration", but given that these people had reached the moon it's probably a memory of satellites crashing to earth. Then the Words of Violet say that the Brush painted the Ettins and Sneeches as direct replacements, but Sylvester says that Violet wasn't a trained historian or archaeologist.
Religious practice is supervised by pairs of ministers: a female Oracle and a male Guardian. Up until about 250 years before Sylvester's time they were itinerant and rode a circuit, but then they became settled and now oversee local temples, under the aegis of a Prime Oracle and Final Guardian at the High Temple of the Brush, which is in north-west Gilad, quite close to the border with Moonin. The High Temple now actually governs Gilad, and though they got absorbed into Yurpsland they in some senses took it over. There is also a very large, grand Royal Temple in the capitol of Yurpsland. Oracle and Guardian take paired, related public names: Chime and Gong; Threnody and Dirge; Omega and Finale; Dandelion and Ragweed; Blackbird and Raven. The Oracle often doubles as the local healer – including midwifery and performing euthanasia if required – and teacher, and if you want to commemorate somebody who has died, you ask the Oracle to light a candle for them, or to assist you in doing so yourself, known as "kindling" (except in Erewhon, where they "don't take to kindling"): these candles are believed to speed the passage of the deceased through the darkness until they meet the Brush and are judged, and there's also what may be a folk belief that the dead journey to the North Pole (following the circulation of magic). At large and busy temples there will be Acolytes to share the Oracle's workload.
Oracles are not allowed to marry, but Guardians sometimes do. In the east of Yurpsland Oracles usually wear a nun-like cowl, but in Moonin amd Moorlock they tend to prefer a tiara. Either way there will generally be a small upstanding Brush on the forehead. However, the Throwback Oracle Omega went bare-headed (and from the look of it shaven-headed, unless she had alopecia). By the far future of the Fuzzes the Guardian is just called a Guard.
In Sylvester's time there are two main sects, Mainstream (benign) and Throwback (harsh fundamentalists who hate magic). Evidently Mainstream won, because by the time of the Fuzzes Oracles are also thaumslingers (users of combat magic). Throwbacks oppose book-learning and believe in sin and a Fiery Pit, although it's not clear whether this is an eternal hell or not, especially as Fire is another word for uncontrolled magic. We know that adherents of the religion believe that when they die they will give an account of their activities to the Brush.
At some point in Audravania (and perhaps elsewhere) there were men who tried to stop women from using Stiflebloom, the local contraceptive. We aren't told whether this was religiously motivated or not, but in Sylvester's time the women of the area have a Women's Circle which is held at the local Temple, and which preserves their freedoms: so again, if the attempt to ban contraception came from an extremist religious sect, the moderates won. Stiflebloom bushes are treated as semi-sacred and if one stops working, as occasionally happens, it is removed in a ceremonious way.
The emblem of the Brush is a thing that looks like a garden rake with five thick tines, but sometimes with the tines painted in rainbow colours, and their grave-markers are generally the same shape. Each Temple seems to have a large, white building with a cross-section like a curvilinear or Reuleaux triangle with a flat base (the Temple proper), with a smaller ditto next to it (probably the residence of the Oracle), a small white cottage nearby called the Guardian hut, a Garden and an Inner Garden. Ideally the white Temple will be made, or at least faced, with a white stone called templestone: we don't know if this is marble or alabaster. The more elaborate, expensive ones have stained glass windows. There is a 3D Brush symbol sticking up from the front point of the roof of the main building of the Temple: the one at Eetown is on a long vertical pole. We learn that the biggest temple Out West is the Triumph temple in Bitler City, followed by the one in Jonetown East, which we see has a huge statue of one of the Founders on the facade.
There is a white plaza outside with objects representing the traditional elements. Those who come to the Temple first watch the flames in a fire-pit; smell the blossoms on a tree (figuratively or, if it's in bloom, literally: this tree is grown from seedlings sent out by the High Temple); taste the water in a pool (some have a plant called a flavour-pudding growing in the water to enhance it); and touch the earth, in the form of a large stone: then if they so wish they sit on an outdoor bench to listen to the Brush. The Brushbench must be made out of "Something Valuable and Precious and Distinctive and Rare": the one in Eetown is made from a kind of pourable, durable Ettin-made plastic, while the one in Rosemary's home village was made of whalebones decorated with bits of kraken shell and walrus ivory. This ritual, known as "Engaging of the Senses", was formalised by an Oracle named Priarie about 100 years before Sylvester's day.
Not long after Engaging of the Senses was formalised, an Oracle named Birchlemon pushed through the idea of marrying in the Pool, which therefore has to be quite shallow. The couple and the Oracle enter the water to marry, apparently naked. Just over 200 years before Sylvester's time, an Oracle named Brittlebush introduced reforms enabling same-sex couples to marry. The Oracles do not approve of people having children out of wedlock. [N.B. in Thull, seeing each other's ears means you're betrothed.]
The duties of an Oracle in Erewhon are somewhat different: Cinnamon Crume wrote a famous book called Clan-Sects of Erewhon, which suggests that different Clans have different religious beliefs and practices. Erewhonians are literate and sex-positive, and some Clans practise group marriage, and their religious buildings are something different from the standard Temples seen elsewhere, with multiple storeys and elaborate exterior shapes. However, the High Temple in Gilad is quite big and elaborate and looks a bit like the Erewhonian ones. Meanwhile the Haroons don't go in for Temple worship and have different marriage customs.
Nomes, who are closely related to Humans but are a separate and much smaller species, also worship the Brush, or at least some do.
There is an annual, autumnal festival called Brushtival.
In addition to all this, senior aristocratic families in Yurpsland are expected to employ a Weirdo, a sort of court-jester, who not only amuses the family but also provides impartial advice and defuses tense situations.
On a wall in the ruins of Eetown-before-the-Crash, we see a graffito that says "THE GODS EXIST". We also see evidence of what looks like surviving animist customs in the back woods of Moonin, with a man wearing antlers, a woman wearing wings and a child with a staff, next to a natural pillar topped with a skull. Much farther west, well beyond Yurpsland, the people of Ackbar build giant pyramids which presumably have some religious import. Iirc the only evidence we have for the worship of the Brush having spread much beyond Yurpsland is a symbol seen in a snapshot of neighbouring Thekla, which looks like a Brush sign but with three upright bars instead of five.
The Cult of Kaylu:
The followers of Kaylu must be broadly the Mansionverse equivalent of Nazis, because there was a musical, written about twenty years before Sylvester's time, called Springtime for Kaylu and we see a "Hail Kaylu" graffito in the Mansion, but the local costume looks vaguely Turkish. At one point a passing Gnoll and Ooze accidentally set off a figure of Kaylu which has an automated voice and it screams
"MUHAHAHAHAHA!! FOOLS! BLIND, STUPID, LITTLE FOOLS! THOU HAST TRESPASSED UPON YE SHRINE OF YE ALMIGHTY KAYLU! HIS CURSE BE UPON THOU! YE MONKEYS SHALL FEAST UPON THY ENTRAILS!"
Non-Human religions:
As mentioned above, the Pales emphatically rejected the advances of Brush missionaries, but many Nomes and some Motihauls are Brush-worshippers, although with differences, including the fact that at least the Eetown-adjacent group have male priests. A long time ago they had a senior priest named Zork, who looks quite scary: but he issued the Edict of Zork, which basically told Nomes to choose names which were "new and cool", instead of drawing their names from a limited unofficial list, so he sounds like a bit of a free-thinker.
Meanwhile Boogiemen revere, and keep secret, a Human book from which they derive all their names. The style of the names – Clive, Percy, Graham, Geoff, Crispin, Bertrum, Bentley, Chumley – suggests that this book is not precisely modern, but not much over two hundred years old either.
The macro-scale non-Humans in the Basement have mostly adopted the religion of the Brush, with varying degrees of orthodoxy. The Gobules, who will eat almost anything, have turned eating into a sacred act.
We get to see a Ghast funeral, where the body of the dead is returned to the Pool they first grew in, there to literally pool their memories. Ghasts are sapient slime-moulds, humanoid grexes, so when they die they don't so much cease to live as break back down into individual independent cells. The ritual goes: "High Pool Third of Batch Three Hundred and Fifty Two [the dead Ghast's official designation]. We return you now to from where you came. You will be stirred back into that from which you once separated, bringing with you sights seen, vistas explored, dreams dreamed. We who shall one day follow you await your contributions to the Official Records with joy and sadness, expectation and terror."
Even those who worship the Brush tend to follow different practices from the Humans. Ecadems, at least the sect to which Fyke belongs, have their names painted on their flanks so that Any who Witness will know who they are. Fyke says "We all be gathered here, this place and time, to serve the Brush. Including Those Who Witness. They not be the Brush's.. emissaries. Those be elsewhere." They believe that the Emmissaries of the Brush live behind the Sun, which inverts into the Moon at night, "covered with Signs and Seals of terrible portent". If the moon were to be breached "something awesome and terrible would be released", but it is the duty of all creatures gathered here to breach the sun, "to reach the Emissaries and show we be ready for the next stage." Fyke, at least, believes that they can literally reach the sun if they build a tower tall enough: but Fyke is a fanatic. This whole concept may be a confused memory of the fact that the Ettins had a moonbase, and the Ecadems were brought to the Mansionverse through an Ettin Panegate from elsewhere. We don't know if the Queen Snakes share these beliefs, but we are told that Ecadems and Queen Snakes both have a "Feast of Thanks", so presumably they both believe in something to thank, and may share other beliefs.
The fact that Gnoll marriage involves a Finagler or Schemer (a male with special genes who acts as a live-in marriage-guidance councillor and nanny to a mated couple) is a cultural and biological rather than a religious thing. But they invest females with the Finagler gene with a sacred and scary authority, whilst also expecting them to live in a kind of definitely-not-celibate convent and take some kind of vow of silence: although that doesn't mean a vow of non-communication as they appear to be telepathic. Their marriage ceremony involves a Tweebowl (although any sizeable bowl or bucket will do), a Tool and a Blossom and two formal witnesses and, if they want whelps, a visit to the Fluffy Foo-Foo Cave. The Bride's witness brings the Blossom and the groom's witness brings the Tool, and their future Finagler conducts the service, which begins by asking each in turn "[Name], do you love [name] and want to be his/her mate?", then "And do you accept me as your Finagler, here to help with the inevitable quarrels, to walk ahead in the gloom..."
We know that perhaps twenty years before the main strip (in the time of Comshaw's grandfather) the Gnolls in the Basement had a Brush-worshipping male religious leader named Father Groat. He killed Sachem, the last of the High Schemers, by throwing him into the Great Chasm, and this has been remembered as if it were some kind of religious act: but actually it was self-defence, because Sachem was trying to knife him. It is not clear what if any sect he belonged to (see below): he wore a brown, hooded cloak a bit like a Candle Monk's habit, but is not shown with a candle.
There are multiple spin-off sects, who worship the Brush but in eccentric ways, and who are often to be found in the Hall of the Brush:
Bloomers carry a flower in a pot everywhere, wear a flower in their hair if any, and decorate a Bloom tree at Midwinter. Mixed species.
Ears of the Brush carry an ear-trumpet with which to listen in on other people, and are considered creepy. Mixed species.
Candle Monks, who wear monk-like robes and carry a candle with them, prefer to make their own light rather than relying on the lights powered by the Tree. They have an Eternal Candle which must not be extinguished (although they do have backups), and racks of lesser candles. Mixed species.
Doomsayers constantly predict disaster, and carry doom-laden placards, often misspelled. All seem to be Gnolls.
The Spelling Guild have raised accuracy to an obsession, and are at low-level war with the Doomsayers. The one time we see a Spelling Guild member at full length, he is wearing a sort of rainbow cummerbund. All seem to be Gnolls.
Ludwigites, whose holy symbol seems to be a wrench, believe in the free sharing of knowledge and worship the great scientist Ludwig who rebuilt the world after the Earl-monster tore it in two, without realising either that he was Human or that he was the heir of E and eventually became the 18th Earl himself. They believe he was a Gnoll, and most if not all members seem to be Gnolls.
In a slightly confused way, we can see that Bloomers are probably followers of Jenny, who carried a bloom, and Candle Monks are followers of Hettie, who carried a lamp.
The young Gnoll Cully gives us a fairly detailed version of the Ludwigite myth: "The Earl 'cracked deep' the earth, to reach the Far-Cave of Yurp. The Demon King? And it caused the world to break in two. The Earl and Yurp both dropped out of the world, leaving flame and rubble behind. And King Opolis set Ludwig to stitching it all back together. It took Ludwig his whole life." They probably imagine Yurp as something like the Operator, who is a real demon king. In reality – for a given value of "reality" – Earl Audra broke the earth while trying to find a military advantage against would-be king Yorik Yurp; Audra and her assistant died; Yorik won and became king; and Audra's son Ludwig returned from the newly-royal metropolis to try to stop the breaking-in-two, then stayed to attempt repairs. We also hear from Faddle, who heard it from his sires' Finagler Berrtin, that there are stories about a long-ago, presumed Human Emperor Ett, who "lived forever" and was "twice as smart" as any that came after. This sounds like a confusion of the Ettins, with their two brains, and Earls #2–#6, whose names all began with "Ett".
By the far future of the Hollows, Frizzlegarb refers to Winnifites or Winnifrites who believed in disseminating knowledge freely, and talks about keystaffs which were supposedly all destroyed "in that Winnifite revolt. When they stormed the Bailiwick." Then Anskatkwet refers to Frizzlegarb's keystaff as "a fake Winnifrite Induction Slotter" which she knows is fake because it's cyan, and genuine Winnifrite ones are "periwinkle, like all their gear", telling us that LizShella's group must be the Winnifrites. They evidently exist(ed) at all sizes, because LizShella is huge by Gnoll standards, while the Bailiwick which the Winnifrites stormed is a Fuzz fortification, or at least the ones in Frizzlegarb's day are. Frizzlegarb's keystaff doesn't give us a sense of scale because it's a staff to him, nearly as tall as he is, but to someone Human-sized it might just be the key it looks like.
We know that Protus was interested in somebody named Winnifred but we don't yet know who she is or was. She might even be a Human Oracle whom we've already met, since we generally only learn their working, Temple names and not their original private ones. We can say that the Winnifrite habits and shrine decor are pretty-much the same two shades of periwinkle as the uniforms worn by E-family servants. Lizshella's hair is dyed green, to look like a Human Haroon, so perhaps Winnifred has something to do with the family of Ilsa Lundquist, who is/was a green-haired half-Haroon and also a former E-family servant. The fact that they believe in sharing knowledge, and wear belts which look like symbolic or actual technology, suggests that they may be a spinoff from the Ludwigites, and took to wearing Eman livery (and a collar like Myrrh's) when they learned that Ludwig was one of the Earls of E.
Among the smallfry in the Basement and Mansion and the nearby forest in Sylvester's time, the Sciencebugs, little intelligent arthropods, worship a Human-made figure of Roshambo as the idol of a god.
Smyts meanwhile have varying levels of sophistication depending on where they live, from simple scavengers living in holes like mice, to highly cultured artisans, artists, farmers, and monks with hooded robes and staffs, holding organised ball-games and festivals, including religious rituals, and fighting in formal wars. We see them holding a ritualistic cook-out at an open-air war-grave site commemorating "All us Leaffolk who died in Second Big Fight with Barkfolk". Their graves are marked with twigs, which to them are like small tree-trunks, set upright in rings of stones.
We see a group in the Basement holding a Midsummer ritual at a miniature henge, in front of a symbolic sun they've forgotten the real meaning of. We see dancers holding a Mexican-style Day of the Dead parade with painted skull-masks (or what pass for skulls if you're a Smyt); and then the next day the skull-masks are laid on real graves, again marked with upright twigs, but this time underground, so the twigs probably come from The Tree.
Some of the Shallow Wyrms seem to have something at least quasi-religious going on. For example, one of their Rings is called the Ring of the Newborn Word, and their guards greet visitors with "Who attempts to overhear the birthcry of the Word?"
We don't know if the Fuzzes in Sylvester's time have a religion, or much of a culture except what they share with the Smyts, but in the far future, Frizzlegarb's people are highly sophisticated,
The Purple-Zoners, who have purple fur and their head-hair gathered up into three antenna-like tufts, are widely believed by the Hollows folk to be "baby-eating unBrush-worshipping savages", but Frizzlegarb, who has visited them, says they love their babies like anyone else and "worship the Brush, in their way."
In Grekcora's time and place, even further into the future, we know that Fuzz Oracles do have a male partner, now just called a Guard, and Grekcora refers to her own future role as "Orcle" (but she's quite a young child at the time, maybe equivalent to a Human ten-year-old, so this could just be her own private mispronunciation). Grekcora is a Fuzz and her Guard, Nart, is a Smyt, but we don't know whether inter-species pairs are the norm in this time. By that point, Grekcora's hat is no longer Brush-tipped and she carries no overt symbol of the Brush, even though she's an Oracle: instead she wears antennae like those sported by Humans in Spire City, except with green bobbles instead of grey, and her Guard carries a shield decorated with what looks like the emblem of the paramilitary group called the Quincunx in Sylvester's time. Their religion/culture seems to be a blend of several Human cultures which existed in Sylvester's day, and no longer obviously Brush-worship.
The only residual signs of Brush-worship that we see in this period are that Nart's Uncle Frim, who trained to be a Guard and then became an adventurer instead, has a staff which ends with four (not five) upright prongs; and the building where The Old Chap, the by-now-ancient Mule 3375, lives is decorated in a combination of his own royal blue and Eman/Winnifrite periwinkle, and has two standards outside that are topped with three jagged prongs. And the colour may not be significant, because the periwinkle of his house isn't a whole lot different from the shade of 3375's limbs anyway.
List of publications mentioned
Published books:
13 Doctors: book collected by Heffston.
Along the Root Canal: Human book belonging to Agita.
Applesauce Cake Recipes of the World: book in E-family library.
Arch–Texture: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Arm's Length: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Audacity: book in E-family library.
The Bacon Concurrence: book read by Sylvester at university.
Balasubrahmanyan: book in E-family library.
Balloon Juice: book in E-family library.
Bath Tubs of the World: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Bester's Catalogue of Institutions by Bester: lists universities and similar.
Beyond the Splintered Sea by Rawat: travelogue by Zandulan explorer who visited Solla Sollew.
Bigby: book in Digger Odel's hidey-hole.
Bism, Lahar and Symm: series of books on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian. These are the names of Polarite provinces, but we were previously told the middle province was Mahar, not Lahar.
Blintzs of Upper Slubovia by (probably) Bernard Doolittle: book in E-family library.
Boss Exchange: sample book seen in stack imagined being carried by Rosemary, possibly apocryphal.
A Brief History of Erewhon Volume One (so there must be at least a Volume Two) by Cinnamon Crume: ethnographic text.
A Brief History of Erewhon Volume Two (existence implied by Volume One) by Cinnamon Crume: ethnographic text.
A Brief History of Yurpsland by D Durand: history textbook.
Bully Frapple: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Burnt Bounty by Horace Pitt: novel involving time-travel.
Chalk Blocks: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Child Health: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Clan-Sects of Erewhon by Cinammon Crume: very dry ethnographic text. Crume wrote around six books.
Codex of Eventful Visitations by Rakshasa Vetala: catalogue of demon encounters written by a Zanduan researcher.
Common Bestiary: catalogue of animals of the Known World.
Ye Compleat and Illuminated Historie of ye Mosses and ye Lichens by Obadiah Wuttgutt: famous botany textbook.
Con–Struts: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Conquest and Triumph by Rufinus I: excellent military history by a major genius.
Consign Mints: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Convict of Hassenstadt: book on Sylvester's desk.
Cookiedice: book owned by Nitfol's father.
Crazy: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Croissants of Sirap by (probably) Bernard Doolittle: book on Sylvester's desk.
Crullers of Mechana by Bernard Doolittle: book in E-family library.
The Crystal Towers by Caccitore: ethnographic study of Coradine.
Cu-Toff: book in E-family library.
Cyclopedia of Night Beasties by Obadiah Wuttgut: bestiary cum combat-training manual.
Dark Gardens of Ulethec: book in E-family library.
Deadly Clots by APS: book in E-family library.
Festival of Popular Delusions: book in E-family library.
First Contact: book Sylvester read at university.
Fritters of Lower Slubovia by (probably) Bernard Doolittle: book in E-family library.
Dictionary by High University of Azimuth: considered authoritative.
Dictionary by Ianjay: decent, but not as good as the Azimuth one.
Disquieting Rumors: book read by Rosemary while researching the Chaos Key.
Down the Up Stairs: book in E-family library.
Eat What You Want: Human book belonging to Agita.
Enraged Waterfowl 1 by Ronald Ruck: book in E-family library.
Enraged Waterfowl 2 by Ronald Ruck: book in E-family library.
Ethics of Memory by either Schmetterling or Sofostypos: work of philosophy being discussed by Nimue and Sylvester.
Explaining ye Joke: Weirdo textbook.
Fact Book: book read by Rosemary at Edwird's house.
Famous Paintings in History: book read by Rosemary at Edwird's house.
A Firm Foundation: very large book, or possibly box, at Rhid's place/Leny Hall.
Flight Along the River Yann: novel or travelogue which accurately describes Tree-Squid.
Following the Sneechmen by Sylvester Minkybeen: about workers in Wirtvale who gather (loot?) salvage from Sneech dens. While working on the sequel, the author was killed by a Sneech of a kind he hadn't encountered before.
Frost Fox: Bridge of Thorns: one of a series of trashy, historically inaccurate thrillers based on the life of John Harfang, publised by Pandemonium Press.
Frost Fox: Cliffs of Lunacy: as above.
Frost Fox: Fleet of Doom: as above.
Frost Fox: Guild of Sharks: as above.
Frost Fox: Tower of Thunder: as above.
Gambling the Pass by Ozymandius Bildgewater: about the gamblers in Nye before the Crash.
Genius Bruiser: book in Crispin's study.
Genius Loci: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Gingerbread: book in E-family library.
Gobbler's Knob: book on Rosemary's desk.
Ye Growths of ye Deepest Banyons: rather innacurate book on plants of the Deep Jungle, which nevertheless inspired the young Linus.
Habitats: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Hack 'N' Slash Heroing Manual by Parkdaddle: combat-training manual.
Halfway There: book collected by Heffston.
Happyology: unknown important book we see somebody, possibly Mortimer, reading.
Here There Be Demons: treatise on demonology read by Sylvester while researching Myrrh.
Hope: book in E-family library.
Hot Air: book in E-family library.
Hot Air 2: book in E-family library.
How to Kille Insects: book in E-family library.
Howard Kaboom: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
I Am in Control: book collected by Heffston.
Idioms and Notions of Thembria by Dunder & Spiggot: book in E-family library.
Ignored Epiphanies: book on Sylvester's desk.
Imaginary Holidays: book in Amos's study.
Imbolic's Incantations by Imbolic: textbook of magical theory and practice.
Inane Answerings: book on Sylvester's desk.
Inner Beauty: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
The Intricate Balance by Milo Eman: famous treatise on philosophy and military strategy. Milo wrote dozens of books (or scrolls).
Island Escape by Royland Hinkley: book in E-family library.
Just Visible: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
LED Classics: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Lhuneshine by June Feevth: book in E-family library.
Lo The Plow Shall Till The Soil Of Redemption by Stevenus R. Barkin III: immensely long, turgid, moralising bodice-ripper. Characters include Algernon Reginald Jones, the gung-ho hero; Celia Phahann, the love-interest, with long, blossom-tinted hair; Mortimer Gree, a nasty brat who pulls wings off flutterbys, grows up to be the villain and dies in a fall; and Alva the Tomfool, who wears a ridiculous hat and pops in and out of the story pretending to be stupid.
Mannerheim: book in E-family library.
Math Made EZ: book read by Rosemary at Edwird's house.
Minions: sample book seen in stack imagined being carried by Rosemary, possibly apocryphal.
Northwoods Narrative by Austin Blevin: ethnographic text concerning Audravania.
Official Threats Compendium: government manual of dangerous persons and artefacts.
Out Like a Lamb: book collected by Heffston.
Pasta Artists of Incana: cookery book read by Quincy's wife Agnes.
Perihelion: book on cupboard in Amos's study.
Philanthropic Entrepreneurship: guidebook read by Frederick as Regent.
Princes of the World: book given by Dorn II to Heffston.
Puddifoot: very large book, or possibly box, at Rhid's place/Leny Hall.
Question of Culpability by Akkcam: history of the rise of the Kaylu cult in Tomania.
Return to the Festival of Popular Delusions by Apple: book in E-family library.
Rich Radiant Romance: trashy novel or short-story collection being read by Ida.
Road Map: book Sylvester read at university.
Rosesugarorange: very large book, or possibly box, at Rhid's place/Leny Hall.
Running Tailor: book in E-family library.
Ruratana: A History: book on Sylvester's desk.
Scientific Gleaning by S K Rounge: agricultural text.
Secrets of the Scarfmen: An Acurate and True History of Whovian College by Frank N. Cince: non-fiction history of Whov8ian College.
Serendipity School by Gonagall: not very accurate account (whether fact or fiction we aren't told) of university life.
Sex is My Adventure: book in E-family library.
The Shaftrunner by Ridley Mayflower: book in E-family library.
Singh: book in E-family library.
Skin Deep: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Socks: book owned by Nitfol's father.
Spiderspeak: book in Amos's study.
The Spires of... [Mechana, presumably] by Owen Gregiry: classic travelogue by a Yurpslander about a long-ago visit to the Spires.
Stones of Kroke: book about the Sculpted Isles.
Summer of Kaylu by Hawthorne Philkick: alternate history novel.
Tales From the Trees by Austin Blevin: folk tales of Audravania, many of them concerning Frizzlegarb.
Tales of the Far Eastern Shore by, or at least concerning, Nicole Pakson.
Think Made EZ: cognition aid read by Quincy at university.
The Thricklefork Demon Massacre by Lobcock: sensationalist historical account, written at least 12 years before the Crash because Frederick had read it before he summoned Myrrh, which we know happened a little over ten years before the Crash.
Tobin's Thaumology by Tobin: authoritative textbook of magical theory and practice.
Torrents: book collected by Heffston.
Trelawney: book in E-family library.
Twit Mix: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
A Walk in the Park: book collected by Heffston.
Walking: book Sylvester read at university.
Water by Williwaw Squamish: book in E-family library.
Weird: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Weirdos: sample book seen in stack imagined being carried by Rosemary, possibly apocryphal.
Willy the Wendigo: whimsical children's books about a blue Wendigo and his friends, who include a pink and blue spider; a rock with eyes; something like a green female Nome that may be meant to be a Gobble'em; and a male Wift/Wilf.
Willy Visits the Fire Caves: as above.
Wind by Williwaw Squamish: book in E-family library.
Wines of Abalone: book on Saffron Stout's desk. Possibly by Bernard Doolittle who wrote the [Cakes] of [Place] books.
Wings of Chaos by Schmetterling: book on Chaos Theory by Niblungian philosopher.
The Words of Violet: holy scripture.
Wrapped Bubbles: book read by Rosemary at Edwird's house.
Wunnerful: sample book seen in stack imagined being carried by Rosemary, possibly apocryphal.
The Wyvern of Honaly: book in E-family library.
Yo Yo by Ian 'Bonza' Bolik: book in E-family library.
You Matter to Me: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Yurpsland Beastiary: book read by Rosemary at Edwird's house.
Zumbooruk: A Novel of the Djinnwaste: not very accurate, but popular in Yurpsland.
Books with unknown titles, miscellaneous documents etc:
EBOMSTWKYD: lettering on spine of book/journal in which Sylvester reads about the Ettinworks: possibly notes by Griffington's chief assistant tinkerer Krell.
HP AE IN RC I L S: lettering on spine of book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian.
Authoritative textbook on tesseracts by Danial Khvolson of Spire City. Readman and Billsmith: trickster stories of some kind, including Readman and Billsmith go to Aruba, but it's not clear whether they are books or orally-transmitted traditional stories. Diary of Mario Semidemela's expedition to the Terrific Ocean. Memoirs of Yorik I: very dull. Various atlases are mentioned without details: there's one in Sylvester's office, just labelled Atlas. There is a suggestion that Kipling's Just So Stories exist in the Mansionverse in some form, including The Cat that Walked by Himself: the young Crud encounters "A real cat, just like in Crispin's book. Walking alone." Agita possesses a Human book which contains (to the bafflement of her daughter) the words "Prairie", "Snowflake" and "Birchlemon", all names of Prime Oracles. It could be A Brief History of Yurpsland or could be an unknown book specifically about church history. The Boogiemen possess, and revere, and keep secret a Human book from which they derive their names. We know nothing about it except that it's written in English (or the Audravanian equivalent) and probably not less than 70 or more than 250 years old, because they derive from it only-slightly-old-fashioned-sounding names such as Crispin, Bentley, Bertrum, Chumley, Graham, Percy, Rodolph, Clive and Geoff. Digger Odel has books labelled Yes, Maybe and No in his hidey-hole, but they are probably files of ideas rather than books as such. Sylvester has numerous books in his office which I haven't listed, because they look like files on different companies and stocks, rather than written texts. Plays: All Hail the Crimson King. Big Brother is Watching You by Eric Blair. Bracken by Ernest Eman (about the witch Arianya of the Brackens). The Exploits of Marty Graw by Burr B Street. The Healer's Assistant. It's Magic Magic Baby by N Bunson. Nature Debt. Phallic Object by Stanton Sardoodle. Famously racy play, contemporary with Ernest. Roshambo on Ice The Sand Star by Stanton Sardoodle: includes a scene with a ship in a bottle which was suggested by Ernest. Silver John by Fem D Sk.... The Shaft Runner: a Tale of the Brush by ...nt. Simchat. Situation Awareness. Springtime for Kaylu by Maxwell Rivers. Written thirty years after the Crash. Theirs not to make reply // Theirs not to reason why // Theirs but to do and die by Tennis Trahouse. Tolerance by Dillon Wagner. Zumbooruck by Stanton Sardoodle, adapted from the novel. Periodicals: The Elucidator: newspaper from before the Crash. The Globe: newspaper from Glome. Puddleby Post: sensationalist tabloid at the time of Griffington's death. The Times: newspaper from the capitol. Seems to be the Paper of Record for the government. Roshambo the Warrior-Beetle by Alex Linderhoff: comic strip (characters include Roshambo the Warrior Beetle, the wizard Frowgler the Horned Frog, Slasher, Naif and Arax). Taken over by Alex Jr.. Published in The Times, and as collections. The Return of Frowgler by Alex Linderhoff: graphic novel. Tome of Royal Succession: Yurpsland equivalent of Debrett's Peerage: an update called The Fully Comprehensive Abbreviated Summary is posted to subscribers every year. Unity: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian. There are three copies, with no volume numbers, which suggests a bound periodical (as well as a visual pun). Identification charts: Clicking on any image takes you to the strip it came from. Eyebolts, distinguished by neck-rings ♂ Faldstool, Nevus's receptionist ♂ Faldstool again, incorrect variant ♂ on Barter Hall Information Desk ♂ Gosypiboma, Telic's receptionist ♂ Mondegren, assistant to Council (showing teeth) ♀ guest fleeing fight at Le Tree ♀ guest fleeing fight at Le Tree ♂ used as example in Weirdo's report ♂ group of skritchers ♂ Inspector Petyphrog of the Anti-Weirdness Squad ♂ skritcher Trugabely, Weirding ♂ Spatchcock, manager at Le Tree ♀ Flibbergib, aide to Agita ♂ Poyndext, mathematician at Observatory ♀ Suscalva, mathematician at Observatory ♂ mount of Fixit Peex ♀ Witherward, Council's receptionist; also shown with white central band which should probably be canon, otherwise her markings are the same as Evulgate's ♂ Preznit, head of Council ♀ Philodox, door-guard at Root Hall ♂ Giddhom, Scrutineer at Root Hall ♀ Frampold, Scrutineer at Root Hall: the lowest band here is a cloth tie holding her hat on ♂ Peripatet, Visitor Escort at Root Hall, prospective mate of Glossolalia ♀ scribe working under Ogdoad at Root Hall ♂ scribe working under Ogdoad at Root Hall ♀ Nikhedonia, working for Sina ♂ Ogdoad, official at Root Hall ♀ Scrutineer [?] in Egress Zone at Root Hall ♂ Enchiridon, door-guard at Root Hall ♀ Hypothimia, Scrutineer at Root Hall, mate of Brimborion ♀ possible Computation Transporter at Root Hall ♂ Symposiarch, messenger at Root Hall ♀ Pulvinar, clerk who substitutes message, also door-guard, at Root Hall ♀ Loomboggle, well-known Healer ♂ Fremescent, to whom Evulgate reports ♀ Evulgate, spying on the Hall of the Brush ♀ Simplicity, knowledge repository at the Spires Unknown ♂ as an indigenous native spied on by Tuttle Unknown ♀ as an indigenous native spied on by Tuttle Unknown ♀ enjoying the beach ♀ Fidginfain, daughter of Epinkion, riding on Gobule Doss Gnolls, distinguished by cut and colour of head-hair ♂ Niddle, Finagler to Comshaw and Camora ♂ Comshaw, Poker, mate to Niddle and Camora: has a scar on the back of his bare head Young ♂ Comshaw, while he still had hair ♀ Camora, mate to Niddle and Comshaw ♂ Scarrow, Poker in Barter Hall ♀ Ratch or Wratch, trader ♀ Comshaw's mother, assistant to healer Telic ♂ Wunk, Council member, brother of Boffin ♂ Sprocket, partner of Heliopath Flange, mate of Sina ♂ Faddle, failed Finagler, trader, friend of Gobule called Bung ♂ Snerd, Shona's mate ♂ Muscod, on way to mushroom auction ♂ Pizzle, on way to mushroom auction ♂ Clochard, mate of Anathama ♂ Troat, buying weapons ♂ Furphy, son of Agorn, Awen and their Finagler Denthir, possibly deranged ♂ Dap, friend of Gobule Tuft ♂ Krink, in bucket chain ♂ Niff ♀ Mimsy, bearer for Nevus ♀ Sina, function organiser, sister of Shona, mate of Sprocket ♀ Irnissa, fleeing Le Tree ♂ Skoil, arrogant young Poker ♀ Skuy ♀ Skuy from rear ♂ forest-dweller used as example in Weirdo's report ♂ Blit, attached to Observatory Unknown ♂ Beebler on Mr Hand's screen ♂ Scruffy ♂ Frag (a.k.a. Fraggelton) defending Le Tree ♂ Blem, defending Le Tree with Frag: has scar on right cheek as well ♂ Forfind, litter-brother of Findfor, defending Le Tree with Frag ♂ Findfor, litter-brother of Forfind Unknown ♂s during the Nome War Unknown ♂ with Shiv during Nome War Unknown ♂ begging Compline to lead during Nome War ♀ mother of Compline ♂ healer treating Compline as a child ♂ Compline, injured in childhood accident, general during Nome War, mate of Caytid, grandfather of Comshaw ♂ Compline in profile ♀ Caytid, archer, mate of Compline, grandmother of Comshaw ♂ Shiv, Compline and Caytid's Schemer ♂ magicker, losing his magic in the Crash while fighting tree-squid ♂ innovator, using a periscope during Nome War ♂ showing bow to Caytid during Nome War ♂ soldier during Nome War ♀ archer during Nome War ♂ knifegnoll leaping on Nome soldier during Nome War ♂ being rescued by knifegnoll during Nome War ♂ looking at the Nome dead during Nome War ♂ looking at the Nome dead during Nome War ♀ archer during Nome War ♂ fleeing during Nome War ♂ winning during Nome War ♂s hunting Nomes at end of Nome War ♂ combatant during Nome War ♂ fleeing Sneeches during Nome War ♂ alarmed by Sneeches during Nome War ♀ archer after Nome War ♂ Erud, security at Le Tree ♀ Shona, assistant to Nevus, sister of Sina, mate of Snerd Unknown ♂ having a bad day at Le Tree Sensible ♂ Gnoll technician working with Carpin ♂ Carpin, who blew up a large batch of blastbulbs ♂ Crazy Rhid, inventor and pyromaniac ♂ parent? of Shona and Sina ♂ Agorn, gopher for Agita ♂ Boffin, Poker, friend of Comshaw, Nitfol and Ig, brother of Wunk, had huge feet Unknown ♀ Beebler ♂ Comfrey, Comshaw's father ♂ Clerihew, Comshaw's parents' Finagler ♀ Folla ♀ Delfa, littermate of Carmal, in bucket chain ♂ Timf, in bucket chain ♂ Wittol, Finagler to ♂ Belmay. ♀ Catmorlo Unknown ♂ quarrelling with Trog, seen again at Fixit information desk ♂ Altholen, mad scientist ♀ Anathama, mate of Clochard, grandmother of Mimsy ♂ Cerbis, door-guard at Skibble's place ♂ forest-dweller Scrof ♂ forest-dweller Louch, cousin of Comshaw ♂ Bokonon Unknown ? used as example of oppressed masses ♂ Satyrsong ♂ Kottle, healer ♀ Pergola, warren-mate of Skuy's (also seen previously in silhouette here and here) ♂ Burtgum, predecessor of Rhid ♂ Finimbrun Unknown ♀ mount of Fixit "Beauty" Unknown ♂ mount of Fixit "Age" Unknown ♂ mount of Fixit Pirax ♂ Bivit, Comshaw's maternal grandfather portrait of ♂ Bivit, Comshaw's maternal grandfather, in old age Unknown ♀ and ♂? in artificial Saur habitat Unknown ♀ fleeing Sneeches ♀ Widdendreem, mount of Fixit Snufix Unknown ♂ 3rd-best Finagler after Niddle and Wittol ♂ Mafick, partner of Lepid ♀ Lepid, partner of Mafick Unknown ♀ example of good Gnoll hearing ♀ Termagant, guard serving Agita Unknown ♂ Finagler ♀ Varuna, guard at the Crescent Hall end of the Last Bridge ♂ Scibile, guard at Crescent Hall ♀ "Placettes" with Faddle ♀ Fanga, archer, with Shabash ♀ Shabash, first seen here with archer Fanga ♂ Pliskin, "crazy scary" – also appears here ♂ Cully, new boy in SubShaft 44f, boyfriend of Skuy ♂ Chunner, cynical veteran in SubShaft 44f ♂ Chunner, rear view ♂ Crud, mad botanist in SubShaft 44f ♀ Difonia in SubShaft ?? ♀ Dandilli in SubShaft ?? ♀ Dipsoma in SubShaft ?? Unknown ♂ in SubShafts ♀ engineer Callithump in SubShaft 44a, former mate of Rhid Cully and his sister as young whelps ♀ Tuttle, mysterious rebel: usually she wears a miner's helmet, and sometimes an eyepatch ♀ LizShella, giant Gnoll nun in future with Mr Flip ♂ Imbosk in SubShaft 32g: a companion called Ignavia has not yet been seen ♂ Impavid in SubShaft 32g ♂ father of Agorn (or his parents' Finagler?) ♂ Agorn as a whelp ♀ mother of Agorn ♂ Bromir, knowledgeable about Root Hall Unknown ♀ with glowgem in wooden chest ♀ Lawnja, warren-mate of Skuy's ♀ Irnissa, warren-mate of Skuy's (also seen previously fleeing Le Tree, and in silhouette in a group with Pergola) ♀ Hiltsa, warren-mate of Skuy's ♀ Piranom, warren-mate of Skuy's – the long "tails" either side are twin pigtails or pony-tails of hair: another warren-mate named Ambri has so far been seen only as a hand ♂ Deodand, formerly part of The Gibber, also seen in silhouette being absorbed by it/them ♀ Proda, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d ♀ Palptat, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d (previously seen in silhouette) ♀ Pok, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d with Palptat and Proda Unknown ♂, lives in SubShaft 44j Unknown ♀, lives in SubShaft 45d ♂ Vonbrawn, lives in SubShaft 44h ♂ Oppen, lives in SubShaft 44h ♀ Carmal, littermate of Delfa, previously seen in silhouette being repelled by repeller here. Unknown ♀, delivering boxes of beetles to Le Tree ♂ Father Groat, religious leader ♀ Bujold, water seller ♂ Berrtin, Finagler to the parents of Carmal and Delfa ♂ Swodswal (hair only); same age as Niddle. ♂ one of Pergola's parents Unknown ♂ buying Crudbean-contaminated plant: could possibly be Pizzle with squashed hair ♀ Kashkavala, animal trainer and experimental food technician ♂ Skritch, seen fishing on memorial piece for Patrick McManus ♂ "Ticktockgnoll", seen on memorial piece for Harlan Elllison, pointing at Tuttle who is wearing a Harlequin's hat Unknown ♂ seen spying on Nome miners Unknown ♂ Doomsayer in Hall of the Brush Unknown ♀ Beebler in Hall of the Brush, possibly the same one as here. Unknown ♂ Spelling Guild member in Hall of the Brush Unknown ♂ Doomsayer in Hall of the Brush ♂ Ghodird, in SubShaft 44h with Vonbrawn and Oppen Unknown ♂, a father and probable mate of the female with the Glowgems ♀ mother of Irnissa ♂ father of Irnissa ♂ Finagler of Irnissa's ¬parents Unknown ♂ eating Thanksgiving meal with Tuttle and two Wyrms Unknown ♀ lighting Menorah ♀ Dimpchada, telling colleague she is late decorating a tree ♀ colleague of Dimpchada, telling Dimpchada she is early decorating a tree ♀ teaching class of Smyts, Fuzzes and a trundlebug ♂ father of Boffin ♀ mother of Boffin Unknown ♀ Gnoll bell-ringer Unknown ♂ cartoonist, working on an endless production line. Rollerblading ♀ Gnoll commemorating Rob's cousin Elaine Hendrickson. Example of ♂ Finagler Unknown Force-wielding ♀ Gnoll for May the Fourth Be With You ♀ mother of Louch; presumed sibling of one of Comshaw's parents ♀ Placette seen deriving information by tapping on crystals with a mallet ♀ Placette seen listening to comrade who is deriving information by tapping on crystals with a mallet Unknown ♂ watching Sylvester's party arrive in Basement ♂ Belkoff, Finagling instructor who taught Niddle, Faddle and Wittol ♀ AnoSima, a nun serving with LizShella at SubShrine 44f ♀ commemorating Rob's mother Trogs, distinguished by hairstyle and by colour of pelt and crest Unknown adult ♂ by lift ♂ that the Trog by the lift used to be before he Changed ♂ Mulch and Grind, bodyguards to Faldstool, Nevus's Eyebolt receptionist ♂ Fratch, Candle Monk Unknown ♂? fleeing Le Tree ♂ Grum, fleeing Skoil ♀ Wrawa ♂ Ambit, soldier on Hpobfvfr's squad Unknown ♂ soldier on Hpobfvfr's squad ♂ Leny ♂ Kronk ♂ Odum ♂ alarmed by Sneeches during Nome War ♂ Orfis, gopher for Nevus ♂ Raver brothers, violent criminals ♂ Mowder, assisting Sina Unknown ♂ and ♀ lovers ♂ Grak, in bucket chain – first seen here ♂ Grik, in bucket chain – first seen here Unknown ♂ near Sidestep Hall Unknown ♂ buying weapons ♀ Maggle Unknown ♀? near Sidestep Hall Unknown ♀? quarrelling with Gnoll ♀ Whisp Unknown ♂ working in Bowel Hall Unknown ♀ assistant to Altholen Unknown ♂? would-be muggers ♀ Espy Unknown ♀ used as example of Fire-response Unknown ♀? used as example of Basement population Unknown three ♂ and one ♀ used as examples of pre-Crash Basement population Unknown ♂ used as example of oppressed masses ♂ Gumph, gopher for Burtgum, father of Grik and Grak Unknown ♀ mount of Fixit Brux Unknown ♂ arguing about The Plunge (Kronk and Villipend are also seen here) ♂ Stonwal, snout-balancer, cousin of Skradt Unknown ♀ used as example of Trog habitat (and later as example of cook) ♂ Villipend, mad dictator ♂ Hamble (has scar on back of head and no crest) ♂ Skradt, enforcer for Nevus, then apprentice Poker: his hairstyle has changed a bit since he first appeared ♀ Doyen, Council-member Unknown ♂ example of proud father Unknown ♂ and ♀ in Trog wedding (of sorts) ♀ Hogminny, in implied S&M relationship with ♂ Nome Rezrov, previously seen being watched by Mr Hand Unknown ♂ Trog, in implied S&M relationship with ♀ Nome Unknown ♂ Trog, queuing at Fixit information desk Unknown ♂ Trog shown being blasted by the Scary Lady ♀ working on fungi farm, implied to be Maggle's mother ♂ Valgus, implied to be a darkpelter like Maggle Unknown ♂ Bloomer in Hall of the Brush ♂ as Godzilla, attacking Smyt fotifications Unknown ♀ cook selling medium-rare Flutterby to Skradt Generic examples of Trogs outside the Basement: wild, livestock and intelligent examples Generic examples of ♀ and ♂ Trogs in the Basement Examples of livestock Trogs dressed up in Human clothes as a joke Examples of intelligent non-Basement Trogs who voluntarily wear clothes Skradt's ♂ grandhatcher, working in the Skimgibber pits and wearing some kind of headgear Unknown ♂ example of nester Unknown ♀ example of persecuted person ♂ who hunts Slimegrubs to protect Halipath buddlings ♂ Skikand, hatchmate of Skradt Saurs, distinguished by colour of coat and crest
Readman and Billsmith: trickster stories of some kind, including Readman and Billsmith go to Aruba, but it's not clear whether they are books or orally-transmitted traditional stories.
Diary of Mario Semidemela's expedition to the Terrific Ocean. Memoirs of Yorik I: very dull. Various atlases are mentioned without details: there's one in Sylvester's office, just labelled Atlas. There is a suggestion that Kipling's Just So Stories exist in the Mansionverse in some form, including The Cat that Walked by Himself: the young Crud encounters "A real cat, just like in Crispin's book. Walking alone." Agita possesses a Human book which contains (to the bafflement of her daughter) the words "Prairie", "Snowflake" and "Birchlemon", all names of Prime Oracles. It could be A Brief History of Yurpsland or could be an unknown book specifically about church history. The Boogiemen possess, and revere, and keep secret a Human book from which they derive their names. We know nothing about it except that it's written in English (or the Audravanian equivalent) and probably not less than 70 or more than 250 years old, because they derive from it only-slightly-old-fashioned-sounding names such as Crispin, Bentley, Bertrum, Chumley, Graham, Percy, Rodolph, Clive and Geoff. Digger Odel has books labelled Yes, Maybe and No in his hidey-hole, but they are probably files of ideas rather than books as such. Sylvester has numerous books in his office which I haven't listed, because they look like files on different companies and stocks, rather than written texts. Plays: All Hail the Crimson King. Big Brother is Watching You by Eric Blair. Bracken by Ernest Eman (about the witch Arianya of the Brackens). The Exploits of Marty Graw by Burr B Street. The Healer's Assistant. It's Magic Magic Baby by N Bunson. Nature Debt. Phallic Object by Stanton Sardoodle. Famously racy play, contemporary with Ernest. Roshambo on Ice The Sand Star by Stanton Sardoodle: includes a scene with a ship in a bottle which was suggested by Ernest. Silver John by Fem D Sk.... The Shaft Runner: a Tale of the Brush by ...nt. Simchat. Situation Awareness. Springtime for Kaylu by Maxwell Rivers. Written thirty years after the Crash. Theirs not to make reply // Theirs not to reason why // Theirs but to do and die by Tennis Trahouse. Tolerance by Dillon Wagner. Zumbooruck by Stanton Sardoodle, adapted from the novel. Periodicals: The Elucidator: newspaper from before the Crash. The Globe: newspaper from Glome. Puddleby Post: sensationalist tabloid at the time of Griffington's death. The Times: newspaper from the capitol. Seems to be the Paper of Record for the government. Roshambo the Warrior-Beetle by Alex Linderhoff: comic strip (characters include Roshambo the Warrior Beetle, the wizard Frowgler the Horned Frog, Slasher, Naif and Arax). Taken over by Alex Jr.. Published in The Times, and as collections. The Return of Frowgler by Alex Linderhoff: graphic novel. Tome of Royal Succession: Yurpsland equivalent of Debrett's Peerage: an update called The Fully Comprehensive Abbreviated Summary is posted to subscribers every year. Unity: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian. There are three copies, with no volume numbers, which suggests a bound periodical (as well as a visual pun). Identification charts: Clicking on any image takes you to the strip it came from. Eyebolts, distinguished by neck-rings
Memoirs of Yorik I: very dull.
Various atlases are mentioned without details: there's one in Sylvester's office, just labelled Atlas.
There is a suggestion that Kipling's Just So Stories exist in the Mansionverse in some form, including The Cat that Walked by Himself: the young Crud encounters "A real cat, just like in Crispin's book. Walking alone."
Agita possesses a Human book which contains (to the bafflement of her daughter) the words "Prairie", "Snowflake" and "Birchlemon", all names of Prime Oracles. It could be A Brief History of Yurpsland or could be an unknown book specifically about church history.
The Boogiemen possess, and revere, and keep secret a Human book from which they derive their names. We know nothing about it except that it's written in English (or the Audravanian equivalent) and probably not less than 70 or more than 250 years old, because they derive from it only-slightly-old-fashioned-sounding names such as Crispin, Bentley, Bertrum, Chumley, Graham, Percy, Rodolph, Clive and Geoff.
Digger Odel has books labelled Yes, Maybe and No in his hidey-hole, but they are probably files of ideas rather than books as such.
Sylvester has numerous books in his office which I haven't listed, because they look like files on different companies and stocks, rather than written texts.
Plays:
All Hail the Crimson King.
Big Brother is Watching You by Eric Blair.
Bracken by Ernest Eman (about the witch Arianya of the Brackens).
The Exploits of Marty Graw by Burr B Street.
The Healer's Assistant.
It's Magic Magic Baby by N Bunson.
Nature Debt.
Phallic Object by Stanton Sardoodle. Famously racy play, contemporary with Ernest.
Roshambo on Ice
The Sand Star by Stanton Sardoodle: includes a scene with a ship in a bottle which was suggested by Ernest.
Silver John by Fem D Sk....
The Shaft Runner: a Tale of the Brush by ...nt.
Simchat.
Situation Awareness.
Springtime for Kaylu by Maxwell Rivers. Written thirty years after the Crash.
Theirs not to make reply // Theirs not to reason why // Theirs but to do and die by Tennis Trahouse.
Tolerance by Dillon Wagner.
Zumbooruck by Stanton Sardoodle, adapted from the novel.
Periodicals:
The Elucidator: newspaper from before the Crash.
The Globe: newspaper from Glome.
Puddleby Post: sensationalist tabloid at the time of Griffington's death.
The Times: newspaper from the capitol. Seems to be the Paper of Record for the government.
Roshambo the Warrior-Beetle by Alex Linderhoff: comic strip (characters include Roshambo the Warrior Beetle, the wizard Frowgler the Horned Frog, Slasher, Naif and Arax). Taken over by Alex Jr.. Published in The Times, and as collections.
The Return of Frowgler by Alex Linderhoff: graphic novel.
Tome of Royal Succession: Yurpsland equivalent of Debrett's Peerage: an update called The Fully Comprehensive Abbreviated Summary is posted to subscribers every year.
Unity: book seen on the shelves when Harriet Hummington was the Mansion's Head Librarian. There are three copies, with no volume numbers, which suggests a bound periodical (as well as a visual pun).
♂ Niddle, Finagler to Comshaw and Camora ♂ Comshaw, Poker, mate to Niddle and Camora: has a scar on the back of his bare head Young ♂ Comshaw, while he still had hair ♀ Camora, mate to Niddle and Comshaw ♂ Scarrow, Poker in Barter Hall ♀ Ratch or Wratch, trader ♀ Comshaw's mother, assistant to healer Telic ♂ Wunk, Council member, brother of Boffin ♂ Sprocket, partner of Heliopath Flange, mate of Sina ♂ Faddle, failed Finagler, trader, friend of Gobule called Bung ♂ Snerd, Shona's mate ♂ Muscod, on way to mushroom auction ♂ Pizzle, on way to mushroom auction ♂ Clochard, mate of Anathama ♂ Troat, buying weapons ♂ Furphy, son of Agorn, Awen and their Finagler Denthir, possibly deranged ♂ Dap, friend of Gobule Tuft ♂ Krink, in bucket chain ♂ Niff ♀ Mimsy, bearer for Nevus ♀ Sina, function organiser, sister of Shona, mate of Sprocket ♀ Irnissa, fleeing Le Tree ♂ Skoil, arrogant young Poker ♀ Skuy ♀ Skuy from rear ♂ forest-dweller used as example in Weirdo's report ♂ Blit, attached to Observatory Unknown ♂ Beebler on Mr Hand's screen ♂ Scruffy ♂ Frag (a.k.a. Fraggelton) defending Le Tree ♂ Blem, defending Le Tree with Frag: has scar on right cheek as well ♂ Forfind, litter-brother of Findfor, defending Le Tree with Frag ♂ Findfor, litter-brother of Forfind Unknown ♂s during the Nome War Unknown ♂ with Shiv during Nome War Unknown ♂ begging Compline to lead during Nome War ♀ mother of Compline ♂ healer treating Compline as a child ♂ Compline, injured in childhood accident, general during Nome War, mate of Caytid, grandfather of Comshaw ♂ Compline in profile ♀ Caytid, archer, mate of Compline, grandmother of Comshaw ♂ Shiv, Compline and Caytid's Schemer ♂ magicker, losing his magic in the Crash while fighting tree-squid ♂ innovator, using a periscope during Nome War ♂ showing bow to Caytid during Nome War ♂ soldier during Nome War ♀ archer during Nome War ♂ knifegnoll leaping on Nome soldier during Nome War ♂ being rescued by knifegnoll during Nome War ♂ looking at the Nome dead during Nome War ♂ looking at the Nome dead during Nome War ♀ archer during Nome War ♂ fleeing during Nome War ♂ winning during Nome War ♂s hunting Nomes at end of Nome War ♂ combatant during Nome War ♂ fleeing Sneeches during Nome War ♂ alarmed by Sneeches during Nome War ♀ archer after Nome War ♂ Erud, security at Le Tree ♀ Shona, assistant to Nevus, sister of Sina, mate of Snerd Unknown ♂ having a bad day at Le Tree Sensible ♂ Gnoll technician working with Carpin ♂ Carpin, who blew up a large batch of blastbulbs ♂ Crazy Rhid, inventor and pyromaniac ♂ parent? of Shona and Sina ♂ Agorn, gopher for Agita ♂ Boffin, Poker, friend of Comshaw, Nitfol and Ig, brother of Wunk, had huge feet Unknown ♀ Beebler ♂ Comfrey, Comshaw's father ♂ Clerihew, Comshaw's parents' Finagler ♀ Folla ♀ Delfa, littermate of Carmal, in bucket chain ♂ Timf, in bucket chain ♂ Wittol, Finagler to ♂ Belmay. ♀ Catmorlo Unknown ♂ quarrelling with Trog, seen again at Fixit information desk ♂ Altholen, mad scientist ♀ Anathama, mate of Clochard, grandmother of Mimsy ♂ Cerbis, door-guard at Skibble's place ♂ forest-dweller Scrof ♂ forest-dweller Louch, cousin of Comshaw ♂ Bokonon Unknown ? used as example of oppressed masses ♂ Satyrsong ♂ Kottle, healer ♀ Pergola, warren-mate of Skuy's (also seen previously in silhouette here and here) ♂ Burtgum, predecessor of Rhid ♂ Finimbrun Unknown ♀ mount of Fixit "Beauty" Unknown ♂ mount of Fixit "Age" Unknown ♂ mount of Fixit Pirax ♂ Bivit, Comshaw's maternal grandfather portrait of ♂ Bivit, Comshaw's maternal grandfather, in old age Unknown ♀ and ♂? in artificial Saur habitat Unknown ♀ fleeing Sneeches ♀ Widdendreem, mount of Fixit Snufix Unknown ♂ 3rd-best Finagler after Niddle and Wittol ♂ Mafick, partner of Lepid ♀ Lepid, partner of Mafick Unknown ♀ example of good Gnoll hearing ♀ Termagant, guard serving Agita Unknown ♂ Finagler ♀ Varuna, guard at the Crescent Hall end of the Last Bridge ♂ Scibile, guard at Crescent Hall ♀ "Placettes" with Faddle ♀ Fanga, archer, with Shabash ♀ Shabash, first seen here with archer Fanga ♂ Pliskin, "crazy scary" – also appears here ♂ Cully, new boy in SubShaft 44f, boyfriend of Skuy ♂ Chunner, cynical veteran in SubShaft 44f ♂ Chunner, rear view ♂ Crud, mad botanist in SubShaft 44f ♀ Difonia in SubShaft ?? ♀ Dandilli in SubShaft ?? ♀ Dipsoma in SubShaft ?? Unknown ♂ in SubShafts ♀ engineer Callithump in SubShaft 44a, former mate of Rhid Cully and his sister as young whelps ♀ Tuttle, mysterious rebel: usually she wears a miner's helmet, and sometimes an eyepatch ♀ LizShella, giant Gnoll nun in future with Mr Flip ♂ Imbosk in SubShaft 32g: a companion called Ignavia has not yet been seen ♂ Impavid in SubShaft 32g ♂ father of Agorn (or his parents' Finagler?) ♂ Agorn as a whelp ♀ mother of Agorn ♂ Bromir, knowledgeable about Root Hall Unknown ♀ with glowgem in wooden chest ♀ Lawnja, warren-mate of Skuy's ♀ Irnissa, warren-mate of Skuy's (also seen previously fleeing Le Tree, and in silhouette in a group with Pergola) ♀ Hiltsa, warren-mate of Skuy's ♀ Piranom, warren-mate of Skuy's – the long "tails" either side are twin pigtails or pony-tails of hair: another warren-mate named Ambri has so far been seen only as a hand ♂ Deodand, formerly part of The Gibber, also seen in silhouette being absorbed by it/them ♀ Proda, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d ♀ Palptat, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d (previously seen in silhouette) ♀ Pok, lives on ceiling of SubShaft 44d with Palptat and Proda Unknown ♂, lives in SubShaft 44j Unknown ♀, lives in SubShaft 45d ♂ Vonbrawn, lives in SubShaft 44h ♂ Oppen, lives in SubShaft 44h ♀ Carmal, littermate of Delfa, previously seen in silhouette being repelled by repeller here. Unknown ♀, delivering boxes of beetles to Le Tree ♂ Father Groat, religious leader ♀ Bujold, water seller ♂ Berrtin, Finagler to the parents of Carmal and Delfa ♂ Swodswal (hair only); same age as Niddle. ♂ one of Pergola's parents Unknown ♂ buying Crudbean-contaminated plant: could possibly be Pizzle with squashed hair ♀ Kashkavala, animal trainer and experimental food technician ♂ Skritch, seen fishing on memorial piece for Patrick McManus ♂ "Ticktockgnoll", seen on memorial piece for Harlan Elllison, pointing at Tuttle who is wearing a Harlequin's hat Unknown ♂ seen spying on Nome miners Unknown ♂ Doomsayer in Hall of the Brush Unknown ♀ Beebler in Hall of the Brush, possibly the same one as here. Unknown ♂ Spelling Guild member in Hall of the Brush Unknown ♂ Doomsayer in Hall of the Brush ♂ Ghodird, in SubShaft 44h with Vonbrawn and Oppen Unknown ♂, a father and probable mate of the female with the Glowgems ♀ mother of Irnissa ♂ father of Irnissa ♂ Finagler of Irnissa's ¬parents Unknown ♂ eating Thanksgiving meal with Tuttle and two Wyrms Unknown ♀ lighting Menorah ♀ Dimpchada, telling colleague she is late decorating a tree ♀ colleague of Dimpchada, telling Dimpchada she is early decorating a tree ♀ teaching class of Smyts, Fuzzes and a trundlebug ♂ father of Boffin ♀ mother of Boffin Unknown ♀ Gnoll bell-ringer Unknown ♂ cartoonist, working on an endless production line. Rollerblading ♀ Gnoll commemorating Rob's cousin Elaine Hendrickson. Example of ♂ Finagler Unknown Force-wielding ♀ Gnoll for May the Fourth Be With You ♀ mother of Louch; presumed sibling of one of Comshaw's parents ♀ Placette seen deriving information by tapping on crystals with a mallet ♀ Placette seen listening to comrade who is deriving information by tapping on crystals with a mallet Unknown ♂ watching Sylvester's party arrive in Basement ♂ Belkoff, Finagling instructor who taught Niddle, Faddle and Wittol ♀ AnoSima, a nun serving with LizShella at SubShrine 44f ♀ commemorating Rob's mother Trogs, distinguished by hairstyle and by colour of pelt and crest
