"'I'm not quite that out of form am I?--' [...] 'Am I getting old? Should Abigail and I divorce?--" [2]
Magnus Quinn is the Cavalier Primary and husband to the Heir to the House of the Fifth, Abigail Pent. Effectively reaching cavalier status by accident, Magnus is primarily a civil servant and peacemaker.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Unlike his peers, Magnus had no intention of pursuing the rank of cavalier primary. He received training only as a school boy, and achieved no distinguishing rank. At one point, he sought Cohort-placement, but was denied. His skills in swordplay have since severely lapsed. Instead, Magnus made his life as an administrator. A successful beaurocrat, he made his way up the ranks quickly.
Shortly before reaching the rank of Seneschal, he married Heir to the Fifth, Abigail Pent (presumably out of genuine love) and became her cavalier primary. The Cohort Intelligence Files of Judith Deuteros suggest that this may only have been possible due to Abigail's likely abdication of her position on the grounds of her infertility.
Gideon the Ninth[]
Act I[]
Fifth House arrives with the others to Canaan House, and disembarks without issue. Magnus receives his iron key ring, and listens to Teacher explain the task before being led to the rooms provided for them.
Act II[]
Magnus takes breakfast with Isaac Tettares and Jeannemary Chatur of the Fourth House, where they first meet Gideon the Ninth. He attempts to introduce himself and his companions, but Gideon's vow of silence and the teens reluctance to make conversation makes for a short and awkward conversation.
Magnus is next seen in the pool room where he has been sparring with Jeannemary. When Gideon enters, he attempts to arrange a duel between the two girls, as they are similar in age. The conversation quickly turns nasty as Naberius Tern takes the opportunity to tease Magnus for his lack of skill. Magnus shrugs off the personal insults and talks up Jeannemary, eventually (and accidentally) embarrassing the girl to such a degree that she flees to the other side of the room. To spare her, he agrees to duel Gideon-- a duel he loses terribly, but with good grace. After a second match between Gideon and Naberius turns sour, he is quick to attempt to arrange exercises and paired work diffuse the mood.
For the next number of days, Magnus is seen around Canaan House with and without the Fourth House teens, though he is most often seen training with Jeannemary. When his wife and necromancer, Abigail, forgets their wedding anniversary, she and Magnus turn it into a dinner party for all the guests and priests in the House. He greets Ninth House and brings them to the kitchen to meet Abigail, who is still preparing the meal. Magnus begins his party with a horrible joke and spends the majority of his dinner talking with Coronabeth. His desserts are as excellent as he promised they would be.
At some point during the evening, Abigail asks Silas Octakiseron about the Facility hatch, and learns to ask Teacher for their access key. When dinner has finished, Abigail and Magnus descend to the Facility hatch in order to investigate the laboratory, and solve one of the tests. On their way out, they are murdered by Cytherea the First and she stores the key inside Abigail's abdomen. Hours later, the Ninth House, Harrowhark and Gideon, find them at the base of the ladder.
Harrow the Ninth[]
Nine Months Before the Emperor's Murder[]
Magnus stands with the other postulants to Canaan House as Teacher hands out one key attached to a key ring to each cavalier, and receives his key for Fifth House.
Abigail and Magnus work in the library at Canaan House where Ortus Nigenad offers them a recitation of part of his Noniad. Harrowhark Nonagesimus happens upon them and demands he stop, which Abigail and Magnus protest. She attempts to start a conversation with Harrow about the Lyctoral artifacts she has found, but Harrow is reluctant to discuss the bounds of her own research. Magnus asks to hear the end of the section of poetry, and Harrow summarizes it. Abigail hands Harrow a piece of paper, asking for her opinion on its contents, after which she notices 150+ unique ghost signatures in Harrow's body. When she remarks on this, Harrow flees. Magnus chastises his wife for chasing the Ninth away.
Six Months Before the Emperor's Murder[]
Following the death of Judith Deuteros, Magnus cares for Marta Dyas by offering to stay with her while Judith is autopsied but she declines. Instead, Magnus assists Ortus in properly washing and preparing the body. The four of them, necromancers included, go out into the hall where Marta waits and hear her retelling of the circumstances surrounding the death. Discussing the facts of the murder, they determine that the Sleeper can move, pass through necromantic wards, and isn't necessarily woken by noise.
Rain begins to fall at Canaan House, creating a cold fog around the base of the buildings unseasonable for the time of year. A second set of bodies is found, those of Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus, and are brought to the mortuary. Abigail brings Harrow and Ortus to the mortuary to see the bodies. To identify the mutilated bodies, they bring in Dulcinea Septimus and her cavalier, Protesilaus Ebdoma. Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth decide that Sixth was most likely also killed by the Sleeper. They all attempt to rally, philosophically discussing their prospects, when Abigail asks Dulcinea to attempt to win over Silas Octakiseron, Magnus to get Marta Dyas, and Harrowhark to bring the Third House to their side. She suggests they gather in whichever room is least flooded by the rains. Magnus, with the help of Protesilaus, helps return the bodies to their proper places.
Four Months Before the Emperor's Murder[]
Magnus, his wife, Seventh, and Ninth move into Marta's rooms to protect each other and begin planning their attack on the Sleeper. One morning, Harrow wakes up as Abigail and Magnus are enjoying their coffee. They make small talk that quickly leads to the revelation that Harrow has witness Silas's murder of Coronabeth Tridentarius and his subsequent suicide. Following a suspicion and seizing on the absence of her cavalier, Abigail asks Harrow to read a piece of flimsy for her, and Harrow responds by reading a bizarre rant about eggs. Abigail and Magnus question her gently, and Harrow reveals that she believes herself to be insane. Abigail attempts to comfort her and proposes that she may, instead, be haunted.
Two Months Before the Emperor's Murder[]
The weather in Canaan House turns—rain becoming sleet becoming snow that blankets the House. Additionally, fleshy organs begin growing up through the cracks in the building. Magnus, Harrowhark, and Marta Dyas go into the Facility on a mission to set wards in attempt to learn more about the movements of the Sleeper. While down there, they attempt to move the Sleeper's coffin. Peeling back the paneling, they learn that it is unmovable—a pillar descending far into the floor and earth. They come back towards the Library together, but Magnus and Marta do not go inside.
The Night Before the Emperor's Murder[]
Abigail and Magnus follow Harrow through imagined worlds in the River as her body is dying of a rapier wound on Mithraeum. They appear in an alternate reality Castle Drearburh as a pilgrim. When Harrow Nova approaches, Abigail tells her "this isn't how it happened,"[3] and the world shifts. Abigail and Magnus follow Harrow to a second world, a formal event as part of a competition for the hand of "Her Divine Highness". Despite their glee at such a strange and interesting vision, they again interrupt her and cause the world to shift. As Abigail drags Harrow from the third constructed world, Canaan House re-solidifies.
Magnus soothes Harrow as she stabilizes, but she quickly remembers the existence of her cavalier, Gideon Nav, and begins to cry. Abigail sends everyone out of the room and Magnus goes with them. As Abigail and Harrow talk, the invasive soul begins its attack on them. When tentacles begin breaching the walls, he returns to the room to fetch them.
An Amount of Time Before the Emperor's Murder[]
The organs and viscera continue to grow in Canaan House, and a collection of pipettes, containers of fluid, broken skeletons, and pills have appeared in the snow. Magnus and Abigail lead her through the House, outside, and back in to the corridor with the Pool Room and into X-203, the Lyctor study of Gideon and Pyrrha. Marta, Dulcinea, and Protesilaus are already inside. Harrow notices the room has a lived-in feel and Abigail explains that she put Isaac Tettares and Jeannemary Chatur before helping them to pass on. She speaks about her research on the River and claims that she believes in the River beyond. She also claims that something has gone horrible wrong with the River itself. After catching up with the others, Abigail gathers everyone to go enact their plan—the exorcism of the Sleeper.
Harrow, Ortus, Abigail, Magnus, Dulcinea, Protesilaus, and Marta all return to the Facility and the coffin of the Sleeper. Abigail draws a chalk diagram while the rest place candles warded by Harrow. After, Abigail puts counter-wards on the dead—everyone but Harrow. She asks Harrow if she can pinpoint what the thanergetic link is, and Harrow realizes it is Gideon's sword. Harrow tries to thank her for her help, but Abigail downplays her contribution as being an egotistical busybody. Harrow blesses her in the name of the Locked Tomb anyway. They finish the preparations and Abigail pairs them and places them around the candle circle. Abigail pours a libation over the foot of the coffin and begins the summoning. Abigail notes that spirit is tied to two places and that its banishing in the River will not necessarily banish it on the Mithraeum. A panel of the coffin shatters and they see it is empty. The Sleeper emerges from the corridor.
The Sleeper fires on Harrowhark, who blocks with a bone shield and is dragged to safety by Ortus. Protesilaus engages the Sleeper and knocks her gun out of her hand. Before he can disengage his chain, she handsprings past him and shoots him in the back. She fires twice more, and Protesilaus is still. The Sleeper demands that Harrow turn herself over and begins counting down from ten. Dulcinea breaks cover and the Sleeper easily shoots her in the leg. Magnus makes his move, grabbing the Sleeper and holding her in place. Marta picks up her gun and shoots her three times, but she does not bleed. Marta comes at her with a knife, and the Sleeper kicks out dragging all three of them down. There is a quick dirty fight that ends with Magnus shot and Marta disarmed with a gun in her face.
Harrow launches an attack of bone, but the Sleeper shoots it out of the air and causes it to go inert. Harrow asks what the Sleeper wants, and she replies that she wants Harrow's death so she can take her body. As the Sleeper reaches one, Ortus begins to recite poetry. Abigail's protests, but he continues and she has no choice but to follow his lead. As he declaims from the Noniad, Harrow struggles to cover them with bone shields. The Sleeper pushes her way through Harrow's shields, crumbling them to dust, and shoots Ortus. Harrow pushes the Sleeper back with a wall of bone and sends skeleton constructs after her which are also dissolved. Harrow takes over for Ortus, finishing the lines as Abigail works. The Sleeper reaches Harrow and fires a shot into her head, but Matthias Nonias solidifies between them.
As Nonias fights the Sleeper, the postulants begin to regroup. Abigail makes her way to Magnus and helps him stand, and all the pairs watch in awe of the fight. Harrow and Dulcinea make moves to bring their necromancy into play, but Ortus, noticing that the constraints of his poem have begun to influence the world, stops them. As the battle picks up speed, Nonias drops his rapier, but manages to catch the Sleepers arm, disarm her, and drive her back into the wall. Protesilaus tosses Nonias his rapier, and he plunges it into the Sleeper's chest.
As they group, Ortus is in awe of Abigail Pent and her abilities. Magnus jokingly scolds Ortus for flirting with his wife, horrifying Ortus. Abigail cannot figure out she was able to summon him purely through Ortus's art, but Nonias accepts it and claims the victory is then owed to Ortus. Harrow tells Nonias she has to other enemies here, and Abigail confirms the invasive soul is gone. As she speaks, the "bubble" begins to rumble, falling apart as the scenario has concluded and in response to whatever is happening above. Matthias Nonias shares his desire to go help the Lyctors battle the Resurrection Beast. Protesilaus, Ortus, and Marta decide to join him, despite protests from Harrow and Abigail. Harrow release Matthias, and Abigail sends the four of them to aid Gideon the First.
Harrow asks Abigail what will happen to her now, and Abigail gently explains that she can risk the River or she can return to her body—likely finally absorbing and destroying Gideon's soul. Abigail and Magnus attempt to convince her to return to her body and honor Gideon's sacrifice, and Harrow unwillingly agrees to live. They leave, re-entering the River.
Appearance and Personality[]
Gideon first describes Magnus as thus:
"The man close to this horrible pair has a kind, jovial face and curly hair, with clothes of excellent cut and a gorgeously wrought rapier at his side. Gideon reckoned him well into his thirties. [...] Up close he had a strong jaw, the expression of the terminally jolly, and nice eyes." [4]
Despite Gideon's estimation, Magnus is less terminally jolly and more determined to inspire inter-house cooperation. The Fifth being the seat of the Koniortos Court and Magnus being Seneschal has given him a talent and respect for diplomacy. Magnus, as one of the eldest in the competition, does his best to play peacekeeper and prevent the Lyctoral competition from descending into all out war. He is a genuinely kind and good person with little thought to his own ambition.
Relationships[]
Abigail Pent[]
Isaac Tettares & Jeannemary Chatur[]
"I've known her since she was a child-- she knows I'm absolutely no good. You should have seen her when she was five--"
"Magnus, do not talk about me being five."
"Now, let me tell you this story--"
"Magnus, do not tell anyone this story." [2]
Magnus, along with his wife, have become unofficial wardens and caretakers of the Fourth Heir and his cavalier-- a relationship passed down from Abigail's mother, who was close to Isaac's father. Lacking the ability to have children of their own, they have taken the young Fourth children under their wing and guided their education and training from an extremely early age. Magnus takes up the occupation of embarrassing dad with gusto, telling childhood stories and dragging them over to converse with the necromancers and cavaliers that intimidate them. He always makes sure that Isaac and Jeannemary are introduced to their peers properly, and that they are treated well and not taken advantage of.
[]
"Magnus was always good for a cordial 'Good morning! Er, excellent weather!' or 'Good evening! Weather still excellent!' He tried pathetically hard." [5]
Gideon and Magnus do not have anything near as close of a relationship as he has with the Fourth House teens, but it is abundantly clear that Magnus has attempted to take Gideon under his wing as well. Seeing that she is lonely, and further isolated by her vow of silence, (and perhaps in no small part due to Jeannemary's fascination with her) he does his best to extend friendship to the Ninth House.
References[]
- ↑ tazmuir, Tumblr.com.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Gideon the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 11
- ↑ "Harrow the Ninth," Act V, Ch. 40
- ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 9
- ↑ "Gideon the Ninth," Act II, Ch. 12