What we Know about Jonah Magnus (1816-1867)
So I decided to compile everything we know about Jonah Magnus’ backstory. My sources are a blend of cannon and historical sources, given that two of his letter writing associates are actual historical architects and Millbank prison is a real place. I will try to stay away from any unfounded headcannons (Though if you’ve read my fic about Jonah in this time period you may see where I drew events from)
I shall list chronologically first what we know from cannon and then what we know from Smirke and Millbank’s historical records.
In 1816 we know he has made an association (left vague- the relationship is clearly pleasant but the nature is unclear) with a German man named Albrecht von Closen. At this point Jonah has developed a “fascination for the macabre and strange” Closen tells Jonah of the tomb full of books and the eyeless (ghost?) of Würtemburg. At this point we know Jonah Magnus is likely an adult, putting his birthday at some point prior to 1798.
In 1818, Jonah Magnus establishes the Magnus Institute. It is unclear if he serves the Eye yet at this time.
In 1824 Jonah Magnus let Barnabas Bennett succumb to the Lonely. (Whether or not you subscribe to the “they were dating” is up to you, I personally don’t). By this point we know Jonah has (is about to) begin serving the Eye. We also know that he knows Mordechai Lukas and is on “good terms” with him.
On the subject of Lukas, we know that it is Likely that Smirke introduced Jonah to “Lukas, Scott, and the others”. It is possible that he brought Lukas to Smirke but less likely than not due to location and class concerns.
Smirke’s gatherings of people he brought into his confidence took place decades before Jonah killed him as evidenced from his letter “but I feel I must break the silence that has characterized our acquaintance for these past few decades” and his reluctance to bring anyone else into his confidence since. His gatherings contained at least Lukas, Scott, and two other people in addition to Magnus. All of them fell to one power or another.
In 1831 Fanshawe writes to Jonah, informing him of Closen’s death. Closen at this point was almost certainly a follower of the Eye, but did not wish to be. We also discover Jonah, at some point, stole the books from Closen, through a scheme involving his favorite bookbinder, resulting in Closen’s death.
We also get confirmation in this statement that Millbank is up and running and needs a doctor.
In 1841 we learn that George Gilbert Scott has begun serving the buried. And that Jonah Magnus made yet another associate involved in architecture, Sampson Kempthorne.
Now this point is purely speculation and an interpretation from different statements. But in 1853 Simon Fairchild attempted a ritual that failed. Jonah may have played a role in its failure. He states in his statement “At first, I attempted prevention, but the cause seemed hopeless”. Simon’s ritual failed because of a hunter but Jonah Magnus is not exactly someone who likes to get his hands dirty.
In 1867 Jonah Magnus kills Robert Smirke through some ritual of the Eye that has everyone stare at him.
The exact date of the first Watchers Crown is unknown but we know it failed. Sometime after that he switched bodies (likely using some knowledge from Würtemburg’s library given his lack of eyes)
Historically we know that Smirke (1 October 1780 – 18 April 1867) was a well connected Tory darling with a fondness for Greek architecture. He was well known for his influence on greek revival architecture though he dabbled in other styles as well. He had a wife named Laura whom he married cerca 1819 and a daughter, also named Laura. He was also described as able to please “men whom it was proverbially impossible to please”. I could spend a very long time listing all of his works.
Millbank is a complicated matter historically- Smirke didn’t really do that much with it, just some remodeling. However this is analyzing the podcast not history.
What we do know about Jonah in this time period was that he was “getting older, and mortality began to weigh more heavily on my mind. How much in this world is done because we fear death, the last and greatest terror?” We also know the reason for his current ritual were power and immortality so clearly he has some significant fear of the End.
However, the fact of the matter remains that this is the podcast’s titular villain. And all we know about him are a handful of letters and some scraps of information. Why do we have more statements devoted to the Distortion than we do about Jonah Magnus? Or Gerry? (No diss to either character). But he’s mentioned as many times as Jared Hopworth and is a significantly more important character to the narrative.
