Geoffrey Carillon
Lord Geoffrey Ambrosius Ardington Carillon (known to most people as Carillon) is the younger son of the previous Lord Carillon, a traditional and fairly conservative man, and his magically skilled wife. Carillon attended Schola, but was sorted into Owl House rather than the expected Fox House like his brother and parents.
As the younger son, Geoffrey had the chance to wander where his interests led him - expeditions to look for plants and other materia unknown to Europeans in Tibet, South America, and various points in Africa. (As well as a wide range of dalliances with both women and men.) He is a member of the Explorer's Club.
When the Great War started, he immediately enlisted as an officer, fighting initially in the trenches (where he met Thomas Benton, who became his valet after the war), before eventually moving into Intelligence work. After the War, he went back to his explorations, returning home in 1922 after his elder brother Temple, by then Lord Carillon, died unexpectedly. He relies on Benton for all manner of things, from the usual obligations of the valet to a second in magical workings.
Carillon prefers to be known as a skilled pavo player, but he is also talented at bohort . He has a particular fondness for clever black mares when he's choosing a mount. He is a skilled falconer, including training a Eurasian eagle-owl, Theodora, early in his adult life. (He now flies a much smaller bird, a merlin named Helena.) He has remaining trauma from the war, what we'd refer to as PTSD that comes out primarily through dissassociation in times of stress.
The family holdings include:
Outcrossing
Goblin Fruit (main)
Unexplored Territory (extra, main)
On The Bias
Best Foot Forward (main)
Insterstitial Moments
Old As The Hills
Upon A Summer's Day (main)
Three Graces
- Ytene, from which the title derives, near Lyndhurst in the New Forest
- Hawk's Breath , a sprawling mostly Georgian estate in Cumbria
- Two townhouses in Trellech
- A small island with a hut on it (location unspecified.)
War notes
(contains some details from On The Bias)
learn more
Carillon has ongoing PTSD from various experiences in the War, notably a trench collapse (Benton saved him) and a lingering shoulder injury caused by a sniper's bullet. While the former is largely manageable, with a little care, the latter has limited his pavo playing, and means he can no longer fly Theodora, the eagle owl he trained as a young adult.
Carillon has a particular hatred for people who are building up munitions, especially those researching and implementing poison gasses. (Giles Lefton is a friend of his.)
Appears In
Ancient TrustOutcrossing
Goblin Fruit (main)
Unexplored Territory (extra, main)
On The Bias
Best Foot Forward (main)
Insterstitial Moments
Old As The Hills
Upon A Summer's Day (main)
Three Graces
Ancient Trust
A prequel novella, Ancient Trust follows Geoffrey from the moment he inherits the land magic through his (and Thomas Benton's) first months back in Albion, connecting with old friends and making some new allies.
Outcrossing
Carillon returns to Ytene, in the New Forest , around the time the book begins. He has been away from Albion since the Great War (and was not around much during it), so he is focused on reestablishing a household. He takes an interest in Rufus Pride and Ferry Wright, and by the end of the book has offered Rufus a position as head of his stables.
Goblin Fruit
At the beginning of Goblin Fruit, Carillon is asked to investigate a mysterious golden potion with decidedly addictive and damaging properties, that is circulating among the Bright Young Things of Albion. He stumbles over Lizzie Penhallow while trying to get into a party to keep her sister Laura Penhallow from danger.
By the end of the book, they are cheerful engaged, and they are sorting out their lives-to-be together.
On The Bias
During On The Bias, Carillon is sorting out his upcoming marriage to Lizzie, as well as attempting to untangle a plot. He, in turn, is targeted by a mysterious figure, Madam A, for interfering with her desire to rebuild munitions, especially magical munitions.
At the end of the book, Benton is working on leaving his service as valet, in order to become steward at Ytene (allowing Benton to have time to spend with Cassie Jones)
Unexplored Territory
Unexplored Territory (a mailing list extra) takes place during the course of On The Bias, and covers what Lizzie and Carillon are up to in more detail.
Best Foot Forward
Best Foot Forward finds Carillon later in his life with a goal - to get an alchemist friend out of Germany in the growing rise to war. To do it, he's going to need the help of Alexander Landry, and Carillon has every reason to distrust the Council.
Interstitial Moments
Insterstitial Moments deals with the people around Alexander and Geoffrey coming to grips with the changes to both of them in 1935.
Old As The Hills
Geoffrey lends his resources, knowledge of the New Forest, and connections several times in the course of Old As The Hills.
Upon A Summer's Day
Geoffrey and Alexander support Gabe in his challenge, and Geoffrey also has plans of his own, asking Gabe a favour related to the death of Geoffrey's brother Temple in 1922.
Three Graces
Geoffrey is in Europe through most of Three Graces, but he's able to return for the resolution of the mystery of what caused Temple's death in 1922.
(Click on the title above to learn more about Geoffrey's role in that book.)
Title
Lord Geoffrey CarillonName
Prefers "Carillon" fromthe Great War through 1935. Geoffrey to his friends thereafter.
Education
Schola, Owl HouseFamily
details
Longtime valet and right-hand man, Thomas Benton
Marries Lizzie Penhallow in 1925 Bawy with Alexander Landry from 1935 (See Best Foot Forward for explanation.) Edmund (son) Merry (daughter) Rosalba (daughter)
Marries Lizzie Penhallow in 1925 Bawy with Alexander Landry from 1935 (See Best Foot Forward for explanation.) Edmund (son) Merry (daughter) Rosalba (daughter)
Organisations
The Explorer's ClubBourne's
Profession
Explorer and collector of MateriaLord from 1922. Investigator
Children
