#also i love that fiona law's name is that cause fiona LORE OH LORE!

[bodyinthebog]

ok lads it be SUMMARY TIME:

[MAJOR TMA 167 SPOILERS AHEAD]

Gertrude replaced Angus Stacey as archivist, who was killed by a “creature of masks and smiles” - possibly the Not!Them? EDIT: Nikola?

The first ritual she took down was the Stranger’s, or the “Grinning Wheel,” using fire

The Head of the Institute when Angus Stacey was archivist was Richard Mendelssohn, presumably the predecessor of James Wright

Angus Stacey had wanted to re-organise Smirke’s 14 Fears

He left one assistant behind, named Fiona Law (Fiona was previously mentioned in MAG 29: Cheating Death, as the woman who records the statement), and she decided to remain at the Institute

Fiona is a mixture of “curiosity and cowardice,” fainting to avoid danger, meaning that by entering the realm of the End one is safe from the other fears?  

Getrude’s first three assistants therefore were: Eric Delano, Fiona Law, and Emma Harvey

Eric was first mentioned in MAG 62: First Edition, and Gertrude recorded his statement in MAG 154: Bloody Mary, where Emma was first mentioned

Emma is described as Gertrude’s confidante, and she knows about the bond between Gertrude and Agnes (MAG: 145: Infectious Doubts)

Emma would volunteer herself and Fiona to investigate statements, as she wanted to know why Fiona wasn’t dead yet, and would put Fiona into encounters with the Entities (namely the Dark and the Lonely)

The Institute found a coffin (presumably the same one that Daisy and Jon were in during season 4), and it is implied that Emma sent Fiona into it, and she never returned.

At the same time, Emma found cobwebs in her hair that would remain for the rest of her life

Fiona was replaced by Michael Shelley

Emma never touched Eric, since he had been “marked by another whom Emma was keen not to cross,” presumably Mary Keay and the End.

Emma decided to see how long she could keep Michael ignorant

Gertrude began to realise what was happening, but did nothing

Eric disappeared, presumably having blinded himself (MAG 154: Bloody Mary), and eventually being killed by Mary Keay and bound to her skin book (MAG 62: First Edition)

Emma apparently knew what had happened to Eric, although it is unclear as to whether she knew how he had been killed or how to leave the institute, and did not tell Gertrude

Sarah Carpenter (first mentioned in MAG 27: A Sturdy Lock) was Eric’s replacement, and had had some supernatural encounters of her own

Sarah is described as having a “fire,” which drew Gertrude to her

Gertrude was no longer paying attention to her assistants, since the “season of hurried rituals” was coming nearer

Emma sent Sarah into a cave with no end (Buried? Dark?), but Sarah survived

Emma sent Sarah into the woods with a book of astronomy (presumably a Leitner), where she encountered the Vast

Sarah also became affected by the Vast, with literal stars in her eyes

Emma convinced Sarah to say inside a house, so she could be eaten by a hungry door (Flesh? Spiral?), but Sarah survived again

EDIT: This could be the house from MAG 27: A Sturdy Lock

The Web helped Emma in concealing this from Gertrude

The Web also has been manipulating the entities into rituals, and providing Gertrude with plans to stop them

Sarah was killed during Gertrude and Michael’s trip to Sannikov Land, where Michael become the Distortion (MAG 101: Another Twist)

Sarah was killed by a man who “burned on the inside,” presumably a Desolation avatar.

Sarah’s last words were “Hello? I’m from the -”

The man split open to reveal heat, enveloping her

Gertrude now begins to suspect Emma, and went to Agnes Montague

Gertrude and Agnes only met once - their bond has been chosen by the Web

James Wright was now Head of the Institute (it is now 1972) EDIT: It’s Elias

Emma Harvey was killed by a Desolation avatar, possibly Agnes?

Gertrude did not want revenge, but instead to clean an “infection”

Gertrude didn’t hire any more assistants, but still worked with people - Leitner (MAG 161: Dwelling), Dekker (MAG 134: Time of Revelation), Keay and Salesa

She never allowed herself to trust (- unlike Jon?)

Without trust, Gertrude would never survive the Apocalypse - she needed an anchor

If an archivist dies with living assistants, their assistants would be free from the Eye.

So, tl;dr:

Gertrude’s assistants were: Fiona Law (in the coffin), Eric Delano (killed by Mary Keay), Emma Harvey (killed by a Desolation avatar), Michael Shelley (becomes the Distortion), and Sarah Carpenter (killed by a Desolation avatar).

And her longest surviving assistant was one influenced heavily by the Web. 

#tma spoilers #tma #god i want more about the previous archivists and their assistants #also i love that fiona law's name is that cause fiona LORE OH LORE! #the magnus archives