oakleystreet

[oakleystreet]

Will you make a file on Lee?

Oh absolutely! I just haven’t managed to sit down and write more these past weeks because I have lots of things to do outside of here, but all the characters will have files, no matter how little information we have.

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A L E T H I O M E T E R

CREATION: 1612 in Prague (first model).

CREATED BY: Pavel Khunrath.

MADE OF: usually gold, the needles being composed of an alloy of titanium and gold.

PURPOSE: interprets the truth by interacting with Dust.

The Alethiometer is an object created by Pavel Khunrath, an alchemist, around 1612 in the city of Prague. Khunrath had meant to create a device that could read the stars alignment, but upon discovering the alloy coming from the mixture of gold and titanium, he realised that the magnetic properties of this alloy worked much like the needle of a compass pointing north, except this one forced its mythical alloy needle to point to the truth.

Khunrath’s experiments benefitted from the rule of the emperor Rudolf II, who was liberal and keen on allowing alchemists to perform in the city, but once he died and his new successor, emperor Frederick, proved to be more conservative, Khunrath was sentenced to death, burned at the stake in the name of the Magisterium.

The Alethiometers were once deemed unreadable without the books, with the extraordinary exception of Lyra Belacqua’s innate skill. It is believed one takes years, even with the help of the books, to read properly and clearly any questions made. 

Six instruments are known to exist and they were scattered across the world. Their possession can be considered even heretical depending on the country one is using it, and the Magisterium often tries its best to get ahold of every single one of those, since a good reader with a single instrument and proper books can do a lot.

Before the Great Flood (likely post-February 1986, according to the timeline), some of the alethiometers moved hands quite considerably.

one alethiometer was placed in the University of Uppsala, and it’s implied someone read this instrument for Oakley Street (LBS, chapter 13, page 256);

one was placed in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, used by a group of scholars who did studies on the depth of particular symbols and used by Hannah Relf to make questions on behalf of Oakley Street (LBS, chapter 13);

one had been in Bologna, in possession of a scholar who also read on behalf of Oakley Street and who had been killed, and a few weeks prior to the flood, this instrument was handed to Hannah Relf personally, to be read for Oakley Street. (LBS, chapter 13);

one was placed in Geneva, being read by the Magisterium although it is never disclosed which group has it;

one was placed in Paris, assumingly in an university, and was read on behalf of the Magisterium;

one was with Gerard Bonneville, who had stolen it from monks in Bohemia, and then it was stolen by Malcolm Polstead and by the end of the flood, it was gifted to the Master of Jordan College and Lyra Belacqua.

Between the events of NL and TAS (ranging between 1996 and 1998), the alethiometers also seem placed in different places from the original locations in LBS:

one was in possession of the Consistorial Court of Discipline in Geneva, being read by Fra Pavel. It isn’t clear if this is the same one as the one in Geneva during 1986.

one was in possession of the Society of the Work of the Holy Spirit, also in Geneva;

one was in possession of Lyra Belacqua, moving worlds as she did so; this one is the same alethiometer that had been in possession of Bonneville;

one was with Lord Asriel at the Basalt Fortress; it isn’t disclosed which one this was;

two alethiometers are unaccounted for based on their original locations and because the ones owned in this time spot can’t be traced back to the old locations, it’s hard even to guess which one is which. Hannah Relf, for example, could have lent her alethiometer to Asriel’s alethiometrist, or they could have stolen one; the same goes for the CCD and the Society’s one. The only one accounted for is Lyra’s.

During the events of The Secret Commonwealth, the alethiometers seem to have changed hands once again.

one is placed in La Maison Juste, being read by Olivier Bonneville, who eventually leaves the city and takes it with him (i think he loses it when he is arrested but imnot sure /fc);

one is with Hannah Relf, very likely the same one from Bologna;

one is still with Lyra Belacqua, the one which had belonged to Bonneville;

Paris, Uppsala and Bodley’s (fact check but the other 3 are never disclosed but im not sure and im tired)

KNOWN ALETHIOMETRISTS

Hannah Relf, in Oxford (during HDM, although she never is portrayed reading it and TBOD);

Fra Pavel, in Geneva (during TAS);

Teukros Basilides, in the Basalt Fortress (during TAS);

Lyra Belacqua, in Oxford (during HDM, LO, S, TSC);

Olivier Bonneville, in Geneva (TSC);

A reader at Uppsala University (during LBS);

A reader at the Society of the Work of the Holy Spirit (during TAS);

THE SYMBOLS AND THEIR MEANINGS

The Alethiometer is composed of 36 symbols that can be drawn in different styles but that follow a same common principle, such as the hourglass always having a skull on top. (?) (The symbols will get a separate post discussing their meanings in canon).

Hourglass

Sun

Alpha and omega

Marionette

Serpent

Cauldron

Anchor

Angel

Helmet

Beehive

Moon

Madonna

Apple

Bird

Bread

Ant

Bull

Candle

Cornucopia

Chameleon

Thunderbolt

Dolphin

Walled Garden

Globe

Sword

Griffin

Horse

Camel

Elephant

Crocodile

Baby

Compass

Lute

Tree

Wild Man

Owl

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L O R D     A S R I E L

DÆMON: Stelmaria, a snow leopard.

BOND: Whole.

HAIR: Black

EYES: (...)

AGE: Undisclosed.

BIRTH: Undisclosed.

NATIONALITY: Brytish. (English)

STATUS: Alive during LBS, NL, TSK and TAS. Dead during LO, S, TSC.

Lord Asriel was a Brytish nobleman and a notable scholar and explorer. He had, a one point, been a member of Parliament and was involved in defeating the Watercourse Bill, which would have limited the gyptians’ right of free passage through Brytain. His friendship with the gyptians was well-known, and he saved two gyptian children, Ruud and Nellie Koopman, from drowning in a flood in 1953.

He made his fortune from exploring, especially the Arctic Region, and was considered richer than a king at one point in his life. Not much of his family is known.

At some point prior to 1985, Lord Asriel met and began an affair with Marisa Coulter, who was married to Edward Coulter at the time. From this relationship, Lyra was born sometime in 1985 and because she resembled Asriel, he took the baby to one of his estates in Oxfordshire and placed her in the care of Ma Costa. Coulter, found out, however, and made an attempt on their lives, which Asriel hindered by knocking the gun from Coulter’s hand, then using it to shoot him in the head.

Asriel was tried by the High Court, and although the law protected his right to defend his property and child, it also benefitted the late Edward Coulter for defending his wife’s honor. As a result of this, Lyra was taken into government custody and Asriel was forbidden from seeing her; on top of that, he had almost his entire fortune seized, leaving him nearly penniless.

He was close to Lord Nugent, who had been in charge of finding a safe place for Lyra to stay and when she was placed at the Priory of Godstow, Asriel visited her briefly, convincing Sister Fenella to allow him to say goodbye. He left Oxford on that night, after speaking to Malcolm and borrowing his canoe; Asriel then had the canoe sent to the best boat-builder in England and asked Coram van Texel to return it to Malcolm.

In the first days of the flood, Bud Schlesinger reported he had briefly met Asriel in Chelsea the night before of his meeting, and that he was preparing to depart for the North once more.

(to be continued)

Asriel’s age is never disclosed and the hints given are somewhat contradictory. Although he is consistently addressed as “Lord,” his noble title is unknown.

Lyra mentions the Count and Countess Belacqua, but it is never clear whether they existed or not. Nothing else is known about Asriel’s family.

He was a member of Jordan College, although the text suggests he spent little time there, instead focusing on his exploring.

His wine of preference was the Hungarian wine, Tokay.

Asriel is described as a tall man, with powerful shoulders, and a fierce dark face. “His movements were large and perfectly balanced, like those of a wild animal (...)” (NL, chapter 1). His voice was described as deep and harsh and he was a man with a dominating posture and attitude.

DÆMON RELATIONSHIP

Slightly in disagreement, mostly quiet companionship and Stelmaria seems to exert the role of reason in their pair while Asriel acts as the impulsive, passionate, emotional part.

FAMILIAL TIES

Lyra Belacqua: daughter.

FRIENDS & ALLIES

Dr. Carne: college relation. 

Thomas Nugent: ally.

John Faa: ally.

Xaphania: ally.

King Ogunwe: ally.

Lord Roke: ally.

John Parry: ally

Thorold: ally and manservant.

ROMANTIC TIES

Marisa Coulter: lover.

Ruta Skadi: lover.

ENEMIES & RIVALS

Metatron: enemy.

Authority: enemy.

Father MacPhail: enemy.

AFFILIATIONS

Republic of Heaven: safe haven.

Jordan College: alma mater, educational.

Oakley Street: uncommitted friendship.

Magisterium: enemy.

Consistorial Court of Discipline.

Society of the Work of the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of Heaven: enemy, at open war.

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                           WELCOME TO OAKLEY STREET ARCHIVES!      A lore blog for everything related to His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust.

All the information found here is taken solely from the books. You can find out more about the criteria by checking the about section.

The timeline, although created mostly from canon material, it’s used only for reference and only the dates that definitely show up on the books. Anything that is guesswork, is not taken into consideration for the files.

You can find all the content in the atlas section (currently under construction still). The tag system is very thorough.

This blog is meant to help you understand anything canon related, as well as provide information that can be used by fic writers easily, written in a way that doesn’t feel robotic like the wiki usually does.

You can send requests, suggestions or even corrections (I currently run this blog alone) via ask.

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L Y R A     B E L A C Q U A

DÆMON: Pantalaimon, a pine marten.

BOND: Split.

HAIR: dirty blonde.

EYES: blue.

AGE: 6 months during LBS. 10-11 during NL. 12-13 during TSK and TAS. 15 in Lyra’s Oxford. 20 in TSC.

BIRTH: 1985. (between July, August and September, according to the Timeline).

NATIONALITY: Brytish. (English).

STATUS: Alive.

Lyra Belacqua was born to Marisa Coulter and Lord Asriel, a product of their affair.

After Marisa’s husband, Edward Coulter, tried to kill her and was killed by Lord Asriel, who then lost everything he had, Lyra was taken into government custody and then placed at the Priory of Godstow in Oxford by Lord Nugent, the head of Oakley Street.

There, Lyra was taken care by the nuns for a couple of weeks before the Great Flood happened. As she was being hunted by Gerard Bonneville, a physicist who wanted to get hold of her to likely trade her for scientific freedom to research Dust, Lyra was rescued by Malcolm Polstead and Alice Parslow, and they set out in Malcolm’s canoe, La Belle Sauvage, for London.

During their time in the flood, Lyra was taken by the Sisters of Holy Obedience, but was promptly rescued by Malcolm. Eventually, they reached a fairy island and met Diania, a fairy who tried to steal Lyra by feeding her fairy milk. Malcolm tricked Diania and recovered Lyra, and once again they were back in the Flood, on their way to Lord Asriel in London.

When they arrived in the city, the CCD forces that had been looking for them were caught in a conflict, as Lord Asriel and Oakley Street agents made their way to rescue Lyra and the children. Lord Asriel returned with them to Oxford in a gyropter, and left Lyra under the protection of Scholastic Sanctuary at Jordan College. There, Malcolm left with the Master of Jordan, the Alethiometer he took from Gerard Bonneville, which would pass into Lyra’s possession ten years later.

“Secundum legem de refugio scholasticorum, protectionem tegimentumque huius collegii pro filia mea Lyra nomine reposco.” Asriel said. “Look after her.” “Scholastic Sanctuary? For this child?” “For my daughter Lyra, as I said.” “She’s not a scholar!” “You’ll have to make her into one then, won’t you?”

—  Lord Asriel, chapter 25, La Belle Sauvage.

Lyra grew up in Jordan College, under the guardianship of Dr Carne, but personally being cared for by Alice Lonsdale. She had a rather carefree life, being an natural leader and befriending most children from the region, from gyptians to town kids to college children. At one point, Lyra was responsible for invading the Costa family’s boat with her little gang of children and she often played war games with these particular groups of children. At the College, her actions were observed by Bernie Johansen, the half-gyptian pastry cook, who reported back to the Costas, who then reported to John Faa, as a favour to Lord Asriel.

She grew up believing Asriel was her uncle, and he made brief, sporadic visits to see that she was well cared for. Lyra was informally educated by the scholars from Jordan, and she had very little interest in learning as well, and as a result her education was flawed, filled with gaps, and yet in certain areas unusually specific, as Jordan College was meant to be a higher education institution.

When Lyra was ten or eleven years old, she sneaked into the Retiring Room out of curiosity, but ended up seeing the Master of Jordan poison the decanter of Tokay meant for Lord Asriel. Upon Asriel’s arrival, Lyra revealed herself in order to save him from drinking the poisoned wine and Asriel employed her as a spy during his presentation to the scholars, hiding her in the cupboard. During this meeting, Lyra was introduced to the concept of Dust and she saw the City in the Sky in Lord Asriel’s photograms.

(to be continued)

Lyra, prior to her daemon settling, had the innate skill of reading the Alethiometer without needing to consult the books. This skill was likely attributed to her status as child of the prophecy and she lost it after her return from the Land of the Dead and Pantalaimon’s settling.

Lyra is considered very small for her age. She is also said to be strikingly beautiful, enough to draw the attention of passersby.

During their adventures, Pan and Lyra had to separate when she visited the world of the dead. By doing this, they acquired the skill of separating like the witches do.

Lyra still takes Alethiometer classes with Dame Hannah Relf. She also had a brief dalliance with Dick Orchard - the boy who could spit further than anyone else - who also happened to have been a childhood crush of hers.

Lyra uses the name Silvertongue among friends, although she is still legally and widely know as Lyra Belacqua.

Her Alethiometer was given to her by the Master of Jordan, after Malcolm gave it to him. It had belonged to Gerard Bonneville, who stole it from a monastery in Bohemia; the monks had also stolen the Alethiometer from a traveler who had taken shelter with them. The history of the instrument is tied to the fact it had been often stolen, Lyra being the first owner in a long time who had actually received it as a gift. (TSC, chapter 7)

Lyra can use the new method of reading, but it makes her feel sick and often refuses to use it. She is yet to understand the connection between the method and the daemon.

Lyra’s major is unclear, but she wrote an essay at one point about the Patterns of Trade in Arctic Region with particular reference to independent cargo balloon carriage (1950-1970) (click here to see the Extra letters from OUATIN). In that same letters she mentions “Econ Hist,” and how it must be that subject as there is no other way to examine her knowledge about the alethiometer. It can be assumed she was majoring in Economic History.

At one point, Lyra mentions the Count and Countess Belacqua, her alleged parents who died in aircraft accident. It is unclear whether they were real people or made up by Asriel to cover his own identity as Lyra’s father.

DÆMON RELATIONSHIP

Chaotic, friendly, constant banter, harmonious. Good communication and synchronized behaviour in feelings and actions. (HDM)

Chaotic, aggressive, constant disagreement and sheer unhappiness. Lack of synchronization in feelings and actions; lack of communication. (TSC).

FAMILIAL TIES

Lord Asriel: father.

Marisa Coulter: mother.

Marcel Delamare: uncle on her mother’s side.

Madame Delamare: grandmother on her mother’s side.

Dr Carne: legal guardian under scholastic sanctuary.

FRIENDS & ALLIES

Roger Parslow

Miriam Jacobs: colleague.

Hannah Relf: mentor.

Malcolm Polstead: former teacher, ally.

Alice Lonsdale: caregiver and friend.

Iorek Byrnison: friend.

Serafina Pekkala: friend.

ROMANTIC TIES

Will Parry: old flame.

Dick Orchard: old flame.

ENEMIES & RIVALS

Olivier Bonneville: rival.

Father MacPhail: enemy.

Father Gomez: enemy.

Pierre Binaud: enemy.

AFFILIATIONS

Jordan College: safe haven.

Oakley Street: allies.

Bud Schlesinger.

Anita Schlesinger.

The Eastern-Anglia Gyptians: allies.

Farder Coram.

Ma Costa.

John Faa.

St. Sophia’s College: alma mater, educational.

Magisterium: enemy (during HDM), antagonistic (during TSC)

Consistorial Court of Discipline: violent.

La Maison Juste: antagonistic.

The League of St. Alexander: suspicious.

The Daemonless People: friendly.

Princess Rosamond Cantacuzino: friendly.

Vaclav Kubiček: friendly.

Nur Huda el-Wahabi: acquaintanceship.

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(You can click for better quality, these files are huuuuuuuuuuge).

Hello friends! I bring upon you my most recent work that nobody has asked for lol Which is a timeline for Lyra’s world. This is based on canon information, and there are a few speculations as well, but I tried to stay very true and close to the source material. This covers all the published novels, including the Collectors, so there might be spoilers.

You can check the Google docs, with all the information in the images, plus all my notes and observations, as well as the references for the dates.