Ryan Tolliver

**Ryan Tolliver** is a character created by J.P. Leck as a part of his Endless Elsewhere multimedia meta-narrative. His first appearance was in the short film *The Lantern* and he has appeared in a total of eight Endless Elsewhere stories. He is portrayed on film and in radio plays by Tucker.

## Character History

Ryan is a groundskeeper at the Circle City Cemetery until a series of grave robberies unearth a forgotten machine known as The Lantern, which allows its wielder to interact with the spirit realm (*The Lantern*). With it in his possession, Tolliver is sought out by the enigmatic Violet, who seeks his assistance in taking down a blood cult ("The Red Mass"), which leads him down a rabbit hole of supernatural occurrences as he seeks to do the right thing.

## Appearances

### *The Lantern*

Ryan Tolliver, trapped in a dingy motel on a dark and stormy night, calls into *Circle City Supernatural* to share the story of how he came across the titular Lantern and how he attempted to use it to communicate with his deceased friend who had drowned some time ago in Old Scratch Creek. When Ryan encounters something far more sinister instead of his friend, he shuts off the machine and goes on the run, only to find that the ominous presence is still with him. Outside the Motel 66, however, he finds that there are now two entities, seeming poised to do battle for his very soul.

After he is disconnected by the radio station, he turns the Lantern on again and watches, petrified from the motel window. He awakens the next morning in the shower of his motel room, safe and sound.

### "The Red Mass"

Ryan Tolliver meets Violet, a mysterious woman who fights evil and happens to be an avid listener of *Circle City Supernatural*. She seeks his help in interrupting a ritual red mass, which seeks to resurrect the spirit of their fallen leader into the body of a sacrificial host. Ryan reluctantly agrees.

After finding the cult, Ryan rushes in rather foolhardily, brandishing an unloaded Doomsayer given him by Violet. With the sacrificial host safely in their car, the two soon realize that the host - named Carolyn Pelfrey - was a willing participant in the cult's endgame. When her friends come back to rescue her, Ryan switches on the Lantern, causing the cult members to flee in a panic.

With the immediate threat taken care of, Violet and Ryan go to Joe's Diner for victory pie and to listen to the latest episode of *Circle City Supernatural*.

### "The Acolytes"

Following the shootout at Joe's Diner and subsequent chase to Circle City Cemetery, Carolyn is discovered by Ryan. After a brief unease, Carolyn asks Ryan to help her get rid of the demonic presence inside her and he reluctantly agrees.

### "The Demoniac"

In an interview with Brian Pollydore of *The Vigilante*, Ryan recounts the events that followed "The Acolytes," including his attempts to help Carolyn, her subsequent arrest and escape, and the exorcism that led to her finaly being freed of the demonic entity within her.

### *The Should-Not-Be*

After finding a note left by Carolyn, Ryan is about to make a run from the police outside his door when he encounters Monty Redding, a petty criminal in the employ of Dr. Frederick Hardesty, the scientist who created the Lantern. Hardesty, who now exists as a brain in a box, also heard Tolliver's episode of *Circle City Supernatural* and has been seeking out Ryan and the Lantern ever since.

After overpowering Redding and stunning him with the Zapper, Ryan escapes with Hardesty and the Lantern. He makes a deal with the scientist: if Hardesty helps him repair the Lantern, Ryan will aid Hardesty in his search for the Music Box.

### "The Invoked"

After happening upon her impassioned plea for help on *Circle City Supernatural*, Ryan meets Violet in Circle City Cemetery to help her thwart an impending evil set in motion by the possessed Carolyn Pelfrey. After finding they need assistance, they enlist the help of Det. Alex Heaney and Det. Keith Sorrels, who lead them to the Boonies compound, where they find a hiding Carolyn Pelfrey.

Ryan uses the newly-repaired Lantern to communicate with the demonic spirits within the Boonies compound, who proceed to summon the Gãrgolas. After "some R-rated violence," the bat-like creatures abscond with both Ryan and Alex Heaney.

### *The Devil Doll*

In a post-credits scene, a raggedy and weary Ryan Tolliver is seen wandering aimlessly through a heavily-wooded area. He eventually stumbles into a pool of water and, looking at his reflection, asks, "Who am I?"

### "The Colonnades"

Some time after the events of *The Devil Doll*, Ryan Tolliver is rescued from the hospital where he is recovering from the amnesia that has affected him since his kidnapping by Carolyn Pelfrey and the Unclosing Eye Detective Agency. Eventually, he is coaxed into remembering enough to help the agency find Alex Heaney in the Colonnades Cave System.

## References

### "The Supernatural City"

Ryan is mentioned by Violet when she calls in to *Circle City Supernatural* to ask for his help in thwarting another impending evil.