recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Sarah Chesterfield

**Sarah Chesterfield** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series, first appearing in *Bridget's Calling* and later in *Laurie's Liberation*. She and her husband Eric live in Glen Hills, a posh suburb of Stallbrook, both wealthy heirs and progressive-minded. Sarah is highly visual and enjoys looking in mirrors or watching videotapes of her making love with Eric. When she becomes ill with liver cancer, she and Eric retain Bridget to have sex with him while Sarah watches and masturbates. They develop a friendship with her, and even become regular donors to the Jezebel Project. Because Sarah has a rare blood type, a liver transplant is almost impossible, even after Eric arranges to find donors from as far away as India. Later, the oncologist treating Sarah discusses an experimental procedure which might provide a cure for her. By the events of *Laurie's Liberation*, Sarah has recovered from her liver transplant; she and Eric welcome Laurie Franklin and Tony Graham into their home until the crisis of Abbie Nolan pursuing Laurie is ended. Sarah later retains Bridget's services for an overnight session while Eric is away, later arranging for Laurie to join them. By the events of *Tessa's Vision*, Sarah has died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Saint Cyr

**Gunnery Sergeant Robert Saint Cyr, USMC**, is a supporting character in *Bridget's Calling*. He was part of the patrol commanded by Lieutenant Daniel Costas when they were attacked, and rushed to his aid after Costas was hit with an incendiary device. Colonel Watkins then assigned Saint Cyr to assist Bridget and the Lieutenant. Well-disciplined yet amiable, he quickly comes to respect Bridget for her empathic understanding.
Buck Guzman

**Officer/Sergeant Buck Guzman** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series, appearing in *Zoe's Quest*, *Adara's Apostasy* and *Tessa's Vision*. He starts as a beat cop in the Creston Street Special District, often partnered with Officer Dana Tyler; by the events of *Tessa's Vision* he is promoted to Sergeant and works more closely with Captain Andi Hunter. Guzman has built a rapport with sex workers and others in the District, and is fully supportive of Chief Graham's policies regarding sex workers, seeing them as an effective way of addressing issues of safety and violence.
Tracey Bilodeau

**Tracey Bilodeau** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series. She is described as being tall and attractive, with fair complexion and black hair; she later finds that she has some African-American ancestry, one of her great-great-grandmothers having escaped slavery to Canada on the Underground Railroad. She joined the Free Spirit Connection while a student in Chicago, then helped to start Stallbrook's downtown Local Gathering when she moved there, and serves as chair of that Gathering's Council, also leading Wayfinding classes for prospective members. She becomes good friends with Peri Winger and Bridget Torjesen, and after breaking up with a woman named Dee, later becomes partners with Ruth Adler, a woman who had joined the Gathering after leaving the city's Unitarian church. Tracey later befriends Laurie Franklin, even helping her connect with the male escort Carlos via Bridget Torjesen. Tracey calls on Sophie Giuliani to represent the Free Spirits as part of a proposed coalition which is later called the Round Table of Reason, and which indirectly leads to the formation of a Free Spirit student group at the University of Stallbrook.
Save Our Sisters

**Save Our Sisters** is a ministry of Our Savior Lutheran Church, dedicated to helping women leave the sex industry. Run by Naomi Torkildsen, the small group sometimes works in conjunction with the University of Stallbrook chapter of the Student Coalition Against Trafficking, and like them conflates sex trafficking with consensual sex work.
Val-U-Barn

**Val-U-Barn** is a large discount store near the southern town line of Stallbrook. It's name comes from the barnlike shape of the building in which it is housed. In *Moira's Covenant*, Moira Cloutier goes with her friends Amalia and Darla to shop, even finding some "pervertable" items for possible BDSM play.
Beguinage Myth

The **"beguinage myth"** is a narrative promoted within the Free Spirit Connection's Women's Nexus Against Patriarchy (WoNAP) by its co-founder and de-facto leader Jo Hurley. According to this myth, Janella had originally intended for the modern Free Spirit movement to be a women-only spiritual community, much like the *beguinages* of Medieval Europe, but was "pressured" by others to have it include men, thus altering its character and mission. In fact, Janella opposes such separatism and misandry, even stating that she does not consider such views to be feminist.
Maggie

**Maggie** is a minor character in *Priscilla's Transformation*. A member of the Stallbrook Friends Meeting, she is part of a coalition of groups and individuals supporting the Free Spirit Connection in the face of attacks. Priscilla Rhee meets Maggie and Josh outside a coffeeshop, and supports their efforts.
Zari Graham

**Zari Graham** is a character in the fifth book of the Free Spirits series, *Laurie's Liberation*. The sister of Tony Graham, she is described as having matted dreadlocks and wearing noticeably frayed second-hand clothes, "for both ideological and financial reasons." Tony considers Zari to be harshly dogmatic in her beliefs, to the point of irritating those around her including family members. When he shows her practical ways that he and their uncle have affected positive change in Stallbrook, she remains critical, insisting that "systemic change, on a wider scale" is still needed. Tony responds that such a perpetually critical attitude will not by itself bring about change, but engaging in practical work rooted in one's values does make change. Their relationship is meant to reflect the difference between ideological and practical approaches to social activism.
Muriel Roth

**Muriel Roth** is a minor character in *Laurie's Liberation.* The Libertarian Party candidate for District Attorney, she runs an unconventional campaign, described as having a "slovenly appearance" and engaging in "rambling grandiloquence." Along with Green Party candidate Kemal Hakim, she winds up with less than ten percent of the vote in the election.
Wanda Thibodeau

**Wanda Thibodeau** is a character in *Jeretta's Judgment*. Described as having short hair and an athletic build, she frequently raises objections at the Free Spirit Connection's arbiter training workshop regarding what she sees as an excessive focus on the possibility of false accusations of sexual misconduct, as well as Article Five of the Connection's bylaws allowing an accused person to appeal an adverse decision, but not the complainant. Wanda eventually storms out of the workshop in protest.
Aurora Casagrande

**Aurora Casagrande** is a minor character in *Tessa's Vision*. A commercial real estate developer in Stallbrook, she finds a building on Creston Street where the group of exotic dancers under Tessa Cabrera's leadership can start a co-operatively owned erotic entertainment venue which would later be known as Blue Jewel.
Rajiv Nair

**Rajiv Nair** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series. He is of Indian descent, and works as a park ranger in the city of Stallbrook. Rajiv first appears in *Peri's Bliss* as the partner of Gabe Choi; they meet Rachel Martini at the downtown Local Gathering, and the three seem mutually attracted to one another. By the events of *Laurie's Liberation*, they have formed a polyamorous triad and joined the recently formed east metro Gathering in Pattensville where they live; Laurie Franklin rents a small apartment from them, and they form a friendship with her.
Soren Flannigan

**Soren Flannigan** is a minor character in *Zoe's Quest*. A regular client of gay male sex worker Timmy, he is a BDSM submissive with a penchant for bondage, spanking, and humiliation. Soren asks Timmy about having a woman join them in a session, to anally penetrate him with a strap-on dildo while Timmy dominates him in other ways; Timmy then approaches Zoe Morton, who agrees to join them at Flannigan's condo in the Continental Place complex.
Tula Huttunen

**Tula Huttunen** is a recurring character in *Adara's Apostasy*. and *Jenny's Peace*. Lively and blonde, and a member of the Free Spirit Local Gathering in downtown Stallbrook, she becomes a friend and sexual play partner of Adara Khan, while also being in an open relationship with Adara's ex-boyfriend Stuart Nathanson. Eventually Adara joins Tula and Stuart in a temporary triad after some awkwardness and discussion. In *Jenny's Peace*, she attends an event put on by the Sweet Spot women-only sex club, and as a guest for a special dinner at APEx.
Danny

**Danny** is a supporting character in *Moira's Covenant*. Acquainted with Wil and Daria Jackson, he participates in three role-plays with their submissive Moira Cloutier: as a painfully shy paralegal in the "office" role-play, as a member of a stylized gangbang in the Jackson home, and as a delivery boy who receives fellatio as a "tip" as part of a "play punishment" session.
Richard (concierge)

**Richard** is a recurring character in *Bridget's Calling* and *Tessa's Vision*. A former rentboy, he works as a concierge at the Regency Hotel in Stallbrook, and is in the know about Bridget Torjesen's escort work. When the security chief suspects Bridget of conducting business in the hotel, Richard warns her; she then turns the tables on the security chief when he tries to entrap her.
Melinda Malone

**Melinda Malone** is a recurring character in *Hannah's Healing* and *Jeretta's Judgment.* Described as having "honey-colored curls" and a "contagious smile" she is a college friend of Lila Jaworski who meets Hannah Stutzman on a visit from her home city of Indianapolis. Hannah and Melinda begin a long-distance relationship - Hannah's first romantic relationship - which at one point becomes strained over personal insecurities each of them has. After they reconcile when Melinda returns, Hannah moves to Indianapolis to be with her. Melinda later participates in a training workshop for arbiters, co-led by Andrew Hamady, where she interacts with fellow trainee Jeretta Ardoin.
Riesenburg University

**Riesenburg University** is a fictional educational institution where Bridget Torjesen and two friends attend a debate. The university is located in the town of the same name, within driving distance of Stallbrook. Bridget and her friends, Jane Hardesty and Nate Teixeira, go to attend a debate on whether prostitution should be decriminalized. When questions and comments are taken from the audience, Bridget's comments about her work and clients provoke applause from those in agreement, but a derisive comment from the principal speaker who opposes decriminalization, Dr. Eliza Ferguson. This in turn provokes Bridget to stand in opposition, and the anti-prostitution speaker then invites her to field questions. Dr. Ferguson and Bridget exchange questions and comments, until Ferguson makes a snide comment which prompts the debate moderator to call for Ferguson to apologize to Bridget. Ferguson refuses, and leaves the debate with the two students on her panel. The other panelists, however, invite Bridget to remain and participate in further discussions for the remainder of the time. Bridget agrees, using the opportunity to educate the audience about her profession.

The University is also mentioned in *Adara's Apostasy* as the location where Adara Khan accepts an instructor position after earning her Masters in Sociology.
Marcie Tran

**Marcie Tran** is a major character in *Jenny's Peace*. A woman of East Asian descent, she is partnered with Tommy Raval, both of whom moved to the Stallbrook area from New Jersey when she took a new job as a human resources specialist. She and Tommy are members of the North End Gathering of the Free Spirit Connection, and meet Jenny Brooks there. Over time, the three develop a polyamorous triad.
The Righteous Work

**The Righteous Work of the True Firstborn of Zion**, also known simply as "the Righteous Work" or "the Work", was a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist cult in the United States. It was led by Joshua Brenton as "President and Prophet" until his murder, then by his son Gabriel Brenton until his death in Federal custody. The Work lived in isolation, often relocating, and its leaders controlled the lives of its members and especially women. Apocalyptic in their beliefs, their leaders foresaw a conflict with the "Gentiles" (outside world) and stockpiled guns and other weapons in preparation, even networking with far-right extremist groups to obtain them. Eliza Strong was an adolescent member who killed Joshua Brenton in retaliation for his raping one of her friends; she then entered the Witness Protection Program, changing her name to Jennifer Brooks. Gabriel Brenton sent a team of assassins to kill her, but they were decoyed to a compound set up by Deputy US Marshal Harmon Griffin, and the Work's compound in northern Mexico was raided the same day that the would-be assassins were apprehended. Gabriel Brenton would die in Federal custody of an apparent allergic reaction; with no appointed successor, it is assumed that the Work collapsed soon thereafter.
Denise Kwan

**Denise Kwan** is a major supporting character in *Jenny's Peace*. A Deputy US Marshal, she is part of the Witness Protection Program and assigned to lead the security detail for Jenny Brooks. An experienced law enforcement officer, she is firm in reminding Jenny of the need for caution, but is also empathetic to her situation and helps her find a counselor to continue dealing with the emotional fallout of her situation.
Mandy Svoboda

**Amanda Michelle "Mandy" Svoboda** is a supporting character in *Moira's Covenant*. Originally, she is a friend of Amalia Echevarria and Darla, and does occasional repair work for Wil and Daria Jackson; she is also one of the leaders of the Sweet Spot all-women's sex club. When Amalia and Darla introduce Mandy to Moira Cloutier, she mentions a fantasy of receiving sexual service from one of her home repair clients, and Moira encourages her to propose a role-play scenario to Daria. Later, Mandy arranges for Moira and Daria to attend and participate in a Sweet Spot event, then takes part in "punishing" Moira in another role-play.
Miranda Gentile

**Miranda Gentile** is a minor character in *Bridget's Calling*, the daughter of Marla and Will Gentile. She is eight years old during the events of the book, described as having curly dark brown hair and a dimpled smile. Aware of how her mother abuses her father, she sides with her father and even bites her mother in the leg in an attempt to defend him. Miranda and Will are aided by Bridget and her friends, including Free Spirit Local Gatherings in the Stallbrook area, to escape from Marla and start a new life in Hawaii.
Tony (Bridget's Calling)

**Tony** is a minor character in *Bridget's Calling*. A repeat client of Bridget Torjesen, he stops off at Stallbrook during coast-to-coast business trips to see her. During the events of the book, he arranges for a fantasy role-play threesome with Bridget and Courtney. Bridget also mentions him in *Zoe's Quest*, proposing that Kitty Sung join her in a fantasy duo date with him.
Nexus Groups

**Nexus groups** are the Free Spirit Connection's equivalent of caucuses or special interest groups. While they are not officially incorporated into the organizational structure of the Connection, they have significant influence in terms of crafting and supporting (or opposing) proposed resolutions. They are typically headed by two or more co-leads, and do educational and advocacy work throughout the Connection, especially during the Triennial Assembly.

In *Amalia's Truth*, eighteen nexus groups are mentioned and described:
Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church

**Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church** is a religious congregation in the city of Stallbrook, part of the Episcopal Church denomination within the United States. In *Priscilla's Transformation*, it is mentioned as one of several possible places that Priscilla Rhee might consider upon leaving Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Priscilla Rhee

**Priscilla Rhee** is the title character in *Priscilla's Transformation*. A resident of Stallbrook and a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, she finds herself disagreeing with the methods of other church members in their opposition to the city's growing Free Spirit community, and seeks to learn more about them. In the process, she begins to question her own faith, and soon finds herself at odds with her pastor and members of her congregation.

Priscilla was born in South Korea, and grew up mainly in California. Her family attended a congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, so when she moved to Stallbrook she attended Our Savior. While she had always had some disagreements with her church (i.e., she is a theistic evolutionist, versus the church's dogma supporting creationism), she does not openly express them until her dialogues with Connection members leads her to raise questions with her pastor. She find his dismissive response a sharp contrast to the open, honest and encouraging tenor of the Free Spirits, and this leads her eventually to resign from her church and attend Sunday celebrations.

Priscilla also identifies initially as asexual, and is pleasantly surprised by the Free Spirits' acceptance of this, despite their history as a sex-positive religious movement. She has on rare occasions engaged in masturbation as a way to relieve stress, not to satisfy erotic urges. Over time, however, she experiences attraction to Sabine Moràn, which perplexes her; Lateshia Williams helps her to understand that asexuality also follows a continuum, including demisexuality. By the end of the story, Priscilla has begun a relationship with Sabine.
Stallbrook International Airport

**Stallbrook International Airport** is the air travel hub for the city of Stallbrook, mentioned many times in the Free Spirits series. Apparently overlapping Stallbrook and nearby localities, it has its own police force which works with the Stallbrook Police and state and Federal law enforcement agencies.
The Daggers

**"The Daggers"** are an informal network of BDSM/Leather lesbians within the Free Spirit Connection. Comprising "about two or three dozen" individuals scattered throughout the Connection, they overlap with the membership of several nexus groups: BDSM/Fetish/Kink, Feminist, Lavender, and PORS. Three attend the sixth Triennial Assembly as guests of delegates or Connection staff. Amalia Echevarria and Darla become fast friends with one of the Daggers, named Sly.
Stallbrook Herald-Telegraph

**The *Stallbrook Herald-Telegraph*** is one of two daily newspapers in the city of Stallbrook, the other being the *Stallbrook Daily Journal*. The "H-T" is considered the city's "broadsheet" newspaper, but has faced more stiff competition from the *Journal* after its shift from a "tabloid" to "middle-market" approach under senior editor Ross Maguire.
Round Table of Reason

The **Round Table of Reason** is a coalitional coordinating body of nontheistic and humanistic groups dedicated to cooperating on issues of common concern such as the separation of church and state, the quality of science education, and religiously-motivated efforts to limit civil rights and equality for various groups. Their co-founders and participants are:

* Rae August, president of the Humanist Circle
* Don Campbell, outreach committee chair of First Unitarian Church
* Tamara Carter, chairperson of the Student Secular Society
* Tom Davis, Ethical Culture
* Sophie Giuliani, representative for the Free Spirit Connection
* John Miles, moderator of the Atheist Forum
Nora O'Brien

**Nora O'Brien** is a minor recurring character in *Adara's Apostasy*, *Moira's Covenant*. A moderate Republican, she is a member of the Stallbrook City Council, and was re-elected in the 2019 and 2023 municipal elections. O'Brien was ambivalent about Chief Graham's policies regarding sex workers, and abstained in the final Council vote on whether to support his approach. In 2020, she and Greta Bauer publicly announced that they were changing their political designations to "Main Street Republicans" in protest against the harsh treatment they received from hardline conservatives; this led to the local party embracing the designation for municipal elections, and the hardliners walking out of the party.
Stallbrook Pirate Party

The **Stallbrook Pirate Party** is the local branch of the U.S. Pirate Party, which is in turn part of a growing international political movement which began in Sweden. The name "Pirates" comes from their original concerns over copyright and patent law reform, although their program has expanded to include opposition to abuses by both big government and big business, thus earning them the label of "left-libertarian". In the city of Stallbrook, genderqueer Pirate activist D.G. Falco won the third district seat of the City Council in the 2015 municipal elections, gaining a plurality over ten other candidates. In the 2019 elections, Falco won re-election and was joined by Warren Foyle winning an at-large seat. Falco and Foyle would win re-election in 2023 and be joined by Corey Long from the eighth district, making the Pirates the third-largest party in the City Council, and the second-largest group in the Council's Progressive Caucus.
Michael Jaeger

**Michael Jaeger** is a minor recurring character in *Adara's Apostasy* and *Moira's Covenant*. A conservative Republican and former member of the Stallbrook City Council, he ran against Jack Oskanian for Mayor in the 2019 municipal elections, but lost. In the City Council, he joined fellow Republican Carl Hersch in firmly opposing Chief Graham's policies regarding sex workers. Having been co-endorsed by the Stallbrook Constitution Party, Jaeger is willing to work with them in an electoral alliance to get more conservatives elected. In 2020, he joins a walkout of hardliners when the local GOP votes to adopt the designation of "Main Street Republicans" for municipal elections.
Walter Collins

**Walter Collins** is a supporting character in *Amalia's Truth*. An elderly African-American, he was one of the earliest members and leaders of the modern Free Spirits movement, having been disillusioned by the hypocrisy and growing conservatism of his preacher father. He co-moderated the Formative Assembly, then served on the Stewards since its beginning, choosing not to run for re-election during the sixth Triennial Assembly, where the title of "Steward Emeritus" was bestowed upon him. Collins recognizes Amalia Echevarria as a natural leader within the Free Spirit Connection, and supports her in the face of rumors and false allegations raised against her.
Liz Cochrane

**Liz Cochrane** is a character in *Elsa's Revelations*. An investigative reporter for the *New York Chronicle*, she interviews a woman who makes allegations of misconduct against former NYPD officer and current Stallbrook police chief Delbert Graham. Her editor, Morris Lincoln, rushes the story to print due to the woman threatening to accuse the *Chronicle*'s publisher as well. When Elsa Wahrheit shows that the allegations are false, the story is retracted, Lincoln is suspended, and charges are brought against the woman.
Morris Lincoln

**Morris Lincoln** is a character in *Elsa's Revelations*. He is an associate editor at the *New York Chronicle* tabloid, and supervisor of reporter Liz Cochrane. When Cochrane interviews a woman making allegations against Stallbrook's police chief (who once served on the NYPD), the woman threatens to make allegations against the *Chronicle*'s publisher unless her story is printed right away. Lincoln rushes the story into print, only to see Elsa Wahrheit uncover it to be false. Lincoln is suspended as a result, and the story is retracted.
Missy Grasso

**Melissa Grasso** is a supporting character in *Moira's Covenant*. Formerly a student at the University of Stallbrook, and an intern for City Council member Angel Portillo, she left abruptly after being raped and stalked by a strange man, with help from Portillo's office administrator (who also knew Grasso from the local ward of the Mormon church). Consuela Nuñez eventually finds her living under a different name, and persuades her to make a video explaining the circumstance of her departure, thus clearing Portillo of allegations of wrongdoing.
Naomi Torkildsen

**Naomi Torkildsen** is a recurring character in *Adara's Apostasy* and *Priscilla's Transformation*. A member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, she heads Save Our Sisters, a ministry for helping women leave the sex industry, and not surprisingly takes a conservative Christian view which conflates sex trafficking with consensual sex work. As a friend of Priscilla Rhee, she expresses concern to her and their pastor Gerry Piper about her interactions with the Free Spirits and growing divergence from church orthodoxy.
Russo crime family

The **Russo crime family** was the branch of the Mafia which operated in the Stallbrook area until the latter part of the twentieth century. Pressure from various law enforcement agencies, and from a network of determined Stallbrook police officers nicknamed "the Machine," eventually led to their downfall. Ironically, the Machine itself would become so abusive and corrupt that it would displace the Russo family as the principal source of organized criminal activity in Stallbrook until the mid-2010's.
Regional Conferences (RCs)

**Regional Conferences** or **RCs** are the level of organization above Local Gatherings (LGs) within the Free Spirit Connection. Each Conference represents ten to twenty Gatherings in a given geographic area. Each LG sends their elected Council members, plus a Celebrant or Attendant, as their delegation to semi-annual meetings, and each RC meeting is headed by two co-moderators elected at the end of the previous meeting. RC members share information and consider various proposals. An RC does not "rule over" its constituent LGs, but rather serves as a forum by which LG leaders exchange ideas and attempt to discern consensus. When approaching its maximum of twenty LGs, a Regional Conference makes plans to either split into two RCs or reapportion with neighboring RCs.

Names of Regional Conferences mentioned:

* Adirondack
* Atlanta Metro
* Austin Metro
* Central California
* Central Colorado
* Chesapeake
* Chicagoland
* Duquesne - location of the fictional city of Stallbrook where much of the Free Spirits series is set
* Los Angeles
* Lower Hudson
* Metro New York
* Milwaukee
* Northeast Ohio
* Overseas - composed of Local Gatherings from outside the United States
* Salt Lake
* San Francisco Bay
* Savannah Metro
* South Michigan
* Sunbelt
* Twin Cities
Samuel Stutzman

**Samuel Stutzman** is a supporting character in *Hannah's Healing*. One of Hannah Stutzman's brothers, he was often intimidated by his eldest brother Joosef, engaging in sexual abuse of Hannah at his urging. He later marries Hannah's childhood friend Sarah Yoder. When Joosef sexually assaults and accidentally kills Abena Gardner, he persuades Samuel to hide the body for him; Sarah witnesses their discussion, and eventually figures out what they have done. When taken into custody, Samuel is persuaded by Lateshia Williams to disclose all that happened, leading to Joosef's arrest.
Local Gatherings (LGs)

**Local Gatherings**, or **LGs**, are the local-level organizations of the Free Spirit Connection, consisting of anywhere from ten to 150 members, and providing opportunities for service and community. Typical activities include the weekly Sunday Celebrations, rites of passage, classes, and social events. LGs elect a Council to administer their affairs, and are served by Celebrants (clergy) and Attendants (lay preachers or deacons). As the membership of the LG increases, its Council also expands in size in rough proportion to the size of the LG:

* 3 Council members for 10-24 LG members
* 5 Council members for 25-49 LG members
* 7 Council members for 50-99 LG members
* 9 Council members for 100+ LG members

The 150 member maximum is based on Dunbar's number, said to be the cognitive limit of stable human relationships. When a given LG exceeds one hundred members, it begins plans to "birth" a new LG nearby, with assistance from Connection staff. LGs also assist unaffiliated members of the Connection (colloquially known as "solos") in "emerging" new LGs in the area.

The Free Spirits series is primarily set in and around the fictional city of Stallbrook, where there is a thriving Local Gathering downtown. In *Peri's Bliss,* the Gathering's leaders help some of Peri's friends start a new LG some distance away, and by the end a south metro Gathering is established in the suburb of Cedar Hills. By *Hannah's Healing*, a third Gathering is formed in the east suburb of Pattensville, and a fourth in the city's North End during *Priscilla's Transformation.*

There is also mention of Local Gatherings existing in the following cities:

* Austin TX
* Boston MA
* Chicago IL - mentioned that three more LGs birthed from this Gathering, and members who moved helped others to emerge
* Cleveland OH
* Colorado Springs CO
* Dallas TX
* Denver CO
* Los Angeles CA
* Louisville KY
* Newark and Jersey City NJ
* New York City - LGs in Manhattan's East Village, Queens, and Staten Island
* Saint Louis MO
* San Francisco CA - mentioned that the café-style seating used in most LGs originated here
* San Jose CA
* Seattle WA
* Stamford CT
* Westchester County NY
The Divine

**The Divine,** according to modern Free Spirits, is the unity of creative and evolutionary forces in the universe, by which human beings are connected to one another and their reality. The vast majority of Free Spirits (76.47%) view the Divine in pantheistic terms, although there are also nontheists, deists and a small number of theists in the Connection. By recognizing the Divine in all things, Free Spirits see a "sacred" element in all activities, especially those entered into with the intention of fostering love, truth, peace and bliss (see Covenant and Communion).
Scotswood Park

**Scotswood Park** is a wooded park in the Highlands section of Stallbrook, in its northeast corner, and apparently a spot conducive to outdoor sexual encounters. *Peri's Bliss* describes Peri having a picnic and a threesome with Willow and Connor, and *Hannah's Healing* describes Hannah and Melinda making love there, in both cases undisturbed by anyone else. The park is also the site of a tragedy in *Priscilla's Transformation*, as the body of Jay Koenig is found there by passersby.
Stallbrook City Council

The **Stallbrook City Council** is the legislative arm of the Stallbrook municipal government. The Council is composed of fifteen members, ten elected from single-member districts, and five elected at-large. Until 2019, district seats were elected by first-past-the-post plurality, and at-large seats elected by ranked-choice voting; starting in the 2019 elections, ranked-choice balloting was used for all Council seats and municipal offices.

One of the major issues for the Council in recent history has been addressing Chief Graham's policy towards prostitution, which has been called "de-facto decriminalization". After months of hearings and research, the Council voted by a two-thirds majority to endorse Graham's approach; the biggest surprise was the vote of District 2 Councilor Angel Portillo - considered a conservative Republican - in favor of Graham's policies.

While Democrats have tended to predominate in City Council elections, and Republicans serve as the main opposition, the factional divisions within each party and the rise of additional parties and independents has led to cross-party cooperation on various issues.

Composition of the City Council:

\* In 2020, the Stallbrook Republicans voted to change their designation to "Main Street Republicans"; hardliners like Carl Hersch and Kristine Manatos walked out in protest and changed their own political designations to Constitution Party.

\*\* Numbers in parentheses indicate Republican members co-endorsed by the Constitution Party.
The Marotte

***The Marotte*** is the weekly alternative paper published in Stallbrook and its surrounding area. It is mentioned in *Tessa's Vision* when Waldo Stiles points out the ad for "Blue Jewel Dancers" to his partner Todd Renard, expressing concern that Blue Jewel may take talent and clients away from the Foxy Ladies Gentlemen's Club.
Rhonda Carver

**Rhonda Carver** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series, appearing in *Bridget's Calling*, *Adara's Apostasy*, *Tessa's Vision* and *Elsa's Revelations*. A teacher by training, she is first elected to the Stallbrook City Council in 2003 as a progressive Democrat co-endorsed by the Working Families party, representing the sixth district, and quickly forms a bond of friendship with fellow Councilor Angel Portillo, despite their political differences. Carver is a major supporter of the reforms in the Stallbrook Police Department instituted by Chief Graham, including his de-facto decriminalization of commercial sex within the city limits. She leads efforts to have the Council support his policies, eventually winning a two-thirds majority vote.
Pattensville

**Pattensville** is a suburb of the city of Stallbrook, located east of the city with metro bus lines allowing for easy commuting. It is the location for the area's east metro Local Gathering of the Free Spirit Connection, and the residence for a number of characters in *Laurie's Liberation*. The town is described as being slightly more conservative politically and socially than Stallbrook, with moderate Republicans tending to dominate and the Libertarians able to act as spoilers; Trump barely won a plurality there, and the race for District Attorney was hotly contested between Democrat Cherisa Cooke and independent Nate Teixeira.
Stallbrook Police United for Reform

**Stallbrook Police United for Reform (SPUR)** was an organization of progressive law enforcement officers in the Stallbrook Police Department, committed to ending corrupting and instituting new policies along the lines of community policing. Officers Ron Marshall and Greg Bogosian were principal cofounders. The group was modeled on Teamsters for a Democratic Union, and was opposed by "the Machine" of corrupt officers within the Department, including the "Old Guard" of the Stallbrook chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. After the appointment of Delbert Graham as Chief of Police, SPUR grew in numbers and confidence, which prompted a reaction by the FOP leadership leading to almost 40 percent of the chapter members leaving in the "Big Split," precipitating more departures and the eventual change in union representation to the more progressive International Brotherhood of Police Officers. Soon after the change in the union, and the ensconcement of Graham and his reforms, SPUR wound up its existence.
Our Savior Lutheran Church

**Our Savior Lutheran Church** is a religious congregation in the city of Stallbrook, first mentioned in *Peri's Bliss*. Part of the conservative Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, its pastor Martin Oldenberg and many of its members join the "Citizens Concerned" group mobilized to oppose the emergence of the Free Spirit Local Gathering. When Oldenberg is dismissed by the Synod leadership, it adversely affects Citizens Concerned, which is dealt a death blow by the arrest of Pastor Nate Roth from Shiloh Baptist Church. Our Savior sponsors Save Our Sisters, a ministry for people leaving the commercial sex industry led by Naomi Torkildsen, but in Stallbrook's atmosphere of de-facto decriminalization and the more successful work of the Jezebel Project, this effort has little success. Later, Our Savior's pastor Gerry Piper supports the formation of the North End Alliance for Truth in an attempt to block the birthing of a new Local Gathering in the city; the Alliance's efforts fail, and Piper is removed as pastor after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of sex worker Jay Koenig.
Mickey Braddock

**Mickey Braddock** is a recurring character, appearing in *Zoe's Quest*, *Tessa's Vision* and *Jenny's Peace.* The owner of the Diamond Adult Emporium on Creston Street, he is respectful of his customers and the sex workers who ply their trade on the street. Zoe Morton encourages him to tell her one of his sexual fantasies, then expresses her willingness to do so for hire, and they engage in the scenario in one of his store's video booths. He appreciates her helping him in the store and offers a discount for safer-sex supplies. By the events of *Tessa's Vision*, he is looking to close his store and possibly retire, but Bridget Torjesen and others persuade him to sell the company and its adult entertainment license to SEEMA for opening the new Blue Jewel erotic entertainment club and emporium, with him managing the latter part of the enterprise.
WTLK Radio

**WTLK** is a radio station in Stallbrook, mentioned in *Peri's Bliss*. The station is home to the "Steve and Sandy Show" (co-hosted by Steve Torre and Sandy Wolinski) which discusses the emergence of the Free Spirits in the city; Peri Winger and Lateshia Williams appear on behalf of the Free Spirits, while Shiloh Baptist Church Pastor Nate Roth and First Unitarian Church minister Justine Taylor appear as critics.
Willa Emerson

**Willa Emerson** is a minor character in *Adara's Apostasy*. An adjunct university instructor and an associate at Aletheia Research Associates, she is a friend of Vadimas Likarauskas, and agrees to meet Adara Khan to share what she knows of Bridie Chase and Wolfe O'Cleary. Later, she helps Adara obtain a position at Aletheia.
Miguel Santana

**Miguel Santana** is a supporting character in *Jeretta's Judgment*. Described as "strikingly handsome," he is from Buffalo, where he served on his Local Gathering's council for a few years before attending the arbiter training workshop. He meets Jeretta Ardoin during the first session, and participates in two threesomes with her, along with Justin Marshall and Cole O'Ryan respectively.
Stallbrook Socialists United Party

**Socialists United** is a small left-wing party in the city of Stallbrook. While they contest in municipal elections, there is no indication that they have won any elected offices, or even co-endorsed the candidates of other parties. M.J. Laurent, a progressive Democratic activist, described them as being "more about espousing rhetoric than actually getting any of their members elected"; this was demonstrated by one of their candidates for City Council dismissing reforms as "Band-Aids" during a televised debate.
Rita Baez

**Rita Baez, Ph.D.**, is a minor character in *Adara's Apostasy*. A professor of sociology at Clymer University, she is the faculty advisor for Adara Khan, and works with Vadimas Likarauskas and Jennifer Roy at the University of Stallbrook in overseeing her research and evaluating her thesis. When Wolfe O'Cleary presents a different thesis, claiming that Adara co-authored it with him, Baez mediates an informal meeting to resolve the dispute, where Adara reveals flaws in O'Cleary's overall methodology, leading to the "co-authored" paper being withdrawn and Adara's thesis eventually being approved.
Marina Lazarova

**Marina Lazarova** (alias Marie LaSalle) is a character in *Elsa's Revelations*. She is a con artist and extortionist with a long rap sheet with the NYPD. Political operative Burton Trumbull approaches her to make false allegations against Stallbrook's police chief Delbert Graham, paying her $50,000 in various negotiable instruments. Lazarova contacts *New York Chronicle* reporter Liz Cochrane for an interview, using the alias of Marie LaSalle. When Cochrane indicates that she would need to do more follow-up on the story, Lazarova then contacts Cochrane's editor and threatens to accuse the publisher of misconduct as well, thus pressuring him to rush the story into print. Later, when Elsa Wahrheit interviews Lazarova, she uncovers her fraud, and with help from NYPD Detectives Harry Benson and Roscoe Trainor, gets the *Chronicle*'s publisher to retract the story and file charges against Lazarova, who later implicates Trumbull.
Student Secular Society

The **Student Secular Society** is an organization for nontheistic students on the campus of the University of Stallbrook. They work closely with the Atheist Forum and Humanist Circle, and chairperson Tamara Carter helps to form the Round Table of Reason with other like-minded groups. The Society also participates in the University's Interfaith Council, and promotes bringing religious and secular humanist speakers to the campus.
Viktor Petran

**Viktor Petran** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series, first appearing in *Priscilla's Transformation* and again in *Sophie's Wisdom*. Medical Examiner in the city of Stallbrook, he is on the scene where the body of Jay Koenig has been found, and offers preliminary findings to Detective Liam Shaughnessy. He later examines the remains of a woman discovered encased in a concrete pillar in a parking garage, and after the identity of the victim and her killer is done through DNA analysis, he convenes an inquest.
Walter Carlson

**Walter Carlson** is a minor character in *Priscilla's Transformation*. A member of the Board of Elders of Our Savior Lutheran Church, he joins Naomi Torkildsen and Gerry Piper in confronting Priscilla Rhee about her questioning church doctrine and her meeting with members of the Free Spirit Connection.
Mistress Regina

**Mistress Regina** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series. Tall and imposing, she is a dominatrix, educator and leader for the Allegheny Power Exchange (APEx). In *Peri's Bliss*, she co-leads an introduction to BDSM for the Free Spirit Local Gathering with Amalia Echevarria. In *Adara's Apostasy*, she serves as hostess and Dungeon Master for the large play party which Adara attends with her friends.
Shelby Robinson

**Shelby Robinson** is a recurring character in the Free Spirits series. Raised Pentecostal and once involved with a queer Christian community, Shelby is a genderqueer African-American, described as androgynous in appearance with close-shaved hair, and using *zie/zir* pronouns. Shelby is part of the same Wayfinding class as Peri Winger, and soon rises to a leadership position. In *Hannah's Healing*, Shelby discloses being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and offers support to Hannah Stutzman; later Shelby uses zir's barber skills to give Hannah a haircut; when Hannah makes plans to move to Indianapolis, Shelby attends her going-away party and receives a hug from her. In *Priscilla's Transformation*, Shelby is a member of the transition team which leads the birthing of the north metro Local Gathering, and later on the new Gathering's council.
Nate Roth

**Pastor Nate Roth** is an antagonist in *Peri's Bliss*, the leader of Stallbrook's Shiloh Baptist Church and organizer of the "Citizens Concerned" group which protests the presence of the Free Spirit Connection's Local Gathering. He is described as short and barrel-chested with sandy hair graying at the temples. A fervent advocate of "traditional morality" in appearance, he is later found to have sexually abused a number of young women in his church, after one of them discloses his abuse of her, and is arrested. His assistant minister Jeff Palmer takes over at the church, while the Citizens Concerned group quickly falls apart.
Ronnie

**Ronnie** is a character in *Zoe's Quest*. A slender man in his fifties, he becomes a somewhat regular client of Zoe Morton, later disclosing that he has Asperger's Syndrome which makes it hard for him to read social cues and thus form romantic attachments with women. He is appreciative of Zoe's services, and she of his honesty.
Wil Jackson

**Wilmot Jackson** is a major character in *Moira's Covenant*, the tenth book in the Free Spirits series, and returns as a supporting character in the twelfth book, *Sophie's Wisdom*. Wil is a prominent attorney and political consultant in the city of Stallbrook, heading the firm of Jackson, Pierce & Wilson; while his loyalties are to the Republican Party, his views are moderate and he describes his political philosophy as "pragmatic individualist". He met his wife Daria when he represented her brother in a discrimination case, and she in fact proposed marriage to him. They have a grown daughter, Tala, who is a social worker living in Seattle with a female partner, and it was Tala's coming out to them which encouraged Daria to come out as bisexual, and the couple to explore first swinging and then BDSM.

Wil and Daria meet Moira Cloutier at a play party hosted by APEx, and have an enjoyable play session with her. They learn that she is coincidentally a member of the same Free Spirit Local Gathering which they attend. Later, they explore having a triad relationship with Moira as their service and sexual submissive. Wil tends to be a rational and even-keeled gentleman, but can at times lose his temper when under stress. Over time, as the three grow closer, the Jacksons formalize their relationship with Moira through a collaring ceremony, with Wil taking the title and Scene name of ***Efendi***, from the Persian or Ottoman Turkish word meaning "lord", "master" or "sir".
Richard Connors

**Richard Connors** is a minor recurring character in *Laurie's Liberation* and *Moira's Covenant*. An attorney and perennial Republican candidate, he is described as a right-wing populist in the style of Donald Trump; having won his party's primary for District Attorney, he initially garners 35% in a poll of prospective voters, but quickly alienates many people with his rhetoric and finishes third in the election with 22 percent. Later, he represents hardline conservatives from the Stallbrook Republican Party in a court case seeking to bar two moderates from using the designation "Main Street Republicans"; Judge Erica Petrie rules against him.
Stallbrook Police Department

The **Stallbrook Police Department** is the primary law enforcement agency in the city of Stallbrook. The fifty-second and current Chief of Police is Delbert Graham, a veteran police officer and administrator with a masters in criminal justice from John Jay College, appointed by Mayor Allan Phillips to address issues of corruption, racial and gender bias and other abuses.

Rank structure is similar to many other municipal police forces in the United States:

* Chief of Police - rank indicated by three silver stars
* Deputy Chief - Graham mentions to Adara Khan that the Department has three
* Commander
* Captain
* Lieutenant/Detective-Lieutenant
* Sergeant/Detective-Sergeant
* Officer/Detective

Along with precincts, the Department has a number of specialized units, such as:

* Creston Street Special District
* Major Case Unit
* Sexual and Domestic Violence Unit
* Special Events Coordination Unit

Prior to Chief Graham's appointment, corruption and other problems were rampant in both the Department and the city's Fraternal Order of Police lodge which served as the police union; this network of corruption was often referred to as "the Machine" by more progressive officers, who formed their own organization, Stallbrook Police United for Reform (SPUR), modeled on Teamsters for a Democratic Union. Graham and SPUR worked to root out corruption and institute best practices in hiring, community policing and harm reduction. While the "Old Guard" within the FOP lodge resisted, SPUR kept pushing until a confrontation led to between one-third and two-fifths of FOP members resigning to join the International Brotherhood of Police Officers in "the Big Split" followed by more officers and civilian staff, until the IBPO won the right to represent all Department employees.

As a result of these reforms, the Stallbrook Police Department has become a model in progressive policing and crime prevention, along with hiring and promotion of women and people of color, even leading to officers leaving other municipalities to serve in the city under Graham's leadership. The most noteworthy innovation is the "de-facto decriminalization" of commercial sex within city limits, allowing sex workers to conduct their business without interference and with greater safety, especially with supportive services from the Jezebel Project and the Stallbrook Alliance for Sex Worker Rights (SASWR). Investigation by the Stallbrook City Council, and research by social scientists, has confirmed the positive benefits of this set of practices.