Orpheus Society

## Orpheus Society

The lyre symbol of the Orpheus Society on a box

## Personnel

### Notable members

* Penelope Fittes
* John Fairfax‏‎ (formerly; deceased)

The **Orpheus Society** is a group that is trying to learn more about the Problem. Though many people share this common goal, the Orpheus Society is kept quite confidential and is far ahead technology wise.*[citation needed]*

The Orpheus Society symbol is the lyre (Greek harp), which ties back to the myth of Orpheus. The goggles that George Cubbins steals from John Fairfax‏‎, himself a member of the Society, are just one of the things that they made to help them with their research.

Many wealthy people are associated with it, such as Penelope Fittes and John Fairfax; even Anthony Lockwood's parents had been invited to give guest speeches.

## Description

The society's name comes from Orpheus, a musician in Greek mythology, and its symbol was inspired by Orpheus's lyre. In the myth, Orpheus traveled to the underworld in an effort to bring back his dead wife. He played the lyre so beautifully that Hades' wife Persephone took pity on him and allowed his wife's soul to return. Thus, the society named itself from the man who successfully traveled in and out of the underworld/afterlife. It additionally took its symbol from the lyre which Orpheus used to somehow defeat death.

The Orpheus Society aims to "subdue" ghosts and win against death as described by the Orpheus Society secretary. The secretary had not been lying but he did mean to sugarcoat their goals. The society's goal of "subduing" ghosts meant using the ghosts' ectoplasm in some way to their benefit like how Marissa kept her soul alive. When the secretary said their other goal was to win against death, he was referring to the members achieving immortality.

The secretary claims that their weaponry to have been collectively designed by the members. However, Marissa and Ezekiel's input on the technology was implied. The society invented a great deal of weapons to fight ghosts like what the Rotwell Agency does. Unlike the Rotwell Agency, the Orpheus Society keeps the equipment to themselves. Their decision to be secretive about the equipment hints at their questionable motives.

Marissa Fittes, in the body of Penelope, is revealed to be the leader of the group. Marissa at one time personally lead the members in Dark London. The older-than usual appearance of the Orpheus Society members may have been the result of their travels to the Other Side. The members must be aware of Ezekiel, who always accompanied Marissa, because of their travels in Dark London and of their crystal goggles. The members may not have been aware of Penelope's true identity.

Marissa's control over DEPRAC, some furnaces (the Clerkenwell Furnaces are owned by Fittes), illegal relics trade, and other agencies had allowed Marissa and the Orpheus Society to collect Sources of ghosts. Those Sources are used by Fittes and the Orpheus Society to open gates to the Other Side. They had just started attempting that when Donald and Celia Lockwood presented their findings about the Polynesian Shamans, who had been opening gates in a similar fashion. They arranged the murder of the couple who would later die in an "accident".

Their headquarters was located in a plush and ornate townhouse in central London. This headquarters was raided by Lockwood & Co., who succeeded in stealing a copy of Marissa Fittes's earliest work, *Occult Theories*, as well as a copy of the speech that Lockwood's parents gave the society.

## Behind the scenes

Though not mentioned by name in the first season of the Netflix TV series, the society's symbol is seen twice: on John Fairfax's goggles and later on a box in the Black Library that Penelope Fittes gives to the Golden Blade.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *The Empty Grave*, **III: A Body in the Street**, Ch. 15
2. ↑ *The Creeping Shadow*, **IV: The Cursed Village**, Ch. 18
3. ↑ *The Whispering Skull*, **V: A Big Night Out**, Ch. 22: *"When Penelope gave something to a middle-aged man and said "we've repaired it... ...I hope the Orpheus Society make better use of it...""*
4. ↑ *The Creeping Shadow*, **IV: The Cursed Village**, Ch. 24
5. ↑ *The Empty Grave*, **III: A Body in the Street**, Ch. 16