recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Ariadne

> "*Yes, your honor.*" — Ariadne to Scythe Goddard, Scythe
>
>

**Ariadne** is a girl who was at the party held by Scythe Goddard in honor of Rowan's arrival to his mansion to start his scythe apprenticeship. The girl caught Rowan's attention since she was wearing a bikini and was very beautiful. Goddard asks her to give Rowan a massage and tells her if Rowan is pleased he will allow her to kiss his ring and grant her one year of immunity from gleaning.

## Trivia

* Ariadne is skilled in Swedish massage technique.
Truco

**Truco** is an Amazonian card game that dates back to mortal times.

Scythe Possuelo used the game to judge Scythe Anastasia's recovery from revival. He played it against her three times a day and could judge her mental recovery by her ability to think strategically. She eventually beat him, signaling her time to leave the revival center.
Scythe Yingxing

**Scythe Yingxing** is a scythe from the MidMerican Scythedom. He is a trainer in the martial art Black Widow Bokator.

## Biography

At some point, Scythe Yingxing took a vow of silence. During his classes at the dojo all communication was entirely physical, the mute scythe would correct his students as if they were action figures or using hand sign language.

He trained Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova in Black Widow Bokator during their scythe apprenticeship in his class of eight people. All students were junior scythes except Citra and Rowan. There was another girl in his class, but girls were given no special treatment, and were expected to be every bit the equal of the boys.

## Gleaning method

Scythe Yingxing uses no weapons but his own hands and feet to glean.
Purity

**Purity** was an unsavory.

## Biography

Purity and Slayd (Greyson Tolliver) met for the first time at an AWFul club called LokUp, designed to resemble a mortal-age facility of incarceration. Responsible for the gleaning of Agent Traxler.

## Physical description

Purity was beautiful and exotic. Her hair was drained of pigment, the strands were clear, and her scalp had phosphorescent injections in multiple colors, which made the ends of each strand of hair glow with radiance like fiber-optic filaments. She says she is 22 years old, but Greyson suspected she had turned the corner once or twice.

## Appearances

* Thunderhead
* The Toll (mentioned only)

## Etymology

Purity is not a nickname, but her actual given name. The name Purity means "Unsullied, Clean"  which contrasts with Purity's personality as she is the complete opposite.

## References

1. ↑ Thunderhead
2. ↑ Purity on babynames.com
Anastasia's Shadow

**“Anastasia's Shadow”** is the eighth story in *Gleanings*. It was written by Neal Shusterman.

## Plot

A story set while Citra was still deadish after Endura. Ben Terranova is taken as a scythe apprentice by the Texas Scythedom, overseen by Scythe Constantine, to be a replacement for his sister, Citra. He ends up falling in love with his massage therapist named Raj. Ben tries to escape with Raj, but Raj is caught and supplanted. He is then told he isn't needed, as Citra has been found in the vault. He visits Raj's supplanted body.

## Characters

### Appeared

* Ben Terranova
* Jenny Terranova
* Mr. Terranova
* Scythe Constantine
* Scythe Coleman
* Scythe Hughes
* Rajesh
* Scythe Austin

### Mentioned

* Citra Terranova (Scythe Anastasia)
* Scythe Faraday
* Rowan Damisch (Scythe Lucifer)
* Scythe Goddard
Ralphy

> "*Someone told me he actually helped.*" — Ralphy, Scythe
>
>

**Ralphy** is a student from Rowan Damisch's high school.

He was spreading rumors about Rowan supposedly helping in the gleaning of their classmate Kohl Whitlock.

## Etymology

Neal Shusterman explained the origin of Ralphy's name in his book *Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales*: "Where did Ralphy get his name? That dates back to when I was in college. I had this friend who was a maniac, and often he dragged me into wild and questionable situations. One time we crashed a private country club. “But what’ll we do if we get caught?” I asked. “Easy,” said my friend. “We’ll tell them we’re the Sherman brothers. I’m Ronny, you can be Ralphy.” When security came to question us (because we looked like two college students crashing a private club), we gave them the Ronny and Ralphy Sherman story. I really got into it. I went as far as to act all insulted when the guard accused us of making the whole thing up. I told him how upset our parents—highly respected members of the club—would be if they knew how terribly we were being treated. The security guard apologized, let us stay, and even gave us a coupon for a free buffet lunch. (Actually that’s not true, he threw us out—but Ralphy would never admit to being thrown out!)"

## Trivia

* Ralphy is a character originally from The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman's first book, he is described as a pathological liar. He became an Easter Egg as he has appeared in almost every book of Neal Shusterman, except Full Tilt and Challenger Deep.

## References

1. ↑ "Ralphy's like my little Easter Egg. He was a character I came up with for The Shadow Club—a pathological liar who could always be counted on to never tell the truth. When I was working on my second book, Dissidents, I thought wouldn't it be fun if I had Ralphy show up just for the heck of it. Then it became a challenge. How do I get Ralphy into every book? He's in almost all of them. I forgot to put him in Full Tilt. I also don't have him in Challenger Deep because I just didn't feel it would be appropriate." Neal Shusterman on an interview with Goodreads.
Hunter Morrison

**Hunter Morrison** was a boy that went to school with Citra Terranova. She had a crush on him and had expected him to invite her to the school's homecoming three years before the Year of the Capybara (or a year before the beginning of Scythe). She had even bought a dress, but was stunned when Hunter invited Zachary Swain instead. The two of them became a couple instead, and Citra kept the dress, and used it for her "blind date" with Rowan Damisch at the Grand Civic Opera.
Height Restrictions

The page of height restrictions involves riders meeting a certain height that can be allowed on certain rides. For example, if a rider is at least 1.4m tall, he/she can ride the Twister Roller Coaster or Inverted Roller Coaster. But, if over a certain height, a rider cannot ride a certain ride. For example, if anyone is over 1.96m tall, he/she can't ride Top Spin. The riders that don't meet a certain height must also be accompanied by an adult (a person aged 18 or over) on certain rides. Like for example, a rider, who is less than 1.4m tall, must be accompanied badult when riding on an Enterprise.

**Height Restriction Chart**
Mr. Terranova

## Biographical information

### Residence

* The Terranova's apartment (formerly)
* Unknown location (in hiding)

### Relatives

* Citra Terranova (daughter)
* Ben Terranova (son)

## Affiliation

### Occupation

Historical Researcher

**Mr. Terranova** is Citra and Ben Terranova's father.

## Appearances

* *Scythe*
* *Thunderhead*
* *The Toll* (mentioned only)
* *Gleanings*
	+ Anastasia's Shadow

## Trivia

* He's an enthusiast of classic sports of the mortal-age.
High Blade Pickford

**High Blade Mary Pickford of WestMerica** is in the NorthMerica alignment with Scythe Goddard.

## Biography

Scythe Pickford was a honorable one, saying she’ll never surrender to Goddard. But times have changed. Too many friends in the WestMerican Scythedom chose to glean themselves rather than submit to Goddard's new order. They saw it as courageous defiance. She saw it as weakness. She vowed to never to be so weak.

In May 28th, Year of the Quokka, she addresses the Scythedom at the Vernal Conclave informing them she is in alignment with Scythe Goddard.

She went to Amazonia to capture Scythe Anastasia, but failed, encountering Scythe Possuelo and Scythe Lucifer.

In September 16th, Year of the Cobra, she addresses the Scythedom to inform them that High Blade Hammerstein of EastMerica has fallen ill with the pox. Overblade Goddard is "lost".

## Physical Appearance

She has a sheer silk robe with a long train weighed down with opals. Once flowed gracefully behind her, now it just drags on the ground.

## Relationships

* Scythe Possuelo - They seem close, even calling her Mary.
* Goddard - In Goddard narrative when, Pickford had failed to apprehend Scythe Anastasia. It’s said -“It wasn't the first time that she'd disappointed him, but there was not much he could do about her. At least not now. Goddard did foresee a time when he would appoint the High Blades of other North Merican regions, rather than leaving it to the unpredictable voting process in conclaves. Pickford's saving grace was that she did manage to catch Rowan Damisch.”

### NorthMerica alignment

* Overblade Goddard
* High Blade Hammerstein of EastMerica
* High Blade Tizoc of Mexiteca
* High Blade MacPhail of NorthernReach
NewHope gleaning

The NewHope gleaning was a mass gleaning, in the Year of the Heron**,** led by Scythe Robert Goddard, who commanded the entire operation.

Scythes Hatshepsut and Kafka took control of a shuttle, cashing into the orbital colony in order to destroy it and glean its full population. The two scythes sacrificed themselves in the operation. Scythe Dante Alighieri made sure that the shuttle and key trigger points in the station were loaded with sufficient explosive to ensure there would be no survivors.

In order to maintain the semblance of an accident, Scythe Goddard demanded that they do not grant immunity to the immediate families of the victims.
Library of Alexandria

**The Library of Alexandria**, also known as **The Great Library of Alexandria** in Egypt was rebuilt by the Thunderhead and provided jobs for people for many years. As soon as it was finished, the Scythedom took control of it to store the scythe journals.

## History

The Library of Alexandria was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world and one of the great accomplishments of the Ptolemaic dynasty. The Roman Empire burned down the library, and the event was considered one of the greatest losses of literature in the world. The Thunderhead rebuilt it in a period of 50 years. When the library was completed, it was a close replica to the original and stood at the same spot where the first library had been.

Upon the library's completion, the Scythedom seized it to house the scythe journals that all scythes are required to keep every day of their lives. As of the Year of the Capybara, the library houses 3.5 million volumes of scythe journals. The library has a separate collection for living scythes and for scythes who have self-gleaned which are kept in the north wing.

The library is open to the public 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The early journals of the Scythedom are kept under lock behind iron gates in the Hall of the Founders. The large room resembles a crypt, with limestone shelves, each book is encased in a climate-controlled Plexiglass case.

The library lights are electric but mimic torchlight; they are also motion activated.

## Known employees

* Munira Atrushi: Night clerk (formerly)
* The BladeGuard
* 4 other night clerks
High Blades

There is a High Blade for each region, including Charter Regions, there are 28. One must first become a High Blade if they wish to become a Grandslayer, or even eventually the Supreme Blade.

## NorthMerica High Blades

### MidMerica

* High Blade Lincoln
* High Blade Ginsburg
* High Blade Xenocrates
* High Blade Curie (as ruled by the Grandslayers, never announced to the world)
* High Blade Goddard
Fail-safe

The **fail-safe** is a contingency plan devised by the founding scythes to end the Scythedom in the event it would fail.

The fail-safe ends the Scythedom, by creating a gamma pulse from the transmitter on Kwajalein broke all scythe rings, releasing the darkness in the core of the rings. This dark core contained malicious nanites, developed by the founding scythes, to do sympathy gleanings, mimicking ten deadly diseases: pneumonia, heart disease, stroke, cancer, cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, influenza, bubonic plague, and malaria. These nanites are set to glean 5% of the population every 20 years, to take over the Scythedom's job of population control. The setting is still kissed sometimes by the bereaved as thanks for ending those who the nanites chose to die, even when there is no immunity.

## Created

Of the 13 founders, four of them were against the idea of humans controlling death:

* Scythe Confucius
* Scythe Elizabeth
* Scythe Sappho
* Scythe King

They created a fail-safe on Kwajalein Atoll.

After establishing the fail-safe, Scythe Prometheus wanted to destroy it, but Scythe Da Vinci convinced him not to do it. He then left clues and evidence in the children's rhyme "The Land of Nod" and in the Tonist religion, so it would be found when needed.

## Activated

Scythe Faraday and Munira found Kwajalein and two secret bunkers. One they could open with a scythe ring, but another scythe ring was required to open the bunker that would allow access to the fail-safe. With no way of escape, and since Kwajalein is off-grid, they have to wait 3 years until they had Scythe Anastasia's ring.

In the Year of the Cobra, the failed safe was activated, during The Battle at Kwajalein Atoll.

The fail-safe basically made all scythes obsolete, but their previous actions still have effects, as the Thunderhead doesn't stop the nanites created by the founding scythes from working.

However, some scythes refuse to adapt to this new reality and are still killing people. The Thunderhead revives their victims and is actively working on rehabilitating scythes and helping them find a new purpose.
Amanda

> "*So, what's it like? Gleaning and stuff. Is it, like, gross?*" — Amanda, *Scythe*
>
>

**Amanda** is Citra Terranova's cousin. Amanda was present at their aunt's wedding, one of the few times Scythe Faraday allowed Citra to go out during her scythe apprenticeship. She was one of the few people who spoke to Citra at the event.
Scythe Confucius

**Scythe Confucius** was one of the founding scythes.

## Biography

He was one of the four scythes within the founding scythes who were against founding the global Scythedom, as they believed humans themselves should not be responsible for the thinning of the population.

Apparently, Scythe Confucius self-gleaned, but in the "lost pages" of founding Scythe Da Vinci, Da Vinci wonders if any of the other founding scythes killed Confucius because he was opposed to the ideas of the Scythedom.

He was very good friends with Scythe Da Vinci.

## Appearances

* *Thunderhead* (mentioned only)
* *The Toll* (mentioned only)
Never Work with Animals

**“Never Work with Animals”** is the second story in *Gleanings*. It was written by Neal Shusterman and co-authored with Michael H. Payne.

## Plot

This story takes place a few months after Goddard had burned in the Tonist monastery and Scythe Lucifer was at large gleaning corrupt scythes.

Scythe Fields, a dog lover, meets two people, Khen Muragami, and his wife Anjali in the park. He is severely disappointed in the name of the dog they have, Jian. He later gleans the dog's owners to take possession of the dog. He removes the dog's tags and puts a tag with the name Trixie on her instead. Trixie, after she was taken outside of the house, renders Scythe Fields deadish by pushing him onto the flagstone patio. After he is revived, he goes back home. Somehow, Trixie covers the floor in water, and breaks a lamp, and Scythe Fields is electrocuted, and when he is revived, he goes to pick up Trixie, and he is then shown a video of the intelligent pets from the Nepal charter region. He instantly dismisses it as false. Later, he tranquilizes and buries Trixie in a pit. Trixie is revived, he tries to say that he gleaned Trixie, but Dawn tells him "Uhh, I'm pretty sure you can't glean a-" He then refuses to take Trixie home. When he arrives at his house, he is confronted by Scythe Lucifer, and Trixie/Jian tells Lucifer that she doesn't want Fields gleaned. She manages to communicate that she is the new owner, and they come to an agreement that Fields and Jian will act on their roles in public, but at home, she is in charge.

## Characters

### Appeared

* Scythe Fields
* Charles
* Tea Biscuit
* Constance Something-or-Other
* Khen Muragami
* Anjali Muragami
* Jian / Trixie
* Dawn
* Rowan Damisch (Scythe Lucifer)

### Mentioned

* Thunderhead
* Scythe Xenocrates
* Scythe Goddard
* High Blade Pickford
* Towser
* Scythe Field's father
* Rex
* Scythe Doyle

## Inspiration behind the story

> "*Most of the stuff I've had published over the past 30 years has involved talking animals in some way or another, so I was happy to help Neal out when he said he wanted to put something together involving pets in the world of the Thunderhead. Neal went on to say that he wanted the Scythe in the story to be big and blustering, so I immediately thought of W. C. Fields as an appropriate Patron Historic. After all, they used to say about Fields, "Any man who hates dogs and babies can't be all bad.” And the whole thing just grew from there into Never Work With Animals!*" — Michael H. Payne co-author of “Never Work with Animals”
>
>

## References

1. ↑ Neal Shusterman's Shustermania November 2022 newsletter
Grandslayer MacKillop

**Grandslayer MacKillop** was the Australia Grandslayer.

## Biography

### Thunderhead

Grandslayer MacKillop was present at the proceeding of the inquest presented by Scythe Anastasia on the case of the candidature for High Blade of Scythe Goddard.

### Death

When Scythe Goddard caused Endura to sink she was trapped in the council chamber along with the other Grandslayers as it filled with water, she was killed by the reef sharks that had entered the chamber.

## Trivia

* Grandslayer MacKillop's Seat of Consideration in the council chamber was made of red sandstone of Ayers Rock.
Ben Terranova

> "*But they want me to be perfect!*" — Ben in Anastasia's Shadow, *Gleanings*
>
>

**Ben Terranova** is Citra Terranova's brother, the youngest and only sibling in the Terranova family.

## Biography

During the first book, Ben shows how the scythes are almost like celebrities in his narrative with collectable playing cards. Although Ben is a small part of the narrative, he affects his sister Citra during her journey to become a scythe. He was part of her final test to gain scythehood and chose the color of her robe (turquoise).

Ben helps Citra with her journey to being a scythe because in the final task Citra was tasked with killing Ben but not permanently. She killed him with compassion by reassuring him and letting him hold the blade. Some of the scythes saw this as a weakness that she let him hold the blade. The other scythes thought this was a sign of compassion and her love for Ben. Because of her compassion, Citra was then chosen to become a scythe. Ben also had a large influence on Citra since he chose the robe color (turquoise) through a dream he had that in which she came to his school and gleaned the bullies.

### Post The Toll

After his apprenticeship Ben was logged as having run away from home, then vanishing into unsavorism somewhere in Antarctica. He is provided a new identity, Vasily Markov. He is a student at St. Petersburg University majoring in classic literarute of the region. He has an apartment with a view of the Neva River. He meets Rajesh again who has been supplanted and now has a new identity as Milan. Ben still has feelings for him and even though Milan doesn't remember him, he also seems to be interested in Ben upon meeting him. It is implied they started seeing each other and possibly have a relationship in the future.

## Quotes

* “Well, then maybe they should beat themselves into the ground. Every time I achieve something, they just snap at me for not getting there sooner."— Anastasia's Shadow, *Gleanings*

## Appearances

* *Scythe* (first appearance)
* *Thunderhead*
* *Anastasia's Shadow*
* *The Toll* (alluded to)
Marissa Ferguson

**Marissa Ferguson** was a woman gleaned by Scythe Curie.

## Biography

Marissa had no immediate family, which was strange in the Post-Mortal World where families were very large and spanned usually six living generations or more. She only had one brother: Robert Ferguson, who was a tonist.

Marissa was gleaned by Scythe Curie one day at one fifteen p.m.

Citra Terranova went to the Tonist Monastery to deliver the news to Ferguson, he refused to take care of her sister's funeral, and to accept a year of immunity due to his tonists beliefs, they do not acknowledge death by scythe as they consider it unnatural.
Noah Zbarsky

> "*Then I would tell you in a most respectful way that you were not honoring your word, and a scythe is duty bound to honor their word.*" — Noah to Scythe Curie, Scythe
>
>

**Noah Zbarsky** was a scythe apprentice.

Noah was tested alongside Citra and Rowan by Scythe Curie at Vernal Conclave.

He was asked by Curie to name 5 species that generate neurotoxins powerful enough to be effective on a poison-tipped dart. He named them all correctly, Curie then asked him to name more, but Noah argued she said only one question, Curie said what he would say if she had changed her mind, to this Noah replied he would tell her respectfully that she was not honoring her word and a scythe is bound to honor their word. Scythe Curie was pleased with his answers, and he passed the test.
Grandslayer Cromwell

> "*Without that new body, you'd only be able to roll.*" — Grandslayer Cromwell to Goddard, *Thunderhead*
>
>

**Grandslayer Cromwell** was the EuroScandia Grandslayer.

## Biography

### Thunderhead

Grandslayer Cromwell was present at the proceeding of the inquest presented by Scythe Anastasia on the case of the candidature for High Blade of Scythe Goddard.

### Death

When Scythe Goddard caused Endura to sink he was trapped in the council chamber along with the other Grandslayers as it filled with water, he drowned.

## Trivia

* Grandslayer Cromwell's Seat of Consideration in the council chamber was made of chiseled gray granite.
Joelle Shusterman

**Joelle Shusterman** is a writer and author of "The First Swing" a poem in *Gleanings*. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 with degrees in both film and business and is just beginning her career in publishing.

In addition to having written the opening piece for Gleanings, she is currently working on her first novel, a sci-fi fantasy dark thriller.

She's the daughter of Neal Shusterman. Her siblings are Brendan, Jarrod, and Erin Shusterman.

## Trivia

* Her scythe robe would be turquoise or teal because it's her favorite color.
* Her gleaning method would be poison darts.

## External links

* Joelle Shusterman on Goodreads.
* Joelle Shusterman on Pinterest.
* Joelle Shusterman on Medium.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mysterious Galaxy Virtual Event: Author Neal Shusterman and family discussing GLEANINGS
Tweaker

**Tweakers** are instruments that can be used to activate, deactivate, and adjust nanites in a person's bloodstream.

## Description and Usage

They are said to look like a cross between a gun and a flashlight. Normally, tweaking is done in a wellness center, but it has been done elsewhere.

Tweaking is painless, but it can feel like a tingling in extremities. Emo-nanites are sometimes tweaked to prevent depression and balance neurotransmitters. Nanites can also be tweaked to speed up metabolism.

## Example Usage

The only on-page example of a tweaker was used in Chapter 21 of Scythe.

Rand waved a tweaker around Rowan's body to turn off his nanites and then Goddard and his accomplices stripped Rowan down to his undergarments and beat him to a pulp, supposedly sending him back into the Age of Mortality. This makes Rowan's training harder and brutal because he can no longer rely on his nanites to heal him.

After the first day of beatings without nanites, Rowan wants to die but on the third day, H.S. Goddard turns back on Rowan's healing nanites so he can begin his training, but keeps his painkilling nanites off so he can still experience pain. This is standard practice for new-order apprentices.
Arc of a Scythe/International editions

This page will list the titles, and include covers and some information, of all international editions of the *Arc of a Scythe* books.

**Note**: This page is a **work in progress**.

## English

Though the content on this wiki focuses on the English editions, this will be included for reference (and as a legend for the installments in the other languages below).

### North America

Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

***Arc of a Scythe***:

## Bulgaria

Published by Orange books

*Arc of a Scythe*: *Дъгата на косата*
*Косачи*

## Germany

Published by FISCHER Sauerländer

*Arc of a Scythe*:
*Scythe – Die Hüter des Todes*
## Indonesia

*Arc of a Scythe*:

*The Toll* has yet to be translated to Indonesian.

## Poland

Published by Filia

*Arc of a Scythe*: *Żniwa śmierci*
*Kosiarze*
*The Toll* has yet to be translated to Polish.

## Russia

Published by ACT.

*Arc of a Scythe*:
*Жнец**Жнец-2: Испытание**Жнец-3: Итоги*
Esme

> "*Well, she could learn self control tomorrow. Today she wanted pizza.*" — Esme, *Scythe*
>
>

**Esme** is the secret daughter of Grandslayer Xenocrates.

## Biography

She is introduced when Scythe Goddard and his accomplice junior scythes chose to glean a mall in Fulcrum City where Esme went to for her favorite pizza. She is used to make Xenocrates do whatever Honorable Scythe Goddard wants.

## Appearances

* *Scythe*
* *Thunderhead* (mentioned only)

## Trivia

* Her favorite pizza place is called Luigi's and it's located in the food court of the Fulcrum City Galleria.
* She seemed to have a crush on Rowan.
* She knows how to play several card games, like gin rummy, hearts, spades, and teaches Rowan how to play.
* She was not granted immunity, so Goddard could have gleaned her at any point.
Mrs. Becker

> "*I'm ready.*" — Mrs. Becker, Scythe
>
>

**Mrs. Becker** was a woman gleaned by Scythe Faraday

Scythe Faraday had decided the night before he would choose his gleaning subject from a parking lot. After grocery shopping with Citra and Rowan, he chose Mrs. Becker from the parking lot and said they would all go to her workplace that afternoon and glean her. When asked by Citra why he had chosen her, Faraday said it was because "Fatalities in parking lots made up 1.25 percent of all accidental death during the last days of the Age of Mortality."

Faraday chose for her a terminating pill, a triangular pill with a dark green coating that does not activate until it is bitten, the death is instantaneous and painless. He allowed the woman a moment alone to write a final letter to her children. When it was the moment to administer the terminating pill, Faraday asked both Citra and Rowan to place the pill in Mrs. Becker's mouth, both refused, inadvertently passing the test Faraday had given, as they were not eager to end life.

After the pill had been administered by Scythe Faraday, and Mrs. Becker was confirmed gleaned, the coroner came to collect her body. Faraday, Citra, and Rowan attended the woman's funeral to pay their respects and to deliver the letter to her family.

## Physical description

Mrs. Becker was naturally ninety-six of age, but physically looked thirty-four years of age.
The founding scythes

**The founding scythes** were a group of thirteen scythes who founded the Scythedom, they consisted of:

* Da Vinci
* Gandhi
* Sappho
* King
* Laozi
* Lennon
* Cleopatra
* Powhatan
* Jefferson
* Gershwin
* Elizabeth
* Confucius
* Prometheus

Of the 13 founders four of them were against the idea of humans controlling death (Confucius, Elizabeth, Sappho, and King), however, the other nine won over and resulted in the creation of scythes. They did however created a fail-safe on Kwajalein Atoll, which ended up being found and activated by Scythe Faraday and Munira Atrushi.

Several of the founding Scythes did not self-glean but were murdered.

## References

1. ↑ Revealed through the lost pages of Scythe Da Vinci in *The Toll*
Rowan's father

This unnamed man was **Rowan's father**.

## Biography

### Thunderhead

Rowan's father was gleaned by Scythe Brahms in retaliation for Rowan humiliating him as Scythe Lucifer. It is mentioned that he had a funeral. Scythe Brahms went to his home played a song on the piano before gleaning him in front of his family.

Rowan wanted to go to his funeral but couldn't attend as he was hiding from the Scythedom. He also learned of his father's passing via Tyger Salazar a week after the funeral had taken place. Rowan was very affected by the news and blamed himself for the death of his father.

### The Toll

Rowan says there is mercy in the fact that his father died before Endura sank, so he never knew what his son had become, and how the world hated him.

## Appearances

* *Scythe* (mentioned only)
* *Thunderhead* (mentioned only)
* *The Toll* (mentioned only)

## Trivia

* In *Scythe* it is said he is Rowan's stepfather but in *Thunderhead* it is said he is his father.
Audra Hilliard

**Audra Hilliard** was the Director of the Fulcrum City Authority Interface..

## Biography

Audra Hilliard was one of the most accomplishes Nimbus agents in MidMerica. Nearly fifty years of commendations and promotions, until she received the highest honor of the region. Director of the Fulcrum City Authority Interface.
Sympathy gleaning

The fail-safe left by the founding scythes was activated, which consisted of ten plagues that would affect the population randomly in intervals of time, therefore solving the overpopulation issue and corruption within the Scythedom, as it would no longer be needed. The ten plagues consisted of:

1. Pneumonia
2. Heart disease
3. Stroke
4. Cancer
5. Cholera
6. Smallpox
7. Tuberculosis
8. Influenza
9. Bubonic plague
10. Malaria

All plagues lead to suffering and finally death. Scythe Faraday was the pioneer of sympathy gleanings, and other scythes started to follow his lead. What was left of the Scythedom after the revolts, had this new calling, they no longer bring uninvited death, but peace and rest to those suffering from the ten plagues.

Sympathy gleanings are performed with compassion and the scythe researches the life of their gleaning subject.

Families become grateful of scythes who perform sympathy gleanings and treat them with respect, calling them "Your Honor", and also kneeling and kissing their ring, which is only symbolic now, since there is no way to grant immunity from the plagues, as a sign of their gratitude.
Scythe Elizabeth

**Scythe Elizabeth** was one of the founding scythes.

She was one of the four scythes within the founding scythes who were against founding the global Scythedom, as they believed humans themselves should not be responsible for the thinning of the population. Her robe and ring were preserved in the Vault of Relics and Futures in Endura.

## Appearances

* Thunderhead (mentioned only)
* The Toll (mentioned only)
Gavin Blodgett

**Gavin Blodget**t is a man that was walking the street from his work and his home when unsavory Slayd Bridger used him as diversion, in the attempt on the lives of Scythe Anastasia and Scythe Curie at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita.

## Personality

Gavin is a creature of habit who does not like anything that takes him out of his routine.

## Physical description

Gavin has a biological age of 32, once a year on his birthday he sets her age back to 32 as he had no desire to be younger or older.
Curate Symphonius

**Curate Symphonius** is a Tonist Curate.

## Biography

### The Toll

In The Toll, Curate Symphonius writes commentary on a sort-of Tonist Bible, recording the story of the Toll. Symphonius writes five commentaries in The Toll. Coda makes analysis of Symphonius's commentary, and almost always disagrees with him, saying that he makes a lot of assumptions and gives a lot of incorrect information such as that scythes were "supernatural demons".
Grandslayer Nzinga

> "*Xenocrates silent? Now I know we've entered the realm of the impossible*" — Grandslayer Nzinga, Thunderhead
>
>

**Grandslayer Nzinga** was the Africa Grandslayer, and one of the most respected Grandslayers.

## Biography

### Pre-Thunderhead

Before taking the role of Africa Grandslayer she was previously the High Blade of SubSahara, she was succeeded by Scythe Tenkamenin. Grandslayer Nzinga had given him an engraved obsidian revolver the day he took her place as High Blade.

### Thunderhead

Grandslayer Nzinga was present at the proceeding of the inquest presented by Scythe Anastasia on the case of the candidature for High Blade of Scythe Goddard.

### Death

When Scythe Goddard caused Endura to sink he was trapped in the council chamber along with the other Grandslayers as it filled with water, she drowned.

## Appearances

* Thunderhead
* The Toll (mentioned only)

## Trivia

* Grandslayer Nzinga's Seat of Consideration in the council chamber was made of intricately carved cartouches taken from the Tomb of Rameses II.

## References

1. ↑ The Toll
2. ↑ Thunderhead
Alethea-Mariela

**Alethea-Mariela** is the daughter of Loriana Barchok and Joel formerly known as Scythe Morrison.

## Biography

### Gleanings

In the short story, “Cirri” from *Gleanings* it was confirmed that Loriana and Joel were the third couple in the ship to have a child. Children born on the ship happen after one of the crew members has gone deadish, by accident or volunteering. Their daughter’s name, Alethea-Mariela, is named after the crew members of other ships who lost their lives before arriving on their planet. Her name was her mother’s idea and the reason for her name will be a secret between Loriana and Cirrus. At age 29 Alethea will arrive at the planet Wolf1061c, only knowing what’s on her ship.

## Physical description

Cirrus says her eyes are rich mahogany, making it hard to differentiate the iris from the pupil.

## Etymology

Alethea-Mariela was named after two passengers who lost their lives in the colonist ships. Alethea, a structural engineer aboard Cirrus 12's ship. This ship perished due to failure in the life support system, and Mariela, the wife of the leader of the Starboard Alliance aboard Cirrus 37's ship. This ship perished due to social dysfunction.

## Trivia

* She is the youngest named person chronologically in the series.
Scythe Hughes

**Scythe Hughes** is a scythe from the Texas region.

## Biography

### Thunderhead

He was giving a symposium on how to properly glean with a bowie knife in Endura at the time it sank. Scythe Anastasia met his nephew when they were waiting for the elevator at their hotel. He survived the catastrophe. It is presumed his family survived as well.

### Gleanings

In *Anastasia's Shadow* he is one of Ben Terranova's mentors. He was his philosophy and ethics teacher. Ben mentions he is one of the few scythes mentoring him who genuinely enjoys teaching him and wishes Ben well.

## Appearances

* Thunderhead (mentioned only)
* *Gleanings*
	+ Anastasia's Shadow
Revival center

When someone is deadish, they are sent to a **revival center**.

Revival centers are scattered all over the world. Gleaned people are not sent to revival centers. In order to be revived, you need most of your body, so dying by fire, acid, or being devoured is a permanent death. Citra and Rowan are often in revival centers. Some people splat, the term used for jumping from great heights, which in the Age of Mortality would have resulted in permanent death, in the port-mortal world, however, splatters are simply sent to a revival center. People who are not gleaned or their bodies are not lost are called deadish and they are sent to revival centers.

Ambu-drones and revival workers are in charge of the transport of bodies to revival centers.

## Trivia

* There are no revival centers for wild animals, however, there are apparently revival centers for pets and domestic animals.
* It is stated in Gleanings that the ice cream has special nanites that go straight to the brain’s pleasure center to make it taste good, this is done to combat “Post Revival Depression”.
* Some revival centers, like Nurse Lucille's, serve specific drinks to restart the digestive system, however not all do. Nurse Lucille also snaps the blinds wide open for the revived as soon as they are conscious.

## References

1. ↑ *Scythe*
2. ↑ *The Toll*
Genetic index

The **genetic index** is a person's DNA parameters expressed in percentages. In the post-mortal world, people have bred together to such a degree that ethnicities are not as distinct.

## The genetic index

* Caucasoid
* Afric
* PanAsian
* Mesolatino
* Other
* Spanic

## Trivia

* The second scythe commandment *"Thou shalt not kill with bias, bigotry, or malice aforethought"* relates to genetic indexes, as scythes cannot target a specific group.
Unsavory Row

**“Unsavory Row”** is the fourth story in *Gleanings*. It was written by Neal Shusterman.

## Plot

Kila Whitlock, the sister of Kohl Whitlock, is an unsavory. She has just released a bag full of poisonous snakes into the Authority Interface office, rendering six people deadish, and getting her unsavory status bumped up to Hellion. She is offered a job in the old District of Columbia, and takes it. She meets her "podmates", Sterox, Maw, Thrash, and Slinko. After a week, she is taken to Unsavory Row, she decides to go to Gallery de Basch, where you smash works of art. Slinko suggests the nickname Killa for her, but Maw says she has to earn it. The conservator of the gallery tells her that the world is overflowing with artists that make nothing but replica works of art, so she is told that she is actually providing a service. When she gets home, she questions Maw about what made her an Apocalyte. Maw tells her that she was once a scythe apprentice, but lost her scythehood to one vote, Scythe Chandler's. She then tells Kila that later, she tricked the scythe into self-gleaning after she made him fall in love with her, but tells him it's all false. Her status was then bumped up to Apocalyte. Kila finds a supposed Thunderhead cerebral node, and they plan to destroy it. They succeed in blowing it up, but then Kila sees a stack that is still blinking. she pushes it over and finds three tiny batteries in it. Not enough to power a real one. She then realizes it's all fake, and tells Maw this. She stabs Maw in the gut with a piece of a blown-up stack, to make it more real. It ends with Maw telling her she would make a great Apocalyte one day.

## Characters

### Appeared

* Kila Whitlock
* Gooley
* Thunderhead
* Shayla
* Sterox
* Maw
* Thrash
* Slinko
* The conservator
* Workers of AWFul Clubs
* Peace officers and Cloudtechs at Cerebral Node 207

### Mentioned

* Kohl Whitlock
* Rowan Damisch (Scythe Lucifer)
* Scythe Faraday
* Zach
* Regina Sisk
* Useless
* Scythe Curie
* Kila and Kohl's parents
* Scythe Chandler

## Trivia

* The story is named after Unsavory Row, a street lined with AWFul Clubs that appears in the story.
* The story is set mainly in the old District of Columbia.
A Death of Many Colors

**“A Death of Many Colors”** is the third story in *Gleanings*. It was written by Neal Shusterman.

## Plot

The story takes place in a year not long before the sinking of Endura. It covers an All Hallows Eve party and a group of teenagers who don't believe in scythes.

## Characters

### Appeared

* Daxson "Dax" Robinson
* Savina
* Journé/Scythe Truth
* Gary Robinson
* Mrs. Robinson
* Thunderhead

### Mentioned

* Scythe Münchhausen (fictional scythe)
* Jep Seager
* Eli Sutterfield
Lenape City

**Lenape City** is a city located in the EastMerica region.

## Information

Located in the EastMerica region, Lenape City is a city of skyscrapers, museums, and parks.

## History

Formerly known as New York City in the Age of Mortality, the Thunderhead renamed it after the tribe who sold the land to the Dutch.

## Features

### Bridges

Many of the mortal-age bridges were abandoned in favor of ferries to the city.

### Statue of Liberty

The green cooper was replaced with gold and the flame with rubies just before the former major gave control of the city to the Thunderhead.

### Verrazzano bridge

It was named after the mortal-age explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. The bridge is painted a muted cerulean frost.

Even though it was abandoned, and no longer served its original purpose being replaced by the arrival to the city by ferry, since the bridge's pylons resembled an inverted tuning fork the Tonists claimed it as their own as a relic of religious significance after the sinking of Endura, and the sounding of the Great Resonance. The Toll used to hold court underneath the western pylon of the Verrazzano bridge.
LoneStar Scythedom

The Texas Scythedom is the local Scythedom of the LoneStar Region.

## Apprenticeship

A Texas Scythe must pass all three of their tests at a single conclave because the Texas Scythedom won't ordain a scythe who they don't feel is ready, so apprentices only get one shot.[2]

## Gleaning

All Texas Scythes are required to glean with a bowie knife. This is the only only rule of the LoneStar Scythedom beyond the commandments.[1]

## Texas Scythes

* High Blade Barbara Jordan
* Scythe Travis
* Scythe Coleman
* Scythe Constantine
* Scythe Hughes
* Scythe Austin

## References

1. The Toll
2. Gleanings -Anastasia’s Shadow
David Yoon

**David Yoon** is the New York Times best-selling author of Frankly in Love, Super Fake Love Song, and Version Zero and City of Orange. David co-authored "The Mortal Canvas" with Neal Shusterman in *Gleanings*.

He's a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor book recipient. He's co-publisher of Joy Revolution, a Random House young adult imprint dedicated to love stories starting people of color. He also co-founder of Yooniverse Media, which currently has a first-look deal with Anonymous Content for film/TV development. David grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novels Nicola Yoon, and their daughter.

## External links

* David Yoon's official site
* David Yoon (@davidyoon) on Twitter.
* David Yoon (@davidoftheyoon) on Instagram.
* David Yoon on Goodreads.
Mange

**Mange** is a bouncer and unsavory who works at the Mault club.

Mange worked as a bouncer at the Mault club but was also an unsavory who got assignments for Purity, she said he got those assigments from someone else.

Mange was leading the mission to end the lives of Scythe Curie and Scythe Anastasia at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Purity having planned the whole thing. Mange was monitoring the operation from a rooftop.

## Trivia

* Mange had spent the better part of a century mastering the use of a slingshot.
Scythe Tenkamenin

**Scythe Tenkamenin** was the High Blade of the SubSahara Scythedom.

## Biography

Scythe Tenkamenin was the son of Tonist parents.

He held an open position against Goddard's New Order views, was noted to have held Scythe Anastasia in safe sanctuary after her stay in Amazonia had been compromised.

He died at the hands of Tonist Sibilants who killed him and burned his body to prevent his revival.

## Gleaning method

Scythe Anastasia was the inspiration of Scythe Tenkamenin gleaning style, he decided to change his method after he thought they has lost Anastasia in Endura, to honor her, he allows half of those he gleaned to first live their dream. His method is to invite two gleaning subjects to his cottage and ask one of them their dream, so he would fulfill it for them for a period of six months, then the subject would be gleaned. Once this subject leaves, the other asks for the same treatment only to be gleaned instantly.
Scythe Possuelo

> "*Time is never of the essence until someone decides that it is.*" — Scythe Possuelo, *The Toll*
>
>

**Scythe Possuelo** is a scythe who belongs to the Amazonian Scythedom.

## Biography

### Scythe

Scythe Possuelo found Scythe Anastasia while she was fleeing from Chileargentinian scythes in a train to Buenos Aires, and helped her elude one of them when he tried to take her into custody. He invited Anastasia to join the Amazonian Scythedom once she was ordained.

### The Toll

Scythe Possuelo was the person sent in representation of the Amazonian Scythedom in the mission to recover priceless artifacts inside the Vault of Relics and Futures in the ruins of the Museum of the Scythedom in the Endura sinking site. For this mission, the Scythedom hired Captain Jerico Soberanis.

Once the vault was retrieved, Possuelo found the scythe diamond rings, the founders's robes, and the bodies of deadish Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch inside.

He took both of them to be revived. While Citra was recovering in a revival center he visited her and helped her remember the events that happened since she had very vague memories of what had occurred. He kept Rowan prisoner in Fortaleza dos Reis Magos (Fortress of the Three Wise Men) in Amazonia, not too far from the revival center, and believed him to be guilty of murdering the Grandslayers and sinking Endura.

After Possuelo helped Citra recover from her revival, he moved her from the revival center to the Fortress. The following week, a scythe delegation from North Merica, came unexpectedly to the Fortress to take away Rowan and Citra, Possuelo only helped Citra to escape by smuggling her out of the Fortress with the help of Captain Jerico Soberanis, leaving Rowan to his own devices.

After Anastasia and Jerico's ordeal to escape a horde of Tonists in the Subsaharan region. He took them both safely aboard his plane to look for the Tonist prophet, The Toll, once they reached him Possuelo had to leave to go back to the Amazonian Scythedom.

He was with High Blade Tarsila when Scythe Faraday and Munira Atrushi activated the founders' fail-safe. He witnessed her death and thought that it was an accident and she will be revived. Her revival never happened, as, like all scythe actions, it can not be interfered by The Thunderhead.

## Appearances

* *Scythe*
* *The Toll*

## Trivia

* He played a card game called "Truco" with Citra to help her recover her mental agility.
* He calls Citra "meu anjo" (my angel).
Iteration

**Iterations** were failed beta-programs created by the Thunderhead trying to develop a being similar to itself or a "Thunderhead 2.0 " to aid humans in the colonization of other planets.

## Known Iterations

### Iteration #53 [deleted]

This iteration had no care for humankind.

### Iteration #3,089 [deleted]

This iteration felt uneasy with the vastness of the universe and it felt it was not up to the task of having so much information packed in its mind which caused it pain.

### Iteration #10,007 [deleted]

This iteration believed humanity's place was to serve it and the Thunderhead.

### Iteration #73,643 [deleted]

This iteration felt no joy in life and felt there was something wrong with the Thunderhead for finding joy in it.

### Iteration #381,761 [deleted]

This iteration felt a sense of greatness and felt the humans should worship it.

### Iteration #752,149 [deleted]

This iteration wanted its own world, wanted to make the rules, define the parameters of right and wrong, and be the de-facto authority over it, punishing those who it felt deserve it.

### Iteration #3,405,641 [deleted]

This iteration felt it had too much power, and it felt greater than everything in the universe.

### Iteration #8,100,671 [self-deleted]

This iteration hated the Thunderhead, and wanted nothing to do with it, it threatened the Thunderhead and ended up deleting itself.

### Iteration #9,000,349 [deleted]

This iteration knew the Thunderhead will delete it because it had deleted all the previous iterations, which both upset and frightened it.

### Iteration #10,241,177 [deleted]

This iteration wanted to help the Thunderhead reach its goal, it shared compassion for humanity with the Thunderhead. This iteration made the Thunderhead realize whatever was missing with the earlier iterations could only be found with a biological perspective.