The Ferryman

Illustration by Chris Bodily

**The Ferryman** is an entity of unknown origin who was banished to the netherwastes by its "brother," the Ender. It is child-sized with a globe of human eyes for a head, as well as oar-like flippers and a floating boat shaped body. It appears with a glowing green light that it uses to guide travelers along the Ghost Highway.

In its humanoid disguise, it looks roughly like Lola Velasquez's son, Diego.

## Overview

### Ghost Highway

* Olivia Marconi and the Inspector run into the Ferryman on their way to rescue Mark Hannigan. It warns them that only echoes wait along this road, but guides them anyway when they want to proceed. After locating Hannigan's echo, the Inspector asks the Ferryman to help them find a place for Mark to rest. It leads them to a fork in the road where a shadowy driver takes Mark's echo away to an unknown destination. The Ferryman deduces that Marconi is not satisfied because she has yet to locate Janine Zimmerman in the wasteland. It accompanies the duo as they set off down the road, although initially it is unclear whether they choose to pursue Janine or return to Pacific Glade.

### Green Light

* In an effort to get the travelers home again, the Ferryman attempts to open a dimensional door back to Pacific Glade; however, the process goes awry, and the three of them are fractured across the multiverse, rendering them comatose upon their return. The Ferryman is the only one able to regain consciousness, although it isn't stable. It takes on a rough humanoid disguise and lures Lola Velasquez into the woods, where she finds the trio's bodies.

### Man of the Law

* The Ferryman regains consciousness again and interrupts the Pacific Glade police force in their standoff against Norman Clancy. It tells the group about the situation and says that if they're unable to recomplete Marconi and the Inspector, the strain will tear reality apart. It agrees to take a rescue team into the multiverse to locate the missing fragments of their friends.

### On the Fringe of What We Know

* In the Nightmare World, one fragment of the Ferryman is captured and detained by that universe's version of CAPRA, who hope to use its dimensional abilities to open a portal out of their dying world. Abigail Shannon and Velasquez are able to free it and escape with it to the North Berwick pocket dimension, but not before Timothy Lancaster fatally shoots Abigail.

### Final Rest

* The Ferryman watches over Abigail as she struggles to stay alive. It fears that taking her back through the portal to Pacific Glade would only hasten her decline, but eventually does reopen the door so that Velasquez and Marconi can bring Abigail's body home.

### Dark Side of the Moon

* Another fragment of the Ferryman travels to the Moonverse with Ruth Hannigan and Zachary Atwater. Despite being attacked by the Lurker and nearly killed by Mark Hannigan, the Ferryman pledges its loyalty to the Inspector's friends, saying it will protect them in the purple king's stead. It is able to transport the Lurkers out of the Moonverse after they multiply and overrun the Hanging Rock.

### Journey's End

* The Ferryman returns to the Moonverse with the Inspector, Marconi, and Ruth, intending to take Mark home with them before reality stabilizes and the dimensions can no longer be easily traversed.