The Grimmery

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

I see an oath sworn with deep magic. I see seven hands resting on a book. And I see a name for that book.
A smile spread across her face, as if what she saw amused her.
It is called... the Grimmery.

Anton Macquarie is having a bad day.

He woke up with a pounding head. He was late for work. He was attacked by a homeless woman with an apple core. His boss’ house was burnt down, his boss is now dead, and his replacement is going to turn the newspaper he works for into a sensationalist tabloid. He can’t remember a month of his life. And, to top it all off, he can’t find his tie.

But when his dead boss appears to him as a ghost and tells him to investigate some mysterious fires happening recently, Anton realises there may be more to his missing month than he first suspects.

Pieces fall into place, and he realises that he, and others, were a part of an organisation dedicated to containing the occult and defending the innocent, the Grimmery. Ten Thousand and One Spirits have broken free and are beginning to wreak havoc on the city. The book of wisdom and magic the Grimmery was founded on is missing. They are the only ones left who can recapture the Spirits, and they don’t even know what they are capable of doing. If only they could remember that they’ve already locked them away before . . .

The Grimmery is an urban fantasy web serial novel, and Tamyrlin Ink's first attempt at sharing his writing with the world. Currently updates once in a really, really scary red-eyed moon.


Tropes used in The Grimmery include:
  • Arc Words - People keep mentioning Anton's tie, or lack thereof.
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking - Arson, murder and... lost ties.
  • Blind Seer - Blindfolded Cassandra is one in the Prologue.
  • Computer Equals Monitor - Lampshaded; GrimmERL makes fun of Anton for believing this is the case, and quotes the trope nearly word for word.
  • Creepy Doll - The porcelain doll Cassandra finds in Chapter Four winks at Anton by itself. Her name is Sissy.
  • Disappears Into Light - Mr Hicks explodes into blinding light when leaving Anton.
  • Elaborate Underground Base - Expanding far below the city and the mountain directly adjacent.
  • Everybody's Dead, Dave - The main characters are the only ones left of the titular organisation.
  • Everyone Can See It - After spending less than an hour with them, both Anton and Cassandra can see that Pandora and Desmond like each other. It's just that Pandora and Desmond are both too bashful to say anything...
  • Everything Sensor - GrimmERL scans hands by making them sink into the screen.
  • Five-Man Band - In the Prologue, Antonilus is The Hero, Xander is The Lancer, Serge is The Smart Guy, Natan is The Big Guy, Melia is The Chick, and Cassandra (appears to be) the Tagalong Kid. The main cast appears to be shaping up in a similar way, with Anton as The Hero, Desmond as The Smart Guy, Pandora as The Chick and Cassandra as the Tagalong Kid.
  • Friendly Neighbourhood Vampire - Pandora is one of the nicest people you're likely to meet, and happens to be a vampire.
  • Ghost Lights - The wisps.
  • Insistent Terminology - Mount Temmar is not a hill, is is a mountain.
  • Jacob Marley Apparel - Ghosts appear to maintain the clothing and the condition of their death. For instance, an elevator operator who was crushed to death retains his uniform and... altered stature.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia - The main characters completely forget about the supernatural world, but their still-intact powers make it difficult to ignore for very long.
  • Late for School - Recovering from amnesia, wearing swing shoes, and having an unfortunate run-in with a surly woman he believes to be a bag lady, Anton is late for work for the first time.
  • Magical Database - One of GrimmERL's many functions.
  • Man On Fire - Or, at least, hand on fire with the Burning Hand Ghost.
  • Masquerade - There is a hidden world of ghosts and spirits that no-one can see. Not to mention the vast facilities beneath the city dedicated to the containment and protection of said spirits, and all the supernatural species that run it.
  • Meaningful Name - Cassandra is able to see the future. Also, Pandora Mc Arber (a play on 'macabre') is a vampire. Anton Macquarie is also something of a leader, for those familiar with Australian settlement history.
  • Missing Time - The main characters all seem to agree that they are missing one month of their lives, but it may be more.
  • Omniglot - One of Anton's powers.
  • Oracular Urchin - Cassandra
  • Our Vampires Are Different - "Being a vampire in this day and age is like... having a nut allergy, or something. Completely manageable, as long as you carry an umbrella everywhere and don’t trip around pointy wooden things."
  • Technopath - Desmond.
  • The Empath - Cassandra.
  • Undead Child - The boy with the balloon who triggers Anton's realisation that he is seeing spirits.
  • Voice of the Legion - One of the Ten Thousand and One Spirits speaks in this, and mentions 'being a Legion, being many'.
  • Waif Prophet - Both the Cassandra in the Prologue and after.
  • Waistcoat of Style - Anton's choice of attire.
  • Weakened by the Light - Pandora's first clue to her being a vampire is when momentary exposure to sunlight severely burns her hand.
  • You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost - Poppy says this to Anton after he has quite literally seen a ghost.