54 pages • 1-hour read
Frank E. PerettiA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Hank is the newly installed pastor of the Ashton Community Church. He faces immediate opposition from sections of his congregation regarding his strict implementation of church discipline. Despite the hostility, he relies heavily on prayer and his religious convictions to guide his actions in the community. His spiritual devotion makes him a specific target for the dark forces gathering in the town.
Husband of Mary Busche
Ally of Marshall Hogan
Rival of Oliver Young
Target of Alf Brummel
Mentee of Edith Duster
Counselor to Carmen
Marshall operates as the new owner and editor of the Ashton Clarion newspaper. Having relocated from New York to spend more time with his family, he instead throws himself into investigating the strange occurrences in town. His obsession with uncovering a local conspiracy strains his marriage and alienates his college-aged daughter. He relies on his aggressive journalism instincts to push for answers.
Husband of Kate Hogan
Father of Sandy Hogan
Employer of Bernice Kreuger
Ally of Hank Busche
Investigator of Alf Brummel
Adversary of Oliver Young
Successor to Ted Harmel
Bernice works as the top reporter for the Ashton Clarion. She takes her job in the small town primarily to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding her sister's death. She frequently puts herself in dangerous situations to gather information on local real estate purchases and corporate takeovers. She maintains a secular perspective, struggling to process the supernatural elements surrounding her case.
Employee of Marshall Hogan
Sister of Patricia Kreuger
Investigator of Susan Jacobson
Associate of Kevin Weed
Juleen teaches psychology at Whitmore College. She uses her academic position to identify vulnerable students and introduce them to meditation practices and spirit guides. She coordinates with other prominent town figures to advance the goals of the Universal Consciousness Society. Her charismatic personality allows her to manipulate powerful men to protect her operations.
Counselor to Sandy Hogan
Manipulator of Alf Brummel
Co-conspirator with Oliver Young
Subordinate to Alexander Kaseph
Channeler of Madeline
Lucius serves as the incumbent demon prince assigned to Ashton. He relies on wrath and violence to control his subordinates while directing spiritual attacks against the townspeople. He deeply resents the arrival of higher-ranking demons who usurp his authority over the town. His volatile temper often leads to strategic errors.
Subordinate to Ba'al Rafar
Subordinate to The Strongman
Tal commands the angelic forces deployed to protect Ashton. He receives orders from higher spiritual authorities and coordinates defensive strategies against the gathering demons. He emphasizes patience and prudence, holding his warriors back until the optimal moment to strike. His strength ebbs and flows in direct correlation to the prayers offered by the local human population.
Commander of Guilo
Commander of Triskal
Rival of Ba'al Rafar
Enemy of The Strongman
Protector of Hank Busche
Rafar operates as the demon prince of Babylon, arriving in Ashton to accelerate the demonic agenda. He wears gold jewelry and relies on immense physical strength to dominate lesser spirits. He prepares the town for the arrival of even darker forces, establishing absolute control over the local demonic hierarchy. He holds an ancient grudge against the angelic captain deployed to the area.
Alexander acts as the CEO of the Omni Corporation and a powerful leader within the Universal Consciousness Society. He orchestrates a massive real estate and corporate buyout of Ashton properties using bribery, threats, and tax fraud. He demands absolute loyalty from his followers and routinely utilizes intimidation to silence opposition. He serves as a willing vessel for the darkest spiritual forces attempting to claim the town.
The Strongman exists as an ancient, highly ranked demon with direct ties to Lucifer. He remains largely unseen, requiring extensive preparations by lesser spirits before he can manifest his power fully. He targets high-level human leaders to enact large-scale corruption. His sheer presence terrifies both his enemies and his demonic subordinates.
Alf is the chief of police in Ashton. He uses his law enforcement authority to harass local Christians and protect the secret meetings of the town's elite. He takes directions primarily from the psychology professor, allowing his personal desires to dictate his professional conduct. He gradually recognizes the extreme danger posed by the people he assists.
Manipulated by Juleen Langstrat
Adversary of Marshall Hogan
Persecutor of Hank Busche
Associate of Oliver Young
Oliver preaches as the pastor of the Ashton United Christian Church, the town's largest congregation. He subtly integrates New Age philosophy and Universal Consciousness ideology into his sermons, denying traditional tenets of his faith. He works closely with other community leaders to discredit his professional rivals and consolidate spiritual authority in the town.
Rival of Hank Busche
Associate of Juleen Langstrat
Adversary of Marshall Hogan
Associate of Alf Brummel
Mary is Hank's supportive and devout wife. She stands by him as he attempts to lead a fractured congregation and navigate the strange hostility of their new town. She actively participates in prayer and provides emotional stability when their family faces direct harassment.
Kate is Marshall's wife and Sandy's mother. She feels increasingly alienated by her husband's obsessive commitment to his newspaper and his failure to maintain family bonds. Her anxiety over her daughter's erratic behavior pushes her to demand accountability from Marshall.
Wife of Marshall Hogan
Mother of Sandy Hogan
Sandy is Marshall and Kate's college-aged daughter. Feeling neglected by her father, she seeks belonging and purpose through her psychology professor's private counseling. She slowly learns meditation techniques that open her up to dangerous spiritual influences.
Daughter of Marshall Hogan
Daughter of Kate Hogan
Student of Juleen Langstrat
Friend of Shawn
Channeler of Madeline
Also known as the Maidservant or Handmaid, Susan operates as an aide within the Universal Consciousness Society. She handles sensitive documents for the organization's leaders but begins to question their motives. She holds critical information regarding the death of her former college roommate.
Subordinate to Alexander Kaseph
Former Friend of Patricia Kreuger
Contact of Kevin Weed
Informant for Bernice Kreuger
Edith is an elderly, dedicated member of the Ashton Community Church. She acts as a spiritual anchor for the congregation, utilizing intense prayer to support the new pastor. She receives spiritual intuition through dreams that guide the community's intercession.
Supporter of Hank Busche
Friend of Mary Busche
Ted is the former editor of the Ashton Clarion. He lost his position, his reputation, and his family after investigating the financial dealings of Whitmore College. He lives in fear of a secret society that watches the town's residents.
Predecessor to Marshall Hogan
Friend of Eldon Strachan
Eldon serves as a former college dean at Whitmore. He was pushed out of his position by an inner circle of faculty members after raising concerns regarding the college's finances. He helps point the journalists toward other exiled figures.
Friend of Ted Harmel
Former Colleague of Juleen Langstrat
Kevin is an old acquaintance of Bernice's who possesses information about the Omni Corporation. He acts as a middleman, attempting to deliver messages from frightened insiders to the journalists investigating the town.
Informant for Bernice Kreuger
Contact of Susan Jacobson
Shawn is a young student who befriends Sandy Hogan. He actively encourages her to adopt New Age perspectives and abandon traditional religious views. He introduces students to the inner circle operating at the college.
Friend of Sandy Hogan
Former Associate of Patricia Kreuger
Patricia, often called Pat, is Bernice's deceased sister. Her mysterious and tragic death in Ashton prompts the ongoing journalistic investigation that drives much of the plot. During her time at college, she became heavily involved with spiritual guides.
Sister of Bernice Kreuger
Former Roommate of Susan Jacobson
Carmen is a local woman who approaches the church under the pretense of needing help. She is heavily influenced by demonic forces and attempts to infiltrate both the church and the local newspaper office to sabotage the protagonists' efforts.
Saboteur of Hank Busche
Employee of Marshall Hogan
Madeline is a demonic entity that masquerades as a benevolent spirit guide. She interacts with vulnerable students seeking enlightenment, slowly gaining control over their thoughts and actions through psychic phenomena.
Spirit Guide to Sandy Hogan
Connected to Juleen Langstrat
Guilo is a large, bearded angel serving in the battle for Ashton. He is eager for combat but submits to his captain's orders to wait. He executes tactical maneuvers to distract the enemy when directed.
Subordinate to Tal
Companion of Triskal
Triskal is a smaller angelic warrior who serves under Tal's command. He guards specific human targets in the town and suffers injuries while attempting to defend them from overwhelming demonic attacks.