# Nightspore — A Voyage to Arcturus character guide

> Nightspore in A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mr. Nightspore

**First appearance:** 0000-i-the-s-ance

## Snapshot

Maskull's somber, haunted companion, who recognizes Crystalman's face where others see only a stranger and climbs a stone stair toward a discovery he cannot name.

## Who they are

Nightspore stands beside Maskull at the moment Krag announces the voyage, and it is his strangled question — has Surtur gone to Tormance? — that reveals he already knows more than he admits. Later, urged up a cold, deserted staircase that feels like a ladder to heaven, he labors under a weight like a man on his shoulders while strange pulses of laughter and machinery beat against the windows. His ascent, and the luminous sphere he glimpses, mark him as a soul being prepared for something Maskull himself may not be ready to face.

## Relationships

### [Maskull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/maskull)

_psychological_

Nightspore is a detached, almost spectral figure who shares a deeper, metaphysical connection with Maskull, representing his higher self.

### [Krag](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/krag)

_friendship_

Krag and Nightspore are allied in a cosmic mission, working together to guide and test Maskull toward ultimate truth.

### [Maskull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/maskull)

_psychological_

Nightspore is a detached, almost spectral figure who shares a deeper, metaphysical connection with Maskull, representing his higher self.

### [Krag](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/krag)

_friendship_

Krag and Nightspore are allied in a cosmic mission, working together to guide and test Maskull toward ultimate truth.

### [Maskull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/maskull)

_psychological_

Nightspore is a detached, almost spectral figure who shares a deeper, metaphysical connection with Maskull, representing his higher self.

### [Krag](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/krag)

_friendship_

Krag and Nightspore are allied in a cosmic mission, working together to guide and test Maskull toward ultimate truth.

## In the story

### [I: The Séance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/i-the-s-ance)

Arrives with Maskull; of middle height with a hairless face and wild eyes; appears bored during the séance and paces impatiently afterward.

### [II: In the Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/ii-in-the-street)

Reluctantly agrees to the journey, stating it 'has to be made,' and confirms Krag never lies.

### [III: Starkness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/iii-starkness)

Accompanies Maskull, seems to have prior knowledge of Krag's message, and explains the back rays.

### [IV: The Voice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/iv-the-voice)

Leads Maskull to the Gap of Sorgie; speaks enigmatically about the voices and the drum taps.

### [The Night of Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/v-the-night-of-departure)

Silent and brooding, Nightspore submits to the wounding without complaint and remains bored and hungry-looking throughout the journey.

### [XIII: The Wombflash Forest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/xiii-the-wombflash-forest)

Marches sternly in the spectral procession; Dreamsinter indicates the journey is for Nightspore, not Maskull.

### [XXI: Muspel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/chapters/xxi-muspel)

Nightspore undergoes a profound spiritual crisis, realizing the true nature of the struggle between Muspel and Crystalman. He ascends the tower, witnesses the corruption of the Muspel-stream, and ultimately chooses to enter Muspel, leaving his earthly self behind.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters/nightspore
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voyage_to_arcturus_se/characters