Short Fiction · Character

Halpin Chalmers

An occult author found headless in a bare rented room, his charred notes warning of Doels and satyrs who breach walls through scarlet circles.

supporting

Also known as Chalmers, Mr. Chalmers, the late Halpin Chalmers

First appearance: The Hounds of Tindalos

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Halpin Chalmers is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A colleague or associate who is involved in the events surrounding the Hounds.

In the storyThe Hounds of TindalosOpen this moment free

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Chalmers is the murdered occult writer whose death opens the mystery: a nude body ringed by plaster fragments arranged in a perfect triangle, the room stripped of furniture, the walls smeared with plaster of Paris. His charred papers—'I am waiting and watching,' 'the plaster is falling'—reveal a man who believed something was breaking through from the other side and took desperate geometric precautions. His legacy drives the investigation, turning a sensational crime into a question of whether his fears were madness or prophecy.

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See Halpin Chalmers in The Hounds of Tindalos

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Halpin Chalmers sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Mystery and investigation group
Core romantic subplot
Protagonist
Extended ensemble and cameos

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because Sally reaches her psychological peak of self-assurance and romantic antici…

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In the story

Halpin Chalmers appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Hounds of Tindalos
A colleague or associate who is involved in the events surrounding the Hounds.
I
The central figure of the chapter; he has taken a drug to explore time and space, and describes horrifying visions of the Hounds of Tindalos and the nature of angular time.
II
Phones the narrator in a hysterical state, pleading for help to plaster his room against the Hounds of Tindalos.
III
Found murdered in an empty room, decapitated and covered in blue slime, with cryptic writings about supernatural entities.
V
Narrates his theories and experiences with the Doels and a being from another dimension.
The Miniature Menace
Chalmers pleads for help as the miniature threat escalates, underscoring the desperation of the situation.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Halpin Chalmers unlock in the free preview.

See Halpin Chalmers in The Hounds of Tindalos