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Wiki-wordmark "Do you know the end of your story, Meggie?"
The following page contains spoilers for the upcoming instalment, The Colour of Revenge. Proceed at your own risk.

Orpheus is a talented Silvertongue who used to adore Inkheart and later wanted to change its universe as he has the power to do so.

Biography[]

Sending Dustfinger home[]

Orpheus was found by Dustfinger and Farid and they requested him to read them into Inkworld. Orpheus read Dustfinger into his home but left Farid behind as Dustfinger had given Farid Inkheart to hold, which happened to be Orpheus's favorite childhood book; that, and Orpheus felt Farid had no business to be in the Inkworld.[2]

After Dustfinger was read back into his own world Orpheus took Inkheart from Farid and revealed to be working with Basta, yet telling Basta not to hurt Farid, forcing Farid to flee to Elinor's house.

When Orpheus arrived at Elinor's house he has a man called Sugar with him. The man locked Elinor and Darius in the cellar while Mortola forced Orpheus to read her, Basta, Resa and Mo into the Inkworld. Orpheus succeeded, leaving him to live in Elinor's house, reading different characters out of Elinor's books when he felt like it.

During his stay at Elinor's, he attempted many times to read himself into the world within Inkheart, as Meggie Folchart had done, though he was unsuccessful. Meggie later read him into the Inkworld for him to create words to read Dustfinger back from the dead, as Fenoglio was unwilling. Orpheus refused to believe Meggie was the one who read him into the Inkworld and believed he'd done it himself. He then set off to become one of the richest men in the Inkworld.[3]

Becoming more and more ambitious[]

Orpheus uses his copy of Inkheart to read himself a lot of money to buy a large house in Ombra and other expensive items, as well as taking commissions to read various creatures into the world for the Milksop to hunt or adorn the castle with. He also employs a bodyguard named Oss, and two glass men named Jasper and Ironstone so that he can prepare his writings faster.

Farid also became his servant as Orpheus promises him that he would read Dustfinger back if Farid worked for him. Orpheus forced Farid into hard labor but failed to bring back Dustfinger, while Mortimer Folchart did, though again Orpheus made himself believe that it was to his credit. Upon Dustfinger confronting him and taking his copy of Inkheart, Orpheus then uses his influence with the Milksop to arrange an audience with the Adderhead, whom he sides himself with in the hopes of gaining more power.

After finding a book of fairy tales written by Fenoglio, Orpheus reads out a Night-Mare, later revealed to be Basta. Mortola found him and tried to enslave him, but ended up being betrayed and killed. When the Adderhead dies, Orpheus decides he is sick of the babyish Inkworld he had so loved as a boy and feels that the place for him now is beyond the Castle in the Lake, where Fenoglio had not written about. He leaves for there after looting what little remains of the Adderhead's wealth, taking Ironstone with him. Elinor mentioned much later that he probably perished in the mountains.[4]

Physical attributes[]

Orpheus is described as being very pale with blonde hair. He is said to wear glasses, thus the name of "Four Eyes". He is also described as very round, with bitten-down fingernails and feminine lips.

Namesake[]

Many remarks have been made about his name, mostly about if his parents gave it to him or he chose it himself. His name is from a Greek myth about a man who almost brought the dead back, by playing Hades such a beautiful song that he let him have his wife back, if he didn't look back at her when getting out of the Underworld.

In Inkworld, he's known as many names, such as Cheeseface, Milkface, Moonface, and Calf's-Head.

References[]

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