- "In all of Fillory, one Magician could drive every other Magician insane. An inventor of puzzles with no solutions and games where the rules changed for no reason. He was called the Madness Maker, but he had been born Ellis Wirth-Downes."
- ―Quentin Coldwater
Ellis Wirth-Downes, also known as the Madness Maker, is a magician who invents puzzles and games capable of driving others insane.
Biography[]
Cursed with Madness[]
- "On his first journey to Fillory, he played checkers with a powerful witch. He cheated, and her curse was simple: "the only kind of magic "he would ever do again was game magic"
- ―Quentin Coldwater
Ellis-Wirth Downes was a Magician born on Earth who learned how to cast magic before discovering the existence of Fillory. When he first traveled to the magical land, Downes met a witch and the two played a game of checkers. However, when Downes cheated in the game, the witch cursed him to only be able to cast game magic.
During one of Jane Chatwin's journeys into Fillory, the young Chatwin was invited by Downes to a game. Jane then realized that his need to make others suffer was only because he became more insane the more he played games. Jane later destroyed his game, freeing Downes from his curse.[1]
Quentin Coldwater's Nightmare[]
Quentin beats the Madness Maker.
- "I'm tired, so tired."
"Of?"
"Fighting all the time, becoming someone that I actually want to be, and then realizing that I... am nothing."
"So you made the hospital, conjured that terrible thing you never did to your father. Of course, you're exhausted. And you can hide from it all forever in this lovely, quiet, blank void. But you also built a way out. Otherwise, why are he and I here?" - ―Quentin Coldwater and Jane Chatwin
After getting into a fight with Quentin Coldwater, Julia Wicker and Marina Andrieski hexed him with the Scarlatti Web curse, forcing Coldwater's mind created to create the Ellsworth Downs Hospital as a prison for his consciousness, where he was forced to face his worst nightmares. Coldwater was later contacted by Jane Chatwin, who revealed to him that the hospital was an illusion and the answer for escaping was in the Fillory and Further books before the curse severed their connection. After escaping the hospital, Coldwater was confronted by the Madness Maker and invited to play a game of chess for his freedom when Chatwin appeared again, explaining to Coldwater that he could remain in the Web to be free of his burden, but reminding him that he built in the Madness Maker's game as a way out. Coldwater then destroyed the Madness Maker's game, freeing himself from the Scarlatti Web and waking up in the Physical Kids' Cottage.[1]
Personality[]
To be added
Magic and Abilities[]
Magic[]
- Magician: To be added
- Magic Manipulation: Dowes is able to shape and manipulate the energy of the Wellspring to cast spells by writing specific formations with his hands, conjuring phosphorescent constructs of energy.
- Game Magic: After cheating in a game of checkers against a witch, Downes was cursed to only cast game magic. He was able to create puzzles that had no solution and games where the rules changed without reason, causing others to go insane when playing against him.
- Magic Manipulation: Dowes is able to shape and manipulate the energy of the Wellspring to cast spells by writing specific formations with his hands, conjuring phosphorescent constructs of energy.
Facilities[]
- Castle: Downes, after becoming the Madness Maker, took residence in a castle he filled with puzzles and board games.
Relationships[]
Enemies[]
- Fillorian Witch
- Jane Chatwin †
- Quentin Coldwater †