Titus Groan the stultified Gormenghast society. Steerpike is Machiavellian in his rise, but he can also appear charming and sometimes even noble. The novel begins as the imperious and ritual-driven servant Mr. Flay seeks to tell someone new of the birth of an heir to the House of Groan in a remote part of the sprawling castle of Gormenghast. A son is born to Lord Sepulchrave, Earl of Groan and monarchical ruler of Gormenghast, and his wife, Countess Gertrude. He is named Titus and entrusted to Nannie Slagg by his indifferent mother. Nannie Slagg is an elderly, somewhat senile woman who serves
Lady Fuchsia Groan Lady Fuchsia Groan Lady Fuchsia Groan is a fictional character: The daughter of Sepulchrave, 76th Earl of Groan, in Mervyn Peake's novels "Titus Groan" (1946) and "Gormenghast" (1950). In the BBC film adaptation (2000), Fuchsia is portrayed by Scottish actress Neve McIntosh. Fuchsia is also the subject of The Cure song, The Drowning Man, which is about her death and mentions her by name. Fuchsia is the first child of the Earl of Groan and his Countess; but the earldom of Groan and the family seat Gormenghast can only be inherited by a son. Consequently, Fuchsia has been largely ignored