About
Verdant is a fictional small town located in the northeastern region of the United States, serving as the primary setting for the “Making the Grades” series by Jasper Flynn. Known for its historic charm and mysterious past, Verdant is home to Eastern Tsuga College and plays a pivotal role in the unfolding of several key narratives within the Subconium Shared Universe.
Known History
Verdant’s roots date back to the mid-17th century, having been established as a sanctuary for those accused of witchcraft during the Connecticut Witch Trials (1647-1663). The town was officially founded in 1662 by Eleanor Ashburne, a woman accused of practicing witchcraft, who fled to the forested lands of northern Connecticut with her husband, William Ashburne, to escape persecution. They, along with other accused individuals, founded the settlement as a safe haven for others who practiced what Eleanor termed “white magic.” In the early days, Verdant became a refuge for those who sought to escape colonial witch trials and other forms of persecution.
Eleanor, who practiced fertility rituals and white magic, is regarded as the town’s spiritual matriarch. According to her diaries, she cast a powerful fertility spell called The Hemlock Veil in 1667, designed to enhance life and protect those who lived within its borders. However, over the centuries, the spell became more than what she had intended, lowering inhibitions and subtly influencing the behavior of Verdant’s residents. This spell, central to the town’s identity, has been renewed periodically by secret societies formed by Eleanor’s descendants, particularly the Order of the Hemlock and its later reincarnation, House Subconium.
The town remained largely isolated from the rest of Connecticut, existing as a close-knit community focused on the protection and practice of its magical heritage. Verdant gained a reputation as a place of secrecy, where the occult thrived beneath the surface.
By the early 20th century, a number of wealthy families were drawn to Verdant, establishing grand vacation homes along Elysian Road between 1900 and 1920. These families were rumored to be practitioners of occult magic, seeking to harness the town’s mystical energies. Many believe these energies were connected to ley lines, which contributed to Verdant’s continued allure as a site of supernatural significance.
However, in 1929, the Roarke family, one of Verdant’s most prominent residents, met a tragic end. Elias Roarke and his entire family were found dead in what was officially labeled a murder-suicide. Local rumors persist that Roarke’s demise was tied to his dabbling in dark magic, and within a year, all of the wealthy families quietly abandoned their homes, leaving the town’s reputation even darker.
Eastern Tsuga College
Founded in the early 19th century, Eastern Tsuga College is a small liberal arts institution located on the outskirts of Verdant. It is known for its progressive curriculum and has been the subject of controversy throughout its history. During the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, the college faced significant scrutiny when a number of its courses, such as “Friends of the Devil” and “The New Oral History: Dungeons and Dragons,” were accused of promoting occultism.
Though enrollment at the college dropped during this period, the town and the college managed to reclaim their narrative. By the 1990s, Eastern Tsuga had partnered with Verdant to embrace its history and promoted itself as a “safe harbor” during the dark times of New England’s history. It now attracts a student body open to alternative and experimental courses, including those taught by Professor William Taylor, who explores deviant psychology and power dynamics in his controversial Psych 250: Sexology: Sexual Deviance or Sexual Culture class.
The influence of the Hemlock Veil subtly affects the faculty and students of Eastern Tsuga, lowering inhibitions and enhancing curiosity and openness. This has allowed darker psychological experiments to flourish, such as those conducted by Professor Taylor, who takes advantage of the town’s undercurrents to pursue his own manipulative studies on the human psyche.
The Hemlock Veil and Occult History
At the heart of Verdant’s mystical history is The Hemlock Veil, a fertility spell cast by Eleanor Ashburne and the women who sought sanctuary in the town. Initially designed to increase fertility and protect the community, the spell’s effects have evolved over centuries. Now, the veil is said to influence all those within its range, creating a subtle but noticeable impact on their inhibitions. The veil encourages open-mindedness, making Verdant a place where social norms can be more easily bent and psychological experiments, like those of Professor Taylor, can thrive.
The veil requires renewal every decade, a process once managed by the Order of the Hemlock but later taken up by House Subconium after the former dissolved in the 1970s. Priot to the Satanic Panic, the failure to renew the veil led to a chaotic period of unrest. However, the veil was eventually reactivated, bringing a return to the eerie calm that now permeates Verdant. Though most residents are unaware of the spell’s influence, its effects are deeply embedded in the social and psychological fabric of the town.
In Popular Culture
Verdant, Connecticut, serves as the central setting in the Making the Grades series and is a key location in the broader Subconium Shared Universe. Its dark, occult-laden history and its supernatural elements provide a compelling backdrop for stories of power dynamics, psychological manipulation, and the exploration of human nature.
| About |
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| Nickname: A Safe Harbor Amongst the Hemlocks |
| Settled: October 13, 1662 |
| Incorporated: April 30, 1740 |
| Mayor: Benjamin Osgood |