I wanted an old-fashioned-sounding name for Reseda’s Master, to go with the rest of his aesthetic, so Brother Alvah is named after my great-grandfather.
The real Alvah never got involved with any cults (at least, not that I know of). And given my heritage on that side, his name was probably Irish/Gaelic. But there’s an identical name that comes from Hebrew…with a meaning like “to rise” or “one who rises.”
This guy 100% picked the name for himself, after deciding he had this elite angelic destiny.
Did he get Lily afterwards, and just weave her into his plans? Or did he get her, come up with a bunch of theories, and use those to inspire the cult plan? In other words, was he going by “Alvah” by the time he signed the Contract, or no?
(If no, then as soon as he changed it, he definitely gave Lily a standing order not to say it either.)
Timothy: “Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said unto the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Then the angel of the LORD went forth,. and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses
Your father wasn’t an angel of vengeance, was he?
Lily: I don’t remember having parents. It would have been so long ago.
Timothy: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
That’s us! I hope the song’s easy. I like singing, but Brother Emir isn’t very good at it.
And Ruth said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge . . .“
“If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
Is that why you keep your hair so long?
Lily: I wear my hair the way my Master wants me to wear it.
Timothy: Right . . . Your Master. Brother Alvah.
Voice (offscreen): Timothy! Aren’t you done yet?