Character Relationship Map: The Pyx

Characters

• Elizabeth Lucy (played by Karen Black) — protagonist

  A heroin-addicted prostitute and lapsed Catholic who dies by jumping from a tenement building. She is targeted by occultists for a Black Mass but ultimately commits suicide by leaping from a window to...

• Keerson (played by Jean-Louis Roux) — supporting

  A fallen Roman Catholic priest who secretly owns the building housing the brothel. He orchestrates a Black Mass with occultists, targets Elizabeth for a ritual, and is ultimately shot by Detective Hen...

• Sandra (played by Louise Rinfret) — supporting

  A teenage heroin addict undergoing detoxification in a hospital. Elizabeth visits her during the final weeks leading up to her death.

• Meg (played by Yvette Brind'amour) — supporting

  The madam of the brothel where Elizabeth works. She provides Elizabeth to occult clients, drugs her drink to facilitate the Black Mass, and is later found murdered with a slashed throat.

• Superintendent (played by Jacques Godin) — supporting

  The superintendent of the tenement building. He refuses to cooperate with Detective Henderson when shown Elizabeth's crucifix, indicating knowledge or fear related to the events.

• Jimmy (played by Terry Haig) — supporting

  Elizabeth's compassionate gay roommate and close friend. He provides key insights about her final days before being ambushed and shot dead by an assailant, managing to reveal Keerson's name to Henders...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Keerson → Superintendent (Power Building Authority) — Keerson's ownership places the superintendent within the building's fearful hierarchy.

  Keerson owns the building in which Meg's brothel is located, while the superintendent manages that building and refuses to discuss the events.

• Elizabeth Lucy → Meg (Professional Employer) — Meg employs Elizabeth through the brothel but also directs her toward dangerous clients.

  Meg is the madam of the brothel where Elizabeth sometimes worked and controlled access to clients.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Keerson → Jimmy (Conflict Threatened Witness) — Jimmy's knowledge about Keerson places him in mortal danger.

  After Jimmy provides Keerson's name, he is ambushed and shot by an unseen assailant while returning to the apartment.

• Superintendent → Elizabeth Lucy (Unknown Withheld Witness) — The superintendent becomes an uncooperative witness connected to Elizabeth's building.

  When shown Elizabeth's crucifix, the superintendent refuses to speak, suggesting that he knows something relevant to her death.

• Keerson → Meg (Alliance Client Provider) — Meg facilitates Keerson's access to Elizabeth through the brothel network.

  Meg gives Elizabeth's contact information to special clients, and Keerson is one of the men connected to the arrangement.

• Keerson → Elizabeth Lucy (Conflict Occult Target) — Keerson targets Elizabeth as the central victim of the planned ritual.

  Keerson arranges for Elizabeth to attend a gathering where occultists perform a Black Mass and offer her a desecrated host.

• Elizabeth Lucy → Sandra (Social Supportive Acquaintance) — Their connection reflects Elizabeth's contact with another vulnerable person affected by addiction.

  Elizabeth visits Sandra, a teenage heroin addict undergoing detoxification in a hospital, during the weeks before her death.

• Elizabeth Lucy → Jimmy (Social Close Friend) — Jimmy is Elizabeth's trusted companion and an important witness to her final days.

  Jimmy is identified as Elizabeth's close friend and roommate, and he says she treated him with benevolence and compassion.

Story Analysis

A detective traces a woman's death from addiction and exploitation to an occult ritual, while her final act prevents the ritual's completion.

Plot Progression

1. The Pyx At The Death Scene — Elizabeth Lucy dies after falling from a Montreal tenement, leaving a crucifix and a metal pyx as disturbing evidence. The investigation exposes her addiction, prostitution, and religious crisis.
2. Silence Around The Brothel — Meg describes Elizabeth's work and her dangerous outside clients, but the inquiry soon finds Meg and an employee murdered. The superintendent's silence deepens the sense of concealment.
3. The Witness Who Knew Too Much — Jimmy recalls Elizabeth's compassion and her fear of a rich client before he is killed in an ambush. The investigation connects Elizabeth's final weeks to a hidden network around Keerson.
4. The Black Mass And Release — Meg drugs Elizabeth and brings her into a Black Mass organized by Keerson. Elizabeth prevents the ritual by leaping to her death, while Keerson later confesses and dies after being shot.