The Beaumont Family

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The Beaumont Family are the founders of Nowhere, West Virginia and the primary human antagonist faction in Tales from Nowhere. Founded by Josiah Beaumont in the 1880s, the family has secretly manipulated the town for generations, pursuing immortality through their Mithraic Cult and the exploitation of supernatural forces concentrated at the dimensional nexus beneath their ancestral home, Beaumont Manor.

Overview

The Beaumont family's history is one of ambition, occultism, and the exploitation of supernatural forces. For over a century, they have operated from the shadows, controlling Nowhere's development while pursuing their ultimate goal: transcendence beyond mortal limitations. Their methods have ranged from political manipulation and economic control to dark rituals and dimensional experimentation.

The family built Beaumont Manor atop a dimensional nexus, a point where the barriers between worlds are thinnest. This location gives them access to supernatural energies that they have attempted to harness across multiple generations, always seeking the key to immortality.

"The Beaumonts didn't just found this town. They built it as a machine, and we're all just gears." Benji Margolis, Episode 7

The Founding

Josiah Beaumont

Josiah Beaumont was a ruthless robber baron of the Gilded Age who discovered the supernatural significance of the region that would become Nowhere. Whether he stumbled upon it by accident or was drawn there by forces beyond his understanding remains debated. What is known is that Josiah recognized the potential of the dimensional nexus and immediately moved to control it.

In the 1880s, Josiah established the town of Nowhere as a cover for his operations. The settlement provided a workforce, a buffer against outsiders, and a population whose fears could fuel the supernatural energies he sought to exploit. He built the manor directly atop the nexus and began the family's long pursuit of immortality.

Founding the Cult

Josiah established the Mithraic Cult, blending elements of ancient Roman Mithraism with practices learned from indigenous peoples who had long understood the area's supernatural properties. The cult served as the family's inner circle, a group of loyal followers who assisted in rituals and maintained secrecy in exchange for promises of shared immortality.

Through the Generations

Each generation of Beaumonts has contributed to the family's occult pursuits while maintaining their public facade as Nowhere's leading family:

Second Generation (Early 1900s)

Josiah's children expanded the cult and began systematic documentation of supernatural phenomena in the area. They established the underground chambers beneath the manor as permanent ritual spaces and began collecting artifacts from supernatural traditions worldwide.

Third Generation (1940s-1960s)

During World War II, the Beaumonts exploited the chaos to conduct more ambitious experiments. They may have had connections to the Japanese internment camp near Nowhere, using the concentrated trauma as fuel for their rituals. During the Cold War, they quietly encouraged the construction of the Big Ear telescope, understanding that the resulting Quiet Zone would further isolate the town from outside interference.

Fourth Generation (1970s-Present)

The current generation, represented by Thaddeus Beaumont, appears to be the culmination of the family's plans. Thaddeus is older than he should be, suggesting that partial success in the immortality pursuit has already been achieved.

The Mithraic Cult

The Beaumont family's secret society, the Mithraic Cult, serves as the operational arm of their supernatural ambitions. The cult blends:

• Ancient Roman Mithraic rituals focused on transcendence and rebirth
• Indigenous practices for interacting with the dimensional nexus
• The family's own discoveries about supernatural energy manipulation
• Blood rituals that exploit the fear generated by Nowhere's cryptid population

The cult operates from the underground chambers beneath Beaumont Manor, conducting rituals that attempt to open the dimensional barriers wider and draw more supernatural energy into the Beaumonts' control.

Thaddeus Beaumont

Thaddeus Beaumont is the current and possibly last member of the main family line. An elderly man of indeterminate age, Thaddeus represents the culmination of generations of occult pursuit. He lives in Beaumont Manor with Clara Sterling as his caretaker, though the true nature of their relationship is more complex than it appears.

Thaddeus presents himself as a frail, grandfatherly figure, but behind this facade lies a man who has spent decades (or longer) manipulating Nowhere's residents and supernatural forces for his family's ends. His plans for the Season 1 finale involve using the Wendigo's awakening to achieve the immortality his ancestors sought.

Legacy and Impact

The Beaumont family's influence on Nowhere cannot be overstated:

• Town Founding: Every aspect of Nowhere's design serves the family's supernatural purposes
• Isolation: The family encouraged policies that kept Nowhere isolated from the outside world
• Supernatural Activity: Their rituals may have intensified the area's already-strong supernatural properties
• Community Manipulation: Generations of residents have been unknowing participants in the Beaumonts' experiments
• The Dimensional Nexus: Their exploitation may have weakened the barriers between worlds, leading to increased cryptid activity

Fan Theories

Trivia