JD Grissom was a magician of the House of Life, the Fifty-First Nome in Dallas, Texas.
Biography
Background
JD Grissom was the leader of the Fifty-First Nome. He has a wife, Anne, who is also a magician; she oversees the artifacts at the new King Tut exhibit. He worries for her safety, as well as his other scribes, when the Kanes come and warn him of Apophis arriving.
The Kane Chronicles
The Serpent's Shadow
The Kanes arrive at his nome, where a party was taking place, and warn him of Apophis' danger, and how they needed a particular scroll, The Book of Overcoming Apophis, by Prince Khaemwaset. The party was taking place right across the street from the Dallas Museum of Art, where the scroll was located. JD Grissom is unenthusiastic with the idea of giving them the scroll for safekeeping, thinking that that particular spell, like so many others, didn't have a good chance of destroying Apophis. When Apophis's attack begins, he leaves the exhibit which the scroll is in to help the magicians at the party. After the attack, the only thing that that was found of him was a half-melted Lone Star belt buckle. At the end of the book, he was seen as a ghost in the Hall of Judgement playing with his wife Anne and the rest of the band that had originally been playing at the party before the attack.
Personality
He seems to care a lot about his magicians and family, and is willing to give the Kanes the scroll they need, even though it is potentially dangerous and valuable.
Appearance
JD is described by Sadie as tall and stout, with feathery red har, a rugged, weathered face, and hands as rough as bark. He wore a black suit, a bolo tie, and a large silver Lone Star belt buckle. In the Serpent's Shadow graphic novel, he wears a black cat with a House of Life symbol on it and the number 51, the Fifty-First Nome, underneath it.
Powers and Abilities
JD is a magician of the House of Life, so presumably has the powers of a standard magician. He is also the leader of the Fifty-First Nome, so he must be quite powerful. He also plays the steel guitar, which is music, said to be an alternative form of magic.
Relationships
Anne Grissom: He loves his wife Anne very much, willing to run into an attack to save her.
Trivia
- Sadie described him as looking like a "Wild West marshal"