▁its ▁two ▁prede cess ors , ▁without ▁a ▁strong ▁lead ▁character ▁or ▁a ▁fixed ▁setting . ▁A ▁heavily ▁edited ▁first ▁edition ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ; ▁a ▁full er ▁version ▁compiled ▁by ▁Lang don ▁Jones ▁from ▁Pe ake ' s ▁early ▁draft s ▁was ▁issued ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁and ▁forms ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁all ▁subsequent ▁ed itions . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁Pe ake ▁populated ▁his ▁imag inary ▁world ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁cast ▁of ▁characters . ▁These ▁include : ▁ ▁R uling ▁family ▁Tit us ▁Gro an : ▁The ▁main ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁and ▁he ir ▁to ▁the ▁Ear ld om ▁of ▁G orm eng h ast . ▁He ▁succeed s ▁to ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁ 7 7 th ▁Earl ▁while ▁still ▁a ▁child , ▁but ▁as ▁he ▁grows ▁older , ▁he ▁develop s ▁amb ivalent ▁feelings ▁toward ▁his ▁home . ▁He ▁is ▁torn ▁between ▁pride ▁in ▁his ▁line age ▁and ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁castle ▁and ▁its ▁trad itions . ▁Tit us ▁is ▁born ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Sep ul ch ra ve ▁and ▁Ger tr ude , ▁and ▁is ▁an ▁infant ▁throughout ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁Tit us ▁Gro an . ▁He ▁grows ▁up ▁and ▁reaches ▁young ▁ad ul th ood ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁book ▁G orm eng h ast , ▁which ▁ends ▁with ▁him ▁leaving ▁G orm eng h ast ▁after ▁defe ating ▁Ste er pi ke ▁in ▁battle . ▁In