tim ely ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁Sep ul ch ra ve . ▁As ▁Tit us ▁is ▁only ▁an ▁infant ▁in ▁this ▁novel , ▁he ▁plays ▁a ▁minor ▁role . ▁The ▁main ▁plot ▁therefore ▁follows ▁the ▁somewhat ▁b izar re ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁G orm eng h ast ▁Castle , ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁chron icles ▁the ▁rise ▁to ▁power ▁of ▁Ste er pi ke , ▁a ▁sch em ing ▁kitchen ▁boy . ▁Ste er pi ke ▁successfully ▁dest ro ys ▁the ▁existing ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁castle ▁by ▁inc iting ▁the ▁power - h un gry ▁and ▁sh unn ed ▁tw in ▁sister s ▁of ▁Sep ul ch ra ve , ▁C ora ▁and ▁Clar ice , ▁to ▁burn ▁Sep ul ch ra ve ' s ▁bel oved ▁library . ▁This ▁event ▁drives ▁Sep ul ch ra ve ▁into ▁mad ness ▁and ▁eventually ▁into ▁taking ▁his ▁own ▁life . ▁Although ▁C ora ▁and ▁Clar ice ▁are ▁not ▁exposed ▁as ▁the ▁perpet rat ors ▁of ▁the ▁fire , ▁they ▁are ▁now ▁under ▁Ste er pi ke ' s ▁power . ▁A ▁sub plot ▁involves ▁the ▁fe ud ▁between ▁Sep ul ch ra ve ' s ▁loyal ▁servant ▁Fl ay , ▁and ▁the ▁chef ▁Sw elter , ▁which ▁ends ▁with ▁them ▁fighting ▁and ▁Sw elter ▁being ▁killed . ▁ ▁G orm eng h ast ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁book ▁follows ▁Tit us ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁seven ▁to ▁sevent een . ▁As ▁the ▁ 7 7 th ▁ear l ▁and ▁lord ▁of ▁G orm eng h ast , ▁he