Will's World

Lore & Background

In this world, the absence of dæmons defines the human experience; souls are entirely internalized. The narrative begins when Will Parry, seeking his missing father, stumbles through a window into Cittàgazze after killing a man to protect his ailing mother. This world mirrors Earth closely but lacks the magical elements found elsewhere. It is from here that Will retrieves the Subtle Knife, an artifact forged three hundred years prior in Cittàgazze by scientists using the same alloy as the guillotine at Bolvangar. One edge of this tool divides subatomic particles to create portals between worlds, while the other cuts through any matter. The world also hosts Dr. Mary Malone, a physicist researching dark matter—analogous to Dust—who eventually travels to the Mulefa's land to understand its true nature as something that both creates and nourishes self-aware life.

In Their Own Story

Will Parry entered this world's version of Oxford after fleeing his own, driven by grief and the need to find his father. He discovered a secret study window leading to Cittàgazze, a city whose reckless use of inter-world travel had released Spectres that destroy adult souls, leaving it empty of grown-ups. There, he met Lyra Belacqua, who encouraged him on his quest. Will became the bearer of the Subtle Knife, using its portal-creating powers to retrieve Lyra's stolen alethiometer from Lord Boreal (Sir Charles Latrom) in this world. Later, Lee Scoresby found Stanislaus Grumman—Will's father John Parry living as a shaman named Jopari—in Alaska before bringing him to Cittàgazze. There, Grumna was murdered by the witch Juta Kamainen, leaving Will orphaned once more. Two angels later approached Will to aid Lyra, leading to his involvement in the final battle against the Authority's Regent Metatron.

Reader's Guide

Will's World functions under standard physical laws, including cars and fixed-wing aircraft, distinguishing it from the zeppelin-dependent technology of Lyra's world. The central location is Oxford, where Will lived with his mother before her illness forced him to kill a man in self-defense. Travel between worlds is achieved through 'windows' created by the Subtle Knife; these are unstable portals that allow passage but invite dangerous entities if left open. Unlike other universes, there are no witches, armoured bears, or visible dæmons here. The world's connection to the multiverse is primarily established through the study window Will found and later through the knife. To maintain safety across all worlds, these windows must be sealed, a task that falls to Will and Lyra after their adventures in Cittàgazze and the Land of the Dead.

Did You Know?

• Will Parry is twelve years old when he first stumbles into Cittàgazze.
• The Subtle Knife was forged three hundred years before the events of the trilogy by Cittàgazze's scientists.
• In Will's world, humans do not have external dæmons; their souls are internalized.
• Will's father, John Parry, lived as a shaman named Stanislaus Grumman in Lyra's world after entering through an Alaskan portal.
• Dr. Mary Malone, a physicist from Will's world, travels to the Mulefa's land to study 'shadows,' which are analogous to Dust.