Havoc Town | Episode 10: “Grando” iHeartPodcasts | October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Havoc Town delves deep into the origins and inner thoughts of Jore Grando Elilovic, the immortal figure who centuries later becomes known as Jury Havok. Through rich, atmospheric narration and intimate flashbacks, we are guided through his traumatic transformation into a vampire, his moral reckonings, his years wandering Europe, and his rise from a cursed outcast to a shadowy merchant prince. The episode ultimately sets the stage for how the ancient and mysterious forces of the past connect to the present-day plague devastating Abbesstown.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Present-Day Panic and Quarantine (01:57–02:50)

• The narrative briefly situates us in present-day Abbesstown, where panic is high amid a mysterious, deadly illness. The National Guard quarantines the town as residents scramble for safety.
• Characters Lucia and Sylvie attempt to escape, underscoring the modern-day desperation before the episode swerves into Jore’s haunted past.

Jore Grando’s Origin Story: Awakened as a Vampire (03:41–14:27)

• Jore’s narration recalls his confusion upon awakening in his grave: “A century has passed and I am only now coming to realize the limits of even an immortal’s memory... Dream images of hysteria. My mother’s rough hands. My father, first cruel and then dead.” (03:41)
• Disoriented, Jore fights his way out of burial, returns home to his wife Lucia, and tries to convince her of his identity.
  • Lucia, terrified and torn, asks, “Will you say the Lord’s Prayer with me?” (12:08)
  • Jore is overtaken by violent thirst: “It was this moment when I first fully realized the terrible thirst. As if my entire body had been drained of its fluids.” (12:19)
• Realizing his danger to Lucia, Jore leaves her, beginning his wandering.

Moral Reckoning and Early Atrocities (14:27–23:00)

• Jore kills his neighbor Braslova in a fit of bloodlust, his first murder as a vampire: “Before I knew what was happening, I was on him. My eye teeth, suddenly aching sharp, found his throat… I was revived, really fully revived from my time in the grave, more alive, it seemed, than I had ever been.” (14:27–15:41)
• He flees into the wilderness, vacillating between guilt and survival instinct. He tries to subsist off animals, but the “horrible burning thirst outweighed any spiritual guilt” and leads him to hunt livestock and, eventually, humans.
• These candid reflections reveal Jore’s deep shame and self-perception as “a lone wolf cast out from society… a shadow, a wraith, a sneaking, sniveling thief in the night.” (22:17)

Encounter with Mentor and Entering Crime (24:37–31:16)

• In Enns, Jore witnesses the violent merchant Albrecht Bernheim murder a thief. Bernheim's impunity and the townspeople’s willful ignorance unsettle Jore.
  • “A murder had just been committed, but anyone who had witnessed the event turned and went about their business, refusing to encumber his slow retreat back into the tavern.” (25:15)
• Jore offers his services as a violent “hand” to Bernheim in exchange for knowledge of trade: “As payment, I wish only to learn more of your trade. In exchange, I will collect any debt owed you. No matter how unwilling the debtor.” (30:59)
• Together, they become a deeply influential pair—Jore as the nocturnal enforcer and Bernheim as the cunning capo.

The Burden of the Curse: Siring Others (31:42–36:54)

• Jore is confronted by a victim turned vampire: “You pocketed my own money weeks ago… You took my life. You have made me like you. What do you want from me? I want your end.” (32:43–33:22)
• After a violent struggle, Jore kills him, realizing the spread of his curse, which haunts him—“Was I responsible for the wretch that had attacked me? Did I infect him with my own curse?” (33:43)
• Jore’s growing skills in commerce, language, and subterfuge are showcased as he rises in Bernheim’s organization.

The Havok Trading Company and Strategy for Immortality (36:54–40:42)

• Bernheim bequeaths his legacy to Jore, now “Jury Havok.” They openly discuss Jore’s agelessness:
  • Bernheim: “You must have heard the whispers about you… How have you maintained your youth?” (37:22)
  • Jore: “I suppose that is my piety.” (37:46), to which Bernheim retorts, “There is no piety in you.” (37:52)
  • Bernheim cautions: “If they find out what you truly are, they will kill you.” (38:31)
• He advises Jore to assume new identities as his own “son” and move between offices to preserve his secret.
  • “Go to the landing offices and announce yourself as the son of J. Havok come to manage local affairs. After a time, announce that your father is dead and continue on as junior. In this way you will be able to move around the world unmolested.” (39:01)
• Jore assumes his place as merchant prince, renaming the company The Havoc Trading Company, and moves to London to begin his “life as a merchant prince.” (40:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lucia, upon Jore’s shocking return home:
  “Who are you? You. You carry my dead husband’s voice.” (11:12)
• Jore’s first realization of his curse:
  “I think that perhaps…Perhaps I am not the same man you buried today after all.” (12:50)
• On moral transformation:
  “Perhaps the most Christian thing I could do was to remove myself from the great filthy wash of the world. Perhaps the sun would burn me away along with the morning dew.” (20:13)
• Bernheim’s warning:
  “It is good for men to fear you. But if they fear you too much, they will try to end you.” (38:31)
• On immortality and adaptation:
  “Announce yourself as the son of J. Havok…After a time, announce that your father is dead and continue on as junior. In this way you will be able to move around the world unmolested.” (39:01)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:57 – Panic and quarantine in present-day Havoc; Lucia and Sylvie escape attempt
• 03:41 – Jore Grando’s narration and awakening as a vampire; returning home
• 14:27 – First feeding and murder; fleeing from his old life
• 24:37 – Encounter with Albrecht Bernheim; introduction to the world of criminal commerce
• 31:42 – The curse spreads; Jore must face another vampire of his own creation
• 36:54 – Bernheim’s bequest; Jore becomes Jury Havok
• 38:31 – Immortality strategies and warnings; practical advice for living undetected
• 40:11 – Transformation to Havok Trading Company; move to London

Tone and Language

The episode’s tone is introspective, somber, and tinged with Gothic horror. Jore’s narration is poetic but direct, blending profound grief, brutal self-honesty, and a wry humor. Bernheim serves as a pragmatic, sardonic counterpoint, his mentorship laced with threats and self-interest.

Summary for New Listeners

This installment is a character deep-dive, giving listeners a vivid recounting of Jury Havok’s (formerly Jore Grando) transformation from a bewildered, grieving vampire into a formidable, calculating power. The historical backdrop, religious anxiety, and bubbling terror of the blood curse provide a foundation for understanding the enigmatic figure now central to Abbesstown’s unfolding plague. Listeners new to the series will leave with a clear sense of Jury’s tragic origins, existential dread, cunning survival skills, and why his presence portends both salvation and doom for the town.