The Templar's Penance

Cast of Characters

Sir Baldwin de Furnshill

A former Knight Templar who is well-known as a resolute investigator of crimes in Devon. It is a new experience for him to be investigating a murder in a different land, Galicia, without the support of his wife, Lady Jeanne, and his servant, Edgar.

Bailiff Simon Puttock

Baldwin’s friend for many years, the Stannary Bailiff from Dartmoor is less used to travelling and finds Galicia more intimidating than Baldwin does.

IN COMPOSTELA

Dom Afonso

The son of a religious man, Afonso is burning with the determination to avenge his father’s death.

Caterina

The widowed sister of Domingo, and cousin of Joana, Caterina was rejected by her Christian father when she married her Moorish husband against his will. Now she is forced to beg in the streets.

Sir Charles

Once a proud supporter of Earl Thomas of Lancaster, Sir Charles now has no protector and must find a living as best he can.

Domingo

Leader of a small group of thieves, Domingo is distraught to witness the death of his son Sancho at the hand of Sir Charles; he is determined to exact revenge.

Gregory of Coventry

The ex-husband of Doña Stefanía, he has become a sad, disillusioned man. Now a cleric, he is appalled to see his ex-wife in Compostela.

Guillem

The clerk to Munio, who keeps notes and records all the Pesquisidor’s enquiries.

Joana

A lowly-born woman, she has been maid and confidante to Doña Stefanía for some years.

Margarita

Although she has the dark beauty of a Castilian lady, Margarita is in fact an Englishwoman from Oxford, who married Munio while he studied there.

María de Venialbo

A beggarwoman seen in the streets of Compostela. Like other mendicants, she is unpopular, for even pilgrims object to paying out good money to beggars!

Matthew

Baldwin made many friends when he was a Knight Templar, but most have faded from his memory over the last fifteen years. Matthew’s is one face he recognises. When the Order was destroyed, Matthew was left with nothing, and now he must beg his daily allowance from pilgrims.

Munio

In the city of Compostela, there are elected official investigators, the pesquisidores, of whom Munio is one. He studied in his youth at Oxford, and speaks fluent English.

Parceval Annesen

Forced to go on pilgrimage to atone for the murder of a fellow merchant in Ypres, Parceval is anxious lest he be seen to be wealthy, and thereby robbed or captured and held hostage. To avoid this, he conceals his wealth.

Paul

Squire and general man-at-arms to Sir Charles, he also sees to Dom Afonso’s needs.

Frey Ramón

One of the famous Knights of Santiago, Frey – or Brother – Ramón is apparently a devoted Soldier of Christ.

Don Ruy de Benavente

A knight forced to go into exile, unjustly accused of crimes against a young woman.

Doña Stefanía de Villamor

The Lady Prioress of the convent at Vigo is fearful that her money might be stolen, but still more worried about the contents of her purse. They are not hers, and she shouldn’t have kept them.