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Dramatis
Personae: Being a list of the principal characters and their
status and situations
Note: this list
contains some spoilers for the events of Robin Hood: King of Sherwood The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest:
obin in the Hood,
outlaw rogue, leader of the bandits of Sherwood, the people’s hero: Robin was
born to Peronell of Loxley, sometime a serving maid at a high lord’s manor
where she caught the attention of David of Scotland, the Earl of Huntingdon
(amongst others). Robin was brought up by her and a succession of “uncles”,
many of whom tutored Robin in arms and horsemanship. After Peronell’s death, an
incident with a royal forester that ended in the man’s death sent young Robin
into Barnsdale Wood, where he met and joined with the bandits who hid there.
Quick and clever, Robin rose in their ranks to become a valuable member of
Handsome Jack’s band. He had a promising future as a thieving rogue until he
met…
ady Matilda Fitzwarren of
Leaford, beloved by the common folk as Maid Marion, the Queen of
May: Youngest child of the house of Fitzwarren, Sir Richard at the Lee’s
daughter caught the eye of Prince John Lackland. Hoping to shame the old knight
who’d criticised him and to satisfy his own lusts, the Prince crept to
Matilda’s bedchamber by night – only to be stunned by a bedpan. Thus began
‘Weaselly’ John’s vendetta against Matilda’s family, the cause of her exile to
the safety of Kirklees Priory. The maiden’s journey to the nunnery was
interrupted by bandits though, and the Saxon-haired girl found herself on the
run with the laughing outlaw Robin Hood. When she joined him to rob the rich
and feed the poor she used her childhood pet name, Marion – and became the
people’s beloved Queen of May.
ohn Little of Hathersage,
Robin right hand man, known for his giant stature as Little John,
began life as a humble shepherd in his native Yorkshire village. After some
problem with the estate’s steward that led to his herds being confiscated, John
ran into the greenwoods and joined with Handsome Jack’s band. His size,
strength, and integrity marked his as worthy or promotion, and the big man
became Jack’s enforcer. Little John was ordered to bring back Robin and Marion
for his chief’s revenge. He tracked down the young outlaw and fought him at a
river crossing. Robin’s trickery won the upper hand, but when he spared John
the giant threw in his lot with the young outlaw, becoming his close friend and
first of his merry men.
rother Thomas,
a fat monk nicknamed Friar Tuck; Robin’s boyhood tutor: Once a
scholar monk at Fountains Abbey, Tuck later elected a mendicant life as a
wandering friar in a variety of small village chapels. Tuck’s weakness for
food, drink, and female flesh forced him on from parish to parish, but his
genuine care for his flock made them tolerant to his failings. He came to know
the Earl of Huntingdon at the time of the Earl’s attachment to Peronell of
Loxley and remained the girl’s friend and supporter during her pregnancy and
motherhood. It was from Brother Thomas that Robin learned his letters, his
classics, his scriptures, and his thieving. When Robin first decided to return
stolen goods to the poor he recruited the fat friar to be his agent, pretending
to kidnap the monk so he could return without being held guilty. Friar Tuck has
never gone back.
ill Scathlock,
a professional soldier; his violent tendencies have earned him the
nom-de-guerre Scarlet: Scathlock is reticent to discuss
his past. The reasons for his temper and bloodthirsty streak remain private,
although a lost woman may be involved. He is a fierce soldier with excellent
references. He’s served as a mercenary in France, including fighting at the
Battle of Gisors, and prides himself on “staying bought”. Scarlet’s service to
Sir Richard at the Lee led to him being commissioned by the old knight to find
and rescue his kidnapped daughter Matilda. Unfortunately, Maid Marion did not
wish to be rescued. Trailing bodyguard to her as she ran with Robin Hood,
Scarlet began to see there was still good in the world and that there was a
better way for him to live. He tried hard not to admit it.
lan a Dale,
a minstrel who understands the power of legends: Alan a Dale was a foundling
raised by monks, who valued his youthful voice enough to consider making him a
castrato. Not wishing to become a eunuch or the object of his benefactors;
desires, young Alan stole a lute and took to the road as a travelling
troubadour. After several years of wandering and some short stays at welcoming
manors, Alan was engaged by Sir Edward Lambert to tutor his only daughter
Elaine. The minstrel and the damsel became close friends, but their gentle
romance was shattered when Lady Elaine was betrothed to marry the Sheriff of
Nottingham. Alan’s well-meaning attempts to save her led to his dismissal, his
beating, his imprisonment, and the threat of execution. When the minstrel
escaped he was found and recruited by Robin Hood.
uch, the Miller’s Son,
a handsome lad of limited intellect: The miller’s wife who birthed him called
him “Not Much” and abandoned him soon after. The miller, unsure whether he was
even Much’s true father, took to drink and beating the boy. Much was raised at
the Darfield Mill in the West Riding of Yorkshire where his labours made him
strong and sturdy enough to deter the miller’s malice. Good looking but not
bright, Much was teased but favoured by the local girls. His attempts to become
a poacher were less successful though. The foresters would have caught him and
taken his hand but for the intervention of Robin Hood. Thereafter the boy signalled
whenever a suitable caravan passed the mill so the bandits could prepare
ambush. When Will Scarlet came hunting Robin, Much abandoned his home and fled
and warn to find the young outlaw. Much has an absolute faith in Robin even
though he rarely understand his leader’s plans.
ill Stutely,
a wise old bandit: Nobody remembers a time when Stutely wasn’t part of the
forest band. He’s seen leaders come and go and remembers them all. He was the
first to train the promising newcomer Robin of Loxley and he’s watched the lad
rise to greatness. More than anyone else, Stutely understands the bandit code,
the traditions, superstitions, and unwritten rules of the forest outlaws. He
finds giving loot away strange, but with Robin Hood, old Will is finally able
to be proud of his vagabond life.
avid of Doncaster,
a fiery young wrestler, three times town champion: As a city boy, David grew up
in urban rather than rural poverty. He knows how to dodge the Watch, how to
burgle a house, how to vanish into darkened alleys. When his luck ran out in
his home town he escaped into the forest beyond and drifted to the Barnsdale
outlaws. Now one of Robin’s bold young bravos he enjoys the adventure – and the
girls – that being one of the famous merry men brings. David and Much are quite
different but good friends, each complimenting the other.
rthur a Bland,
a cunning poacher with woodcraft and tracking skills: The Lincolnshire fens
have always been famous for their poachers, and old Arthur is a fine example.
He can vanish into the undergrowth as well as the forest creatures he hunts,
find a trail from the tiniest traces, set snares and coax birds with a
countryman’s natural experience. Another experienced hand in the bandit troupe
that Robin take command of, Arthur taught the young wolfshead his woodcraft.
Arthur’s a sneaker more than a fighter, but he found the courage to stand
against the murderous Tom O’Bentley and almost died for it.
ilbert with the White Hand,
the band’s cook: formerly a steward in some great lord’s household, Gilbert
fled his master for reasons never disclosed. He found a new life with the
Sherwood outlaws, with whom his skills at baking, stewardship, grooming horses,
mending harness, accounting, and bartering proved very useful. Nor is Whitehand
a passive supporter. He’s also versed in sword, cudgel and bow and can hold his
own amongst the fighters of Sherwood.
oslyn of Waltham,
a camp follower, mother of the infant Tad: Ros’ life went wrong when her
husband was caught poaching and lost his hand. His wounds festered and he died
soon after. Desperate, hungry, and with two children to feed Ros did whatever
she must to survive, selling herself and living rough. By the time she joined
the outlaws of Barnsdale at the age of seventeen or so, Ros had lost two
children and birthed two more. By the time Robin quit Handsome Jack’s band she
was mother of Eric, Linet, and Tad. Sir Guy of Gisbourne hung Eric. Tom O’
Bentley murdered Linet. Despite her trials and torments, Ros remains a loving
soul, devoted to her extended outlaw family, in awe of Marion – and not averse
to the attentions of John of Hathersage. The Authorities of Nottingham:
illiam de
Vendenal, Lord High
Sheriff of Nottingham: Ambitious, venal, cunning, and dangerous, Prince John’s
newly-appointed representative in Nottingham, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire intends
to make his mark. He plans to squeeze his lands for everything he can get, as a
means of buying further favour and extending his influence to become the power
behind Lackland’s throne. Nor is this a vain hope; de Vendenal has the talent
and ruthlessness to achieve his objective – if only he can finally end the
interference of Robin Hood and his insolent rebel horde. Mereward, Castellan of Nottingham Castle Matthew
Shankshard, Chief Constable
of Nottingham Aelstan, captain of the guard Morgan of
Shrewsbury, the Sheriff’s
personal bodyguard Gill o’ the Red
Cap, the Sheriff’s finest
archer The Court of
Prince John:
rince John, Count of Mortain, Lord of Ireland, younger brother of
King Richard I: Nicknamed Lackland for his poverty and Soft-Sword for his
military failures, John is hardly an ideal ruler. His position as the last of
Henry II’s legitimate heirs after Lionheart gives him license to exert
authority though, and John’s wily deceits inflame the natural tempraments of
the two Royal Justiciars set to reing in Richard’s absence. If John can only
cow the Barons to his will he might yet usurp the throne. Unfortuinately, his
gambit to make an example of Sir Richard at the Lee and the pretty Lady Matilda
has hit some unexpected obstacles in the form of forest outlaws.
ir Guy of
Gisbourne, Prince’s
emissary, a ruthless and sadistic opportunist; a great lord’s bastard by a
Moorish mother, Gisbourne won his knighthood, lands, and wealth by force of
arms as a mercenary in Europe. He attached himself to Prince John’s retinue
during the dying days of Henry II, sensing in the weak Lackland opportunities
for profit and license for atrocities. Mockingly called “Brickhead” by Robin
Hood, Sir Guy is not a great schemer, preferring force and brutality over
subtlety. As Prince John’s envoy he can get away with many unpleasant things,
so he does. Gisbourne holds the peasantry in contempt, sees mercy as weakness,
and enjoys causing pain to those weaker than himself. He is a natural enemy of
Robin in the Hood, and their emnity can only end in blood. Quimper
Kinstain, Gisbourne’s
right-hand man and toady Marcel of
Flanders, Prince John’s
finest archer The House of Fitzwarren:
ir Richard
Fitzwarren, Sir
Richard at the Lee, knight of Leaford & Verysdale: An old crusader out
of favour with Prince John, Sir Richard fought at the end of the second crusade
and in Europe beside the old king Henry II. He gained renown as a young man for
holding “the Lee” (a water crossing) against a Saracen horde to protect a
chapel containing a fragment of the True Cross. Although aged and set in his
ways now he was once a great fighter. He is still an honourable warrior and a
Christian knight who takes the welfare of his people very seriously. He has
recently attracted the ire of Prince John by making honest comments without
fear. Lady Mary
Fitzwarren, his staid and
sensible wife, but long ago the object of a heroic and romantic quest Sir Mark
Fitzwarren, his eldest
son, away at the Third Crusade Lady Anne
Greystoke, his elder
daughter, married to Lord Greystoke Sir Lucas
Fitzwarren, his second
son, married and settled in Sussex Lady Matilda
Fitzwarren, described
above, object of Prince John’s desires, beloved of Robin of Loxley Adam Fitzwarren, his youngest son, recently imprisoned in Nottingham for
killing the Prince’s envoy in a duel Constanza, Lady Matilda’s formidable old nurse, a plump, gossipy,
interfering, world-wise nanny who thinks the world of her little ‘Marion’. Loren de
Weynold, handsome and
heroic captain of Sir Richard’s guard Willem Crowe, Sir Richard’s most trusted retainer who was with him in
the Holy Land Aliss, Lady Matilda’s timid pretty handmaiden; a lord’s
by-blow Kent of Verysdale,
Sir Richard’s diligent steward The Nobility
and Clergy: William Longchamp,
Lord Chancellor, Bishop of Ely, master of the Tower of London, Grand Justiciar
in the South; his youngest sister is Melisend Hugh de Puiset,
Earl of Northumbria,
Bishop of Durham, Grand Justiciar in the North Geoffrey
Plantagenet, the
Archbishop of York, Henry II’s bastard, King Richard and Prince John’s
half-brother Baron Robert de
Lacy, previous Sheriff of
Nottingham, lord of Pontefract Castle David of
Scotland, the Earl of
Huntingdon, an heir to the throne of Scotland Sir Edward
Lambert of
Loughborough, husband of Lady Hilda, father of Artus and of… Lady Elaine
Lambert of Loughborough, unwillingly betrothed to the Sheriff of Nottingham by her ambitious
family, secretly beloved of Alan a Dale Canon Steven, Archbishop’s envoy from York Minster, deacon of St
Mary’s York, currently held by the bandits of Sherwood Canon Edric, Treasurer of the Archdiocese of York, a younger son of
the house of De Puiset, set by King Richard to keep Geoffrey in check Thieves and Murderers: Dunstan of
Hucknall, a pardoned
child-murderer working secretly for the Sheriff Handsome Jack, the
self-proclaimed “king of Sherwood”, commander of the bandit host of Barnsdale
until the rise of Robin Hood Tom O’Bentley, an
outlaw follower of Handsome Jack, murderer of Ros’ daughter Black Dane, an
outlaw follower of Handsome Jack, sworn enemy of Robin Hood And a full cast of tyrants, swashbucklers,
rogues, spies, pilgrims, onlookers, mercenaries, courtiers, yokels,
apothecaries, jongleurs, archers, tavern’s folk, ecclesiastics, and rioters as
proceedings require. Go to the Robin Hood series homepage *** Original concepts, characters, and
situations copyright © 2011 reserved by Ian Watson. The right of Ian Watson to
be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance
with the UK Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. |