Père Raoul

Once confessor to the town militia, Raoul was known for his performances as the serpent and devil in mystery plays. He lived a secluded life in his little house, having not entered his church in weeks, and heard confessions shouted from the path. When Thomas and the girl arrived, he told them of the burned bridge and the monster, and shared his last barrel of fine Beaune wine, a gift from his brother in the papal court. He urged Thomas to kill the creature to regain his honor. The next morning, he helped Thomas arm himself, blessed his sword, and accompanied the party to the river in his vestments. At the bank, he prayed psalms in Latin and urged the girl to swing the censer. He agreed to flee with her if necessary, and during the fight yelled warnings over the rain before running to fetch her from the water's edge.

Père Raoul, the priest of St. Martin-le-Preux, was known to the girl's father and had once performed in mystery plays. A man with woolly eyebrows and a soft, drink-worn face, he lived in his house near the river, hearing shouted confessions from his window. When Thomas and the girl arrived, Raoul told them of the burned bridge and the monster, shared his fine Beaune wine, and urged Thomas to kill the beast to regain his honor. He served as confessor to the town militia and witnessed their failed oath against the creature. Later, he helped Thomas don his mail, suggested a blessing for his sword, and accompanied him to the riverbank in vestments to pray psalms during the fight, promising to flee with the girl if necessary. After the battle, he found Thomas unconscious on the bank with the dead plague-victim Mathilde, pulling the distraught girl away and receiving scratches from her. He persuaded the girl to sleep in the stables, gave Thomas last rites, and claimed to have killed the monster. He was sleeping when Thomas awoke and pursued a mysterious limping figure in the night.

Père Raoul lived in a town house near the river, wearing a wine-spotted alb and having not held Mass recently. When Thomas and the girl arrived, he told them of the burned bridge, the monster, and the hiding seigneur. He witnessed the town militia's oaths and later helped Thomas into his mail, blessed his sword, and prayed psalms at the riverbank during the fight, agreeing to flee with the girl if necessary. After Thomas killed the creature, the priest found him unconscious with the dead Mathilde, gave him last rites, and later tended him through the plague. He secured a cart and mule from a dead man and drove the group toward the shrine at Rochelle-la-Blanche. On the road, he confronted a mob intent on stealing the Virgin statue, warning them of Thomas's sickness and admonishing their priest. After the ensuing battle, he helped the girl into the cart and drove them away, having abandoned his empty parish for good.

Known to the girl's father, he was the priest of Fleur-de-Roche who acted in mystery plays. When Thomas arrived, he was the confessor to the town militia, living in his house near the river and hearing confessions shouted from his window. He told Thomas of the monster, shared his last barrel of Beaune wine, and urged Thomas to regain his honor by killing it. He blessed Thomas's sword and prayed on the riverbank during the fight, later pulling the girl from the shore and giving Thomas last rites when he was found wounded. After the monster's death, with no parishioners left, he left his home. On the road, he found a cart and mule, used a claim of plague to deter a mob, and drove the group away. He agreed to enter a strange castle for a feast, where he was announced as Père Matthieu. There, he reluctantly ate a spoonful of monkey brain offered by the seigneur, drank heavily, and acted as Thomas's drunken squire in a night tourney. At sunrise, he was found asleep, facedown in his robes in a cow field, the vanished castle having been an illusion.

Known to Delphine's father, he was the priest of Fleur-de-Roche and later St. Martin-le-Preux, a confessor who performed in mystery plays. When Thomas arrived, the disheveled priest, sustained by wine from his brother in Avignon, warned of the river monster and the seigneur's cowardice. He blessed Thomas's sword, prayed on the bank during the fight, and later gave Thomas last rites, believing him a saint for the deed. With his parish gone, he revealed his true name was Matthieu Hanicotte and left with them. On the road, he commandeered a cart and mule, faced down a mob, and drove them to a castle where he drunkenly endured a bizarre feast. Afterward, he guided the group to Paris, where he bargained poorly for a filthy room before finding shelter with a Norman woodcarver. There, he questioned Thomas's plans and slept on the workshop floor.

Known to the girl's father, he was the priest of Fleur-de-Roche, famous for playing villains in mystery plays. When Thomas arrived, Père Raoul was living in his little house, hearing confessions shouted from his window and sharing his last barrel of fine Beaune wine. He told Thomas of the monster in the river and the seigneur hiding in his tower, urged Thomas to kill the beast to regain his honor, and served as his confessor. When Thomas went to fight the creature, the priest accompanied him to the riverbank in his vestments to pray and bless the sword, promising to run with the girl if things went badly. After the battle, he found Thomas and the dead Mathilde on the shore, pulled the girl away—receiving three scratches across his cheek for his trouble—and later gave Thomas last rites.

With his parish gone, he left St. Martin-le-Preux with Thomas and the girl. On the road, he procured a cart and mule from a dead man, used a claim of plague to deter a mob, and cooked a desperate soup. He revealed his true name was Matthieu Hanicotte. At a castle feast, he was announced as Père Matthieu, was coerced into eating monkey brain, and served as Thomas's drunken, ill-equipped squire before passing out in a cow field. In Paris, he bargained for a room in Jehan de Rouen's workshop, paying with coin and receiving a useless key which he gave to the girl.

At the market on rue Mont-Fetard, his stomach rumbling, he shared Thomas's black pudding. He initially dismissed a relic seller's stories as child's play, but grew intrigued and sweaty when the seller mentioned a vintner and presented a spearhead, questioning its Greek inscription. He was shoved clear by Thomas when the mob turned on the seller. Later, at dinner, he carefully shared out his wine, and when Thomas abruptly rose, he fell backward, miraculously saving most of his cup.

Originally the priest of St. Martin-le-Preux, Père Raoul was known for performing in mystery plays and for a comfortable life marked by drink, which aged him beyond his years. He was the confessor to the town militia and lived in a house where he heard confessions shouted from the path. His younger brother served as a steward in the papal court at Avignon, a connection that supplied him with fine wine. When Thomas arrived fleeing the plague, Raoul informed him of the burned bridge and the monster in the river, seeing through Thomas's facade and urging him to kill the beast to regain his honor.

He assisted Thomas before the battle, helping him into his mail and blessing his sword. At the riverbank, wearing vestments, he prayed psalms and acted as a lookout, promising to run with the girl if things went badly. After Thomas killed the monster, Raoul found him on the shore, gave him last rites, and later helped pull the grieving girl away from the corpse, receiving scratches on his cheek. With his parish gone, he revealed his true name was Matthieu Hanicotte and left with Thomas and the girl on the first of September. On the road, he used a stolen cart and mule, cleverly deterring a mob by claiming Thomas had the plague, and admonished another priest for attempted theft.

He accompanied them to a sinister castle feast, where he drunkenly acted as Thomas's squire and was forced to eat a spoonful of monkey brain. In Paris, staying at Jehan de Rouen's workshop, he joined the group at the market. There, a relic seller's mention of a vintner unsettled him, and he was visibly shaken while examining a spearhead purported to be the Holy Lance. When a stone creature attacked the workshop, Raoul stood protectively before the girl. Understanding her silent instruction, he took the spearhead and drove the creature back. He helped gather survivors and the relic, unbolted the door, and fled with the cart. As they passed a church where animated statues hurled psychic abuse, he collapsed against Thomas, exhausted, only after dawn silenced the horrors.

He was the priest of Fleur-de-Roche, known for playing devils and villains in mystery plays, and was a friend to Delphine's father. When Thomas arrived at his town, the priest lived in a little house, hearing confessions shouted from his window and sharing his last barrel of fine Beaune wine, a gift from his younger brother who served in the papal court at Avignon. He advised the town men who swore to kill the monster in the river, witnessed their oaths, and urged a retreat when they saw the wreckage. Seeing through Thomas's joking, he pressed the knight to face the creature to regain his honor.

He helped Thomas arm himself, blessed his sword, and prayed psalms at the riverbank in his chasuble, holding a crosier aloft. When the battle was done, he found Thomas and the dead Mathilde on the shore, pulled the frantic Delphine away—receiving three scratches across his cheek for his trouble—and later gave Thomas last rites before the knight awoke. With his parish gone, he left with Thomas and Delphine on the first of September. On the road, he found a dead man, took his cart and mule, and used a ruse about the plague to deter a mob. He later drove them to a castle feast, where he drunkenly acted as Thomas's squire in a joust and was forced by the seigneur to eat a spoonful of monkey brain.

In Paris, staying in a craftsman's workshop, his hunger and thirst were palpable. At a market, he shared Thomas's black pudding and confronted a relic seller, his theological questions giving way to uneasy fascination with a spearhead the seller claimed was genuine. When a stone creature animated in the workshop, he understood Delphine's silent instruction and poked at it with the spearhead, inadvertently starting a fire. He helped everyone escape, gathering the relic and hitching the mule, but was spiritually shattered by the psychic scream of the burning city's saints as they fled. On the road afterward, taking shelter in a barn, he was threatened by a wild, naked man. To pass a cold night, he told a werewolf tale and revealed to Thomas that his own father was a soldier; he had taken holy orders because he was not fit for arms.

Matthieu Hanicotte was the priest of St. Martin-le-Preux, known for his woolly eyebrows, a womanish aspect, and a fondness for wine gifted by his younger brother, a steward in Avignon. He played various roles in mystery plays and lived in a house near the river. Two months before the plague arrived, he struggled with his secret love for Michel Hébert, the reeve's son. One night, he joined Michel naked in the river and was discovered by the drunken Brotherhood of St. Martin’s Arse. The scandal led to his shunning; when the plague came, only a dozen souls attended his Mass.

After the plague killed Michel and many others, a monster appeared in the river, forcing the terrified villagers to seek his help again. He took up the watch, praying for a soldier to come, and eventually Thomas arrived with a young girl. Matthieu told Thomas of the burned bridge and the seigneur hiding in his tower, shared his last barrel of Beaune wine, and urged Thomas to kill the monster to regain his honor. He helped Thomas don his mail, blessed his sword, and prayed psalms at the riverbank during the confrontation, running to fetch the girl when she clambered out. After Thomas slew the creature, Matthieu gave him last rites when he lay unconscious, later finding a dead man with a broken neck and taking his cart and mule.

Leaving his empty parish on the first of September, he traveled with Thomas and Delphine. He deterred a mob by claiming Thomas had the plague, admonished another priest for theft, and drove them to a castle where, drunk, he acted as Thomas's squire in a joust and was found later facedown in a cow field. In Paris, he stayed in a workshop, went to the market, and confronted a relic seller whose spearhead intrigued him. When a stone creature attacked the workshop, he tried to fight the flames, gathered the spearhead, and helped them escape the city. On the road, he revealed his father was a soldier and that he became a priest because he was unfit for soldiering, musing on lute music and telling an incomplete werewolf story to distract Delphine from recent horrors.

Raoul served as priest in Fleur-de-Roche and later St. Martin-le-Preux, where he performed in mystery plays and heard confessions shouted from his window. His life unraveled two months before the plague when he was discovered naked in the river with Michel Hébert, the reeve’s son. The scandal, spread by the Brotherhood of St. Martin’s Arse, left him shunned; only a dozen parishioners attended his Mass when the pestilence arrived. He shut himself in his house with his wine until a monster appeared in the river, forcing the desperate villagers to seek his aid. It was then that Thomas, a disgraced soldier, came to the town.

Raoul helped Thomas prepare for battle, blessed his sword, and prayed psalms at the riverbank as Thomas fought the creature. Afterward, he found Thomas and the dead girl Mathilde on the shore, gave Thomas last rites, and declared his deed worthy of a saint. With his parish gone, he left St. Martin-le-Preux with Thomas and the orphan Delphine on the first of September. On the road, he used a dead man’s cart and mule, warned off a mob by claiming Thomas had the plague, and drove them away from Rochelle-la-Blanche after a violent confrontation. He guided them to a castle for a feast where he ate monkey brain and passed out drunk, then to Paris, where they lodged in a workshop.

In Paris, his hunger for wine was palpable. At the market, he politely dismissed a hunter and confronted a relic seller, growing visibly shaken when the seller mentioned a vintner and presented a spearhead inscribed in Greek. Later, in the workshop, he joined an Ave Maria, took the spearhead from Delphine, and used it to poke a stone creature, inadvertently starting a fire. He helped everyone escape, gathering the relic and hitching the mule. Fleeing Paris, he was assaulted by a psychic scream from a church before collapsing at dawn. On the road, he told stories and revealed his father was a soldier, a path he was unfit to follow. In a barn, he finally admitted his village hated him for his weakness, lying that his object of affection was a girl when it had been the boy. He woke to find Delphine menstruating, a sign of her changing life amidst their shared desolation.

He was known to Delphine's father, who brought her to see his mystery plays where he performed as various villains. As the priest of Fleur-de-Roche, he lived a life marked by drink and a comfortable, almost wifely aspect that aged him. His younger brother served in the papal court in Avignon, a connection that supplied his prized Beaune wine. When the monster appeared in the river, he became confessor to the terrified militia and urged the visiting soldier Thomas to kill the beast to regain his honor. He blessed Thomas's sword and prayed on the riverbank during the fight, later pulling the grieving Delphine from the corpse of her mother and giving Thomas last rites when he seemed dead.

With his parishioners gone, he left his home with Thomas and Delphine on the first of September. He procured a cart and mule from a dead man, used a ruse of plague to deter a mob, and drove them to a castle feast where he drunkenly acted as Thomas's squire. In Paris, he stayed in a craftsman's workshop and accompanied the group to the market, where his polite skepticism toward a relic seller masked a deeper unease. He later helped fight a fire caused by a supernatural creature in the workshop, gathering the disputed holy spearhead and fleeing the city with the others.

On the road, he revealed more of his past. Two months before the plague, his secret was discovered: he had been in love with Michel Hébert, the reeve's son. Found naked with him in the river by a pious brotherhood, he was spat upon and shunned, a scandal that kept his flock from Mass and the sacraments. He confessed this weakness to Thomas, though he initially lied, claiming his affection was for a girl. Now traveling with Thomas and Delphine, he feels a jealous puzzlement at their growing intimacy and privately considers abandoning his priestly robes altogether.

Before the plague, Père Raoul was the confessor to the town militia of St. Martin-le-Preux, known for performing in mystery plays. His quiet life unraveled when he was discovered naked in the river with Michel Hébert, the reeve's son. The resulting scandal led the village to shun him; only a dozen came to Mass when the plague arrived. He shut himself away with his wine until the appearance of a monster in the river forced the desperate villagers to seek his help. It was then that the disgraced knight Thomas arrived, and Raoul urged him to kill the creature to regain his honor. He blessed Thomas's sword and prayed on the riverbank during the fight, afterward pulling the girl away from the dead monster and giving Thomas last rites when he seemed mortally wounded.

With his parishioners dead and supplies gone, Raoul left his home on the first of September, joining Thomas and Delphine in a cart pulled by a mule taken from a dead man. He posed as Thomas's drunken squire at a macabre castle feast, fled a mob by claiming Thomas had the plague, and traveled with them to Paris. There, his hunger and thirst were constant companions. In the city, he confronted a relic seller over a spearhead, doubting its authenticity, and later helped the group escape a fire and the terrifying psychic scream of a stone saint. On the road again, he revealed his father was a soldier and that he had entered the priesthood because he was unfit for that life. He privately wrestled with his faith and his jealousy of the growing bond between Thomas and Delphine, even considering abandoning his robes. Their journey led them to the survivor encampment of St. Lazarus, where he offered to say Mass and was horrified to discover the hanged corpse of a squire they had previously encountered.

Raoul was the priest of St. Martin-le-Preux, known for his performances in mystery plays. When the plague came, his congregation had already dwindled; months before, he had been discovered naked in the river with Michel Hébert, the reeve's son. The resulting scandal left him shunned, with only a dozen souls attending his Mass. He confessed to impure thoughts about men, a weakness he believed made his village hate him and cut them off from the sacraments.

He was drinking his last barrel of wine when the knight Thomas and the visionary girl Delphine arrived. Raoul urged Thomas to kill the monster in the river to regain his honor, assisted by blessing his sword and praying on the bank. After Thomas's victory, Raoul gave him last rites, believing him dead. With his parishioners gone, he left his home with Thomas and Delphine on the first of September, driving a cart pulled by a mule taken from a dead man. On the road, he bargained for shelter, faced mobs, and attended a bizarre castle feast where he drunkenly acted as Thomas's squire and was fed monkey brain.

In Paris, he stayed in a craftsman's workshop. At a market, his hunger for wine made him sweat as he confronted a relic seller, though he was ultimately transfixed by the man's spearhead. Later, when a stone creature attacked the workshop, Raoul tried to fight the spreading fire, gathered the spearhead, and helped everyone escape. He drove the cart away from the city, collapsing against Thomas after a psychic assault from a ghastly church. Traveling onward, he shared his past, sharpened sticks to fish, and felt a jealous puzzlement at the growing bond between Thomas and Delphine. Near Nemours, he offered to say Mass for a leper encampment. Later, encountering a dwarf crucified by the Penitents, he nervously paced during the struggle, laughed at the dwarf's fury, and was rendered silent when the dwarf declared God wanted suffering.

Matthieu Hanicotte was the priest of St. Martin-le-Preux, a man closer to fifty than forty with woolly eyebrows and a fondness for wine, a gift from his younger brother in the papal court. When the plague came, only a dozen souls attended his Mass, for the village had shunned him after discovering him naked in the river with Michel Hébert, the reeve's son. He confessed to impure thoughts about men, and his weakness made his parish hate him. He shut himself up with his wine until a monster appeared in the river, forcing the desperate villagers to seek his help. He took up a watch, praying for a soldier, and eventually one arrived: the disgraced knight Thomas.

He aided Thomas in confronting the river monster, blessing his sword and praying on the bank. After Thomas's victory, he found the knight and a dead woman on the shore, gave Thomas last rites, and later helped him escape a mob by claiming he had the plague. With his parishioners dead and his supplies gone, he left his home with Thomas and the orphan girl Delphine on the first of September. They traveled in a cart pulled by a mule he had taken from a dead man. His journey included a bizarre feast at a castle where he ate monkey brain, a stay in Paris where he confronted a relic seller over a holy spearhead, and a flight from a fire started by a stone creature in a workshop.

On the road, he revealed more of himself: his father was a soldier, but he was not fit for soldiering. He felt a growing jealousy of the intimacy between Thomas and Delphine and privately considered abandoning his priestly robes. He witnessed horrors like a crucified dwarf, which he was reluctant to aid, and a hanged squire in a leper encampment. In his final days, he wrote a letter thanking his brother Robert for wine. He died in his little house with a blanket over his head, a death foreseen by Delphine long before. In a later nightmare haunting his brother, Matthieu laughed in a river before accusing Robert of belonging to devils.