The Royal College of Wizards

Characters

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Kim (Merrill)

Kim grew up on the streets of London, disguising herself as a boy to avoid a horrible fate in the stews. She met Mairelon after having broken into his wagon in Hungerford Market. When Mairelon offered to make her his assistant, she accepted. She eventually became involved in Mairelon’s search for the Saltash Platter, at the end of which she discovered that she was a wizard. Mairelon made her his ward and apprentice, promising to teach her reading and magic. During The Magician’s Ward, Kim was given a come-out (rather against her wishes) by Mairelon and his mother Lady Wendall, and found herself being courted by several suitors, including the Marquis of Harsfeld, Lord Franton. Meanwhile, she was trying to unravel a mystery involving the disappearing magic of rookery magicians, which lead up to a confrontation between Kim and a man named Mannering, who wanted to be a wizard and was stealing magic to make himself one. Immediately after this confrontation, Kim had to rescue Mairelon from a spell intended to restore his magic (which had been stolen by Mannering) but which actually could put him into an irreversible vegetative state. She triumphed, and accepted the offer of marriage she received from Mairelon afterwards.

Mairelon (Richard Merrill)

Richard Merrill, alias Mairelon, is a well-to-do, educated gentleman. Prior to Mairelon the Magician, he was wrongly accused of stealing the Saltash Set (a magical platter, bowl and spheres which can be used to control peoples’ actions) and was forced to flee England with his manservant Hunch. While he was abroad, he participated in covert operations during the Napoleonic Wars, and tried to track down the pieces of the Saltash Set in order to find the real thief and clear his name. After finding a piece of the Set, he returned to England, posing as a stage magician named “Mairelon”. While performing in Hungerford Market, he met Kim, who became his assistant, and eventually his ward. During The Magician’s Ward, he and Kim worked together to solve several mysteries, trying to discover why a burglar had broken into Andrew’s library, why rookery wizards (and their magic) were disappearing, and why Richard lost his magic trying to trace a spell at a musicale. Over the course of the book, he realized he was in love with Kim, and at its conclusion, he proposed to her. Kim accepted.

Andrew Merrill

Andrew Merrill is Richard’s elder brother. He originally believed that Richard stole the Saltash Set, but he did eventually admit that he was wrong. He was kind enough to lend his townhouse to Richard, Kim and his Aunt Agatha. Andrew is very concerned with proprieties, and is meticulous about such things as treating members of the Peerage (even when they are only barons) with the proper respect. The most interesting thing about Andrew is that he once went to Renee D’Auber’s house a week before the Season. It is also interesting to note that he was absent for all of The Magician’s Ward, being occupied with the discussion of canals in Suffolk, and was apparently not even notified that his library was broken into.

Hunch

Hunch is “Master Richard’s” manservant. He accompanied Richard to the Continent when Richard was forced to flee England. He’s a good cook, chews on his mustache quite frequently, and dismally remarks that practically everything “t’aint proper” or is “dreadful”. At least some of complaints about proprieties are more than likely put on. He disapproved of and disliked Kim at first, but he and she were on better terms by The Magician’s Ward. He assisted Kim when she confronted Mannering, and in general is useful in conflict for tying people up and performing other miscellaneous tasks.

(The Notorious) Renee D'Auber

Renee D’Auber is the daughter of an English countess and a French wizard. She is quite scandalous, and scoffs at proprieties. Richard and Shoreham were at her house experimenting with powdered pearls and catnip the night the Saltash Set was stolen. She was quite willing to vouch for “Monsieur Richard” and say so, but he declined, since she was not yet twenty at the time, and it would have seemed very improper. Renee predicted Kim and Richard’s eventual union before anyone else, at the end of Mairelon the Magician - she told Kim, “You will be quite charming in a gown, I think,” and she looked at her and at Richard and “smiled to herself, as if contemplating a private joke” . She appears in and is active in both books.

Mrs. Agatha Lowe

Mrs. Lowe is Richard’s paternal aunt. Like her nephew Andrew, Mrs. Lowe is very concerned about propriety, and is somewhat disapproving of Richard and Kim’s various breeches of it. She nevertheless manages to be an interesting character. She once held her own for some time against an enchanted flying book by beating it off with a poker, and she played an important role in the confrontation of Mannering at the end of The Magician’s Ward. Mrs. Lowe unfortunately did not appear in Mairelon the Magician.

Lady Elizabeth Wendall

Lady Wendall is Richard’s mother. She has a pet monkey named Maximilian, and enjoys serving her guests dishes such as snails in aspic. She appears only in The Magician’s Ward, during which she encourages Richard to behave scandalously and organizes Kim’s come-out ball.

Lord Wendall

Lord Wendall is Richard’s stepfather. He does not appear in either of the books, but is mentioned at the beginning of The Magician’s Ward as being off in Suffolk discussing canals with Andrew. Not much is known about Lord Wendall, including his Christian name.

Lord Edward Shoreham

Lord Shoreham is Richard’s friend. He was one of the few people who believed that Richard didn’t steal the Saltesh Set (if only because he happened to have met Richard outside his club right after the theft). He is in charge of some intelligence-gathering agency at the Ministry, and arranged for Richard to serve as a spy during the Napoleonic Wars. Richard claims he has “a nasty temper,” though we’ve never seen Shoreham particularly angry. Shoreham taught Kim Gerard’s Refuge during The Magician’s Ward, since Richard was magically incapacitated at the time.

Lord Kerring

Lord Marchmain Kerring spends a good deal of time in the library of the Royal College of Wizards. He appears to be the librarian. He has a string of apprentices that he orders about, and Richard once described him as “an old reprobate”. Lord Shoreham mentioned a “Marchmont” in Mairelon the Magician; it is possible that “Marchmont” became “Marchmain” between the two books. Lord Kerring believes that Napoleon is a “pushy little Corsican”.

Maximillian the Monkey

Maximilian is Lady Wendall’s monkey. He was a gift from a friend in India, and was intended to be an entree. Maximilian has no manners to speak of (he once soiled Kim’s dress!) but Lady Wendall is fond of him anyway.

Marianne Thornley

Marianne Thornley is the former ward of Lady Granleigh and the object of Druid Freddy Meredith’s affections. She is prone to hysterics and eloped with Meredith at the end of Mairelon the Magician, much to Lady Granleigh’s chagrin.