Canterbury-Characters

Knight - Pious, brave, traveled the world in king's service
     "A more noble man I have yet to meet."
     "If all nobles were like him, the Holy Lands would be safe in English hands."

Squire - Larking about, Prissy boy, embroidery, singing
     "His Lordship's son is not like his father. He's what some might call a . . eh
       . . .sissy. Oh sure, he was in the cavalry for a little while, but, come on,
      flowery clothes, singing and larking about all day; not quite the same sort
      of man as his Lordship."

Yeoman - Forester, weapons ever ready
     "That man scared me half-to-death last night on my way to the privy. He's like
      a shadow, blending into that forest so well. I'd hate to be caught poaching
      on his land. Likely to end up with an arrow through the throat, no doubt."

Nun - Dainty, perfect lady
     "What a lady! I felt so ashamed about not having a clean handkerchief to
      offer her at meal time."
     "Oh shoot! Quick, everybody check the mousetraps. Last time I left a rat in
      there, the poor lady almost fainted with all her sobbing n' tears."

Monk - Jovial, values material things
     "He and his Lordship had a fine conversation over the hunts, dogs, and horses they had
      had. Funny thing, I don't remember the chase being listed in St. Benet's rulebook for
      monks."

Friar - Accepts bribes to absolve people, named Hubert, take your last cent
     "Everyone, pull your purse strings tight. Hubert here has a tongue of quicksilver that
      will empty your pockets as fast as any pickpocket."
     "By the way, a little silver goes a long way to speeding your penace to Heaven, if you
      know what I mean."

Merchant - Try to pay off debts by illegal coinage
     "Would you believe this guy tried to get me to place his charges on his tab. Oh
      please! I know all about his little trouble with the red ink."

Cleric - Shy, bookworm, steals to buy books
     "Tried to steal my journal of folk songs/stories I've been writing, the little bookworm
      did. He said I would be blessed by God for aiding in this quest for knowledge. I
      said, "Get your ink stained fingers off my book. Hummph!"

Miller - Large fellow, hikes up his prices, Scottish/Viking descent, bagpipes
     "That son of a Norseman and Scottish wench and his blasted bagpipes! First he hangs you
      with his bloody prices, and then he makes you deaf with all that squealing n' weasing of
      those pipes."

Manciple - Purchases food for Inns of Court College, illiterate, best bargainer ever
     "Not much of a guy to discuss Plato or the like, but his street smarts would earn him the
      title of Master at any college."

Reeve - Estate manager, always collects dues, Scrooge like, Carpentar, from Norfolk, very
     rich but loans to master to stay in good graces
     "I'm glad my leige's Reeve isn't like this fellow. He makes it hard for a man to turn a
      decent profit, having his hand in all the purses like that."

Summoner - Brings sinners to court, pimples, breath wreeks of garlic/onion/wine, sinners
     could bribe him to go away but he blackmails them
     "Best be careful around this fellow or you're likely to end up before the bishop or
      trapped in his pocket of victims, Neither would be too comfortable I'd wager."

Pardoner - Sells pardons, sells false relics to the poor, eunuch, chants for money
     "This guy is as slippery as an eel. Take my advice, don't buy anything from him. I
      caught him trying to sell a piece of the Holy Mother's veil to my misses, and the "relic"
      had me wife's embroidery right on it. His head's probably still sore from the wallop she
      gave him for stealing her linens."

Sergant at Law - Lawyer, picture-perfect memory, cicuit judge
     "Man, that guy has way too much time on his hands. I mean, memorizing all the cases
      since the Norman invasions does not sound like leisure reading to me."

Franklin - Land owner, public man (offices held), hospitable
     "That guy puts out a spread you wouldn't believe. I'm talking meat pies, fruit pies,
      partridges, quail, cremes, and wines n' ales of every texture. How his horse can carry
      that much of a man I have no idea."

Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpentar, Weaver, Carpet-Maker - Makes hats/ tools/ furnishings/
     textiles/ capets and tapestries.
     "Do you want to hear some nagging? The wives of these guys must talk 24/7 and
      always about the same thing. 'You should be alderman; Everyone thinks you're so
      smart and wise; They already bother you with all the work, why not get the perks too
      of that office?' What a bunch of nosy hens! Bahh!"

Cook - great chef, tell ale by taste
     "This guy is the greatest! After seeing what kind of inn I run, he was so curious about
      my wife's rabbit pastries he was willing to work back there the whole night to earn the
      recipe. But not to fret, my wife wheedled his blancmange recipe out of him in return."

Skipper - Walk the plank, pirate perhaps, no morals, steal French wine
     "The Skipper's a great guy. Why he gave me this cask of 100 year old Bordeaux red
      that he got from a . . . friend. It just happened to uh. . . fall off the back of the boat."
      *wink, wink*

Doctor - Mystic healer, lover of gold
     "I personnaly don't believe in all those astrology cures, but hey, that's just me. The guy
      seems to have one heck of a following by the look of his pouch there, though."

Wife of Bath - 5 Husbands, lots of pilgrimages, scarlet clothes
     "Gentlemen, you'd best be careful about this Scarlet beauty. Lay a hand on her and
      you're likely to find yourself standing before the doors of Augustine's cathedral for a
      wedding."

Parson - True clergyman, led his people by example
     "This is the sort of man God himself must admire. A more kinder soul one could not
      find, in Heaven or on earth."

Plowman - Parson's brother, workhorse, helps the poor for free
     "What a workhorse! The ol' widow down the street was chopping wood last night, and
      this guy went over there and pratically forced her to let him do the work. He stocked
      enough wood to last her right up to winter, and he wouldn't take a farthing for it."