The Bartimaeus Trilogy
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Terence Pennyfeather
Biographical Information
Also known as

Mr. Pennyfeather

Occupation
Physical Description
Gender

Male

Behind the scenes
Appearances

The Golem's Eye
Ptolemy's Gate (mentioned)

Terence E. Pennyfeather, known to members of the Resistance as just Mr. Pennyfeather, was its leader. He also owned an artists' supply shop in Southwark, which acted as a base for the Resistance. He was later killed along with most of the Resistance in an attempted raid on Gladstone's tomb.

History[]

"Shall I tell you how it began for me? I was like you at first—the magicians meant nothing to me. I was young, happily married—what did I care? Then my dear wife, heaven rest her soul, attracted the attention of a magician."
—Pennyfeather to Kitty Jones during their first meeting.

For much of his life, Terrence E. Pennyfeather lived content with his life as a commoner. Married and undisturbed by the magicians ruling Britain, Pennyfeather remained blind to their greed and ruthlessness. However, this changed when an unnamed magician took an interest in his wife.

At first the magician merely tried to woo Pennyfeather's wife through conventional means (conveniently ignoring the fact that she was married). However, she was unswayed by his advances and even laughed in his face—an act that angered the magician greatly. Soon after, a demon arrived at the Pennyfeathers' house and killed her. It was obvious who had summoned the spirit.

Pennyfeather immediately hatched a revenge plot, his former contentment and respect for the ruling class of Britain all but gone. Eventually, he caught the magician alone and killed him, though not before surviving several magical attacks by three demons. Surprised, as he had intended to die killing the magician, Pennyfeather discovered that he possessed magical resilience. He resolved to use this ability to its full extent, and planned to assist in the overthrow of the corrupt British Government.

Thirty years later, Pennyfeather had amassed a group of similarly resilient commoners that he dubbed the Resistance. At some point he met the commoner Katherine (Kitty) Jones and persuaded her to join his group. With a new addition to its ranks, the Resistance began to carry out more attacks with renewed vigor.

However, this drive and motivation soon atrophied, and the Resistance began losing members. Pennyfeather began ordering attacks more out of greed and cowardice than actual intent. His age angered him, as it was a reminder that he was growing weaker and closer to death without having accomplished any of his goals.

In a final desperate bid, Pennyfeather arranged a raid on William Gladstone's tomb, seeking, among the other powerful artifacts hidden within, his Staff. However, due to an intentional omission of information by their benefactor, his group accidentally awoke an afrit that had been left to guard the magician's remains. Pennyfeather and much of the Resistance were killed in the ensuing slaughter, the only two survivors being Kitty Jones and Nicholas Drew.

Personality[]

"The problem with this Pennyfeather was that he was too much like the magicians, wasn't he? Greedy, close, and clasping. Wanted to keep everything nice and secret, all for himself."
Bartimaeus to Kitty Jones in the abandoned library.

Originally, Pennyfeather was intelligent and quite brave, as evidenced by his willingness to die in order to avenge his dead wife. However, these sets of traits would later sour into greed and outright cowardice, and he died as a frail and fearful old man.

Abilities[]

As a commoner, Pennyfeather possessed little ability to wield magic himself, instead relying on magical artifacts and devices such as elemental spheres and silver disks to carry out his attacks. However, he possessed some degree of magical resilience, able to survive magical attacks from three demons (presumably minor foliots or djinn).

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