Lord Finesterre

Lord Finesterre is one of the antagonists in the book Shadowmancer by G.P. Taylor. He is the Lord of Stragoika Manor in the South West English countryside and he is secretly a Satanist and a practitioner of black magic.

Thomas has had unpleasant memories of staying at Lord Finesterre's house and he tries to warn Kate of asking for rooms there but she doesn't hear him and knocks on the door anyway. Raphah has doubts about the place from the start and isn't convinced about Lord Finesterre not having servants to open the door for him. Lord Finesterre has a creepy aura about him and he is eager to assure them that the house is harmless as he says somewhat unnervingly that nobody stays there long. Lord Finesterre gives the travellers dinner and gives them coffee, which is something Thomas respects him for due to coffee being expensive. Soon Thomas and Kate forget their fears as Lord Finesterre appears more friendly and warm, but only Raphah knows not to trust him with everything. Kate tells Lord Finesterre that they are running from the Varrigal and the Dragoon military, and Lord Finesterre pretends he is amazed that it all happened near his house. He asks where the Keruvim statue is now and Raphah lies saying he dropped it. Lord Finesterre tells him he has to go back in the morning and get it and such a powerful item should not be lost - he is lying because he knows it's not lost at all. Lord Finesterre gives the travellers a room and Thomas and Kate sleep, but Raphah is edgy, knowing something evil will soon happen.

Raphah is woken by Jacob Crane and his men bombing the Vicarage, home of Obadiah Demurral, and then he alerts Kate and Thomas, and then suddenly they see witches walking into the garden to do black magic. Soon, the three men take off their hoods, and reveal themselves as Obadiah Demurral, Captain Farrel, and, to Kate, Raphah and Thomas' shock, Lord Finesterre, who is in league with witchcraft and has betrayed them. Together, the witches summon an army of Varrigal from Hell, and in their midst is Satan himself, who welcomes his followers. Pyratheon, the Devil, applauds Lord Finesterre and Demurral for their dedication to him, and then sends the Glashan to capture the trio inside the house. But thanks to Riathamus, aka God, they are saved.

Afterwards, the Devil gives Demurral and Lord Finesterre a test of their true loyalty, they have to eat from a magic apple tree to prove their inner servitude. Lord Finesterre has no fears, he boasts that he sold his soul to Satan years ago, and proudly eats from the apple, then gives it to Demurral. Obadiah Demurral, however, is beginning to see the error of his ways. He is disappointed when Pyratheon says that he cannot have all the power. So Demurral wonders for a moment if he shouldn't repent, but is encouraged to eat the apple by Lord Finesterre. Demurral eats, and then suddenly develops an euphoric, elated feeling that all is bliss and life is good, and he feels oneness with nature and delights in being alive. Thus, he somehow knows his allegiance with Pyratheon and welcomes his evil.

However, Lord Finesterre has problems - soon after eating the magic apple, he begins to hear his abusive father's voice in his head, yelling at him for being a fool and a coward. He begins to get frightened of the dark and ghosts and kneels on the ground curled up and sobbing. Lord Finesterre has a complete breakdown. However, Pyratheon assures him that this is the apples' way, for one, it brings joy, for the other, fear, and he tells Lord Finesterre not to worry, that the evil of the past will not taunt him forever.