Well, what now? Shall we have a battle of wits to decide what happens next?
Charity is a follower of The God of Penda's Slake, whose role in the faith is as a 'lure', to bring in fresh sacrifices for her god.
Carpenter implies that Charity is a "sweet-faced young acolyte", in so much as Carpenter used to be one herself. When transfigured, her face is unwound in the centre, with the jaw split down the middle. She is described as having "hollow eyes". Her teeth in this form are described as "piercing" - potentially sharp.[1]
| ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! Beyond this point, major plot spoilers are expected. Continue at your own risk. |
Personality[]
Charity has some talent with deception - successfully fooling Gareth into believing her innocence for presumably, a substantial amount of time. Given that Gareth is pretty self-absorbed in the time that we meet him, it's plausible that this was more down to choosing her mark well. However, she also does nearly trick Carpenter into going to her death. When referring to Gareth, she says "You're not going to pretend you feel bad for him."[1] She views her service to her god as responsibility, and refers to a sacrifice to the God of Penda's Slake with it/its pronouns, both of which may be ways of rationalising such a level of involvement in human sacrifice.[2]
She values the chapel of her god- and implies having respect for sacred places more generally. When found out, she enjoys herself initially, laughing and joking about having a 'battle of wits'. This morphs into rage with the burning of the chapel, yelling that Carpenter is going to suffer, and she can be heard shrieking, presumably with frustration.[1]
Background[]
Charity was raised in the faith of the God of Penda's Slake, by her mother and father. They would take her out to sacrifices, and teach her the songs of the faith. Presumably, she either grew up in the woods, or in Marcel's Crossing. At some point, she became a lure for her faith, heading out into the city to invite people back who didn't know the risk of the area. She has also undergone a transfiguration, a seemingly reversible one, making her more in line with the snare dogs - able to become more or less monstrous at will. It is however, possible that the transformation seen in Charity was the first of its kind that she had experienced, and could therefore be non-reversible, particularly if it was triggered by the burning of the haunt.
Episode Appearances[]
| Chapters | Synopsis |
|---|---|
| Chapter 4: Of Lovers, Gods, and Beasts | Charity is introduced, and is the antagonist for the chapter, attempting to sacrifice Carpenter to her god. She spends much of the early chapter apologising for Gareth, then acting suitably horrified by his death. She is then revealed to be a lure, and becomes blunt and violent, particularly after Carpenter burns the chapel. |
| Chapter 5: My Song Is Long And Twisted | Charity introduces the chapter, speaking of her past with her god, and singing a hymn to it. |
| Chapter 40: This Hateful Hymn Shall Cease | Charity is on a date. She is going by the name Verity. When Carpenter enters the bar, she scampers away quickly before she is seen. |
Connections[]
- Gareth is her boyfriend and victim. She lures him to his death, but he is too self-centred to notice.[1]
- Charity's Date in Glottage seems to have known her for a while. He proposes they head on a holiday to where she grew up.[3]