John Talbot

Sir John Talbot

**Sir John Talbot** is the owner of Talbot Castle and estate. He is an extremely conservative and religious man who cares about the local people and also about his own family. He is logical in the face of mysteries, but doesn't believe in the curse of the werewolf until he watches the dead wolf man shapeshift back into his own son.

Sir John had two sons, the elder of which was also named John. He lavished attention on John, as he was the heir to the state. His second son, Larry, left for America, where he spent the next eighteen years until his brother died in a hunting accident. Now heir to the state, Larry returns, and is welcomed home by his father, who comments on their strained relationship, and offers to patch things up with Larry, who agrees.

Larry helps install a new telescope in Talbot Castle's attic, which was turned into an observatory. Sir John comments on his son's excellent skill and remarks that all astronomers are amateurs because "when it comes to the Heavens there's only one professional". Later they discuss the legend of the werewolf after Larry buys a silver-headed cane with the image of a werewolf. When Larry returns home that night injured from a wolf attack, Sir John has him escorted to his room.

The following morning, Sir John notes his son's remarkable recovery when he asks if he should be in bed. He, Captain Montford, and Doctor Lloyd question him about last night, having found Larry's new cane by the body of a gypsy named Bela. Larry insists he only saw a wolf, which he killed, but the bite wound he suffered has disappeared.

When Montford and Lloyd later discuss the mystery surrounding the deaths of Bela and local girl Jenny Williams, Sir John offers a simple explanation: undoubtedly Jenny was killed by a dog or wolf, and that Larry and Bela both went to her rescue, and in the confusion and darkness Bela was killed. He also suggests Larry imagined being bitten since the beast did jump at him, though Montford reminds him he said his coat was bloody when he came back. What Sir John doesn't realize is that Larry has been inflicted with the curse of being a werewolf.

After the local gravedigger is killed, Larry asks his father if he believes in the story of the werewolf. Sir John gives his son a lecture about good and bad, right and wrong, and firmly denies that werewolves exist, instead insisting anything can happen to a man in his own mind. Later on, Doctor Lloyd comments that Larry seems to be suffering psychologically and that perhaps he should be sent away. Sir John angrily insists that Larry remains and fights his way out of what he's going through.

Larry later comes clean with his father, saying he's a werewolf and that he's being hunted down. Sir John doesn't believe him, and when Larry mentions the gypsy woman Maleva, Sir John immediately accuses her of poisoning Larry's mind. He decides to strap Larry to a chair and lock him in a room to face that everything he's said is only in his mind. He goes to join the hunt, but Larry begs him to take his cane with him. Sir John questions it, but agrees, not realizing Larry is empowering him with the ability to kill him (as silver can kill a werewolf).

When Sir John tells Doctor Lloyd what he's done, Lloyd replies he hopes Sir John won't be sorry. Sir John decides to go be with his son, meeting Maleva on the way. However, noises call him back. He comes upon the Wolf Man attacking Gwen. The Wolf Man immediately goes after him, but as they struggle, Sir John beats him to death with the cane. After he dies, Maleva approaches and speaks over the body. Sir John watches as the Wolf Man transforms into Larry. Horrified, he looks at the cane and drops it, before kneeling down and putting his hand on his son's corpse.