From
TES issue 25 (January 2004)
Series 4/5.
Level 1/2.
BROTHER MACE
![[Related Image]](/components/com_legacy/code/images/lexicon/cache/web.archive.org/web/20071219184748/http:/knightmare.com/series/5/99.jpg)
The tavern monk from series 4 and 5, played by Michael Cule. Despite the fact that Mace spent a lot of time in a drunken stupor talking very bad
Latin, he was helpful and friendly. Mace was clearly a devoted man of the Church and he took his duties very seriously. He was always ready to help
dungeoneers with
spells, information or hints if he thought they deserved it, and was always a friendly and reassuring character with his rich, booming voice and his imposing figure. Mace had no time for evil creatures in the
Dungeon, as his victory in a battle of wits with an
assassin during Nicky's quest in series 4 clearly shows. There was also a strong comedy element to this scene - as Mace ended up knocking out the assassin with a joint of meat - that was often present when Brother Mace was around.
Although Mace's first appearance with Helen early in series 4 was a somewhat mundane affair involving a riddle and a spell, the character soon blossomed into a great comedy player. Brother Mace's comedy value was particularly high towards the end of series 4, when he was turned into a giant lizard by
Hordriss via
Dickon, and then appeared with
Giles in a very drunken state. This scene is undoubtedly funny, particularly when Brother Mace cannot find the joker card he is looking for in the deck he has in front of him. I believe that this occurrence was a genuine mistake by Michael Cule that was not edited out in order to add to the comedy of the scene. Not every character could have believably pulled off something like this, but Brother Mace could because he often made us laugh.
Another bit of spontaneous comedy was when Ben asked Brother Mace to prove his identity in
series 5. This was obviously a complete surprise, but Michael Cule reacted very well to it. Other memorable scenes featuring Brother Mace include his iniquitous card game with
Sylvester Hands in the forest in series 5, and his meeting in the same series with Chris whilst he was a
goblin. Mace is a memorable character who could be very useful to the quest, and was often used for comedy value too.
Fear Factor: 4 He's no pushover, so watch out if he doesn't like you!
Killer Instinct: 1 I guess if Chris hadn't persuaded him...
Humour Rating: 10 He loved to laugh, and was also good for laughing at.
Oscar Standard: 9 Very well acted, and some excellent improvisation.
