Count Grendel of Gracht was a nobleman of the planet Tara, who had evil designs on the throne. He had already abducted the Princess Strella, who was betrothed to the heir, Prince Reynart, and was working on a scheme to kidnap him as well when he encountered Romana in the woods on his estate. He saved her from a savage bear-like Taran Woodbeast. She had just located the fourth segment of the Key to Time - hidden as part of a statue. Seeing the incomplete sculpture disconcerted Grendel, as its fortunes were said to be inextricably linked to those of his House. He took Romana back to his castle where he placed her in the care of his engineer Madam Lamia, believing her to be an android as she was the spitting image of Princess Strella. Grendel then had Reynart kidnapped on the eve of his coronation. Failure to attend the ceremony would mean instant forfeiture of the crown, and Grendel used his soldiers to intimidate the Archimandrite into deciding to offer the throne to him instead. However, the Doctor had succeeded in repairing an android copy of Reynart, and it made it to the throne room in time. Grendel sent an android of Romana to assassinate the Doctor, but this failed and Lamia was killed. She had carried a torch for him, but her interest was not reciprocated.
Grendel then decided to force Reynart to marry Strella but, as she refused to comply, Romana was to take her place. Reynart was doomed to die just after the wedding, and Grendel would then marry his widowed bride - who would then promptly expire soon afterwards. The Doctor arrived to save the day, opening the castle gates to Reynart's men. He and the Count fought a lengthy duel but - realising he was beaten - Grendel opted to leap from the battlements into the moat and flee to fight another day.
Played, with relish, by: Peter Jeffrey. Appearances: The Androids of Tara (1978).
- Jeffrey had appeared in the programme once before - as the Pilot in charge of the colony in The Macra Terror.
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