- Nimrod Pennyroyal
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Nimrod Pennyroyal is a recurring character in the Mortal Engines Quartet, written by Philip Reeve. He is first introduced in Predator's Gold and remains a major character for the rest of the series.
Pennyroyal is a friendly author of adventure books which purportedly retell his travels across the world. Their authenticity is somewhat suspect, but they remain bestsellers. The historians in London criticised his work for focusing more on the adventure and romance than the history. Most of what he claims to have done is not true and is just written for the money. An exception of this is Predators Gold, which is mostly changed, still hangs on to most of the events in the story. He does seem to have some grains of historical authentication, for instance when Tom says Pennyroyal believed "the Ancients had machines called 'eye-pods' where they could store thousands of songs on tiny little gramophone records.
In "Predator's Gold" Pennyroyal wishes to travel with Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw. He tells Tom of his discoveries and adventures in America. Tom is amazed by Pennyroyals discoveries, but wonders why he hasn't heard much of them before. His bravery is first questioned when the Green Storm attacks the Jenny Haniver and Pennyroyal whimpers every time a missile comes past the airship, which is unusual for someone who has fought bears and ventured the unknown. In Anchorage, it is revealed he is actually a fraud, and that he does indeed simply make up his stories. His true cowardice is revealed when he shoots Tom (accidentally, according to Pennyroyal) and steals the Jenny Haniver to escape the great city Arkangel.
After stealing the Jenny Haniver it is unclear on everything he does but in Infernal Devices we find he has become the Mayor of Brighton, a raft resort city , which is currently sailing in the Atlantic and is running its own slave trade. After Brighton is taken over by the Lost Boys (Mortal Engines), Penyroyal escapes with Tom Natsworthy, Wren Natsworthy and Theo Ngoni.
Pennyroyal perhaps redeems his past when he kills the Stalker Fang with an anti-Stalker gun and writes a new book closer to the truth, however no one will publish it after his books had been revealed as lies in a newspaper called The Speculum.
Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve Mortal Engines Quartet: Short Stories: Traction CityPrequel Series: Fever Crumb · A Web of Air · Scrivener's MoonCharacters: Tom Natsworthy · Hester Shaw · Anna Fang · Shrike · Nimrod Pennyroyal · Wren Natsworthy · Nicholas Quirke · Oenone Zero · Theo Ngoni · Thaddeus Valentine · Magnus CromeOrganisations: Other: London · Anchorage-in-Vineland · Jenny Haniver · Traction City · Municipal Darwinism · Orbital Defence Initiative · Sixty Minute War · Stalkers
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