Doctor Who
S9E7
· The Curse of Peladon Part 3

Hepesh poisons Grun against the Doctor

Hepesh meets with Grun in the guard room to exploit his personal vendetta against the Doctor for his own ends. He assures Grun that his vengeance will still be fulfilled while ensuring the Doctor is discredited beyond repair, using Peladon’s ancient laws and Aggedor’s perceived power as tools. The conversation reveals Hepesh’s deliberate manipulation of both the King’s Champion and the planet’s traditions to eliminate the Doctor and sabotage Peladon’s Federation relations, tightening the noose around both conspirator and unsuspecting pawn. key_dialogue: [ HEPESH: Our ally has plotted well, Grun. Whatever the Doctor does now, he'll be discredited. Oh, I know you wanted to kill him yourself, fulfil your oath as King's Champion, but never fear. He is moving into ever greater danger. I promise you, the King's honour will be maintained. Trust me. ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Hepesh reveals to Grun that he has planned the Doctor's downfall, ensuring the Doctor's actions will lead to his own discredit, while also addressing Grun's desire for personal vengeance as the King's Champion.

confidence to anticipation of vengeance ['Guard Room']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Hepesh
High Priest of Peladon
 primary

Feigned camaraderie masking ruthless determination

Hepesh stands with cold authority in the dim guard room, his voice laced with calculated reassurance as he twists Grun’s loyalty to his advantage. His gaze remains steady, his posture unshaken, reflecting a zealot’s confidence in his manipulation.

Goals in this moment
  • • Safeguard his political and religious agenda by eliminating the Doctor
  • • Exploit Grun’s personal vendetta to bind him as a compliant instrument
Active beliefs
  • • Believes Peladon’s survival depends on rejecting Federation influence
  • • Views the Doctor as an existential threat to sacred traditions
Character traits
calculating manipulative zealous ruthlessly pragmatic
Follow Hepesh's journey
Supporting 1
Grun
King's Champion
 secondary

Suppressed rage warring with feigned acceptance of Hepesh’s promises

Grun listens in brooding silence, his expression unreadable yet heavy with unresolved vengeance. His ceremonial duty as King’s Champion sits uneasily as he absorbs Hepesh’s twisted assurances, torn between loyalty and personal hatred.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure a future opportunity to personally kill the Doctor
  • • Avenge perceived dishonor by upholding King’s Champion oath
Active beliefs
  • • Honor demands restitution for perceived slights against the crown
  • • Faith in Peladon’s traditions justifies violent action
Character traits
vengeful conflicted passive but receptive bound by ritualistic duty
Follow Grun's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Guard Room

The guard room’s damp, torch-lit walls echo Hepesh’s clandestine promises, providing a secluded space where sacred law becomes a blade to justify his manipulation. Its fortified atmosphere amplifies the weight of every whispered commitment.

Atmosphere Ominous and claustrophobic, thick with unspoken threats
Function Private chamber for coercive negotiations and secret agreements
Symbolism Represents the intersection of faith and political power, where tradition is weaponized for control
Access Restricted to senior royal and religious personnel only
Flickering torchlight casting jagged shadows Heavy wooden benches worn smooth by generations Scent of old blood and damp stone clinging to the air

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Themes This Exemplifies

Thematic resonance and meaning

The Clash Between Tradition and Progress
5
This theme explores the ideological battle between Peladon's ancient traditions—personified by Hepesh's zealous defense of sacred law—and the potential for reform, embodied by the Doctor …
The Corruption of Religious and Political Power
5
This theme examines how absolute power—whether wielded by Hepesh through religious dogma or by Hepesh and Grun in alliance—corrupts and becomes an instrument of oppression. …

Part of Larger Arcs

Grun’s suppressed rage and internal fracture as religious duty clashes with personal loyalty to the truth