Peinforte

Lady Peinforte was a cavalier of Windsor in 1638, as well as a sorceress and poisoner. She opposed the Seventh Doctor.

Biography
There was much gossip after the death of her husband, Sir Roger Peinforte, left her a widow and heiress to his estate. Her newfound wealth allowed her to pursue the study magic and incantations. (PROSE: "The Life and Conduct of Lady Peinforte")

Lady Peinforte was an expert archer who fought in battle against the roundheads in the name of King Charles I. In 1638 when a large piece of validium fell to Earth, Peinforte found it, sculpted it into an image of herself holding a bow and arrow and called the result "Nemesis". The Doctor found the statue, removed the bow and arrow, and placed it onto a rocket-sled before firing it into space. Before that, however, the statue told Lady Peinforte of Gallifrey, the Time Lords, the Dark Times and the history of the Doctor.

Seeking to retrieve the statue, she hired a mathematician, whom she soon poisoned, to calculate the date of the Nemesis' return to Earth. With her servant, Richard Maynarde, and black magic, they travelled forward in time to Windsor in 1988, claiming as they departed, "We ride to destiny". (TV: Silver Nemesis, PROSE: Lady Peinforte) The Seventh Doctor later explained that Fenric, rather than Peinforte alone, had enabled her to travel through time. (TV: The Curse of Fenric)

Sometime after Peinforte and Richard arrived in 1998, Peinforte accessed the "place of secrets", the TARDIS Wiki, where she learnt of the question "Doctor who?" and how the Doctor's name was "a promise he made to himself to not be cruel or cowardly". She claimed to know of his secrets: that of the Looms, though she deemed those non-canonical; the the Doctor being half-human on his mother's side, which she claimed was "much disregarded"; the Doctor's barn; his departure from Gallifrey in fear of the Hybrid; and Gallifey of the old time. (PROSE: Lady Peinforte)

When the Nemesis landed back on Earth, Peinforte and Richard stayed hidden, observing local police, De Flores' Neo-Nazis, and the Cybermen. During a skirmish between the Neo-Nazis and Cybermen, Peinforte struck two Cybermen with poison-tipped arrows, convinced her poison was perfect, when it was the gold heads of the arrows that really killed them.

Peinforte and Richard then made their way to her tomb, where the Cybermen had hidden the statue, believing that foreknowledge of her death would drive her mad.

Finally, she made her way to where the Seventh Doctor had hidden the rocket-sled and called the Nemesis to it. Lady Peinforte threatened to reveal the Doctor's secrets if he would not give her the Nemesis bow. He refused and gave it to the Cyber-Leader instead. The Cyber-Leader expressed no interest in knowing the secrets Lady Peinforte offered to tell him, making her mad. Just before the Nemesis prepared to lift off from Earth as the Doctor had programmed it, Lady Peinforte went mad at the thought of losing her creation and jumped onto the statue and merged with it. In space, the Nemesis exploded, destroying the entire Cyber-Fleet and Lady Peinforte as well. (TV: Silver Nemesis)

Peinforte's power was a remnant of the Pythia's. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible)

Legacy
Peinforte's encounter with the Cybermen was covered in Quest for Power, one of the Cyber-Documents recorded in the CyberHive. (AUDIO: The Ultimate Cybermen)

Behind the scenes

 * Penelope Wilton was considered for the role before Fiona Walker was cast.