The Laughing Cavalier · Character

Jan Tiele

A shadowy henchman in Stoutenburg's orbit, one of the accomplices whose treachery helped unravel the conspiracy against the Stadtholder.

supporting

Also known as Jan

First appearance: i new year s eve

As a supporting figure in The Laughing Cavalier, Jan Tiele is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Aggressor whose nose is flattened by Pythagoras on Diogenes' orders.

In the storyII: The Fracas by the Postern GateOpen this moment free

Jan Tiele belongs to the circle of would-be assassins whose plans collapsed under torture and betrayal, leaving Groeneveld condemned and Stoutenburg a wanderer. He moves at the edges of the plot, a name bound up with the aborted conspiracy that casts its gloom over Haarlem and Gilda's household. His presence reminds the reader that the intrigue reaching for Gilda is not petty crime but the wreckage of a failed political murder, and that its survivors are dangerous men with nothing left to lose.

See Jan Tiele in II: The Fracas by the Postern Gate Book page

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Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Jan Tiele sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Main Plot Characters
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Stoutenburg…

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In the story

Jan Tiele appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: The Fracas by the Postern Gate
Aggressor whose nose is flattened by Pythagoras on Diogenes' orders.
XXIII: A Spy from the Camp
Exhausted spy who brings news from the Stadtholder's camp; loyal to Stoutenburg due to his father's execution.
The Birth of Hate
Mentioned as accompanying Beresteyn to the Lame Cow.
XXV: An Arrant Knave
Receives orders from Stoutenburg to track Diogenes, seize him if he turns back toward Haarlem, and treat Gilda with respect as Stoutenburg's future wife.
XXXI: The Molens
Receives orders to lead a dozen men to Rotterdam, deliver the letter to Ben Isaje, and bring Gilda back.
The Captive Lion
Reports the capture of Gilda and Diogenes, describes the fight, and follows orders to guard the prisoner.
XXXIV: Protestations
Sent by Stoutenburg to fetch the prisoner from the molens.
The Witness for the Defence
Enters with Stoutenburg and the soldiers, then departs on command.
XXXVI: Brother Philosophers
The captain overseeing the camp and the prisoner, suspicious of the philosophers' presence but ultimately allowing them a brief conversation.
Dawn
Oversees the erection of the gibbet and guards the prisoner; obeys Stoutenburg's orders without question.
The Hour
Leads the soldiers and oversees the preparations for Diogenes' execution, following Stoutenburg's orders.
XXXIX: “Sauve Qui Peut”
Jan stays at his post guarding the prisoner, adjusting the rope on the gibbet, and tries to maintain order as others flee.
XL: The Loser Pays
Mentioned as having captured Diogenes on his way back to Rotterdam and as preparing the gibbet.
XLI: “Vengeance Is Mine”
Found bound and gagged near the gallows; reports that he and Piet were overpowered by two of the prisoner's friends, who cut the prisoner free.
XLII: The Fight in the Doorway
Found crawling to assist Stoutenburg, later disarmed and ordered to take his master to safety.

Chapter companion notes

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See Jan Tiele in i new year s eve

See Jan Tiele in II: The Fracas by the Postern Gate