The wildman

His name is Balor Gruff. He’s nearly seven feet tall. Where he comes from, originally, is unknown. He was found by an Errantry patrol as a baby, abandoned or lost in the forest, and was brought back to Fable, where he was cared for and raised. He was given the last name of Gruff because this was the only sound he made as a baby. As for his first name, one of the Errantry knights thought that this odd-looking creature resembled a dog he’d had as a child, named Balor.

It wasn’t clear to anyone what race or species Gruff belonged to, so he was just known by the catch-all term “wildman.” He certainly looked wild enough, with his shaggy hair and a face that has been described as a cross between a lion and an ill-tempered pug dog.

Balor embraced the name of wildman. The alternatives were not to his liking, especially the word “ogre,” which he often hears people whispering in fear as he goes by.

Those who know him well don’t bother about what to call him. What matters to them is that Gruff is a knight of the Errantry, a friend who has proven his courage and loyalty on many occasions. There are times when he can be impulsive, and reckless, but his heart is in the right place.

If there are any other wildman living in the Realm, Balor Gruff has never met any of them, though he would like to, so that he would no longer have to alone in the world. And then he would find out for certain just what, or who, he is.

 Image by T Wharton