Sir Horffe
| Sir Horffe | |||||
 Sir Horffe, from Ultima VII | |||||
| Species: | gargoyle | ||||
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Sir Horffe is the Gargish captain of the guard at Serpent's Hold in Ultima VII.
Description[edit]
Horffe had been abandoned as a weanling and was adopted by a pair of human parents from Serpent's Hold who raised them as their son. Fiercely loyal to the people of the keep, the gargoyle could often be found at the side of its castellan, Lord John-Paul. Having spent the majority of his life immersed in human culture, however, Horffe was eager to reconnect with his Gargish heritage, and eventually came to adopt the stilted grammatical syntax of his people as a means of asserting his identity as a gargoyle.[1][2]
Should the Avatar choose to investigate a recent incident of vandalism at the castle, the hero could eventually deduce that Horffe's blood could be found at the scene of the crime, and could opt to turn the gargoyle over to John-Paul for punishment in light of such evidence. Sir Richter would be quick to support the theory of the gargoyle's guilt, having grown distrustful of him in light of his disapproval of the Fellowship.[3][4]
Speaking to Horffe, however, would reveal that the knight had merely skirmished with the true vandal and that he had failed to mention the incident owing to the shame her felt over his failure to stop it. Further inquiry into the matter would reveal that Sir Pendaran had been the responsible party, and the hero would be able to clear Horffe's name should he stand falsely accused.[5]
Lore[edit]
| “ | In the hold proper reside the rest of us: myself; Lady Leigh, the healer; Sir Horffe, the captain of the guard; Sir Pendaran and his lady, the lovely Jehanne, who spends her time trading provisions to fill Serpent's Hold's needs. – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)
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Trivia[edit]
- Like many characters in Serpent's Hold, Horffe is based on a character from the popular television show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. He resembles Lieutenant Worf, a Klingon who had been raised by adoptive human parents and who often struggled to come to terms with his mixed heritage.
- In the SNES-port of Ultima VII, Horffe loses a piece of distinctive Gargish jewelry near the, statue rather than being injured in his fight with Pendaran and thereby leaving his blood. The Avatar has the option to return it to the gargoyle after hearing his account of the evening.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ Lady Tory. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "captain, Gargish accent".
- ↑ Lady Leigh. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "John-Paul".
- ↑ Lord John-Paul. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "gargoyle blood on fragments, Sir Horffe responsible".
- ↑ Sir Richter. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "gargoyle blood, Horffe".
- ↑ Horffe. Underworld Dragon’s Ultima VII transcript. Ultima VII. "blood on fragments, dark, vandal".
- ↑ Sir Horffe. Ultima VII SNES transcript. Ultima VII. "jewelry, return jewelry".