King Tobias and Gorlon

How King Tobias Met and Defeated Gorlon, a Bogill

It came to pass one day that King Tobias rode forth from his keep at Stonehelm to inspect the Kingdom of Ardaerr. He rode south for many hours, at last coming to a small hamlet situated on the outside of the Greenwood in a rocky area full of caves. The king noticed that the streets were quiet and from a distance he could see that windows of the buildings were covered with black cloths, a sign of mourning at that time. Marvelling at the sight, King Tobias sent Sir Conleath, Warden of Stonehelm, on ahead to discover the cause of the matter, “for I must know why my people are of such heavy hearts,” he said.

A short time later, Sir Conleath returned. “My Liege,” he said, “the people mourn for this reason: a loathsome bogill has taken many small animals from them, including even several of their children.”

“Fie! Fie that this should happen while I rule! The Most High King has graciously allowed me to rule Ardaerr in his stead, and yet I have allowed his subjects to be set upon by such as this bogill. Let us ride, Sir Conleath, and seek out this monster in his lair!

For three days King Tobias and Sir Conleath sought the bogill, whose name was Gorlon, yet found nothing. At last the king said, “let us take some old pieces of armor and dress them in a child’s clothing, that we may trap this beast Gorlon.” That night, they took the bait for their snare to the edge of town and set it beside the road, then they hid with their horses and watched. About midnight, they heard a shuffling as of clawed feet on the rocky ground and a low-throated voice rasping “Ah me! What is this? Some lost waif just waiting to be my nighttime snack?” And with that he picked up the rusty armor and swallowed it whole.

Seeing this, King Tobias and Sir Conleath mounted their horses and charged at the bogill. In the soft light of the full moon they could see the beast clad only in a kilt of animal pelts turn and look at them. As he saw the king and the Warden of Stonehelm riding toward him. His small, red eyes and his large jaws bearing rows of sharp teeth opened wide in fear. He turned to flee and began easily outdistancing the knights on horse. King Tobias and Sir Conleath were falling further and further behind, and yet Gorlon did not stop running in fear. And this is the cause of his great fear: As he ran, the armor he swallowed began rattling in his belly, making such a fearful noise that he thought surely that all the knights in Middanyeard were close at his heels. And so Gorlon ran and ran until finally he came to a cliff overlooking the Crystal Sea, cast himself down onto the rocks below and died. This place today is known as “Gorlon’s Leap.”