Who Is Horwich Cobbleberry?
Horwich Cobbleberry might be the most self-assured halfling to grace the Swindle & Swine.
Every Darkest Day, the hamlet of Pondaroak waits with bated breath to see if this audacious, well-dressed character will live to tempt fate again.
For seventeen years, he’s strutted into the inn, Keening Cup in hand, like the star of his show, delivering grand speeches and weaving tall tales about his adventurous ancestors.
He’s more than just a crowd-pleaser — Horwich embodies the spirit of a halfling who lives for the limelight. With a flashy dinner jacket, burgundy waistcoat, and silk lime-green ascot, he commands attention with his attire and confidence.
But Horwich’s tradition isn’t just about fun; he dabbles with danger, downing a drink from the Keening Cup. In the story, the Keening Cup is a mysterious and foreboding relic passed down through the Cobbleberry family for generations. Crafted from the wood of a blackthorn tree that grew over a witch’s grave, this cup is said to be cursed. It’s a central tradition for Horwich Cobbleberry, who uses it yearly in his annual toast on the Darkest Day.
Legend has it that drinking from the Keening Cup can summon a banshee — a wailing spirit who reveals how the drinker will die in the coming year. If the banshee does not appear, it’s taken as a sign that the drinker is safe from death for another year. To Horwich, this ritual is a bit of harmless fun — a way to show off his bravado and impress the townsfolk of Pondaroak. He’s convinced that nothing supernatural will happen despite the cup’s dark origins.
However, Elina Hogsbreath, the innkeeper, isn’t so sure. She sees Horwich’s ritual as a dangerous flirtation with forces beyond his control. Her concerns prove valid when the cup seemingly fulfills its grim legend, leaving Horwich with a terrifying vision of his mortality. The Keening Cup serves as both a literal and symbolic reminder that some traditions are best left untouched, especially when they tempt fate.
Horwich scoffs at the superstition, convinced he’s invincible. To him, it’s all a bit of harmless excitement — a means to charm and entertain his fellow villagers.
Yet, beneath the showy exterior, Horwich’s bravado may mask a more profound vulnerability. Elina Hogsbreath, the innkeeper, seems to sense the folly of his antics. She knows that when you play with the supernatural, there’s a chance it’ll answer back. Whether Horwich will ever take her warnings seriously remains to be seen, but as long as he’s breathing, you can bet he’ll return, ascot and all, to raise that cup high for another year.
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