Hector, the Talking Goat

Hector, the famous 'talking goat' was notable for two main reasons; 1) He was a goat that could speak and 2) He was Mayor of the city of Specularum.

How Hector ended up with these two traits is a story worth telling;

In the year 1155IE a young Druid of Artemis was asked to deliver a scroll to the High Druid. Being a curious sort he read the scroll and set off the powerful Glyph that protected its contents. For anyone else, a lifetime as an ordinary goat would have been the likely outcome but due to his druidical training Hector was able to retain his human intelligence and the power of speech. From that day Acolyte Hector became 'Hector, the talking goat'.

A few years later Hector arrived in Specularum in a travelling circus that had captured him. He escaped and found refuge with a kindly bartender. The bartender renamed his tavern “The talking goat” in honour of its newest resident and soon Hector’s fame as both curiosity and entertainment spread.

In 1162IE the Mayor of Specularum died of 'natural causes' (he was drunk and fell into the harbour). The King of Specularum at the time, Marcus, decreed that the next Mayor would be put in place by a free vote. The merchant houses all put forward their choices and Hector also stood as a “joke candidate”. However, the feuding between merchant houses at the time was so strong that, before the election, each house had successfully assassinated the candidate of the others. As the only surviving candidate, Hector won by default, and began his tenure as Mayor.

Hector was a likeable rogue who enjoyed wine, women and song in more or less that order. In addition he was also a surprisingly good Mayor who had a good head for determining the public mood.

Various alchemists, including Durst (the famous Dwarven 'Master of Potions'), produced cures for his condition over the years but Hector always enjoyed the fame and attention of being both Mayor AND a goat. Hector even launched a number of “franchises” where he purchased part shares in any tavern called “the Talking <animal>” which could actually produce such a creature.

Eventually though, Hector passed away in the year 1197IE, aged 66 years shortly after celebrating his 35th year as Mayor. A good age for a human but an unsurpassed one for a goat. A statue to Hector, arguably Specularum's most famous citizen of recent times still stands in the city centre. It bears the inscription "Carpe Caper" ('Seize the Goat').