From the journal of Ardebast Raconteur:

I was in the port town of Vawsing when the tallest bear I’d ever seen, or have seen since came lumbering from the woods to the south. I expected panic and while there was certainly a sense of apprehension from the townsfurs, nobody seemed to make much of the apparition. I asked my friend Runsel about the behemoth, and he told me, “That’s Barnaby. He comes into town from time to time for supplies.” He would go on to tell me that this Barnaby was a hermit who lived in a cave in the woods. As Runsel was telling me what he knew of him, the big bear left, just as quietly as he had arrived. Perhaps I was imagining it, but I could swear the town let out a collective sigh of relief that nothing bad had happened.

Now this was a story and if there’s something I can’t resist, it’s a good yarn. I pledged to myself  then and there that I would meet with this Barnaby. That was five years ago and I’m still waiting for the opportunity. Somehow he has evaded my attempts. I’ve heard tell that he’s somewhat of a slow-wit, but he’s obviously quick enough to maintain his privacy.

Other than his uncanny ability to remain hidden when he doesn’t want to be found, he has earned a reputation as a defender of the little fur. More than once I’ve heard a rabbit or a squirrel talk of how Big Barnaby saved them from bandits. Maybe it’ll take me getting mugged in the woods to meet with the big fur.

Carja’s Notes:

Barnaby is so far the only character that was originally conceived for the Funnies. Until this very instant I hadn’t given much thought to what kind of role he might play in the main Age of Animus canon. He has yet to appear in any stories. As such, he may undergo some changes when I finally decide to use him.

In the Funnies, Barnaby is supposed to be a loveable doofus. His eyes are different sizes to symbolize his eternal confusion. I wanted to give him a distinctive verbal mannerism to show his slowness. “Duh!” was a little too conventional, so I decided to go with “Derp!” instead.