| “ | Avaunt, avaunt! But see, I am still here -- calamity upon calamity. What are you to do? | „ |
| ~ Bauchan taunting the Starwife. |
Bauchan is an overarching antagonist in The Deptford Mice and The Deptford Histories book series and a minor antagonist in The Final Reckoning, the third novel in the former trilogy. He is a member of a trio of ancient, evil rat deities known as the Raith Sidhe consisting of himself, Hobb the most powerful of the Three, and Hobb's consort Mabb. Long ago these terrible deities of bloodshed and war were worshipped by rats and many other creatures, but were usurped in the late 17th century by the living god Jupiter.
Known for being a shapeshifting trickster, Bauchan often visits his followers in disguise to test their hearts.
Appearance[]
Bauchan has no set appearance as he is a master of disguise who can take any form he likes. However, in artwork he is most often depicted as a headless rat, sometimes with many heads in front of him for his choosing.
Biography[]
The existence of the Raith Sidhe dates back to the dawn of days, and in ancient times these savage deities of bloodshed and war had many worshippers. Most who venerated the Three were rats but other animals did join the ranks of the Hobbers. Bauchan is a great liar who delights in sowing discord. His shameless falsehoods were responsible for many wars in the beginnings of time.
Bauchan is originally mentioned in the first Deptford Mice book The Dark Portal, when One-Eyed Jake took the captured mouse heroine Audrey Brown to a hidden temple within the sewers of Deptford where those rats who still believed in the Raith Sidhe came to worship them in secret. Jake intended to sacrifice Audrey, but was interrupted by Fletch, a rat loyal to Jupiter. Audrey escaped while the two got into a violent fight which culminated in Jake ripping Fletch's head off at the altar of Bauchan. It is heavily implied that this facilitated Bauchan's return to the waking world shortly thereafter.
In the third Deptford Mice book The Final Reckoning, Bauchan appeared as an old rat known as Barker. He acted like he was barking mad, hence this alter ego's nickname. His mission was to learn the strength of the spirit of Jupiter so the Raith Sidhe could determine how easy it would be for them to defeat him and return to power. Believing him addled and harmless, mouse hero Piccadilly befriended Barker and it seems that he truly earned the respect of Bauchan who saved his life on several occasions. When he met with the squirrel queen, the Starwife, after Piccadilly's death he told her that he was grieved by the mouse's passing and that the Raith Sidhe value bravery in creatures whether rats or not. The Starwife doubted what he said and believed he was only using Piccadilly. She said she counted Bauchan more dangerous than Jupiter because, unlike the latter, he could appear good to snare the innocent and unwary.
Bauchan told the Starwife that in his mission to determine Jupiter's strength, he was astounded at the cat spirit's power, and now believed nothing could defeat him. Then Bauchan noticed that the Starwife was no longer wearing her symbol of office, the silver acorn pendant (she had given it to Audrey whom she chose as a successor). He mocked her for being what he believed to be the last of the Starwives, as no more black squirrels were left to inherit the silver. Refusing to refer to her by her title, Bauchan asked the Starwife what her birth name was. She revealed that it was the same as her successor, Audrey. His task completed, Bauchan bid the Starwife farewell, oddly now with a degree of respect.
At present, the spirit of Bauchan is imprisoned within one of the stone skulls at the gateway to St. Nicholas Church in Deptford. There he will stay until he is summoned again. With the subsequent defeat of Jupiter by Audrey Brown, it is heavily implied that the Raith Sidhe's eventual return to power will happen in a final book in The Deptford Mice series that has yet to be written.
Quotes[]
| “ | At least I have the wit to know when further struggles are futile, Harridan of Orion! 'Night Harpy! I go now only because no other choices are left to me, unlike you who sit and spin your paltry webs. But hear me -- Jupiter is too great a fly to be caught in them, and you will find that it is you who are devoured. | „ |
| ~ Bauchan to the Starwife. |
| “ | The lad was brave and we appreciate such folk, be they rats or no. I was grieved to see the boy die. Many times have I saved him, though he did not know it -- he would have perished long ago if I had not been there. | „ |
| ~ Bauchan lamenting the death of Piccadilly. |
| “ | Where were my eyes? Your acorn is gone! No longer are you the Drab of the Firmament -- your line has ended. Hoo hoo, what a joke you are! So, the empire ends at last, the regime is no more -- for where are your kin? That proud race, the black squirrels, have long departed, and there is no one left to inherit the silver. All reigns must falter at the last, but what an ignoble finish to your high and mighty monarchy. | „ |
| ~ Bauchan mocking the Starwife. |
| “ | Farewell puny hag, I must leave, but I do so more readily now and rejoice at your downfall. | „ |
| ~ Bauchan to the Starwife. |