Cricket

Cricket is a draft horse purchased by the Pog Champions to help draw their carriage.

Appearance
Cricket is a very large horse, bred to perform physically demanding jobs.

Personality
Cricket seems to be fairly docile and accepting of pats. However, his temperament has yet to be tested by the children in Julia’s care.

Background
Considering where he was purchased, Cricket was likely born in or around Falas. As a draft horse, he was bred for size and strength, in hopes that he would someday perform difficult tasks such as pulling a plow or a carriage.

Entering the Exeter
As the Pog Champions planned their journey to secure the Abyssal Crests, they decided to purchase a carriage to make their travels easier. As the only horse between them, Gin, was a riding horse, they also decided to purchase a draft horse, using funds from Emperor Eurystheos XIV to help Gin pull the carriage. Jorah purchased Cricket, who was teleported to Port Valor. Cricket received his name after the party agreed on it, with Ashara and Reides initially wanting to name him Roach, while Kilwin and Jorah objected. Alongside Gin, Cricket pulled the party’s carriage south to Quadroad and west through the Cyvirian Wood and Gutsnake Gorge. He was left at the gates of the Exeter for a few days while the party navigated the narrow mountain paths to Kahzdurga. However, the party returned and Cricket continued his travels.

Demons of Port Valor
When the party arrived in the Exeter proper, Cricket was stabled at the Paragon’s Rest. He remained there while the party was falsely accused of being responsible for the devastation of Port Valor and imprisoned, under the care of Ragni Quartzhenge. When the party was exonerated and released, Cricket was reunited with them and helped take them out of the city.

Jorah’s Homecoming
Cricket traveled with the party to Hommlin, but did not take an active role in the events that occurred there.

Raven's Fall
Cricket took the carriage north to Raven Rock. The party almost immediately became involved in thwarting a kidnapping that required them to cross the Ravenridges. As a result, Jorah brought Gin with him, but Cricket and the carriage were stabled at the local inn. Before the party's return, the town was attacked by a legion of armanites and babaus. During the attack, the innkeeper took the stabled horses inside the inn, which was then barricaded. When the party became aware of the attack, they worried for Cricket's safety, but saw no sign of him when they stopped by the Nest. However, they also found no signs of struggle in the inn's stables. After the battle, they were reunited with him, and Cricket received many pets and much relieved doting.

Atemcester Arc
Cricket pulled the carriage north, through Terrath and to Atemcester. While there, he was stabled at the Fish and Spell. As the party’s time in Atemcester came to a close, however, they realized they couldn’t bring the horses with them on the next leg of their journey, which would be at sea. While Jorah planned to entrust Gin to his former guardian, Julia, he was reluctant to impose a second horse on her. However, the rest of the party hoped to reunite with Cricket someday and wanted to know if Julia could care for him as well. Julia agreed to take care of both horses and the carriage, and most of the party bid Cricket a heartfelt farewell.

Goals
Cricket would probably like a treat, such as a carrot or a sugar cube.

Abilities
As a draft horse, Cricket is powerfully built and has greater strength than an average horse. In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, horses do, in fact, attack with their hooves.

Cricket and the Pog Champions
Cricket was originally purchased by the Pog Champions to help them pull their carriage. After several months in close proximity with the horse, most of the adventurers grew very attached to Cricket. They were genuinely concerned about his safety during the attack on Raven Rock and extremely relieved when they came back safely. Most of the party was also opposed to selling Cricket to a new owner in hopes of reuniting with him someday. Jorah, however, was reluctant to burden Julia with an additional horse who wasn’t specifically his.

Cricket and Gin
Having pulled a carriage together for several months, Cricket and Gin presumably know each other as well as any two horses do. However, their opinions of each other are unknown to the Pog Champions.

Trivia

 * One of Cricket's suggested names, Roach, is a reference to Geralt's horse of the same name from The Witcher.