Swires

An early attempt by TP to redefine fantasy staples, or a less cantankerous version of Buggy, Swires was encountered by Rincewind and Twoflower during the events of The Light Fantastic. Twoflower - obviously - thinks he can't be a gnome as he's not wearing a red hat. He must be a pixie. And he's definitely not an elf, whatever Twoflower's famously rose-tinted views of them.

He is encountered in a toadstool house - just the kind of common fantasy cliche TP had set out to ridicule. Swires then leads them to a fairytale gingerbread house, complete with toffee and caramel beds, candyfloss doormat etc. Just the sort of thing that he is at pains in later books to ensure cannot be as they're just too stupid.

Whether Swires is the archetype for, an ancestor of, or even an early version of Buggy Swires is open to debate.

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