Gavner Purl



Gavner Purl was an old friend of Larten Crepsley's. He is a Vampire General.

Background
(Alternative, based on a fan story) At one point, long before he met Darren, Gavner Purl went to St. Matthew's Hospital gasping for blood. There, he met 23 year old nurse Liz Carr. She got him the blood and was surprised to learn that he was going to drink it. He explains to her he's a Vampire. She offers for him to stay with her for the night at her home. They became good friends then and Gavner often came back to her house for visits. They became on and off lovers for 26 years. ("An Affair of the Night")

History
Gavner is described as a medium sized man with a scarred, patched up face and dark rings around both eyes. Gavner first appears visiting Mr. Crepsley at the Cirque du Freak. It is here he learns of Darren's existence as a half-vampire and befriends the boy. He reveals many details about Mr. Crepsley and states that he is around 200 years old, also calling Larten Crepsley a "stuffy old bat" He then flits off on other business.

Gavner reappears in the fourth book, Vampire Mountain, when he pretends to attack Darren and Mr. Crepsley in a way station. He then accompanies them to Vampire Mountain and helps Darren with several challenges, including the Trials of Initiation.

After Darren fails, he and Kurda Smahlt help Darren to escape. They are attacked by Vampaneze and Gavner and Kurda fend them off while Darren escapes. Darren returns to help, but Kurda suddenly rips Gavner's belly open with a knife revealing himself a traitor. Gavner succumbs to the wounds, using his last breath to apologize to Darren for all of the snoring he did along the trek to Vampire Mountain. He dies shortly after.

His body is found wedged beneath two rocks in the same cavern he'd been murdered in and cremated in a funeral after the battle in the tunnels.

In the Movie
Gavner's outward appearance in the film is nothing like in the book series. In the movie, he is slender, with an unscarred face and a thin mustache. He also seems a bit more uptight in the film and less friendly. Larten and Gavner are good friends in both the book series and the movie.

Trivia

 * He uses his last breath to appologize to Darren for all of his snoring.

"Ssorry iif mmy sn-snoring kept you... awake." Gavner Purl's final words.


 * Gavner owned a pair of yellow boxers with pink elephants stitched into them. They are revealed during the trek to vampire mountain, and eventually lead up to Mr.Crepsley's first outburst of laughter Darren had ever witnessed.

Books

 * (mentioned only)
 * (first apperacnce)
 * (death at the hands of Kurda Smahlt)
 * The Vampire Prince(mentioned)
 * The Vampire Prince(mentioned)


 * The Lake of Souls(mentioned)

Short Stories

 * "An Affair of the Night"

Films

 * Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant