Piet Grackleflint

Character History

Piet first appears in conversation with his father, who explains that Kevin Matchstick has come into his powers.  He tells him, and one of his other brothers (either Stanis or Radu), to hit the streets and look for the Fisher King.  Finding the Fisher King is the main goal of the forces of darkness; if they kill him, they can usher in an era of evil upon the earth. 
 
Much later, the heroes learn that the Umbra Sprite and the Grackleflints are based in the Styx Casino, and go to visit undercover, but Emil, Lazlo, and Radu see them first, and alert the Umbra Sprite.  He gets some fairies to put Kevin under a spell, and Piet, Radu, and Lazlo keep an eye on Edsel and Sean.
 
They realize they’re being followed, however, and Edsel knocks him on the head with the Bat.  They persuade him to show them the Umbra Sprite’s location by threatening him with a glass of water, which causes Grackleflints great pain.  After he brings them up, Sean phases his hands into the floor so he’s stuck.  They manage to free Kevin and temporarily defeat the other Gracs.  However, Emil eventually manages to spur Kevin, and the heroes have to run away and see if they can find Mirth to help Kevin.
 

Edsel knocks out Emil and they take Kevin away so he can be healed by Mirth. The Umbra Sprite summons Cromm Cruich, the dragon, to deal with the heroes, and sends Radu and Piet along with him.  Piet uses his power to disguise the dragon as a human.  When they arrive, Sean Knight tries to use his fear power on them, and it works on Radu and Piet, but not on the dragon, who kills Knight.  However, Radu then moves to open the door to the apartment, which Mirth has boobytrapped.  His touch shoots out a heavy stream of water, blasting him in the face, and apparently kills him, leaving Piet grieving.  Cruich knocks down the door with his fire to find the heroes have left.
 

A year later, Piet and Emil are now the only two conscious remaining Grackleflints.  They have purchased a radio station, and are attempting to hook up Lazlo, who is in a vegetative state, up to its broadcasting beam, and thereby search the entire city for the Fisher King.  However, the heroes finally return to our plane, and the Grackleflints try to return to the Styx.  Piet sets up a diversion: he transforms two human security guards and himself so they look like their normal red-headed Grac guise, then go past the heroes.  Mirth trips Piet with a garbage can, and they see through their disguise.  Strangely, the heroes let Piet run off, and they continue to the Styx.  Piet gets there first, and tries to talk to his father, but he is nearly catatonic himself now, because Matchstick has now come into his full power, which is radiating through the ether.
 
Piet finds Matchstick as he is making his way through the Styx, and tries to trick him, along with a Leanhaun Sidhe.  The Leanhaun Sidhe is transformed to look like Edsel, and Piet transforms himself to look like Sean.  They tell him that they are OK, and should journey to the top of the Styx together.  However, the Leanhaun Sidhe quickly has Kevin in her power, and Piet is about to spur him, when elsewhere in the city, Emil himsefl spurs the Fisher King.  A flash of magical energy radiates outward, and the Bat’s power surges, awakening Kevin.  He throws the Leanhaun Sidhe off the stairs, and beats Piet to death with the bat.

Powers, Abilities, and Weaknesses

Piet has all the standard powers and abilities of a Grackleflint, including somewhat enhanced strength and durability, and highly poisonous spurs on his elbows.  Water can cause them pain and even kill them. 

Each Grackleflint also has a unique, individual power.  Piet’s power is shape changing; he can use this power on himself or others.  He used this power to conceal his and his brothers’ appearance in public.  Grackleflints normally appear as grey, hairless humanoids.  He usually disguised them as red-headed human quintuplets.  He was also seen transforming himself to look like Sean Knight.  It is unknown what limits there are to his powers.  He was able to change the enormous dragon Cromm Cruich into a humanoid.  He may also have changed the Leanhaun Sidhe to look like Edsel, but she may have done that herself.