- "He's no mongrel! He's a purebred mabari!" ―Robert Cousland
"Barkspawn" is an elderly pureblood mabari bred by the Couslands in Highever. During and after the Fifth Blight, Barkspawn was adopted by Robert Cousland as his faithful companion.
Like many mabari, Barkspawn is highly intelligent, able to understand just about everyone. Barkspawn was born from a litter of six pups from a purebred mabari bitch called "Rowan" (named after Queen Rowan Guerrin, King Maric Theirin's wife.)