Gazelle the Lamenter
Gazelle the Lamenter is a bard and a member of The Black Veil. Gazelle achieved success early in their career, then lost their inspiration and tried everything to find it again: they paid hunters to bring them pixies so that they could use their magic, and put massive bounties on the heads of muses, all to no avail. Gazelle was on the brink of suicide when they finally found their "muse".1
The muse
Returning home one night after heavy drinking, Gazelle was stopped by a thug who only wanted their money. Thinking a tragic end would suit their career, Gazelle resisted, mocking the thug's incompetence until he was forced to act. When he began beating them with a club, Gazelle's survival instincts took over. Until that day they could manage only a few magical tricks, but in the rush of the moment they released a psychic blast at the unfortunate man, whose eyes began to bleed before his head burst, leaving a headless corpse in the alley for the night.2
Gazelle felt alive. To them the fight had been a stage: letting the enemy hurt them was the dramatic element, and the thug's death the hero's inevitable victory. They loved what they did that night, and did it again the night after, and the one after that. Soon they were being hunted in the White City, and it was then that the Wing approached them, offering a new beginning in which they could pursue their newly found form of art.2
Style
Trained in duelling and spellcasting at the Empire's College, Gazelle is a skilled bard who is also capable in single combat. They use their magic to toy with enemies and their blade to finish them, usually seeking out the mightiest foe to mock and play with. For Gazelle it is all a show, and they tend to ignore enemies they consider inferior. Their favourite work is poisoning, and their speciality is framing others for their own illegal activities; they refuse missions that can be solved only by brute force.2
Notes
Sources
This article draws on:
- MCMercenary Compendium(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 64-65
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