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Count Bertrand Palomo

His Dire Lordship

also answers to Lord Palomo and Bert (gladly) and Bertie (not so gladly)

he/him | 65 | 6’10”

Ambition: Nemesis - Complete
Major Storyline: Seeking Mr Eaten’s Name
Profession: Licentiate

Main Stats: Watchful, Dangerous, Dreaded
Main Skills: Kataleptic Toxicology, Glasswork
Menaces: Unaccountably Peckish, Nightmares

Background

Bertrand is an England native, born to an Italian father and English mother. The Fall occurred when he was in his early twenties, and he took it about as well as a young man could take it (not well). Not much is known about his Surface history, and asking him would earn you a blank expression, some puzzled stammering and not much else. Not remembering his time before the Fall doesn’t seem to bother him too much, all things considered, and he writes it off as a relatively normal and uneventful past life he cannot return to.
Bertrand’s time in the Fifth City was unremarkable for years—he wasn’t picky about where his income came from; if a job made him money, that was fine. He spent most of his life as an enforcer because he was well suited physically for the work, though what exactly he was enforcing seemed to only adhere to rules he personally felt were appropriate.
Bertrand would have continued doing what he was doing had it not been for The Carnival Incident some thirty years into his time in the Neath and the emergence of a loud, hollow voice in his dreams.

Seeking

HEY WARNING FOR CANNIBALISM

While physically incredibly formidable, Bertrand’s ability to resist the influence of the supernatural is incredibly weak. That weakness was only made worse when blended with his latent desire for vengeance, lack of purpose and lifelong soft spot for carnival fare, and as a result he was unable to stop himself from Seeking Mr. Eaten’s Name.
When it first started he was somewhat able to suppress his catastrophic hunger in social circles, and the only outwardly noticeable sign was a habit of eating things that really shouldn’t be eaten—candles, fabric and raw meat were his go-to. Soon, though, Mr. Eaten’s influence over him grew strong enough that nothing would sate him and he began hunting other people for food.
Bertrand often lapses into a feral, raving cannibal running on pure instinct with no regard for scandal or suspicion. Given that Bertrand strongly values Seeking and sees it as a noble act, the only real concern he has is whether the aforementioned cannibal—to whom he refers simply as “him” in an attempt to separate himself from his terrible actions—has damaged his reputation in social circles. Which he definitely has.
Unfortunately for Bertrand’s reputation, Seeking has also influenced him when fully lucid, where he just considers human flesh an everyday meal and is quite surprised when his behavior is reviled by other Londoners. Those who have been unfortunate enough to end up in his grasp will find themselves as the centerpiece of a horrible perversion of a high society gathering, where the guest of honor turns out to also be the main course, and the only other attendee is the host.

Personality

Prior to falling under Mr. Eaten’s influence, Bertrand was a pleasant—if a little loud and arrogant—gentleman. Now, Bertrand fights to maintain a thin veneer of that gentleman over the cruel, ill-tempered, petulant and aggressive brute that Seeking has made him. Overall he’s quite successful at maintaining that guise and presents himself as a well-mannered and reasonable man, but those who have interacted with him for an extended period, or worse crossed him, will see that the mask slips off when he doesn’t get exactly what he wants.
Bertrand is observant and intelligent, which morphs into an astonishing level of dedication to what he’s set his mind to, for good or for ill. He has been known to pursue all manner of things with unflinching determination and never leaves a job unfinished if he can help it. Once he began Seeking, that determination only intensified, and he will pursue things with little regard for the damage he’s doing to himself or others.
As monstrous as Bertrand is, he does retain enough of himself to maintain strong bonds with a handful of others, but only time will tell if he can remain in their good graces.

Other Stuff That Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else

  • Bertrand’s nails and canines are longer and sharpened as a result of an encounter with the God-Eaters.
  • Bertrand is bonded (married?) to a Strange-Shore Parabolan linen suit that he’d awakened in the Maze Garden.
  • It is extremely difficult to poison him—he forced himself to develop a tolerance to as many toxins as he could, knowing his penchant for eating anything he can get his hands on.
  • Stains on his soul have afflicted Bertrand with a perpetual fever.
  • While not too concerned about what else he has done to himself, Bertrand is attentive to his weeping scars and does make an attempt to keep them bandaged when he can.
  • Bertrand has an incredible fondness for the Neathbow and has a collection of mirrorcatch boxes containing it.
  • His favorite is irrigo, and he spends a lot of time in the Cave of the Nadir… though whether he likes irrigo because it helps him forget what he’s done is unclear.
  • Bertrand can smell fear.
  • While he’s most commonly heard speaking English by Londoners, he is more comfortable speaking Italian, and he rolls his r’s when speaking as a result.
  • He has Really Long Hair and it is usually braided.
  • His ship (which doubles as his lodgings) is the All Is Well, and after many many trips to Polythreme, his ship seems to be more and more cognizant of her surroundings.
  • When it comes to people he hunts as food, Bertrand fixates on those he perceives as closer to salvation and forgiveness than he is. He is not often right.

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