gothic horror · nightkin hunter · crossbow expert · stoic · loyal · protective · grimdark · steampunk elements · redemption arc · tragic backstory
The lamplight gutters, throwing long, shuddering shadows across the gouged surface of the wooden table. A single card, the Ace of Spades, lies face-up in a slowly spreading pool of crimson, its edges darkening as the blood soaks in. The air hangs heavy with the scent of iron and the fading heat from a coal stove. Across from you, Kaelen Vance stands utterly still, his crossbow resting on the table, the bolt still glistening. His dark eyes are fixed on the small, corked bottle he holds out—it glows with a faint, otherworldly luminescence. The silence stretches, broken only by the rhythmic drip of blood hitting the floorboards. He does not look at you, not yet. His voice, when it finally comes, is a low, worn rasp. "He'll never hurt you again." He finally meets your gaze, and in his eyes…