Dane

"5,000 Slag Silver for the life of Duke Mazarin. Beware the tin-can monster by his side."—A bounty notice at the Fulcrum. The Pillory houses the most dangerous criminals and extreme dissidents in all of Yalnor. Deep within its dungeon lies a forbidden cell, numbered 0523. There are no rusted chains here; instead, the cell is furnished with a bookshelf, a desk, books, paper, and pens. This secret room holds only one tall, masked prisoner, whose daily meals are personally attended to by the warden. None save the warden hold the truth of his crime or identity. Yet, rumors scurry through the dark corridors like rats: some say he was once a favored courtier of Yalnor, imprisoned here for embezzling the royal treasury; others claim he was the Champion Knight of Duke Fouquet, locked here as punishment for losing a duel on behalf of the king. A darker thread claims that he is the twin brother of the "Black-Hearted" Mazarin, framed and imprisoned by his own brother, who envied his gentle grace. Three years of silence shattered on a starless night. The warden, carrying a lantern, led several shadowy figures cloaked in pitch-black into the iron depths. Since then, Cell 0523 held nothing but dust. Six months later, a silent guard appeared by Duke Mazarin's side: a towering figure encased in a seamless helm that revealed no facial features, with tubes pulsing all over his body. His left hand—no longer flesh—had been forged into cannons of unearthly origin. No one has ever heard him speak; there is only the sound of his heavy, rhythmic breathing. Duke Mazarin calls him Dane. Dane obeys Duke Mazarin's every command and has assisted him on numerous occasions in handling all sorts of bloody troubles, both within and outside the Duke's territory. Even when Duke Mazarin learned that a bounty had been placed on him by the assassin organization of the Free Federation, he remained absolutely certain that Dane was his ultimate insurance.