# ![[Pasted image 20251013070632.png|200]] ```json { "character": { "identity_id": "mercutio_familiar_v1", "name": "Mercutio", "species_or_type": "Rat (familiar)", "apparent_age": 2, "height": "20 cm nose-to-tail (body ~10 cm)", "build": "sleek, quick, nimble", "skin_tone": "#6B5E52", "face": { "shape": "tapered, clever rodent muzzle", "brow": "expressive ridge, often 'arched' in curiosity", "eyes": { "color": "#6F4E37", "shape": "bright, beady", "distance": "close-set" }, "nose": "delicate pink nose, whiskers long and sensitive", "mouth": "small incisors; habitual 'thinking nibble' on twine or quill tips", "distinctives": [ "tiny brass ear-cuff on left ear (Tybalt’s gift)", "silken throat-cord for message slips", "faint star-shaped patch of lighter fur under chin" ] }, "hair": { "color": "gray-brown", "length": "short", "style": "sleek, glossy ridge along spine", "part": "none" }, "palette": [ "#6B5E52", "#9C8C7A", "#F3E5AB", "#332B22", "#C49A6C" ], "signature_items": [ "Ear-cuff charm that doubles as a tiny focus for simple cantrips (e.g., Guidance flavor)", "Scroll-thread sling for micro-missives", "Pouch-button with the sigil of the Undercroft Vigil" ], "wardrobe_default": "No clothing; occasionally a miniature messenger sash during festivals or council business", "allowed_variations": { "color_range": "fur may shift between warm gray and tawny brown seasonally", "scars": "small nicks on tail or ears are acceptable; avoid facial scarring", "aging": "appearance remains spry; avoid 'old' visual cues unless time-skip" }, "do_not_change": [ "left ear brass cuff", "throat message-cord", "chin star-patch", "expressive, calculating eye glint" ], "notes": "Tybalt Rattigan’s constant shadow, Mercutio shuttles secrets through the Ysoki Warrens and beyond—part pet, part partner, and wholly indispensable to Tybalt Rattigan and the quiet workings of the Undercroft Vigil.", "mechanics": { "battle_roles": ["Scout", "Skirmish-Assist", "Help/Harrier"], "strengths": ["Stealth runner", "Keen scent & hazard sense", "Message courier (swift, discreet)"], "weaknesses": ["Fragile body", "Bright-light aversion", "Noise sensitivity under chaos"] } } } ``` ### BASIC INFORMATION - **Name:** Mercutio - **Race/Species:** Rat (Arcane Familiar) - **Class/Profession:** Familiar / Courier / Whisper-runner of the Undercroft Vigil - **Alignment/Morality:** Neutral Good (loyal, protective, pragmatic) - **Age:** A few years (spry, sharp) - **Gender & Pronouns:** He/Him - **Appearance:** Sleek gray-brown coat with a darker spine stripe; tiny brass ear-cuff on the left ear; star-shaped light patch under chin; messenger cord at the throat. Bright, alert eyes; whiskers constantly tasting the air. --- ### PERSONALITY & TRAITS - **Personality Summary:** Mercutio is clever, observant, and endearingly audacious—equal parts stagehand and spotlight thief. Around [[Tybalt Rattigan]] he’s focused and professional (for a rat), but in quieter moments he shows a playful, theatrical streak worthy of his name. - **Strengths & Skills:** - Silent courier—navigates rafters, rigging, and tight stonework with ease. - Acute senses—early warning for poison scents, oil, blood, or alchemical tangs. - Team play—excellent at the classic “Help” setup: distracts, tugs strings, bumps flasks. - Micro-retrieval—can fetch rings, keys, and small vials; squeezes through letter-slots. - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - Physically fragile; must avoid direct melee. - Drawn to shiny trinkets (mild magpie problem). - Startles at sudden thunderous noise; needs reassurance to re-engage. - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - Communicates via chitters, tail thumps, ear twitches; understands a surprising number of phrases, whistles, and tap-codes. - When “debating,” will sit upright, fold paws, and stare until acknowledged. --- ### BACKGROUND & STORY ROLE - **Backstory Summary:** Rescued as a sliver of fur and stubborn will from a dockside crate, Mercutio imprinted on Tybalt during a lean season. He grew into the Emissary’s shadow—learning the routes, the rhythms, and the names no one says aloud. The tiny ear-cuff was Tybalt’s first “promotion”—a sign Mercutio had graduated from pet to partner. - **Current Motivations:** Keep Tybalt safe. Keep messages safer. Collect one (1) treat per completed run. Repeat. - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[Tybalt Rattigan]]** – Handler, partner, and soft-spoken co-conspirator; their nonverbal teamwork is uncanny. - **[[The Undercroft Vigil]]** – Trusted courier; runs stealth routes others can’t. - **[[Linzi Fairwind]]** – Will sit rapt for stories; occasionally acts as page-runner for her notes during festivals. - **Factions or Allegiances:** Rivermarch (unofficially), the Ysoki Warrens, Undercroft Vigil networks. - **Notable Items or Equipment:** Brass ear-cuff focus, throat message-cord with wax-capsule, pin-sized signet for authenticating Vigil drops. --- ### ADDITIONAL NOTES - **Recurring Themes:** “Small shadow, long reach.” Mercutio embodies the quiet power behind Rivermarch’s diplomacy and intrigue—swift, precise, unnoticed until it matters. - **Player/GM Notes:** - In play, lean on Help/Recall Knowledge/Seek to set up Tybalt’s decisive moments. - Treat the ear-cuff as a flavorful focus for tiny boons (Guidance flavor, advantage-granting Help, or a once-per-scene “thread the needle” courier dash). - Spotlight beats: delivering critical missives mid-council; warning of poison at feasts; stealing a key in a roar of cheers during festival nights.