Piper
Piper is a lich-doctor, or medical examiner. In translation from gnole-speak, Piper's pronouns as a "bone-doctor" would be "ours." Otherwise, he identifies as he/him.
Piper is a minor wonder-worker, who is able to experience a creature's final moments by touching or laying hands on them. As a consequence, he is generally an ovo-lacto-vegetarian, preferring not to live out the brutality of an animal's death while attempting to eat.
He has a frank manner,[1] and is shamelessly no-nonsense at work, reserving sensitivity and emotion for his private life. While Piper has a talented medical mind, he prefers not to operate on the living because he hates the burden of expectation to save people who cannot be saved. He is passionate about reducing birthing people's mortality rates and securing women's reproductive health, hoping to save them from painful lifelong illnesses caused by improper medical care. He often pretends to be dispassionate, not because he is angry or especially pessimistic, but because once he softens, he begins to babble.[2]
He is described as being incredibly fair-skinned, pale to the point of Galen's concern. He has dark hair and a lean, muscular figure. He has long fingers and attractive hands, something that catches Galen's attention immediately.[3]
Background & Personal Life
Piper self-identifies as a "city boy," however self-deprecatingly. His medical training lends itself to street smarts, including the ability to defend himself against intruders.[4]
Piper prefers smoky whiskey.[5]
He is gay, but a bit shy about all things romantic, and has only had a few lovers in his life, none of whom were deeply engaged or serious. He is, to Galen's surprise, completely unafraid of the paladin's rage or sword, believing him to be a fundamentally good and likable person.[6]