Balkan Barberson, also known as the Killer in Crimson in eastern Kalhastian Empire, was the powerful leader of the Lonely Fingers. He was infamous for slaughtering a small village in eastern Kalhastia, but in truth, he did so out of rage as the village had been kidnapping children and forcing them to work as slave in their mines. Balkan was a serious and focused man that was prone to fits of violent rage, but regardless he always placed himself in harm's way to protect his allies. He wielded a large axe and wore thick iron armor, painted a deep crimson.
Description
Balkan was a large and intimidating human man with dark brown hair, tan skin and blue eyes. He had thick facial hair and a face almost constantly turned into a spiteful grimace, regardless of his current emotional state. He wore a thick set of iron armor they he painted red, a constant reminder of the lives he claimed.
Balkan was a natural leader, highly protective of the mercenaries he commanded. He would readily place himself in harm's way, and functioned on a strict code of honor. However, he also had a bit of a temper, and would enter states of rage where he would lash out violently. This would usually be triggered when he encountered a grave injustice, or his friends were harmed.
Skills and Abilities
Balkan was a physical powerhouse, carrying heavy armor and wielding a comically large axe. While his technique was rough, he was naturally swift and could make up for his relatively poor technique by relentlessly assaulting his foes.
Additionally, Balkan was a natural leader and could easily inspire the confidence of his band of mercenaries.
History
Balkan Barberson is believed to have murdered half the population of a small town in eastern Kalhastia. In the event, witnesses claim his white vest was dyed crimson with blood, earning him the moniker 'Killer in Crimson' and providing him with notoriety. The truth of the matter, however, was that Balkan murdered the town due to their kidnapping of children, who were later made to work as slaves in the village mines. Out of contempt and rage for their cruelty, Balkan, who was hired to investigate the missing children, slaughtered many of the residents of the town. He later regretted his actions, and to constantly remind himself of what he did, he painted his clothes red to resemble their blood.
Later, in 983 IaC Balkan was working a different job when he came upon a sect of traffickers that were moving kidnapped elves across the Empire. Of these elves was Still Edge, who was rescued by Balkan and given the named by him due to his reserved nature. Balkan began traveling with Still Edge, and after some time, in 985, they founded the Lonely Fingers, a group of mercenaries capable of taking on dangerous jobs. While the group gained and lost members over time, there were always 5 in the group, one for each finger on a hand.
In 989, Balkan accepted a job posting from the Grey Wings to clear out Eldag Dungeon and retrieve a powerful artifact located deep inside. Unable to navigate the waterlogged crypt, Balkan hired Nettleberry to clear out the water, an act that would later cause him much grief; Nettleberry proved herself capable, but was also an unapologetic agent of chaos. When a group of Claw members attempted to steal the artifact from his mercenaries, Balkan was betrayed by Nettleberry, who used the confusion to attack the Fingers. Balkan fought valiantly, but was overwhelmed by a group of zombies that Nettleberry detonated around him like bombs. He continued to fight, but was finally taken down by one of Nettleberry's husk-like zombies, dying in the middle of Eldag Hollow.