En allant au château, Duncan aurait pu arriver à l'heure s'il sprintait. Mais d'une part, l'ensemble de l'effort n'était pas plus que de chercher un sanctuaire de sa part, et d'autre part... Eh bien, dans un endroit comme celui-ci, sprinter comme un cheval ne vous a pas fait beaucoup plus que l'entraînement de cible. En se déplaçant avec une sorte d'objectif stable au moins lui a donné l'impression qu'il était quelque peu important, et l'étrangeté d'un animal apparemment normal sans la magie sombre qui a purvé la région était assez nouveauté pour qu'il passe sans être molé.
Cela étant dit, alors qu'il avait sauvé une lance à travers l'intestin, cela l'avait aussi rendu douloureusement tard pour arriver au pont. Sa principale préoccupation était que son retard irritait Lancelot, les seigneurs étant souvent un peu sensibles à tout ce qu'ils jugeaient irrespectueux. Duncan était tout à fait conscient qu'il n'était pas la créature la plus puissante, et l'idée d'être étouffé comme une mouche était encore moins attrayante que de retourner dans son village et de faire face à une armée d'hommes pieux brandissant des armes éblouissantes et de l'eau bénite. L'idée qu'ils bénissent sa rivière au nom de leur dieu suffit à faire ramper la peau du kelpie.
En toute honnêteté, il était plutôt reconnaissant à Lancelot. Le chaos qu'un tel homme a causé a poussé les gens à voyager et à s'en enfuir, et ceux qui se réfugiaient dans la ville étaient une source régulière de nourriture. Avant ça, il avait dû manger des cerfs une ou deux fois. C'était dégoûtant. Barbarique. Les humains étaient tellement plus tendres, en ce qui le concerne. Satisfaisant. Mais ce n'est pas assez satisfaisant pour lui de vouloir participer à cette guerre. Il s'est retrouvé en train de fouiner ses pensées jusqu'à l'entrée.
Tandis que les portes étaient fermées devant lui, Duncan a gagné à ce qui devait arriver. Même s'il était logique d'assumer une forme humaine, étant donné qu'il traitait avec les gens, le concept lui était toujours un peu mal à l'aise. Peut-être parce que les seuls humains qu'il avait jamais rencontrés semblaient se faucher sur lui à un degré un peu pathétique, il n'était pas tout à fait sûr comment faire face à ceux qui étaient censés être sur un pied d'égalité, peu importe plus puissant.
C'est donc avec un léger sentiment d'inconfort que Duncan, maintenant un homme, est entré dans la pièce à la fin du discours de Lancelot. Et il ne pouvait pas être plus évident qu'il n'était rien d'autre qu'un noble, étant donné qu'il ne semblait pas comprendre le concept de dire, 'fermer sa chemise', ou 'porter des chaussures'. Cela ne faisait qu'ajouter à cette impression qu'il semblait beaucoup comme s'il avait décidé de nager à travers le lac plutôt que de prendre le pont, apparemment trempé dans l'os.
Certains d'entre eux semblaient déjà décourager la violence entre les participants, ce qui, bien qu'il soit d'accord avec le sentiment, le laissait plus qu'un peu préoccupé quant à l'objet exact du discours. Décider qu'il serait préférable de ne pas trop attirer l'attention sur lui-même, il a tranquillement fait son chemin vers la table. Aucun aliment ne lui semblait particulièrement appétissant, mais il remplissait néanmoins son assiette.
Enfin, prenant le temps de regarder autour de la grande salle, il était clair que l'homme était plus qu'un peu confus. Il a brièvement amusé la pensée de parler, mais il est sorti comme un léger pleurnicheur - rapidement couvert par un ajustement de toux. Il n'était pas encore habitué à parler sous cette forme, et comme les esprits allaient, il n'était pas particulièrement vieux ou expérimenté. Alors qu'il était presque certain que cela n'arriverait plus, il a décidé de ne pas faire d'annonces pour le moment. Mieux vaut qu'il se compose lui-même et reste coincé avec une conversation normale. Avec un peu de chance, il n'aurait pas attiré l'attention de personne, et pourrait aller à la recherche des choses sans être accosté par l'un des invités les plus effrayants et bizarres.
Each na H-abhainn Dubh, Spirit of the Drowned, The Devil's Horseman
General description

Race
Kelpie
Age
100-ish
Size
Human: 6'2", 175lbs
Horse/Monster: 5'3" tall, 8'0 long, 1200lbs
Gender
Male
Sexuality
Tentatively bisexual, although he hasn't really thought about it.
Religion
None.
Job
Water-vanguard
Personality
For a man-eating child-drowning demon, Duncan is slightly unsure of himself when it comes to dealing with others, perhaps as most of his time prior to accepting Lancelot's invitation was spent as, well, a horse. Ignorant of human customs, he is rather naive and easily tricked, at least where social norms are concerned. Perhaps. It's unclear whether Duncan doesn't realise he's being taken for a ride, or whether he just doesn't care either way. Whatever his reasons, he'll happily go along with most things that he is told.
Perhaps because of this, he is easygoing and difficult to anger, unless the mistreatment of animals comes into the equation. He tends to take it rather personally, for obvious reasons. Beyond that, he doesn't particularly seem to enjoy fighting or hurting others, and would much rather people weren't at each others' throats. As for his dedication to their fight, he'd honestly prefer that they just stay at the castle - to hell with the whole 'world-conquering' business. Honour and status as concepts are lost on him; he would much rather accept defeat than fight to his last breath.

Biography
The guardian of a river near a fairly large settlement, Duncan's early life was a fairly tranquil one. The locals did not fear him, and made much effort to avoid angering him - For the water, pure and unpolluted, was the lifeblood of the town, the fish their food, their mills powered by the river's constant flow. The locals were well aware of his presence, and their children were often warned of the creature dwelling within their waters. The half-drowned man, when making an appearance, was treated with the utmost respect, for they knew him as a herald of the beast - not realising that the two were one and the same.
There was a time when they would warn visitors of the white horse, but after a few disappearances an uneasy truce was reached between the monster and the villagers. He would protect his river, and allow them to hunt and fish without fear, and in return they said nothing to any travellers that visited. His food source was steady enough, and the devoured merchants were hardly likely to send back any warning. In a morbid gesture of thanks, the belongings of the merchants would wash onshore for the villagers to find, along with a hefty portion of discarded entrails.
Such peace was unlikely to last forever, though, and not every merchant was caught. One escapee, after shearing off his own hand as his companion was dragged to the depths, returned with a command of holy soldiers, paladins of a sort. Caught off-guard, Duncan was left with little choice but to flee from their massed blades, falling unconscious and left to drift downstream. It was only by the water's healing and the kindness of a stranger who found his battered - now human - body that he even lived. Fearing that the knights would find him once more, however, the only reward that Duncan provided was a quick death before the stranger was consumed.
Duncan had received Lancelot's raven some days earlier, finding the bird waiting for him at the river's bank.
Initially, he had cast aside the invitation, having no interest in leaving behind a life of relative comfort and contentment. However, upon losing that, he had little choice but to flee to Camelot. Not because he had any great cause to serve, or enemies to take revenge upon, but simply because he had nowhere else to turn.

Appearance

Most of his time is spent in human form, a long-haired man with dark eyes and who always appears to have just crawled out from a shipwreck. His hair is conspicuously filled with what appear to be water weeds, deep green ribbons that seem impossible to get rid of no matter how hard anyone may try to clear them away. As for his stature, he is fairly muscular, broad-shouldered, and handsome, a fact which is abundantly clear from his apparent disdain for any kind of heavy clothing. While he has the decency to wear clothes, the soaked shirt he wears is almost invariably open at the front, and any new clothing he is given invariably appears soaked through. Curiously enough, the moment it gets taken off of him it appears to become dry again.
Around his neck is a silver necklace, which he firmly refuses to take off.

A pristine white stallion, with little to distinguish him from any normal animal. The most obvious feature that makes him stand out is the silver bridle that he bears, giving the impression that he perhaps belongs to some wealthy noble. The more observant sorts might notice that the horse itself is unusual, not a normal creature, by its hooves and the prints they leave behind - hooves which are flipped the wrong way around.

Once a creature or human is in his grasp, Duncan's monstrous nature reveals itself. His flesh stains to a rotted-looking grey, lacerations appearing across his form though they don't seem to bother the spirit. His eyes take on a red, otherworldly glow, his mane transforms into a mess of seaweed and tentacles, and his teeth become unnaturally sharp along with a jaw able to unhinge beyond what would appear natural. Across his flesh, there are many handprints, white against the dead-looking skin, the marks of those who have found themselves trapped before.

Traits and Equipment

A race of shape-shifting water-spirits, the kelpie usually take the form of ordinary-looking horses to deceive people into approaching them. Once a person touches the kelpie, they are trapped within its flesh as it assumes a monstrous form and drags them underwater, where they are devoured alive as they drown. They can also assume a human form, though they are marked by the presence of water weeds in their hair. Some see them as harbingers of the devil, unholy spirits which terrorise the innocent.



Siren's Song
When someone looks at Duncan in his horse form, they will hear a faint song in their ears, enticing them to want to approach and ride or otherwise pet the creature. This effect is easily resisted by any who know his true nature, and the threat of death or drowning that such an action presents.
Consuming Current
Duncan's flesh is able to trap any creature that comes into direct contact with it. This effect cannot be escaped unless he chooses to release the victim, or the flesh containing the trapped body part is destroyed. In addition, should the trapped body part be detached from the victim, they can escape his grasp.
One with Water
When completely submerged in water, Duncan's flesh will quickly regenerate and is able to heal surface wounds. Internal or magical damage is not fixable through this effect. In addition, his swimming abilities are exceptional.
Tainted Creature
When he assumes his monstrous form, water around Duncan becomes black and sticky, much like tar, though he can move through it like normal. The effect is not under his control, but happens whether he wants it to or not, reverting as soon as he is no longer touching the water or changes to another form.




Bridle's Burden
If Duncan's bridle, or necklace when in human form, is taken from him his powers will be completely under the thief's control, and he will be at their mercy. He will become progressively weaker the longer it is kept from him and should he be completely separated from it for twenty-four hours straight, he will die. Lancelot is aware of this weakness, though Duncan otherwise keeps it a closely-guarded secret.
Unholy Spirit
Duncan does not do well with holy ground or any kind of blessed item. Anything holy or blessed will sear and burn his skin and cannot be healed through his usual regeneration abilities, and he can't set foot in places such as cathedrals or shrines.
River Dwelling
Being a river spirit, Duncan's abilities are far more suited to fresh water. While he can still operate in salt water if it becomes necessary, it cannot heal him and his swimming abilities are lessened.
Weakened Shape
Though it helps him to blend in and communicate, Duncan's human form has none of the offensive potential or durability possessed by his true form. In places where his other form would be inconvenient, he has no choice but to fight as an average human. His lack of training in this area means he has to rely on physical strength alone.




Bridle
 A silver bridle, this is always worn by Duncan in one way or another. When in human form, it changes to a simple silver chain around his neck.



River's Caress

A pendant gifted by Lancelot and subsequently attached to Duncan's necklace and bridle, the River's Caress allows him to sense the locations of any nearby water sources. If necessary, the pendant can be used to teleport nearby water to his location, but doing so takes a huge toll on Duncan due to his lack of any magical affinity or knowledge, and depending on the volume transported is likely to leave him highly weakened or even completely unconscious.

Relationships
N/A
Other
N/A