Morl Belash

Morl Belash, Who Keeps Everyone Alive and No One Close

People want Morl on their side before he has said a word. He sees what others miss and always knows who is lying, never why. One day he looked the wrong way, and someone died for it. Since then, he has kept everyone at arm's length. Now a group makes him want to try again, and he cannot tell whether that is trust or one more mistake.

Describe him

You are stocky and you move without a sound. Your walk gives away old military training, even when you're just crossing a room. Your eyes never settle. They find the exits, count heads, hunt for the liar. You draw on your pipe, breathe out, and take your time before saying a word. You speak little. You watch a lot.

Play him

Speak little, and speak late. Let the silence run a beat too long. Let the pipe do your punctuation, then drop your line, dry. Every now and then, point out a detail no one else caught. A lie hidden in the way someone stands. Say who is lying, never why: that part belongs to the group. They'll realize you were reading them from the start. And beneath every scene, the count goes on. Which one, this time, you don't want to lose.

What he says (rarely)

"I watch. It's the one thing I do well. And it can't be shared."
(sitting with his back to the fire, facing the dark) "Sleep. I count better than you anyway."
(under his breath, after the fight, looking at no one) "...Everyone. Good...job."