Once again more more Mortimer!
This time we touch on a side of him that only my DM knows about, so only he has seen these pics X3 (I normally share my pics with everyone playing)
So let me properly introduce a character who helped shape Mortimer into who he is in the present. The dogfolk lady he calls Angel.
Mortimer & Angel met when he was 8 & she was 12.
He actually met her right after his father tore his costume mask off and hit him in the nose. When Mortimer ran off he hid in the wagon the Angel was being held in. Becasue Angel was a slave. But she spoke to Mortimer differently than his family did. She soothed him & played with him, they even sang together. He'd bring her gifts & read her stories. They became each others world.
Mortimer did his best to keep his friendship with her a secret for as long as he could, but he started letting her out of her cage to explore while his family caravan was stopped & he'd even bring her to hid personal room to hang out. But when his family found out what they had been doing Mortimer's father sold Angel to an ugly middle aged human man who ran his own tavern. She was first just used as a bar maid, but eventually the man forcible married her. (Remeber this story takes place in a dark fantasy medieval like time) But over the years whenever Mortimer's family was ever near the small town Angel lived in, he'd grab one of his family horses & venture off to see her. Because he was the son of the slavers who sold her, the man who owned Angel would allow Mortimer the day to spend with her. Angel was thankful for his company & her day of freedom whenever he was there. But the man would only allow the day, then he needed her to work at his tavern again.
Mortimer could tell the man hit her, due to her having bruises sometimes he visited.
When Mortimer was 16 he discovered she had been made to marry the ugly human. This made him furious because he himself had grown to love her. Though he had only ever kissed her. Mortimer wanted to take her away but knew he couldn't steal her, he knew that was a death sentence. So he offered to buy her from the man. The man gave a hefty price, it was unreasonable & would take time to make. But Mortimer had no choice but to agree, unfair as it was, it was something to aim for.
Mortimer spent a year working extra hard for his family, capturing innocent people to sell as slaves. And any other jobs his father would pay him for. It took a year, but Mortimer finally made the amount. So one morning he bid his family farewell and left. He intended to buy Angel's freedom & ride off to start a life together...away from his family. He was 17.
But when he arrived & presented the bags of coin to the ugly human man, the man returned with a fur rug. A fur rug made of Angel's fur, it was her pelt, meant to be laid on the floor. The man laughed at Mortimer's shock, and claimed that Angel had hanged-herself one night.
The good in Mortimer shattered...
Mortimer knew this man was lying, he knew now this creep had murdered her.
He couldn't believe she would have ended herself, not when she knew he was coming back for her.
Mortimer's shattered good was covered by blind rage, enmity for this man & the town who turned a blind eye to Angel's suffering.
Mortimer killed the man...and everyone in the small town. He burned the town to the ground and returned home covered in blood & soot.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/mortimer-fool-155312917
The scene of Mortimer covered in blood is from this scene.
Mortimer hung Angel's fur on his wagon bedroom wall, where it hung for around 32 years until it was burned by the slaves who over threw Mortimer.
No matter how bad Mortimer became, no matter how many he slept with, his heart always remained with his Angel.
...............
Now that I have explained the story, I shall explain the pictures.
The first shot is a depiction of Mortimer around 16, Angel around 20.
with lyrics from the song
We'll Never Have Sex
Song by Leith Ross
This song inspired this portion of backstory for Mortimer. Mortimer & Angel's relationship was very devoid of sexual feelings and was more about their pure love for each other. Mortimer only ever kissed her.
.................
The second image depicts Mortimer at 17, he's reaching for his imagination of Angel just to grab hold and find just her pelt.
His last words to her ringing in his head.
................
The Third picture depicts a drunk around 49 year old Mortimer, still saying goodnight to Angel's fur, kissing the fingers he stroked her fur with. Here Mortimer finds himself sick of his evil life but addicted to it. This is the night his slaves break free and nearly kill him.
..........
This finale image is a hypothetical I imagined of Mortimer's death, pictured in my head as an animatic to the song
The Bird Song
Song by Noah Floersch and Em Beihold
The song is about the ones who hurt (not on purpose) & the ones who are givers & get hurt. But picturing it with Mortimer & Angel as a...
like...Mortimer's life path was always about hurting others, he was raised that way, And Angel was always being hurt by the world but was a giver to Mortimer regardless of the evil he came from. And despite Mortimer believing he'd never hurt Angel, who's to say that would have been true. And who's to say he hasn't caused her spirit pain by her in the afterlife having to watch the path Mortimer went down.
But at the end of everything neither can really help who they are.
And in this hypothetical scene of Mortimer's death, he finds her waiting for him still, by the tree they used to sit under when he'd visit her.
......
Got teary eyed writing that last part X'D
But anyways, I know this is a bit of a dark heavy post about Mortimer, but all these pics came out of me finally, because in session, my brother's character (A gnoll named Sio) saw the ghost of Angel standing outside of Mortimer's room before she quickly scurried off. Sio didn't even realize she was a ghost, just me because I was sitting there, heart broken is shock to know she's still watching Mortimer.
So I hope you enjoyed this lore dump and the 4 images, despite the darkness. :)