Parset

Parset is a character in Inexorable Altercation. He was brought into the battle during the third round, as a replacement for Apathy.

Race:
This race of gnome is known for its diminutive height, simple mindedness and lack of vocal chords. They appear very similar to garden gnomes, only their clothes and hats vary wildly from gnome to gnome.

Weapons/Abilities:
Parset has no weapons and no need for them. He only two possessions are a key on a ribbon around his neck and a pair of drumsticks with a large handkerchief tied to one in use as an impromptu swag. Inside the handkerchief is a small bundle of sundries like apples, dried meat, a flint and other miscellaneous foodstuffs. Parset has no physical abilities. He is small and thus cannot run very fast. His only ability is magical. By playing a tune using a musical instrument of any sort, he can manipulate physical properties of any given world. These include movement, light, sound and any other elements of a physical nature. These spells on their own are not extremely strong, perhaps the levitation of small objects or creating a weak light to illuminate an area, but a well practiced Minnish Gnome Band can cast some powerful spells. While Parset cannot speak, he knows how to write well and has a few spells that can perform other forms of communication. Besides, as a member of a mute race, he is well versed in non-verbal communication.

Description:
About 60 centimeters high (23.6 inches), Parset is the average size of a Minnish Gnome. As with all Minnish Gnomes, he wears clothes made tailored to his height. His choice of clothes are a button-up white shirt, brown pants and a trenchcoat. A Minnish Gnome will almost never be seen without their hat. Parset's is a black top hat with a parking ticket stuck in the hat band. Around his neck is a red ribbon with a latchkey attached to it. Parset compulsively tries the latchkey around his neck into any small space that resembles a keyhole. It is unknown as to why he does this, but he will continue this exercise compulsively. He couples this action with day to day living, trying the key in different places as moves to and from places in his daily life. He has never tried the key in the same space twice, which leads those that know him to believe he is searching for a specific keyhole to unlock. It's often surmised that he is not that bright, being that he will try to unlock any hole in the ground the key will fit in. This isn't true. Parset has a reasonable intelligence, but his anxiety will get the better of him and he will double check that any hole he has seen isn't a keyhole.

Biography:
Every village in every country that is part of the Warm Continent contains a population compromised of both Human and Minnish Gnome occupants. Minnish Gnomes are treated and act as a servile race while Humans, under Human law, are the only species recognized as full citizens. Minnish Gnomes have slight magical abilities which are often utilized as a substitute to manual labor. By Human law, each citizen is designated at least one Gnome for use under their employ. Subsequently, the ratio of Gnomes to Humans is approximately 1.7:1 per town. The Gnomes are often employed as servants to do the cooking, cleaning, babysitting and other lower class tasks. While they are not paid direct money, each Town is responsible for providing a Gnommish Cornucopia weekly that is supposed to provide the Gnomes with enough food to last the week. In harsh winters when the granaries run low, it is often the Gnomes that go without.

Despite their apparent predicament, Minnish Gnomes do not seem to resent their position in society. Perhaps it is their timid nature, that they shy away from conflict and rarely break laws, that is the cause of this imbalanced society. Perhaps it is that this is how is has always been, that it is now all the Gnomes know. Perhaps it is their inability to voice how they truly feel. Perhaps it is something more sinister.

Regardless, most Gnomes will go their whole life without altercation. They are born, live and die in a single Town, only ever leaving if they are required to by their employer. Rare it is indeed to see a Gnome traveling by himself along a road, yet this is where you will find Parset most days. He is the outlier amongst his peers, a wayward nomad. He often sleeps by the side of the road, far enough away from the edge to avoid being discovered by drunken travelers looking for a punching bag. When he does stay inside the boundaries of a town, he will find lodging with one of the more kindly Gnommish families, paying for his rent in food stolen from the last town he visited.

Parset's background remains a mystery to most. His keyhole searching, combined with his nomadic nature is enough to pique the interest of the more observant Humans and Gnomes who meet him. It has been noted he has refused to take orders from humans, often sarcastically saluting to them if they give him a direct order then walking away in the pretense of going to do whatever task was given to him, but never carrying out said task. In the few towns he has returned to more than once, had you lived there all your life you would have noticed that the key around his neck is a very recent addition to his apparel. To most, he is not a genuine concern, and thus is treated similarly as to that of a crazy homeless man, except without the occasional philanthropy felt for him.