Bernard O'Leary

**Bernard "Bern" O'Leary** is a young man who serves as a cabin boy aboard the *S.S. Carol*. He is known for his gentle, shy demeanor and his love of animals. He has a pet chicken named Plucky.

Bern is portrayed by TikTok user, heartsleeveartsies

## Appearance

Bern is a soft-faced lad with dirty, dark hair, green eyes, and pale skin. His body is covered in a crisscross of scars from a whip. He typically wears an over-sized ocher tunic with a rope belt and brown trousers. On board the ship, he usually wears a pair of old leather boots, while at port, he goes barefoot.

## Personality

Bern is a very shy, easily started young man. He loathes violence and confrontation, preferring to remain below deck during battles. He is easily started and prone to panic attacks, though the crew recognizes him as brave in his own ways. Very reclusive and quiet, Bern is known for being incredibly gentle, despite his size.

## Backstory

Bern was the youngest of the O'Leary family and the only son. His childhood itself was rather uneventful, with him helping around the farm from a very young age, and playing with his sister, Margaret. He was a playful, fun-loving boy, whose friendship with animals was considered nearly supernatural to those in the town around him. He could calm any creature - from a wild horse, to a hungry bear - very easily.

Once, he went missing for a week, prompting a town-wide search, only to be rediscovered in a cave, helping a mother bear tend to her cubs. It became evident at that time, that he had some form of magic, being able to heal animals by taking the pain from them.

Following a particularly harsh winter, Bern's parents fell very ill. Bern attempted to heal them, but discovered that his magic only worked on animals, and had no effect on humans.

When the O'Leary parents died, Bern (age 8) and Margaret's older sister wed a wealthy man in order to support the children. Soon after this, Bern was taken by royal scouts who had seen him apparently heal a squirrel. The king, upon discovering that Bern's healing only seemed to work on animals, imprisoned him in a pit under the palace and gave him the title of whipping-boy.

Whenever the king's young son misbehaved, Bern was brought from the pit and flogged in front of the kingdom, often to the brink of unconsciousness. For nearly four years, this was his normal, until the prince begged his father to allow the boy some semblance of freedom.

Bern was collared and bound, placed on heavy watch, and allowed to roam the lower town under guard. This is when he discovered a clutch of eggs that had been crushed, with only one still surviving. He took and tended this egg until it hatched into a young chicken, which he named Plucky. The hen became his pride and joy, which he defended against all ills.

While he was able to roam, Bern learned how to create things, such as baskets and little carved statuettes. Despite this, he longed for freedom from his position. He began trying to escape, which resulted in him being placed in the dungeons.

Being parted from his beloved pet broke Bern and he broke free of his cell, unwittingly slaying the guards who stood watch. Upon realizing his crime, the boy fled, stealing Plucky from the hen house, and getting lost in the nearby woods.

Eventually, he made his way to the coast and slept under the docks, stealing what he could to survive, though his biggest concern was always Plucky's health. He crafted her a woven basket with velvet lining and cared for her with all that he had. One day, he was being chased for his theft of a bag of corn, and stowed away on the *S.S. Carol.* There, he was reunited with his sister Margaret and became the animal caretaker and cabin boy.

He has yet to discover his ability to wild shift into a brown bear.

## Relationships

### **Margaret "Magpie" O'Leary**

Margaret is Bern's older sister. Before he was kidnapped by the royals, the two of them were the best of friends. Once reunited, it took several months for Bern to recognize Margaret, and nearly a year before he trusted her again. She is very protective of him, which he is grateful for.

### **Gawain Connelly**

Gawain seemed to have adopted Bern once the former was accepted into the crew. He likes to tease the boy and treats him much like a younger brother. Bern acts annoyed by Gawain's affection, but truly appreciates it, as he looks up to the young man. Gawain is known for taking Bern's side in the few arguments he has become a part of and is staunchly protective of the boy, to the point of having taken a dagger to the side in his defense.

### **Plucky**

Plucky is a hen that Bern helped to hatch and nurture. He is very attached to her and carries her everywhere. Some of the crew wonder if Plucky is really a mere chicken with how protective of her Bern is, but he assures them that Plucky is basically his child, and thus he is her guardian.

### **Kai**

Bern became extremely protective of the child the moment that they came aboard. He tends to babysit Kai when the rest of the crew is at port or in the midst of a fight.

## Trivia

Bern's character is loosely based on Muriel from Nyx Hydra's game, *The Arcana*, as well as Quasimodo from *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* by Victor Hugo and Sir Percival from BBC's *The Adventures of Merlin*.

While Bern loves all animals, chickens and bears are closest to his heart.