Harold

Harold is a zull artist and the Herald/boyfriend of Stella Sparkchild.

## Official Site Bio

"Harold is a llama herder who hopes to become a professional artist."

## History

**Early life**

Harold grew up on a lava farm in the Metal Lands, where his grandmother warned him that if he saw a god he should throw a rock at it lest it spook the heard. While he had various chores on the farm, his father often said he was a lazy slackass. Harold's talents however lay elsewhere and after resolving to become an artist, he set out on a journey to the Stormpeaks, taking a lama, Lorenzo, as his transport/tuition.

**SahH**

While drawing a scene of the Metal Lands, Harold was attacked by some bandits. Upon finding the only valuables he had were some pictures, they considered stealing Lorenzo. Luckily, the passing God of Justice, and Bane of Bandits, Stella Sparkchild intervened, and effortlessly defeated the bandits, with a little help from Lorenzo. In gratitude, Harold offered Stella a lift and learnt about Stella's past and her goals as a future demigod. After they reached a town, Stella left after reaching a cave and misinterpreted a suggestion that he draw a picture of her, which she sarcastically suggested he sell.

Inside the town, Harold did just that, and after setting himself up as a street artist, sketched a decidedly inaccurate drawing of Stella fighting the bandits, with her striped tail prominently displayed. A cloaked passer-by asking him about it, and Harold told him that Stella was a god. The stranger asked him to arrange a meeting with Stella, explaining he was part of an organisation interested in her type of divinity. Harold expressed some concern with speaking on Stella's behalf, having only met her the previous day, although he changed his mind after he offered to pay them both five hundred zucks.

Stella agreed to the meeting and Harold took her to the meeting place on Lorenzo, a creepy old building, that unknown to them was headquarters of a mysterious cult. When they arrived, there was no sign of the group. Stella assumed that Harold had invented them to impress her, which was enforced by the fact that Harold didn't know their names. She then suggested they play 'tonsil hockey' instead. Harold consented and they began to make out, only for the mysterious stranger to arrive with several cultists, and knock Stella unconscious with a cloth. When Harold protested, the stranger, Kyla, ordered a ditzy cultist, Starla, to get rid of him, who did so after walloping him.

Outside, Starla tried to pay him the promised money, and upon referring to Stella as a creature, Harold angrily called her a yuman being. Starla instead told him that Stella was a wendigo - a shapeshifer - a perception encouraged by Harold's employment of artistic licence in his picture. Harold desperately offered to return all the money in return for Stella's freedom, only for Starla to tell him that her cult planned to skin Stella, as apparently reading her stripes would enable them to tell the future. When Harold called her insane, Starla drew a knife, but thanks to Harold whistling, Lorenzo knocked her out.

Harold then rode back in on Lorenzo to find an unconscious Stella tied between two pillars as Kyla prepared to skin her. Harold attacked the cult by throwing ink onto their robes and onto Stella, covering her stripes. Before Kyla could kill him, a reawakened Stella intervened and was about to overwhelm him when Kyla summoned the object of their cult's worship - a massive squid called Qthyl. One of the squid's tentacles grabbed Harold, but Stella, who had learned from him that he used to throw rocks at gods back home did just that and defeated Qthyl and Kyla. Harold sketched her triumph as they rode away, and Stella learnt his name from the first time from his signature. Since Stella needed a herald for her disciples, assumed the similar name was fate and declared him her first disciple, leading to a further round of 'tonsil hockey.'

**Stella and the Stables**

Upon arriving in a nearby town, Harold tried to promote Stella as a demigod. His first effort left a lot to be desired and resulted in an altercation. However, they were hired by a passing bird famer called Mr Birdkicker who offered them two hundred zucks for cleaning his stables. Stella at first objected, seeing the work as beneath her since she was a demigod, but Harold convinced her to do so, saying that with it they could afford a week at an inn. Stella however had a far harder time of it than Harold who had performed similar tasks back at his family’s ranch. During a break he told Stella about this.

After talking with Mr Bearkicker, Stella decided to work smarter and raided the supply closet and after finding a pick, showed Harold that she intended to divert a hot-spring to wash the guano away. Harold expressed his concerns about unforeseen consequences, and had his point proven when the new river washed him into the stables. In the confusion, Harold grabbed the nearest bird which flew out as Stella gave chase on Lorenzo.

Stella managed to leap onto another bird which swooped beneath Harold, enabling her to catch him when he lost his grip. Harold didn’t blame Stella for the mess, despite her own self-recrimination. When the two landed back at the bird farm, Harold offered to for the two of them to fix the spring in return for another two hundred zucks. They also installed a spigot, with the intent that Mr Birdkicker would be able to clean out his stables more easily in the future, only for him to reveal that he sold the guano as fertiliser, hence why the flood was such a disaster, leading to an awkward round of laughter.

## Personality

Harold is very sensitive and artistic. Compared with his girlfriend, he is more level-headed and willing to think things through, though he is not above underhanded business dealings, as seen with his dealings with Mr. Bearkicker.