The Woodpecker

> "Oh yeah, Baptiste! I remember that old fuck - real nasty one... Yeah, he was the worst - worst in bed too." ~ The Woodpecker to Lina Iskaar when discussing the Black Fingers.
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**The Woodpecker (formerly known as "Talons of the Woodpecker")** is a half-Elven veteran mercenary and criminal, originally in service to the Crimson Wings and the first Black Fingers, though currently self-employed. She primarily operates in Auresia's Gedo continent, either alone or with her posse. Confident and outgoing, the Woodpecker is a natural leader and an expert in infiltration, negotiation and survival in the wilderness, though her vulgar and sarcastic mannerisms often put her at odds with the people around her.

During a standard body-guarding job in Samchu Wat, she encountered Lina Iskaar and accompanied her on her quest to obtain the recipe for the thornborn disease's cure, which led to her slowly having a change of heart and rethinking her life choices (mainly leaving behind her daughter after birth).

## Appearance

The Woodpecker is a woman of average height (170cm), with slim, yet toned physique. She has bright crimson-to-orange hair, crimson eyes, thin lips and a perky nose. Her face is covered with many Elven tattoos of banishment and crime, similar to that of Gladys and other renegade elves, and her ears are heavy with earrings and piercings.

She usually wears a worn-out medium armour with padding, long thigh-high boots and a overlaying reddish-brown poncho. When not in armour, she prefers light, loose and revealing clothes, either in the red or brown gamma.

## Personality and traits

It is not known what she was like back when she worked for the Crimson Wings, though she's mentioned that in her youth she was more radical and anarchic, willing to commit terrorism for idealistic causes.

In the years of the Union-Auresian War, she'd mellowed down to the point of aimlessly drifting from job to job, offering her particular skills to the highest bidder. The Woodpecker often hides behind the facade of mocking smugness and cold brutality, though is rarely willing to go forth with her threats. She is also very cynical, believing that she's way too far gone to change her ways or that fate or luck are nothing but random happenstance with no rhyme or reason, as debated in the Cen Peash Intex Monastery.

Beside that, she's shown to have compassion for the people close to her, though willing to accept death as the natural course of all things. She also is willing to stands behind her professional principles - such as loyalty toward her employers and decisiveness to finish the job no matter the cost. Beside that, the Woodpecker has a dark and often vulgar sense of humour, as well as particular attraction toward hedonistic acts.

## Powers and abilities

The Woodpecker is a tight specialist in the fields of reconnaissance and assassinations, as well as intel gathering and networking. She is a nimble warrior that prefers to fight in duels and strikes with fierce precision.

### Physical Aptitude

Her partial Elven heritage, alongside the years of rigorous training that the Crimson Wings have put her through has molded the Woodpecker's senses and reactions to an extreme, almost inhuman level. She has impeccable sense of danger and can quickly dodge or counter most attacks directed toward her, as well as other acrobatic feats. She's also knowedgable of the inner workings of the human body, giving her an edge when fighting humanoid foes, as she is quick to pinpoint their weak spots. Her Elven blood also gives her the ability to see well in almost complete darkness.

### Duelist

She specializes in single combat, quick to attack with both her blade and her words. She is however capable of switching her targets of a whim if needed, crossing large gaps of space in mere seconds.

### Expert Gunslinger

The Woodpecker is an excellent marksman, able to fire with precision guns of all shapes and sizes.