Kotek is a broad, compact human with the dense, work-hardened body of someone who has spent half his life hauling gates, bodies, and barrels through cramped tunnels. His skin has the gray-brown cast of a person who rarely sees open daylight, and his black hair is clipped close except for a stiff ridge above his forehead. He moves with an odd, careful quiet, placing each boot as though listening through the soles before committing his weight. The first thing most people notice is the little brass measuring cup he wears on a cord at his throat, polished bright only along its rim from years of worrying it with his thumb. His hands are scarred with tiny white cuts from rusted grates, but he keeps his fingernails meticulously clean. He looks built for violence, yet he handles frightened animals, children, and delicate glassware with startling gentleness.