Marn is a broad, compact dwarf with the deliberate, balanced movement of someone who has spent years walking narrow battlements. His beard is braided into four short cords, each tied with a different colored thread marking a person he has sworn to protect. He keeps the rest of his grooming almost absurdly precise, trimming his mustache with a tiny silver knife before every shift. His hands are heavily callused, but his fingernails are always clean. He smells faintly of iron filings, cedar oil, and peppered goat stew. Within a minute of meeting him, most people notice that his eyes rarely settle on faces. They track exits, rooflines, hands, and the weight distribution of anyone standing nearby. The contradiction is that this watchful guard has an unexpectedly gentle smile, offered freely to frightened children, stray dogs, and anyone carrying fresh bread.