Aubert (Chibiloft)

First introduced in Quoth the Raven Issue 28 as a character in the Chibiloft comics. Aubert is a Souragnien Voodan of Mistress Lethede and a Cleric of Ezra, exiled from his island home.

Origins

Aubert was born in Port d'Elhour, and displayed great wanderlust even as a child. He gravitated naturally to his people's worship of the Loa and became a Voodan of Lethede at an early age, as she watches over travellers. Aubert would spend a considerable part of his life travelling the settlements and swamps of his beautiful, but often deadly homeland, and the power of his patron both sustained him and made him welcome wherever he went: he was a travelling healer, a spiritual guide, a bringer of news and deliverer of messages.

Combat

In battle, Aubert's first reflex is to call upon the Mount of the Loa-power granted by his patron Loa Mistress Lethede, and the Shield of Ezra granted by his goddess Ezra. Even with these protections in place, he prefers to remain at a safe distance from melée, pelting enemies with the spells granted by both of his patrons. If battle does draw near, he prefers to rely on the simple weapons of a Voodan, rather than the silver longsword he is entitled to carry as an Anchorite; his skills with the blade are mediocre at best, and he prefers to rely on mobility and protective spells, rather than heavy armor.

Secret

While his faith appears to be strong and his powers are intact, Aubert is prey to considerable spiritual turmoil. He has come to feel a strong rapport with the Home Faith of the Church of Ezra, but feels that he should be allying himself more with the Mordentish sect due to the message of Sentire Franklin Tennyson and Ti-Maman and his self-imposed mission.

Exposure to the various other faiths of the Core has further confused Aubert. He feels he should be finding ways to incorporate the other gods under Ezra's protective cloak, like the Loa of Souragne are sheltered by Notre Dame des Brumes, but he worries that this might be seen as heresy - or invite conflict between the very gods themselves. In his darkest moments, Aubert fears the various gods of the Core might simply be Loa, misinterpreted by the locals to be gods, and worries it might be his duty as a Voodan to enlighten them and learn to channel the spirits of the lands to which he has been exiled. However, if he starts down this path, where will that leave his own faith in Ezra? Can he really assail the position of such entities as the Lawgiver or the Morninglord and not cast a critical eye on Our Lady in the Mists?

While Aubert takes his position as the Chibiloft Crew's spiritual guide very seriously, he is disturbed by the very different interpretations of Ezra's credo given by his 'parishioners', Dr. Huevo and Ooglie, not to mention those of the people of the Core at large. He feels there should be greater clarity as to what the will of Ezra is, and worries it might be his duty to find or create such clarity - a task for which he does not feel at all equipped with the necessary willpower or intellect.

Finally, Aubert worries that he should also preach the word of the Loa while away from Souragne. His power as a Voodan is undiminished, so clearly the spirits of his youth must still be with him, and they require his veneration - and proper Voodan rituals require a community. But how would the Anchorites of the Core react if they catch him at such worship? And would any of the locals be at all drawn to it? What if he dares preach as a Voodan only to fail, or to be branded as a witch?

Statistics

Lawful Neutral Souragnien male human Voodan (Mistress Lethede) / Cleric (Ezra)