Ransford “Daffy” Lucifer

Ransford “Daffy” Lucifer
  Derro Powder Monkey | Artificer (Alchemist)
  Race: Derro Role: Artillery Specialist, Demolitionist Reputation: “Do not interrupt him while he’s smiling.”
  No One Remembers Him Arriving
  Ransford Lucifer was simply… there one day.
  The crew can’t agree when he joined. He wasn’t signed on. No dockmaster remembers him boarding. He just appeared below deck, already reorganizing the powder stores, humming tunelessly and whispering to the kegs.
  When questioned, he laughed.
  When threatened, he laughed harder.
  When asked his name, he said:
  “Lucifer. Daffy if loud.”
  The name stuck.
  Appearance
  Daffy is small, even for a derro, with wild pale hair singed at the ends and soot permanently ground into his skin. His eyes gleam with manic curiosity, pupils often dilated as if reflecting invisible sparks.
  His clothing is layered leather and scavenged metal plates, patched endlessly and burned repeatedly. He smells of smoke, sulfur, oil, and faint ozone. His hands are steady—unnervingly steady—for someone who giggles while holding lit fuses.
  Mind of a Madman, Hands of a Master
  Daffy’s mental state is… fractured.
  He:
  Talks to cannons like loyal beasts
  Scolds artillery for “misbehaving”
  Thanks black powder for “cooperating”
  Laughs during explosions, especially unexpected ones
  His speech comes in short, broken phrases, often metaphorical, sometimes nonsensical:
  “Boom good. Boom listens today.” “No no—too sleepy. Wake with fire.” “Enemy standing wrong place. Silly enemy.”
  Yet beneath the madness lies brilliant precision.
  Cannons under Daffy’s care:
  Fire truer than any other
  Rarely misfire
  Hit targets they shouldn’t be able to
  Seem to wait for the perfect moment
  Crew members swear the guns respond to his touch.
  Artificer of Fire
  Daffy is an artificer-alchemist, specializing in:
  Black powder refinement
  Alchemical accelerants
  Experimental fuses
  Improvised explosives
  Cannon modifications that technically shouldn’t work
  His creations are dangerous. They are also devastatingly effective.
  Every failed experiment is carefully logged. Every success is celebrated with laughter and fire.
  The Invisible Friend
  Daffy is never truly alone.
  His constant companion is a smoke mephit, bound to him in a way no one understands—not quite a familiar, not quite a summon.
  The mephit:
  Prefers to remain invisible
  Whispers constantly to Daffy
  Appears only in extreme danger or extreme amusement
  Smells faintly of ash when nearby
  During conversations, Daffy often turns his head, nods, or argues with empty air.
  “No, no—too much boom. He says no.” “Yes! Yes! I told you!”
  He seeks the mephit’s approval before acting—whether or not it’s actually visible.
  No one is sure if the mephit is:
  Guiding him
  Encouraging him
  Or simply enjoying the chaos
  Relationship with the Crew
  Trusted implicitly in battle
  Avoided socially
  Never questioned around powder
  The crew has an unspoken rule:
  If Daffy says to duck, you duck.
  He is protective of the ship, viewing it as a living thing. He refers to the cannons as “teeth.” The powder magazine is “the heart.”
  Threaten either, and Daffy becomes very quiet.
  That’s when things explode on purpose.