Duncan Habrok

Duncan Habrok is the younger brother of Freya Habrok and the former caretaker of Balabr the lion. A soft-spoken and gentle soul, Duncan never fit in well with his clan's warrior culture and staunchly traditionalistic family. His older sister, Freya, won the lion share of attention from their father, Sergei Habrok, and the clan at large. Not only did Freya fit the Habrok ideals of grit and sacrifice, she took on an almost supernatural significance to the clan because she was sacrificed to the Shrikevind, but past over.
When the Habrok Clan set out to fight the Koan Empire, Duncan remained at home while his father and sister took up arms. Sergei eventually became head of the Geit Clansmoot that stood to challenge the empire, leading the entirety of the rebellion's strongest military asset. However, these honors came at a significant cost to the clan. Sergei fell ill during the fighting, leaving the reigns in the hands of twelve-year-old Freya. Nevertheless, the young Habrok acquitted herself admirably, earning even more adoration from her people.
Sergei eventually succumbed to his illness. Freya and the Habrok clans sacrifices were not met with the final battle against the Koa they craved, as Nasser Graham and the Pride snuck into the Imperial City and managed the improbable feat of defeating the empress before the battle even began. To mollify the Habroks and recognize their sacrifice, Duncan was appointed the official caretaker of the King's pet Lion Balabar--the symbolic heart of the rebellion and the new alliance that it formed. While his kin hardly saw the honors as fit for a Habrok, Duncan truly found his calling among the pampered court of the royal palace.
He and Balabar became fast friends, with eager Duncan waiting on the lion hand, foot, and antlers. The positive reinforcement that Duncan so eagerly craved caused him to spoil Balabar, often overfeeding the lion. Over time, Balabar grew fat, especially after Nasser Graham's disappearence left him listless and lethargic.
Duncan's happy life saw a sudden shakeup when the Party visited the royal palace as newly-minted Corsairs. Jorund Brighthoof got it in his head that Balabar should join them, and marched into Balabar's quarters to haul the lion off. Duncan protested, both because he was reluctant to part with his best friend and he wasn't sure if these newcomers could take care of Balabar as well as he did and feed him his favorite foods. Nevertheless, Jorund threw his weight around, threatening to send warships to the Habrok Clan if Duncan refused.
Feeling bullied by Jorund, Duncan resorted to an old habit when confronted and wrote his sister (now the chieftain of the Habrok clan) a tearful letter describing the events. Little did he know, the White Lion Armada was bending Freya's ear, and this incident proved just the diplomatic crisis they needed to pit the Geit against each other. The Party--along with Balabar's help--managed to rectify the situation and restore peace between the two clans, but only after the conflict had taken Jorund Brighthoof's life.