Neil, who introduces himself as “Neil, but everyone knows me as Neil the Rider”, is a blind adventurer with a half-Scottish accent, well equipped for the road.
| Type | Character |
| Weapon | Rapier |
| Spanish entry | Neil |
Description
He is a single person, recognized first by his blindness (“a blind man trying…”) and second by his gear. He speaks with a half-Scottish accent and wears finely made Indian moccasins.
Equipment
His kit is described as “all well crafted, like someone setting out on adventures with good gear, within humble means”:
- Weapon: a rapier.
- Defense: a turtle shield on his back, black leather armor, boots, and short breeches that leave his legs bare.
- Load: a small pack, contents unknown.
- Blessing: gloves marked with symbols “whose blessing accompanies this journey”, a protective charm.
Gold
He wears gold openly — small gold rings and gold teeth: “for what it is here, he carries a bit of gold”. This puts him above the local standard, and onlookers at once reckon that “his teeth have to come out”.
Marks
- Many small heart tattoos on his body, “something old; other cultures tattooed themselves too”.
- A green cockade set into his armor, of undeclared affiliation (house, order, nation or prize).
Conflicting accounts
- Sources waver on the form of his name; whether “Rider” is a true title or a half-heard word is unresolved.
Open questions
- Whether his blindness is congenital or from an accident, and how he fights and travels without sight.
- Where the “here” against which his gold is measured is; no place, region or origin is recorded.
- The exact symbols on his gloves and who grants their blessing; what the pack holds.
- What the hearts and the green cockade signify.