Lionel Gayheart

Lionel Gayheart is a half-orc "bardbarian" (barbarian/bard), on the payroll of the "Meat Man": Aes Adon (revealed by Vox Machina to be Scanlan Shorthalt in disguise). He is played by Jon Heder.

Background
Chod was abandoned by his parents as a baby in the deserts of Marquet. His first memory is waking up as an orphan, in a basket by a desert oasis. A family of ducks found him and raised him as one of their own. Though Chod at one point went back to that same oasis and couldn't find any ducks, he remains confident that they were real. Ever since, the duck has been Lionel's spirit animal.

Chod grew up in the desert. As a result of his harsh upbringing, he became very strong. When he first wandered out of the desert into the city of Ank'Harel, people started abusing him and taking advantage of his strength. Chod, in an attempt to fit in with the city-dwellers, changed his name from his birth name. He tried out at least ten names before finally settling on "Lionel Gayheart".

Eventually, Lionel met Aes Adon: the infamous criminal known as the "Meat Man". Unlike his previous employers, Aes was kind to Lionel and treated him like family. Not realizing that Kaylie was the daughter of "Aes", Lionel had a crush on her and considered her a "killer babe".

Lionel never asked Aes a lot of questions, so Lionel didn't realize who is boss really was until Vox Machina unmasked him months after Lionel began working for the Meat Man.

At some point before encountering Vox Machina, Lionel was part of a group scouting a ruin within the Smolder Crown Mountain. Upon discovering that the ruin was a Ziggurat, containing an Orb and the Remnants, Lionel's group tried to flee. Only Lionel survived, and he warned Aes of what he'd found. Understanding the severity of the situation, Aes and Lionel sailed to Whitestone to find Vox Machina and inform them about Lionel's findings.

Lionel managed to find Vox Machina at a farmer's market in Whitestone, just as the group was returning from the Darrington Estate in Wildemount. At first the group regarded Lionel coldly, until he mentioned that his employer was the "Meat Man". Realizing what the title meant, they accompanied Lionel to a tavern in Whitestone, where Aes was waiting.

Meeting the Meat Man, Lionel was scolded for having mentioned the title: Lionel had been instructed only to say that his employer was "Aes Adon".

After some discussion, Vox Machina discovered that Aes was Scanlan Shorthalt in disguise. Lionel, feeling a bit betrayed by his boss, went with Vox Machina to a different tavern. Lionel then had a small fight with Grog, which only ended by Grog leaving the tavern.

Barbarian Abilities

 * Rage

Totem of the Duck

 * Commune with Ducks
 * Frantic Flail
 * Off a Duck's Back

Bard Abilities

 * Bardic Inspiration (d8)

2nd-level

 * Hold Person

Notable Items

 * Greatsword
 * Handaxe

Trivia

 * Lionel's Totem of the Duck is a home-brewed Barbarian Totem that Matt created for Jon's character.