Babenon Dosal

The Gentleman is a Water Genasi crime boss in Zadash, working out of the Evening Nip tavern. As an NPC, The Gentleman is played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
The Gentleman had light teal skin, a dark goatee, and shoulder length jet-black hair, that formed a widow's peak. He wore a deep-blue coat, and leather gloves. His skin seemed to be perpetually moist, having a layer of condensation on it.

Personality
The Gentleman exudes confidence and despite inciting fear in many who hear his name he comes off as cheerful and approachable. He has been shown to treat the Mighty Nein with respect and generosity and has proved on several occasions that he sticks to his word. The Gentleman runs his operations in Zadash with a certain amount of meticulousness and places a great deal of importance on luck. Despite his calm, flirtatious and charismatic exterior he is still the head of an extremely dangerous criminal syndacite and it can be assumed that there is a reason his name is often met with such apprehension.

Associates

 * The Gentleman's Troupe . A group of henchmen that work for The Gentleman either freely or as indentured servants.
 * The Mighty Nein

Background
The Gentleman claimed, when his credentials were questioned, that he had lived and worked in the underbelly of Zadash since 811 P.D. and had never been caught.

Beauregard stole 3 packages to Demedan Baumbauch, finding a coded letter about a future shipment from the Gentleman.

When questioned by Beauregard and Nott, Thed revealed that the way to meet The Gentleman was to offer "many gifts" as payment to Clive Bens at the Evening Nip.

Being cautious and fearing being caught, The Gentleman requested that all those who entered his domain leave him with a vial of their blood, which Cree kept in a small leather satchel. This blood was to be a symbol of trust between parties and insurance against anyone who dared betray his friendship, as Cree could use this blood to track down such persons.

Wanting to test the group and see if destiny and luck was with his new investment, he proceeded to play a Marquesian card game called the Gambit of Ord against Fjord. The stakes of the game were that should Fjord lose he would have been bound to The Gentleman's service, if Fjord should win business would continue as usual. Starting with a 50gp buy-in, the pot rose to 600gp which Fjord won.

Once The Gentleman had insured himself against the group and tested out their luck, he revealed that his organization was a company that specialized in the task and trade that was deemed not the most legal, and that were to some extent restricted by the empire. His group's skills were focused on being deceitful, working fast, and working in the shadows.

The Gentleman also revealed that word had reached him of the party's activities at the Sutan residence and at the home of the High-Richter. Specifically, he let the party know that that Lord Sutan was in chains, and that the crownsguard were looking to pin the High-Richter's murder on someone matching Mollymauk's and Beauregard's descriptions, who they saw near the home at the time that she was murdered.

Establishing a working friendship, The Gentleman suggested that he had many gifts that he could offer the party including aid in making sure that Lord Sutan stayed locked up, and that the crownsguard investigation would look the other way and drop their investigation of the suspected murderers, as well as help to escort Horris safely and secretly out of the city.

In return The Gentleman asked that the party perform a task for him. He wished for the party travel around a mile along the underground river pass that his group uses to ship things out to the Ounterloch and Berleben. He wanted the Mighty Nein to go to the area and continue the investigation of an abandoned aged research facility that a previous group had discovered and explored before being beset by Will-o'-wisps. They ran away in fear and caved in a portion of the area, noting the location to be filled with a purple light and ancient golden-laden spoils. While there the Mighty Nein were to clear out any dangers, and return with their findings, at which point The Gentleman would graciously let the party keep a portion of the spoils.

Questioning his credentials and ability to clear the group's name of wrongdoing, Nott proposed The Gentleman take a test of her making. Preparing three vials of alcohol, she mixed in some acid into one of them and tasked The Gentleman to carefully identify and drink one of the safe vials. Identifying all of the vials correctly, he confidently took and drank the acid vial. Impressed by his display, Nott drank the alcohol and kept the vials she received from Cree.

The Gentleman, interrupted from some morning revelry, emerged to greet the Mighty Nein wearing a dark purple silk robe tied around the waist. He was delighted to see that the party was reliable though a little sad that they had returned the next morning, instead of immediately after they cleared out the Abandoned Research Facility. After describing the location, traps, and the monsters they had encountered, the subject moved on to the arrangement of the loot that they were to hand over. Though skeptical of Nott's initial lie about what they had found, he eventually accepted Beau's lie that Siff Duthar's research journal, the ancient pots, and the various bits of jewelry were the items of value from the expedition. Following the agreement to split some of the spoils, The Gentleman let the group keep the rings that they had found, and dispatched two members of his troupe to clear Molly, Beau, and Dolan's name in the matter of Dayana Prucine's death. Concluding their business, he returned to his chambers to continue his breakfast and his "breakfast."

When the Mighty Nein arrived in The Evening Nip to discuss the Gentleman's offer of a job, he presented them with two tasks. After some deliberation, they accepted both tasks. The Gentleman provided the group two healing potions, a potion to cure diseases, and advances for the two jobs, sending them on the road north to Berleben.

Abilities
The Gentleman seemed to display some resistance to acid, after drinking the vial presented by Nott.

Quotations

 * "I think I get the gist. ... Good job. ... Keep on truckin'?" (His response to Jester's Message)
 * "Now, off! I have to finish my breakfast... and my breakfast."

Trivia

 * Marian Lavorre believes that The Gentleman is the likeliest candidate to be Jester's father.