Character from Bastion by Phil Tucker
The group's comic relief — a Great Soul with a 'peeping' ability limitation that made him a punchline until his unexpected death in Book 3 made everyone realize they'd been laughing at someone who mattered.
Alain exists to be underestimated, and the series weaponizes that underestimation. His ability limitation — a 'peeping' power that is exactly as awkward as it sounds — makes him the butt of constant jokes. He leans into it with the resigned humor of someone who has accepted that dignity left the building several reincarnations ago. His death in Book 3 is described by readers as genuinely shocking — not because it's telegraphed, but because nobody expected the comic relief to die. Tucker uses the moment to remind readers that Hell doesn't care about narrative roles. Everyone is mortal, even the immortals. Alain's absence in Book 4 is felt precisely because his presence was always treated as disposable.
Nondescript in the way comedy sidekicks often are — easy to overlook, which is part of the point. His ability's embarrassing nature ensures that his physical presence is always secondary to the joke.
Also known as: Alain