Guilt-stricken innkeeper: Torvin

Guilt-stricken innkeeper, jovial yet haunted and paranoid

Prompt: Masculine, middle-aged, European-accented baritone. Vocal texture is strained and gravelly, reflecting deep psychological exhaustion. Rapid, breathless pacing punctuated by sudden, sharp pauses as if hearing phantom sounds. The performance shifts between a forced, jovial hospitality and a trembling, hushed paranoia. High emotional tension with a rasping, haunted quality.

Script: Welcome, welcome, the fire is warm and the beds are clean, yes? Just keep your door bolted tonight, and if you hear footsteps in the hall, for God's sake, do not open it.