Bale Grimly and the Comely Visage

Servant of old to Laird Bilebroke in exile is Bale Grimly, and champion of his banditry of hunchymen. Few villains are there upon the Wyrdwold or the Further Wilds who can match his dark reputation.

For upon his arm he bears the Comely Visage, an uncanny object of unknown heritage before which he has cowed his enemies, man, beast, and all. For by some art unknown to this world, the eye of the shield has power over the unwary to captivate, to paralyze, to make vapid or violently bilious. 

Some say it was the gift of a fay lord for whose favor Bale Grimly committed acts unspeakable; others, that it was cut from the face of an ancient Toad-o-the-Pit who challenged Bale to a reckoning one dark-moon'd night; still others whisper that it fell from the sky, and that Bale Grimly sought it in the weald, and emerged naked bearing the Comely Visage aloft. 

Those who speak thus know nothing, for none living saw Bale Grimly first bring forth the Comely Visage, and Bale Grimly will not speak of it. Bale Grimly seldom speaks of anything. Except late at night, when he sits across from the strange face of his strange shield, and holds deep conference.

He fixes the red gaze of the visage and begins, with a low, chanting rasp, to intone words of dangerous little sense. The Comely Visage does not respond, but its eldritch eyes glimmer in the firelight.

Thus, where others who behold the gaze of the Comely Visage fall, instant and entire, under its glamour, Bale Grimly communes instead. On what, none can tell. Bale Grimly does not speak of his communion with the Comely Visage. Bale Grimly seldom speaks of anything. 

Now, constant readers, I hope I have sufficiently thrilled and beguiled you with the tale of Bale Grimly to ask you a favor. Last night, I figured out how to make GIFs. You can see my first (rudimentary) attempt below.

I don't know how I feel about it. I can't decide if I like it, or if it's annoying. So I ask: is this the kind of thing you would like to see on this blog? Do you think I should replace standard photos with GIFs (which you cannot enlarge), or should I use the two in tandem as above? Do you like it? Do you hate it?

Does it make you violently bilious?

Let me know your thoughts by staring into the eldritch eyes of the comments box below and telepathically communicating your message.