Post by Harlequin on Aug 10, 2011 21:08:27 GMT -5
Show me how to lie, you’re getting better all the time
And turning all against the one is an art that’s hard to teach
And turning all against the one is an art that’s hard to teach
Name: Harlequin
Nickname(s): Harley
Played by: Archer
Age: 223
Date of Birth: June 3rd
Sexuality: Bisexual
Breed: Mammalian Werebeast - Common Vampire Bat
Loyalty: Himself and his crew, the King of Thieves
Status/Occupation: Captain of the pirate ship the Grey Lady, thief, trickster.
Abilities:
Mammalian Affinity
Character Creation Heightened Hearing: Harlequin's hearing is amplified by two.
50 Posts Bat's Heart: Harlequin cannot lose at cards unless playing a character with a higher post count and a good-fortune related ability.
100 Posts Sleepless: Harlequin never requires sleep and can cause others to not need sleep when around them.
Now dance, fucker, dance, man, he never had a chance
And no one even knew, it was really only you.
And no one even knew, it was really only you.
Appearance:
Human Form
Harlequin's human form is, unsurprisingly, the least eye-catching of his forms. His eyes are almond shaped with lilac irises and his facial features are sharp, thin and angular. Black tattoos give him a permanent thick black outline around his eyes and add an almost feline quality to his appearance. He wears his hair fairly long, brushing his cheek bones, and it is a silky black in colour. Further tattoos decorate his jaw and cheeks - from a distance they appear to be solid black, but close up are revealed to be composed of very densely written words. His skin, where it is not tattooed, is a dusky olive. In this form Harlequin retains long, thin piercing fangs as hints of his true form.
Harlequin wears similar attire in both this and his half form - as befitting a pirate captain he owns a worn, much-loved hat decorated with a feather from his first-mate Crow. His battered, patched jacket is no less treasured - the old leather is the colour of molasses, worn in so it's soft and supple, and is lined with seal skin for warmth. Underneath this he wears a ruffled off-white shirt, soft calfskin breeches, and supple leather boots the same colour and age as the jacket. Fingerless leather gloves complete his usual ensemble.
The pirate also favours jewellery, taking silver treasures to wear as tokens of his numerous victories. Some are in the shape of skulls, but many are simply silver rings threaded into his ears and decorating the cuffs and lapels of his attire. The most striking piece though is undoubtedly the heavy necklace he wears - the gruesome pendant is the shrunken skull of the first man he killed. The teeth of various sea creatures are threaded alongside the skull. Harlequin is about 5 foot eight inches tall and has a wiry, hard, athletic frame.
True Form
The Common Vampire Bat. The vampire bat is about 9cm long with a wingspan of 18cm, weighing just two ounces. Its fur is dark amber on the back and light grey-brown on the stomach. Unique features of the vampire bat distinguishing it from other bats include its parasitic habit (drinking blood from other animals, especially large mammals), its ability to walk on the ground fairly effectively, and the enamel-free, very sharp fangs used for its feeding habits. They also have good eyesight compared to other bats, although still use echolocation as well.
Half Form
In his half form, Harlequin remains the same build and height as in his human form. His skin darkens from olive to grey but he retains all his tattoos. His ears become longer, pointed and furred and he gains black claws on the end of his fingers. The most noticeable change, though, is his wings. He gains black bat wings in this form, taller than he is. Because he doesn't have the light bones and frame of the bat in this form he cannot use them for flight, but they do allow him to jump greater distances and, as in his true form, are able to be used independently to aid climbing.
Human Form
Harlequin's human form is, unsurprisingly, the least eye-catching of his forms. His eyes are almond shaped with lilac irises and his facial features are sharp, thin and angular. Black tattoos give him a permanent thick black outline around his eyes and add an almost feline quality to his appearance. He wears his hair fairly long, brushing his cheek bones, and it is a silky black in colour. Further tattoos decorate his jaw and cheeks - from a distance they appear to be solid black, but close up are revealed to be composed of very densely written words. His skin, where it is not tattooed, is a dusky olive. In this form Harlequin retains long, thin piercing fangs as hints of his true form.
Harlequin wears similar attire in both this and his half form - as befitting a pirate captain he owns a worn, much-loved hat decorated with a feather from his first-mate Crow. His battered, patched jacket is no less treasured - the old leather is the colour of molasses, worn in so it's soft and supple, and is lined with seal skin for warmth. Underneath this he wears a ruffled off-white shirt, soft calfskin breeches, and supple leather boots the same colour and age as the jacket. Fingerless leather gloves complete his usual ensemble.
The pirate also favours jewellery, taking silver treasures to wear as tokens of his numerous victories. Some are in the shape of skulls, but many are simply silver rings threaded into his ears and decorating the cuffs and lapels of his attire. The most striking piece though is undoubtedly the heavy necklace he wears - the gruesome pendant is the shrunken skull of the first man he killed. The teeth of various sea creatures are threaded alongside the skull. Harlequin is about 5 foot eight inches tall and has a wiry, hard, athletic frame.
True Form
The Common Vampire Bat. The vampire bat is about 9cm long with a wingspan of 18cm, weighing just two ounces. Its fur is dark amber on the back and light grey-brown on the stomach. Unique features of the vampire bat distinguishing it from other bats include its parasitic habit (drinking blood from other animals, especially large mammals), its ability to walk on the ground fairly effectively, and the enamel-free, very sharp fangs used for its feeding habits. They also have good eyesight compared to other bats, although still use echolocation as well.
Half Form
In his half form, Harlequin remains the same build and height as in his human form. His skin darkens from olive to grey but he retains all his tattoos. His ears become longer, pointed and furred and he gains black claws on the end of his fingers. The most noticeable change, though, is his wings. He gains black bat wings in this form, taller than he is. Because he doesn't have the light bones and frame of the bat in this form he cannot use them for flight, but they do allow him to jump greater distances and, as in his true form, are able to be used independently to aid climbing.
With a thousand lies and a good disguise
Hit ‘em right between the eyes, hit ‘em right between the eyes.
Hit ‘em right between the eyes, hit ‘em right between the eyes.
Personality:
Mischievous Harlequin is an unrepentant and playful trickster. In fact, this is how he makes his living now that he's no longer a full time pirate. He adores games, particularly of the card or dice variety, and is a frequent gambler. He also gets a thrill out of pulling pranks just for the hell of it.
Untrustworthy Going hand in hand with his mischievous nature is the fact that Harlequin can't be trusted. He'll stab you in the back as soon as buy you a drink. He's also, naturally, an extremely competent and convincing liar. The guy could be an actor if he didn't enjoy screwing people over so much. Oh, and those card and dice games he seems so good at? He cheats. Constantly.
Fun-loving Okay, so Harlequin is kind of an asshole. However, he's a fun asshole. He can drink with the best of them (pirates are kind of known for letting loose), will launch headlong into hair-brained schemes if he thinks they'll be entertaining and/or profitable, and is a shameless risk-taker. Want a companion for pretty much any crazy pursuit? Ask Harlequin. So long as he sees something in it for him he's more than happy to oblige.
Hedonistic Name a vice...Harlequin probably has it. He drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and gambles with both his own and other peoples' money. He screws around like it's going out of fashion, tricks or straight up robs people of their money and trinkets, and kills when he feels it's required. He covets wealth and can be vain as well as greedy. Oh, and he drinks blood. He doesn't always ask first either.
Smart A stupid thief or trickster is a thief or trickster who doesn't live long. Harlequin is illiterate, but he's sharp as a tack and extremely streetwise. He's pretty good at reading people (and therefore picking victims) and is comfortable with making life or death decisions on the spot thanks to his pirate captaining experience.
Outgoing There's one thing that can't be argued - Harlequin is the life and soul of the party. He's often attention-seeking and can be demanding, although his ability to captivate the room usually gets him the attention he wants. He has a wide network of friends, acquaintances and enemies thanks to this trait and loves meeting new people.
Mischievous Harlequin is an unrepentant and playful trickster. In fact, this is how he makes his living now that he's no longer a full time pirate. He adores games, particularly of the card or dice variety, and is a frequent gambler. He also gets a thrill out of pulling pranks just for the hell of it.
Untrustworthy Going hand in hand with his mischievous nature is the fact that Harlequin can't be trusted. He'll stab you in the back as soon as buy you a drink. He's also, naturally, an extremely competent and convincing liar. The guy could be an actor if he didn't enjoy screwing people over so much. Oh, and those card and dice games he seems so good at? He cheats. Constantly.
Fun-loving Okay, so Harlequin is kind of an asshole. However, he's a fun asshole. He can drink with the best of them (pirates are kind of known for letting loose), will launch headlong into hair-brained schemes if he thinks they'll be entertaining and/or profitable, and is a shameless risk-taker. Want a companion for pretty much any crazy pursuit? Ask Harlequin. So long as he sees something in it for him he's more than happy to oblige.
Hedonistic Name a vice...Harlequin probably has it. He drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and gambles with both his own and other peoples' money. He screws around like it's going out of fashion, tricks or straight up robs people of their money and trinkets, and kills when he feels it's required. He covets wealth and can be vain as well as greedy. Oh, and he drinks blood. He doesn't always ask first either.
Smart A stupid thief or trickster is a thief or trickster who doesn't live long. Harlequin is illiterate, but he's sharp as a tack and extremely streetwise. He's pretty good at reading people (and therefore picking victims) and is comfortable with making life or death decisions on the spot thanks to his pirate captaining experience.
Outgoing There's one thing that can't be argued - Harlequin is the life and soul of the party. He's often attention-seeking and can be demanding, although his ability to captivate the room usually gets him the attention he wants. He has a wide network of friends, acquaintances and enemies thanks to this trait and loves meeting new people.
When you walk away, nothing more to say
See the lightning in your eyes, see ‘em running for their lives.
See the lightning in your eyes, see ‘em running for their lives.
History:
Childhood Born to two mammalian bat shifters, Harlequin's parents were admittedly a little put off by the fact that he was a vampire bat. As the only parasitic mammal in the world he differed a little from their fruit and insect preferences. Nonetheless they raised him until he was eleven years old, before going their own ways. This was not unusual behaviour for Shifters, who encourage independence in their offspring at a younger age than Humans tend to.
Teenage Years By age eleven Harlequin was accustomed to spending days or even weeks apart from his parents. Most of that time he spent at the shore or swimming, having been fascinated by the sea for a long time. That was how he was on the beach when a tsunami struck unexpectedly. He was swept out to sea and came close to drowning before being rescued by a pirate ship named the Grey Lady and forced into unpaid occupation as cabin boy. This was his role for over ten years.
Young Adulthood During his time on the pirate ship Harlequin learned some very important and defining life lessons. Kill or be killed, how to drink with the best of them, how to play cards and more importantly, cheat at cards. How to gain respect through force. How to survive in one of the harshest environments in Litharia. He was smart and slowly worked his way up the ranks, before finally taking over the Captain position when the original Captain was killed. He gained himself quite the reputation over nearly one hundred and fifty years of pirating and pillaging, and became a wealthy man by anyone's standards. Eventually though the life became wearisome. He handed the reins over to his first mate and went ashore permanently for the first time since childhood.
Adulthood Back on Litharian land Harlequin had to find some other way to earn a living. As adaptable as his race is known for he appropriated many of his pirating skills to become a thief and trickster. He's good at both professions although surprisingly he refuses assassination jobs. He killed enough people as a pirate - this is kind of a break. Of course if people piss him off he might still kill them, but not for profit.
He can now be found almost invariably in the cities. He likes being around people and, besides, needs to be in order to steal from or trick them. He's not so keen on the idea of fending for himself in the forest - he's far too sociable, really. He lives in an apartment in the City of Thieves most of the time (although he'll travel for jobs) and pays some loyalty to the King of Thieves.
Childhood Born to two mammalian bat shifters, Harlequin's parents were admittedly a little put off by the fact that he was a vampire bat. As the only parasitic mammal in the world he differed a little from their fruit and insect preferences. Nonetheless they raised him until he was eleven years old, before going their own ways. This was not unusual behaviour for Shifters, who encourage independence in their offspring at a younger age than Humans tend to.
Teenage Years By age eleven Harlequin was accustomed to spending days or even weeks apart from his parents. Most of that time he spent at the shore or swimming, having been fascinated by the sea for a long time. That was how he was on the beach when a tsunami struck unexpectedly. He was swept out to sea and came close to drowning before being rescued by a pirate ship named the Grey Lady and forced into unpaid occupation as cabin boy. This was his role for over ten years.
Young Adulthood During his time on the pirate ship Harlequin learned some very important and defining life lessons. Kill or be killed, how to drink with the best of them, how to play cards and more importantly, cheat at cards. How to gain respect through force. How to survive in one of the harshest environments in Litharia. He was smart and slowly worked his way up the ranks, before finally taking over the Captain position when the original Captain was killed. He gained himself quite the reputation over nearly one hundred and fifty years of pirating and pillaging, and became a wealthy man by anyone's standards. Eventually though the life became wearisome. He handed the reins over to his first mate and went ashore permanently for the first time since childhood.
Adulthood Back on Litharian land Harlequin had to find some other way to earn a living. As adaptable as his race is known for he appropriated many of his pirating skills to become a thief and trickster. He's good at both professions although surprisingly he refuses assassination jobs. He killed enough people as a pirate - this is kind of a break. Of course if people piss him off he might still kill them, but not for profit.
He can now be found almost invariably in the cities. He likes being around people and, besides, needs to be in order to steal from or trick them. He's not so keen on the idea of fending for himself in the forest - he's far too sociable, really. He lives in an apartment in the City of Thieves most of the time (although he'll travel for jobs) and pays some loyalty to the King of Thieves.
There’s something in your way and now someone is gonna pay
And if you can’t get what you want, well, it’s all because of me.
And if you can’t get what you want, well, it’s all because of me.
Roleplay Sample:
The "Gren" Pony was a dark and smoky inn; just the kind of cliched place he liked. After all, dark and smoky translated into easier to cheat at cards.
Harlequin was seated at a round table with an assortment of other, equally motley characters. A thick cigar was clenched in his teeth, his hat was pulled low over his eyes, and a half-full glass of some clear liquor was jealously guarded from wannabe snatchers who couldn't afford their own. Harlequin could, fortunately, and because he was about to win the poker game he would be able to afford a whole lot more.
"All in, boys. Gotta get home to the wife or she'll pitch a right fit." This was drawled in an entirely fake accent and the claim itself was a lie, too. They bought it hook line and sinker though. Harlequin had been drawling his sentences like that all night and he'd played the brow-beaten husband out for a few hours of casual, none-too-talented card playing to perfection. Now he had the biggest pool of the night, was all in and thus forcing his opponents to do the same if they wanted to play his last hand, and had his own deck of cards under his coat to supplement his hand with. He'd been losing steadily all night; as far as the rest of the men were concerned he was a rubbish poker player.
First lesson of cards? Don't play with a deck purchased in the very same pub you sat in. It had been too easy to find an identical deck to hide in his coat.
"Well, wouldya look at that!" Harlequin leapt to his feet, brandishing his three aces with a dopey grin.
"I was sure I was on a right losing streak. Well, at least da Missus ell be pleased. Nice playing wid ya, gentlemen." The Shifter gapped it then, leaving in his wake a group of confounded but increasingly pissed off players and a tip for the barman who'd sold him the cards.
Another successful night, if he did say so himself.
The "Gren" Pony was a dark and smoky inn; just the kind of cliched place he liked. After all, dark and smoky translated into easier to cheat at cards.
Harlequin was seated at a round table with an assortment of other, equally motley characters. A thick cigar was clenched in his teeth, his hat was pulled low over his eyes, and a half-full glass of some clear liquor was jealously guarded from wannabe snatchers who couldn't afford their own. Harlequin could, fortunately, and because he was about to win the poker game he would be able to afford a whole lot more.
"All in, boys. Gotta get home to the wife or she'll pitch a right fit." This was drawled in an entirely fake accent and the claim itself was a lie, too. They bought it hook line and sinker though. Harlequin had been drawling his sentences like that all night and he'd played the brow-beaten husband out for a few hours of casual, none-too-talented card playing to perfection. Now he had the biggest pool of the night, was all in and thus forcing his opponents to do the same if they wanted to play his last hand, and had his own deck of cards under his coat to supplement his hand with. He'd been losing steadily all night; as far as the rest of the men were concerned he was a rubbish poker player.
First lesson of cards? Don't play with a deck purchased in the very same pub you sat in. It had been too easy to find an identical deck to hide in his coat.
"Well, wouldya look at that!" Harlequin leapt to his feet, brandishing his three aces with a dopey grin.
"I was sure I was on a right losing streak. Well, at least da Missus ell be pleased. Nice playing wid ya, gentlemen." The Shifter gapped it then, leaving in his wake a group of confounded but increasingly pissed off players and a tip for the barman who'd sold him the cards.
Another successful night, if he did say so himself.