The Harlequin in Black and Grey
The Harlequin (a.k.a. The Jester's Prince, The Dancing Man)
"Help me," Cried The Dancing Man, "For Everything has gone to Plan."
Divine Domains
The Harlequin in Black and Grey is said to rule over chaos in its purest form, but this is not entirely true. Rather, they embody the change from order, the break of the status quo. Theirs is not a mindless path but one of studied destruction and alteration. Yet within this clearer understanding lies the hypocrisy that so haunts The Jester's Prince. Their very being is tied to shattering what has always been, and so they themselves become a system that must be broken; a self-defeating madness that others see as the inevitabilty of chaos, rather than a symptom of a chaos refined too much.
Known then as The Cryptic of Event, The Harlequin spends much of their existence plotting grand calamity and change, unleashing terrible darkness and providing inspiration to those desperate to invent. All must fail however, their plans and schemes must in some way collapse, for to succeed at a stated goal would be to invite order into their heart and to perpetuate a system of consistency. This cannot be a result of self-destruction for much the same reason, and so The Naysayers spend their time in battle with their patron, desperate to ensure The Harlequin does not collapse into paradox.
Artifacts
The Harlequin, ever the mischief maker and anarchist, is responsible for more than a few relics of potent power; gifted, of course, to those entirely unworthy of wielding them.
- Madrigal's Malificent: A singer without peer, Madrigal was once one of the most famous Chronicles to wander Naggaryn. She sang stories of ancient monarchs, forgotten wars, and brutal treachery; bewitching even the highest of nobility with her art. One day, however, she sang of The Harlequin, and she sang of their Doom, and The Harlequin took slight. They cursed The Madrigal to sing only of misfortune, placed a cruel hex that turned their lyrics to prophecy and their melody to murder. Eventually, she begged The Harlequin to lift the curse, and so they complied, sealing her voice away in the simple flute that was the only instrument she would allow. To this day, it is said that those that play it will have their fortune fortold, damned and blackened by the Cryptic of Change.
- The Anarchist's Chain: The brief nation of Maril was founded during The Dunwald Rebellion, as Varisca freed itself from the corruption of Leiden. A small territory of little import, few noticed the republic that declared itself sovereign, content in the wake of recent strife to leave it be. One who did notice, however, was a simple traveller who gifted unto the new rulers three chains of simple metal; one of tin, one of iron, and one of copper. These each represented the unity of faith, the peace in war, and the calm in change, and delighted, the three triachs bound their wrists in their gift whenever they were called to govern. The traveler was invited to stay and advise, and so they did, hiding ever their allegiance to The Harlequin. Alas, guided by madness, the nation of Maril would turn upon itself in religious fire, military coup, and tyrannical governance, burning quickly and brightly. All that would remain would be the traveler, who took back their chains soaked now in the blood of a nation never born.
- Tarot's Deck: Tarot was once a minor seer in the elven kingdoms of the south, a fortune teller significant only for their deviation from the more typical means of divining the future. Rather than stars and sacrifices, Tarot relied merely on a symbolic deck of cards, unaware that even then they were being manipulated by The Jester's Prince. Often they predicted strife and change, and often they were wrong; the clans yet firm in their loyalty to one another and unwilling to engage in anything more than brief innovation. All this changed with The Mourning War, and soon Tarot became a legendary figure whose past mistakes were forgotten in the wake of their seeming prescience and constant accuracy. They would influence seers and prophets for millenia to come, and though they would die without much affair, the legacy of their deck of cards would become famous. Countless iterations and styles would follow, but ever the original would be sought. Nine cards are missing from the deck, however, and those that have claimed to hold it do not speak of which they might be, fearful of consequences more dire than any mortal threat.
- The Solipsist: A simple poreclain masque, The Solipsist is a curious device said to allow the bearer to become anyone they please. No mere illusion, this imitation is almost complete, granting the bearer both the memory and personality of those they emulate. Such perfection comes at a cost however, for each time one steps into another, they themselves become lesser, forgetting details of their past as they sacrifice their memories for the gift of another. Eventually, one will forget they even wear the masque, nothing more than a tool of The Harlequin, a weapon without equal for those who do battle in the night. As such, it is no surprise that the most proficient killers of The Harlequin's Court are gifted such a thing, their dedication more than equal to the price demanded. None know how many of these masques exist, or whether there is but one; content instead to pretend such malice will not affect them in their lives to come.
Holy Books & Codes
As devoted as they are to avoid repetition and tradition, it is said by The Harlequin's Court that the best way to understand The Jester's Prince is to witness the telling of The Three Parts of Malfi, a trilogy in whole retelling the story of The Harlequin... Or at least that is what they believe. Each Court and each Troupe possesses but a single one of the trilogy, and is sworn to never provide the entirety of their act to another. Only the Troupe Master may read the text, and they choose a single scene to best define their collective, enacting the part during the holiest of days.
Many Chronicles have attempted to collate the entirety of this story, seeking to infiltrate the Courts or to record as many renditions as possible to create a greater whole. Invariably, these individuals wind up dead; not even the grace of the wanderer enough to save them from The Harlequin's wrath.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The symbol of The Harlequin has, for as long as anyone can remember, been a simple masque of porcelain white, one half smiling while the other shows sorrow, a single tear of crimson weeping from its right eye. Traditionally this is worn by the devotees of The Jester's Prince, and few would risk drawing the attenion of The Harlequin by inscribing it upon any possession or object of worth. For those seeking to acquire the service of their murderous talents however, a single tarot card or coin depicting The Fool is used. Some may even offer simple prayers or offerings to effigies in its image, though never has anyone seen The Court itself turn to such idolatry.
Symbology is, however, rarely the first sign of those devoted to The Harlequin, for they rarely hide their alleigance or fealty. To true servants, the language of Quin is spoken fluently, a unique construction known only to The Harlequin's Court and those whose pasts have drawn them into the circles of murder and madness. Many find it difficult to decipher, its roots drawn from countless languages without rhyme nor reason, but it is said that once learned, the true beauty of their plays is revealed; the rationale behind their seeming anarchy unveiled for the waiting eye.
Tenets of Faith
The tenets of The Harlequin have always been complicated, for by nature they reject consistency and tradition. That said, such rejection itself becomes a mandate, no matter how hypocritical it might be.
- Thy Life a Show: The World your Stage. All good plays are defined by their acts; each act defined by event. Existence itself is no different and therefore one must seek to create novelty where there was bordeom, calamity where there was safety, and innovation where there was stasis.
- Love Me, Hate Me: For I am never friend or foe, only ever the momentum of your life. Serve not out of devotion, serve not out of fear; serve only because it is something new in your life of black and grey, whether it be for me or against me.
- Fear thy Hollow: For though such change is more drastic than any, a novelty unlike any explored, one cannot return from the barren depths. No change alone is worth acceptance of a change to stasis.
Holidays
As is true to the nature of The Harlequin, there is no specific day of note, but rather a specific day where nothing must happen. No plays must be enacted, no songs must be sung, and no death be dealt by the hands of The Harlequin's Court. This holiday, known as The Day of Rest, takes place on the 8th day of the 10th month, a recognition of the first time a mortal in service to The Jester's Prince foiled their great plan. What fate befell this foolish soul is unknown, but the sheer act of defiance inspired The Harlequin, and saw them enshrine this day of nothing for all time to come.
Of course, as ever with The Harlequin's plans, the intent became foiled by their own madness. Though all in service will stop and cease, one will not. A single Jester will take out their troupe's copy of The Three Parts of Malfi and enact their story in clear rejection of their patron's edict. Inspired, some claim, by The Harleqiuin, or merely invested in the humour of it all, this individual will play their part in a story told by one, and so be marked Naysayer. The following day will see a spectacle like none other as the fellow members of the troupe celebrate the exile of their colleague, gifting upon them treasures to aid them in their passage as they are banished forever from The Harlequin's Court.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
The goal of The Harlequin is, in of itself, fairly simple. It must provoke, ensure, exacerbate, and prevent change; the former three being the most commonly stated and understood views of The Jester's Prince. By their nature must empires face revolution, faith face despair, and the simple phrase of, 'It always has' be rejected and proven false. Such destruction is common, but not necessary, for The Harlequin is just as happy to push for hope as they are to create tragedy, inspiring great artists and innovators to lend their talents to genius. As many a war has been instigated by The Jester's Prince, so too have their been cures of great plagues and creations of truly sublime beauty.
It is the last of the four that is least understood, for just as they seek event and novelty, so too must they avoid their own nature. The Harlequin is a relentless force for change, and so they themselves must be changed to avoid stagnation. Though none could say whether the choice is conscious or an inherent rebellion against their own stasis, The Harlequin's plans quite frequently collide with one another, foiling one or both even as their servants flicker between devout service and outright rebellion.
Divine Classification
Deity
Current Status
Seeking the Wytch-Fire
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Other Ethnicities/Cultures
Realm
Church/Cult
Date of Birth
01/01/01
Year of Birth
1
17335 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Born during the Surprise of the First Tick
Birthplace
Children
Pronouns
They/Them
Presentation
Androgynous
Eyes
Pale Blue
Hair
Red and Black Plume
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Red, Black and Gold Wood
Height
1.78m (Manifested)
Weight
64kg (Manifested)
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
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