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Description

JASKIERAP Tracker | Moodboard

Everybody has the perfect solution
It's just hard to resist the sweet seduction
There ain't no trick to winning double what you bet
Welcome to revolution roulette

Name: Jaskier
Age: 25
Gender: Cis male
Orientation: unclear, but at least fronts as heterosexual
Species: Hippocampus
Build: PRE
Height: 17.2 hh (just shy of 17.3 hh, at least if you ask him)
Coat Color: Smoky black tobiano

Herd Affiliation: Talori
Rank: Guardian
Patron god: Cascade, Digend

Talents: locked
Blessing: locked
Familiar: locked

APPEARANCE:
x Strong neck, round uphill build
x Very slightly roman nose
x Wavy, somewhat coarse mane and tail
x Lots of upward movement in his gaits

PERSONALITY:
Charming with effortless grace; dangerous in a way that appears fun. Brimming with confidence, lacking in subtlety. Temperamental and opinionated, does things his way. Dogged in his pursuits and bullheaded in opinions, but pretends to be easy-going. Opportunistic; capable of great cruelty just as well as boundless empathy. Easily bored, never still. Witty, but plays a fool.
Questions everything, wants answers.
Believes change is good for its own sake.

Jaskier has it all.
The breeding, the schooling, the opportunities.
The right kind of connections, the illustrious finns of a hippocampus.
Yet he is not satisfied.
Far, far from it.

Raised in a deeply traditionalist family that always emphasized the meaning of legacy, Jaskier knows the rules and traditions of Talori inside and out. From a young age, he internalized his family’s racist views and lofty values, but most of all, he took their ambition, even if his was never carried on the sleeve.
Even as a child, Jaskier always had questions. Curious, genuine, occasionally inappropriate - an inquisitive and active mind, even when it wasn’t welcomed.
The real questioning came with age. The desire to glimpse beyond the veil, beyond tradition, to escape the mold he finds himself in. Jaskier doesn’t believe in blind adherence to tradition, and struggles to overcome his own bias. His eyes are open now; Jaskier has seen things, learned things, that can not be unseen.

Jaskier was always a quick study. The most important lesson was to only show the parts of yourself that were desired, liked, wanted - proper.
When in public, Jaskier never questions. He keeps his opinions to himself, his wit dull and simple. Jaskier never allows himself to be seen as a threat, a contender. Life is so much easier when other people think you’re a bit dumb, a blunt instrument - well-meaning but bumbling. Playing up the parts of himself that border on obnoxious, Jaskier summons an easy, boisterous charm, a crooked smile and a flirty wink. He’s known as a wild child, a daredevil, a boy who never quite grew up.
Even family knows him as the confident, brazen boy, always first to jump into action. An easy-going jokester who seems to bounce back from any misfortune, be it insult or injury. He seems able to make the world laugh - if not with him, then at him.
Jaskier likes being that guy.

What is quite real is the need for action. Jaskier has never been good with boredom; with monotony. It leaves his mind too much time to wander. Grinding away at a modest, safe job never seemed attractive to him - a small voice in Jaskier’s head suggests that ordinary is beneath him. He loves, needs, craves action, attention, recognition. Everything and nothing, shadow with the light.
Responsibility and reliability are not his strong suits, but when Jaskier truly takes a task as his own, he carries it to the end; no matter the cost or consequence. His true devotion is for the things he chooses, not what is handed down.
His heart rebels at the mere thought of a line unbroken, a destiny drawn in stone.

The bolster and pride are part truth, part smoke and mirror. To pull eyes where he wants them, so that the trick may play out; that is his real talent. A shameless opportunist who hides a sharp tongue and sharper teeth behind a sweet smile; Jaskier is learning to change faces like clothes.
He is getting better at it.
He loves it.
It terrifies him.

HISTORY:
Jaskier was born in the gentle embrace of Kiephis, a city of tradition and history - to a family who valued those two things above all else. Him and his twin sister joined an already impressive lineage of hippocampi, with oldest brother Naasir already in a promising Guardian in-training. Their family was far-reaching and influential, with a carefully cultivated prestige as an elite lineage within Talori society - and all the comforts and expectations that came with such an honor.
From infancy, Jaskier was taught to know the supremacy of the hippocampi. He was taught that family came before everything and everyone - that when it came to family, individual desires and hopes didn’t figure in.
Everything was for family. Family name, family honor, was all that would live on.

Being the youngest in a long line of siblings, Jaskier and Sibylla, while beholden to these expectations and ideals, got away with more than their older siblings ever could have. When parents were busy with preparing their older progeny for their roles in adult society, the twins would slip away to play and spend time with each other, away from all the rules.
Jaskier adored his sister more than anything, and having grown as playmates, did not see the sense of the strict gender norms that would soon bind their lives.They didn’t make any sense, not when Sibylla could best him in races and wrestles and many other games.
But he didn’t need to understand; he merely needed to follow. The discipline and correction came quick, for both of them, whenever they were caught. They would lead different lives; had different parts to play as building bricks in the family name. Over time, their relationship grew first distant, then strained.

It was this discrepancy, and many others, that made Jaskier the child who always asked questions - usual for a child, yes, but he tended to ask ones that were unpleasant, less than welcome. Questions that rang dangerously in traditionalist ears.
Sometimes the answers would change; it would be confusing at first, but over time Jaskier formed his own opinions, and learned not to make the same mistakes twice. He wasn’t exactly an easy child, always in trouble for something new, pushing boundaries and cracking expectations. Discipline less discouraged him from these behaviors, and more taught him to keep them better hidden.
Eventually, he learned to stop asking questions, and to listen to what was left unsaid, instead.

Despite being the ‘difficult child’, Jaskier still filled expectations in choosing to become a Guardian. Granted, he chose the career less for the family, and more for the promise of excitement beyond Kiephis, as well as admiration of his older brother, Naasir, by now a real Guardian. His family nudged him to follow Naasir’s path into Security, but were not exactly shocked when after some consideration, Jaskier chose a different path.
It was just as well; having children in multiple branches kept open more doors. Even the parents had to admit that the quick-paced tasks of law enforcement were likely a better fit for their overly active son.

His years as an apprentice were some of his best. Away from the constant gaze and comments of his overbearing family, Jaskier had a chance to be himself - the older Guardians would curb unwanted behavior, but their standards were far lower than those of his parents. Jaskier was a popular youth, likeable and funny, and even though he had the reputation as a bit of a daredevil, nothing bad ever came of it.
Like most trainees, Jaskier graduated as a full Guardian at 15, brimming with confidence and eager to begin a truly independent life. How well he succeeded in that was debatable - despite living on his own, technically an adult, Jaskier would have to rely on the help of his family more than a few times. It was never anything terribly serious, minor misdemeanor here or there, the typical experimentations of a young adult. Nothing the family connections couldn’t just sweep under the rug.
Still, despite some missteps, Jaskier was good at his job. He loved being where the action was, and would resolve difficult situations with surprising ease, thanks to his natural charm and courage. If he was sometimes a bit too independent in his decision making, it was usually forgiven - after all, he got results.

Being a Guardian had a shadow, however. Years of admiration of his older brother turned into jealousy and desperation. Where as children he and Sibylla would snicker about Naasir’s serious expression and mannerisms, as an adult Jaskier was alone with his feelings. Caught between wanting to be just like Naasir, and resenting the very idea of him, disillusionment began to grow in his heart. Justice, too, became more of a joke as years passed, and he saw the ugly and inflexible sides of his society.
Living two separate lives became the norm: one was his own, private, lived in brief moments of levity and stolen moments while on the job. The other was the one that was expected of him, the public life. One was choking out the other; Jaskier felt like he was fighting for air under the crushing weight of a family legacy.
He began to slip, making bigger mistakes. Passed for promotions and special honors. He was filed as a family disappointment of sorts, adequate but never great. Not worth the effort and labor of nurturing. Relations remained cordial, but any warmth that had been there had long since evaporated. Eyes and expectations turned away, focused on more promising siblings.
Jaskier thought himself a terrible person.
Not because he had disappointed them.
But because he was relieved.

That was likely how things would’ve stayed, had the Flight not attacked Inaria. Jaskier, caught on the edge of town at the moment of their first attack, took it upon himself to escort civilians away from the fighting, and into the relative safety of the Wilds. It was gut reaction, a decision made on adrenaline and survival instinct more so than duty - and when the full gravity of the attack settled in, it was too late for him to join in the fight.
Initially, he felt guilty.Then, determined: he was needed here in the Wilds, he reasoned.
One horse wouldn’t have made much difference to the outcome anyway, he told himself.
He wanted to believe it, even as uncertainty at the fates of his family and friends gnawed at his insides.

The Wilds were hostile enough to keep him from wallowing in doubt and self-pity for long. Here, ranks and norms alike mattered little; only survival did. It was there that he met Thalassa. A comforting, familiar face from his childhood in Kiephis - a reconnection, a friendship. Over the weeks and months that followed, the two grew close, united by their desire to help others. For once, Jaskier felt important, needed, wanted. He could make people laugh, he could keep them safe.
As his people worked together, unchained from the world they had known, Jaskier glimpsed something beautiful in their temporary existence.
Something that finally made sense.

It didn’t last, but Jaskier hasn’t forgotten.

After the Flight were chased off, Thalassa was crowned Empress. Many were shocked; some were angry. Jaskier was hopeful, even excited. Thalassa had seen what he had seen, but more importantly, Jaskier trusted her and her judgement. Her potential.
Days after her crowning, Jaskier was appointed into the Empress’ personal guard by Thalassa herself.
Eyes were back on him.
He would just have to bear it.

With the Wilds now behind him, Jaskier seems a lot less brazen, and far more motivated. He does his job and acts proper, welcoming the positive attention of his family.
Naasir has told him stories of Change as of late. Words of a Goddess who will make things right, of new dawns and bright promises.

For once, Jaskier is content, his position and place in the puzzle clear. Things are changing, and he will change with them - not because he has to, but because it is what he wants.
What she wants.

RELATIONSHIPS:
Family:
Rohana - mother
Tealom - father
Sibylla - twin sister
Naasir - brother
Niobe - sister
Yeshaia - brother

Cosette - niece
Lichas - nephew

Other:
Thalassa - friend and charge

TRIVIA:
x Has a mild case of ADHD
x Teke color is turquoise
x Has a really hard time resisting dares
x Isn't sure what he thinks of pegasi; battles with personal emotions against his upbringing and Talori values
x Has unconventional thoughts about gender equality, but is extremely careful about voicing them out loud

CREDITS:
Character and fullbody: me
Design and headshot: Ebbarie

Description

JASKIERAP Tracker | Moodboard

Everybody has the perfect solution
It's just hard to resist the sweet seduction
There ain't no trick to winning double what you bet
Welcome to revolution roulette

Name: Jaskier
Age: 25
Gender: Cis male
Orientation: unclear, but at least fronts as heterosexual
Species: Hippocampus
Build: PRE
Height: 17.2 hh (just shy of 17.3 hh, at least if you ask him)
Coat Color: Smoky black tobiano

Herd Affiliation: Talori
Rank: Guardian
Patron god: Cascade, Digend

Talents: locked
Blessing: locked
Familiar: locked

APPEARANCE:
x Strong neck, round uphill build
x Very slightly roman nose
x Wavy, somewhat coarse mane and tail
x Lots of upward movement in his gaits

PERSONALITY:
Charming with effortless grace; dangerous in a way that appears fun. Brimming with confidence, lacking in subtlety. Temperamental and opinionated, does things his way. Dogged in his pursuits and bullheaded in opinions, but pretends to be easy-going. Opportunistic; capable of great cruelty just as well as boundless empathy. Easily bored, never still. Witty, but plays a fool.
Questions everything, wants answers.
Believes change is good for its own sake.

Jaskier has it all.
The breeding, the schooling, the opportunities.
The right kind of connections, the illustrious finns of a hippocampus.
Yet he is not satisfied.
Far, far from it.

Raised in a deeply traditionalist family that always emphasized the meaning of legacy, Jaskier knows the rules and traditions of Talori inside and out. From a young age, he internalized his family’s racist views and lofty values, but most of all, he took their ambition, even if his was never carried on the sleeve.
Even as a child, Jaskier always had questions. Curious, genuine, occasionally inappropriate - an inquisitive and active mind, even when it wasn’t welcomed.
The real questioning came with age. The desire to glimpse beyond the veil, beyond tradition, to escape the mold he finds himself in. Jaskier doesn’t believe in blind adherence to tradition, and struggles to overcome his own bias. His eyes are open now; Jaskier has seen things, learned things, that can not be unseen.

Jaskier was always a quick study. The most important lesson was to only show the parts of yourself that were desired, liked, wanted - proper.
When in public, Jaskier never questions. He keeps his opinions to himself, his wit dull and simple. Jaskier never allows himself to be seen as a threat, a contender. Life is so much easier when other people think you’re a bit dumb, a blunt instrument - well-meaning but bumbling. Playing up the parts of himself that border on obnoxious, Jaskier summons an easy, boisterous charm, a crooked smile and a flirty wink. He’s known as a wild child, a daredevil, a boy who never quite grew up.
Even family knows him as the confident, brazen boy, always first to jump into action. An easy-going jokester who seems to bounce back from any misfortune, be it insult or injury. He seems able to make the world laugh - if not with him, then at him.
Jaskier likes being that guy.

What is quite real is the need for action. Jaskier has never been good with boredom; with monotony. It leaves his mind too much time to wander. Grinding away at a modest, safe job never seemed attractive to him - a small voice in Jaskier’s head suggests that ordinary is beneath him. He loves, needs, craves action, attention, recognition. Everything and nothing, shadow with the light.
Responsibility and reliability are not his strong suits, but when Jaskier truly takes a task as his own, he carries it to the end; no matter the cost or consequence. His true devotion is for the things he chooses, not what is handed down.
His heart rebels at the mere thought of a line unbroken, a destiny drawn in stone.

The bolster and pride are part truth, part smoke and mirror. To pull eyes where he wants them, so that the trick may play out; that is his real talent. A shameless opportunist who hides a sharp tongue and sharper teeth behind a sweet smile; Jaskier is learning to change faces like clothes.
He is getting better at it.
He loves it.
It terrifies him.

HISTORY:
Jaskier was born in the gentle embrace of Kiephis, a city of tradition and history - to a family who valued those two things above all else. Him and his twin sister joined an already impressive lineage of hippocampi, with oldest brother Naasir already in a promising Guardian in-training. Their family was far-reaching and influential, with a carefully cultivated prestige as an elite lineage within Talori society - and all the comforts and expectations that came with such an honor.
From infancy, Jaskier was taught to know the supremacy of the hippocampi. He was taught that family came before everything and everyone - that when it came to family, individual desires and hopes didn’t figure in.
Everything was for family. Family name, family honor, was all that would live on.

Being the youngest in a long line of siblings, Jaskier and Sibylla, while beholden to these expectations and ideals, got away with more than their older siblings ever could have. When parents were busy with preparing their older progeny for their roles in adult society, the twins would slip away to play and spend time with each other, away from all the rules.
Jaskier adored his sister more than anything, and having grown as playmates, did not see the sense of the strict gender norms that would soon bind their lives.They didn’t make any sense, not when Sibylla could best him in races and wrestles and many other games.
But he didn’t need to understand; he merely needed to follow. The discipline and correction came quick, for both of them, whenever they were caught. They would lead different lives; had different parts to play as building bricks in the family name. Over time, their relationship grew first distant, then strained.

It was this discrepancy, and many others, that made Jaskier the child who always asked questions - usual for a child, yes, but he tended to ask ones that were unpleasant, less than welcome. Questions that rang dangerously in traditionalist ears.
Sometimes the answers would change; it would be confusing at first, but over time Jaskier formed his own opinions, and learned not to make the same mistakes twice. He wasn’t exactly an easy child, always in trouble for something new, pushing boundaries and cracking expectations. Discipline less discouraged him from these behaviors, and more taught him to keep them better hidden.
Eventually, he learned to stop asking questions, and to listen to what was left unsaid, instead.

Despite being the ‘difficult child’, Jaskier still filled expectations in choosing to become a Guardian. Granted, he chose the career less for the family, and more for the promise of excitement beyond Kiephis, as well as admiration of his older brother, Naasir, by now a real Guardian. His family nudged him to follow Naasir’s path into Security, but were not exactly shocked when after some consideration, Jaskier chose a different path.
It was just as well; having children in multiple branches kept open more doors. Even the parents had to admit that the quick-paced tasks of law enforcement were likely a better fit for their overly active son.

His years as an apprentice were some of his best. Away from the constant gaze and comments of his overbearing family, Jaskier had a chance to be himself - the older Guardians would curb unwanted behavior, but their standards were far lower than those of his parents. Jaskier was a popular youth, likeable and funny, and even though he had the reputation as a bit of a daredevil, nothing bad ever came of it.
Like most trainees, Jaskier graduated as a full Guardian at 15, brimming with confidence and eager to begin a truly independent life. How well he succeeded in that was debatable - despite living on his own, technically an adult, Jaskier would have to rely on the help of his family more than a few times. It was never anything terribly serious, minor misdemeanor here or there, the typical experimentations of a young adult. Nothing the family connections couldn’t just sweep under the rug.
Still, despite some missteps, Jaskier was good at his job. He loved being where the action was, and would resolve difficult situations with surprising ease, thanks to his natural charm and courage. If he was sometimes a bit too independent in his decision making, it was usually forgiven - after all, he got results.

Being a Guardian had a shadow, however. Years of admiration of his older brother turned into jealousy and desperation. Where as children he and Sibylla would snicker about Naasir’s serious expression and mannerisms, as an adult Jaskier was alone with his feelings. Caught between wanting to be just like Naasir, and resenting the very idea of him, disillusionment began to grow in his heart. Justice, too, became more of a joke as years passed, and he saw the ugly and inflexible sides of his society.
Living two separate lives became the norm: one was his own, private, lived in brief moments of levity and stolen moments while on the job. The other was the one that was expected of him, the public life. One was choking out the other; Jaskier felt like he was fighting for air under the crushing weight of a family legacy.
He began to slip, making bigger mistakes. Passed for promotions and special honors. He was filed as a family disappointment of sorts, adequate but never great. Not worth the effort and labor of nurturing. Relations remained cordial, but any warmth that had been there had long since evaporated. Eyes and expectations turned away, focused on more promising siblings.
Jaskier thought himself a terrible person.
Not because he had disappointed them.
But because he was relieved.

That was likely how things would’ve stayed, had the Flight not attacked Inaria. Jaskier, caught on the edge of town at the moment of their first attack, took it upon himself to escort civilians away from the fighting, and into the relative safety of the Wilds. It was gut reaction, a decision made on adrenaline and survival instinct more so than duty - and when the full gravity of the attack settled in, it was too late for him to join in the fight.
Initially, he felt guilty.Then, determined: he was needed here in the Wilds, he reasoned.
One horse wouldn’t have made much difference to the outcome anyway, he told himself.
He wanted to believe it, even as uncertainty at the fates of his family and friends gnawed at his insides.

The Wilds were hostile enough to keep him from wallowing in doubt and self-pity for long. Here, ranks and norms alike mattered little; only survival did. It was there that he met Thalassa. A comforting, familiar face from his childhood in Kiephis - a reconnection, a friendship. Over the weeks and months that followed, the two grew close, united by their desire to help others. For once, Jaskier felt important, needed, wanted. He could make people laugh, he could keep them safe.
As his people worked together, unchained from the world they had known, Jaskier glimpsed something beautiful in their temporary existence.
Something that finally made sense.

It didn’t last, but Jaskier hasn’t forgotten.

After the Flight were chased off, Thalassa was crowned Empress. Many were shocked; some were angry. Jaskier was hopeful, even excited. Thalassa had seen what he had seen, but more importantly, Jaskier trusted her and her judgement. Her potential.
Days after her crowning, Jaskier was appointed into the Empress’ personal guard by Thalassa herself.
Eyes were back on him.
He would just have to bear it.

With the Wilds now behind him, Jaskier seems a lot less brazen, and far more motivated. He does his job and acts proper, welcoming the positive attention of his family.
Naasir has told him stories of Change as of late. Words of a Goddess who will make things right, of new dawns and bright promises.

For once, Jaskier is content, his position and place in the puzzle clear. Things are changing, and he will change with them - not because he has to, but because it is what he wants.
What she wants.

RELATIONSHIPS:
Family:
Rohana - mother
Tealom - father
Sibylla - twin sister
Naasir - brother
Niobe - sister
Yeshaia - brother

Cosette - niece
Lichas - nephew

Other:
Thalassa - friend and charge

TRIVIA:
x Has a mild case of ADHD
x Teke color is turquoise
x Has a really hard time resisting dares
x Isn't sure what he thinks of pegasi; battles with personal emotions against his upbringing and Talori values
x Has unconventional thoughts about gender equality, but is extremely careful about voicing them out loud

CREDITS:
Character and fullbody: me
Design and headshot: Ebbarie