Post by Jareth on Feb 11, 2024 21:10:36 GMT
FULL NAME
Jareth
PRONOUNS
He/Him
ALIASES
Jareth King (when Aboveground), Goblin King
AGE
Thirteen hundred years, give or take
BIRTHDATE
Winter Solstice, December 22nd 686 A.D.
LOCATION
The Labyrinth in Vulpes Forest
OCCUPATION
Goblin King
SPECIES
Fae
SEXUALITY
Pansexual
RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Taken
SOURCE MEDIA
Film, Book, Comic
FANDOM
Labyrinth
CANON or OC
Canon
CANON POINT
10 years after the events of the film.
FACE CLAIM
David Bowie
WEAKNESSES
Cold iron (which I interpret as the iron found in a fallen star, but mythology is not clear on what cold iron is), bound by fae law, and cannot tell a lie (though he can speak around the truth!).
PERSONALITY
”How you turn my world, you precious thing…”
Jareth was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is a brat, a bully, a petulant, overgrown child used to getting everything his way. But he is also fun-loving, passionate, cunning, and good with children. He has a big heart and feels big feelings that he doesn’t always know how to handle. He is also extremely lonely and longs to fill that void in any way he can. This includes wine, women (and men), and, chief of all, song. These things can take the edge off for a time, but he longs for a deeper connection. He wants to love and be loved in return.
Being fae, he enjoys music, including dance and singing. He can also play several musical instruments. He enjoys practical jokes and good humor in general, though his jokes don’t always land (though this could also be due to the fact that those who hear his jokes are more often than not dim-witted goblins). He is a master storyteller and loves to hear stories in return. Sweets are a weakness of his, particularly baked things like cakes and cookies. When he isn’t running his kingdom or making music, he is likely passing the time reading in his castle library, or in his personal chambers.
More than a little vain and haughty, he prides himself on his appearance, striving for the perfect balance of rebellious nonconformity and fae elegance. He exudes power and charm in whatever form he takes, no matter what he wears, but he is a master at knowing just what to wear for the occasion. When he steps into a room, whatever message he is trying to send is clear just by looking at the clothes he is wearing.
HISTORY
”Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you!”
The Life of a Faerie Prince. Born to King Oberon and Queen Mab, Jareth inherited his mother’s gift for dreams and illusions and his father’s temper. He always did have a contempt for authority and despised life at court. He would rather be anywhere else, doing anything else. He had little interest in inheriting the throne, nor any title that came with responsibility attached, much to his father’s chagrin. This was likely born from Oberon’s strict rules, high expectations, and indifference towards his son. Mab, meanwhile, doted upon the boy. She was gentle and kind and the two grew very close. She was able to temper Jareth’s more rebellious nature with good sense, but it wasn’t to last.
Oberon eventually tired of Mab and sought a new bride for himself. He found that bride in Titania, whom he made his new queen. Mab, ousted and humiliated, retreated from court life, leaving a bitter and fuming Jareth to deal with his treacherous father and step mother alone. He became more rebellious than ever, causing trouble for both the king and queen at every given opportunity. Oberon thought to quell his son’s anger by way of marriage, betrothing him to one of Titania’s daughters. But this only enraged the prince further and he rejected the proposal, publicly, thoroughly embarrassing everyone in the process. It was the final straw.
Becoming King of Goblins. It was akin to banishment. The goblin throne was a dirty, unloved necessity. No fae lived within the Goblin Kingdom. Well, none save its king. At first, that suited Jareth just fine. The Labyrinth he was forced to bind himself to kept everyone out, with him safely at its center. The goblins themselves were in equal parts annoying and entertaining; their loud parties and crazy antics were enough to distract from the loneliness that began to creep in, at least for a little while.
The worst part was the job that came with the title. Not ruling–there was barely anything to rule over anyway–but the other task. The thing that made the goblin throne so distasteful, yet so needed.
Faeries were long-lived creatures, and thus conceiving a child was incredibly difficult and extremely rare. It was much easier to take a human child and make them fae through magical means than to birth a fae babe. Various means of acquiring human babies was employed over the centuries, but by far the most effective way to take the babes and keep them was by way of the goblins and their king. After all, if the child was already unwanted and had been wished away, then all the better. The child was given a home where they were wanted and loved, and their ungrateful human guardians were either punished or had no memory of having had the babe in the first place.
But a baby snatcher was a baby snatcher, all the same. In the eyes of his peers, it was a lowly task, due in no small part to the company the ruler of the Labyrinth was made to keep. And it was Jareth who bore witness to the horrors many of the children came from. It was Jareth who had to listen to one sob story after another from those that would dare to wish such precious gifts away. He hated it. It was maddening.
His one solace was visiting the Above, where the humans dwelled. In spite of their cruelties and strangeness, Jareth found humans interesting. Where there was the absence of magic there were the sisters Ingenuity and Invention. The way their world changed and evolved was endlessly fascinating. In the form of an owl, he would fly where he wished, observing these strangers with keen black eyes.
It was on one of his sojourns to the Above that he happened upon a young girl. Or, rather, she happened upon him. In a quiet park, she would play, telling imaginative stories or reciting plays. Sarah Williams. She was always alone, and often would pretend he was an enraptured audience, or else another character in the game. Her acting was awkward, her grasp on the lines shaky at best, but something kept him coming back day after day. It took him only a short while to realize that she was fae touched, but more importantly, just as alone as he, and that their hearts beat the same sad, tune.
That was why he left the book for her one day, on the park bench. The story took the form of a play, and just as he had hoped she would, she fell in love with it. It was only a matter of time before she made the wish that would bring her to the Underground and to him.
1986. The fateful night came on the wings of a storm. Frustrated and angry, she made the wish he knew she would regret. He went to her, tried to bargain as he always did. She refused his gifts, stood bravely against his threats and bullying. She would play his game. Few would brave the Labyrinth’s dangers even for their kin, but she would prove valiant. She was mighty, her will as strong as his own.
In the ten short hours Sarah Williams traversed his kingdom, Jareth learned much about her. She was powerful, more powerful than she knew, and he could not help but fear the damage she could do. But he also admired her tenacity, bravery, and spirit. She was witty and smart, in spite of her naivety. She made friends easily, her wide eyes finding the wonder and light in every creature within his Labyrinth. She had her faults. A bit bullheaded, perhaps, with a short temper to match, but she was young and vivacious. He could hardly fault her for it.
He didn’t want her to leave.
He fought her at every turn, throwing everything he had at her, testing her limits. He would keep tabs on her progress, interfering whether or not it was fair to do so. For the first time in centuries, he found himself enjoying the game.
But he had no power of her. He could not hold her there, as much as he wished he could. She denied his pleas for her to remain and, though his kingdom was in shambles and the sting of defeat was painful to bear (for he was unaccustomed to disappointment), he could not find it in himself to be angry. It would have been a betrayal of her character to give in. This was the only worthwhile conclusion.
He returned her and her brother home, unharmed and yet vastly changed, before retreating Underground once more. He was resolved to rebuild and lick his wounds. He flew from the Williams residence, and... that is all he can recall. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a new world, wounded and bloodied, with no memory of how he got there.
From there, he joined the Mages' Guild located in a small kingdom within the Vulpes Forest in the hopes of finding his way back home. He quickly moved up the ranks, given his magical prowess. During his time there, he ran afoul of a witch who swore vengeance upon him. He and the local guard did what they could to track her down, but she escaped and bothered them no more for the moment.
Not long after, members of the royal court began turning up dead, murdered in increasingly horrendous ways. Even Jareth was attacked, although he was not a member of the nobility. Things continued to escalate, with Jareth, the authorities, and helpful individuals scrambling to find the culprit, until finally the king and queen also met their gruesome ends. By this point, none were left to take the crown. With no heir and almost all of the king's court dead, it fell to Jareth to wear the crown.
The king and queen were buried, and a coronation was held. Little did they know, the crown had been cursed, and the moment it was placed upon Jareth's head, he was transformed into a monstrous, crazed owl creature. At the same time, the Labyrinth, called upon in its master's hour of need, appeared. Twisted by the curse, it destroyed the kingdom, overtaking it. Meanwhile, the Owl prowled its maze, hunting for a way to stop the hurt and killing all who ended up in his path.
Two groups of heroes braved the Labyrinth, one intent on killing the creature, the other intent on saving it. The Owl was found and attacked. It would have died, had the second team found the crown and destroyed it, breaking the curse just in time to revert both king and labyrinth to their original form. Jareth was badly wounded, but alive, and after some months of recovery, he was able to return to the task of running his kingdom and making it up to the people he hurt.
SKILLS AND SPECIAL ABILITIES
Special Abilities
Skills
NPC Companion
Aêlst, a small goblin servant who is both extremely loyal and a bumbling, excitable idiot. He's too damn cute to stay mad at for long, though.
FRIENDS
Jareth does not currently have any friends, partially due to his isolation and partially due to his own inability to connect with others. He wants friends, but does not really know how to make or maintain them. Because of this, he is likely to try to trick or manipulate others into staying.
ENEMIES
He does not have any major enemies that he actively hates, but there is at least one person who hates his guts: Hoggle. Jareth’s favorite way to deal with enemies or people who annoy him in general is to send them to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Barring the bog, he’s likely to cast some nasty curse on them.
LOVERS
Jareth has lain with many over the centuries, but has not had any long-lasting romantic relationships. It’s something he desires very much, though. To be known and understood and loved anyway—that’s what he wants more than anything else. He seeks an equal, someone who can match him in spirit and wit.
Jareth
PRONOUNS
He/Him
ALIASES
Jareth King (when Aboveground), Goblin King
AGE
Thirteen hundred years, give or take
BIRTHDATE
Winter Solstice, December 22nd 686 A.D.
LOCATION
The Labyrinth in Vulpes Forest
OCCUPATION
Goblin King
SPECIES
Fae
SEXUALITY
Pansexual
RELATIONSHIP STATUS
Taken
SOURCE MEDIA
Film, Book, Comic
FANDOM
Labyrinth
CANON or OC
Canon
CANON POINT
10 years after the events of the film.
FACE CLAIM
David Bowie
WEAKNESSES
Cold iron (which I interpret as the iron found in a fallen star, but mythology is not clear on what cold iron is), bound by fae law, and cannot tell a lie (though he can speak around the truth!).
PERSONALITY
”How you turn my world, you precious thing…”
Jareth was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is a brat, a bully, a petulant, overgrown child used to getting everything his way. But he is also fun-loving, passionate, cunning, and good with children. He has a big heart and feels big feelings that he doesn’t always know how to handle. He is also extremely lonely and longs to fill that void in any way he can. This includes wine, women (and men), and, chief of all, song. These things can take the edge off for a time, but he longs for a deeper connection. He wants to love and be loved in return.
Being fae, he enjoys music, including dance and singing. He can also play several musical instruments. He enjoys practical jokes and good humor in general, though his jokes don’t always land (though this could also be due to the fact that those who hear his jokes are more often than not dim-witted goblins). He is a master storyteller and loves to hear stories in return. Sweets are a weakness of his, particularly baked things like cakes and cookies. When he isn’t running his kingdom or making music, he is likely passing the time reading in his castle library, or in his personal chambers.
More than a little vain and haughty, he prides himself on his appearance, striving for the perfect balance of rebellious nonconformity and fae elegance. He exudes power and charm in whatever form he takes, no matter what he wears, but he is a master at knowing just what to wear for the occasion. When he steps into a room, whatever message he is trying to send is clear just by looking at the clothes he is wearing.
HISTORY
”Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you!”
The Life of a Faerie Prince. Born to King Oberon and Queen Mab, Jareth inherited his mother’s gift for dreams and illusions and his father’s temper. He always did have a contempt for authority and despised life at court. He would rather be anywhere else, doing anything else. He had little interest in inheriting the throne, nor any title that came with responsibility attached, much to his father’s chagrin. This was likely born from Oberon’s strict rules, high expectations, and indifference towards his son. Mab, meanwhile, doted upon the boy. She was gentle and kind and the two grew very close. She was able to temper Jareth’s more rebellious nature with good sense, but it wasn’t to last.
Oberon eventually tired of Mab and sought a new bride for himself. He found that bride in Titania, whom he made his new queen. Mab, ousted and humiliated, retreated from court life, leaving a bitter and fuming Jareth to deal with his treacherous father and step mother alone. He became more rebellious than ever, causing trouble for both the king and queen at every given opportunity. Oberon thought to quell his son’s anger by way of marriage, betrothing him to one of Titania’s daughters. But this only enraged the prince further and he rejected the proposal, publicly, thoroughly embarrassing everyone in the process. It was the final straw.
Becoming King of Goblins. It was akin to banishment. The goblin throne was a dirty, unloved necessity. No fae lived within the Goblin Kingdom. Well, none save its king. At first, that suited Jareth just fine. The Labyrinth he was forced to bind himself to kept everyone out, with him safely at its center. The goblins themselves were in equal parts annoying and entertaining; their loud parties and crazy antics were enough to distract from the loneliness that began to creep in, at least for a little while.
The worst part was the job that came with the title. Not ruling–there was barely anything to rule over anyway–but the other task. The thing that made the goblin throne so distasteful, yet so needed.
Faeries were long-lived creatures, and thus conceiving a child was incredibly difficult and extremely rare. It was much easier to take a human child and make them fae through magical means than to birth a fae babe. Various means of acquiring human babies was employed over the centuries, but by far the most effective way to take the babes and keep them was by way of the goblins and their king. After all, if the child was already unwanted and had been wished away, then all the better. The child was given a home where they were wanted and loved, and their ungrateful human guardians were either punished or had no memory of having had the babe in the first place.
But a baby snatcher was a baby snatcher, all the same. In the eyes of his peers, it was a lowly task, due in no small part to the company the ruler of the Labyrinth was made to keep. And it was Jareth who bore witness to the horrors many of the children came from. It was Jareth who had to listen to one sob story after another from those that would dare to wish such precious gifts away. He hated it. It was maddening.
His one solace was visiting the Above, where the humans dwelled. In spite of their cruelties and strangeness, Jareth found humans interesting. Where there was the absence of magic there were the sisters Ingenuity and Invention. The way their world changed and evolved was endlessly fascinating. In the form of an owl, he would fly where he wished, observing these strangers with keen black eyes.
It was on one of his sojourns to the Above that he happened upon a young girl. Or, rather, she happened upon him. In a quiet park, she would play, telling imaginative stories or reciting plays. Sarah Williams. She was always alone, and often would pretend he was an enraptured audience, or else another character in the game. Her acting was awkward, her grasp on the lines shaky at best, but something kept him coming back day after day. It took him only a short while to realize that she was fae touched, but more importantly, just as alone as he, and that their hearts beat the same sad, tune.
That was why he left the book for her one day, on the park bench. The story took the form of a play, and just as he had hoped she would, she fell in love with it. It was only a matter of time before she made the wish that would bring her to the Underground and to him.
1986. The fateful night came on the wings of a storm. Frustrated and angry, she made the wish he knew she would regret. He went to her, tried to bargain as he always did. She refused his gifts, stood bravely against his threats and bullying. She would play his game. Few would brave the Labyrinth’s dangers even for their kin, but she would prove valiant. She was mighty, her will as strong as his own.
In the ten short hours Sarah Williams traversed his kingdom, Jareth learned much about her. She was powerful, more powerful than she knew, and he could not help but fear the damage she could do. But he also admired her tenacity, bravery, and spirit. She was witty and smart, in spite of her naivety. She made friends easily, her wide eyes finding the wonder and light in every creature within his Labyrinth. She had her faults. A bit bullheaded, perhaps, with a short temper to match, but she was young and vivacious. He could hardly fault her for it.
He didn’t want her to leave.
He fought her at every turn, throwing everything he had at her, testing her limits. He would keep tabs on her progress, interfering whether or not it was fair to do so. For the first time in centuries, he found himself enjoying the game.
But he had no power of her. He could not hold her there, as much as he wished he could. She denied his pleas for her to remain and, though his kingdom was in shambles and the sting of defeat was painful to bear (for he was unaccustomed to disappointment), he could not find it in himself to be angry. It would have been a betrayal of her character to give in. This was the only worthwhile conclusion.
He returned her and her brother home, unharmed and yet vastly changed, before retreating Underground once more. He was resolved to rebuild and lick his wounds. He flew from the Williams residence, and... that is all he can recall. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a new world, wounded and bloodied, with no memory of how he got there.
From there, he joined the Mages' Guild located in a small kingdom within the Vulpes Forest in the hopes of finding his way back home. He quickly moved up the ranks, given his magical prowess. During his time there, he ran afoul of a witch who swore vengeance upon him. He and the local guard did what they could to track her down, but she escaped and bothered them no more for the moment.
Not long after, members of the royal court began turning up dead, murdered in increasingly horrendous ways. Even Jareth was attacked, although he was not a member of the nobility. Things continued to escalate, with Jareth, the authorities, and helpful individuals scrambling to find the culprit, until finally the king and queen also met their gruesome ends. By this point, none were left to take the crown. With no heir and almost all of the king's court dead, it fell to Jareth to wear the crown.
The king and queen were buried, and a coronation was held. Little did they know, the crown had been cursed, and the moment it was placed upon Jareth's head, he was transformed into a monstrous, crazed owl creature. At the same time, the Labyrinth, called upon in its master's hour of need, appeared. Twisted by the curse, it destroyed the kingdom, overtaking it. Meanwhile, the Owl prowled its maze, hunting for a way to stop the hurt and killing all who ended up in his path.
Two groups of heroes braved the Labyrinth, one intent on killing the creature, the other intent on saving it. The Owl was found and attacked. It would have died, had the second team found the crown and destroyed it, breaking the curse just in time to revert both king and labyrinth to their original form. Jareth was badly wounded, but alive, and after some months of recovery, he was able to return to the task of running his kingdom and making it up to the people he hurt.
SKILLS AND SPECIAL ABILITIES
Special Abilities
- Bardsong. - Internal - Magic - One way Jareth weaves his enchantments is through music. When he is near, a strange music can be felt more than heard.
- Crystal Spellwork - Internal - Magic - Most of Jareth’s magic manifests into crystal balls. He can cast those spells by throwing them, or transfiguring them into enchanted objects, such as peaches or bubbles. They can also be used to spy on anyone anywhere.
- Dreamwalking. - Internal - Magic - While Jareth himself does not dream, he can enter into the dreams of others whilst he is asleep. This is more easily done with mortals, especially those he is already familiar with. While in the dream, he can manipulate the dream to a certain extent (alter the surroundings, change things from dream-like to nightmarish, etc.) and interact with the dreamer. No lasting harm or good can be done within the dream. A lucid dreamer can also influence the dreamscape, and can even force him out of the dream entirely if they so wish.
- Illusions - Internal - Magic - Jareth is able to make illusions to mystify, passify, or terrify. The bigger the illusion, the more draining the spell.
- Shapeshifting - Internal - Magic - Jareth can take the shape of a barn owl. While in this form, he cannot cast any spells or use his other abilities.
- Telepathy - Internal - Magic - He can speak directly into the mind of any sentient creature he has met, regardless of distance. This is limited to areas where magic is available.
- Teleportation - Internal - Magic - Jareth can travel anywhere he has previously been (and can remember) in a blink of an eye. He can transport small objects and others as well, but he must be touching them (several people all linking hands could work as well, so long as he is touching one of them). Doing this too often or in quick succession, or if he takes more than three people at once, is very draining.
- Summoning. - Internal - Magic - He can summon objects he owns or is familiar with, as well as willing creatures. Summoned creatures experience this as a kind of beckoning call they can refuse with no consequences. He also can only summon one creature at a time.
- Time Manipulation - External - Magic - Within his canon, Jareth can manipulate time to move forward or back a few hours or cause it to stand still for a short period.
- Weather Manipulation - Internal - Magic - Jareth can summon or banish storms. This is draining, however, and he is limited to small thunderstorms.
Skills
- Singing
- Dancing
- Storytelling
- Instrument Proficiencies: Harp, violin, cello, lute, guitar, flute, pan flute, hurdy gurdy
- Swordplay
- Ranged Combat
NPC Companion
Aêlst, a small goblin servant who is both extremely loyal and a bumbling, excitable idiot. He's too damn cute to stay mad at for long, though.
FRIENDS
Jareth does not currently have any friends, partially due to his isolation and partially due to his own inability to connect with others. He wants friends, but does not really know how to make or maintain them. Because of this, he is likely to try to trick or manipulate others into staying.
ENEMIES
He does not have any major enemies that he actively hates, but there is at least one person who hates his guts: Hoggle. Jareth’s favorite way to deal with enemies or people who annoy him in general is to send them to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Barring the bog, he’s likely to cast some nasty curse on them.
LOVERS
Jareth has lain with many over the centuries, but has not had any long-lasting romantic relationships. It’s something he desires very much, though. To be known and understood and loved anyway—that’s what he wants more than anything else. He seeks an equal, someone who can match him in spirit and wit.