Jaskier "old-timey fuckboy" Alfred Pankratz (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cointosser) wrote2020-06-06 12:34 am
cointosser) wrote2020-06-06 12:34 am
(no subject)
OOC INFORMATION
Player Name: Hannah
Are you over 18?: Yes
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
scathefire
Other Characters in Game: N/A
IC INFORMATION
Character Name: Jaskier (Real name is Julian Alfred Pankratz)
Canon: The Witcher (Netflix series)
Canon Point: The end of 1x06, his final appearance of Season 1
Background: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Dandelion/Netflix_series
Suitability:
Jaskier has a wonderful talent of somehow inserting himself into shit that doesn’t concern him, which is basically how he spends the entirety of his time in The Witcher. It often appears like he just happens to be around when Things happen but the truth is Jaskier chases after stories of fascinating people and events. He is, above all else, a storyteller and an entertainer as a bard, and that he is so willing to go on extremely dangerous adventures like dragon hunts and monster slayings is exactly why he’s so popular in his own world. Even if it puts him in mortal danger, he’s there to be a witness. After all, bards were one of the best ways to receive news on happenings around the world. Jaskier just happens to make a pretty penny from doing so.
While Jaskier will not get physically involved in anything, for the most part – he’s not even close to being a fighter – he has a long history intertwined with political court intrigue, and will be able to navigate it with a lifetime of experience. It’s worth mentioning that later in the novels, Jaskier also becomes a spy during the Nilfgaardian Wars. While it’s too early in the show for his character to have yet gone in that direction, the potential for it is there and it’s something I would be very interested in exploring through his inclusion (read: self-insertion) into the game’s plot.
Powers: None.
PERSONALITY QUESTIONS
Describe an important event in your character's life and how it impacted them.
It is quite clear that Jaskier running into Geralt of Rivia is an event that dictated a large portion of his life, and certainly set his career in motion.
Jaskier meets Geralt in a tavern in Posada at the age of 18, at a time where he is so far unsuccessful as a bard (obvious, as he is subject to an assault of thrown bread right in the middle of his performance). Geralt, a large, hulking man carrying “two, very scary-looking swords” who Jaskier, at that point, only knew as “The Butcher of Blaviken” – a moniker Geralt picked up after his very public conflict and execution of eight people in a small town called Blaviken – immediately catches Jaskier’s attention, despite Geralt doing his very best to attract no attention. Jaskier recognizes Geralt as a Witcher – a monster hunter in their world – and though he has every reason to be as afraid of a Witcher as most people did, Jaskier immediately invites himself to sit with Geralt. He casually asks for a bit of constructive criticism given that no one else in the tavern hesitated to do so. Geralt tells him his song is wrong because it’s based on monsters that aren’t even real. As a Witcher, of course, he’d know firsthand. With a raise of his brows, Jaskier is intrigued. Here’s a chance to meet someone who knows about real monsters and, thus, cannot help but be terribly interesting.
Intrigued or not, Geralt is completely uninterested and attempts a quick exit from the tavern to avoid further attention, but another bar-goer realizes Geralt is a Witcher and hires him for a job to hunt a “devil” who has been stealing their grain. For the second time, Jaskier invites himself along and follows him as the Witcher searches for the so-called “devil”. He offers Geralt the chance of having Jaskier of his barker, who would regale the world with tales of his exploits, expounding how he could spread the word of the “Butcher of Blaviken’s” exploits. With the nickname being a severely sore point, Geralt declines by punching Jaskier in the stomach, a great indication to the bard that perhaps the big, scary Witcher is not in love with the idea of being famous for being a murderer. (Later on, Jaskier even suggests a new moniker for the Witcher: “The White Wolf.”)
Unsurprisingly, Jaskier follows him anyway. Whether emboldened by Geralt’s lack of further attempts to drive him off, or because he sees writing ballads of a Witcher’s monster hunts as a golden opportunity, Jaskier stubbornly inserts himself into the hunt. Both of them are, after a brief tussle with the “devil,” knocked unconscious and tied up by elves, working with said devil. The two meet Filavandrel, king of the elves, who now lives with his people in the mountains, forced from their homeland. The “devil” introduces himself as a Sylvan, a “rare and intelligent creature" that is stealing grain for the elves so they can simply survive. Another of the elves is shown to be sick, that this way of life is slowly killing them, or at least leaving them barely hanging on to a suitable life. In that moment, the history Jaskier had believed through his life to that point is shown to be entirely whitewashed.
Geralt eventually convinces Filavandrel to release the two of them, though he first attempts to have them release Jaskier alone, as he’s “just a bard.” (A noted point that stays in Jaskier’s mind for years to come, that certainly this Witcher, who’s been said to be emotionless, cold, and inhuman, has nobly attempted to keep him from harm.)
Geralt reasons with the elves, who allow Jaskier and Geralt to leave without further harm, though he warns them they need to find a way to live with humans “so that [they] may live.” As a gift – and possibly reparation for the lute that another elf destroyed – Filvandrel bequeaths an Elven-crafted lute to Jaskier that he carries for the rest of his life.
And that’s how, really, Jaskier’s life thereon goes. Though they are not always together, Jaskier is a frequent guest on Geralt’s monster hunts and, indeed, does craft noteworthy ballads of them. Though he certainly stretches the truth (and “stretching” is probably even generous), the show details that, over time, Geralt and Jaskier both grow in fame and popularity. A lot of popularity. The showrunners even refer to Jaskier as the “Freddie Mercury of the Continent” in that nearly everyone knows of him, or at least his ballads.
Thus has Geralt, through no fault of his own initially, become Jaskier’s greatest muse. While he does write love ballads about some of his true (and various) lovers, Jaskier’s main subject always appears to be Geralt’s monster hunts. This is emphasized in a scene where Geralt hires a prostitute, and she is able to name the monsters he slayed simply because she knows the locations of various scars on his body, which takes place only three years since Jaskier met the Witcher. By the time ten years have passed since their first meeting, Jaskier is invited by the queen of Cintra, one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Continent, to her daughter’s betrothal feast. His energy and talent for storytelling has even made him so popular that, during the royal banquet, he has Skelligans – known, like Vikings, for being loud drunkards – singing along with his own song.
Suffice to say, without Geralt, Jaskier may never have found the inspiration he needed to be one of the most well-known bards on the Continent. (And, of course, Geralt would be nowhere and still terribly poor without Jaskier. Which is a point he will emphasize if asked.) They have been friends for the majority of Jaskier’s life and a large portion of Geralt’s, especially considering that Geralt has very few long-lasting relationships with anyone. Even long after Jaskier has become famous, he still happily follows Geralt on his monster hunts, even when he could be resting somewhere in the lap of luxury.
Does your character have a moral code, or other set of standards they try to live by?
Jaskier tends towards integrity and sincerity. While he’s neither a warrior for good or for evil, he often speaks up (quite loudly and brazenly) when he feels injustice is being committed against another. When he and Geralt are abducted and tied up by elves, one of the elves assaults him by kicking him in the stomach. It knocks the wind out of him, but it’s not until one of them hits Geralt that Jaskier bursts out with indignance, screaming at the elves about how they must be cowards to hit a man who can’t defend himself. His anger at an elf striking Geralt is especially interesting because, at this moment, they’d only just met, and Jaskier is one of the few to ever show concern for a Witcher.
I think Jaskier generally sides with the underdog, or at least the victims, if he sees them that way. When the elves correct Jaskier’s belief that the elves gave away their land to humans and that they must live in golden palaces — when in actuality they live in the mountains because they were forced to hide there, stealing supplies from human towns simply to survive — he instantly becomes contrite.
And yet, he can still be intrinsically self-serving. Despite learning the truth about the elves (and obviously feeling sorry for them about it), when Jaskier composes a ballad about their abduction at the hand of elves, he still casts them as the “villains” of the story. As he works out the lyrics, Geralt asks him, “What happened to your newfound respect [for the elves]?” Jaskier looks at him levelly and replies, “Respect doesn’t make history.”
Here we find that though generally Jaskier does care for others. He knew he could play on people’s stereotypes of elves to write an exciting, adventurous ballad, even if it did nothing to paint them in a good light. It made him money, in the end, and was worth it.
Jaskier walks a fine line between selfishness and altruism. Even his initial offers to Geralt to be his barker were for his own good: he saw a way to use the Witcher to boost his own career, whether Geralt wanted him to help him or not. Despite Geralt seemingly having no regard for Jaskier, the bard still works intentionally to improve Geralt’s reputation. A vague promise of being the Witcher’s barker turns into him spending over twenty years singing the White Wolf’s praises.
Jaskier will go out of his way to defend those he feels are being unfairly treated, but he will tip a situation into his favor if he knows it will benefit him in the long run. At the end of it, however, he will generally do what is typically “morally” right. It’s obvious in his interactions in others he cares for people deeply, especially those close to him. His entire career is made of bringing entertainment to those who otherwise may have dull or dangerous lives.
On the other hand, he is also the sort of man who immediately, and without hesitation, wishes for a djinn to kill his bardic competition through a brain hemorrhage. So. He tries to be good. Most of the time.
What quality or qualities do they admire most?
Jaskier is a lover of people as an extrovert. Based on the company he keeps (and Geralt is certainly his best and longest friend, at least shown on screen), it’s not kindness that makes or breaks his willingness to befriend someone. Rather, he’s attracted to people who have good hearts. Geralt thinks himself about the furthest thing from a good and noble person, but when Geralt defends Jaskier against the elves, a change comes over his face that makes it incredibly clear how much it means to him, to the point he goes quiet – a rare form for Jaskier. Jaskier watches Geralt, again and again, help people in extremely dangerous situations, often to his own detriment, despite the fact that most people hate or fear Witchers. It’s not so much kindness that endears Geralt, and people, to him – Geralt, even a decade into their friendship, refuses to name Jaskier as his friend, and is often rude or downright insults him – but intention. The idiom that actions speak louder than words is highly relevant here. Jaskier doesn’t much care how Geralt talks to him, knowing that the Witcher cares despite his words. He even jokes that perhaps “in another decade or two” that Geralt will finally be able to call him a friend.
As an artist, he values passion, as well, especially passion born from love for a thing or a person. Though “Her Sweet Kiss,” the last song he is shown writing in Season 1 is not exactly complimentary, its subject is described as wild and passionate, compared to a storm, a destructive force, and “the red sky at dawn.” It’s undeniable that this song is about Yennefer, Geralt’s romantic entanglement, or at least a woman like her. Though the song is one of lament, it still sounds filled with adoration for the sort of woman that could invoke such passionate love even if she will destroy them “with her sweet kiss.”
Because the world of The Witcher is a pretty horrible one – wars, indiscriminate robbery and murders by bandits, monsters slaughtering people – Jaskier is not turned off by people who are involved in darker things. After all, when he first meets Geralt, the Witcher’s reputation is only that of a killer. But despite that, it seems Jaskier wants to see the good in people, and unless proven otherwise (or they personally insult his music!), Jaskier is happy to be around most, and is especially attracted to those who attempt to bring good to the world.
Do they have a part of themselves they dislike?
Jaskier doesn’t appear to dislike any part of himself, at least in terms of personality and traits. That isn’t to say there are no regrets in Jaskier’s life — and certainly he regrets things he’s done — he never comes off as if he believes it was due to a part of him that makes him wrong or unlikeable. In 1x05, when Jaskier laments to Geralt about how his latest lover, the Countess da Stael, has dumped him. He “fears [he] will die a lonely man.” But he doesn’t ever address any mistakes he may have made in the relationship. When Geralt asks, “Did you sing to her?”, Jaskier replies indeed, he did — and is immediately insulted that Geralt would dare imply his amazing talent in music would be what caused her to leave him.
Even when he is getting on other character’s nerves, it never really stops him from continuing to say what’s on his mind or doing what he’s doing. He’s also fairly shameless in many ways. Where others might worry about seeming cowardly (especially as Jaskier was in the midst of flirting with two imposing warrior women at the time), Jaskier doesn’t hesitate to run from a monster as soon as he sees it and hide behind Geralt.
Pertaining to the “lonely man” quote above, if Jaskier were to fear anything (outside of bodily harm, of course), it would be being alone. He’s quite clearly an extrovert, and shows the most enjoyment when he’s the center of attention or when he’s performing. Though Jaskier is certainly a paramour, the fact that, in his older age, his lovers keep leaving him does genuinely upset him. When he says the “lonely man” line to Geralt, though it sounds flippant, he has obviously been drinking heavily to aid in his sadness over being left behind. After decades of moving from one lover to another, the older he gets, the more worried Jaskier becomes of being alone.
What is their sign, and why?
The Sun is perfectly Jaskier. Jaskier is a highly entertaining energetic presence when he’s performing: he dances as he strums his lute, his singing clear and loud, and he always has a smile in store or a wink for the pretty faces that watch him. He is, most certainly in nearly every scene, the root of any levity between the action, and tends to be optimistic, if not realistic, about most things.
Jaskier certainly offers hope to the peasantry and the nobles of the Continent. He crafts fascinating exploits of heroes, of lovers both adored and scorned, and can also bust out a bawdy ditty or two (see: The Fishmonger’s Daughter. Though he can be a little snappy and sarcastic to those who insult him or otherwise give him a hard time, generally Jaskier greets people happily and tries to think the best of them.
He also tries to keep things light, if possible. After seeing Geralt being completely shut out by his then-lover Yennefer, Jaskier tries to distract Geralt with a joke immediately after she leaves. It goes horribly wrong and Geralt basically tells him to go to hell and never talk to him again, but, you know. He tried.
SAMPLES & ARRIVAL
Samples:
Sample 1
Sample 2
Arrival Scenario:
Honored guest. I think it’ll be really interesting to play through that. Though he’s been an honored guest at royal banquets in his past and is well-versed on how to navigate the upper levels of social decorum, it’ll be really interesting to play him actually having some fear over it. Having been magically kidnapped here against his will, he’ll have lost that comfort from familiarity and will be in a world with people he knows nothing about, all while alone and pretty much unprotected. He’ll eventually find others to trust as he’s not a naturally suspicious person…but if he finds out they’re seemingly keeping prisoners for some unknown reason, especially if it’s someone he recognizes, he’ll do what he can to try to free them. (Or at least sneak them an apple or two.)
Player Name: Hannah
Are you over 18?: Yes
Contact:
Other Characters in Game: N/A
IC INFORMATION
Character Name: Jaskier (Real name is Julian Alfred Pankratz)
Canon: The Witcher (Netflix series)
Canon Point: The end of 1x06, his final appearance of Season 1
Background: https://witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Dandelion/Netflix_series
Suitability:
Jaskier has a wonderful talent of somehow inserting himself into shit that doesn’t concern him, which is basically how he spends the entirety of his time in The Witcher. It often appears like he just happens to be around when Things happen but the truth is Jaskier chases after stories of fascinating people and events. He is, above all else, a storyteller and an entertainer as a bard, and that he is so willing to go on extremely dangerous adventures like dragon hunts and monster slayings is exactly why he’s so popular in his own world. Even if it puts him in mortal danger, he’s there to be a witness. After all, bards were one of the best ways to receive news on happenings around the world. Jaskier just happens to make a pretty penny from doing so.
While Jaskier will not get physically involved in anything, for the most part – he’s not even close to being a fighter – he has a long history intertwined with political court intrigue, and will be able to navigate it with a lifetime of experience. It’s worth mentioning that later in the novels, Jaskier also becomes a spy during the Nilfgaardian Wars. While it’s too early in the show for his character to have yet gone in that direction, the potential for it is there and it’s something I would be very interested in exploring through his inclusion (read: self-insertion) into the game’s plot.
Powers: None.
PERSONALITY QUESTIONS
Describe an important event in your character's life and how it impacted them.
It is quite clear that Jaskier running into Geralt of Rivia is an event that dictated a large portion of his life, and certainly set his career in motion.
Jaskier meets Geralt in a tavern in Posada at the age of 18, at a time where he is so far unsuccessful as a bard (obvious, as he is subject to an assault of thrown bread right in the middle of his performance). Geralt, a large, hulking man carrying “two, very scary-looking swords” who Jaskier, at that point, only knew as “The Butcher of Blaviken” – a moniker Geralt picked up after his very public conflict and execution of eight people in a small town called Blaviken – immediately catches Jaskier’s attention, despite Geralt doing his very best to attract no attention. Jaskier recognizes Geralt as a Witcher – a monster hunter in their world – and though he has every reason to be as afraid of a Witcher as most people did, Jaskier immediately invites himself to sit with Geralt. He casually asks for a bit of constructive criticism given that no one else in the tavern hesitated to do so. Geralt tells him his song is wrong because it’s based on monsters that aren’t even real. As a Witcher, of course, he’d know firsthand. With a raise of his brows, Jaskier is intrigued. Here’s a chance to meet someone who knows about real monsters and, thus, cannot help but be terribly interesting.
Intrigued or not, Geralt is completely uninterested and attempts a quick exit from the tavern to avoid further attention, but another bar-goer realizes Geralt is a Witcher and hires him for a job to hunt a “devil” who has been stealing their grain. For the second time, Jaskier invites himself along and follows him as the Witcher searches for the so-called “devil”. He offers Geralt the chance of having Jaskier of his barker, who would regale the world with tales of his exploits, expounding how he could spread the word of the “Butcher of Blaviken’s” exploits. With the nickname being a severely sore point, Geralt declines by punching Jaskier in the stomach, a great indication to the bard that perhaps the big, scary Witcher is not in love with the idea of being famous for being a murderer. (Later on, Jaskier even suggests a new moniker for the Witcher: “The White Wolf.”)
Unsurprisingly, Jaskier follows him anyway. Whether emboldened by Geralt’s lack of further attempts to drive him off, or because he sees writing ballads of a Witcher’s monster hunts as a golden opportunity, Jaskier stubbornly inserts himself into the hunt. Both of them are, after a brief tussle with the “devil,” knocked unconscious and tied up by elves, working with said devil. The two meet Filavandrel, king of the elves, who now lives with his people in the mountains, forced from their homeland. The “devil” introduces himself as a Sylvan, a “rare and intelligent creature" that is stealing grain for the elves so they can simply survive. Another of the elves is shown to be sick, that this way of life is slowly killing them, or at least leaving them barely hanging on to a suitable life. In that moment, the history Jaskier had believed through his life to that point is shown to be entirely whitewashed.
Geralt eventually convinces Filavandrel to release the two of them, though he first attempts to have them release Jaskier alone, as he’s “just a bard.” (A noted point that stays in Jaskier’s mind for years to come, that certainly this Witcher, who’s been said to be emotionless, cold, and inhuman, has nobly attempted to keep him from harm.)
Geralt reasons with the elves, who allow Jaskier and Geralt to leave without further harm, though he warns them they need to find a way to live with humans “so that [they] may live.” As a gift – and possibly reparation for the lute that another elf destroyed – Filvandrel bequeaths an Elven-crafted lute to Jaskier that he carries for the rest of his life.
And that’s how, really, Jaskier’s life thereon goes. Though they are not always together, Jaskier is a frequent guest on Geralt’s monster hunts and, indeed, does craft noteworthy ballads of them. Though he certainly stretches the truth (and “stretching” is probably even generous), the show details that, over time, Geralt and Jaskier both grow in fame and popularity. A lot of popularity. The showrunners even refer to Jaskier as the “Freddie Mercury of the Continent” in that nearly everyone knows of him, or at least his ballads.
Thus has Geralt, through no fault of his own initially, become Jaskier’s greatest muse. While he does write love ballads about some of his true (and various) lovers, Jaskier’s main subject always appears to be Geralt’s monster hunts. This is emphasized in a scene where Geralt hires a prostitute, and she is able to name the monsters he slayed simply because she knows the locations of various scars on his body, which takes place only three years since Jaskier met the Witcher. By the time ten years have passed since their first meeting, Jaskier is invited by the queen of Cintra, one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Continent, to her daughter’s betrothal feast. His energy and talent for storytelling has even made him so popular that, during the royal banquet, he has Skelligans – known, like Vikings, for being loud drunkards – singing along with his own song.
Suffice to say, without Geralt, Jaskier may never have found the inspiration he needed to be one of the most well-known bards on the Continent. (And, of course, Geralt would be nowhere and still terribly poor without Jaskier. Which is a point he will emphasize if asked.) They have been friends for the majority of Jaskier’s life and a large portion of Geralt’s, especially considering that Geralt has very few long-lasting relationships with anyone. Even long after Jaskier has become famous, he still happily follows Geralt on his monster hunts, even when he could be resting somewhere in the lap of luxury.
Does your character have a moral code, or other set of standards they try to live by?
Jaskier tends towards integrity and sincerity. While he’s neither a warrior for good or for evil, he often speaks up (quite loudly and brazenly) when he feels injustice is being committed against another. When he and Geralt are abducted and tied up by elves, one of the elves assaults him by kicking him in the stomach. It knocks the wind out of him, but it’s not until one of them hits Geralt that Jaskier bursts out with indignance, screaming at the elves about how they must be cowards to hit a man who can’t defend himself. His anger at an elf striking Geralt is especially interesting because, at this moment, they’d only just met, and Jaskier is one of the few to ever show concern for a Witcher.
I think Jaskier generally sides with the underdog, or at least the victims, if he sees them that way. When the elves correct Jaskier’s belief that the elves gave away their land to humans and that they must live in golden palaces — when in actuality they live in the mountains because they were forced to hide there, stealing supplies from human towns simply to survive — he instantly becomes contrite.
And yet, he can still be intrinsically self-serving. Despite learning the truth about the elves (and obviously feeling sorry for them about it), when Jaskier composes a ballad about their abduction at the hand of elves, he still casts them as the “villains” of the story. As he works out the lyrics, Geralt asks him, “What happened to your newfound respect [for the elves]?” Jaskier looks at him levelly and replies, “Respect doesn’t make history.”
Here we find that though generally Jaskier does care for others. He knew he could play on people’s stereotypes of elves to write an exciting, adventurous ballad, even if it did nothing to paint them in a good light. It made him money, in the end, and was worth it.
Jaskier walks a fine line between selfishness and altruism. Even his initial offers to Geralt to be his barker were for his own good: he saw a way to use the Witcher to boost his own career, whether Geralt wanted him to help him or not. Despite Geralt seemingly having no regard for Jaskier, the bard still works intentionally to improve Geralt’s reputation. A vague promise of being the Witcher’s barker turns into him spending over twenty years singing the White Wolf’s praises.
Jaskier will go out of his way to defend those he feels are being unfairly treated, but he will tip a situation into his favor if he knows it will benefit him in the long run. At the end of it, however, he will generally do what is typically “morally” right. It’s obvious in his interactions in others he cares for people deeply, especially those close to him. His entire career is made of bringing entertainment to those who otherwise may have dull or dangerous lives.
On the other hand, he is also the sort of man who immediately, and without hesitation, wishes for a djinn to kill his bardic competition through a brain hemorrhage. So. He tries to be good. Most of the time.
What quality or qualities do they admire most?
Jaskier is a lover of people as an extrovert. Based on the company he keeps (and Geralt is certainly his best and longest friend, at least shown on screen), it’s not kindness that makes or breaks his willingness to befriend someone. Rather, he’s attracted to people who have good hearts. Geralt thinks himself about the furthest thing from a good and noble person, but when Geralt defends Jaskier against the elves, a change comes over his face that makes it incredibly clear how much it means to him, to the point he goes quiet – a rare form for Jaskier. Jaskier watches Geralt, again and again, help people in extremely dangerous situations, often to his own detriment, despite the fact that most people hate or fear Witchers. It’s not so much kindness that endears Geralt, and people, to him – Geralt, even a decade into their friendship, refuses to name Jaskier as his friend, and is often rude or downright insults him – but intention. The idiom that actions speak louder than words is highly relevant here. Jaskier doesn’t much care how Geralt talks to him, knowing that the Witcher cares despite his words. He even jokes that perhaps “in another decade or two” that Geralt will finally be able to call him a friend.
As an artist, he values passion, as well, especially passion born from love for a thing or a person. Though “Her Sweet Kiss,” the last song he is shown writing in Season 1 is not exactly complimentary, its subject is described as wild and passionate, compared to a storm, a destructive force, and “the red sky at dawn.” It’s undeniable that this song is about Yennefer, Geralt’s romantic entanglement, or at least a woman like her. Though the song is one of lament, it still sounds filled with adoration for the sort of woman that could invoke such passionate love even if she will destroy them “with her sweet kiss.”
Because the world of The Witcher is a pretty horrible one – wars, indiscriminate robbery and murders by bandits, monsters slaughtering people – Jaskier is not turned off by people who are involved in darker things. After all, when he first meets Geralt, the Witcher’s reputation is only that of a killer. But despite that, it seems Jaskier wants to see the good in people, and unless proven otherwise (or they personally insult his music!), Jaskier is happy to be around most, and is especially attracted to those who attempt to bring good to the world.
Do they have a part of themselves they dislike?
Jaskier doesn’t appear to dislike any part of himself, at least in terms of personality and traits. That isn’t to say there are no regrets in Jaskier’s life — and certainly he regrets things he’s done — he never comes off as if he believes it was due to a part of him that makes him wrong or unlikeable. In 1x05, when Jaskier laments to Geralt about how his latest lover, the Countess da Stael, has dumped him. He “fears [he] will die a lonely man.” But he doesn’t ever address any mistakes he may have made in the relationship. When Geralt asks, “Did you sing to her?”, Jaskier replies indeed, he did — and is immediately insulted that Geralt would dare imply his amazing talent in music would be what caused her to leave him.
Even when he is getting on other character’s nerves, it never really stops him from continuing to say what’s on his mind or doing what he’s doing. He’s also fairly shameless in many ways. Where others might worry about seeming cowardly (especially as Jaskier was in the midst of flirting with two imposing warrior women at the time), Jaskier doesn’t hesitate to run from a monster as soon as he sees it and hide behind Geralt.
Pertaining to the “lonely man” quote above, if Jaskier were to fear anything (outside of bodily harm, of course), it would be being alone. He’s quite clearly an extrovert, and shows the most enjoyment when he’s the center of attention or when he’s performing. Though Jaskier is certainly a paramour, the fact that, in his older age, his lovers keep leaving him does genuinely upset him. When he says the “lonely man” line to Geralt, though it sounds flippant, he has obviously been drinking heavily to aid in his sadness over being left behind. After decades of moving from one lover to another, the older he gets, the more worried Jaskier becomes of being alone.
What is their sign, and why?
The Sun is perfectly Jaskier. Jaskier is a highly entertaining energetic presence when he’s performing: he dances as he strums his lute, his singing clear and loud, and he always has a smile in store or a wink for the pretty faces that watch him. He is, most certainly in nearly every scene, the root of any levity between the action, and tends to be optimistic, if not realistic, about most things.
Jaskier certainly offers hope to the peasantry and the nobles of the Continent. He crafts fascinating exploits of heroes, of lovers both adored and scorned, and can also bust out a bawdy ditty or two (see: The Fishmonger’s Daughter. Though he can be a little snappy and sarcastic to those who insult him or otherwise give him a hard time, generally Jaskier greets people happily and tries to think the best of them.
He also tries to keep things light, if possible. After seeing Geralt being completely shut out by his then-lover Yennefer, Jaskier tries to distract Geralt with a joke immediately after she leaves. It goes horribly wrong and Geralt basically tells him to go to hell and never talk to him again, but, you know. He tried.
SAMPLES & ARRIVAL
Samples:
Sample 1
Sample 2
Arrival Scenario:
Honored guest. I think it’ll be really interesting to play through that. Though he’s been an honored guest at royal banquets in his past and is well-versed on how to navigate the upper levels of social decorum, it’ll be really interesting to play him actually having some fear over it. Having been magically kidnapped here against his will, he’ll have lost that comfort from familiarity and will be in a world with people he knows nothing about, all while alone and pretty much unprotected. He’ll eventually find others to trust as he’s not a naturally suspicious person…but if he finds out they’re seemingly keeping prisoners for some unknown reason, especially if it’s someone he recognizes, he’ll do what he can to try to free them. (Or at least sneak them an apple or two.)