Name: Marionette

Sex: Female

Description:


Date Inducted: 1548

Role: Mime/Human Doll

Offensive Power:
Invisible Objects - Whether it's an invisible wall or an invisible sword, if she appears to be interacting with something, chance are it's real and you just can't see it.

Puppet Strings - Wires grow out of her wrists and ankles and snake towards her foe to bind them.

Biography: Marionette was originally an orphan living on the streets of sixteenth century Paris, France. Life for her was difficult, scrounging just enough food to live on, stealing rags to survive the winter, and desperately avoiding the authorities, who would lock her up as a vagabond. It was a grey existence that one day exploded into colour.

That was the day that The Circus came to town. She was entranced and awed by the sights, the sounds, and the smells and when she met the Keeper she begged to be allowed to join. In return for being inducted into The Circus, she gave up her voice and her name, becoming Marionette, the mute Mime.

Other: Obviously she's completely mute.

Audition: The lights on the big top went down and the audience, having been applauding the previous act, quieted down. As silence came over the crowd a single spot light shined down on a large colourful box and a mournful music box tune The top and front of the box fell away and Marionette got jerkily to her feet, the twist key attached to her back giving her the convincing appearance of a giant clockwork doll. She Stepped stiffly out of the box and began a choreographed robotic dance, with an invisible partner, in complete silence aside from the music box music.

The crowd watched in hushed silence as the girl went through her performance. Suddenly the music changed into a more upbeat tempo and Marionette, revealing the wires running from her wrists and ankles and up into the rafters, changed from a stiffly robotic performance to more loose, puppet-like movements. She continued in a solo dance, abandoning her invisible partner and moving around the middle ring, occasionally leaping high into the air as if being pulled along by some giant puppeteer. Eventually the music slowed down to a stop and on the final note, Marionette stopped in the middle of the box and dropped as if someone had cut her strings, the box closing back up. The Big Top was in utter silence for a moment before the audience broke out into applause and the lights all came back on and the next act entered, accompanied by carnival music.

Name: Ari Lahayer
Sex: Male
Date Inducted: September, 2006
Role: Animal Tamer






Other: The only other really odd thing about Ari is that he is almost always accompanied by an animal of some kind, these animals tend to be tame, bears trailing behind him, tigers purring at his side, that kind of thing

Name: Barlow “Barry” Foster “the Strongest Man Alive”

Sex: Male

Description:


Date Inducted: Became a part of the circus at the age of 23, sometime during the early 1800s.

Role: Strong Man

Offensive Power:
- Gravitational control: Barlow is able to affect the weight or the gravity acting on any object that he touches. He can make cars as light as leaves and pebbles as heavy as trucks. He has to be able to touch the object in order to change its weight, and again in order to change it back. The time it takes to properly change an objects weight can vary between 5 to 10 seconds, depending on how large it is, and requires physical contact for as long as it takes. His heaviest limit is about 10 tons, or anything that won’t harm the circus’ stadium. His lightest limit is helium, which yes, can allow objects to float (slowly though).
- Minor self-defense: Barlow has never been a heavy set man, and only knows the bare basics of how to defend himself. His talents lie in his speed and ability to work with whatever he has at hand. He’s clever, and good under pressure, making up for his lack of actual physical strength.

Biography: Barlow was a con artist and a petty thief before he joined the circus, working the streets of London since the age of 10. He’d never remembered much before then; he thinks he had a pair of half decent parents, but because of how short they were on cash, they must have simply abandoned him some time or another. The streets around that time were rough, and the only real reason he managed to survive for so long was because he was lucky and clever.

The day that the circus came rushing into town was a quiet one, so it’s no surprise that Barlow was one to catch the small wisps of rumors that were being spread about the keeper; rumors that he could grant you anything and everything you’d ever want, all in return for a little bit of servitude. It sounded like an easy scheme, even in Barlow’s careful ears. He’d never been one to follow rumors, but after hearing enough about the circus and its Keeper, he decided to go and check it out for himself.

In all truth, Barlow fully intended to swindle the Keeper out of as much as he could, but the moment he met that man, he knew that even he wasn’t clever enough to pull wool over that man’s eyes. What he offered was a real as Barlow had hoped though, but the price was just as the rumors said: servitude. Loyalty. At least, the last part is what it sounded like in Barlow’s head, and for a man who spent his life tricking others, loyalty was all he had. It was a steep price, but something in Barlow seemed to agree that it was a fair trade. It was only a joke when he demanded to be the circus’ strong man, and he thinks it’s even funnier now that he actually got the position. The irony is probably what he loves most about performing.

Other: a few facts-
- His favorite things are money, black coffee, fools, and polka music.
- Rumors around the circus say he’ll do almost anything for cash.
- He’s as straight as a hool-la-hoop and twice as fun. C;
- Has a pet cockatiel named Beans. Smart little fella.
- He’s taken Faris under his wing. Considers him his “apprentice”.

Audition:


~ ~ ~

Name: Faris “Bird Feet” Jenkins

Sex: Male

Description:


Date Inducted: Early 1920s. He was about 15.

Role: Clown/animal act.

Offensive Power:
- Faris has some pretty sharp senses and reflexes and has a heightened sense of balance. He’s fast, quiet, and follows directions well. Pretty darn ruthless to boot, and won’t hesitate to take an opening when he finds one. He’s best when used as support.
- He’s got some damn sharp bird feet, which yes, can grab and hold small objects.
- He’s never had any sort of formal combat training, and isn’t very familiar with weapons, but he’ll work with what he has. Give him a stick, and he’ll beat a man with it. Give him a gun, and he’ll probably beat the man all the same with it. He only really knows how to hit things.
- His birds: when Faris was inducted into the circus, he had a pair of kiwi birds in his possession, who low and behold, received a small share of power as well. Aside from being a bit more intelligent, his little birds can grow to about the size of ostriches. In their larger forms, they sport some pretty gnarly teeth and talons, and can haul quite a bit of weight. They take their commands directly from Faris, and only Faris.

Biography: When Faris found the circus, he was only about 15 years old, scrawny as a twig and locked up in a metal cage. At the time, he belonged to a small freak show outside of New York, and was considered one of their top attractions: Bird boy; the boy hatched from an egg. None of it was really true, but no one seemed to question it because of his feet. It was only a slight mutation that resulted in very long, scaly, avian like toes, which he was told were the reason his parents sold him to the freak show in the first place. The ringmaster always thought that the fact upset the boy, but in truth, it didn’t bother him in the slightest; he couldn’t remember what a parent was, let alone what his were like.

Because of that circus blowing through town, people weren’t visiting the freak show as often. Apparently, people had been losing interest in the show for a while now, and with the option of an actual circus on the board, stopped coming all together. The ringleader was livid, and partially blamed his freaks for not being exciting enough. That night, he yanked all the freaks out of their cages and attempted to rally together some sort of mob in an attempt to chase off the rival circus. Maybe five minutes into his “moral building” speech and every freak in the building turned on him. They gored, gutted, and chopped him up as much as they pleased before finally stringing him up an old flag pole. Finally free, a lot of the freaks meandered off in their own direction, mostly to hide, some off to look for distant family.

Faris didn’t run off though, and instead sought out The Keeper. In return for his servitude and the end of his newly found freedom, all that Faris asked in return was a chance to travel with the circus and see the world. He decided to become a clown because he was tired of being a spectacle of horror, and instead wanted to make others laugh and smile.

Other: a few facts:
- Faris’ little kiwi birds were a part of the animal exhibit at the freak show. He brought them along on a whim. Their names are Dodger (the white one) and Roger (the brown one).
- Will often pester the other members of the circus whenever he’s bored or needs help.
- Likes polka music and dancing. He’s taught his birds a few dances as well.
- Don’t make comments about his feet. It bothers him.
- He’s a sneaky little bastard, and enjoys eavesdropping on others outside their tents.
- Really likes Barlow’s pet bird.

Audition:

Name: Kaina Dar


Sex: Female

Description:



Date Inducted: 1490(?)

Role: Snake Charmer, Dancer, Female Assistant.

Offensive Power:
-Reptile Talk: Kaina is able to control and converse with any kind of reptile, from tiny lizards to large saltwater crocodiles. This isn't an exact mind control, more like coercion into obeying her, although the reptiles rarely do spurn her.
-Poison Immunity: Years of dealing with snakes have made Kaina completely immune to the poison.
-Fire Resistance: Kaina does never sustain any wound from fire, no matter how hot.
-Battle Dancer: Kaina can use her dancing movements and kicks to engage opponents in melee.


Biography: Kaina has been a longstanding member of the circus, ever since the circus' caravan found her wandering around the Black Forest of Germany during the middle ages. Wounded, without a family nor a place to go, young Kaina begged for the Keeper for a safe haven from persecution from her enemies, and she agreed to join the Circus.

While originally an eyecatch and assistant for other numbers, It was soon found that she was fascinated by reptiles of all sorts, she was eventually tasked with handling those kinds of animals, which were to be thought tricky for normal animal tamers. Nevertheless, the pesky creatures bonded with her almost instantly, and her skill allowed the circus to include things like pythons and cocodriles in their numbers.

Even so, times do change, and reptiles, while still making for a shocking number on its own, are not enough to satisfy the demands of attention of the public, and as such Kaina has expanded her number to include eclectic things such as belly dancing, fitting an oriental theme, making cocodriles dance, and adding things such as coal walking and fire eating to her number.



Other:
Orientation: Kaina will gladly invite anyone to share her bed as long as it's appealing enough. Too bad that her bed is usually full of her pets aswell. Snakes are no fun for most people.

Likes:
Reptiles
Money and Jewels
Fire
Gossipping

Dislikes:
Knightly Tales
Warm blooded animals, and the feeling seems to be mutual
People in general
Being Ordered Around

Audition: The lights go out. All is darkness and silence. And then a single light is lit in the middle of the scenery, towards a large basket. From inside the basket something stirs and begins to rise upon the sound of oriental music. People at first think it's a snake, but soon it is revealed that it is a dancer inside it, moving her body like a snake. Then once the eyes are set on her, she smiles at the audience and claps twice and stomps on the ground. The pot stirs a second time, as her hands move in serpentine movements as if conjuring. Snakes crawl out of the pot, in all directions, like a fountain of serpents. The public goes mute, fearing the reptiles might run amuk.

And then three stomps more. The snakes stop in their tracks, and begin to rise and lower theirselves following the movements of the dancer, who keeps doing rather nimble hip movements. Stomping four times once more, and the snakes theirselves crawl inside their basket. It is at this moment that people start clapping, usually. Kaina raises their hands for silence, as she winks her eye and pulls the basket out of the scenery...only to be followed by a crocodile. The snake charmer feigns to be startled only to look disapprovingly at the beast. She kneels then and the beast opens it maw, for her to introduce her head. She sees something, and stretches her hand.

A bowtie. She pulls a bowtie out of the crocodile's mouth, which then she puts on the crocodile proper. Five times she stomps, and the crocodile stands upright. She takes its paws in her hands, and both dance. And then the time of kissing. The cocodrile snaps its jaws, and Kaina reels, pinching her nose. Laughter insues. Her lips touch the croc's snouth nevertheless, and the crocodile is sent off.

And then, the scenery is set on fire, as Kaina frantically begins to dance among the fires, as if possesed. She eventually finishes by spewing a large gout of flames, much to the ovation of the public.

Name:
Calista Kritikous

Sex:
Female

Description:
Calista's appearance changes with her whim. Her powers give her the option to appear as she pleases. Centuries of heavy magic use has altered her once natural appearance. Now, the sorceress has baby blue and periwinkle hair and icy eyes, as well as pointed ears and sharp, angular features. It is not often she will walk around as another, but she is always identified by her large top hat, adorned with a working clock. Typically, she dresses semi-formally in robes or vests and skirts, with an overcoat in the winter, but she is not unfamiliar with modern dress and will occasional wear working jeans. Later in the evening, for the more adult crowd, she will only wear a leotard with her overcoat.
Date Inducted: 1400s

Role: Illusionist / Magician / Grand Showman / Special Effects 'Technician'

Offensive Power:

• Phantasmagoria: Calista traps an opponent in a frightfully real illusion of all senses. As long as the opponent recognizes the illusion, any and all effects of it physically manifest on the opponent. One must look past the illusion to overcome it, but many do not have the mental willpower.
• Witchcraft: A magic user of much experience, Calista can spin cantrips and hexes of different types of strengths.
• Moderate Martial Abilities: Armed with her cunning, hyper vigilance, resourcefulness, and weighted staff, Calista knows how to protect herself in a fight. She's been at this for some time now.

Biography:
In her previous life, Calista was a scholar working in a great library in Knossos, an ancient Grecian city. She spent her days rewriting manuscripts, translating texts, and studying topics such as culture, science, and mathematics. She met many people in her sponsored travels and saw a great many things. She met aboriginals in their lesser developed regions, and different societies in Europe as advanced or even further so than her own. She was, and still is, a very worldly woman. She had always been a curious, inquisitive person, eager for knowledge and experience. She has a certain unquenchable zest for life.

However, despite how forward Greece was in the fight for female rights, Calista had a life against the grain. Her colleagues never respected her work, she was never taken seriously, and was often passed over for a male counterpart, even if she was more qualified. Although most were amused by her pursuits, some misogynistic men were violent and threatening toward her, especially when she challenged their intelligence. They undermined her, sabotaged her work, and spread nasty lies and rumors around about her in their profession's social setting. She became suspicious about those around her trying to harm her, and developed paranoia because of it. To this day, she is extremely distrustful.

In the 1400s her home city of Knossos was destroyed by raging fires. She was in Europe at the time, in France, and learned of the city's destruction second hand almost a month later, and she was devastated. She lost family, friends, and all of her research. Depressed and lost, she wandered the countryside for a few years aimlessly. In her travels, she came across the traveling circus. For the few days the carnival had stayed in the same town as her, she frequented its shows and attractions, finding them a fun distraction from her troubles. Before the circus moved on, the Keeper had met the girl and saw her intelligence, and offered her a place within the festivities. He tried her out as an assistant at first, but eventually brought her completely into the circle.

Calista was given the power of witchcraft because she was well learned enough to understand the arcane language as well as the intricacies of the art in general. She took to it quite warmly, and became quite proficient in its use.

Other:

• She is a very paranoid person. She is always friendly and cordial, but she is not particularly close with many other members of the show.
• Having been here so long, Calista is not only a vital part of many shows as a performer, she also runs effects for other acts as well (though not with any electronic means).
• She does not take kindly to intrusions on her privacy or personal space.
• Calista will not hesitate to use magic on her coworkers thanks to her untrustworthy nature. However, she will rarely start physical confrontation.
• She can speak many different languages fluently.

Audition:

Name: Yulio Victoris

Sex: Male

Description:


Date Inducted: 1293

Role: Ringmaster of the Circus.

Offensive Power: Second Sight - Yulio has been gifted by the Keeper with Shadow Sight; the ability to see the minions of the Harlequin from a distance of roughly 1Km away. These minions appear as bright ghosts, but can be hidden by physical barriers.

Duelist - A Venetian noble before he was inducted into the circus, the baton Yulio carries hides his rapier. The Keeper has seen to it that the weapon is capable of harming the apparitions of the Harlequin.

Biography: Yulio is the oldest living member of the circus, having been inducted by the Keeper in Venice during the 1290s. The son of a Venetian trading prince, Yulio had a taste of travel and wealth at a young age, but also was exposed to the deprivations and worries of the world as well. Plague from rats on his father's ship took the lives of his sisters and mother, and his father would eventually succumb to disease as well.

It was during one of Venice's many Masque Balls that Yulio was approached by a man in a dark mask with a business proposition. Rather than live in the city and continue with his father's mundane trading enterprises, why not try something new? Something that promised untold power and eternal life free of disease. Yulio thought it a joke but good sport nonetheless, and took up the job at the new faire to broaden his horizons. Eight Centuries later, he has been promoted to Ringmaster in the Keeper's circus, and the Keeper's Players continue to hunt for the Harlequin...

Other: As Ringmaster, Yulio has a few responsibilities. He sees to it that all players are guided through their inductions, that the strange wards that ring the circus, erasing the memories of the visitors and the photos they take, are functioning properly. And he guides the players to their quarry and ultimate goal- the capture of the Harlequin.

- Likes: TRUE Italian Food, Good Wine, Better Company

- Dislikes: Pizza, Beer, Boorish Fools.

Audition: [Coming Soon]

Name: Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Bellefontaine – she never uses her full name.

Sex: Female

Description: Cassie stands about 5’5” tall and is slim but somewhat curvy. She has long black hair which she usually wears tied back unless performing, when she wears it loose and flowing. She has dark green eyes and a gracefully pretty face, looking genuinely beautifully when she smiles. Her entire body from her shoulders to her ankles is covered in colourful tattoos. Stars, hearts, birds, moons, suns and flowers can be seen among the colourful mix along with sailing ships, webs and roses with thorny vines. People who study them may notice that they seem to change position on her body, though no one ever sees them moving.

Date inducted: Late 1700s.

Role: Former tattooed lady/trick daredevil

Offensive Power:
Her horse riding act has left her limber and agile – while nowhere near as graceful as Aurelie, she can perform basic acrobatic moves quickly enough to get herself out of harm’s way.

Her tattoos function as both armour and weapon: when fighting shadows they wrap and flow around her like form-fitting armour, and two long streams of colour flow into her hands which she wields as whips of multi-coloured light against the darkness.

Biography: Born in a family with a name and title but precious little money, Cassandra (as her parents insisted on calling her) grew up in a world of genteel poverty. She was taught the arts that a young lady of the time should know, though her parents despaired of her spirited temper, and was raised to snare a rich husband. When she was 20 she as married off to a rich slave trader move than twice her age. Cassie tried to make the best of the match, but her new husband soon proved to be a cruel, vicious man who treated her much as he might one of his own slaves – something he’d bought and can use as he chose. Which included breaking her if he wished.

She endured marital rape and his emotional and physical abuse for the next eighteen months; she tried to flee to her parents but they refused to help her, claiming it would disgrace the family if she left him and forced her to return.

After enduring another beating, Cassie snapped. She dismissed the servants for the night, sending them off to see the circus that had arrived that day, stole a knife from the kitchen and while her husband slept that night she stabbed him. Repeatedly. The only thing she felt as his blood splashed against her skin was a tired relief that it was over – he couldn’t hurt her anymore. She set fire to the house as she left and released the horses from the stables, taking one to ride away to a safe distance and watch the house burn.

At this point the mysterious ringmaster offered her his deal – join him, and everyone would assume Cassandra Bellefontaine had died with her husband; no one would look for her in the circus. She accepted without hesitation, and when they shook hands the bruise and blood on her skin transformed into colourful tattoos, concealing the marks of the abuse she had suffered. She’s travelled with the circus ever since; as tattoos are no longer a sensational thing on a woman, she’s graduated as a daredevil horseback rider.

Other:
Nationality: English/British (obvious from her soft accent).

She professes to be bisexual, but seems to prefer other women as partners. Whether this is natural inclination or a reaction to the abuse she suffered is debateable.

She never talks about her past, but shows a marked empathy for others who show the signs of physical or mental abuse.

She has two horses – one pure white called Spirit, the other jet black named Sable. She knows they’re not original names, but so what?

Audition: “And now, a tradition that dates back to the first days of the circus – Cassie our daredevil rider!” The lights went up and wild gypsy music began to play as a pair of horses, one black, one white, galloped into the ring. The small girl watching the show clapped enthusiastically as a young woman rode on the white; her long black hair whipped out behind her as she raised her arms above her head.

The two horses galloped side by side around the ring. The girl watched spellbound as the young woman spun smoothly from one impossible pose to another, standing upright with both arms raised, swinging out of the saddle and re-mounting in a quick swirl of limbs so she faced backwards until she remounted again, her body lying sideways across the saddle, head downwards. The girl gave a gasp as the young woman performed a quick backwards roll on the horse before vaulting onto the black.

She rolled up into a headstand, and the crowd cheered as she performed the splits upside down, holding the pose for one full gallop around the ring.

The small girl gasped as the young woman swung out of the saddle, hanging almost upside down for a minute, one hand dangling to the ground before she swung back and up to her feet. She vaulted backwards, balancing on her hands before springing up into a somersault that left her standing with one foot on either horse. She raised one arm, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd. Streamers of colour seemed to flow from the limb.

The child applauded until her hands ached as the horses reared up in unison and then stretched out their front legs, lowering their bodies as they too took their bows.