Jarlaxle Baenre
Jarlaxle Baenre
"We prefer not to involve ourselves in such feuds. We are thieves - freely admitted - but not killers."Jarlaxle Baenre is a drow mercenary and leader of the Bregan D'aerthe mercenary company. He is one of a small number of male drow who actually has significant power in a Lolth-worshiping city, although he increasingly spends little time in the city itself as he adventures on the surface.
Description
Slender, handsome, and tightly muscled, Jarlaxle is the dandy of Erelhei-Cinlu . He chooses the brightest colours for his clothes and wears a cape that shines in every colour in both the visible and infrared spectra. He commonly wears high boots and bracelets that can be made to clack loudly or be silent at his discretion. He also wears a magical eye-patch that protects his mind from magical and psionic intrusions, allows him to see through walls and other solid objects, and through illusions. He often shifts the patch from eye to eye to keep others guessing as to its powers. Another staple item is his wide-brimmed hat, plumed with a diatryma feather and worn atop his clean-shaven scalp, which is a symbol of his refusal to conform to society's expectations in Erelhei-Cinlu, a society where rank and position are reflected by hair style.Personality
More than anything, Jarlaxle is an opportunist. His wealth is considerable, but official station in drow society means nothing to him. He observed that the best way for a male to survive and prosper in the matriarchal drow society was to be outside the system and to be too valuable to be eliminated—and he was audacious enough to take his life in that direction. Always calm and graceful, Jarlaxle enjoys flaunting his independence and is proud of the fact that the noble houses come to him for aid. In the city of Erelhei-Cinlu, intrigue and double-dealing are a way of life, and no one plays them better than Jarlaxle does. As a male outsider who has no qualms dealing with the "lesser races", Jarlaxle has much information few others beyond Lolth's priestesses are likely to have access to. He is one of the most powerful males, if not individuals, in the city and the surrounding Underdark. He benefits from the chaos of Erelhei-Cinlu and has always been able to align himself with the winning side in any conflict. In his later years, he preferred to see adventure and profit in the World Above. (Although in his earlier years he had thrived on the internal politics of Erelhei-Cinlu, they had always disturbed him. Once he escaped the "wretched hole in the ground," he did not want to return.) He found that he felt most alive when he was with friends and when he was taking risks. He has an "insatiable curiosity and a desire to know—everything." This curiosity makes him antsy when he remains stuck in one place too long and drives his quest for personal exploration. He has a very charismatic personality, always willing to talk his way out of situations rather than resort to force of arms. Moreover, talking is what Jarlaxle does best. His words easily work past the handicap of his race's evil reputation, able to turn potential enemies into allies. He loves irony, sarcasm, and wit. He is extremely intelligent and a brilliant tactician who is always prepared for any imaginable or unimaginable circumstances. Jarlaxle's lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra revealed a deep understanding of Jarlaxle's personality. He recognized that his gambling and sometimes foolish-seeming attitude was a very good facade, underneath which lay a frighteningly intelligent mind. Jarlaxle prefers to avoid killing someone as long as that person could be manipulated to serve his interests, no matter how small his or her role might be. In fact, Jarlaxle doesn't like to kill somebody unless he had to, an unusual trait in a drow—and likely the reason he does so in the first place. Several times, he played the hero just for the sake of it. Jarlaxle is also a flirt. He has no qualms about flirting with (and sleeping with) dragons.
Alignment
Chaotic Neutral
Species
Year of Birth
228 CY
348 Years old
Birthplace
Children
Gender
Male
Aligned Organization
Comments