Hugo Dargent
STRENGTH 10 (+0), DEXTERITY 18 (+4), CONSTITUTION 10 (+0), INTELLIGENCE 16 (+3), WISDOM 14 (+2), CHARISMA 18 (+4)
Katib Hugo Dargent (a.k.a. Vulpix)
Katib Hugo Dargent is the "spare" second son of House Dargent, a family of Kitsune living as Humans to enjoy the benefits afforded to the more privileged species.
Physical Description
Apparel & Accessories
See the Team Inventory for a full list of the group's items.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
When Hugo was little, he dreamed of being a Paladin for the Second Court. He admired the ideals of the holy warriors protecting all people of Palimpsest, regardless of their birth station. But, as he got older, Hugo became more disenfranchised and abandoned this dream. He hated having to hide his Kitsune form at all times, even in the privacy of his own bedquarters, and as he gained more responsibilities under the Rich Man sigil, he was sent out into the city more and more. He saw firsthand the discrepancy between how the people of the city lived, and how he lived in the noble court. He saw the animalfolk being especially mistreated, and he felt a traitor to his own kind by benefiting from a system that penalised others like him.
When Hugo was fourteen years old, he developed his first crush on a noble human boy around the same age from the Stargazer Family. Castor Stargazer was sweet and nice to Hugo, and they dated in secret for two years, each also taking girlfriends in the court to keep up family appearances. But everything fell apart when Hugo’s machiavellian little sister, Scarlett, who was only four at the time, caught them together in Hugo’s bedchamber. Naturally, the little brat immediately told Viziera Guinevera, Hugo's mother, who cast curses on both Hugo and Castor until they were pleading for mercy. The two broke up that evening, and after the harsh punishments dolled out by both families, the duo were too cautious to attempt any further secret meetings.
Exactly what part of being drugged, tied up & held at knife-point in a waterpipe made Hugo decide to befriend this girl?
This was the final straw for Hugo, who was already disillusioned with court life. He started rebelling. He would make his excuses early and leave family gatherings quickly. He would sneak out of the court and masquerade as a rich commoner in the town markets. And, worst of all in his family’s eyes, he ended his engagement to Satine, the noble Laureat girl he was dating, creating a scandal at court and forcing his brother, Victor, to marry her in his place.
One time, on one of his galavants outside the noble quarter, Hugo was attacked and drugged by Lindie Asklepa, a Vishkanyan spy for the rebel Undergazette newspaper. In his inebriated state, Hugo accidentally revealed his Kitsune identity to his captor, however, after a shaky start, the two became friends. Hugo returned frequently to their intial meeting spot, and the two would have fun in the city together.
Lindie kept Hugo's various identities secret and protected him from the dangers of the streets, and Hugo learned to speak and understand Lindie's Vishkanyan snake language and bought her sweet foods from the open market. When his parents began pressuring him to find a female consort, Hugo brought Lindie to court to pose as his concubine. Lindie didn't seem to mind her new role, which mostly involved being on Hugo's arm in court, and occasionally poisoning nobles with her sleep venom when no-one else was looking. Early on, Hugo made it clear to Lindie, in several different conversations, that Castor and his new wife, Cassiopeia, were not to be targeted under any circumstances.
Around this time, Hugo was sent down to one of the lower levels to balance the accounts of Barker's Menagerie: a circus/zoo of Animalfolk run by Gnolls. As Hugo was carefully scratching out some of the numbers on the Menagerie ledger, making the sums add up to prevent some of the more nefarious dealings from showing up and even out the Gnolls' skimming taxes off the top (and the middle and the bottom) of the income, he could see out the window a couple of Gnolls dragging a tiny adolescent Bunbun by the ears and tossing her into a hutch. Hugo tried to ignore the Bunbun’s silent crying as he finished balancing the highly unbalanced books, but eventually he couldn't bear it any longer, and enquired about her situation.
After learning that the Bunbun had attempted to escape, and was going to be punished, Hugo made the snap decision to buy the poor creature before she could be hurt any further.
The Bunbun was shaking all over when she was brought out to him, but Hugo quickly put her at ease. He told her about the court where she would be living at, and he noticed she was particularly interested when he mentioned the famous Stargazer Observatory. Over time, he learned that the Bunbun's name was Connie Furr, and she was a devout follower of a forbidden Survivor God, Brambleson, Prince of Rabbits. Luckily for Hugo, no-one at court pays any attention to the illegal chatterings from his pet bunny rabbit.
Sexuality
After he and Castor Stargazer were severely punished for their illicit relationship when they were teenagers, Hugo has tried to steer clear of romantic interactions as far as possible. Recent events have led to him to fabricate romantic encounters where none were present. Tito's hiring of male prostitutes at Morpheus's Pleasuredome created a convenient cover for Hugo's destruction of Barker's Menagerie. And later Hugo got in over his head when fake-Yvette convinced him to pretend to be in a romantic relationship with her (although forced to keep the facade going over Eclipseday, he subsequently secretly backed out of once he realised she was some kind of succubus Div).
Education
One of his tutors weilded a Silver Birch to point out errors.
As a noble child, Hugo was mostly educated by private tutors, with a focus on court politics, diplomacy and accounting, the latter being his family's Area of Concern. In a futile effort to improve Hugo's stamina, he was taught to dance alongside learning to wield a rapier on the basis that both used a similar swift technique that Hugo was particularly suited to. However, despite Hugo's natural speed, his endurance failed to improve and he grew tired easily.
Although almost as quick with numbers as he is with a blade, Hugo chooses to keep this hidden from his parents. This allows him to keep on top of his familial obligations while prioritising his time for more important concerns, such as tackling the impending Apocalypse.
Employment
As the "Spare" son of the Dargent Family, Hugo has never needed or had any official employment. There are family duties that he is expected to engage in (and sometimes he even does so). These include going to court, making the family look good, and general politics. If he hears any potentially useful information about the other nobles, he is meant to tell one or both of his parents. At almost all times, his desk has a pile of uncompleted (if not unstarted) accounts on it, and, every so often, he is sent to do work further down in the city.
Mental Trauma
"The children, have remarkably similar nightmares in the case of the two boys. Both fear their parents. And fear the consequences of being held responsible for their parents’ secrets."The Man Who Is Not There tells Lindie Asklepa the nightmares of the Noble Court.
Personality Characteristics
Likes & Dislikes
Dislikes
Ale: Although he dislikes the taste, Ale is Hugo's go-to drink of choice to order when he's in his regular noble form. While this is partly because, as an Orcish drink, Ale is considered less elite than Human or Elven beverages, it also serves a more pragmatic function. By selecting a strong drink that he doesn't enjoy, Hugo is secretly limiting how likely he is to get intoxicated while not drawing attention to the fact that he is deliberately avoiding innebriation. As Vulpix, he doesn't need to play the game and will order something "sweet and non-alcoholic".Vices & Personality flaws
Although he wants to be a good person, and is on board with the idea of realigning society to be more equal, Hugo is still deeply entrenched in the Noble Court where he grew up. While he opposes the despotic governance of the noble families, he is cautious of the rebels' methods of causing change through anarchy or terrorism. He sympathises with the lower district revolutionaries but is mistrustful of their militancy. While he assists them in stealing from the nobles (as long as doing so will not blow his cover) he still tries to disrupt their more violent assaults, which hampers his credibility as a trustworthy ally to the rebellion.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Lindie Asklepa: Hugo's relationship with his pseudo-concubine is something of a unique one. Lindie keeps his parents off his back, protects Hugo and Connie when they get attacked, and is working with them to complete the Star Charts sent to them by Whitecape. Hugo and Lindie clearly like each other, and place a great deal of trust in the keeping of each others' secrets. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Hugo to turn a blind eye and stay willfully ignorant as Lindie's kill count rises.
Connie Furr: Hugo is very protective of Connie, which has allowed her to maintain a level of innocence beyond that of even many other Bunbun. Connie introduced Hugo to the religion of Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits, which he now secretly, tentatively follows, and Hugo works to help Connie in Brambleson's mission to unite the Gods and prevent the upcoming apocalypse.
Castor and Cassie Stargazer: After being caught secretly dating, Castor and Hugo were severely punished and separated by their families. For five years, they were wary of making any attempt to see each other, however more recently that has begun to change due to the developing friendship between Hugo's rabbit, Connie, and Castor's wife, Cassiopeia. Cassie and Castor helped Connie commune with the Survivor Star Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits in the Stargazer Obeservatory. Later, during the second court's Whisper Vote on the charges of witchcraft against Cassie's mother, Hugo pulled some strings to ensure she received a verdict of "Forgiven," instead of the more severe consequences of "Exiled," "Banished," or "Killed."
Connie Furr: Hugo is very protective of Connie, which has allowed her to maintain a level of innocence beyond that of even many other Bunbun. Connie introduced Hugo to the religion of Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits, which he now secretly, tentatively follows, and Hugo works to help Connie in Brambleson's mission to unite the Gods and prevent the upcoming apocalypse.
Castor and Cassie Stargazer: After being caught secretly dating, Castor and Hugo were severely punished and separated by their families. For five years, they were wary of making any attempt to see each other, however more recently that has begun to change due to the developing friendship between Hugo's rabbit, Connie, and Castor's wife, Cassiopeia. Cassie and Castor helped Connie commune with the Survivor Star Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits in the Stargazer Obeservatory. Later, during the second court's Whisper Vote on the charges of witchcraft against Cassie's mother, Hugo pulled some strings to ensure she received a verdict of "Forgiven," instead of the more severe consequences of "Exiled," "Banished," or "Killed."
Family Ties
Richard and Guinevera Dargent: Hugo walks a bladed tightrope with his parents, keeping barely helpful enough to avoid being kicked out entirely for his insolent disregard for them or their Plan. Although he has more frequent unpleasant (often painful) interactions with his father, Hugo is more frightened of his mother, who exhudes a detached false pleasantness. She once inflicted prolonged torture on Hugo, that he never forgets but is sensible enough never to mention.
Victor Dargent-Laureat: One of Hugo's favourite pastimes when he is forced to be around his family is to subtly (or not-so-subtly) get on his brother's nerves. Since Victor's ascension to Vizier, he no longer lives at the Dargent Estate, and Hugo has realised how much of a buffer Victor provided (probably inadvertently) that protect Hugo from his parents' attention and anger.
Satine Dargent-Laureat: Hugo's relationship with his sister-in-law, to whom he was formerly betrothed, is on surprisingly good terms.
Scarlett Dargent: Of all his family, Hugo's younger sister terrifies him the most. He never quite knows what she's plotting, but it would be foolhardy to believe she's up to nothing.
Victor Dargent-Laureat: One of Hugo's favourite pastimes when he is forced to be around his family is to subtly (or not-so-subtly) get on his brother's nerves. Since Victor's ascension to Vizier, he no longer lives at the Dargent Estate, and Hugo has realised how much of a buffer Victor provided (probably inadvertently) that protect Hugo from his parents' attention and anger.
Satine Dargent-Laureat: Hugo's relationship with his sister-in-law, to whom he was formerly betrothed, is on surprisingly good terms.
Scarlett Dargent: Of all his family, Hugo's younger sister terrifies him the most. He never quite knows what she's plotting, but it would be foolhardy to believe she's up to nothing.
Religious Views
As a member of House Dargent, Hugo grew up worshipping the Rich Man constellation, and he is still officially listed as a Richian in all the paperwork. However, recently he has converted to the illicit religion of Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits.
Relationships
History
For two years, the teen "spare" sons of the Dargent and Stargazer households were engaged in a secret relationship. When they were discovered, it caused a scandal in court, and severely damaged the diplomatic relations between their two houses. Castor Stargazer was rushed into a marriage with the half-orc Subvizier of the Greentusk Family, while Hugo Dargent's older brother, Victor, was forced to marry the Subvizier of the Laureat Family in Hugo's stead.
Legal Status
Forbidden
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Current Status
"Spare" Katib of House Dargent
Species
Ethnicity
Professions
Currently Held Titles
Age
21 years old
Date of Birth
Takesday, Richmoon, 1291
(ought to have been Givesday, Poormoon, 1291)
(ought to have been Givesday, Poormoon, 1291)
Circumstances of Birth
Hugo's mother induced an early labour in order to ensure her son would be born under the star of the Rich Man.
Family
Spouses
Castor Stargazer
(Ex-boyfriend)
Satine Dargent-Laureat
(Ex-betrothed)
Lindie Asklepa
(Concubine)
Siblings
Children
Gender
Male
Sexuality
Homosexual
Presentation
Floral Rose scent.
Eyes
Gold
Height
5 ft. 6 inches.
Belief/Deity
Follower of Brambleson, the Prince of Rabbits (Secret)
Related Myths
Celestial
Common (First Language)
Earspeak (Understand Only)
Elven
Ignan
Sylvan
Tengu
Vishkanyan
Appears in...
Has encountered Connie Furr in Bunbun and Wolf form.
Human Families
Mason: +4 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)Dargent-Laureat: -9 (Needle, Sailor, 1313)
Ironside: +22 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Stargazer: -47 (Scrap, Tinker, 1313)
Dargent: -14 (Needle, Sailor, 1313)
Carterhold: -3 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Bakerstreet: +7 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Underhand: -49 (Scrap, Sailor, 1313)
Non-Human Families
Baharat: +30 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)Brasseyes: +6 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Darktusk: +4 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Greenskin: +25 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Jackalslicer: +9 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Nightkeeper: +2 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Ratrider: +3 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
Shajara: +6 (Wound, Sailor, 1313) Lord Captain Emissary: +9 (Wound, Sailor, 1313)
+3 must not get -85 across board, or -90 with any family in particular.