Roger Harlan

Official Art by Kamigoat.

## History

Roger Harlan was born into a low-class family, raised as a devout and well-mannered boy. Due to his family's poor finances, he would often lend a hand to his parents, and other people in need. Physically unfit, he quickly learned that it was easy and fun to make games of things, and so Roger became something of an informal performer, keeping people's spirits up and doing sleight-of-hand tricks for coin.

Throughout his life, he was told that the ultimate good was to show kindness and patience with others, and he kept this lesson at heart well into his adult years. After his parents passed away, he found a wife in Helen, and settled down to raise a family.

He spent the next fifteen years living a nightmare as his wife became unfaithful and needy, he discovered that his children were not his own, and that he was being used as a money dispenser for an ungrateful and unloving family. For those fifteen years, he worked tirelessly as a street performer and tried everything in his power to 'make things right', until he finally broke off the relationship by wiping all memory of himself from the minds of his wife and 'children', leaving them reliant on a far less financially stable father figure who could not support the additional strain.

Roger joined Parthenon the next day, after proving himself reliable on a variety of scouting and information-gathering missions taken as side jobs to supplement his income. He has spent some time as an agent, an activity which he thoroughly enjoys. He is joined by his informally-adopted daughter Penny, who he always looked out for during his time in his old proffession.

## Personal

Roger is a trickster and manipulator, though not one malicious in nature. He enjoys messing with people, and often acts out specifically so that he will leave a strong impression- or, no impression at all.

Deeply averse to physical combat, he carries few weapons, and prefers instead to rely on his cunning skill at persuasion, trickery, and spellcraft. He would perform sleight of hand as well, except that he is beginning to develop arthritis.

Roger has a deep resentment for his treatment at the hands of people he thought he could love and trust, and is obsessed with claiming revenge- not on the people who wronged him, as he has already settled that score, but on the world itself. He seeks to do so by extending his life beyond mortal limits.

His amiable personality and general inclination to help and support even people he does not know personally is contrasted by his utter ruthlessness when facing people who abuse trust and hurt the people he cares about. He claims that the harsh world has taught him to be selfish.

## Relationships

* Helen Adams, Percy Adams, and Jeanie Adams: Roger is utterly without care or concern when it comes to his old family, and prefers to avoid speaking at any length about them. He holds his wife and 'children' in nothing but cold contempt, as his every attempt to connect with them and improve their relationship was met with appalling failure.
* Penny Direheart: Informally adopted daugher. Roger met her on the streets while performing, and took the time to build up a rapport with her, helping her out with various problems and trusting her without reservation. Even as she has grown, Roger still has a fierce protective instinct, and worries that some of his harsher actions would cause her to think less of him.
* Alimina Direheart: Roger was originally hired into Parthenon by Alimina, and held a fierce personal respect for the woman. Her death has left him shaken and outraged, though he does not often express it outwardly.
* Destan: Roger holds a friendship with Destan, despite his vampirism and odd demeanor, agreeing that just because something is different does not make it fearful. The two often team up to initiate crazy schemes, and Destan has Roger's unwavering respect for his devotion to his ideals and practice in his craft.
* Hemlock: Unsure of how exactly to treat Hemlock, Roger frequently feels he displaces Hemlock's position in events. However, he tries not to let this get in the way of his work, and often finds it fun to pool his efforts with Hemlock's arcane talents. Roger considers Hemlock to be a valuable ally and trusted associate.
* Alicia Capet: Aware of but not closely involved with Alicia's history with Penny, Roger does not fully trust Alicia's judgement. He respects someone trying to change their nature and behavior, but he is less concerned with her morality and more concerned with her ability to harm Penny without meaning to. Roger sometimes considers planting suggestions within her head, but refrains because he does not wish to sour their working relationship.
* Amelia Direheart: Roger loves and trusts Amelia like a second daughter, and is concerned for her safety in much the same way that he is for Penny. However, he is a bit more free with Amelia and is not as concerned about how she thinks of him, letting the relationship be less stressful, if slightly more distant. He worries that her curse of vampirism will be used against her in some large-scale confrontation with the Inquisition, or with someone holding power over the undead.

## Trivia

* Roger did not believe in real magic for several years, instead insisting it was all trickery. This was largely reflexive, due to his parents instilling him with a firm grounding in self-reliance and not waiting for 'magical miracles'.
* Roger worships Saul'Sakir, not as a role model, but because he has become disillusioned with 'moral authorities' and prefers to devote time and attention to beings that he is capable of learning from even without approving of their behavior and treatment of others.

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