(According to the help file)
The Jester class originated in modern
Jesters are a rollicking lot, often silly and carefree.
Some may choose to wander the highways putting on
impromptu shows for passersby; others plan and carry out entire theatrical
productions. They may be found as citizens of any city, or might choose to be
cityless wanderers instead. They are devoted to amusement, high jinks, and
humor. Not tied to any one ethos, one may encounter Jesters who worship the
Lord of Evil as well as Jesters who travel the path of Light. Many Jesters
prefer neutrality, as the ideal of fun transcends alignment.
While many of their skills are intended for entertainment,
a trained Jester is not to be underestimated on the battlefield. With bodies
trained in acrobatics, their backflips and handsprings can, in a tight spot, do
more than amuse. Jesters are famed for their ability to craft various tools of
their trade as well, such as balloons that can lift people to the skies, a
range of tricky bombs, jack-in-the-boxes concealing deadly surprises, and more.
All this combined with their ability to fashion magical puppets to manipulate
others to hilarious or lethal ends, a Jester skilled in combat can be a
formidable opponent.
The skillsets wielded by those of Jester class are
Pranks, Puppetry, and Tarot. A fledgling in this class will possess Tarot and
Pranks.
(According to Events news #46)
During the timequake, one Silvestri Carnivalis, personal
jester to Catarin DeSangre, Queen of Seleucar some
600 years ago, was brought into our time. Bewildered and confused, he
discovered, to his dismay, that the Carnivalis line was dead, and that many of
the arts of Jestering had been lost. He also discovered that the art of Tarot,
which the Jesters had taught to the Occultists before even Silvestri was born,
had been taken to a new level in terms of combat effectiveness.
In time, Silvestri mananged to gain his bearings, and
decided that it must be his mission to bring
Jestering back into the mainstream. Gathering
together potential apprentices from the other cities, notably Llewlleyn, Ralph, and
So, gathering together his guild secretaries and guild
novices on the eastern end of
Sadly for Silvestri, the Occultists had, since the demise
of the Jesters, zealously protected the secrets of
Tarot. Knowledge had slipped out certainly, but by
and large, aside from a few scholars, Tarot was a mystery.
The guildmistress of the Occultists, Shakti, confronted Silvestri, and asked that he pledge to limit the knowledge of
Tarot to those of his guild. Bristling at this
restriction placed upon his freedom, Silvestri
refused, much to his later dismay. Soon he found himself
kidnapped by Shakti and some of her fellow Occultists, brought to the Chaos Plane and bound. There his limbs were broken
repeatedly, as they tortured him to extract the promise they wished. Bowing to
their pressure, and the inevitability of a
confrontation between the mighty Occultists and the jester (who, it should be
remembered, had little to no combat experience. He
was a court jester.) he made his promise, on behalf
of the entire Jester's guild.
Silvestri survived the ordeal, but his heart was broken,
and soon after, he passed leadership of the
fledgling guild to Llewellyn, and departed in
search of lost Seleucar.
(According to PUBLIC NEWS #9420)
Date:
From: Silvestri Carnivalis
To : Everyone
Subj: A new school!
Greetings! I am Silvestri Carnivalis! After some initial disorientation,
I have ascertained that somehow, for some reason, the Goddess of Chaos has
transported me from about 470 years after the founding of the Empire to now,
600 years later. I will leave aside tales of my grief, and of my anger and
dismay at finding myself so impossibly far from my former life, for I am a
Carnivalis, and the show must go on!
Though it seems my family has been forgotten, in my time, we were the
most famous entertainers in Imperial Seleucar. One of my ancestors was jester
to Lord Nicator himself! Even worse than forgetting my family, it seems you all
have lost the art of Jestering.
Therefore, I propose, with the blessing of Lady Czanthria of
open a Jestering school in her fine city. I would like to take on some
apprentices, but I know none of you. Thus, those of you who would be
interested in setting aside their past studies and beginning as a Jester
should make an application via letter to me, Silvestri. Tell me why I
should teach you this ancient and respected art of entertaining, and try
to make me laugh!
-- Silvestri Carnivalis, ex-Imperial Jester.
Penned by my hand on the 13th of Mayan, in the year 298 AF.
(According
to PUBLIC NEWS #9424)
Date:
From: Silvestri Carnivalis
To : Everyone
Subj: the Jestering school
Unfortunately, upon further investigation, it seems that
the place for a Jestering school at this point. They tell me that all my
guild members must be a citizen of this city, but not of that, and this
poor jester's head just starts spinning. The laws are too complicated
and we jesters are not political animals anyway.
I am thus forced to look into other options for where to found my
school. Perhaps the leaders of any cities that are interested could
contact me, and we could discuss hosting my school in your city.
Penned by my hand on the 11th of Sarapin, in the year 299 AF.
(According
to PUBLIC NEWS #9427)
Date:
From: Silvestri Carnivalis
To : Everyone
Subj: the Jester's guild!
In my time, there was but one government, the Imperial House of
Seleucar. Now, however, Seleucar is no more, and I weep for it. Still, I
must press on with my Jestering, and in my search for a place to locate
a school, I discovered such animosity towards other cities, in each
city, that I felt that locating my guild in one of the established
cities would lead to Jesters being dragged into politics, as a guild.
So, I've decided to open the school/guild in
everyone, regardless of city or religious affiliation.
We do not have a guild hall yet, but hopefully circumstance will provide
for us.
Penned by my hand on the 8th of Aeguary, in the year 299 AF.
(According to PUBLIC NEWS #9429)
Date:
From: Silvestri Carnivalis
To : Everyone
Subj: me, the Jesters, and sorrow
I arrived here in your time disoriented and distraught. Within a short
time though, certain among you, notably Llewellyn,
close and trusted companions, bringing some light into my temporal
plight.
But I do not understand much of what happens here. Life is...different.
It is more violent, for one, and I seem to be on the receiving end of
too much of it. Today, after being kidnapped, tortured and slain by the
Shakti, Mephisto, and Silvestorm and Mordyval, I was forced to pledge,
on behalf of the Jesters now and forever, that we will keep the art of
Tarot secret.
I do this, fine. I do it because in a short time my sense of humour has
been ruined by these beasts. I do it because I have no choice, and all
the young happy jesters don't deserve to be prey to the Occultist
wolves.
I journey to find what happened to Seleucar. Perhaps someday, years from
now, I will return, to tell your children jokes while I pass my final
days in peace, assuming that the Occultists and their allies have
forgotten their hatred.
Goodbye. I would leave you with one more joke, but my heart has been
broken as my body was broken.
Penned by my hand on the 8th of Miraman, in the year 299 AF.
