Jester Jesterson

Rod Gatherson is defined by discipline, resilience, and an unwavering sense of duty. As Loriner's older brother, he serves as a foil to his sibling's bright optimism. Where Loriner is expressive and idealistic, Rod is stoic and restrained. He rarely allows emotion to influence his decisions, instead relying on reason, experience, and endurance. To those around him he often appears cold, distant, or intimidating, but this comes more from emotional restraint than cruelty. He holds firm beliefs about strength and responsibility. In Rod's eyes, a real man is someone who perseveres, protects others, and refuses to surrender when life becomes difficult. He values courage, determination, and self-control above nearly everything else, often expecting the same level of toughness from those around him that he demands of himself. Despite being an accomplished warrior, Rod does not glorify violence. He believes war is a tragic necessity rather than something to celebrate. His philosophy is that "a real man isn't the one who starts a war, but the one who ends it," reflecting his view that strength exists to bring conflict to a close rather than create more of it. Fighting, to him, is a responsibility—not a source of pride. Perhaps Rod's defining trait is how little emotion he outwardly displays. Most people only ever see him stern, expressionless, or quietly irritated, making it difficult to tell what he truly feels. He keeps his thoughts and emotions locked away, almost as if he has trained himself not to acknowledge them. The only known exception is during his battle against an Ahklut, where, after overpowering the massive beast through sheer physical strength, he briefly smiled with quiet satisfaction before calmly telling his companion, "Your turn." The smile disappeared as quickly as it came, and he returned to his usual composed demeanor. That fleeting moment suggests that beneath his icy exterior is someone still capable of genuine sympathy. Maybe he has a heart... Maybe.

King Desces's royal knight, the toughest weapon, and the one handling the missions despite his brother begging to have cooler missions and not boring ones, if fun means deadly... Oh, and he handles Khardott's army. Rod Gatherson has a broad, muscular build that immediately sets him apart from the lankier characters in Metrecalia. His body is thick and powerful, with wide shoulders, heavy arms, and sturdy legs built more like a seasoned soldier than an exaggerated cartoon adventurer. His proportions are grounded and imposing, giving him a naturally intimidating presence. His skin is fair, contrasting with his straight, jet-black hair. The hair falls over part of his face in uneven bangs while the rest is cut to about neck length, framing his head without looking particularly styled. Along one side of his face is a large, pale scar stretching from his forehead across his eye and down his cheek, suggesting years of battle and hardship. He also has a small pointed goatee that adds to his mature, hardened appearance. His clothing is practical rather than decorative. He wears a dark charcoal tunic partially hidden beneath a large navy-black cloak draped over one shoulder, creating a heavy silhouette. A thick, dark scarf wraps around his neck, protecting him from harsh weather while adding another layer to his rugged outfit. Around his waist is a wide black belt decorated with bold gold geometric patterns, one of the few ornate parts of his attire. Beneath the tunic he wears dark trousers tucked into large black boots with thick cream-colored cuffs. One forearm is wrapped in white bandages, while the opposite shoulder is protected by a simple brown leather pauldron fitted with white spikes, hinting at his role as a frontline warrior rather than a ceremonial knight. Overall, Rod's design emphasizes durability and practicality. Nearly every part of his outfit appears meant for travel and combat instead of status or elegance.

He wants to obey enough to make the king trust him and be closer with him, hoping that will let him have a moment alone with the king. If so happens, he plans to kill the king and rule the kingdom of Khardott. I quote "This might be my only chance to live in a castle. If I do a well-enough job, I might have a moment alone with the king... and the kingdom will be mine... As. it. should", which he says holding a knife and talking to his mirror.

Impaled Shlooken (his favorite food — it's like a gigantic turkey or chicken roasted and on a stick), Loriner (mehhh), Counsel (sometimes), his knife, the idea of being king, Mirror Jester (sometimes, too, when he ain't tormenting him)

Being thrown hot soup at him, being mistreated, being humiliated, Desces, Mirror Jester (sometimes), Counsel (sometimes, too), the kingdom, himself (although he doesn't show it).

The Kingdom of Khardott, his current location.

He has no canonical name, but we'll call him Mirror Jester He looks exactly like Jester although more flexible, slimmer, with longer fingers, fully white eyeballs, dark circles around his eyes and an overall dead-like appearance due to being paler with a more grey undertone to his skin. He wears the same uniform as him. He can shape his own physical appearance to whatever is in his liking. He either looks like that or is a weird red matter that looks exactly like Jester but without more colours in his palette than red. He's probably one of Jester's hallucinations, a recurring one, but that's not clear. He might actually be real. He has a mocking and theatrical attitude, is quite expressive, laughs when Jester starts doing his manic laugh, intensifying the sensation, pushes him go his limits, belittles him, calls him pathetic sometimes, reminds him he won't achieve anything and will eventually explode, "as you always do" quoted. He's Jester's sentient reflection in the mirror, one that materialized the worst part of his head, the most twisted one, one that represents what he buries deep inside so badly he can argue with it like it's a completely different person. They both want to kill the king, but Reflect finds it stupid how Jester thinks his plan on waiting to gain the King's confidence to make it easier will work, knowing how impulsive Jester can be after restraining himself and repressing his anger too much. He smiles a lot, uses his hands a lot when he talks, hates everyone in the castle and doesn't say much, only appearing when Jester is at his worst moments and sometimes not even then. He appears on reflections everywhere when Jester is around, but from what we know, only Jester sees him. He mocks him and torments him, and does it with a grin and sometimes an exaggerated pout or a groan of annoyance siding it. He doesn't say much, nor does he truly lie. He reminds Jester he "deserves it", that he's pathetic, that choosing Khardott to conquer was dumb, etc.

Loriner has a lanky, exaggerated cartoon appearance with extremely long, thin legs and narrow limbs that make him look almost rubbery. His skin is pale, contrasting with his messy olive-brown hair that flares outward in uneven tufts around his head. His face is dominated by a huge, stretched grin, giving him a manic and mischievous expression most of the time. He wears a dark olive-green short-sleeved shirt layered over a cream-colored long-sleeve undershirt with a slightly torn or stitched neckline. On the chest of the green shirt is a small yellow symbol resembling a stylized triangle or rune. A dark brown strap crosses diagonally over his torso like a satchel strap, with another matching strap wrapped around one thigh. His pants are a pale beige color and extremely skinny, ending above oversized white cuff-like shoes that look soft and rounded. His hands are simplified and cartoonish, with long finger shapes that match the exaggerated style of the rest of his design. Loriner is one of the most optimistic and adventurous characters in Metrecalia. He loves being a hero, helping others, and throwing himself into quests regardless of how dangerous or ridiculous they may be. He is energetic, enthusiastic, airheaded, hilariously dumb, and driven by a desire to do good and achieve glory through heroic deeds. Despite living in a world full of cruelty and absurdity, Loriner rarely stays pessimistic for long. He tends to approach life with excitement and curiosity, making him the emotional opposite of many darker characters in the series. His upbeat attitude, love of adventure, and determination to keep moving forward make him one of the story's primary sources of hope and positivity. He and Jester don't know much about eachother, they barely ever met, but Loriner doesn't dislike him much. That is, as long as he's not evil towards people he loves. Surprisingly, he can read. He's ticklish, specially on the armpits, and hates being weak. He barely thinks, and it's hilarious.

Counsel serves as King Desces's advisor and public spokesman. He announces news, composes songs for castle events, and acts as a representative of the royal court. Personality-wise, he is often described as annoying, rude, petty, sassy, and obnoxious. He has a tendency to irritate nearly everyone around him, partly because of his smug behavior and tendency to side with the king. His role as a loyal supporter of Desces often places him at odds with other characters. Although he is not nearly as openly monstrous as the king himself, he frequently comes across as a sycophant who enables the kingdom's cruelty while remaining more concerned with maintaining his own status and importance. He likes to sing, play the banjo, likes good jokes, etc. He has a mostly unimpressed facial expression around mostly everyone. He actually thinks a bit higher of Jester than he's allowed to show, since he his decently funny even despite the dark humor he hides and the way he's willing to commit royal contempt, which he takes as a bitter joke. Counsel sometimes warns the king to take better decisions, gives him royal advice, and treats Jester poorly in front of him. In private, he might be just as annoying and nagging, but he doesn't call him "scum" or other names. He's moreso treating it like a conversation when they're alone, like he's just teaching him to act better with no need to be cruel nor kind. He mostly looks unimpressed, except when something truly scary or shocking is happening, when he laughs, when he's singing, when the king isn't being an asshole and when the king is sick. He sometimes gets bored of this job. He likes mud baths. Some would call him sassy.

Counsel has a relatively short, compact build compared to many other Metrecalia characters. His proportions are softer and rounder, with a noticeably slightly softer stomach and narrow shoulders that give him a somewhat top-heavy silhouette. His skin is pale, and he has short, curly ginger-red hair that peeks out from beneath an elaborate hat. The curls frame the sides of his face and add texture to an otherwise smooth, simplified design. His outfit is heavily inspired by Renaissance and courtly fashion. He wears a dark burgundy tunic with puffed sleeves and matching puffed shorts, both decorated with pink teardrop-shaped cutout patterns. Pale pink ruffles trim the sleeves and leg openings, creating a layered, ornamental appearance. Beneath the tunic is a white turtleneck-like undergarment that extends down into white tights, giving the outfit a formal, noble feel. The most eye-catching piece of his clothing is his oversized burgundy hat. It is broad and asymmetrical, decorated with pink cutout details that match the rest of his outfit. A large green feather extends from one side, providing the only bright contrasting color in the design. Brown gloves and dark brown boots complete the ensemble, reinforcing the image of a royal advisor, court official, or nobleman from a stylized fantasy kingdom.

Jester has a tall, thin cartoon body with exaggeratedly long legs and narrow proportions that give him a weightless, puppet-like appearance. His skin is pale and smooth, with a simple rounded face that carries a constantly irritated or unimpressed expression unless he's with the king. His narrow eyes are half-lidded and sharply angled, making him look constantly judgmental or tired, while his small mouth curls into a crooked frown. He wears a dark maroon jester outfit made of soft, flowing fabric. The most striking part is his oversized three-pointed jester hood, each tip ending in a round silver bell. Matching silver bells also hang from the ends of two long decorative strips dangling from his collar and from the tips of his curled shoes. Around his shoulders is a short cape-like collar that splits into layered points. The bodysuit itself is sleek and form-fitting, with slightly darker shading around the torso and legs. His boots curve upward subtly at the toes and have thick folded cuffs, adding to the whimsical medieval jester aesthetic. His hands are large and expressive with long fingers, fitting the stylized cartoon design. Behind the hat, he has dark messy hair that fluffs up into the shape of the hat, with no strands of hair showing when he wears it. The Jester hat is buttoned, which means he has to unbutton a single button at the bottom (where his chin is) to loosen it and be able to take it off). He dislikes the sound of the bells. The suit is tight.

King Desces has a broad, imposing frame that contrasts sharply with the thinner, more exaggerated builds of many other Metrecalia characters. His body is wide and sturdy, giving him a commanding silhouette even without considering his royal attire. His skin is very pale, almost blending into his thick white facial hair and unruly white hair, which spreads outward in large jagged tufts around his head. He wears a golden crown set with a large red gemstone. The crown's sharp points echo the angular motifs found throughout the rest of his design. His beard is large and pointed, merging visually with the dramatic shapes of his hair and emphasizing the triangular aesthetic associated with him. His clothing consists of a dark red tunic layered beneath a massive dark cape lined in red. The cape drapes heavily around his body, creating a sense of weight and authority. Across his waist sits a wide gold belt with a prominent red triangular emblem at its center. Matching gold bands wrap around his lower legs, helping break up the darker colors of the outfit. His boots are large and sturdy, matching the heavy, grounded nature of his design. In one hand he carries a black staff or scepter featuring a metallic zigzag shape near the top, adding a ceremonial and regal element. He laughs at Jester's suffering. He has thrown hot soup at his face. Insulted him. He barks out orders at him for fun sometimes. Owns a crow. Can get a bit sick sometimes with Jester being his only source of entertainment in such cases. Doesn't care about anyone's feelings. Only listens to Counsel, and that's just sometimes. At least he let's him have an opinion, that's new. They know eachother. Desces thinks of Jester as insufficient, only having him as a jester because he had no choice. He's a both goofily violent man and a sadistic bastard. His lineage worships Landah, a god. The sacrifice prayer: "Great Landah, let all the woe of this creature be cast upon my soul that I may bear it in spirit and flesh".

Jester is a deeply tragic character hidden beneath the role of a court fool. He is seen as untalented, a waste, a scrap, but still has to keep up a happy act in front of the king and dance, even in pain. Canonically, he developed schizophrenia as a result of prolonged mistreatment, and his mental state is portrayed as highly unstable. The official description explicitly states that his mind has become extremely complex and that he is a "suffering soul." Despite this, he continues performing his duties, using humor and entertainment as both a profession and, in many ways, a survival mechanism. Beneath the jokes is someone carrying significant psychological pain. He is schizophrenic, manic and badly mentally ill. He only acts the way I mentioned at the beginning towards King Desces. His true personality is pretty calm as if trying not to be loud with all the noise already inside his head, chill, troubled, easily angered, repressed, bitter, quiet, and he can smile, but mostly doesn't. He sometimes laughs, not out of joy but out of genuine mania. He's spiraling into insanity and if many stressful things happen his unstable mind will take over him. He has a strong disliking towards authority figures and has openly spoken about it, using vulgar language and saying it casually like a sarcastic remark to his hatred to the elegant language they have, their superiorism, etc. He sometimes hides his hatred by disguising it as humor, although doing so with not a trace of a smile on his face. He constantly looks exhausted, isolates himself, and just obeys because that's what the king wants of him. Eventually, he's planning on ending that facade and killing the king with all his anger. When he's not acting, he almost never smiles and isn't afraid to show anger nor annoyance. He has once slipped the act around Counsel. You will only see him smile when talking about royalty-unrelated stuff, eating impaled Shlooken or speaking ill of the king behind his back (last one is a maybe).