application;
Timeline: History is only based upon canon - Holmes is taken from the end of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles. Personality is based both on canon and the 2009 film, as this app assumes that Watson wasn't sincere when he describes Holmes' traits in his writings.
Personality: You stand at the front of 221B Baker Street as you are confronted by a nice, old woman. She smiles as she directs you to the second floor, in which his room is located. You knock, he allows you to enter, and so you open the door. In there, midst all the piles of paper and seemingly useless junk, is a man sitting in a chair, his face showing all features of subtle dignity. This man is Sherlock Holmes.
You would probably try to introduce yourself, but by then Mr. Holmes would have known many things about you - your approximate age, height, weight, nationality, and even your profession as well as some of your habits. "How did you know?" You would ask, astonished, and with a proud sparkle in his eye he would launch into a thorough explanation, detailing his deductions and observations from the way your feet creaks at the steps, the length of your stride, and the bits of ash stuck in your coat. You would continue to be amazed, and Holmes would knowingly smile.
Indeed, Holmes' vanity towards his abilities is as the same as a woman's vanity towards her beauty. While he doesn't openly boast, Holmes would constantly remind the Scotland Yard how superior he really was compared to them. He's arrogant, and as much as annoying that may seem to be, he does have a right to be so. This kind of self-centered quality also prevents him to truly appreciate others' attempts at deductions (although he does congratulate those who seem to improve over time). Strangely enough, he always gives the credit to a policeman named Lestrade in the newspapers - in fact, the only way he received such popularity is through Watson's biographies about him. Perhaps he prefers praise from those who see him in action?
But that is not the only quirk Holmes possesses - he's an eccentric. Upon a quick scan on the room's surroundings, you may notice his lovely chemistry set and - if you're unlucky enough - his their the dog, lying "dead" nearby. Holmes loves Chemistry, and experimentations for the sake of improving his investigations were thus made. Acid, poisons, you name it - he uses them all. Heck, he even uses his own blood! And so, when done, he tries the finished product on the poor dog. How it managed to survive until now is a complete mystery.
This eccentricity shows more whenever he's investigating. Like a child playing a game, Holmes maniacally searches every nook and cranny for clue, just like a foxhound. As he investigates, nothing else matters, and will completely ignore people as he mutters, groans, and leaps to himself. His enthusiasm for detective work knows no bounds - often times he will skip eating or even sleeping whenever he's absorbed into a serious case. There are times, however, where Holmes is the opposite - he would merely sit in his chair with his smoking pipe or his violin, and ponder to his own content. He dislikes interruption at this phase as he is concentrating, forming possible deductions that can lead him to the correct conclusion. Silence and solitude is utmost needed at this part.
Indeed, Holmes, as we can say, is a workaholic - his entire life revolves around his job as a consulting detective. Without any challenging cases to solve, he is nothing. Without cases, he merely sinks into depression with blank, dreamy eyes, and would even turn to cocaine and morphine should the need for stimulation arises. It is quite hard to imagine the same bipolar arrogant man would look and feel like the dead due to the monotonous, boring routine of life.
Holmes would always prefer a brain over a heart - detective work is a cold, unemotional trade, and so Holmes must remain unbiased towards suspects and clients. After all, emotions would only hinder his observations and reasoning, and that would make him a poorer detective. Indeed, he can be more like machine than man at times - he only had two friends in his entire life (one whom he lost contact with when time passed), speaks almost nothing about his family, and has no interest in women whatsoever - in fact, he is highly suspicious to some of them. Clients are just factors to him, nothing more. The only people whom he took much lasting interest upon are actually people who have similar characteristics as his. (Told you he was arrogant). He follows his own laws rather than the police's (the advantages of not being with the police, no?) he is willing to break some rules should it benefit his client (besides, Mr. Watson won't allow him to commit any crime without reason.)
Holmes, however, is still human, and at least one person can prove that his man has a heart - and that person is his dear companion, Dr. Watson. The one reason Holmes did not like crimminals is because they bend to their own emotions easily, controlling them and driving them to unlawful actions. And yet, should Watson die, he would not hesitate to end the life of the murderer.
Background: Very little is known about Sherlock Holmes' personal life. Among his family, only one has been introduced in canon - Mycroft Holmes, his elder brother, working at a rather important position in the British Government. During his time as a college student, he also only had one friend - Victor Trevor. He would prefer to experiment in the laboratories or staying at his own rooms. And yet, this Victor Trevor was an important figure in Holmes' life, as his father was the one who complimented on Holmes' deduction skills. At that time, Holmes only treated deduction as a hobby - that comment was the one that made him think about using it as a profession.
Too antisocial to officially work with the Scotland Yard, Holmes can take only one profession - a profession he invented, a consulting detective. That was his first step into becoming the greatest detective the world had ever seen.
The methods in order to contact him are quite simple. While he normally refuses to have his name published in the papers as the one who successfully solved the case, he is still recommended by many of his clients, and thus some word got spread. Once you get a hold of his address, it was all easy - simply give him a visit (and be prepared for him to 'scan' you, so to speak), and tell him about your problem. Should it be easy enough, Holmes will give you the solution then and there, and all you just need to do is to pay for his services. However, if it proves to be more challenging (and trust me, he prefers those kinds of cases), he will apply a hands-on approach.
Sometime in the early years of his career, he decided to move into a new address - 221B Baker Street. However, while the rooms proved to be comfortable and good enough for his standard, the rent was too high for him. And so, he had to find a roomate, someone who can split the rent's costs. To this he complained to a man named Standford, and luckily enough, he had a friend who just came from Afghanistan, in search of a place to move into. That friend was none other than Dr. John H. Watson.
And so, through Standford, the two met. After discussing their faults regarding their habits in the house, the two decided that they won't be bothered by the other's company, and so the deal was sealed. The first few days, for Watson, was rather uneventful, but on the next week, several figures came into their room, in request for Mr. Holmes. Eventually, after discovering that Holmes did not know that the Earth revolves around the sun, Watson tried to find out his profession. Holmes eventually told him about being a consulting detective. Later on, a more challenging request appeared at his doorstep, and so Holmes invited Watson to go and check the case with him.
For the first time, Watson saw Holmes' powers of deduction first hand, and so the doctor was amazed. Seeing that the Scotland Yard takes most of the credit of Holmes' work, Watson offered to become his, in a way, chronicler, in charge of taking account of the most interesting of Holmes' cases. Holmes, of course, did not mind, though he constantly accused Watson of romanticizing his accounts, slightly bending the truth regarding Holmes.
And so this started the duo's constant adventures. It all follows a pattern - a request arrives at their doorstep, Holmes listens to it, and then he drags brings Watson around, searching for clues and evidence. He will then reveal the truth in a dramatic fashion, and then the rest shall ask him to answer their questions. In all of the works recorded by Watson, Holmes only got beated once - by the woman, Irene Adler.
Even when Watson finally moved out in order to marry Mary Morstan (who happened to be one of Holmes' clients), Holmes still managed to somehow steal away Watson in order for one of their cases. Through time, Holmes had been so used to Watson being with him to the extent that he even feels lost at times when the doctor is not present.
Holmes' latest case before arriving to Adstringendum is The Hound of Baskervilles, a case that originated due to a murder seemingly caused by a black dog, a famous ghost in British folklore.
Abilities/Additional Notes: The following list is seen in A Study in Scarlet, written by Dr. Watson as he tries to determine Sherlock Holmes' extents of his knowledge -
1. Knowledge of Literature.--Nil. (He did, however, show some knowledge of literature in the later stories)
2. Knowledge of Philosophy.--Nil.
3. Knowledge of Astronomy.--Nil.
4. Knowledge of Politics.--Feeble.
5. Knowledge of Botany.--Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of Geology.--Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Knowledge of Chemistry.--Profound.
8. Knowledge of Anatomy.--Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature.--Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
Sherlock Holmes chooses what he wants to learn. The brain's capacity for knowledge is limited, and so Holmes would not dare waste that space for information unrelated to his detective work. He might have created a new, efficient way of discovering bloodstains, but he also has no idea that the Earth revolves around the sun (and when Watson told him about this piece of information, Holmes did his best to forget it).
This, however, makes him a genius in logic and deduction, especially in detective work. Cases that baffle the Scotland Yard can be solved by Holmes in mere minutes. He is very observant, and thus has an ability to see the smallest of things in a crime scene, thanks to his magnifying glass. One of his famous skills is his ability to determine so many facts about one person just by observing his mannerisms, appearance, etc - all it takes is a single glance. Most of the time.
But mere intelligence cannot help a detective last long in the business. Danger is part of the trade, after all. Holmes is quite lucky then to have a knowledge of self-defense (and perhaps a bit more) to assist him. He is capable in fighting with a revolver, a sword, a cane, or even with his bare fists. Furthermore, he has knowledge of the art known as baritsu. Still, he only uses these when needed, especially in the face of a dangerous criminal.
Other tricks, some even considered illegal by the British law, are also used by Holmes - he is a master of disguise, able to fool even his dear friend whenever he goes under cover. He is also able to break into other people's houses, with a sufficient knowledge of lock-picking.
The only knowledge Holmes possesses that is not completely related to his work is his ability to play the violin. He can play some of the hardest of pieces, but he would only show said skill when an audience requests for him. When no one asks for a performance, he simply plucks away in different tunes - this happens usually when he is bored, or when he is thinking hard. So, how does he keep in shape? He practices the violin until 3 in the morning. Have fun being his roommate.
Sample Journal Post:
[ the feed clicks on, revealing a simple but somewhat furnished room. no disturbance or any obvious struggle can be seen in the frame. in the midst of it all is a man in clothes from the Victorian era, pacing back and forth in deep concentration with nothing but a smoking pipe to accompany him. he seemed to be muttering to himself, audible enough to be heard. ]
- lady, no doubt. She should be about twenty years old, almost six feet high. Clearly an admirable player of the violin. Also has a liking to Trichinopoly cigar. She should have been missing since two weeks ago... Chances of this location being a hideout - unlikely.
[ he then pauses nearby the window. after stealing a small glance outside, he brings out a pocketwatch, examining it. ]
Time and climate indicates that I am located somewhere in America. No traces of gunpowder or any explosive chemical of the sort, and an earthquake of such magnitude would leave no building to remain.
[ he stops, and sits on a nearby chair. he looks straight at the screen, unaware that it is recording. ]
This curious little contraption appears to have the same function as a telegraph, yet more complex. I have never seen anything of the sort before.
The first is a mere one-pipe solution. The rest, however...
[ he brings his legs up the chair and makes his hands meet in front of his face - a thinking posture. he continues to be in such a state, unmovable, even as the feed ends. ]
Sample RP: ((ooc: the mun, who definitely does not take any presently illegal drugs, has no idea about the actual effects of cocaine use. thus, the description below is inaccurate.))
A solution of the usual seven percent, located in a small glass bottle, was inserted into the usual hyperdermic needle. Sherlock Holmes, looking frazzled and weary, picks the needle up, and pulls his right sleeve away, revealing a wide array of puncture marks. After surveying, Holmes precess the needle into his own skin with precision due to experience, and so injects the liquid.
Satisfaction replaces weariness, and a small content smile crosses his face. His mind, dulled by the lack of interesting cases, was once again wide awake. But alas, this will not last. Holmes refuses to be completely dominated on such drugs (Dr. Watson would definitely use any means to prevent him to reach such a state.) as there is only one thing that can really stimulate his mind - his profession.
Holmes rebels against stagnation. Give him problems, give him work, give him the most baffling piece of cryptography or the most complex of cases, and he shall be satisfied. But for now, with the lack of real cases, cocaine would have to do.
Personality: You stand at the front of 221B Baker Street as you are confronted by a nice, old woman. She smiles as she directs you to the second floor, in which his room is located. You knock, he allows you to enter, and so you open the door. In there, midst all the piles of paper and seemingly useless junk, is a man sitting in a chair, his face showing all features of subtle dignity. This man is Sherlock Holmes.
You would probably try to introduce yourself, but by then Mr. Holmes would have known many things about you - your approximate age, height, weight, nationality, and even your profession as well as some of your habits. "How did you know?" You would ask, astonished, and with a proud sparkle in his eye he would launch into a thorough explanation, detailing his deductions and observations from the way your feet creaks at the steps, the length of your stride, and the bits of ash stuck in your coat. You would continue to be amazed, and Holmes would knowingly smile.
Indeed, Holmes' vanity towards his abilities is as the same as a woman's vanity towards her beauty. While he doesn't openly boast, Holmes would constantly remind the Scotland Yard how superior he really was compared to them. He's arrogant, and as much as annoying that may seem to be, he does have a right to be so. This kind of self-centered quality also prevents him to truly appreciate others' attempts at deductions (although he does congratulate those who seem to improve over time). Strangely enough, he always gives the credit to a policeman named Lestrade in the newspapers - in fact, the only way he received such popularity is through Watson's biographies about him. Perhaps he prefers praise from those who see him in action?
But that is not the only quirk Holmes possesses - he's an eccentric. Upon a quick scan on the room's surroundings, you may notice his lovely chemistry set and - if you're unlucky enough - his their the dog, lying "dead" nearby. Holmes loves Chemistry, and experimentations for the sake of improving his investigations were thus made. Acid, poisons, you name it - he uses them all. Heck, he even uses his own blood! And so, when done, he tries the finished product on the poor dog. How it managed to survive until now is a complete mystery.
This eccentricity shows more whenever he's investigating. Like a child playing a game, Holmes maniacally searches every nook and cranny for clue, just like a foxhound. As he investigates, nothing else matters, and will completely ignore people as he mutters, groans, and leaps to himself. His enthusiasm for detective work knows no bounds - often times he will skip eating or even sleeping whenever he's absorbed into a serious case. There are times, however, where Holmes is the opposite - he would merely sit in his chair with his smoking pipe or his violin, and ponder to his own content. He dislikes interruption at this phase as he is concentrating, forming possible deductions that can lead him to the correct conclusion. Silence and solitude is utmost needed at this part.
Indeed, Holmes, as we can say, is a workaholic - his entire life revolves around his job as a consulting detective. Without any challenging cases to solve, he is nothing. Without cases, he merely sinks into depression with blank, dreamy eyes, and would even turn to cocaine and morphine should the need for stimulation arises. It is quite hard to imagine the same bipolar arrogant man would look and feel like the dead due to the monotonous, boring routine of life.
Holmes would always prefer a brain over a heart - detective work is a cold, unemotional trade, and so Holmes must remain unbiased towards suspects and clients. After all, emotions would only hinder his observations and reasoning, and that would make him a poorer detective. Indeed, he can be more like machine than man at times - he only had two friends in his entire life (one whom he lost contact with when time passed), speaks almost nothing about his family, and has no interest in women whatsoever - in fact, he is highly suspicious to some of them. Clients are just factors to him, nothing more. The only people whom he took much lasting interest upon are actually people who have similar characteristics as his. (Told you he was arrogant). He follows his own laws rather than the police's (the advantages of not being with the police, no?) he is willing to break some rules should it benefit his client (besides, Mr. Watson won't allow him to commit any crime without reason.)
Holmes, however, is still human, and at least one person can prove that his man has a heart - and that person is his dear companion, Dr. Watson. The one reason Holmes did not like crimminals is because they bend to their own emotions easily, controlling them and driving them to unlawful actions. And yet, should Watson die, he would not hesitate to end the life of the murderer.
Background: Very little is known about Sherlock Holmes' personal life. Among his family, only one has been introduced in canon - Mycroft Holmes, his elder brother, working at a rather important position in the British Government. During his time as a college student, he also only had one friend - Victor Trevor. He would prefer to experiment in the laboratories or staying at his own rooms. And yet, this Victor Trevor was an important figure in Holmes' life, as his father was the one who complimented on Holmes' deduction skills. At that time, Holmes only treated deduction as a hobby - that comment was the one that made him think about using it as a profession.
Too antisocial to officially work with the Scotland Yard, Holmes can take only one profession - a profession he invented, a consulting detective. That was his first step into becoming the greatest detective the world had ever seen.
The methods in order to contact him are quite simple. While he normally refuses to have his name published in the papers as the one who successfully solved the case, he is still recommended by many of his clients, and thus some word got spread. Once you get a hold of his address, it was all easy - simply give him a visit (and be prepared for him to 'scan' you, so to speak), and tell him about your problem. Should it be easy enough, Holmes will give you the solution then and there, and all you just need to do is to pay for his services. However, if it proves to be more challenging (and trust me, he prefers those kinds of cases), he will apply a hands-on approach.
Sometime in the early years of his career, he decided to move into a new address - 221B Baker Street. However, while the rooms proved to be comfortable and good enough for his standard, the rent was too high for him. And so, he had to find a roomate, someone who can split the rent's costs. To this he complained to a man named Standford, and luckily enough, he had a friend who just came from Afghanistan, in search of a place to move into. That friend was none other than Dr. John H. Watson.
And so, through Standford, the two met. After discussing their faults regarding their habits in the house, the two decided that they won't be bothered by the other's company, and so the deal was sealed. The first few days, for Watson, was rather uneventful, but on the next week, several figures came into their room, in request for Mr. Holmes. Eventually, after discovering that Holmes did not know that the Earth revolves around the sun, Watson tried to find out his profession. Holmes eventually told him about being a consulting detective. Later on, a more challenging request appeared at his doorstep, and so Holmes invited Watson to go and check the case with him.
For the first time, Watson saw Holmes' powers of deduction first hand, and so the doctor was amazed. Seeing that the Scotland Yard takes most of the credit of Holmes' work, Watson offered to become his, in a way, chronicler, in charge of taking account of the most interesting of Holmes' cases. Holmes, of course, did not mind, though he constantly accused Watson of romanticizing his accounts, slightly bending the truth regarding Holmes.
And so this started the duo's constant adventures. It all follows a pattern - a request arrives at their doorstep, Holmes listens to it, and then he drags brings Watson around, searching for clues and evidence. He will then reveal the truth in a dramatic fashion, and then the rest shall ask him to answer their questions. In all of the works recorded by Watson, Holmes only got beated once - by the woman, Irene Adler.
Even when Watson finally moved out in order to marry Mary Morstan (who happened to be one of Holmes' clients), Holmes still managed to somehow steal away Watson in order for one of their cases. Through time, Holmes had been so used to Watson being with him to the extent that he even feels lost at times when the doctor is not present.
Holmes' latest case before arriving to Adstringendum is The Hound of Baskervilles, a case that originated due to a murder seemingly caused by a black dog, a famous ghost in British folklore.
Abilities/Additional Notes: The following list is seen in A Study in Scarlet, written by Dr. Watson as he tries to determine Sherlock Holmes' extents of his knowledge -
1. Knowledge of Literature.--Nil. (He did, however, show some knowledge of literature in the later stories)
2. Knowledge of Philosophy.--Nil.
3. Knowledge of Astronomy.--Nil.
4. Knowledge of Politics.--Feeble.
5. Knowledge of Botany.--Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of Geology.--Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Knowledge of Chemistry.--Profound.
8. Knowledge of Anatomy.--Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature.--Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.
Sherlock Holmes chooses what he wants to learn. The brain's capacity for knowledge is limited, and so Holmes would not dare waste that space for information unrelated to his detective work. He might have created a new, efficient way of discovering bloodstains, but he also has no idea that the Earth revolves around the sun (and when Watson told him about this piece of information, Holmes did his best to forget it).
This, however, makes him a genius in logic and deduction, especially in detective work. Cases that baffle the Scotland Yard can be solved by Holmes in mere minutes. He is very observant, and thus has an ability to see the smallest of things in a crime scene, thanks to his magnifying glass. One of his famous skills is his ability to determine so many facts about one person just by observing his mannerisms, appearance, etc - all it takes is a single glance. Most of the time.
But mere intelligence cannot help a detective last long in the business. Danger is part of the trade, after all. Holmes is quite lucky then to have a knowledge of self-defense (and perhaps a bit more) to assist him. He is capable in fighting with a revolver, a sword, a cane, or even with his bare fists. Furthermore, he has knowledge of the art known as baritsu. Still, he only uses these when needed, especially in the face of a dangerous criminal.
Other tricks, some even considered illegal by the British law, are also used by Holmes - he is a master of disguise, able to fool even his dear friend whenever he goes under cover. He is also able to break into other people's houses, with a sufficient knowledge of lock-picking.
The only knowledge Holmes possesses that is not completely related to his work is his ability to play the violin. He can play some of the hardest of pieces, but he would only show said skill when an audience requests for him. When no one asks for a performance, he simply plucks away in different tunes - this happens usually when he is bored, or when he is thinking hard. So, how does he keep in shape? He practices the violin until 3 in the morning. Have fun being his roommate.
Sample Journal Post:
[ the feed clicks on, revealing a simple but somewhat furnished room. no disturbance or any obvious struggle can be seen in the frame. in the midst of it all is a man in clothes from the Victorian era, pacing back and forth in deep concentration with nothing but a smoking pipe to accompany him. he seemed to be muttering to himself, audible enough to be heard. ]
- lady, no doubt. She should be about twenty years old, almost six feet high. Clearly an admirable player of the violin. Also has a liking to Trichinopoly cigar. She should have been missing since two weeks ago... Chances of this location being a hideout - unlikely.
[ he then pauses nearby the window. after stealing a small glance outside, he brings out a pocketwatch, examining it. ]
Time and climate indicates that I am located somewhere in America. No traces of gunpowder or any explosive chemical of the sort, and an earthquake of such magnitude would leave no building to remain.
[ he stops, and sits on a nearby chair. he looks straight at the screen, unaware that it is recording. ]
This curious little contraption appears to have the same function as a telegraph, yet more complex. I have never seen anything of the sort before.
The first is a mere one-pipe solution. The rest, however...
[ he brings his legs up the chair and makes his hands meet in front of his face - a thinking posture. he continues to be in such a state, unmovable, even as the feed ends. ]
Sample RP: ((ooc: the mun, who definitely does not take any presently illegal drugs, has no idea about the actual effects of cocaine use. thus, the description below is inaccurate.))
A solution of the usual seven percent, located in a small glass bottle, was inserted into the usual hyperdermic needle. Sherlock Holmes, looking frazzled and weary, picks the needle up, and pulls his right sleeve away, revealing a wide array of puncture marks. After surveying, Holmes precess the needle into his own skin with precision due to experience, and so injects the liquid.
Satisfaction replaces weariness, and a small content smile crosses his face. His mind, dulled by the lack of interesting cases, was once again wide awake. But alas, this will not last. Holmes refuses to be completely dominated on such drugs (Dr. Watson would definitely use any means to prevent him to reach such a state.) as there is only one thing that can really stimulate his mind - his profession.
Holmes rebels against stagnation. Give him problems, give him work, give him the most baffling piece of cryptography or the most complex of cases, and he shall be satisfied. But for now, with the lack of real cases, cocaine would have to do.