Ausflucht -- Hans Wilhelm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobold
▬ Player Information;
Name/Alias: Mercedes
Sex: Female
Age: 29
LJ handle: jmercedesd
AIM/E-mail: Kushielchan [AIM]
Experience: Loads. :D
Timezone: EST
▬ Character Information;
Race: Kobold (subspecies = Domestic)
Name: Hans Wilhelm
True Name: Hanswanderklein van Hilmschoffill
Age: 175-ish
Physical Age: 18
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Asexual/None
Physical Appearance: PB: Jamie Bell
In human form, Hans is of average height and build, not particularly fit, but neither is he over-weight. He's handsome when he smiles, or looks like he would be. More often than not he is scowling, sullen and mumbling to himself. Like all kobolds, however, he's too proud to assume any human form other than that of a young man and he has never shown anyone his natural form outside of rare attendances to one of the Fae Courts. He changes his human appearance just often enough to prevent questions.
Character Personality: Hans is high-strung, fussy, short-tempered, critical of others and more than a bit obsessive compulsive. In short, usually a very unpleasant person to be around. He does not like most people, human or supernatural, and openly resents the ever-changing population of a building he considers HIS. They hardly ever clean up after themselves, they damage the building, they're loud and, above all, utterly disrespectful of places and objects that are obviously not theirs.
While he's gotten used to the fact that the students will never show him the respect he thinks he deserves (even if they knew he was there), that doesn't keep him from cursing them all out under his breath as he washes dishes in the community kitchen sink, or nudges a finicky furnace into working for just one more winter.
The best way to get on his good side is to share something sweet with him. Chocolate, marzipan, candy, give him any kind of confectionary and you'll have tipped yourself toward his good graces. Haribo gummi candy is a particular favorite, though there's very little sweet that he doesn't like. Clean up after yourself and don't abuse the building and he'll never touch you or anything you own.
Just don't complain about the crappy furnace where he can hear you.
Character Biography: Not many bother to look at the old, unused fireplace in the Eichel Building's lobby and fewer still pay much attention to the antique, painted box that stands on the mantle. It's part of the decor, something leftover from when the fireplace was a first-rate spot for people the gather on cold nights. These days, less than a dozen people, including the old, superstitious head of the janitorial staff, knows what's inside the box: a carved wooden figure, dressed in bright, simple clothes, wearing a pointed cap.
That's Hans. Or, rather, it's what summoned Hans over one hundred years ago. Following the old traditions, the designers of the Eichel building, upon completing it, placed that figure and an offering of sweets on the mantle to welcome a kobold in hopes of getting one that would protect and aide the occupants.
They got their kobold, but even with the stories, none of them were really prepared for the back luck that would strike a few years later when no offering was left for several days in a row. One boy who nearly died falling down a stair well claimed that someone had tripped him. Students found their rooms ransacked, personal items and books destroyed. The staff aware of the tradition hastily resumed the offerings and the incidents stopped, but not before the danger could take hold in everyone's memory. From then on, everyone in Eichel building was warned to never touch candy left out in the public areas unless they knew for sure who it belonged to.
Thankfully for the safety and sanity of all these days, two things prevent the kobold from seriously harming those he considers offenders: the regular offerings of candy and chocolate from the janitorial staff, and a deal someone made with him some time after that first show of violence. He's very touchy about the details of the bargain and refuses to say even who it was made with, but it keeps his brand of retribution down to missing socks, dishes and the occasional vandalized book.
When Hans is visible to humans, most people assume that he's either a student or staff, especially from his casual dress, his knowledge of the building and how people occasionally catch him fiddling with a machine in the laundry room or washing dishes. When not doing chores, he can sometimes be found in the basement common room either reading, watching television, or hen-pecking away on one of the public computers. He's learned how operate modern technology from watching people, but that doesn't mean he's always good with any of it.
He can and will leave Eichel when he chooses, though he will always return to it. He can sometimes be seen in the common rooms of the other University-owned residences if the one in Eichel is too occupied, but he will not meddle with anything he finds there, including the occupants. He respects that those buildings are the domain and property of beings other than himself.
Character Occupation: If asked and if he feels like answering: a student with undecided major.
Race Information: Kobolds are sprites native to the central European area, mostly Germany and Austria, though they have spread into nearby countries. There are three kinds of kobolds: Domestic or house-dwelling (the most common), mine-dwelling, and ship-dwelling. All three varieties are known to be kind and malicious to the humans in their chosen homes, though the ones that live in mines are reputed to be particularly vicious and those on ships are more likely to be helpful.
Kobolds expect to be treated with respect, including being given offerings of food and drink everyday and having their place (usually a spot near the fireplace, in the case of Domestic kobolds) kept clean and free of clutter. So long as this happens, they're known to aide the humans they live with, doing small chores, cleaning, sometimes even going so far as to warn the humans of danger and helping them avoid it.
However, kobolds do not take kindly to anything to perceive as an insult. They have been known to be malicious to the point of dangerous. Some of the more infamous kobolds did everything they could to destroy the offender's life short of killing him. A few have even been known to haunt those people even after they've left the kobold-occupied dwelling.
As a species, kobolds side with neither the Seelie nor UnSeelie courts. The mine-dwellers are more likely to be seen with the UnSeelie when not in their homes, the ship-dwellers are more likely to be with the Seelie, and the domestic are usually hovering in between. Since they spend ninety-nine percent of their time in their chosen dwellings, they care little for the machinations of court or other Fae.
Third Person Sample:
Hands deep in soapy water, Hans ignored the looks his angry muttering was garnering from the students in the room behind him. He didn't give a damn what they thought of the "freshman" washing dishes in a plastic basin that took up half of the large sink. He'd already burned himself on a stainless-steel fork that had slid into the water --and when had "silverware" ceased to be made of silver?-- and was close to simply dropping the entire basin on the floor and vanishing. Let the vapid humans behind him take the blame for the resulting mess.
He couldn't follow through with that silent threat. Part of him wanted to, oh so badly wanted to, but to make a mess now, when no one had really done anything to deserve it, went entirely against his nature.
Someone had left him chocolate on the mantle this morning. Not the cheap kind that anyone could buy for a couple of marks (he refused to acknowledge any of that Euro business), but the good expensive Swiss chocolate; dark and bittersweet. He'd savored it that morning while watching the early news program. Even now, remembering it was enough to make him a little less rough with the plate he was scrubbing. For something like that, he would behave. It was his end of the deal, after all. Not THE Deal (which earned its capital letters), but the agreement that was part and partial with the carefully carved statue above Eichel's sole remaining fireplace.
So, he washed dishes.
And cursed not-so-silently when his fingers brushed another piece of not-so-silver flatware.
Notes: The deal/bargain I left open just in case someone came along that would want to be the one who bargained with him. Maybe it's a Council or Committee member, maybe someone else entirely. ;D
▬ Player Information;
Name/Alias: Mercedes
Sex: Female
Age: 29
LJ handle: jmercedesd
AIM/E-mail: Kushielchan [AIM]
Experience: Loads. :D
Timezone: EST
▬ Character Information;
Race: Kobold (subspecies = Domestic)
Name: Hans Wilhelm
True Name: Hanswanderklein van Hilmschoffill
Age: 175-ish
Physical Age: 18
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Asexual/None
Physical Appearance: PB: Jamie Bell
In human form, Hans is of average height and build, not particularly fit, but neither is he over-weight. He's handsome when he smiles, or looks like he would be. More often than not he is scowling, sullen and mumbling to himself. Like all kobolds, however, he's too proud to assume any human form other than that of a young man and he has never shown anyone his natural form outside of rare attendances to one of the Fae Courts. He changes his human appearance just often enough to prevent questions.
Character Personality: Hans is high-strung, fussy, short-tempered, critical of others and more than a bit obsessive compulsive. In short, usually a very unpleasant person to be around. He does not like most people, human or supernatural, and openly resents the ever-changing population of a building he considers HIS. They hardly ever clean up after themselves, they damage the building, they're loud and, above all, utterly disrespectful of places and objects that are obviously not theirs.
While he's gotten used to the fact that the students will never show him the respect he thinks he deserves (even if they knew he was there), that doesn't keep him from cursing them all out under his breath as he washes dishes in the community kitchen sink, or nudges a finicky furnace into working for just one more winter.
The best way to get on his good side is to share something sweet with him. Chocolate, marzipan, candy, give him any kind of confectionary and you'll have tipped yourself toward his good graces. Haribo gummi candy is a particular favorite, though there's very little sweet that he doesn't like. Clean up after yourself and don't abuse the building and he'll never touch you or anything you own.
Just don't complain about the crappy furnace where he can hear you.
Character Biography: Not many bother to look at the old, unused fireplace in the Eichel Building's lobby and fewer still pay much attention to the antique, painted box that stands on the mantle. It's part of the decor, something leftover from when the fireplace was a first-rate spot for people the gather on cold nights. These days, less than a dozen people, including the old, superstitious head of the janitorial staff, knows what's inside the box: a carved wooden figure, dressed in bright, simple clothes, wearing a pointed cap.
That's Hans. Or, rather, it's what summoned Hans over one hundred years ago. Following the old traditions, the designers of the Eichel building, upon completing it, placed that figure and an offering of sweets on the mantle to welcome a kobold in hopes of getting one that would protect and aide the occupants.
They got their kobold, but even with the stories, none of them were really prepared for the back luck that would strike a few years later when no offering was left for several days in a row. One boy who nearly died falling down a stair well claimed that someone had tripped him. Students found their rooms ransacked, personal items and books destroyed. The staff aware of the tradition hastily resumed the offerings and the incidents stopped, but not before the danger could take hold in everyone's memory. From then on, everyone in Eichel building was warned to never touch candy left out in the public areas unless they knew for sure who it belonged to.
Thankfully for the safety and sanity of all these days, two things prevent the kobold from seriously harming those he considers offenders: the regular offerings of candy and chocolate from the janitorial staff, and a deal someone made with him some time after that first show of violence. He's very touchy about the details of the bargain and refuses to say even who it was made with, but it keeps his brand of retribution down to missing socks, dishes and the occasional vandalized book.
When Hans is visible to humans, most people assume that he's either a student or staff, especially from his casual dress, his knowledge of the building and how people occasionally catch him fiddling with a machine in the laundry room or washing dishes. When not doing chores, he can sometimes be found in the basement common room either reading, watching television, or hen-pecking away on one of the public computers. He's learned how operate modern technology from watching people, but that doesn't mean he's always good with any of it.
He can and will leave Eichel when he chooses, though he will always return to it. He can sometimes be seen in the common rooms of the other University-owned residences if the one in Eichel is too occupied, but he will not meddle with anything he finds there, including the occupants. He respects that those buildings are the domain and property of beings other than himself.
Character Occupation: If asked and if he feels like answering: a student with undecided major.
Race Information: Kobolds are sprites native to the central European area, mostly Germany and Austria, though they have spread into nearby countries. There are three kinds of kobolds: Domestic or house-dwelling (the most common), mine-dwelling, and ship-dwelling. All three varieties are known to be kind and malicious to the humans in their chosen homes, though the ones that live in mines are reputed to be particularly vicious and those on ships are more likely to be helpful.
Kobolds expect to be treated with respect, including being given offerings of food and drink everyday and having their place (usually a spot near the fireplace, in the case of Domestic kobolds) kept clean and free of clutter. So long as this happens, they're known to aide the humans they live with, doing small chores, cleaning, sometimes even going so far as to warn the humans of danger and helping them avoid it.
However, kobolds do not take kindly to anything to perceive as an insult. They have been known to be malicious to the point of dangerous. Some of the more infamous kobolds did everything they could to destroy the offender's life short of killing him. A few have even been known to haunt those people even after they've left the kobold-occupied dwelling.
As a species, kobolds side with neither the Seelie nor UnSeelie courts. The mine-dwellers are more likely to be seen with the UnSeelie when not in their homes, the ship-dwellers are more likely to be with the Seelie, and the domestic are usually hovering in between. Since they spend ninety-nine percent of their time in their chosen dwellings, they care little for the machinations of court or other Fae.
Third Person Sample:
Hands deep in soapy water, Hans ignored the looks his angry muttering was garnering from the students in the room behind him. He didn't give a damn what they thought of the "freshman" washing dishes in a plastic basin that took up half of the large sink. He'd already burned himself on a stainless-steel fork that had slid into the water --and when had "silverware" ceased to be made of silver?-- and was close to simply dropping the entire basin on the floor and vanishing. Let the vapid humans behind him take the blame for the resulting mess.
He couldn't follow through with that silent threat. Part of him wanted to, oh so badly wanted to, but to make a mess now, when no one had really done anything to deserve it, went entirely against his nature.
Someone had left him chocolate on the mantle this morning. Not the cheap kind that anyone could buy for a couple of marks (he refused to acknowledge any of that Euro business), but the good expensive Swiss chocolate; dark and bittersweet. He'd savored it that morning while watching the early news program. Even now, remembering it was enough to make him a little less rough with the plate he was scrubbing. For something like that, he would behave. It was his end of the deal, after all. Not THE Deal (which earned its capital letters), but the agreement that was part and partial with the carefully carved statue above Eichel's sole remaining fireplace.
So, he washed dishes.
And cursed not-so-silently when his fingers brushed another piece of not-so-silver flatware.
Notes: The deal/bargain I left open just in case someone came along that would want to be the one who bargained with him. Maybe it's a Council or Committee member, maybe someone else entirely. ;D