Super Long Character Survey--All You Ever Wanted To Know About Pharaun
I'm doing this because Pharaun is from a small fandom that most of you know nothing about. Hopefully this will help others get to know him better. :3
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Well, I guess that depends on which book you're reading! Pharaun's supposedly "tall" for a male, however, R.A. Salvatore can't get his head out of his ass to keep canon/continuity straight for anything. I say he's small (about 5'1) and is consistently described as being lean and lithe--quite tiny, since why would a master wizard need a lot of muscle mass?
I know Dissolution describes him as being tall, but hear me out. That's the's only allusion to him being over 5'2", at the most. I will tell you how I came to 5'1". One of the books states that Pharaun is a few inches shorter than Quenthel. Quenthel is slightly smaller than Ryld, who is around 5'6" (just about an inch taller than Dinin). Since Quenthel is around 5'4"-5'5", and Pharaun is a "few" inches shorter than her, he cannot be any taller than 5'2". So I go with 5'1", because I read that somewhere else that seemed "official."
2. How old is he?
Again, it honestly depends on what you're reading at the time. He's somewhere between 150 and 250 years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Pharaun carries himself very well. He has proper posture and holds himself as a noble should.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Pharaun is in perfect health, and in excellent shape for a wizard. According to his sister, he's pretty athletic for a wizard.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Pharaun, according to Ryld, is incredibly graceful. This is pretty normal for any elf, so for Ryld (a rather graceful fighter himself) to comment on it, implies to me that Pharaun has extra grace up his sleeve. Of course, his magical boots sort of add to that.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Pharaun is delicious, and has told his reflection as much many, many times. On a scale of 1-10, he's at least a 10. Maybe a 15. He thinks he rates at least a 20.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Pharaun is super dark, you know, being a dark elf and all. I know WOTC draw them all with purple ink, but in the books they're described as being black. Coal black. BLACKNESS INCARNATE IN UTTERLY BLACKITY BLACK SKINNESS.
So yeah, he's pretty black. He also has some gray scars on his body. It's a side-effect of being born a male in a Lloth-driven society. Well, and battle.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Pharaun has gorgeous white hair, but it's slightly less gorgeous than Gromph's (who has coveted silver highlights) and I imagine that makes him kind of jealous. ;~; Poor Pharaun. It's soft though, and very fine. He wears in very intricate hairstyles as befits a male of his station and profession. I like finding prom hairstyles online and seeing ways he'd style his hair.
9. What color are his eyes?
Depends on your source. ;~; I think they're red all the time, but somebody made a case for them being blue. Of course, in one book Valas's were red, and then they were amber a few books later, so who knows?
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Aside from his utter gorgeousness? Not really, no.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Pharaun has a thing for massages, so I think he probably carries his tension in his shoulders and neck a lot. He does use his arms a lot during the day, being a wizard, and so it seems to make sense all the tension would hang out up top.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Pharaun's clothes are all dark because:
1.) he lives in the Underdark. Bright colors are not at all practical and anybody who thinks otherwise is a fucking idiot and should go DIAF. Bright colors would be way too obvious.
2.) dark is the drow style. It's especially this way for males, who really need to blend in and don't ever want to stand out, especially in front of a female, unless they're in the mood for a beating.
Now, bearing that information in mind, Pharaun dresses really fucking fancy. His clothes are incredibly elegant and well-made, the best of the best, as he should look. Males, especially wizards, typically pay a lot of attention to their appearance, and Pharaun's definitely a prime example. He's very vain, so he dresses as best as absolutely possible in fancy tunics and trousers, an elegant (and specially enchanted) piwafwi (which is a magical cloack), and nice accessories.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes. Pharaun's clothes are tailored to him by a professional tailor, and he looks perfect and feels perfect in them.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
I have to wonder at this. Personally, while I can see him understanding the differences in not wearing his best in front of still-learning apprentices, it makes sense as well that he would want to prean and look perfect in front of his students and fellow masters. It's a status thing with drow. Status trumps all, typically even common sense. So while he likely understands that he might not want to wear his fanciest clothes while they're setting things on fire, he's going to do it anyway, because if he goes up in smoke he'll at least look fabulous doing it.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
You know, I have no idea if the concept of underwear has even entered drow society. I'm sure he goes thong or commando.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
A tenor, definitely.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Pharaun. Never. Hesitates. At least, almost never. Pharaun speaks in whatever tone is most appropriate to the situation, but his words are as elegant as his manner and dress, and usually have a sarcastic edge to it. He could stain his clothes with his dripping sarcasm, if you catch my drift. His words are fluid though, and come easily from his mouth. He doesn't usually have to think about what he's going to say, though I'm sure Quenthel wishes he'd think just a little harder on most of it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
A... drow... accent?
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
He speaks a fuckton of languages. AT LEAST drow/drow silent code, undercommon, arcane words (not sure if that's in a different language?) and dwarvish, but he says that he knows a looooooooooooooooot so probably also the goblin tongues, maybe surface common too. All I know is "a lot".
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
For spells! And I'm sure on his various missions away from Sorcere and from his home (before his exile) he had cause to use the other languages. Why else would he know them?
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He rocks at impromptu speaking. He could get paid for. Or shot. Most people he talks to seem to wish he'd shut up, because he has a tendency to not stop talking. The male needs conversation to survive!
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Eloquent until you really, really, really try to kill him with a draegloth piss him off. A lot. It takes a lot for him to get cold and sharp.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He's both and probably has an IQ of 12541365451352413. Pharaun's kind of a crazy genius, but since he's a wizard, he's a scholar and being a noble isn't the most street-smart he could be. His idea of street-smart is supplimenting his knowledge by dragging Ryld around with him, because Ryld grew up on the streets and can fill in the holes in Pharaun's knowledge.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
All wizards are trained to think on their feet. They'd pretty useless if they couldn't, especially as Masters of Sorcere. Pharaun doesn't often need to time to think through a problem and when he does, it doesn't take long.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Pharaun is a mix of those. He thinks a lot like I do (which is awesome for me) and seems to be equally right and left-brained. What this means is that he's capable of using all angles of thought and emotion to reason things through and come to the best conclusion instead of just relying on reason or just on emotion and intuition. Pharaun thinks things through with reason, but pays attention to his own emotional reactions, when he has them.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
The best a drow noble can have... if they're a male. ._.
Pharaun went to Sorcere. His education likely went like this:
0-10 years: Spent time learning to talk, walk, the silent code, basic education from whomever his wean mother was. It doesn't say which sister or cousin raised him during this period of time.
10-16 years: Pharaun was likely a page prince, which means he was a slave for the other nobles of House Mizzrym. He kept his gaze to the ground and kept quiet and cowed, afraid of his sisters and mother, for good reason. Likely, most of his time was spent cleaning.
16-30 years: Pharaun would have been made a noble prince, finally, and gone into training with the House Wizard. The House Wizard would have begun teaching him the basics he would need for Sorcere, such as cantrips and first level spells, how to read from a scroll and pronounce arcane words, etc. He would likely have also spent a short time with the House Weapons Master to learn how to defend himself physically before being sent across the cavern.
30-60 years: Pharaun would have been a student in Sorcere during this time of his life, learning to master several spells, as well as his concentration. The Masters use several techniques to teach their boys, and one such is holding lit candles to the apprentices bare skin and making them cast spells while they're being burned and set on fire. In drow society, this is seen as totally normal, even acceptable, behavior, and it teaches them what they need to know for combat.
60-? years: Pharaun would have likely been on several patrols out into the tunnels around the city to get field experience putting his magic to work in combat.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Pharaun is kind of a whore for lightning and demonology. He also excels at divination, having been sort of complimented for it by both Quenthel and Gromph. Gromph mentions in Resurrection that with Pharaun gone, he'll have to use Nauzhror (his fat cousin) to assist him with a divination and deception. In Insurrection Quenthel begins a private request immediately with "You're pretty talented at divination, right?"
Because of his talent with summoning/demonology, Pharaun's been forbidden to do it ever, ever again (save for feeding manes to the ship of chaos). He doesn't seem to have a chosen a school to specialize in though, so I guess he's mastered all magic and can play with everything.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
EXTROVERT
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Pharaun is even-tempered, cheerful by drow standards, and very driven. He can be pretty laid back too though, but when something needs to be done, nothing save for death will stop this drow.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Pharaun's always suspicious. He's a drow, that's normal. However, Pharaun almost always has a relaxed and casual air about him, no matter what he's doing. He's very calm (most of the time) and very accepting of circumstances, in part because he can size situations up quickly and accurately.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Both, depending on the situation. He is likely to act if there is something he needs to do, but if you catch him by surprise, he'll likely react and then quickly cover it up and calmly act.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Again, it depends. Like all drow, Pharaun is a self-preservationist at heart, but he's got that fighting instinct. 8D He will fight for whatever is necessary unless the risks are too great. Then he turns tail and runs to save his own hide. ;~;
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Oh god. Pharaun/humor = otp! He's the ONLY drow (save Jarlaxle) to have such an awesome sense of humor. He's dry, witty, uncouth sometimes, and can see the humor in situations. Therefore, being around other drow all day is kind of like torture to him, since he's way smarter than them and way more funny.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Nope!
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Going to Sorcere and finding himself without the influence of females around to cow him (save for those last 6 months he'd have spent at Arach-Tinilth - where females go to become priestesses). According to his sister, he returned from Sorcere "possessed of a sharp wit that frequently danced him to the edge of disaster and back again" whereas before he left he was a silent, subdued male.
Being raped by Triel and her priestess collection was definitely a change for him. He got to meet Lloth in the flesh, and she tore him apart piece by piece and kept him fully aware for it.
Being exiled by Greyanna for helping her twin Sabal rise above her. This is why Pharaun is a Master of Sorcere. He ran to Gromph and begged for a job in a place he'd be safe from the females of his House.
14. What does he fear?
Depends on the book! In the first book it's Greyanna, in the second book it's talking too much to Aliizsa, in the third it's... nothing, really, in the fourth and fifth it's the lack of protection because Ryld isn't there, and in the sixth book he's scared of dying in Lloth's domain. Pffft.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He wants to be the Archmage of Menzoberranzan. It's the highest station a male can obtain. Gromph is kind of opposed to it, though. :/
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
His wizardly secrets. They're his secrets, and nobody else can have them. 8|
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Fffffffffft! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!
Pharaun hates his matron and she hates him back! I doubt he gives a shit about his patron.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ooooh, boy. Loaded question!
Pharaun got on with his sister Sabal. They had a good business relationship. She protected him from their mother, and he helped her rise in rank through the family heirarchy. However, Sabal's twin Greyanna and the rest of House Mizzrym either hate him or are indifferent to him.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Nope. He can't stand any of his still-living blood relatives.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
No.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Ryld Argith. They met through being Masters at Tier Breche (the collective name for the drow schools, refering to it as one single academy).
6. Does he have other close friends?
As close as a drow can have. There was one drow he mentioned he liked, but I can't be bothered to go find Dissolution to confirm the name. He was a Master of Sorcere like Pharaun though, and Pharaun found him to be "congenial company" and the guy new a ton of good jokes. I think his name was Gelroos.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Pharaun has trouble getting along with females, because he's witty and sarcastic and that stands out too much--they disapprove. Males don't tend to appreciate his sense of humor either, so it's rare he finds a good friend who can really tolerate him.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Himself.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Drow don't marry~
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Not in game. I uh... I kind of ship him and Ryld though.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
No idea about his first. Lately he's been trying to get into Yako's skirt though.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Sex.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He probably has kids, and he doesn't give a shit about them.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Every wizard is every other wizard's rival. I'd said Quenthel and Jeggred are his enemies, and later Danifae.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Pharaun's a 3. All drow are bisexual.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Sex is his favorite thing ever, after magic. It's very important to him.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Turn-ons: Not a priestess, good body, nice legs, small tits, great personality, sense of humor and intelligence
Turn-offs: Being forced to submit to a female, especially a priestess, being beaten and tortured, Lloth
Weird habits: Pharaun likes to top even when he's being taken because it makes him feel more in control.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
;~; No.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Neither. He thinks Lloth is pretty cool for being so damn powerful and impressing, but like most males, he's really not into religion, especially since they don't get to practice it.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Nope!
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Curious. Pharaun is a wizard, and as such has a massive curiousity complex that can and has led him into trouble.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Like all drow, he's prejudiced against every other race. This is because he is a drow, Master of the multiverse, and all the races are beneath him, so ha. However, he seems more open-minded to them than most drow, and doesn't seem to exhibit a lot of cruelty toward them as most drow do.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
He seems to be really, really rich. Teaching at Sorcere must pay well if he can afford all that imported booze and those whores.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Pharaun is a Prince of the Fifth House depending on what book you're reading! and is a Master of Sorcere. He's got a pretty high rank, or did until he withdrew from the affairs of the Great Houses. However, he is oine of the younger kids, so... I don't know quite how that ranks him in his own House and among the Houses on the Council.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
In Sorcere! He shares it hundreds of others, of course (there are at least 300 students at all times, plus the masters and the servants that are not Unseen Servants), but his quarters are his own. he recently got to know them rather well, having spent several tendays of house arrest in them.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Whores and booze.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He teaches magic. He's excellent at it too, at least until he gets students killed. :/ That didn't go over so well. Pharaun seems to enjoy his job, but he'd rather be doing Gromph's job, which is partially the same as his current job, but with more perks and responsibility and better pay.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Magic, whores, banter, booze. He spends his free time talking with Ryld, drinking, whoring, and shopping.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
The books don't really talk much about it. I imagine he takes care of himself and eats well.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Dark blue
2. Smell? Wine
3. Time of day? Night
4. Season? Autumn - it's so bright and colorful, yet kind of cold.
5. Book? Eee... just spell books in general.
6. Music? Middle east-style music, like the Prince of Persia soundtrack.
7. Place? Caves
8. Substance? Mushrooms and components
9. Plant? Tiger lily
10. Animal? Jaguar
END
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Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Well, I guess that depends on which book you're reading! Pharaun's supposedly "tall" for a male, however, R.A. Salvatore can't get his head out of his ass to keep canon/continuity straight for anything. I say he's small (about 5'1) and is consistently described as being lean and lithe--quite tiny, since why would a master wizard need a lot of muscle mass?
I know Dissolution describes him as being tall, but hear me out. That's the's only allusion to him being over 5'2", at the most. I will tell you how I came to 5'1". One of the books states that Pharaun is a few inches shorter than Quenthel. Quenthel is slightly smaller than Ryld, who is around 5'6" (just about an inch taller than Dinin). Since Quenthel is around 5'4"-5'5", and Pharaun is a "few" inches shorter than her, he cannot be any taller than 5'2". So I go with 5'1", because I read that somewhere else that seemed "official."
2. How old is he?
Again, it honestly depends on what you're reading at the time. He's somewhere between 150 and 250 years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Pharaun carries himself very well. He has proper posture and holds himself as a noble should.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Pharaun is in perfect health, and in excellent shape for a wizard. According to his sister, he's pretty athletic for a wizard.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Pharaun, according to Ryld, is incredibly graceful. This is pretty normal for any elf, so for Ryld (a rather graceful fighter himself) to comment on it, implies to me that Pharaun has extra grace up his sleeve. Of course, his magical boots sort of add to that.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Pharaun is delicious, and has told his reflection as much many, many times. On a scale of 1-10, he's at least a 10. Maybe a 15. He thinks he rates at least a 20.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Pharaun is super dark, you know, being a dark elf and all. I know WOTC draw them all with purple ink, but in the books they're described as being black. Coal black. BLACKNESS INCARNATE IN UTTERLY BLACKITY BLACK SKINNESS.
So yeah, he's pretty black. He also has some gray scars on his body. It's a side-effect of being born a male in a Lloth-driven society. Well, and battle.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Pharaun has gorgeous white hair, but it's slightly less gorgeous than Gromph's (who has coveted silver highlights) and I imagine that makes him kind of jealous. ;~; Poor Pharaun. It's soft though, and very fine. He wears in very intricate hairstyles as befits a male of his station and profession. I like finding prom hairstyles online and seeing ways he'd style his hair.
9. What color are his eyes?
Depends on your source. ;~; I think they're red all the time, but somebody made a case for them being blue. Of course, in one book Valas's were red, and then they were amber a few books later, so who knows?
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Aside from his utter gorgeousness? Not really, no.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Pharaun has a thing for massages, so I think he probably carries his tension in his shoulders and neck a lot. He does use his arms a lot during the day, being a wizard, and so it seems to make sense all the tension would hang out up top.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Pharaun's clothes are all dark because:
1.) he lives in the Underdark. Bright colors are not at all practical and anybody who thinks otherwise is a fucking idiot and should go DIAF. Bright colors would be way too obvious.
2.) dark is the drow style. It's especially this way for males, who really need to blend in and don't ever want to stand out, especially in front of a female, unless they're in the mood for a beating.
Now, bearing that information in mind, Pharaun dresses really fucking fancy. His clothes are incredibly elegant and well-made, the best of the best, as he should look. Males, especially wizards, typically pay a lot of attention to their appearance, and Pharaun's definitely a prime example. He's very vain, so he dresses as best as absolutely possible in fancy tunics and trousers, an elegant (and specially enchanted) piwafwi (which is a magical cloack), and nice accessories.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes. Pharaun's clothes are tailored to him by a professional tailor, and he looks perfect and feels perfect in them.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
I have to wonder at this. Personally, while I can see him understanding the differences in not wearing his best in front of still-learning apprentices, it makes sense as well that he would want to prean and look perfect in front of his students and fellow masters. It's a status thing with drow. Status trumps all, typically even common sense. So while he likely understands that he might not want to wear his fanciest clothes while they're setting things on fire, he's going to do it anyway, because if he goes up in smoke he'll at least look fabulous doing it.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
You know, I have no idea if the concept of underwear has even entered drow society. I'm sure he goes thong or commando.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
A tenor, definitely.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Pharaun. Never. Hesitates. At least, almost never. Pharaun speaks in whatever tone is most appropriate to the situation, but his words are as elegant as his manner and dress, and usually have a sarcastic edge to it. He could stain his clothes with his dripping sarcasm, if you catch my drift. His words are fluid though, and come easily from his mouth. He doesn't usually have to think about what he's going to say, though I'm sure Quenthel wishes he'd think just a little harder on most of it.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
A... drow... accent?
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
He speaks a fuckton of languages. AT LEAST drow/drow silent code, undercommon, arcane words (not sure if that's in a different language?) and dwarvish, but he says that he knows a looooooooooooooooot so probably also the goblin tongues, maybe surface common too. All I know is "a lot".
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
For spells! And I'm sure on his various missions away from Sorcere and from his home (before his exile) he had cause to use the other languages. Why else would he know them?
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He rocks at impromptu speaking. He could get paid for. Or shot. Most people he talks to seem to wish he'd shut up, because he has a tendency to not stop talking. The male needs conversation to survive!
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Eloquent until you really, really, really try to kill him with a draegloth piss him off. A lot. It takes a lot for him to get cold and sharp.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He's both and probably has an IQ of 12541365451352413. Pharaun's kind of a crazy genius, but since he's a wizard, he's a scholar and being a noble isn't the most street-smart he could be. His idea of street-smart is supplimenting his knowledge by dragging Ryld around with him, because Ryld grew up on the streets and can fill in the holes in Pharaun's knowledge.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
All wizards are trained to think on their feet. They'd pretty useless if they couldn't, especially as Masters of Sorcere. Pharaun doesn't often need to time to think through a problem and when he does, it doesn't take long.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Pharaun is a mix of those. He thinks a lot like I do (which is awesome for me) and seems to be equally right and left-brained. What this means is that he's capable of using all angles of thought and emotion to reason things through and come to the best conclusion instead of just relying on reason or just on emotion and intuition. Pharaun thinks things through with reason, but pays attention to his own emotional reactions, when he has them.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
The best a drow noble can have... if they're a male. ._.
Pharaun went to Sorcere. His education likely went like this:
0-10 years: Spent time learning to talk, walk, the silent code, basic education from whomever his wean mother was. It doesn't say which sister or cousin raised him during this period of time.
10-16 years: Pharaun was likely a page prince, which means he was a slave for the other nobles of House Mizzrym. He kept his gaze to the ground and kept quiet and cowed, afraid of his sisters and mother, for good reason. Likely, most of his time was spent cleaning.
16-30 years: Pharaun would have been made a noble prince, finally, and gone into training with the House Wizard. The House Wizard would have begun teaching him the basics he would need for Sorcere, such as cantrips and first level spells, how to read from a scroll and pronounce arcane words, etc. He would likely have also spent a short time with the House Weapons Master to learn how to defend himself physically before being sent across the cavern.
30-60 years: Pharaun would have been a student in Sorcere during this time of his life, learning to master several spells, as well as his concentration. The Masters use several techniques to teach their boys, and one such is holding lit candles to the apprentices bare skin and making them cast spells while they're being burned and set on fire. In drow society, this is seen as totally normal, even acceptable, behavior, and it teaches them what they need to know for combat.
60-? years: Pharaun would have likely been on several patrols out into the tunnels around the city to get field experience putting his magic to work in combat.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Pharaun is kind of a whore for lightning and demonology. He also excels at divination, having been sort of complimented for it by both Quenthel and Gromph. Gromph mentions in Resurrection that with Pharaun gone, he'll have to use Nauzhror (his fat cousin) to assist him with a divination and deception. In Insurrection Quenthel begins a private request immediately with "You're pretty talented at divination, right?"
Because of his talent with summoning/demonology, Pharaun's been forbidden to do it ever, ever again (save for feeding manes to the ship of chaos). He doesn't seem to have a chosen a school to specialize in though, so I guess he's mastered all magic and can play with everything.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
EXTROVERT
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Pharaun is even-tempered, cheerful by drow standards, and very driven. He can be pretty laid back too though, but when something needs to be done, nothing save for death will stop this drow.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Pharaun's always suspicious. He's a drow, that's normal. However, Pharaun almost always has a relaxed and casual air about him, no matter what he's doing. He's very calm (most of the time) and very accepting of circumstances, in part because he can size situations up quickly and accurately.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Both, depending on the situation. He is likely to act if there is something he needs to do, but if you catch him by surprise, he'll likely react and then quickly cover it up and calmly act.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Again, it depends. Like all drow, Pharaun is a self-preservationist at heart, but he's got that fighting instinct. 8D He will fight for whatever is necessary unless the risks are too great. Then he turns tail and runs to save his own hide. ;~;
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Oh god. Pharaun/humor = otp! He's the ONLY drow (save Jarlaxle) to have such an awesome sense of humor. He's dry, witty, uncouth sometimes, and can see the humor in situations. Therefore, being around other drow all day is kind of like torture to him, since he's way smarter than them and way more funny.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Nope!
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Going to Sorcere and finding himself without the influence of females around to cow him (save for those last 6 months he'd have spent at Arach-Tinilth - where females go to become priestesses). According to his sister, he returned from Sorcere "possessed of a sharp wit that frequently danced him to the edge of disaster and back again" whereas before he left he was a silent, subdued male.
Being raped by Triel and her priestess collection was definitely a change for him. He got to meet Lloth in the flesh, and she tore him apart piece by piece and kept him fully aware for it.
Being exiled by Greyanna for helping her twin Sabal rise above her. This is why Pharaun is a Master of Sorcere. He ran to Gromph and begged for a job in a place he'd be safe from the females of his House.
14. What does he fear?
Depends on the book! In the first book it's Greyanna, in the second book it's talking too much to Aliizsa, in the third it's... nothing, really, in the fourth and fifth it's the lack of protection because Ryld isn't there, and in the sixth book he's scared of dying in Lloth's domain. Pffft.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He wants to be the Archmage of Menzoberranzan. It's the highest station a male can obtain. Gromph is kind of opposed to it, though. :/
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
His wizardly secrets. They're his secrets, and nobody else can have them. 8|
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Fffffffffft! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!
Pharaun hates his matron and she hates him back! I doubt he gives a shit about his patron.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ooooh, boy. Loaded question!
Pharaun got on with his sister Sabal. They had a good business relationship. She protected him from their mother, and he helped her rise in rank through the family heirarchy. However, Sabal's twin Greyanna and the rest of House Mizzrym either hate him or are indifferent to him.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Nope. He can't stand any of his still-living blood relatives.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
No.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Ryld Argith. They met through being Masters at Tier Breche (the collective name for the drow schools, refering to it as one single academy).
6. Does he have other close friends?
As close as a drow can have. There was one drow he mentioned he liked, but I can't be bothered to go find Dissolution to confirm the name. He was a Master of Sorcere like Pharaun though, and Pharaun found him to be "congenial company" and the guy new a ton of good jokes. I think his name was Gelroos.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Pharaun has trouble getting along with females, because he's witty and sarcastic and that stands out too much--they disapprove. Males don't tend to appreciate his sense of humor either, so it's rare he finds a good friend who can really tolerate him.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Himself.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Drow don't marry~
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Not in game. I uh... I kind of ship him and Ryld though.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
No idea about his first. Lately he's been trying to get into Yako's skirt though.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Sex.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He probably has kids, and he doesn't give a shit about them.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Every wizard is every other wizard's rival. I'd said Quenthel and Jeggred are his enemies, and later Danifae.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Pharaun's a 3. All drow are bisexual.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Sex is his favorite thing ever, after magic. It's very important to him.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Turn-ons: Not a priestess, good body, nice legs, small tits, great personality, sense of humor and intelligence
Turn-offs: Being forced to submit to a female, especially a priestess, being beaten and tortured, Lloth
Weird habits: Pharaun likes to top even when he's being taken because it makes him feel more in control.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
;~; No.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Neither. He thinks Lloth is pretty cool for being so damn powerful and impressing, but like most males, he's really not into religion, especially since they don't get to practice it.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Nope!
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Curious. Pharaun is a wizard, and as such has a massive curiousity complex that can and has led him into trouble.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Like all drow, he's prejudiced against every other race. This is because he is a drow, Master of the multiverse, and all the races are beneath him, so ha. However, he seems more open-minded to them than most drow, and doesn't seem to exhibit a lot of cruelty toward them as most drow do.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
He seems to be really, really rich. Teaching at Sorcere must pay well if he can afford all that imported booze and those whores.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
Pharaun is a Prince of the Fifth House depending on what book you're reading! and is a Master of Sorcere. He's got a pretty high rank, or did until he withdrew from the affairs of the Great Houses. However, he is oine of the younger kids, so... I don't know quite how that ranks him in his own House and among the Houses on the Council.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
In Sorcere! He shares it hundreds of others, of course (there are at least 300 students at all times, plus the masters and the servants that are not Unseen Servants), but his quarters are his own. he recently got to know them rather well, having spent several tendays of house arrest in them.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Whores and booze.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He teaches magic. He's excellent at it too, at least until he gets students killed. :/ That didn't go over so well. Pharaun seems to enjoy his job, but he'd rather be doing Gromph's job, which is partially the same as his current job, but with more perks and responsibility and better pay.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Magic, whores, banter, booze. He spends his free time talking with Ryld, drinking, whoring, and shopping.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
The books don't really talk much about it. I imagine he takes care of himself and eats well.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Dark blue
2. Smell? Wine
3. Time of day? Night
4. Season? Autumn - it's so bright and colorful, yet kind of cold.
5. Book? Eee... just spell books in general.
6. Music? Middle east-style music, like the Prince of Persia soundtrack.
7. Place? Caves
8. Substance? Mushrooms and components
9. Plant? Tiger lily
10. Animal? Jaguar
END
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