Archduke Charlemagne Bolivar

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Character's Full Name: Charlemagne Bolivar
Character's Canon: Andromeda
Character's Canon Point: 2.09 “Into the Labyrinth”
Character's Journal Name: superiorcat
What would you like your character's tag to be?: Charlemagne Bolivar

Answer the following questions in no less than 300 words but no greater than 1000 words put together...
Character's background (their past and present): Charlemagne was born to the Archduke of the Nietzschean Jaguar pride, a medium-sized pride in the millions strong. He grew up with many siblings and half-siblings, since a man in the Archduke’s position had a number of wives. Ambitious as can be, Charlemagne wasn’t satisfied with a life of luxury. While his enemies scoff at him for having inherited his title, Charlemagne nevertheless managed to survive and stand out among his many siblings, and succeed his father in a Pride best known for treachery.

While his Pride had certain power, the Jaguars had been in decline for centuries, and hindered by a 200 years long territorial dispute over slave worlds with the neighboring Sabra pride. It was Charlemagne who put an end to it with an agreement to marry the Sabra’s First Daughter, Elsbett Mossadim. Although the Jaguars are renowned for their many instances of treachery, While the Sabra might have been right that the Jaguars were just buying time for a military build-up, Charlemagne still went through with the marriage even after it became obvious that the Sabra had been using the wedding as a ploy to attack the Jaguars.

Among other titles the Archduke of the Unified Sabra-Jaguar Prides now holds those of Field Marshal, Regent of the twin moons of Avox and Ivox and Chancellor of Kingu. With the combined Sabra-Jaguar holding the third largest fleet in the known worlds, Charlemagne still chose to join a mutual defense pact which would be the first step towards a rebuilt Commonwealth. Him joining was a big event, though Dylan Hunt perceived it as making a deal with the devil – he likened it to Churchill allying with Stalin. It was a remarkable decision, for joining would put the Sabra-Jaguar on equal footing with their genetic inferiors, even their own former slave worlds. Charlemagne, however, saw an opportunity in it, and signed up for what many still saw as a fool’s errand. Even he called it signing “a lovely death warrant.”

Character's personality: Charlemagne is an unusual Nietzschean from an unusual Pride. Jaguars breed for treachery and cunning rather than pure physical strength, and he is an excellent forever snarky example of it. Even being relatively small by Nietzschean standards, and dismissed as a fop, doesn’t ruffle his self-confidence, or keep him from making a quip in the face of certain death. He knows that he is smart, and ruthless in pursuing his goals, and has always gotten exactly what he wanted.
While Charlemagne is arrogant, and will rub his genetic superiority and rank in people’s faces, unlike many other Nietzscheans he doesn’t let arrogance blind him. He understands it is better to make friends than enemies (if only because friends are easier to stab in the back), seeing no reason to alienate people just for the sake of it - even if his idea of being friendly is still being an insufferable jerk by most people’s standards.

He is a very social person, a hedonist, party lover, lover of women, a natural charmer, and will use these skills both with his friends and against his foes. He loves a life of luxury, and thinks castigating yourself is ridiculous. Although he doesn’t get to show it on-screen, we can assume that he, like most Nietzscheans, values family greatly, maybe even more than his own ambition.

Charlemagne is a pragmatist, who is willing to change in a changing world. He isn’t necessarily prone to grudges, and while he may hold on to prejudices, he won’t let them rule him, but he will tirelessly seek to destroy his enemies with all kinds of underhanded tactics. He is ruthless in his rule, will turn on his friends if it suits him best and is unforgiving towards failures or disappointments.

Character's skills/abilities/powers: He is a Nietzschean, a genetically engineered human.
- Immunity to diseases and poisons known in 3477
- Breathe chlorine gas for short times
- Survive harsher environments
- Bone blades: three blade-like bone protrusions on each forearm, can be used as stabbing and slicing weapons, identifier marker for Pride.

Skilled fighter armed and unarmed. Command experience. Politically savvy.

Any special equipment your character is bringing along? This includes weaponry, magic items, etc.: He will be carrying two Gauss guns and a large knife.

Are you bringing your character to ten_fwd from another game? If you are, which game?: -
If you answered yes above, briefly summarize how they were changed by and what challenges they faced in the climate of their previous game(s): -

Why do you want to play this character in Ten Forward, and what do you plan to do with them? Bolivar is extremely social and amiable by Nietzschean standards, I’m hoping he will be the life of every party while also weaving his webs of alliances and treachery. I want to play him because he's such an incredible fun character with all his quips and snark and attitude.

Writing Sample #1: “Ah!” A bright smile lit up Charlemagne Bolivar’s face as he took his first gulp of unrecycled air in weeks. He stepped out of the shuttle, right into the bright sunlight of an idyllic tropical planet. It looked like a right proper paradise, all that was missing was the tent with servants awaiting him with delicacies, and his wife Elsbett.
He turned to the other involuntary explorers he had shared the shuttle with, and flashed them a dazzling grin. “Now that’s what I call a gorgeous planet! They didn’t promise too much.”
The group scattered soon, some people walking off to explore the edge of the jungle, while Charlemagne chose to follow the crystal-clear river upstream. Everybody else went downstream, or lingered near the shuttle.
Some of them had spoken of a picnic, and even of music, but he didn’t find himself in the mood, and the further he walked, the more his sunny disposition gave way to a grimness few on the Enterprise would associate with him. He had been so careful to show them only the sides of himself he wanted them to see.
Here was a whole new universe where very few people knew better than to think the best of Nietzscheans, or knew of the Jaguars’ penchant for treachery. It would be foolish to teach them caution if there was nothing to be gained from it.
Charlemagne perched on a fallen tree trunk, watching colorful fish swim past him. It was a whole new universe, indeed, it was full of possibilities and chances, and yet as time passed by, he found his mood growing ever bleaker. Power in this strange new world remained well out of reach. Military power laid firmly in the hands of Starfleet, you couldn’t just recruit bounty hunters and seize a planet here, his research had taught him as much. Not that he would have had the money to hire bounty hunters, mind you.
With a sigh, melodramatic even now that he was alone, Charlemagne crossed his hands behind his head and turned his head to the purple-tinged sky. Opportunities would come in due time, life had taught him that much, but right now it was becoming tiresome to be only Charlemagne Bolivar, alpha of nothing, Archduke of nothing, not even captain of a single measly shuttle.
He was tired of playing nice.
Charlemagne stood up, brushing imaginary dirt from his clothes. Fortunes would change, and he would be waiting. There was no way he was going to let himself wallow.
The swagger returned to his steps as he made his way into the jungle. He wouldn’t go exploring with the kludges, but maybe he could teach the local predators a lesson or two about jaguars.
Writing Sample #2 (optional): test drive