Jarlaxle Baenre

Jarlaxle Baenre is an NPC played by Christian. He is a former business partner of the Strings of Fate, who they knew from Ciniath.

Appearance
Jarlaxle is a purple drow. He is completely bald, and although he wears an eyepatch, does in fact have both of his eyes.

Personality
Jarlaxle is charismatic, and considers himself the hero in his own story (although he can easily swap between playing the hero or the villain in the stories of others). He enjoys flirting, manipulating people, wealth and luxury items (including lobster) and having a good time - a party person, as it were. He is not above making threats to get what he wants, although he prefers it when people just do as he says. He has a vindictive streak when he feels that others have cheated him or not held up their end of the bargain. He is neither evil or good, but gray - he won't kill your family, but if he has to... well then.

History
Jarlaxle is (head?) of a guild. Guild members are masters of disguise, and he has them act as plants all over the city, pretending to be other people.

He was also at one point a well-seasoned adventurer, and a pirate captain.

Pre-Campaign
Prior to the campaign, Jarlaxle was a business partner to the Strings of Fate in Ciniath. While they were in the city, Jarlaxle's guild members (including himself) frequently disguised themselves as other people to keep tabs on the party.

The party promised to bring Jarlaxle the stone that unlocked Dagult Neverember's vault, but when they retrieved the stone, they did not give it to him. Instead, they left it in the care of Durnan before they departed the city. This decision was heavily swayed by Vincent, as he firmly believed that money belonged to the people of Ciniath.

Jarlaxle posed as the merchant Volo, and gifted the Strings of Fate their house in Ciniath. He assigned them several other missions in Ciniath, pushing the party towards becoming better adventurers so that they could get him what he wants - namely, the contents of the Vault of Dragons.

Goldstead Arc
WIP

Episode 19: A Toast to Unity

The episode opens with a monologue from Jarlaxle, casting himself as a hero. It then cuts to Lidara dancing with Jarlaxle himself, who had passed himself off as "Lord Apollo" (the real Lord Apollo is unconscious in the bathroom).

Jarlaxle tells Lidara that he is here to parlay, after he had returned to Ciniath and talked to their friend Durnan, the bartender. He knew that the Strings of Fate had left "the stone" with Durnan, and when he questioned him with magic, Jarlaxle found that the stone was not there, and so he knows the party must have it. Lidara insists that they do not have it, but Jarlaxle is not convinced.

Jarlaxle reveals that he has been watching the party discretely while they are in Wheldon - he had disguised himself as several other individuals they had encountered, like the schnitzel cart and the waiter at the hotel who brought them the roasted potatoes. He also tells Lidara that - although he doesn't want to do it this way - he knows about the genasi family in the mansion and has people watching them: a hostage situation. Jarlaxle gives Lidara an ultimatum - either they help him find the stone, or he harms the family as "leverage."

Lidara and Jarlaxle agree that Lidara needs to consult with her party.

Later that evening, the party approaches Jarlaxle's table, where he is sitting with other nobles who seem like his friends and allies. The party says again that they don't have the stone, but Jarlaxle insists the stone is here in this room and demands they tell him where it is. This information confuses them, and Jarlaxle further clarifies that he had tracked it to both the Thorn and Walsh mansions. They posit that perhaps Finnegan is the one who has it, or perhaps Tyron, since they both have blond hair, but they cannot fathom a reason why anyone would want the stone here in Wheldon when it's only use is the vault back in Ciniath.

Finally, after negotiations, the party agrees to help Jarlaxle find the stone in exchange for immediately calling off his people who are watching the genasi family. Jarlaxle agrees, and lifts a sending stone to communicate that message to his people. They separate and agree to meet back up later when they have more information.

Episode 20: Malediction of Red and Gold

Jarlaxle is last seen at the Unity Ball. They had not been affected by the toast, but their whereabouts are still unknown.

Episode 23: Much Ado About Submersibles

When Rowen proposes sending people up the river underwater, the Strings of Fate say that they know someone who had made a submersible - Jarlaxle. Rowen wants to talk to them as it would accelerate the timeline and get people out of here sooner. The group has a small disagreement about whether to trust Jarlaxle to help these people before Lidara and Azzurum finally convince Vincent to contact him with Sending. Jarlaxle's response to the spell is weak coughing, and he says that he can't join them in his "current state" and asks them to meet him at the tower. Plans are made - after a long rest, the Strings of Fate will go to the clocktower to find the bell and Jarlaxle.

At the clocktower, when Vincent doesn't spot Jarlaxle in the ballroom, he uses Message to try to make a connection - and the spell works. Jarlaxle says that he didn't expect them to actually come, and tells him that he is where the wine was being stored along with a few others who are being used as bloodbanks. He also warns Vincent to watch out for the head chef.

Azzurum is able to make it past this to the wine cellar, where he sees every server that couldn't keep up with the dinner rush and a few nobles, all looking weak, emaciated, and drained. They are clearly too weak to stand up and flee. A drow is among them - Jarlaxle. When Jarlaxle sees "Lady Allegra" he tries to crawl away, but Azzurum grabs him and tells him he's "not the sharpest" and Jarlaxle realizes its a disguise - "Oh fuck, thank god." Azzurum gives him a health potion while Jarlaxle tells Azzurum that they have been using the people in this room as "seasoning" for the dishes. Just then, they hear stomping and the head chef enters the room, the depths of his eyes looking like they're filled with blood. Azzurum tries to disguise himself as one of the servers but the chef sees through it. In desperation, he tries to Charm him, but the spell finds no purchase. The chef reaches for Azzurum, but Jarlaxle smashes a wine bottle across the back of the chef's head and yells "run!" Azzurum grabs Jarlaxle and starts to take off, shooting Eldritch Blasts behind him as he goes.

After casting Fireball in the stairwell to stop their pursuers, Azzurum grabs Jarlaxle and jumps into the middle of the tower, casting Levitate as they fall down the center. Jarlaxle is initially frightened but regains his cool when he realizes the spell is helping. At the base of the tower, the four regroup. Vincent and Lidara work together to slice the chains that bind Jarlaxle while they decide how to get back across. Jarlaxle only has his hat that can disguise him, but the rest of his magical items are in his bag, which is back upstairs. They all agree its not worth retrieving it. Instead, Vincent once again polymorphs Lidara into the giant black eagle, and they fly away - but they're seen, and soon a screeching swarm of vampiric bats is on their tail.

Vincent Obra
Prior to the campaign, Jarlaxle almost fooled Vincent when disguised he disguised himself as Renaer. While they were out, Vincent though that Renaer was acting strange, and so he visited Renaer's house later that day. When he arrived, Renaer confirmed that he had not in fact gone out with Vincent earlier that day at all. When Vincent confronted Jarlaxle later, Jarlaxle boasted that it was him, laughing. He also claimed that he had been Renaer several other times, and that "it was exhausting to be romantic with you." Since then, Vincent has understandably hated him.

Azzurum Esen-Carr
Of the Strings of Fate members, Azzurum has the best relationship with Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle has never personally offended Azzurum, and Azzurum generally gets along with anyone fun.

Lidara Mormaer
Although we know of no particular actions that Jarlaxle has taken that have pre-campaign particularly offended Lidara, she doesn't like him. Broadly, she thinks he's slimy, and doesn't like that he's a double crosser and a fraud. When Jarlaxle first directly approaches the party regarding the stone during the ball in Wheldon, he chooses Lidara to dance with, and she is openly hostile to him during that dance.

Durnan
They have some kind of past from when they were both adventurers and do NOT get along.

Trivia

 * "jarlaxle simply f*cks" - a real quote from Christian, May 14, 2021
 * Sexuality: yes ;3c
 * Jarlaxle is polyamorous.
 * Jarlaxle is one of Christians favorite NPCs to play

''In progress! Feel free to add info here.''