Jaris Voltaire
The Spider
Jaris Voltaire is considered by many to be the second wealthiest man in the world, and is without a doubt the wealthiest Microshan in the world. Often seen as two-faced, Jaris keeps his business persona and his real persona separated in order to keep his private life in the dark. This also tends to scare off those who might want to take advantage of him, while also allowing Jaris to have a stronger sway when he wants to get things accomplished. As he sleeps very little, he tends to overwork and take on projects that take up an inordinate amount of time. He is patient, cunning, wispy, and intelligent with a strong sense of community and tradition.
He is known for his stock trading and ownership of nearly half of all the hospitals in Khadan. He also is the current owner of The Underground club, which he won several centuries prior from his brother, Algar Harte. Jaris also owns a few businesses, most notably a textile mill that produces bioluminescent cloth, but mostly he enjoys being a Member of the Board for several prominent companies with headquarters in Khadan. Often, he has used his influence over businesses to keep them from predatory practices and to work more closely with charity organizations. This is also true of his purchase and investments of small businesses. Often he will buy a failing small business, take on the former owners as partners, improve the business enough to earn back the money invested, and then give the business back to the original owners at no cost. His hospitals take on more pro-bono cases than any other medical group in the world, and he makes considerable private donations to organizations in Microsha to help the poorer areas.
However, Jaris's charity does come at a cost. He is ruthless when he needs to be in order to secure enough capital and influence to keep his hospitals running and the small businesses from going under. He has earned a reputation for undermining rivals and coercing important players to his side. As he is Microshan, he has used his "strangeness" to his advantage, even going insofar as to encourage rumors about him being a witch doctor. He is an expert at reading Colour (auras), which gives him an advantage in business dealings, and can perform very basic energy manipulation (emotional manipulation) in order to bend others to the desired outcome.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Male, cisgender
Sexuality
Bisexual
Education
- Public education in Kanol
- Extracurricular studies with Shuri Balhan (Fuhal and adoptive mother) in traditional Microshan, basic medicine, cultural and religious history
- University education in Jurnol; two degrees in Business
Employment
While in Microsha (mostly Kanol), Jaris did odds-and-ends jobs, picking up work wherever he could in order to save up enough money to go to the surface. He and Algar were in their mid-200's when they could finally afford to move to the surface, though they had almost no leftover money and no job prospects.
They managed menial jobs – cashiering, stocking, even "fortune telling" – until Jaris decided to start buying stocks on the market and funding the Serum research. While they both enjoyed success in stock trading, Jaris seemed to have a better inclination for it than Algar. Similarly, Jaris had a better sense for business than Algar, and this proved invaluable to the brothers' successes in their early years on the surface.
Currently, Jaris owns many of the hospitals in Khadan, has a diversified stock portfolio with Board membership to several of the biggest companies in Khadan, and is partnered with a number of small businesses. He is also the owner of The Underground, which he visits nightly.
Accomplishments & Achievements
It is a lesser-known fact that Jaris was involved in the creation of the original Serum. It was a project that started in his late 200's, and he wanted in on the drug that he believed would change the world. He funded research and kept an eye on the progress of the Serum. In his early 400's, he was able to buy into enough stocks to become a Board Member. Unfortunately, he was eventually pushed out, unable to keep up with all of his charity endeavors as well as buying stock into the Serum. This was perhaps for the best, as he had been unable to fight the rest of the board about their predatory hike in prices for decades. Leaving meant that he was excluded from the ire of the Serum Riots when they eventually happened.
Mental Trauma
Jaris is a person who loves openly and fully, or not at all. This tends to backfire on him when it comes to romantic relationships. His early relationships were marred by inconsistent lovers, as well as those who wished to take advantage of Jaris's money and/or power. His most successful relationship had been with Algar Harte, though that too ended poorly as they were not compatible. Over time, Jaris became jaded to lovers, allowing none of them the emotional intimacy he longs for.
Jaris has a difficult relationship with his family, particularly his sister Hannah Balhan, who hates that Jaris left for the surface just like their father. His decision to take on the last name Voltaire was a breaking point in their relationship, as Jaris chose to try to further his father's family line than continue the Balhan legacy.
Morality & Philosophy
- Think always of the greater picture
- Love openly, hate secretly
- I will only let you see what I want you to see
- If you come for me or my loved ones, you will pay dearly
- There's always time for fun
- Patience is key to almost everything in life
- I am most dangerous if I stop caring
- Revenge is nice, but shame is sweeter
- Everything in life comes and goes; there's no use fighting it
- If I do something, it will be perfect or I won't do it at all
Social
Family Ties
Religious Views
Though Jaris is the eldest son of a prominent fuhal, Jaris himself is not particularly religious. He acknowledges the place and role for religion, especially as it pertains to Microshan culture, but does not practice it. Many of the "religious" holidays and sayings may permeate his day-to-day life, but mostly as a sense of home and nostalgia. However, he can get defensive about fuhals if Glyssians give insult.
Relationships
History
Algar and Jaris are nearly the same age and grew up in the same household since their early childhood. They consider each other brothers, though they are not by blood, and have an incredibly strong bond. Algar holds more romantic feelings for Jaris even centuries after breaking up, but both refuse to let this affect their brotherhood. Their relationship is often tense as they play high-stakes games with each other's businesses and interests. While they would never outright destroy the other, often their games take on a winner-take-all mentality and it takes both of them a while to recover from these games.
Nicknames & Petnames
- Algar will call Jaris Hanei (Big Brother) on occasion.
- Jaris will call Algar Minei (Little Brother) on occasion.
History
Jaris, as firstborn, has always had a close relationship to his parents. His relationship quickly turned into a kind of co-parenting role in order for Shuri to attend to her Fuhal duties as well as Ounai to pursue his career on the surface. Though Jaris loves his mother and Shuri loves her son, they rarely see each other due to his fraught relationships with his other siblings.
Nicknames & Petnames
Algar will call Shuri Omda (Mother) Shuri will call Jaris Mire (son)
Alignment
Neutral Good to Lawful Good
Current Location
Ethnicity
Date of Birth
June 4
Birthplace
Kanol, Microsha
Spouses
Siblings
Algar Harte
(Adopted Brother)
Children
Current Residence
Khadan, the Surface
Gender
Male
Eyes
Double-ringed irises (Blue outside, green inside), sharp almond shaped, small
Hair
Straight, silver/white, shoulder length (kept in a low, sleek pony tail)
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
6'1"
Weight
160 lbs
Ruled Locations
