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it's always darkest before the dawn;
[ PLAYER INFORMATION ]
Player Name: Nami
Age: 22
Timezone: PST
Personal Journal: tideswept
Contact Information: ofteabreaks@gmail.com | teabreaks @ plurk | ofteabreaks @ AIM
[ CHARACTER INFORMATION ]
Name: Howl Jenkins
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Canon: Howl’s Moving Castle (movie version)
Timeline: Taken from the middle of the movie, after arriving at the palace and retrieving Sophie, but before getting back to his moving castle.
Character History:
http://howlscastle.wikia.com/wiki/Howl_Jenkins_Pendragon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl's_Moving_Castle#Wizard_Howl
Character Personality:
One of the first things anyone would notice about Howl upon entering his home is how unbelievably untidy he is. Clutter, dust and cobwebs covers virtually the whole inside of his moving castle. Although we find later that he lives in a sort of ‘organized chaos’- after Sophie cleans the bathroom he accidently ends up dying his hair because she mixed up his shampoo with his potions. Clearly he knows where things are amongst his messes. Once Sophie moves in, however, she keeps things neat for him.
One of the reasons it’s probably so messy is because he’s always out fighting in the war, with no time left for such mundane tasks. Upon getting home the first thing he does is usually take a bath, and then eat or go directly to sleep. He leaves the cleaning to Sophie and the buying of groceries to his young apprentice.
One of the things he does have time for, however, are his looks. Howl is a young man that spends a lot of time taking care of himself and trying to look good. In the book it says that he can take up to two hours getting ready in the morning, while it never specifies this in the movie it can be guessed that the situation is probably quite similar. He is obsessed with being young looking and beautiful, going so far as to throw tantrums if he doesn’t like the way things turn out for him. An example of this is the time he accidently dyes his hair, throwing himself into a chair and declaring he “doesn’t see the point of living if he can’t be beautiful.”
Howl is something of a coward, something he even points out himself. “I’m such a coward, all I do is hide.” He gives himself several nicknames and spreads his own rumors about himself in order to throw others off and make sure he is left alone. The most popular of his rumors is he likes to eat young girls hearts, a reason most girls try to avoid him. At the same time it is almost metaphorically true, since he likes to go into town and woo pretty women. He will avoid things for as long as possible and make up all kinds of excuses to cover up his fear, admitting to Sophie later he “is afraid of everything.”
However, when it comes down to it Howl can be quite brave. Although he really does tend to avoid things until the last possible moment, he will throw himself into situations to help others. Though he is a pacifist, he spends much of his time off fighting the war going on in the world. Changing into a bird he fights the monsters of the king (who were once wizards themselves) in order to end the war and restore peace. At one point while out with Sophie he spots an airship full of bombs, when Sophie asks which side the ship is on, Howl responds it doesn’t matter- that neither side should be heading off to battle with that many bombs. He then uses his magic to shut down the airship, not enough to crash the ship, only enough to deactivate the bombs. This situation shows bravery since he doesn’t care that the ship will most likely come after him (it does) as long as he stops it from being able to bomb innocent people.
Despite rumors of heart eating and being a “bad” wizard, Howl is actually shown to be very kind. Sophie’s first meeting with him is him saving her from some creepy guards in a back alley. He likes assisting people in everyday situations, leaving his homes open for people to come and buy potions for various ailments. It is shown that as a boy he even went so far as to making a deal with a falling star to save it, giving up his heart for it’s survival, simply because he felt sorry for it.
The biggest problem with Howl’s personality is that he’s constantly clashing with himself. He is like a mess of walking contradictions, cowardly and brave, aloof but friendly. Much of it is in purpose, to keep people at a distance so no one can hurt of him. Some of it is because even he doesn’t realize exactly how good he is. He is still trying to find himself, and though he is 27 he can throw tantrums and behave like a teenager at times. He is openly friendly to those he meets, letting numerous amounts of people live in his house, but at the same time keeping everyone at bay by being secretive and mysterious. He complains often and can be whiney, but when he feels like it he can be suave and very charming.
The one way Howl truly motivates himself, is by declaring that he won’t do something. Not only is he afraid of everything, but he is also incredibly lazy. Considering during his spare time when he is not fighting he is usually sleeping or bathing, one could easily see why he’s such a heavy procrastinator.
Another very important fact about Howl that cannot be overlooked is the fact that he is a wizard. Not just any regular wizard, he is considered to be one of the most powerful in the region. This lays down the foundation for much of his personality. It’s the reason for his popularity, and from that stems the reason he makes up lies about himself. He is sought after by the King for use in war, as magic is a heavily used weapon. This is the main reason he keeps several false names for himself, and lives in a castle that moves around. He has no desire to aid the king in war like so many other wizards, who eventually turn into monsters and forget they were humans completely. Howl only likes using his magic for good.
The last thing that can be touched upon with Howl is his relationships with various people. While he has many acquaintances, or at least people that claim to know him, he has very few people close enough to call friends. His most important bond is with a fire demon named Calcifer, who is the falling star he gave up his heart for as a child. Essentially, Howl has no heart because it’s in Calcifer. It’s the reason he must always keep the fire demon lit- if he dies, so does Howl. In the same regard, Calcifer could also be seen as Howl’s closest friend, since they have shared this bond since he was a young boy. Prior to Sophie, Howl is the only one the fire listens to, and they appear to have a great deal of respect for one another.
Another bond that is shown to be increasingly important to him is the one he shares with the protagonist Sophie. He first meets her when he saves her in the alley, he is then courteous, but only shows vague interest in her. Later, when she has a curse set upon her to make her look old, she takes up residence in Howl’s castle, claiming to be the cleaning lady and hoping the wizard could help with some way to break her free from her spell. Being a wizard, it is easy for him to tell she has a curse set upon her, but it’s not the first thing he notices about her. It’s her ability to control Calcifer, and from that moment he appears to think rather highly of her. As the story continues he starts to care more and more for her, so that upon meeting the king’s sorceress, the woman proclaims that Sophie is the most important thing to Howl. It is because of Sophie that Howl is able to face the sorceress in the first place, telling Sophie that “she saved him, that woman terrifies me.” It is Sophie that gets through to Howl and helps him get his heart back without Calcifer dying, and it’s Sophie that he ends up falling in love with.
Character Abilities you would like to expand on further:
Howl has several abilities, although most of them aren’t elaborated on in the movie. The most obvious of all is his use of magic. Being an exceptionally gifted wizard, he is shown to be able to manipulate people and objects by use of a flick of his hand. His castle moves on it’s own, mostly by use of the fire demon Calcifer, but he has also bewitched it so that it stays together.
He can walk in mid-air, and by proxy (holding hands, or perhaps just enchanting them) others around him can do the same thing. Wizards in his world are able to shape-shift, and he makes use of this by turning into a giant, dark bird. He uses this form to fight in battles. He also at one point takes the form of the king while trying to deceive his head sorceress- the limit of his changing abilities are never shown.
Apart from magic, Howl is also shown to have above average intelligence. He can think quickly when thrown into situations, and always manages to get out of tight spots. Of course, his charm also helps in this case as well. He is also shown to be an excellent cook, as he can crack and fry eggs with only one hand.
Character Weaknesses you would like to expand on further:
Though most of Howl’s weaknesses were summed up in his personality section, I can elaborate on his relationship with Sophie. Before Howl met her, there was no person (sans his young apprentice) anyone could hold against him. But when he sends her in his place to visit the king’s head magician, the woman specifically points out that she “now knows Howl’s weakness… it’s you.” She realizes that as long as Sophie is there with her, Howl will eventually come to bring her back.
On a slightly more humorous note, it can be pointed out that rearranging Howl’s beauty products is another weakness of his, seeing as he will throw tantrums if he does not think he looks good. From a normal person a tantrum seems harmless enough, but from Howl they can become quite dangerous, as he exerts a type of green ooze that can suffocate people, as well as call forth spirits of darkness. He is usually stopped before these can become too bad, though.
Another weakness of his is the way he will throw himself into dangers way if it will prevent bombs from falling. His strong sense of pacifism can become a danger to himself. Calcifer tells him multiple times that too much shape shifting into a bird will push him too far, and eventually he will not be able to change back. Sophie also at one point points out that he’s “acting as if he’s going to leave them”, another sign that Howl is willing to push himself to destruction if he can bring about a result to his cause.
[ SOUL CAMPAIGN SECTION ]
What abilities will your character retain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
With BREW stripping Howl of all supernatural powers, it does not leave him with much fighting skills. Being a wizard he almost solely relies on magic. For the most part, he will be your average human. The only exceptional things about him are:
- Basic fighting knowledge
- Above average intelligence
- Great cooking skills
What weaknesses will your character lose or gain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Sophie will only be a weakness to be used against him if she shows up in Death City
- Fear of losing himself will be lessened with his inability to turn into a bird
- He will still have his ‘fear of everything’ especially when he finds out the city is in a war
- His need to hide might diminish once he realizes no one knows who he is
- He will be extra vulnerable during battles without his magic
The wish Death the Kid made to the BREW in 2009 was to “rescue Death City and stop the waves of Madness from overtaking the world.” By whatever means necessary. Pretend you are the BREW. Why would you choose to bring this character to Death City?
At BREW would bring Howl to Death City because he is used to fighting and has a strong desire for peace. They need people that will assist in the war for a just cause like peace, and not simply because they enjoy fighting. Howl would be useful because although he does not have his magic, he would pull any resources he could find to bring a swift end to a war—whether it involves him personally or not.
[ MEISTER ONLY SECTION ]
Why is your character a Meister and not a Weapon?
Howl is naturally used to taking charge, considering he never takes orders from anyone. He would be a good meister because he is used to having various magical powers that relate more to meister abilities. He has never wielded a weapon during battle, and as such there is not much he could turn into. I do believe if he found a partner/weapon that had some type of magical power to it (nothing melee) he would make excellent use of them.
What is your character’s Meister Ability?
Soul Manipulate
[ SOUL INFORMATION ]
Describe your character’s soul with six adjectives.
Excitable, vain, scared, hopeful, bright, closed
What does your character’s soul look like? Be creative.
Howl’s soul is round, with a somber looking face in the middle. The colour is yellow, pink, blue, and red in a checkered type pattern to match the coat he normally wears. It also has a slight amount of fire coming off the edges of it, to represent Calcifer and his heart.
Player Name: Nami
Age: 22
Timezone: PST
Personal Journal: tideswept
Contact Information: ofteabreaks@gmail.com | teabreaks @ plurk | ofteabreaks @ AIM
[ CHARACTER INFORMATION ]
Name: Howl Jenkins
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Canon: Howl’s Moving Castle (movie version)
Timeline: Taken from the middle of the movie, after arriving at the palace and retrieving Sophie, but before getting back to his moving castle.
Character History:
http://howlscastle.wikia.com/wiki/Howl_Jenkins_Pendragon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl's_Moving_Castle#Wizard_Howl
Character Personality:
One of the first things anyone would notice about Howl upon entering his home is how unbelievably untidy he is. Clutter, dust and cobwebs covers virtually the whole inside of his moving castle. Although we find later that he lives in a sort of ‘organized chaos’- after Sophie cleans the bathroom he accidently ends up dying his hair because she mixed up his shampoo with his potions. Clearly he knows where things are amongst his messes. Once Sophie moves in, however, she keeps things neat for him.
One of the reasons it’s probably so messy is because he’s always out fighting in the war, with no time left for such mundane tasks. Upon getting home the first thing he does is usually take a bath, and then eat or go directly to sleep. He leaves the cleaning to Sophie and the buying of groceries to his young apprentice.
One of the things he does have time for, however, are his looks. Howl is a young man that spends a lot of time taking care of himself and trying to look good. In the book it says that he can take up to two hours getting ready in the morning, while it never specifies this in the movie it can be guessed that the situation is probably quite similar. He is obsessed with being young looking and beautiful, going so far as to throw tantrums if he doesn’t like the way things turn out for him. An example of this is the time he accidently dyes his hair, throwing himself into a chair and declaring he “doesn’t see the point of living if he can’t be beautiful.”
Howl is something of a coward, something he even points out himself. “I’m such a coward, all I do is hide.” He gives himself several nicknames and spreads his own rumors about himself in order to throw others off and make sure he is left alone. The most popular of his rumors is he likes to eat young girls hearts, a reason most girls try to avoid him. At the same time it is almost metaphorically true, since he likes to go into town and woo pretty women. He will avoid things for as long as possible and make up all kinds of excuses to cover up his fear, admitting to Sophie later he “is afraid of everything.”
However, when it comes down to it Howl can be quite brave. Although he really does tend to avoid things until the last possible moment, he will throw himself into situations to help others. Though he is a pacifist, he spends much of his time off fighting the war going on in the world. Changing into a bird he fights the monsters of the king (who were once wizards themselves) in order to end the war and restore peace. At one point while out with Sophie he spots an airship full of bombs, when Sophie asks which side the ship is on, Howl responds it doesn’t matter- that neither side should be heading off to battle with that many bombs. He then uses his magic to shut down the airship, not enough to crash the ship, only enough to deactivate the bombs. This situation shows bravery since he doesn’t care that the ship will most likely come after him (it does) as long as he stops it from being able to bomb innocent people.
Despite rumors of heart eating and being a “bad” wizard, Howl is actually shown to be very kind. Sophie’s first meeting with him is him saving her from some creepy guards in a back alley. He likes assisting people in everyday situations, leaving his homes open for people to come and buy potions for various ailments. It is shown that as a boy he even went so far as to making a deal with a falling star to save it, giving up his heart for it’s survival, simply because he felt sorry for it.
The biggest problem with Howl’s personality is that he’s constantly clashing with himself. He is like a mess of walking contradictions, cowardly and brave, aloof but friendly. Much of it is in purpose, to keep people at a distance so no one can hurt of him. Some of it is because even he doesn’t realize exactly how good he is. He is still trying to find himself, and though he is 27 he can throw tantrums and behave like a teenager at times. He is openly friendly to those he meets, letting numerous amounts of people live in his house, but at the same time keeping everyone at bay by being secretive and mysterious. He complains often and can be whiney, but when he feels like it he can be suave and very charming.
The one way Howl truly motivates himself, is by declaring that he won’t do something. Not only is he afraid of everything, but he is also incredibly lazy. Considering during his spare time when he is not fighting he is usually sleeping or bathing, one could easily see why he’s such a heavy procrastinator.
Another very important fact about Howl that cannot be overlooked is the fact that he is a wizard. Not just any regular wizard, he is considered to be one of the most powerful in the region. This lays down the foundation for much of his personality. It’s the reason for his popularity, and from that stems the reason he makes up lies about himself. He is sought after by the King for use in war, as magic is a heavily used weapon. This is the main reason he keeps several false names for himself, and lives in a castle that moves around. He has no desire to aid the king in war like so many other wizards, who eventually turn into monsters and forget they were humans completely. Howl only likes using his magic for good.
The last thing that can be touched upon with Howl is his relationships with various people. While he has many acquaintances, or at least people that claim to know him, he has very few people close enough to call friends. His most important bond is with a fire demon named Calcifer, who is the falling star he gave up his heart for as a child. Essentially, Howl has no heart because it’s in Calcifer. It’s the reason he must always keep the fire demon lit- if he dies, so does Howl. In the same regard, Calcifer could also be seen as Howl’s closest friend, since they have shared this bond since he was a young boy. Prior to Sophie, Howl is the only one the fire listens to, and they appear to have a great deal of respect for one another.
Another bond that is shown to be increasingly important to him is the one he shares with the protagonist Sophie. He first meets her when he saves her in the alley, he is then courteous, but only shows vague interest in her. Later, when she has a curse set upon her to make her look old, she takes up residence in Howl’s castle, claiming to be the cleaning lady and hoping the wizard could help with some way to break her free from her spell. Being a wizard, it is easy for him to tell she has a curse set upon her, but it’s not the first thing he notices about her. It’s her ability to control Calcifer, and from that moment he appears to think rather highly of her. As the story continues he starts to care more and more for her, so that upon meeting the king’s sorceress, the woman proclaims that Sophie is the most important thing to Howl. It is because of Sophie that Howl is able to face the sorceress in the first place, telling Sophie that “she saved him, that woman terrifies me.” It is Sophie that gets through to Howl and helps him get his heart back without Calcifer dying, and it’s Sophie that he ends up falling in love with.
Character Abilities you would like to expand on further:
Howl has several abilities, although most of them aren’t elaborated on in the movie. The most obvious of all is his use of magic. Being an exceptionally gifted wizard, he is shown to be able to manipulate people and objects by use of a flick of his hand. His castle moves on it’s own, mostly by use of the fire demon Calcifer, but he has also bewitched it so that it stays together.
He can walk in mid-air, and by proxy (holding hands, or perhaps just enchanting them) others around him can do the same thing. Wizards in his world are able to shape-shift, and he makes use of this by turning into a giant, dark bird. He uses this form to fight in battles. He also at one point takes the form of the king while trying to deceive his head sorceress- the limit of his changing abilities are never shown.
Apart from magic, Howl is also shown to have above average intelligence. He can think quickly when thrown into situations, and always manages to get out of tight spots. Of course, his charm also helps in this case as well. He is also shown to be an excellent cook, as he can crack and fry eggs with only one hand.
Character Weaknesses you would like to expand on further:
Though most of Howl’s weaknesses were summed up in his personality section, I can elaborate on his relationship with Sophie. Before Howl met her, there was no person (sans his young apprentice) anyone could hold against him. But when he sends her in his place to visit the king’s head magician, the woman specifically points out that she “now knows Howl’s weakness… it’s you.” She realizes that as long as Sophie is there with her, Howl will eventually come to bring her back.
On a slightly more humorous note, it can be pointed out that rearranging Howl’s beauty products is another weakness of his, seeing as he will throw tantrums if he does not think he looks good. From a normal person a tantrum seems harmless enough, but from Howl they can become quite dangerous, as he exerts a type of green ooze that can suffocate people, as well as call forth spirits of darkness. He is usually stopped before these can become too bad, though.
Another weakness of his is the way he will throw himself into dangers way if it will prevent bombs from falling. His strong sense of pacifism can become a danger to himself. Calcifer tells him multiple times that too much shape shifting into a bird will push him too far, and eventually he will not be able to change back. Sophie also at one point points out that he’s “acting as if he’s going to leave them”, another sign that Howl is willing to push himself to destruction if he can bring about a result to his cause.
[ SOUL CAMPAIGN SECTION ]
What abilities will your character retain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
With BREW stripping Howl of all supernatural powers, it does not leave him with much fighting skills. Being a wizard he almost solely relies on magic. For the most part, he will be your average human. The only exceptional things about him are:
- Basic fighting knowledge
- Above average intelligence
- Great cooking skills
What weaknesses will your character lose or gain in Soul Campaign? Bullet-form is fine.
- Sophie will only be a weakness to be used against him if she shows up in Death City
- Fear of losing himself will be lessened with his inability to turn into a bird
- He will still have his ‘fear of everything’ especially when he finds out the city is in a war
- His need to hide might diminish once he realizes no one knows who he is
- He will be extra vulnerable during battles without his magic
The wish Death the Kid made to the BREW in 2009 was to “rescue Death City and stop the waves of Madness from overtaking the world.” By whatever means necessary. Pretend you are the BREW. Why would you choose to bring this character to Death City?
At BREW would bring Howl to Death City because he is used to fighting and has a strong desire for peace. They need people that will assist in the war for a just cause like peace, and not simply because they enjoy fighting. Howl would be useful because although he does not have his magic, he would pull any resources he could find to bring a swift end to a war—whether it involves him personally or not.
[ MEISTER ONLY SECTION ]
Why is your character a Meister and not a Weapon?
Howl is naturally used to taking charge, considering he never takes orders from anyone. He would be a good meister because he is used to having various magical powers that relate more to meister abilities. He has never wielded a weapon during battle, and as such there is not much he could turn into. I do believe if he found a partner/weapon that had some type of magical power to it (nothing melee) he would make excellent use of them.
What is your character’s Meister Ability?
Soul Manipulate
[ SOUL INFORMATION ]
Describe your character’s soul with six adjectives.
Excitable, vain, scared, hopeful, bright, closed
What does your character’s soul look like? Be creative.
Howl’s soul is round, with a somber looking face in the middle. The colour is yellow, pink, blue, and red in a checkered type pattern to match the coat he normally wears. It also has a slight amount of fire coming off the edges of it, to represent Calcifer and his heart.