Arlecchino

Arlecchino was born Peruere, a descendant of the Crimson Moon Dynasty who was raised within the House of the Hearth under Crucabena, the previous Knave. Crucabena presented herself as the children’s “Mother,” but deliberately forced them to compete against one another until only the strongest remained. Peruere’s closest companion was Crucabena’s biological daughter, Clervie, and the two planned to escape the House together. Their attempt ended with Clervie facing Peruere in combat, leaving Peruere to carry the consequences of their final confrontation. A year later, Peruere challenged Crucabena herself and killed her. She was subsequently brought before the Tsaritsa, received the name Arlecchino, became the Fourth of the Fatui Harbingers, and took control of the House of the Hearth under the title “Father.”

Arlecchino later traveled to Fontaine while the nation faced the prophecy that its people would be dissolved by rising Primordial Seawater. Although obtaining the Hydro Gnosis remained part of her Fatui mission, she also committed the House of the Hearth to protecting Fontaine. Suspicious of Furina’s apparent inaction, Arlecchino followed her through the Court of Fontaine and ambushed her at night, intending to seize the Gnosis. She stopped after discovering that Furina did not possess it and sensing something unusual about her condition. Arlecchino later confronted Furina directly over the prophecy during a formal meeting, pressing her for evidence that Fontaine had any real plan to survive. Despite her severe judgment of Furina at the time, Arlecchino provided supplies and manpower during the crisis, and after Fontaine survived she delivered the Hydro Gnosis to the Tsaritsa before returning to Fontaine with further proposals for its recovery.

Arlecchino’s affairs eventually drew her to Nod-Krai, where the mysteries surrounding her Crimson Moon blood became directly entangled with the activities of Columbina, Sandrone, and Dottore. She assisted Columbina in recovering her lost power while the conflict surrounding the Moon Marrows escalated. Arlecchino and Sandrone, both deeply suspicious of Dottore, investigated his unusually secretive activity and attempted to disrupt his plans. Arlecchino convinced the Tsaritsa to order Dottore back to Snezhnaya, but he secretly remained in Nod-Krai and continued his experiments. Arlecchino and Sandrone later advanced on his northern laboratory, where Dottore’s schemes involving the Moon Marrows brought the Harbingers into direct conflict. Arlecchino continued fighting beside Columbina and their allies as the confrontation escalated, bringing the legacy of the Crimson Moon and her own origins into the center of the struggle.

Appearance: Arlecchino is tall. She has pale skin, obsidian eyes with glowing red 'X' markings, black mascara on her eyelashes, and silver eight-pointed star earrings. Arlecchino has white hair with black tips, with the right side being longer than the left. Her hair is then styled into a low ponytail with asymmetrical bangs that loosely resemble a single wing that goes down her back. Her ponytail has a red strand of hair in it. Her hair clip also bears the image of a single wing. Arlecchino has blackened hands with crimson nail polish on her sharpened nails.

Arlecchino's outfit consists of a "X"-shaped white-greyish overcoat that has long tails with a red lining, a fitted grey shirt with asymmetric tails in the front, a short white tie bearing the symbol of the Fatui in red and black, sleeves with short red-edged black ruffles, and black fitted leggings with red ruffles that out just above the ankles . The skin of her hands and forearms is blackened due to her curse, with long fingernails painted red, and she wears several rings. She wears stiletto heels with a gray tone and reddish details and white "+"-shaped earrings. Her Pyro Vision is attached to the back of her overcoat at the nape of her neck.

Personality: Arlecchino is controlled, severe, and highly perceptive, with little patience for incompetence or manipulation. She runs the House of the Hearth very differently from Crucabena, treating Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet as children under her protection even while preparing them for dangerous Fatui work. Clervie remains the deepest connection to her past, while Crucabena represents everything Arlecchino refuses to become. Her relationship with Furina began with intense suspicion during Fontaine’s crisis, but after the truth behind Furina’s role became clear, Arlecchino’s attitude toward her softened considerably.

Among the Harbingers, Sandrone is one of the few people Arlecchino genuinely trusts and works with comfortably, while Columbina is treated with an unusual degree of familiarity and patience. Dottore earns the opposite response; Arlecchino distrusts his methods and has directly worked against his plans. She also remembers La Signora with more warmth than most, recalling both her difficult pride and the quieter kindness she showed toward the children of the House. Her loyalty to the Tsaritsa is real, but Arlecchino still exercises her own judgment rather than obeying without question.

Combat Overview: Arlecchino is an exceptionally fast and precise polearm fighter who combines close-range weapon skill with destructive Pyro power. She can coat her strikes in crimson flame, close distance with sudden bursts of speed, and mark opponents with Blood-Debt, allowing her to draw power from those marks and intensify subsequent attacks. Her fighting style is controlled and predatory rather than reckless, with rapid thrusts and sweeping attacks used to keep an opponent under constant pressure.

Her curse allows her to manifest far more unnatural abilities when she stops holding back. Crimson-black flames spread across her body, while spectral wings and blood-red weapon constructs can appear around her. She can move with enough speed to seem to vanish between attacks and unleash broad waves of fire capable of overwhelming several opponents at once. Her signature weapon, Crimson Moon’s Semblance, takes the form of a polearm that can assume a scythe-like appearance when wielded through her power, matching the brutal efficiency of her close-combat style.