Cynis Hurkon
Aspect: Wood Statistics: Appearance ●, Performance ●●●●, Breeding ●●●, Connections: House Cynis ●●●● (Cynis Shungado, ?), Connections: House Sesus ●, Connections: House Cathak ●, Connections: House Tepet ●● (Tepet Jozan, ?), Connections: House V'neef ●, Connections: Heptagram ●●, Connections: The West ●, Henchmen ●●●●●, Influence ●●●, Resources ●●●●●, Retainers ●●●●●, ?
Cynis Barat Hurkon is a Wood aspected Dynast of House Cynis, posessing significant influence in the Imperial City. A son of Cynis Falen and grandson of Cynis Wisel, Hurkon has headed the Barat household (within the House's Belar branch) since the passing of his wife Cynis Barat some years ago. With the household having produced several children including the Exalts Cynis Seijika, Cynis Kitara and Cynis Dythora, Hurkon has so far felt no need to remarry.
Hurkon is the de facto head of the Imperial City's Red Lantern District, from his home and most luxurious brothel the House of Ten thousand Ecstatic Moments, though he also has controlling interests in several other pleasure houses and slave markets. Hurkon is known for his ability to match clients with the most exotic of lovers, and for his discretion in arranging such encounters: costs in Jade are significant of course, but are the lesser part of the exchange: the favours owed for such service seem to bear him dividends far in excess of the extremely-significant rewards he might gain by loosing gossip.
For a man whose business is pleasure, Hurkon himself is not a pleasant sight to behold, prominent yellowed teeth and narrow features leading long ago to the derogatory nickname 'the Rat Whore'. Even those who owe Hurkon much will insult him so outside his presence, perhaps in resentment of the power he holds over them by keeping the secrets of their liaisons, even if he has never yet broken their confidence.
To carry out his work, Hurkon pursues close associations with many artists and many Sorcerers, and is thought to be versed in summoning spells himself. As to his status as an artist, some would dispute the validity of the brothel as a canvas but few could dispute Hurkon's mastery of stagecraft and choreography: in addition to the careful arrangements the Rat Whore makes for more specialized requests, the popular Romance of the Five Seasons follows his script, and the House of Kei is said to base its work on a single phrase of advice to its Patrician founders.
