[ Eladrin ] [ Aestetica | Paragons | Court of Stars ]
Picoperi
Merrygleam, the Eternal Trickster, the Lord of Surprises (planar lyrakien eladrin empyreal lord [he/him] / CG)
Portfolio: Jokes, pranks, surprises
Realm: Arborea / Arvandor / The Kapok Tree [wandering]
Picoperi is the eternal trickster of Arborea. If you’ve ever laughed at a well-timed slapstick accident, found luck in a moment of danger, or seen a tyrant tripped up by their own pride, odds are Picoperi was hiding somewhere nearby, grinning from ear to ear.
Merrygleam is the living spirit of laughter, the patron of mischief-makers, and the spark behind harmless ruses that bring joy or insight. He teaches that the multiverse is too grim to endure without a little levity, and that even the most innocent joke can lift the weary—or topple the proud. He delights in the unexpected, and finds wonder in every twist of fate. His followers believe that surprise is the spice of life and experience joy from embracing the unknown. Picoperi’s pranks aren’t just for fun though, cutter—they’re weapons against cruelty and tyranny. He loves nothing more than seeing a fiend skewered by their own hubris, and his laughter is sharpest when aimed at evil’s expense.
Picoperi is a master of disguises, but his favourite form is that of a young elven lad with brown skin, curly black hair, and a perpetual glint of mischief in his eyes. He’s rarely seen without his bright green and yellow woollen vest, adorned with images of llamas, snakes, and tree frogs—his personal mascots of mirth and mischief. In any form, he keeps those colours close, whether as the skin of his pet frog, or the binding of a book. His laughter is infectious, and his presence feels like the moment a punchline lands.
This diminutive eladrin lord embodies pure whimsy—he’s restless, unpredictable, and always in search of the next laugh. He’s the sort of friend who’ll slip a frog in your boot, then help you back up when you stumble. He’s generous with his joy mind, sharing it with mortals and celestials alike, but he’s also an unassumingly cunning foe of fiends. He despises cruelty and takes special delight in humbling the arrogant and exposing the ridiculousness of evil. If pushed into battle, he prefers ambushes, traps, and clever tricks, wielding darts that cause laughter and euphoria rather than harm.
For Picoperi, goodness is found in joy, surprise, and the courage to laugh in the face of darkness. He teaches that laughter is a weapon against despair and that cleverness can outwit even the darkest fiends. His followers are encouraged to pull pranks that teach, to use humour to challenge injustice, and to never let evil have the last word. He’s beloved by halflings, children, inventors, bards, and anyone who finds joy in the unexpected. His worshippers include alchemists who let his surprises guide their hands, travellers who trust in luck, and pranksters who see laughter as sacred. In the Court of Stars, Picoperi is a bit of a wild card. He’s the cutter who keeps the other empyreal lords from growing too stuffy and self-important. Even the most serious knights of the post know to watch their backs (and their boots) when Picoperi’s about. There’s a tale that even Urxehl, the always-angry tanar’ri lord of storms, once smiled at a joke of Picoperi—and has been trying to squash the trickster ever since.
The Kapok Tree
Shrines to the Merrygleam are rare—often hidden in jungle groves or carved into kapok trees, like his own home in Arborea. Outside, it’s a nondescript kapok tree, and it seems to wander across the plane at Picoperi (or perhaps it’s own) whim. A careful examination will reveal an unassuming hollow in the trunk. Inside though, there’s a veritable labyrinth of cosy rooms, far larger than the tree’s size would suggest. They’re filled with comfortable hammocks, glittering trinkets that Picoperi has ‘accidentally liberated’, and plenty of secret passageways and traps for the next surprise. The Kapok Tree is a haven for laughter, invention, and practical jokes. Visitors never quite know what they’ll find—one day a feast, the next a room full of bouncing frogs. Chant goes that Picoperi will make sure no one leaves without a smile, or at least a story to tell.
Source: Chronicle of the Righteous [PF1e] p20; Firebrands [PF2e] p66; Jon Winter-Holt