Titian Qin is the second Head Gamemaker for the Hunger Games.
Titian on the outside
Early Life[]
Titian was born in the year of the 14th Hunger Games. At a young age, he developed an obsession with the Games and with any other form of extreme entertainment. Since he was born into a wealthy, well-connected family, he was able to move into the entertainment industry as soon as he reached adulthood. His zeal and unrestrained passion for spectacle and violence quickly garnered him a favorable reputation in the fast-paced, ratings-driven world of television.
When Hunger Games Interviewer Seutonius Cathode retired, Titian was offered the job. He politely turned it down, knowing that the interviewer had little influence on the actual Games. However, this nomination later served as his biggest bargaining chip in his bid for Head Gamemaker Exsequia Exil's job when she retired shortly after the 34th Hunger Games, since she knew a gamemaker's lifespan was limited and she didn't want to overstay her welcome. Titian leaped at that opportunity and campaigned tooth and nail for the job, winning it with the help of various high-ranked advocates.
Titian on the inside
Head Gamemaker[]
Titian's career started with a big bang when President Galba announced she wanted a very unique Games the year he started. When he heard Galba's wish that the Games represent her merciful side, he suggested the brilliant idea of a Resurrection Games featuring previously killed Tributes. His idea was accepted and the resulting Games was the most well-received in Panem history, immediately catapulting Titian to stardom and to formidable political power and prestige.
Patriot Games[]
After the first Resurrection Games, Titian's career settled back into well-received but largely conventional Games. The Patriot Games were not his idea, but he threw himself wholeheartedly into their execution, loving the increased participation he enjoyed. When Titian had the opportunity to personally execute Lyte Anderson for refusal to participate in a test, he rediscovered his love for violence and unleashed a thirst for direct involvement in the Games that has been with him ever since. Though he dutifully carries out his role as Head Gamemaker, Titian is always looking for a chance to insert himself into the action, culminating in The Survivor Games.
Survivor Games[]
The Survivor Games were purely the brainchild of Titian's obsession with pre-Dark Days elimination-based reality TV and his unrepentant desire to be there himself. He first brought the idea to Snow's attention with the thought that it would never be accepted. Snow was preoccupied with a dozen more important matters and gave Titian permission with the thought that he would simply execute him if it failed. Titian knew the risk, but he didn't get to be Head Gamemaker without a high tolerance for risk. The Survivor Games have been a dream come true for him, a dream interrupted only when recalcitrant Tributes refuse to provide the drama and arguments he craves.
Personality[]
Titian possesses a frenetic, nearly manic personality. He requires constant stimulation and is is easily bored. He has a natural gift for creating spectacles and a preternatural sense of which connections are necessary to stabilize his career. His innate energy suffuses his projects, making it easy for him to be successful in the emotional world of television.
Though Titian never displayed sadistic tendencies as a child, murdering Lyte unleashed a dark desire in him, and he has been fascinated with violence and with the thought of perpetrating it ever since. He has a limited understanding of the permanence of death, thinking of it more like the eliminations in his beloved reality shows. His shallow personality and shameless selfishness and obsession with attention make it impossible for him to form long-term relationships, further damaging his ability to relate to others and appreciate their value.
Interests and Factoids[]
- Favorite Television Show: Survivor
- Second Favorite Television Show: Fear Factor (don't give him any ideas)
- Favorite Movie: The Running Man
- Favorite Book: The Lottery
- Favorite Tribute: Generally, Titian doesn't have favorites, since he likes watching people die too much. This year, however, he has a least favorite: Rahina, whom he dearly hopes dies horribly.
Trivia[]
- Titian's love of Pre-Dark Days television came about in part because his father was something of a Luddite and insisted that only old television was good. He only bought the Oldies channel, giving Titian access to little but 90s-era visual media.
- Titian's name is pronounced "TIH-shen". He is used to people assuming it is a quirky misspelling of "Titan", but it is, in fact, a different name entirely. He is named after his mother's favorite painter, Tiziano Vicelli, known in English as Titian.