Malt Haeni

· Pierrot — Southeast region

· Columbina — South region

We know that Pierrot's favorite sweet is brigadeiro. According to the internet, they first appeared in 1946. This implies that at that time, they had not yet left Brazil.

Monsters are long-lived — this is a known fact for us. Judging by biology, species that live long usually mature slowly. But since their exact lifespan is unknown, it's difficult to determine how slow this process might be. I think they could have been born around 1880–1900.

At that time, Brazil was experiencing the decline of the empire and the birth of the republic: slavery was abolished in 1888, and the monarchy fell in 1889. This was an era of the coffee boom in the southeast, mass influx of European immigrants, and severe droughts in the northeast (the Great Drought of 1877–1879), which drove people deeper into the country.

Given that they most likely lived far from cities and hadn't yet begun moving around actively, here are their probable "hometowns":

1. Jester — northern part of the province of Mato Grosso (Central-West region, closer to the north)

This is a region of arid savannas and swampy plains. At that time, there were practically no large cities — only rare missions and forts. Life here was extremely wild. Getting injured in a clash with indigenous people or from a wild animal was commonplace.

2. Ticket taker — Pernambuco or Bahia (Northeast region)

This is the heart of the sugar industry. Even if he lived far from cities, he most likely grew up near an engenho (sugar plantation with a mill). This region had long been a "hot spot" — uprisings occurred here even before the characters' supposed birth, and the abolition of slavery in 1888 created chaos and violence. Life was unsafe and filled with brutal events.

3. Doctor — Pará (mouth of the Amazon) (North region)

His homeland could have been Belém or surrounding settlements. At that time, it was the main port on the Amazon, surrounded by impenetrable jungles. It was here that tropical diseases (malaria, yellow fever) were widespread, and local healers possessed unique knowledge of poisons and medicines from the jungle. If Doctor witnessed something like this in his childhood, his draw to medicine might be even stronger than a simple hobby.

4. Harlequin — southern Goiás or northern Minas Gerais (Central-West region, closer to the southeast)

This is an area of the "gold cycle". By the end of the 19th century, the gold had nearly run out, leaving behind many abandoned villages and mines. Harlequin is perhaps a child of the "gold rush" and the poverty that followed. His surroundings — ruins of baroque churches and impoverished prospectors.

5. Pierrot — São Paulo or southern Minas Gerais (Southeast region)

These are the cold, forested mountains (Serra do Mar). In the late 19th century, coffee culture was actively developing here, attracting thousands of immigrants. Life was harsh (cold nights, dense forests), and the population was withdrawn. People from these parts were considered gloomy and taciturn.

6. Columbina — Santa Catarina or Rio Grande do Sul (the pampas) (South region)

This is a region of gaucho cattle herders. At that time, southern Brazil was a "wild west" — wars with the Spanish and local tribes took place here, and later civil conflicts (for example, the Federalist Revolution of 1893–1895). The damp climate and constant migrations could well explain her weak health and frequent illnesses in childhood. Rheumatism and pulmonary diseases were especially common.

Later, as we know, the members began to move more actively and eventually encountered each other. The characters' meetings suggest that they traveled along the "Gold Route" and cattle trails.

✶Pierrot and Harlequin — They could have met in Minas Gerais. Pierrot came from the mountains (São Paulo) in search of a better life (or fleeing cruelty), while Harlequin was descending from the exhausted gold mines. The meeting could have happened on the road leading to Rio de Janeiro — not in the city itself, but on its outskirts. For those hiding from people, this was an ideal place for a chance encounter: dense forests, abandoned trails, and many who traveled at night.

✶Jester and Doctor — Most likely, Jester (from Mato Grosso) moved north or northeast, fleeing danger and escaping from a colony he had ended up in (AMA2 part 15 2/2). Doctor (from Belém) could have sailed down the Amazon or moved toward the center of the country in search of medicines. It is quite likely that they met at the border between jungle and savanna. The fact that Doctor nursed Jester back to health may point to a very close connection that we have yet to see in the future.

And, returning to the mention of a colony... In 19th-century Brazil, there were several types of places of forced isolation:

leper colonies — mainly in port cities (Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco)

psychiatric hospitals — the first appeared in Rio in 1852

penal colonies — for example, on the island of Fernando de Noronha off the northeastern coast

quilombos (settlements of escaped slaves) — most often in the northeast (Bahia, Pernambuco)

All of these institutions were located on or near the coast. Official authority barely reached Mato Grosso, where Jester possibly grew up. But that's precisely the point: in such a remote area, almost anyone could create a "colony" as they saw fit. No laws, no inspections — just a gun, a few subordinates, and the superstitious fear of neighbors.

Remember the Nazi concentration camps of the Second World War? Keep them in mind when thinking about Jester's past, because I am certain — since his stay in that "colony" did not end well for him... Well, you can imagine what was done to monsters and the like there.

✶Columbina and Ticket taker — If Columbina was often ill, her path may have led northeast (to Bahia or Pernambuco) — to "the waters" or to healers, as it was believed that a warmer, drier climate cured "chest diseases". Ticket taker, on the contrary, may have fled uprisings and economic crisis southward. Their meeting could have occurred in the center of the country (possibly in Bahia).

We should not forget the context of that era. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, child mortality in Brazil was appalling. Many children died from gastroenteritis due to coarse food (cassava porridge or beans) and poor sanitation.

If Columbina survived despite her weak health — it is a miracle. Monsters are not susceptible to many human diseases, but as we know, poor nutrition is quite harmful for them.

If Jester survived severe injuries without proper antibiotics — then Doctor is either a genius healer or used barbaric methods (cauterizing wounds with hot iron was common practice). It is quite likely that Jester's body still bears traces of injuries sustained in childhood.

Also, do not forget the lack of infrastructure. There were almost no roads, so traveling across Brazil took months. All the circus characters are essentially wanderers by force, driven only by what they were born as. Pierrot mentioned that he and his parents moved often "when something happened". But even if they are monsters, that does not mean such moves came easily. The fact that all of them met and went together suggests that the world of their homelands was too cruel to stay there — and certainly too cruel to continue the journey alone.