Rachel of Bonisagus is a recently gauntleted maga. She is fascinated with the new science of alchemy, and how new understanding of the physical world might allow for advances in hermetic theory. An orphan, Rachel was saved from an anti-Semitic riot by a flambeau magus and later given into the care of a Jewish magus Bonisagus.
After passing her gauntlet she spent several years travelling, hoping to study the cutting edge of mundane knowledge to complement her understanding of magic. Unfortunately, as a blatantly gifted Jewish woman she had little success being accepted by mundane scholars. Still, she has managed to absorb a great deal of information from those scholars who gave her a chance.
She remains determined to study alchemy and natural philosophy, and has a remarkable natural talent for it, but has realised that she will need allies in the Order of Hermes who share her interests. She is currently looking for a hermetic patron, ideally a member of the Order of the Green Cockerel.
There are two suggested uses for Rachel with a player character alchemist. If the player character is also new to alchemy then Rachel represents an initiate under the same mystagogue who rises through the ranks as they do. Depending on the character and how stories turn out Rachel may prove a close colleague or a bitter rival. Alternatively, if the player character is more advanced in their study then Rachel can be used as a protégé, with the player character helping her to follow in their footsteps.
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +0, Pre +1, Com -1, Str -1, Sta -1, Dex +0, Qik +2
Size: +0
Age: 30 (26)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 1 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Puissant (Magic Lore), Affinity with (Philosophiae), Puissant (Philosophiae), Affinity with (Finesse), Affinity with (Rego), Adept Laboratory Student, Educated, Outsider (Major, Jew), Blatant Gift
Mysteries Known: None
Mystery Ordeal Flaws: None
Personality Traits: Fascinated by Mundane Philosophy +3, Determined +3, Nervous +1
Reputations: Wandering Bonisagus +1 (Hermetic), Jewish Sorceress -3 (Local)*
*The result of her major Outsider and Blatant Gift flaws. Even if she relocates, a reputation like this emerges eventually.
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 2, Latin 5, Hebrew 3, Native Language 5, Arabic 4, Area Lore (The Levant) 2, Philosophiae 6 (8), Magic Theory 5 (7), Finesse 5, Survival 2, Charm 1, Bargain 2, Guile 2, Folk Ken 2, Order of Hermes Lore 1, Code of Hermes 1, Parma Magica 2, Medicine 1, Theology 1, Penetration 1, Concentration 3
Arts: Animal 4, Aquam 3, Auram 6, Corpus 5, Creo 8, Herbam 6, Ignem 4, Imaginem 4, Intellego 5, Mentem 2, Muto 5, Perdo 4, Rego 15, Terram 9, Vim 5
Twilight Scars: None
Spells and Trappings: Rachel has a strong affinity for Rego magic and has specialised in it early. Her favoured form is Terram. Her spell repertoire is mostly conventional.
The Scribe Stone
Her only unique magic is the following item. After several frustrating experiences where her notes were taken from her or lost on her travels, she spent a year at a friendly covenant borrowing a spare laboratory and making her “lucky stone”. This takes the form of a pocket-sized polished granite stone, with the following effects:
Hand of the Unseen Engraver ReTe 26
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Individual
This effect engraves whatever words the activator dictates onto the stone, in letters so small they cannot be read with the naked eye. At first glance they appear to be random scratches or a simple geometric pattern.
If the person dictating concentrates and makes a finesse roll the text can be made neat and accurate so long as they maintain concentration, otherwise it is untidy and prone to occasional errors. Correcting these errors means the text takes twice the usual time to copy, if accuracy is desired. This equates to about 2 pages per day’s work for a low-moderate skill scribe (like Rachel!).
The stone can hold an amount of text equivalent to about ten pages of parchment. The effect can be turned on and off with a command word known only to Rachel.
(Base 3, Voice +2, Concentration +1, Item maintains concentration +5 levels, unlimited uses per day +10 levels)
Unmake the Engraver’s Handiwork ReTe 5
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This effect removes all text, returning the stone to a smooth, polished state. This requires a Per+Finesse roll with ease factor 6, otherwise fragments of the old text remain.
(Base 3, Touch +1, 2 uses per day +1 level)
Rachel’s Scarf
To supplement this, at her request, her parens commissioned an enchanted headscarf from a Verditius magus as a belated gift for passing her gauntlet. It is a lesser item with the following effect.
Reveal the Engraver’s Handiwork InIm 35
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Vision
On whispering a command word the person wearing the item has their vision enhanced to be able to make out tiny details with perfect clarity, for as long as they concentrate. This can be disorientating when not focusing on a single object, so it is designed to be turned on and off as needed.
(Base 3, Touch +1, Concentration +1, Vision +4, Unlimited uses per day +10 levels)
Using the Stone and Scarf
In practice it is quite easy to dictate ten pages of text in a day and fill up the stone. However, it takes Rachel a full 5 days of work to transcribe that text onto paper and proofread it, and 2 days minimum if she rushes through the process. In practice she is very sparing about making notes, inscribing only the most vital information. When she finds the time to transcribe the contents she usually pares this down further to about 6 pages total, which can be hastily transcribed in a single day.
She is not satisfied with the solution and is considering ways to make an improved second version but hasn’t actually done so yet. A skilled mundane assistant to do the transcription for her would probably suffice, but a non-magical solution hasn’t occurred to her.