Akakios, the Boatman, is a faerie rather than a magus. He is known, however, among the magi community as a good source of vis, mystical oddities, and stories. The trades he makes are strange, and he seems somehow aware of his faerie status more than most. He has, perhaps accidentally, insinuated his story into the lives of a number of different magi, in a number of different Tribunals, in a fashion that means attacking him would easily be considered 'depriving a magus of his magical resources' for a large number of older and powerful magi. Magical items traded to Akakios have been known to be sold years later with different or enhanced abilities of faerie origin.
Akakios can only appear in water-born locations, usually a decrepit dock long left to waste, though he can make bargains to show up in other locations. Generally, he appears in Autumn, in a heavy fog. A lantern approaches over the water, the sound of an old gondola boat being poled through the water. His gondola boat appears almost rotting, and piled with decrepit crates and bags. Still, everything he produces appears to be in fine condition. An ancient water-damaged wooden rod is used to pole his way up to the docks where he stops.
Akakios himself seems to be made of rags and sticks, wrapped in decaying cloaks and robes, looking reminiscent of a classical Charon. In place of a head, he appears to have an ancient, tarnished brass lantern with a willowisp trapped inside it.
Akakios tends to do business in the Mediterranean Sea, often with Theban magi. His story, however has lead him to visit other places - More than once he has visited a previous customer when the maga travels to a new tribunal, and met their Covenant to acquire more patrons. He has travelled as far as the Hibernian and Rhine Tribunals, though most of his customers are in the Thebes, Roman and Provencal Tribunals. He speaks an ancient and poetic form of Classical Greek, but whenever he meets a new customer, he offers them a 'gift' of an ancient coin, the accepting of which allows them to speak to him. This coin is technically a single pawn of Rego vis, though spending it will cause him to refuse service.
