1183 winter: Blood. Everywhere. The young woman had whimpered a last time before she had stopped moving - forever. The priest made the sign of the cross and closed her eyes. He frowned when the midwife took the baby, a bald girl with big blue eyes, and dabbed her little hands in her mother’s blood. He knew she was a good midwife, but he also knew what people said about Catriona: that she was a witch, performing ancient Celtic rites in the dark of the night. People said that she was of the bear clan, and they lowered their voices when they did that.
“She is mine now”, she said, looking the old man firmly in the eye. “Baptize her on the name of Artia, because I will adopt her into the bear clan. She is my daughter now.”
“But…”
“Don’t argue. Just do it.”
He knew better than to argue. He just swallowed and began.
Year 1187 summer
“Your mother is a monster! Your mother is a monster!”
“No, she isn’t!”
“Yes she is!”
“Isn’t!”
“Is!”
“Isn’t!”
“My mum says so! My mum says that when the moon is full the bear clan people turn into animals and hunt on the heath. And you are a monster, too. I can feel it. You are not like us.”
“These are stories for stupid little boys. Only babies believe everything that their mothers tell them. Do I look like a bear, do I? Och, nonsense. But look there’s old Cedric. Let’s ask him.”
The children run to the old man who comes in their direction whistling at his dogs that flank the sheep. Artia and the boy run up to the old shepherd. Artia snuggles up in his lap, and the old man strokes her head. She starts crying softly against his chest.
“What have you said to upset our little princess?”, he asks the boy.
“My mum says that…”
“Oh, in the name of bloody Christ on his bloody cross. We all know what that sharp-tongued bitter harlot has to say. You’ve made a girl cry. Away with you.”
Year 1188 spring:
Artia caresses the huge she-bear in front of her. She is not afraid. She is old enough now to learn about The Change. She will serve the clan, as a healer and as a protector. She will be a peacemaker, a leader and a judge. She will speak to the Norman noblemen for her clan one day. The bear is talking to her, singing to her. She closes her eyes and embraces the rhythm. It is a song about the hunt, about the fish in the stream and the deer in the meadow. She feels The Change, feels the smells of the grass and hears the beating of nature’s heart. When she opens her eyes again, it is done.
Catriona licks the girl’s face and ruffles her fur before they run off into the forest, to celebrate the event with a fresh kill.
Year 1200:
The knock on the door is ill-timed. The Norman woman was just starting to believe what Artia was telling her about her husband and that busty maid from the kitchen. If she had succeeded, he would have more than enough trouble in his own tower, enough to stop pestering the clan with his constant plans.
A servant comes in, and says: “Artia, wise one, a messenger from the clan is at the gate. He wants to talk to you. He says it’s urgent.”
She apologizes, bows to the lady and follows the servant out.
Artair is waiting at the gate, nervously turning his cap in his hand. She sees at once that the clan smith has been crying. The strong man, who stands nearly two heads taller than her, hesitates, and mumbles: “Catriona. She’s dead.” When she looks at him, unemotionally and questioning, he remembers his male dignity, draws a sharp breath and tells: “One of the warlocks from that continental cult that has been nosing around came to Catriona’s house this morning. Catriona didn’t invite him in. Before long they were shouting and arguing on the porch. Then he shouted something about shapeshifters and when he heard Catriona’s angry reply, he hit the ground with his staff, and it swallowed Catriona. Then the warlock raised her dead body from the ground, paraded it through the village and asked for other members of the bear clan. Of course we didn’t say anything. Artia, you must hide! We will call the priest to give Catriona a decent burial. He pauses for a moment, then he speaks: From the bear I come to call the bear. You are the bear. Serve us and protect us!”
Artia is standing still, her face hard as stone. After Artair has turned to leave, a single tear runs down her face.
A month later:
Cedric the shepherd is happy to see Artia. Too old to be outside, he spends his time at the fire. Artia asks him: “I have observed Catriona’s murderer carefully. I have learned that he is a mighty warlock, a member of a clan of powerful shapeshifters that call themselves Bjornaer. There are many of them and they are strong. Their clan is part of an organization called the Order of Hermes – probably the most powerful organization of wizards that has ever existed. Catriona has warned me to stay away from them. What should I do?”
Cedric laughs his toothless smile: “You have already decided, don’t you know that? To seek revenge for Catriona, you have to make this warlock and his clan pay. To do this, you must seek their knowledge. Join them and destroy this warlock and his house from the inside. Vengeance is a dish best eaten cold.”
1201 years winter, Ungulus:
“Teach me! I am a hedge wizard. I want to join the Order of Hermes.”
Flavius ex Miscellanea looks at the translator, then at the young woman in front of him. Hesitantly, he stretches out his hands and casts a spell on Artia. He is impressed that the pretty woman doesn’t flinch at the open display of magic. His eyes widen when he feels the gift in the dark-haired beauty in front of him. Flavius looks at Artia for what seems like an eternity. Then he nods and says: “I think I’ll start by teaching you to read Latin. You will serve me for 15 years. You will be my slave. You will have no rights. I have no time for teaching you but I will grant you access to books. Kiss the hem of my robe if you agree.”
Artia listens to the translator, then falls to her knees. Flavius can’t see Artia’s smile as she bends her head to kiss the robe.
1215 years Fall:
Some magi murmur derisively when Flavius presents his apprentice, who is much older then the other apprentices. Artia has already passed the private examination and the questions at the public presentation are a mere matter of form.
She answers calmly but is already thinking about the future. She has learned a lot as an apprentice, little from Flavius who was often too busy to teach her, but a lot from the books and scrolls in the library. She has learned about the invisible differences in the order, has noticed the sneering behind her master’s back and has learned some more about her enemies. She knows that the warlock who killed Catriona has been hunted down by the order for breaking the law. She will need more time to prepare her revenge against House Bjornaer. Once before a house was marched – the Diedne. But it wasn’t easy. She will need respect, allies, and a sound knowledge of Hermetic Law to bring them down.
When they ask her to choose a hermetic name, she chooses a Greek one: Morphiste, the lady of change. Changed she has, and change she will bring.
the next morning, at Tribunal
Morphiste looks into the silver mirror, once more appreciating the comfort of Blackthorn’s guest quarters. Shouldn’t a maga look different than an apprentice? Older, wiser perhaps? Deep in thought, she weighs her breasts in her hands – they seem less firm than she remembers. Have they already started shifting down the ribcage? “I’m getting old”, she realizes, “so much to do, and so little time.” There is a long list of things to do: fulfil her obligation to her clan, by watching over them, and training a successor – the line must not end. Rising to a position in the Order that allows her to make them pay, pay for Catriona…
She gasps, surprised, when she feels a hand touching her shoulder, and quickly lets her hands fall to her sides. A look in the mirror tells her that it is Flavius. She blushes, and is angry with herself for blushing.
“The time will come when it will disgust you to look in the mirror. Ovid.“ He smiles. “You are free now. But I want to offer you a deal. I will make you a longevity ritual – and you will promise me to stay at Ungulus for at least 15 years. You need Ungulus and Ungulus needs you.”
Morphiste turns to look him in the eye. The deal is generous enough.
“There are a few details to talk about, but your proposal is quite fascinating, amicus,” she replies.
1218, fall:
The tracks of the lynx lead right into the cave, and dark opening smelled of lynx. Morphiste’s snout twitches and her fur bristles. Of course it is a trap.
She thinks of Catriona and leaps into the dark unknown, only to be greeted by a searing explosion that burns her fur. Roaring with pain she lands near the lynx and sinks her teeth into his back, shaking him till she feels his spine break.
When the other hunters arrive some minutes later, they find Morphiste, badly burned but alive next to the bloody remains of Lynx ex Bjornaer.
“The March has ended, Lynx ex Bjornaer is no more. Justice has been done”, she announces. One down, she thinks with grim satisfaction.
1234, fall:
“Mum?”
“Yes, Arcadia, my little one?”
“I like you best when you are a cat. Cats are so cuddly.”
“It is not the shape that makes a person. Look at people’s hearts, not their forms.”
“Mum?”
“Yes?”
“Can you teach me to become a bear cub?”
“I will, when we get back to the clan’s lands, you will be old enough.”
Morphiste smiles quietly as the little girl puts her little arms around her neck. She had known for a long time, that one day, she’d have to train her successor, but she’d never thought how much joy it would bring her to see her foster-daughter Arcadia grow.
1235, fall: Sitting outside on the porch, enjoying the last warmth of a long autumn evening, Morphiste and Arcadia are discussing tribunal politics and their impact on Ungulus. Suddenly, Arcadia throws back her head and starts roaring with laughter. Seeing her, Morphiste can’t help but start giggling like a little girl. They look at each other, grin, then burst out laughing again. Espera ex Merinita comes out of her sanctum warily. The dour fairie hunter’s silver bell laughter joins the others. Grinning like schoolgirls that are up to no good, the magi look at each other in surprise, just before they are shaken by another fit of hilarity. Morphiste, holding her sides, catches her breath and says: “What’s going on?”
A few minutes later, the urge passes and the magi start investigating what hit them. They find out that all of Ungulus was affected, and that the spell seems to have emerged from Flavius’ sanctum.
When Flavius doesn’t respond to their knocking, they decide to force the door. The air inside is saturated with mentem magic – but Flavius is nowhere to be seen. Morphiste glances at his lab notes: It seems he was in the middle of inventing a mentem spell. Espera casts a spell, then turns to the others: “A twilight has happened here. Looks like Flavius experiments somehow went wrong., careless fool that he is.”
Morphiste looks at the reading stand, the lab notes gently swaying in the breeze. She hopes all the best for her parens – wherever he is now. She thinks back to her apprenticeship, her gauntlet, how they went to Tribunal together. She smiles when she remembers how they had beaten that Tytalus that had been disrupting Ungulus’ business, how Flavius had saved her life in the final battle. She thinks of their game of chess, half-finished in the council chamber. She shivers in the cold night wind as she realizes that it wasn’t Ungulus who held her in England, but Flavius. She makes a decision: If Flavius doesn’t come back, she will consider Annaeus’ invitation and return home, to Scotland.
Summer 1238:
An intruder!
Morphiste drops her book and dives for cover behind the lab table. Halfway through the air she starts taking bear shape. Glass is breaking as the table skids over the warm stone floor. Her heart races. How can anyone have come to my sanctum carved into the rock, protected by a narrow labyrinth partly below the sea? A powerful opponent for sure!
She raises her snout and sucks in the air. There, above the smell of the rock and the sea, there is another smell. Lunch? Poultry? Some bird!
Morphiste raises her large head and looks at the intruder. It’s a cormorant perching out of reach on an rocky outcrop just below the ceiling. It seems to laugh at her. Suddenly she realizes that she has found a friend.
1244, fall:
The lab is empty without Arcadia. She is still proud of her filia’s passing her gauntlet at such a young age. Arcadia, gone to the bear clan, to relieve her of her duties towards the clan. New horizons to discover, old grudges to wam. Feeling a new energy, she takes bird shape. Together with Cormorant she rises high into the sky, seeking new adventures.
- Perceive the Change InCo15 (see GotF, p. 96; Final level: 19)
- Change Ring MuTe5 (B4, R: P, D: +1 Conc, T: Ind.; +10 unlimited uses, +3 linked trigger, +5 maintains concentration: Final level: 23)
- Subtle packing: Changes dead possessions (An, Aq, Co, He, Te, Vi) into a tiny little silver ring interlinked with the earring. MuHe15 (An,Aq,Co,Te,Vi), (base 4, R: +1 Touch, D: +1 Conc, T: Group, freeReq: An, Aq, Co, He, Te, Vi, +1 interlinked ring/complexity; +10 unlimited uses, +3 linked trigger, +5 maintains concentration, Final level: 33)
She also opens it for terram+1 and intellego+She also opens it for transform self +4: Morphiste returns to Ungulus and puts another 15 pawns of vis into her talisman (total: 21). She also opens it for passion+2 Morphiste spends all year installing the effect “Subtle Packing” into her talisman. She opens it for moving herself +2, protecting herself +4, damaging infernal creatures +5 and warding away supernatural+5; [4x 2xp exposure: Magic Theory 3(18)]
Cavebuilder PeTe 10 (B: 4, +1 Touch, +1 Part)
Makes one cubic pace of stone or dirt diappear. Morphiste will cast this spell thousands of times to build her lab inside Ailsa Craig.
Agate of the Chamber of Spring Breezes [B1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 unnatural, +1 2/day, +1 environmental trigger, final level: 9]
This stone permanently makes the air in Morphiste’s sanctum breathable even though there is no connection to the outside
Morphiste filia Flavius ex Misc in 1245 (beginning of winter):
Morphiste ex Miscellanea (at Gauntlet)
Short history:
Virtues/Flaws (house virtues and flaws in brackets)
(3 restriction: cannot cast spells on non-magical animals, including Bjornaer in Heartbeast form, at all, except on himself)
3 Driven (sabotage house Bjornaer)
1 busybody
3 dark secret: plans to destroy House Bjornaer
1 Hedge Wizard (Note: reduced to lvl 1 by many deeds)
1 Unimaginative Learner
1 Ability block: Martial abilities
( 3 shapechanger)
(1 affinity with muto)
1 puissant shapeshifting
1 bound tongue (see HoH: MC, Bjornaer)
1 subtle magic
3 life-linked spontaneous magic
1 Pack Leader
1 improved characteristics
1 book learner
1 Venus blessing
Acquired virtue: hermetic prestige
Int 2 Pe 0
Pr 1 Com 2
Sta 2 Str 0
Quk 0 Dex 0
Reputation:
Hedge Wizard 1
Maga in Good Standing 3
Skills (alphabetical): Animal Handling (sea birds) 2, Area Lore Scottish Islands (animals) 3, Artes Liberales (Ceremonial Casting) 2(3), Awareness (alertness) 2, Carouse (staying sober) 2, Charm (old men) 3, Chirurgy (binding wounds) 1, Code of Hermes (Wizard’s Marches) 3, Concentration (shapechanging) 3, Etiquette (gifts) 3, Guile (shapeshifting) 3, Intrigue (nobility) 4, Latin (Hermetic) 4, Leadership (political) 2(5), Magic Theory (Me) 5(21), Medicine (physcician) 1, Native Language Gaelic (telling stories) 5, Order of Hermes Lore (House Bjornaer) 4, Parma (Mentem) 5, Philosophy (Ceremonial Casting) 1, Profession Scribe (diligent) 1, Teaching 2(14), Shapechange (bear) 4+2 (Bear, dolphin, falcon, cat, horse, cormorant)
683xp
Arts:
Cr 9(2), In 10, Mu 18, Pe 6, Re 6, An 6, Aq 6, Au 6, Co 9, He 6, Ig 6, Im 6, Me 13, Te 6, Vi 10
536xp arts
Spells:
Enchantment of detachment (PeMe15)
Loss of but a moment’s memory (PeMe15)
Invention of but a moment’s memory (CrMe15; B4; +1 eye, +2 day; works best if target talks about Memory during duration, so he or she has a non-magical memory of talking about it)
Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe20)
Doublet of Impenetrable linen (MuHe20, cf. Doublet of Impenetrable Silk MuAn20)
Disguise of the new visage (MuCo15)
The call to Slumber (ReMe10)
Wizard’s Sidestep (MuIm10)
Cavebuilder PeTe 10 (B: 4, +1 Touch, +1 Part); Mastery 1: multiple casting
Makes one cubic pace of stone or dirt diappear.
Age: 60 (27 past gauntlet), looks like 35
Magic items (with lab texts):
O Agate of the Chamber of Spring Breezes [B1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 unnatural, +1 2/day, +1 environmental trigger, final level: 9]
This stone permanently makes the air in Morphiste’s sanctum breathable even though there is no connection to the outside
O Talisman (opened with 21 pawns of vis)
- Perceive the Change InCo15 (see GotF, p. 96; Final level: 19)
- Change Ring MuTe5 (B4, R: P, D: +1 Conc, T: Ind.; +10 unlimited uses, +3 linked trigger, +5 maintains concentration: Final level: 23)
Changes the ring so it is usable in all her shapes
- Subtle packing: Changes dead possessions (An, Aq, Co, He, Te, Vi) into a tiny little silver ring interlinked with the earring. MuHe15 (An,Aq,Co,Te,Vi), (base 4, R: +1 Touch, D: +1 Conc, T: Group, freeReq: An, Aq, Co, He, Te, Vi, +1 interlinked ring/complexity; +10 unlimited uses, +3 linked trigger, +5 maintains concentration, Final level: 33)
Opened for terram+1, intellego+2, transform self +4, passion+2, moving herself +2, protecting herself +4, damaging infernal creatures +5, and warding away supernatural+5
Morphiste’s lab
A steep cliff hangs over the sea. About 7 paces below the waterline, there is a narrow entrance to an artificial cave, just inside the aegis.
There is a labyrinth of narrow tunnels inside that can only be mastered by someone with both the ability to fly and to dive.
Morphiste’s sanctum is a large hexagonal room, and has a large stone ring on the floor for circle spells. Since there is no contact to the outside air (the only entrance is under water), the air has to be kept fresh by a minor magic item (an agate). There is a second room for sleeping nearby.
Minor structure virtues:
Auspicious shape: +1 Aesthetics, +1 Vim
Spacious: +2 safety, +1 Aesthetics
Well Insulated: +1 safety, +1 Aesthetics
Free structure virtues:
Superior construction: +1 Safety, +1 Aesthetics
Free structure flaws:
Disguised: -1 Aesthetics
Subterranean: +1 Upkeep, -1 Health, -1 Aesthetics, +1 Terram)
Minor supernatural flaw/virtue:
Labyrinth (modified): -2 Aesthetics, +2 Vim, (-1 Safety, -1 health for other users only)
Highly organized: +1 General Quality
Spotless: +1 health, +1 Aesthetics, +1 Creo
Magical lightning: +1 Texts, +1 Aesthetics, +1 Im
Magical heating: +1 Health, +1 Aesthetics, +1 Ig
Ring of white-hot fire: -1 safety, +2 ignem
Total:
Aesthetics: +3
Safety: +2
General: +1
Health: +1
Vim: +3
Ignem: +3
Creo +1
Terram +1
Texts +1
shapes and Cormorant are still missing, but feel free to post the character - bears are well documented anyway (fighting shape), and the others are less likely to be "combat shapes" anyway. As for the Familiar, I think it can wait till my next spress of creativity (and be added to the wikidot page later).