Grog 46 : Lady Sybile, the cursed Noblewoman
Age: 30
Story:
There are many stories in the East of France of a mill that was haunted, where no man could spend the night without dying. This one is such story.
The lord of a small village had a mill, but the miller died eaten by bears/wolves, and every time a new miller would move in, they would be killed and eaten, along with their families. Offering to any man who could live a month in the mill to become the new miller free of tax, many tried their chance and died. Until a brave woodsman spent the night with his axe on hand. When the first animal tried to come through he swung it as hard as he could and cut off the paw of the bear/wolf as it came through. No further disturbance occurs that night. The next day, the woodsman went to the lord's manor to present the trophy and instead he found the household in upheaval, for the lady of the manor had lost her left hand. Worse still, the colour of the fur on the freshly cut paw matched perfectly the hair of the lady. Faced with such proof, she was ousted from the demesne, riding as hard as she could with nothing but her clothes on her back.
Leaving her three daughters behind was a terrible shock for Lady Sybile, but at least her lycanthropy had been cured. Her family had been cursed many generations ago and once in a while, a woman in her family would suffer from lycanthropy turning into a bear/wolf. Instead, through her ordeal, she had gained control of her powers, and by placing the now dried paw on her stump, she can turn into her bear/wolf form. She survived as a beats in the woods for weeks until she managed to return to her father's manor. While she was not immediately turned away, the news of her curse had reached her home as well. She was only fed and clothed long enough to be bundled away by her aging father's new confessor, a confessor who had grown up in a Covenant in the Provencal tribunal. She was brought to the nearest Covenant but her haughty bearing quickly irked the local magus, who instead bundled her off to the party's Covenant as a way off riding themselves of her, without angering her family.
Appearance:
Sybile stands tall and upright, she has perfected her manners through years of interactions with local nobles. She is charming and her wit and intellect is easy to sense from even a short conversation.
She has a thin jaw and fine traits that mark her as one well bred. She still follows the fashion of her youths and preferes greens for her dresses, which she periodically receives fabric for from her family. Her light brown eyes while fully human still carry a sense of wilderness and danger, often darting around looking for a prey. Her hair is a mid brown, much akin to that of local bears/wolves, though the first streak of grey is appearing at the nape of her neck. She forms her two braids into buns around her ears and wears tall conical hats.
Why are they in the covenant?
Unable to return home to her family, despite having ruled her household for years, she is caught between two worlds. She is a fine diplomat and has educated her daughters, giving her experience as a teacher. She is a leader, expecting to be obeyed and most comfortable interacting with her peers, as years of politiquing with and against her fellow nobles has given her a sense of how to play them.
Stats:
| Attribute | Score |
|---|---|
| Str | -1 |
| Sta | 1 |
| Dex | 0 |
| Qik | 1 |
| Com | 1 |
| Pre | 2 |
| Int | 1 |
| Per | 1 |
Virtues: Gentlewoman, Skinchanger (bear or wolf, as ST prefers)
Flaws: Missing Hand, Proud (minor)
Abilities:
Animal Handling (Horse) 1
Area Lore (Burgundy) (Nobles) 3
Awareness (Alertness) 3
Charm (Witty) 4
Etiquette (Nobility) 5
Folk Ken (Nobility) 4
French (Bourguignon) 5
Guile (Intimidation) 2
Intrigue (Plotting) 4
Leadership (Inspiration) 4
Nobility Lore (Heraldry) 3
Ride (Long distances) 2
Swim (Rivers) 1
Teaching (Women) 2
When in bear/wolf form, use the skills/stats for the animal (Mundane animals) instead.