Magus: Tamas Flambeau

Tamas ex Flambeau
Pater Kiranko ex Flambeau

Background: Nicolae of clan Baniya was born in 1182 just outside of Constantinople. His parents were part of a greater family and social group of the Romani people, also called Gypsies. The site where he was born and spent most of his first few years was like a village of tents, wagons and carriages. People came and went but there were always a couple of hundred of their people staying there at any one time. Nicolae's father and uncles were merchants so they went back and forth between the big cities in the area, primarily Constantinople. Nicolae started traveling with them at the age of three.

Nicolae and the other Romani kids helped their adults with their craftwork and peddling, but they also used their innocent youth and nimble fingers to pick pockets in crowds and play con games with people on the street.
A Jerbiton magus named Thellamassus noticed Nicolae when the boy was nine years old. He was in Constantinople with his older brothers and cousins. There was something peculiar about the boy so he followed him and later approached him to find out more. After some further tests the magus was certain that he had the Gift and even better, it was gentled. A perfect Jerbiton, Thellamassus thought.

At about the same time Kiranko, a Flambeau magus born of the Romani people arrived in Constantinople from Europe. He visited Thellamassus' covenant Xylinites and learned about the newly-found Nicolae and his gift. Kiranko had only heard of one other Gifted Romani before, besides himself, so it was a very rare coincidence. He decided immediately that no other than himself must teach young Nicolae in the Hermetic Arts. Thellamassus had found the boy first so he was formally the rightful master of him, but Kiranko sought out Nicolae's family and talked to them. They agreed on Kiranko taking him as his apprentice. There was no way they would leave the boy to a gadjo (non-Romani). The stalemate between the two masters was settled with certamen which the Jerbiton won very closely and a bit surprisingly. However, Kiranko would not let the matter settle at that, so he did something dangerous and highly illegal according to both moral and Hermetic Code. He stroke a deal with a demon that he had been in contact with for a few years!

The demon somehow got rid of Thellamassus. Kiranko didn't want to know how. He just wanted Nicolae alive and take him as apprentice. The pair took off from Constantinople as soon as possible. Nicolae changed his name to Tamas and they dyed his hair just in case someone they met would recognize the boy. No one did, and they settled in a small and secluded covenant in the Macedonian mountains where Kiranko had some connections. Here they stayed for a few years until Tamas had opened his Arts and learnt the basics of Hermetic Magic.

Then they spent a couple of years travelling between different covenants where they stayed as guests for a while before moving on. Because of Tamas' gentle gift they could also stay in more civilized places for a while. They moved from the Theban Tribunal into Transsylvania, staying at the oppidum of Kezdö Valasz in Hungary for a couple of years where Kiranko used to be a member and he still had good connections with the House of Tremere.

The demon that Kiranko had stroke a deal with in Constantinople kept haunting them, or it haunted the older magus in particular, since the demon didn't think he had recieved his part of the deal with the Flambeau master yet. He therefore threatened to take Tamas.
As it turned out Kiranko, Tamas and the demon met on a mountain slope in the Transylvanian mountains. Here they battled to death at sunset. After a rather long fight, Kiranko dealt the demon a lethal wound, but the demon was about to overtake the magus' battle-weakened body and mind. Kiranko's last words was a pledge to Tamas, who had been standing on the side for most of the fight until then. He said "Destroy me!" Realizing what was about to happen the young Flambeau called forth his powers and killed both his master and the demon in one last attack.

Tamas was crushed. He had lost his master, his teacher, his travel companion and his only real friend. He went back to the fort of Kezdö Valasz taking the body of his pater with him for a proper burial. He told the magi there what had happened leaving out the details from the past. No one objected that Tamas had passed his Flambeau Gauntlet.
For two weeks Tamas locked himself into a cellar room with complete darkness, arranging only for a servant to bring a cup of fresh water and a small piece of bread once a day. When he came out a redcap from the Rhine tribunal had just delivered a message from Fengheld that they looked for young newly gauntleted magi. Tamas thought it was an opportunity to start looking for his own fortune.

Appearance:5'4 tall and weighing 134 lbs he is rather thin but sinewy built. Dark brown hair to shoulders with long fringe held in place by a headband. He grooms a thin mustache and wears loose linen clothes, trousers and a long tunic with bright coloured buttons and collars.

Age: born 1182 AD
Size: 0
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Str 0, Sta +2, Pre 0, Com +1, Dex +1, Qik +1

Virtues: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Puissant Ignem, Gentle Gift, Affinity with Perdo, Life Boost, Mastered Spells, Minor Magical Focus: Darkness, Improved Characteristics x2, Well-Travelled

Flaws: Twilight Prone, Diabolic Past, Offensive to Animals, Weird Magic, Compulsion: lying, Oversensitive to uncleanliness*
[size=85]*Romani definition of uncleanliness. Examples: Urine and feces from any live creature, other people's worn clothes of the lower body, pregnant women or women that just have given birth, dead people and their close relatives for a while just after the time of death. Tamas will try to avoid these things and certainly not touch them. Of course he need to take care of his own worn clothes and doing his natural needs, this means he will be unclean himself at times but then he will be very careful washing himself as soon as possible. After the death of his master he considered himself unclean for several weeks.[/size]

Personality Traits: Curious +2, Impatient +3, Deceitful +1

Abilities:
Area Lore: East Thrace incl. Constantinople (geography) 1
Area Lore: Hungary (geography) 1
Artes Liberales (geometry) 2
Awareness (searching) 2
Bargain (cloth) 1
Charm (first impressions) 2
Folk Ken (townsfolk) 3
Guile (fast talk) 3
Infernal Lore (demons) 2
Language: Romaic Greek (talking to townsfolk) 4
Language: Magyar (Transylvanian) 1
Language: Latin (hermetic usage) 4
Language: Romani (storytelling) 5
Legerdemain (pick-pocketing) 1
Magic Lore (creatures) 1
Magic Theory (inventing spells) 3
Organisation Lore: Gypsy culture (traditions) 1
Organisation Lore: Order of Hermes Lore (history) 1
Parma Magica (mentem) 1
Penetration (perdo) 2
Stealth (urban areas) 1
Survival (mountains) 1

Magical Arts: Cr 3, In 3, Mu 0, Pe 8*, Re 3, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 6+3, Im 0, Me 3, Te 0, Vi 6

Wizard's Sigil: At the beginning of his spells for a quick moment, less than a normal blink of an eye, all light around Tamas disappears so he only appears as a shadow.

Voting sigil:A silver chain with a silver pendant in the form of a wagon's wheel. (Kiranko's voting sigil)

Spells:
Pilum of Fire (CrIg20) +16; Mastery level 2 (Penetration, Multi-casting)
Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi15) +17; Mastery level 1 (Penetration)
Unravelling the Fabric of Mentem (PeVi10) +16
Circular Ward Against Demons (ReVi10) +11
Trust of Childlike Faith (PeMe10) +15; Mastery level 2 (Quiet casting, Still casting)
Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (PeMe10) +14; Mastery level 1 (Penetration)
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years (PeTe10) +11; Mastery level 1 (Fast casting)
Vision of Heat's Light (InIg20) +14
Chamber of Midnight (PeIg15) +28; Mastery level 1 (Fast casting) -- New spell

Personal possessions: Big bag with shoulder strap, simple eating and cooking utensils, personal hygiene stuff, knife and wandering staff

Advancement:
*
*

Chamber of Midnight
PeIg15
A room is plunged into complete darkness.
R:Touch, D:Diameter, T:Room
(Base 3, Touch +1, Diameter +1, Room +2)

(This player has left the saga.)