Alexandra ex Mercere
| Alexandra (Seshat) ex Mercere | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born in | 1214 |
| Covenant | Insula Danubii |
| Played by | Pedro |
| Race/Nacionality | Egyptian |
| Domus Magna | Harco |
| Age | 33 (33) |
| Warping | 0 [3] |
| Decrepitude | 0 [0] |
| Confidence | 1 (13) |
| Information | |
| Characteristics | Int +3, Per +1, Str -3, Sta +2, Pre +2, Com +3, Dex -3, Qik 0 |
| Virtues | Mythic Blood (Thoth), Affinity with Ability (Magic Theory), Affinity with Art (Vim), Book Learner, Gift of Tongues, Good Teacher, *Minor Magical Focus (Hekau), *Mutantum Magic, Puissant Magic Theory, Puissant Vim |
| Flaws | Necessary Condition: Symbols, Compassionate (Major), Missing Eye, Motion Sickness, Susceptibility to Divine Power, *Temperate, Visions |
| Abilities |
Area Lore: Egypt (Magical Sites) 1 Area Lore: Greece (Magical Sites) 1 Art of Memory (Written) 1 Artes Liberales (Ceremonial) 1 Awareness (Alertness) 2 Brawl (Dodge) 1 Code of Hermes (Redcaps) 1 Concentration (Spell Concentration) 5 Dead Language: Latin (Writing) 5 Dominion Lore (Angels) 1 Faerie Lore (Spirits) 1 Folk Ken (Magi) 1 Guile (Disguises) 1 Infernal Lore (Demons) 1 Living Language: Arabic (Writing) 5 Magic Lore (Spirits) 3 [3] Magic Theory (Vim) 9+2 (17) Mercere Lore (Mutantum) 1 Order of Hermes Lore (Mercere) 1 Parma Magica (Vim) 1 Philosophiae (Ceremonial) 1 Profession: Scribe (Quality) 3 Survival (Deserts) 1 Teaching (Pagan) 3 |
| Spell Masteries |
Wizard's Leap (Fast Casting) 1 Unseen Porter (Fast Casting) 1 |
| Personality Traits |
Compassionate +3 Organized +3 Temperate +1 |
| Arts |
Creo 5 [5] Intellego 16 [10] Muto 7 [2] Rego 5 Terram 5 [5] Vim 20+3 [15] |
Early Life
As with most of her House, Alexandra came from Mercere's own blood. Her mother, a Greek Redcap named Cassandra, was part of the Cult of Heroes, and after years of traveling through far and unexplored lands, she returned to her family with child. She was very particular about her birth, though: it'd have to happen on Hermopolis, where supposedly the child was conceived. Abiding by her wishes, the Redcaps of Thebes assembled a small group to accompany Cassandra to the southern lands of Egypt, where the traditional Mercury's Blessing for enhancing the chances for the Gift was performed.
The ritual was a disaster. It went awry, and as a consequence, Cassandra's left eye was thorn out in gruesome fashion. The cult healed her back in no time, but they didn't anticipate the newborn sharing the same fate. The baby girl would get used to her missing eye, but the scars in her face were too ominous to ignore: they looked exactly like the eye that, in the ancient Egyptian mythology, was lost by Horus and restored by Thoth. When Cassandra recovered and was shown the child, she was surprisingly pleased. She kissed the scars, whispered words only the newborn heard and left in the middle of the night.
With no name to go for, the Redcaps decided to call her Alexandra, in honor of the city she would be raised in. As she grew, she learned to wear the scars like a trophy: they were the only thing left from her mother. She painted over them with the vivid and typical makeup of the ancients, which the Mercere took as an amusing sign that she was really meant to be in the Cult of Heroes.
When she was of age, she was taken to the Theban Tribunal, but what seemed like a fun adventure turned into an experience she would never forget. As she climbed on a boat for the first time, she saw herself riding Mandjet, the boat of Ra, a place she knew she shouldn't be. Three shadows stood before her, entities not meant to be seen by men.
They threw her off the boat and into a hall, where her heart was ripped off her chest and weighted against a feather, but it was still too young to be heavy with sin or light with negligence. She should be allowed a place in the land of the dead, except her time had not yet come. They plunged her back in the water, and she woke up just in time to warn her companions of their impending demise. They heeded her call, and turned the boat back right before the currents changed. It wasn't enough to stop it from turning, but at least no one got hurt. The only thing that broke besides the boat was Alexandra's own spirit; she never forgot that day, and had trouble riding boats ever since.
Stories of her vision spread fast within the House. When she reached Athens, she was brought to the Cult of Heroes, who assigned Pandora ex Mercere as her tutor and future Parens.
First years of Apprenticeship
Her first years with Pandora were full of adventures. Alexandra was taken to several Ancient sites, where her visions brought very insightful information. As the years rolled by, they became more frequent, and the maga taught her filli how to focus very well.
But her time to really shine only came when she learned how to read and write. The meaning behind written words was as clear as crystal, regardless of the language they were in. Pandora saw this as a great asset, and put it to great use by having Alexandra translate ancient texts. She did so with pleasure: writing and reading felt extremely natural, one of the first things she was really good at.
Things got even more interesting when she heard the covenfolk speaking Greek for the first time after the event. Her blood called her to concentrate, and when she did, a book and a feather took shape before her, writing every single word uttered in the room. She still couldn't grasp what they were saying just by listening, but reading wasn't a problem.
Time came to finally open her Arts, and Pandora did. As Alexandra experimented with the Arts for the first times, however, it became evident that her affinities lied with those of the Mutante lineage. After word spread, the house put great pressure on Pandora to give up her apprentice, even though there was nothing that stated she would be forced to. She refused as much as she could, but she knew that ultimately, it was a lost battle. The House had way too few magi to allow such potential to go untapped.
Xavier and the Mutantes
After her 4th year as an apprentice, Alexandra was taken to Harco, where the Gifted of the House got together to decide her fate. Pandora once more tried to fight for her, but it was settled she'd be taught by Xavier ex Mercere, a senior Mutante and the archivist of Durenmar. She would be surrounded by books and there would always be demand for her talents, something they all agreed would serve her best.
The girl didn't take the news so well. She was very fond of Pandora, and didn't want to leave her home once more. However, she never had a say in the matter, and was taken to Durenmar, where she would spend her remaining years as an apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship went along, and she had a very well-rounded training. Xavier taught her how to control her magic, and she learned the premisses of Mutantum with ease. Her potential for Metamagic, however, wasn't exactly in sync with what the Mutantes had to teach. There was something in her blood that was old, powerful and different.
Xavier thought about it and tried to study the girl for a while, but saw it would take a considerable amount of time and effort. He decided to left that work for her to finish. He fulfilled his role as a tutor and taught her the basics of his Magic, but until she could show her true potential, he wouldn't bring her deep into their mysteries.
Last years and Gauntlet
Not a single year passed without Alexandra writing to Pandora, but she never wrote back. And after 8 years of silence, she received a summoning by the Prima to attend the Theban Tribunal. Xavier didn't want to attend, but he gave her leave to go. It was her first time in a Tribunal, and she was in awe. She instantly recognized lots of familiar faces, and had a great time catching up with those she knew as a child.
As the tribunal came to an end, she was asked to stay a while longer. Pandora then showed up and took her to a sick old lady. It was her mother, who refused to undergo the ritual of longevity and was going through her final crisis. Cassandra was happy to see Alexandra, and as a last gift to her only child, she told her and the Cult of Heroes the truth about her birth. She had within her the Blood of Thoth, the Egyptian counterpart of Mercury/Hermes himself. She then asked them all to leave and shared her last words with Alexandra alone.
It was then that she shared with her the truth about her name. She didn't leave her child nameless, but True Names are just too powerful to share with everyone in the world. Alexandra is a good mask, and she should wear it as such, but her true identity should never be forgotten. She is Seshat, named after the Scribe Goddess-Daughter of Thoth, and it was her time to carry that secret. Cassandra would now be free of her burden; death would bring her long awaited rest, and she embraced it with a smile.
This was all Pandora needed to convince the Cult that the girl belonged with them. It explained the scars, the visions and even why it was easy to tame her own spells. Magic was her legacy, and it was on her hands, and not the other way around. But, once again, she had no say in the matter.
Xavier didn't oppose her going back to Greece. Her last 3 years were spent traveling with Pandora again, and it felt good to give room for her visions once more.
When the time for her Gauntlet came, it was agreed she would have to perform before both her Parentes, since they shared her teaching almost equally. She showed how she could allow her magic to take control by communing it with others. And she also displayed how she could tame it to her very own wishes. Both were pleased, and she knew the time had come for her to make her own choices.
Spells
Wizard's Sigil: Alexandra's scarred eye glows, and hieroglyphs are written over the target as words are spoken (they disappear as soon as she stops speaking them, even if the spell persists). If no words are used, they do not appear, but the eye glows regardless. Symbol: The Eye of Horus
Laboratory
Longevity Ritual
- none
Familiar
- none
Possessions
- Caduceus
- Tiara
- Locket of Homecoming
Reputations
- none
Personal Raw Vis (Spring 1246)
- Intellego 1
- Perdo 5
- Auram 2
- Corpus 4
- Herbam 2
Seasonal Activities
Contributions to Insula Danubii
- none
Next Steps
- Study the Caduceus, the Tiara and read Pandora's memoir
- Find the books that got stolen by the Cat
- Discover why she can't be seen by the Lord of the River
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