Player: Giltspire
Concept: A devotee of the Gods of Numa. Smart, willful, and entirely out of her depth
Nation: Numa
Religion: The Pantheon
Wealth: 0
Languages: Linguist: All known Thean languages, Numanari
Secret Society: Explorer's Society

Arcana: The Hanged Man: XII + The Fool Inverted: 0

Virtue: Activate to suffer a risk's consequences in place of another hero
Hubris: You receive a Hero Point when you investigate something unusual, especially if it looks dangerous

Traits

Trait	Rank
Brawn	2
Finesse	2
Resolve	3
Wits	4
Panache	2

Skills

Skill	Rank	Skill	Rank
Aim	0	Notice	3
Athletics	1	Perform	1
Brawl	0	Ride	1
Convince	3	Sailing	1
Empathy	2	Scholarship	3
Hide	1	Tempt	0
Intimidate	1	Theft	0
Weaponry	1	Warfare	2

Advantages

• Sorcery (2) - Supati, Diety of Writing (Mystirios)
• Sorcery (2) - Caledon, God of Medicine (Mystirios)
• Time Sense (1)
• Miracle Worker (4)
• Linguist (1) (Replacement of second Time Sense)
• University (4)
• Indomitable Will (2, 1 if Numanari)

Backgrounds

• Mystai — Quirk: Earn a Hero Point whenever you thwart the Mystai of Hecteba
• Doctor - Quirk: Earn a Hero Point whenever you tend to the injuries of a Villain or the innocents harmed by a Villain

Reputations

-

Stories

Story Name: Of Hearth and Home: A guide to the peoples of the Atabean, Pt. 1

Goal: Catalogue the culture and sorcery of Jaragua, The Rahuri, and Aragosta
Reward: Masterpiece Crafter: Books

• Step 1: I need to find someone familiar with the Kap Sevi, and a historian of Jaragua, and earn their trust to begin writing my books.
• Step 2: I want to find one of the Rahuri who know of Soryana. I would also love to learn of their history and culture.
• Step 3: I'll have to convince the dangerous and deadly pirates to teach me about Contract Magic, and how their settlement got it's start.

Experience

Total: 0 | Spent: 0 | Unspent: 0

Description

IRC: A small, mousy-looking girl, her glasses take up a large portion of her face. She tends to dress in flowing clothes, either blood-red or slate-grey.

Full: Barely five feet tall, Thea has long, wavy hair. Typically tied up in a ponytail, she tries to keep it behind her, yet it tends to slip forward when she is not paying attention. Her hazel eyes are one of the most expressive parts of her body, and her glasses tend to magnify them, showing her emotions clearly for those who care to look. Her lips are relatively small and thin, with small marks on them from where she chews her lips on occasion. Her shoulders, when uncovered, bear a tattoo on each side: Left has a caduceus, and right bears a quill, the symbols of her patrons.

Moving down from her shoulders, her arms are slender, and yet bear small marks from various injuries that have long since healed. Her hands are lightly stained with ink, typically the pinky fingers on each hand. Her nails are trimmed, kept short to avoid catching on anything while performing surgury or writing. Her chest is nothing remarkable, but anyone with a trained eye can also see the telltale signs of binding beneath her robes. The robes themselves seem to have more in common with the Crescent Empire than anywhere else, and have either a blood-red color if she is acting in her capacity as a doctor, or slate-grey, if she is acting in her capacity as a scholar. Typically, they are slate-grey. She seems to be of a healthy weight, not overly thin at all.

History

Trees swaying to a young one's piping

Sing, o aoidoi of Supati, and scribe, o quill of fates and fortune, of the one called Theophania! A daughter of the Gods, a daughter of Numa, set forth upon a quest by the Pantheon, and her journey thusly!

A child born of Hypatia's blood, Theophania Acropolite was born on Lakedaimon, and was expected to join her family in the ranks of the Haimon, to fight and die for the Glory of Numa. And yet, observe, o Goddess of War, for this child finds comfort not in the sword or spear or bow, but in the most humble of weapons: The book and quill. Hearken, o Deity of Knowledge, at the child who would deny her blood for her passion of learning. When she must train, she trains with a staff, a weapon not of killing, but of Terra. When she is free, she does not discuss physical movements, but instead, the movement of troops! And as she steps into the temple to speak with the Oracles, look how her eyes first glance to Supati and Caledon before the one she was expected to serve!

The Pillar Cracks

Speak, o Oracle, and grant her that which she was not granted: The choice to be who she wishes! What words were spoken shall not be repeated, but the fire ignited in young Theophania was one to rival the fires of Potnia Agrotera herself, but the cause was different: She would not be a Haimon, she be a Ergein. She would become a Hierus. It was unheard of for one of Hypatia's blood to reject the caste of her ancestor in such a way, for even the Hierus of Potnia are still Haimon, but her family was more concerned with her other decree: She would not follow the bloody sword and shield of Potnia. Instead, she would travel and learn of the other gods of the Pantheon.

At this decree, her mother flew into a rage to shake the mountains and to make Zendio jealous. For three days and nights, the oikos of the Acropolite knew no peace, and on the dawn of the fourth day, it knew one less daughter. With furious wrath and cruel decrees, her mother forever struck the name Theophania Acropolite from the records of the family. Now only known as Theophania, the child would be banished, exiled for her betrayal of the family.

This opinion was unpopular with the family, and yet none dared stand against the mother. Instead, notes were passed, favors were called, and papers rearranged. Theophania would be sent to the city of Hylicia, with the rumors being spread that she was sent to Aigosthena. A retired general would care for her as if she was his own, and none would be the wiser.

Secrets of the Temple

Soon after reaching Hylicia, Theophania quickly found herself lost. Her foster father, Koilos, was delayed in finding her, and she wandered the streets for a time before finding herself before a large building. Her eyes immediately locked onto the large number of books inside, and so the young girl walked in, intent on reading all she could. Perhaps if she had spent more time on her surroundings, her tale would be different, but alas, the child slipped into the temple of Supati and, without a word to anyone, began to read from the texts within. While other followers may find that disrespectful, those enlightened to Supati found it charming, that one would see their temple as a place of learning first, and of worship second. Speaking gently with her, the high Mystai discovered her name and purpose, before calmly, but firmly, escorting her out of the temple, with a promise that she could return in the future.

And return she did. Not even two weeks later, she returned to the temple and demanded to be let inside. A book had sparked a drive in her, a drive that the Mystai found charming. Leading her into the temple, he placed her at a table and gave her a test of three questions. The first was about musical theory, the second about mechanical theory, and the third about languages of Theah. Giving no other guidance other than failure was final, he returned to his work, but kept a careful eye on her to see if she would pass the second test. And pass it she did. When she had written down what she knew, she looked around before calmly sliding off her seat and walking through the bookshelves to find the answers to the test. Speaking clearly and calmly to one of the other hierus, she acted as if she belonged, simply looking for the correct information. In this way, she matched Supati's tricks, sneaking knowledge to those that required it. Thusly, the High Mystai found her, a book in hand and a filled out test in the other. When demanding she answer for cheating, she clarified that he never specified she could not read the books, only that the test must be finished. Thus, the blame would rest on him for not clarifying his expectations of the test. With a broad smile, he bowed his head in acquiescence. She would become a Hierus of Supati.

Crimson Cloud

Her studies in the temple of Supati were varied, but she tended to learn more about the topics that were widely considered to be "Beneficent". The tapping of her staff became a well-known sound in the temple, as well as the thump of piles of books. Joining in the chorus, she would sing with others, educate those younger than her, and learn about secret mysteries as she slowly came in tune with Supati's mystirio. And so years passed, and the young girl became a young woman, dressed in the slate-grey robes of those who follow the Deity of Language and Magic. By the time she was sixteen, she had finally come to truly understand the apokalypsi of her Patron, and ascended to becoming a full Mystai.

It was on a day like any other when she heard a scream from a street over. Curiosity getting the better of her, she ran to the sound, finding a man trapped under a collapsed cart. Blood was pooling around the man as other people stood in shock and inaction, and yet her mind flashed back to her books. Mentally flipping through the pages, she looked at the injury, and at the surrounding people. If the doctors of Caledon were not present, there was no guarantee he would survive, and so she launched into action. Calling one of the bystanders over, she ordered for them to find the Caledon temple, and get them here immediately. Tearing a strip of cloth off her robes, she investigated the man under the cart, finding the place where the metal had slashed his leg open. Tying it tightly around his leg, her mind was too focused to feel the bite of metal in her own hand, and she did not notice her own bleeding wound as she stepped back. Seeing a few planks and stones for a construction project, she took her staff and used it as a lever, lifting the cart enough for others to drag the man out. As her bleeding hand clutched the staff, twin rivulets of blood snaked their way down the wood, and yet she did not notice, so intense was her emotions. It was only as she began to find herself shivering that she felt something was wrong, and as she looked around, nothing made much sense. The staff slipping from her hands, she began to fall forward, only to be caught by the red robed doctors of Caledon. She slipped in and out of coherence as they took her to the temple. Unseen to her, but noticed by the doctors, a sign was left behind, forever stained into the stone: Where her staff had fallen, the blood still on the wood had splashed out, leaving a mark like a caduceus upon the ground.

Ink and Blood

Theophania stumbled into the understanding of Caledon, and with her permission, she was taught medicine by actual professionals. The mark of the Caduceus became a local legend, a location where a normal person showed true kindness and bled for another, and yet Theophania never put it together, that it was her own actions that caused it. Her mornings were spent in the temple of Supati, and her evenings were spent with those of Caledon, using her knowledge and training to help others, finding herself in a comforting, wonderful pattern. Sadly, the Fates have their own plans for the world...

The day was rather dark, and the skies seemed ready to rain, but were unwilling to commit to it. The air was heavy as Thea hurried to the temple of Supati, unaware of the threads of Fate being pulled tighter and tighter. Sitting in the study room, she began to copy notes from an old tome. As thunder cracked, she jumped, spilling a small amount of ink onto a blank sheet. Despite quickly righting the inkwell, she watched in a mix of confusion and concern as the ink flowed on the page, taking the form of a shape she recognized from Geographical studies. Finding it odd and concerning, she showed it to the Mystai, where he urged her to think upon it. And, think upon it she did, even during her time in the temple of Caledon. And yet, as the blood from a recently stitched wound was cleaned from a table, a small stain remained... A stain in the same shape: The island of Jaragua. Discussing the portents with Koilos and the two High Mystai, each came to the same conclusion: She was called to that island, and would be a fool to reject her call. Hastily preparing her books, she joined a ship heading that way, to discover what may lie before her...

Notes

• 2 favor: Explorer's Society

Bringing Your Hero To Life

1. What Nation is your Hero from?

• Theophania hails from the land of Numa, specifically the city of Hylicia

2. How would you physically describe your Hero?

• Theophania is fairly short, standing just barely at five feet tall. Small, mousy cheeks carry glasses that seem a bit too big for her face, but she never seems to have problems. Long, wavy, brown hair tends to be tied in a ponytail. The faint smell of books comes from her, despite there not being a clear source for it.

3. Does your Hero have recurring mannerisms?

• When nervous, Thea usually brushes her hair constantly. If she's working on a project or puzzle, she begins to pace around, ignoring most things around her. If she's tending a wound, her typical nervousness vanishes, and her movements are deliberate, as if guided by unseen hands.

4. What is your Hero's main motivation?

• Thea was directed by both of her deities to travel to Jaragua. Caledon bids her to heal the wounds in the land and the people, and Supati directs her to learn of the land and people, and to understand the hidden mysteries of the world.

5. What is your Hero's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

• Theophania is filled with compassion for others, which is both her strength and her weakness. Caledon takes his cost from her, leading to occasional bouts of sickness after helping others.

6. What are your Hero's' most and least favorite things?

• Thea once had a drink of something called Hot Cocoa. The sweetness ignited a passion for sweet things inside of her, and she loves to find new and interesting flavors throughout the world.

• Following an incident as a child with a spider dropping on her face accidentally, she is terrified of spiders, barely able to think clearly when they are nearby.

7. What about your Hero's psychology?

• Thea loves teaching others about new topics. Rather than being angry if people don't understand things, she tries to explain it to them. Her curiosity is boundless, sometimes causing issues when she looks into things best left forgotten or behind closed doors.

8. What is your Hero's single greatest fear?

• She's spent so long in large temples that to be left alone is an alien feeling. Even the voices of others through a wall, the noise of the birds and insects and animals, all of those keep her grounded, reminding her that she isn't alone.

9. What are your Hero's highest ambitions? Her greatest love?

• Thea wants to find secret truths about the world, ones that can make everyone better. Even things as rudimentary as "new ways to grow crops" would be amazing to her. She knows she will not become a legend by simply finding new agriculture or medicine, but the fact that it benefits the world would be nice.

10. What is your Hero's opinion of his country?

• Numa is trying to rebuild constantly. So much of it has been worn down over the years that it's impossible to know if we tread on old ground when we discover new things. Numa has fallen, yes, but it has fallen in the way that Dithyrambos falls: Crushed, only to rise once more.

11. Does your Hero have any prejudices?

• Avalon is filled with people who have a healthy understanding of stories and myth. Eisen has people who are more interested in killing than understanding anything. The Inish understand the importance of the deities, even if theirs are different. The Sarmatian Commonwealth is so close to a full democracy, they can get there if they try!

12. Where do your Hero's loyalties lie?

• Thea is dedicated to her deities first and foremost. Supati was the first deity she found herself drawn to, and so has become her primary deity, but lessons from Caledon have helped guide her steps.

13. Is your Hero in love? Is she married or betrothed?

• Thea kind of forgot about that whole... Relationships thing while studying. Sure, she finds books that are... graphic, and has been known to write a few for fun, but she's resigned herself to not actually experiencing it herself. After all, she's got so much work to do, and who would want someone who sacrifices their own health for strangers?

14. What about your Hero's family?

• The Acropolite family has always lived on Lakedaimon, followers of Potnia Agrotera, of the Blood of Hypatia, and skilled Agoge instructors. Until Thea was born, every child was taught to fight by the time they could walk. They are the stalwart guardians of Numa, Foes of Hecteba, Slayers of Monsters. The family is wealthy, but most of their wealth goes to training, equipping, and fighting the enemies of Numa. And then Thea was born. Portents came fast, marking the child as "not belonging to Potnia", but not in a negative sense. When Thea was presented with a sword, she would instead move over to a book to read it. Her family quickly sent away to Hylicia, to be raised by a distant relative there, and struck her name from the official records. Despite the cruelty of her exile from her mother, her brothers and sisters view her as family in an unofficial sense, and commonly exchange letters with "The woman in the Walled City"

15. How would your Hero's parents describe her?

• Her father views her as a hero of a different battlefield. While Thea would not last one minute in the ring against a monster, so too would her father not last one minute in an operating theater. Any soldier worth their salt knows that anyone capable of healing is just as important as a sword. The fact that not one, but two different deities have blessed her is a source of silent pride, and there is a painting in his war room of a young woman, a quill and caduceus in her hands.

• Her mother does not know or care who Thea is. The only children she cares about or acknowledges are the warriors.

16. Is your Hero a gentle?

• In a sense. She tries to be, but is not a warrior in any sense of the word. However, she stands for the weak, even at a cost to herself

17. How religious is your Hero? What sect of the Church does she follow?

• Thea grew up with the Pantheon, being raised among the temple walls as often as not. The Deities are a part of us, and all can learn to understand, in time.

18. Is your Hero a member of a guild, gentle's club, or secret society?

• Following a long and detailed discussion about what is and is not "ancient ruins", Thea has agreed to work with the Explorer's Society, to help bring understanding to the world around her.

19. What does your Hero think of Sorcery?

• Sorcery is a way of understanding the world. Sometimes, it can lead to darkness, sometimes, to light. What matters is the guiding force, the Ethos, behind the Sorcery. You do not fault a sword for slaying someone, you fault the wielder.

20. If you could, what advice would you give your Hero?

• Look up from your books once in a while, and you might find that the world itself has greater lessons to teach you.

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