Shantak/HeptaPelepsMarek
Peleps Marek
Marek is the younger brother of Peleps Magaret, to whom he is devoted. When she graduated from the Heptagram as a broken shadow of herself (as he perceives it, anyway), he became set on mastering sorcery to learn what had affected her so (and fix it, though he doesn't even admit to himself that he hopes this is possible).
This was a bit troublesome since he had just been admitted to the Spiral Academy. His family pushed him to just get on with his schooling, to serve the house as a politician, but he instead studied in secret. When he managed to teach himself Terrestrial Circle Sorcery from books (and perhaps a covert tutor or two), all involved finally agreed to recognize the accomplishment and arranged for him to transfer to the Heptagram.
Name: Peleps Marek
Aspect: Earth
Nature: Caregiver
House: Peleps
Age: 17
Personality: Marek tends to have a calm, even attitude towards most things, but can be strongly protective and has a stubborn streak a league wide.
Description: Peleps Marek stands perhaps five and half feet tall, with remarkable breadth of shoulder, so that at first glance he seems nearly as wide as he is high. His skin has an underlying tone of gray and his features have a certain angularity to them. His hair is deep black and his eyes are a deep, clear green. He moves with deliberation rather than grace, seeming to give conscious attention to each step he makes.
ATTRIBUTES
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 2
VIRTUES
Compassion 4 (3 bonus points)
Conviction 4 (6 bonus points)
Temperance 2
Valor 2
ABILITIES
Aspect Abilities
Martial Arts: 3 (1 bonus point)
Awareness: 3 (2 bonus points)
Craft: 1
Endurance: 3 (Sleep Deprivation 2, 1 bonus point)
Resistance: 3 (1 bonus point)
Favored Abilities
Occult: 3 (Free)
Lore: 4 (1 bonus point, 5xp at character creation)
Bureaucracy: 3
Other Abilities
Archery: 1
Dodge: 1
Investigation: 2 (Research 2, 1 bonus point)
Linguistics: 2 (1 Free) (Old Realm, Riverspeak)
Melee: 1
Performance: 1
Presence: 1 (Persuasion 1)
Ride: 1
Socialize: 2
Stealth: 1
BACKGROUNDS
Backing (House Peleps): 3 (Free)
Breeding: 2
Connections (The Thousand Scales): 3
CHARMS
Ox-Body Technique
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Elemental Concentration Trance
Elemental Empowerment Method (10 xp at character creation)
Five Dragon Fortitude (10 xp at character creation)
Language Learning Ritual (10 xp at character creation)
SPELLS
Emerald Countermagic
Demon Of The First Circle
Coin of Distant Vision
Willpower: 8
Essence: 3
Personal Essence: 13 Peripheral Essence: 31
COMBAT SUMMARY
Base Initiative: 6
Attack:
Punch (Speed 4, Accuracy 5, Damage 2B, Defense 5)
Dodge Pool: 3 Soak: 1L/3B
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incapacitated
EXPERIENCE (since OOC post 2690)
General: 17
Specific: 1 (hunting-related), 2 (social), 2 (combat)
SPENT XP
-
BACKGROUND
Peleps Marek was running. That was unusual, even though he was 13 and healthy; he tended to get by on walking. It was even more unusual because he could have ridden on a boat up the river had he been willing to wait, and most of his cousins would have chosen to sail given the slightest choice. But Peleps Marek was running.
He was running because he had learned that his sister was home, having graduated from the Heptagram. He had not seen her for years; his vacations from school and her time away from the Heptagram had not overlapped in three years, and he missed her desperately. The servant who had mentioned her being home had seemed almost embarassed, which was strange, but he didn't waste any effort on thinking about it.
This would probably be his last chance to see her for some time to come. Next season he began at the Spiral Academy, where the effort needed to make up for the fact that he would be one of the few non-Exalted there would surely consume his time, while Magaret would certainly be beginning her sorcerous career.
As he entered the estate, he began to take the riverside path that led to the main house when he saw Red Hana, one of the servants, standing by the Floating Bridge. She was waiting, watching...and the Bridge had always been Magaret's favorite spot on the estate. It had been here since the Shogunate, a work of magic which had managed to stand the centuries. Grinning, he ran to the bridge's entrance; he made a shushing gesture to the surprised Hana and tiptoed silently into the covered structure, ignoring Hana's look of alarm.
The Floating Bridge, the ends of which had been resting on the river's banks, lifted into the sky, as it always did when boats approached. Looking out the wide glass windows, he saw the boat which would have brought him home approaching. Well, he'd at least saved a few minutes. And there, at the center of the bridge, was Magaret! Grinning, he began to sneak up on her, as had always been their game.
"Red and black, an alchemical union? Not to be denied, no, but..."
Marek froze. Who was she talking to? He didn't see anyone, but they might be sitting down on the other side, where the bridge sloped away from him. Was that why Hana had been alarmed? Was he interrupting something very private? He paused. Well, interrupting wasn't polite, but eavesdropping was far less so.
He walked forward. "Sister! I'm so glad..."
"Consequences! Always consequences! Built upon centuries, but the center doesn't hold!" she interrupted...no, to say she interrupted wasn't fair. That implied she was aware of his presence at all, which she did not seem to be. She spoke to open air, making gestures to emphasize her points.
"Sister..." he whispered, staring. Her once rich blue hair had faded almost to white, looking her look more like an Air-aspect than the Water she was. She was skinny, nearly emaciated, and her eyes were focussed on infinity, until they suddenly focussed on him.
"Oh, hello, Marek." She stepped forward and drifted gracefully into a trip that left her sitting, bemused, in a heap on the floor. After a moment, she nodded decisively. "Well, that does make sense, then, doesn't it?"
He knelt beside her, trying to gather her into his arms without breaking any of her so-fragile-seeming bones. Though she stood a full foot higher than he did, she seemed far lighter. In the rush of emotion, he didn't even recognize his hair darkening to coal black, his skin muting to slate grey, or his eyes sharpening to a brilliant, emerald green.
* * *
"Here you go, sir."
The library servant bowed deeply as he backed away, leaving Marek alone in the musty chamber. Marek looked up at the shelves, covered with volume after volume of records, and he shrunk a little, inside. He'd been working toward this for months: the finagling to get in the work program, even though he was just a first year student at the Spiral Academy; the careful discussions to find out that the Humble and Honest Assessors wanted to cross-check their records against the White Registry; the bartering of favors to get him assigned to that project; the buttering up of his superior to get him unlimited access to the Sorcery Chamber; the long nights spent mastering Old Realm.
And now, at last, he faced these hundreds--thousands?--of texts, and he didn't know where to start. Or did he? If he didn't do the work his superiors expected, he'd be in trouble enough to end the whole plan. So, start with the Registry's records. With luck, the experience from that would give him enough knowledge to decide which books to move onto. He was expected to put in six hours of work; that left eighteen more for what he needed to learn for himself. Time to get started.
* * *
"Excuse me."
"Eh?" The official, her once-flaming red hair faded to a dusky orange, looked up from the Gateway game she'd been scrutinizing, looked up. "Oh, aren't you the lad the lee--ah, Assessors had poking through our records last year? What do you need this time?"
Marek smiled. "I need to register myself."
She stared at him. "Excuse me? Is this some kind of joke, paper-pusher?" Her lip curled as she considered him. "Not a funny one. Do you know how much work it takes to learn sorcery? Scat!" She gestured and worked her will, producing a hawk made out of flame which swooped down at him.
"As it happens, I do." And with his own working of will, and an expenditure of energy that left him weak at the knees--though he didn't show it--dissipated the hawk in a flare of multicolored energy.
As the official stared at him, he smiled again. "As I said, I need to register myself. It would be convenient if you could arrange to notify my family as well."
