Al-Aqrab

Characteristics: Int +2, Per 0, Pre +1, Com 0, Str –1, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik 0

Size: 0

Age: 95 (65)

Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 5 (10)

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Mercurian Magic, Entrancement*; Affinity with Vim*, Enduring Constitution, Mastered Spells, Piercing Gaze, Puissant Entrancement, Tough; Outsider; Blatant Gift*, Envious; Cabal Legacy, Disfigured

* Free Virtues and Flaws due to his Ex Miscellanea tradition

Personality Traits: Envious +3, Self-Interest +2, Taciturn +1

Reputations: Outsider 3 (among Christians), An unpleasant and suspect magus 2 (The Roman Tribunal)

Combat:

Dodge: Init +0, Attack N/A, Defense +2, Damage N/A

Dagger: Init +0, Attack +6, Defense +3, Damage +2

Soak: +4

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Arabic 5 (storytelling), Area Lore: Roman Tribunal 2 (covenants), Artes Liberales 3 (Ritual magic), Brawl 2 (Dagger), Carouse 2 (games of chance), Code of Hermes 2 (tribunal procedures), Concentration 4 (spell concentration), Entrancement 4 + 2 (dangerous commands), Finesse 3 (precision), Italian 3 (storytelling), Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Leadership 3 (magi), Magic Lore 2 (creatures), Magic Theory 6 (Vim), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (politics), Parma Magica 5 (Vim), Penetration 5 (Vim), Philosophiae 3 (Ritual magic), Stealth 3 (sneak), Survival 2 (deserts), Teaching 3 (spells)

Arts: Cr 6, In 7, Mu 16, Pe 16, Re 14, An 6, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 10, He 5, Ig 5, Im 5, Me 11, Te 15, Vi 19

Twilight Scars: His teeth have turned into small pointed scorpion stingers, the sands of his desert home are constantly shed from his clothes before disappearing upon the wind, and he does not always enjoy normal food, preferring instead to eat insects and other small vermin.

Equipment: His talisman dagger, Humat.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Spells Known:

Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (PeMe 30/+30), Mastery 1 (penetration)

Coerce the Spirits of the Night (ReMe 20/+28), Mastery 1 (penetration)

Incantation of Summoning the Dead (ReMe 40/+36), Mastery 1 (penetration)

The Riches of Carthage (CrTe 20/+32), Mastery 1 (disguised casting)

Conjuring the Mystic Tower (CrTe 35/+31)

The Fate of Carthage (PeTe 45/+44), Mastery 3 (disguised casting, penetration, stalwart casting)

The Enigma's Gift (CrVi 30/+27), Mastery 1 (penetration)

Wizard's Communion (MuVi 45/+37), Mastery 1 (stalwart casting)

Breaking the Shield (PeVi 35/+47), Mastery 2 (disguised casting, penetration)

Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 30/+44), Mastery 1 (stalwart casting)

Opening the Intangible Tunnel (ReVi 30/+35), Mastery 1 (penetration)

Casting Sigil: His targets are slightly seared by magical venom. It has no lasting effect, but its acrid scent can be detected upon spell residues.

Appearance: Al-'Aqrab is aged and weatherbeaten and his dark skin is lined and thin. His head and face are swathed in a ragged turban and veil, a motif that extends to the rest of his clothes. He wears a sash of red tied around his middle in place of a belt, the mark of the Trattato.

Though not a member of a true Mercurian cult, Al-'Aqrab possesses the Mercurian Magic Virtue; an unusual trait found in the lineage of wizards of which he is the last. Its effects ensure that he is a focus for ritual magic within the Trattato. He also masters many of his spells with the disguised casting (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 99) spell mastery, which makes identifying him as the caster much harder.

Al-'Aqrab's talisman is his knife, which he stole from the tomb of a Persian merchant who reputedly poisoned his rivals. He gave the weapon the name Humat, or venom.

CrTe 20

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual, Ritual

As the Touch of Midas ritual (ArM5, page 153) but creates a lump of silver instead of gold, which is easier to slip into the local economy.

(Base 15, +1 Touch, ritual)

PeTe 45

R: Arcane Connection, D: Momentary, T: Boundary, Ritual

Over the course of a season, any crops or livestock farmed on the affected land suffer as though being starved. Deprivation checks at three-day intervals may be unwieldy for use across the season, so it is reasonable to assume that harvests fail and livestock dies unless food is brought in from outside the affected area. As a rule of thumb, assume that the income from the affected land halves each season, with the effect being noticed after the first week. The effect is permanent and the soil cannot support life until healed in some way.

The base level of 5 is used as the spell is destroying only a single aspect of the soil, namely the ability to nourish crops and animals. The high vis cost of this ritual is compensated by the ability to strike unseen from afar.

(Base 5, +4 Arcane Connection, +4 Boundary, Ritual)

This old curved dagger has been opened with 10 pawns of vis and has the following effect:

CrAq 50

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual Pen +0, 1/day

Once per day, Humat can be made to give up its venom, at which point a single dose of lethal poison drips from the blade's tip. The venom has an Ease Factor of 9, as explained in ArM5, page 180. Failing the associated Stamina check results in death.

This effect has no Penetration, so the poison cannot affect those protected by any level of Magic Resistance from any realm or source.

When Al-'Aqrab enchanted this effect he attuned Humat with a +3 bonus to poisoning.

(Base 25, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 for potency)

PeVi 25

R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Individual This spell is designed to permanently cancel an existing Aegis of the Hearth ritual with a level less than 30 (i.e. the level of this spell +1 magnitude) + a Stress Die, bringing its magical protection to an abrupt end.

As this spell is cast against an Aegis, the effect must first penetrate the level of that Aegis. This version of the spell has been designed to tear down at least a sixth magnitude Aegis, and so must penetrate a resistance of at least 30. To help with this feat, Al-'Aqrab has taught versions of the Wizards Communion spell to the other magi in his new covenant, which helps them to cast their spells and Rituals at sufficiently high level and penetration.

Casting this spell requires that Al- 'Aqrab be within sight of the target's boundary, though of course the Aegis itself does not need to be made visible.

(Base effect, +3 Sight)