Callidus Faberis (1172 - 1231)

(Last update: 25/1/96)

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One of the original five founding members, he used to be the Covenant's Provost, responsible for the harvesting and distribution of the Vis supplies. A follower of Verditius, he was a skilled craftsman, and concentrated mainly on Terram and Vim magics. His untimely demise occured on a mountainside in the Alps in Autumn 1231, when he botched with a Creo Corpus spell, with Severity 62! This reduced his body to a fleshy blob, barely alive, with his iron arm sticking out. He was finished off after falling into a crack in the mountainside. His remains (worth 6 pawns of Vim vis) were added to the stores - a sad but fitting end.

Basic Stats

Name: Callidus Faberis
House: Verditius
Parens: Retistius, filius of Miercus
Gender: Male
Year Died: 1231 AD
Age: 67 (8 years of supernatural aging)
Year Born: 1172 AD
Decrepitude: 1 (Lost his left arm)
Size: 0
Confidence: 5
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185lbs

Appearance

Callidus was of average height and quite sturdily built. He appeared middle-aged, with a tanned and slightly lined face. He had short hair, dark brown going iron gray, and a short, neat beard. His eyes were brown and he had an unassuming countenance. Several rings (Spell Foci) adorned his fingers.

Due to a botch in a Terram Certamen, the fingernails of his right (and only) hand were iron. The whole of his left arm was lost on an expedition when he was ambushed by a knight. Fionn attempted a Muto Corpus Spell to reattach the limb, but the Spell botched and the arm crumbled to dust! Callidus soon after crafted himself a replacement left arm, made of solid iron, with superior strength. The joints were moved magically under mental command. There were a few compartments in the arm, for storing Foci and Vis. On the upper arm were engraved the Runes of Rego and Terram, and Callidus' sigil was marked on the palm of the hand. He was also missing a couple of toes from his left foot - these were kindly removed by a Griffin on the slopes of Mount Seraque in Spring 1229.

Due to the nature of his lab work (he had a large forge at one end of his lab) he usually wore a large black leather smock, worn and dirty. Formal attire comprised plain brown robes with silver edging. On expedition he carried his Talisman (a large decorative iron staff, trimmed with gold, inlaid with jet and surmounted with a ruby inside a small glass sphere) and wore a couple of scabbards, one to either side, which contained his magical self-animating swords. Various Spell Foci and pouches of Vis were usually secreted in several places on his person.

Origins

He served his Apprenticeship under Retistius at the Covenant of Doissetep in the Provencal Tribunal. However there was no room for new Magi there, and since his master was moving to Verdi, he undertook his Gauntlet at the Covenant of Mistridge instead. He met the other founder members there, and left to found the Covenant of Malinbois in 1197 AD.

Characteristics

Personality Traits

Reputations

Virtues and Flaws

Abilities

Magical Stats

Twilight Points: 15
Longevity Potion: -22
Casting Speed: +8
Targeting: +7

Abilities

Wizard's Sigil

The smell of a forge (hot iron) was noticed in his immediate vicinity.

Arts

Spells

Combat Stats

Soak: +1 (N/A if hit on his left arm)
Fatigue: +1
Dodge: +3
Load: 0
Encumbrance: 0
Body Levels: OK 0 -1 -3 -5 I
Fatigue Levels: OK 0 -1 -3 -5 I

Weapons

Vis Stores

Callidus' personal stores of Vis never really recovered from the time when he was forced to pay 5 rooks of Vis to the Covenant of Vardian's Tomb, beneath Rome. On an expedition in Italy, he had defeated a Necromancer in Certamen, whom Ciaron (an itinerant bard) later slew as the Magus lay unconscious. At the Tribunal which followed, Callidus fought one of the other Magi from Vardian's Tomb to resolve the charges that had been brought against him. Unfortunately, Callidus botched (acquiring his iron fingernails, since this was a Terram Certamen), and he was therefore fined 50 pawns reparation to Vardian's Tomb. Callidus was much angered with Ciaron, promising to kill him if he disobeyed orders again. This is the origin of Callidus' reputation at the Covenant.
His last major expenditure was a large batch (20 pawns) of Vim Vis to open the enchantment on his new arm, and he started depleting his Terram Vis instilling effects into it. Total: 56 pawns.

Magic Items

The Automated Alchemical Engine

This item is a set of complicated apparatus, the size of a large cabinet, at one end of Callidus' lab. Numerous levers, cogs, arms, tubes and retorts link various different glass containers in a bewildering array of automated activity. It was designed as a machine for producing potions and as a tool to aid in alchemical processes. It can be invested with Effects, which it can reproduce as potions, given a season bubbling and whirring away by itself in the corner.
It has been invested with 10 pawns of Intellego Vis, to enable it to learn the following abilities: Invested Effects: The Enchantment was opened using the magical Seir's Waters, so that the Engine has the capacity for 400 Spell levels, of which 190 have been used.

The Leg of the Rejuvenated Sneak

This item is so named because it was made as a replacement leg for one of the Consors, a sneak named Simon who had his left leg bitten off in an unfortunate accident at the nearby Covenant of Dankmar. It was made in Autumn 1227 as Covenant work - a Lesser Enchanted device with a Rego Terram effect to facilitate proper movement. Unfortunately, Simon was killed on the very next expedition, so the item now lies unused in the Covenant Stores, dormant until someone else loses a left leg!

The Sword of Malinbois

This is a Lesser Enchanted item, created as Covenant work in Autumn 1222 at the cost of six pawns of Vis. It is a bastard sword, with the symbol of Malinbois on the hilt. It is invested with two 30th level Rego Terram effects which provide a constant bonus to 1st Strike and Damage. Its stats are: 1st +10, Atk +3, Dam +16, Par +3, and it is currently carried by Braeble, the Turb Captain. Until his death, it was carried by the former Captain, Napoleon - a worthy bearer of the item.

The Swords of Fire and Ice

These are a pair of matching self-animating bastard swords, which Callidus normally wore in a couple of scabbards, one to each side. They have no weight and so do not encumber him. At his command, they leapt into action to protect him and attack his foes.
Each was invested with 8 pawns of Intellego Vis to learn the following Abilities. Both have learnt to the maximum of their ability: Invested Effects (Sword of Fire): Invested Effects (Sword of Ice): The swords have the following stats: 1st +9, Atk +8, Dam +15, Par +9.
When the Virulent Flame is activated, it does double damage. When the Numbing Cold is activated, it causes the target to lose Fatigue levels equal to the number of Health levels lost.
The Enchantments were opened using the magical Seir's Waters, so that each has the capacity for 300 Spell levels. Space remains in each for 140 further Spell levels.

Callidus' Talisman

Callidus started work on his Talisman in Autumn 1223, at the cost of 2 rooks of Vim Vis. It is a large iron staff, intricately crafted and inlaid with gold. It has a jet embedded in its side and it is surmounted with a ruby inside a small glass sphere. It is designed primarily as a powerful battle item.
Invested Effects: Callidus had more or less completed the item - there is only space left for 30 Spell levels.

Callidus' Arm

His newest creation, a replacement left arm made of solid iron. Callidus opened the enchantment in Summer 1229 at the cost of 20 pawns of Vim Vis, using his last batch of Seir's Waters to give the item space for 400 spell levels. It pivots at the elbow and wrist, and the metallic fingers are jointed. There is a large hatch on the upper arm, and several smaller compartments in the forearm, where Spell Foci and Vis may be stored. The Verditius Runes of Rego and Terram are marked on the upper arm, and Callidus' sigil is engraved on the palm of the metallic hand.
Arm Stats: Invested Effects: The arm still has space for 310 spell levels of effects. Callidus had plenty of neat ideas for what to put in next, such as a Creo Terram enchantment to create a weapon in the fist, and investing Intellego Vis to enable it to learn combat abilities. Sadly, he never got the chance.

Notes

Twilight Points

Despite never having been into Twilight once, Callidus had nevertheless managed to accumulate a worryingly large number of Twilight Points (15):

Marlowe

Callidus had spent a lot of time studying from one Marlowe, filius of Apromar, follower of Flambeau, an ancient Mercurian Magus. In order to enable Callidus to perform Mercurian magics, Marlowe undertook a magical experiment to "reweave" his Gift. This was largely successful, although his Gift was significantly different thereafter (see new Virtues and Flaws), and there were some side effects. Callidus used his new ability to invent some Group Ritual Spells, and some Spells for transmuting raw Vis.

Alfonse

In 1219, he took on an Apprentice, Alfonse, the reclusive son of a local nobleman. Sir Miquel de Cerbere was happy to see his son taken away to be taught the Arts, since this meant that his daughter, more suitable than her introverted brother, would become his heir. Alfonse was only 3 years away from his Gauntlet when Callidus died, so he had had plenty of time to be trained in the tradition of Verditius, and had also learnt some Mercurian magic. His training will probably be finished by some of the other Magi of Malinbois.

Responsibilities

Callidus held the positions of Provost (responsible for the collection and distribution of the Covenant's Vis) and Monitor (responsible for the Covenant's magic items). He was renowned for being stingy as far as distributing Vis and approving the use of Vis for Covenant projects is concerned! At one time, Callidus also took up the position of "Ambassador to the Fay". This was because none of the other Magi (the Merinita, Eloise, included) seemed to be capable of holding a conversation with a Faerie without saying thankyou! He thought this was quite inappropriate for a down-to-earth Verditius magus (especially one with an Iron Affinity and no relevant diplomatic or Faerie skills!), and so he was happy to give the post up.

Notable Events

In Spring 1229, he flew out with Id to Mount Seraque to seek out a hermit. After meeting a couple of Griffins, they beat a hasty (and lucky) retreat, before returning with some consors and a gift of 2 horses to feed (and placate) the creatures. Inside the hermit's cave, he received a disturbing vision after drinking from a magical pool, and gained 3 Twilight points.

In Autumn 1229, a visiting Magus offered a generous payment of Vis in exchange for his help in a Ritual Spell. Callidus could not refuse this and so accepted the offer. Unfortunately, when he later tried to separate the Vis he had been given (mixed types in a golden bull statue), the Vis "animated" and entered him. It later transpired that he was gradually turning into a Minotaur - he therefore had to lead a party on an expedition to Greece to restore his normal self, by means of a complicated Ritual to Poseidon. A month or so was spent in various stages of transformation to the mythic beast (with awesome combat stats!). He finally got his promised Vis, in his own Minotaur's head.

Future Plans

Just before his death, Callidus had mentioned the idea of partially turning his body into iron, and investing each limb with effects as separate magic items, and entering himself in the Verdi Contest of 1248! Who knows if this would have succeeded?
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