Catherine West

Name: Catherine West
Birth Name: Irene Idlesleigh.
Craft Name: Catherine West, Bani Shaea
Shadow Name: Catherine Irene Idlesleigh West, Bani Shaea, Daughter of Seshat, Pure One, Beloved of Osiris, Vanquisher of Evil for the Sake of Good, Purifier of the Sacred Tree.
Player: Norseman
Nature: Caregiver (Kindness / Lack of Confidence)
Essence: Questing
Demeanour: Conformist (Co-operation / Low Self-Esteem)
Tradition: Order of Hermes (House Shaea)House Shaea Rotes
Mentor:

Arete: 5
Willpower: 7 (1)
Quintessence: 5 (3) / Parma Magica: 3 (3) / AURA Laser Battery Pack: 20 (7)
Paradox: 3
Experience: 54 XP left (273 XP total / 219 XP spent)
Health

[ ]: Bruised, -0

[ ]: Hurt, -1

[ ]: Injured, -1

[ ]: Wounded, -2

[ ]: Maimed, -2

[ ]: Crippled, -5

[ ]: Incapacitated

Spells Running

• Prime 3 / Time 3 - Anti-Time Magic Spell - 7 Sux - 2 range, 2 non-detect, 3 difficulty
• Spirit 3 - Dorf Bodyguard - 3 Sux.
  • Kaiku who has a X-4 heavy revolver, 4 shots 8d Damage.

Attributes

Physical (3)

Strength: 2

Dexterity: 2

Stamina: 2

Social (7)

Charisma: 4 (Good Manners)

Manipulation: 3

Appearance: 3

Mental (5)

Perception: 3

Intelligence: 4 (Bookworm)

Wits: 2

Abilities

Talents(7)

Alertness: 1

Awareness: 2

Athletics: 2

Dodge: 1

Expression: 3

Instruction: 1

Intuition: 1

Subterfuge: 1

Skills (9)

Drive: 1

Etiquette: 2

Firearms: 2

Meditation: 1

Research: 3

Technology: 1

Knowledges (13)

Computers: 1

Cosmology: 3

Culture: 1

History: 3

Language (Enochian): 3

Linguistics: 4 (Read ancient manuscripts) (Ancient Egyptian, Latin, Ancient Greek, Formal Arabian, Chinese, Japanese, French, German)

Lore (Umbrood): 1

Lore (Ghosts): 1

Lore (Kuei Jin): 1

Lore (Vampire): 1

Lore (Werewolf): 1

Occult: 5 (Drawing Symbols)

Spheres

Ars Animae (The Refining Fire OR Life): 0
Ars Conjunctionis (Similitude OR Correspondence): 4
Ars Essentiae (The Gateway OR Forces): 0
Ars Fati (Venom OR Entropy): 0
Ars Manium (The Pharaoh's Army OR Spirits): 4* (Spirit Dealings)
Ars Materiae (Clay OR Matter): 0
Ars Mentis (The Watcher OR Mind): 2
Ars Temporia (All Men Know OR Time): 3
Ars Vis (the South OR Prime): 3

Background, Merits and Flaws

Backgrounds

Ally (Percival Dory): 2

Avatar: 5

Familiar: 2

Library: 5

Merits

Past Lives (2)

Spirit Magnet (6)

Flaws

Obsession - Egyptiana (2)

Strangeness (1)

Foci

Chanting in Enochian, Inscriptions (Time)
Geometric figures, Showstones, Spiritualism (Spirit)
Chanting in Enochian, Showstones, Spiritualism (Mind)
Enochian and Magical Geometry (Correspondence)
Enochian and Magical Geometry (Prime)

Lessons Learned

• Catherine learns to be very careful when you're around heavy security, especially where scanning equipment can be brought to bear.
  
• If carrying very valuable magical items try to avoid mundane mass transport.
  
• Try to stay calm when dealing with the strange things in the umbra, figuring out what you are facing is much better than panicking.
  
• If you cast a powerful spell taking you through a vision then focus on what you set out to do, don't start one thing only to suddenly go off in another direction unless there's a pressing reason. Corollary to that being, high realm magic shit is treacherous; Mages can use it, but stick to the path.
  
• Catherine learns that she needs to be better prepared to fend for herself in combat.
  
• When you're in danger remember that there may be helpful things in the local environment that you've forgotten.
  
• Evil can corrupt almost everyone, even sainted reincarnated beings.
  
• Before heading into any situation carefully consider if you can do the most good by going in person, or by staying behind to do support by way of Correspondence.
  
• Do your utmost to make sure the team sticks together and does not have to rush into combat with opponents that severely outmatch us.
  
• Time can flow both ways.
  
• You should obey the rules of spirit warfare as taught by the Order of Hermes, especially when alone or in a strange place.
  
• Be more confident, don’t paralyze yourself with doubt or second guessing.
  
• Technocrats are human beings too with families to care for, bear it in mind even if you must fight and deceive them.
  
• Remember the Basics of Why Things are Seen, e.g. if you go into a syndicate casino don’t have Time effects running.
  
• Werewolves, despite not having true magic, can sense scrying spells, presumably from being so closely linked to the Umbra.
  
• Don't try to make a deal with a spirit before you have some idea of what kind of spirit it is and what your options are for helping, hindering, and hurting it.
• She learned that not everything about her personal past/past lives are to be feared, and by accepting them, she can gain greater knowledge
• Surviving now is worth debt later
• If you have something to hide bear in mind that the people who know you best are the likeliest to figure it out
• Accept yourself. Even the parts you don't like or wish weren't there
• Mythic magick is very powerful, but Cathy needs to be able to function in the modern world as well.
• I need serious mental healthcare
• The fools laughed at me, but Egyptian myth is pervasive, if hidden, and remains vital to understanding the modern world
• Time is far more malleable than is commonly thought, for better or for worse. Not only can the past affect your present, but the present can affect the past.
• The truth cannot be perceived by mere material eyes, you need the eyes of faith and reason.
• Always hold on to your ideals, even if it means making temporary sacrifices.
• I am a powerful Spirit Mage and should start acting accordingly.
• If the Spirit Courts can't act to do the right thing, I should consider acting for them.
• The things I do can have far-reaching unintended consequences.
• I should have either a magical item or a proper protective spell ready when I'm headed into harms way
• I need to be more proactive in seeking out magical power
• For better or for worse things are changing, what used to be hidden has come to the surface, and we can no longer count on the Ascension War and surrounding events to be hidden from the sleepers.

Equipment

Magical

Revolver

Revolver used to shoot at Jack the Ripper (Constable Nerton inside!)

3 point fetish (15 / 15 points)[Mummy: 15]

Difficulty: 6; Damage: 4; Range: 12; Rate: 2; Clip: N/A; Conceal: J

For 1 point of Power you can add 6 die of damage to any attack, and it will hurt spirits and the supernatural. Needs 2 points of power in particularly static areas though, since poor Corporal Nerton has to overcome the Gauntlet. Also, you can spend another point of Power to call upon his skills. Either +2 to investigation, +2 to Intimidate, or +2 to Firearms

Also if you're acting in a way a police officer would not approve of, he may leave. Since he's there voluntarily, and not bound. Prosecuting dastardly oriental villains is right up his alley though.

The sword Usugoro, slayer of innocents

It's effectively a 2 point Talisman. A dark sooty grey-black blade on a hilt fashioned like a coiled dragon. It will slay spirits and ghosts (agg against them). It gains its greatest power when bathed in the blood of a newborn babe. Then it glows with a wan, sickly blue flame that lasts for a scene. The flame mesmerizes all who see it with horror unless they make a Willpower roll. Otherwise they stand paralyzed until struck down, or the sword is sheathed.

It is an evil weapon, but its extant taint has been removed by Caldwell, so any new taint will be gained through the actions of its next user. Usugoro is also a superbly crafted Katana doing Str+4 damage.

Sacred Egyptian Moon Lotus

This magical lotus appear to have great power, including the power to open up gates between different realms. Though it is a strong proof of the power of the Egyptian pantheon it's hard to tell what else it might do.

Physical Description

Catherine is an attractive woman in her early thirties, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Most of the time she wears old fashioned, vaguely Victorian style dresses. All of this combined with her big glasses, which she doesn't really need, makes her look like the stereotypical cute Victorian librarian.

Allies

Percival Dory

Percival Dory, former lover of Samantha Brigsby, now of Catherine West, though they're both the same through the wonders of reincarnation. Gentleman scientist and adventurer, with a fondness for action. Generally worried about Catherine, especially when she gets up to terrible shenanigans.

Familiar

Monta the Tanuki.

History

Catherine West Incarnations

Catherine was born in the historical town of Middlemarch, to fairly well to do parents. She was an intelligent child who learned to read at the age of six, and delighted in studying books and history. Even as a child she would sometimes see things that had happened in the past, notice odd shadows walking past the corridors. However she soon learned to keep quiet about such things, and to write them off as childish fancies. At least in public, in private she was not so certain, but her secret friends told her to keep quiet.

Despite being a little bookish her good looks and charm made her fairly popular at the Market Snodsbury Grammar School. She graduated with high marks, and went on to her father's university, that is Durham, where she gained an early admission due to academic excellence. Given that she could always rely on her parent's financial support she decided to study history, with an emphasis on Victorian history. For various reasons she soon found herself deeply involved with the study of the early spiritualists, where she became known as something of a research prodigy due to her uncanny ability to dig up relevant letters and notes.

It was during this period that she became involved in a study of certain documents and photographs found in an old Victorian mansion. At the time it looked like a coincidence, but in retrospect it was probably anything but. The documents were accounts and photographs of spiritualist sessions, with in depth discussions of the tests done to ensure that there was no fraud. Obviously no one believed these accounts to be accurate, but they were interesting historical records.

For some reason the records were so pressing that Catherine decided to head out to the mansion. Surprisingly enough, even to herself, she told no one. In fact she parked some distance away from the mansion and walked there. At the time she rationalised these decisions, telling herself that she needed privacy, and to get an unbiased view of things.

The mansion itself was surprisingly unlocked, though she had a key if that would have mattered. Inside she stumbled around with little light, not sure why she hadn't brought a flashlight. Then it happened, she stumbled down into the basement, which was lit by a pair of oil mantle lamps.

Past that point everything seemed like a dream, she found herself wearing an old fashioned dress, and being shown a secret chamber where she could hide documents and paraphernalia. There were many people around her, and she felt like she knew them all.

They went upstairs, where they sat around a round table in a darkened room, forming a spiritualist séance. There were astounding effects, materialisations, but all of a sudden a sceptic leapt up and grasped one of the spirits, only to have it fade away in his grasp. Then something else happened, the light came on, there were whistles, but these weren't the real police she knew that... What happened afterwards she wasn't sure off, but there was a hint of doom and yet deep satisfaction.

When she came to again she was inside the hidden chamber, studying a vast array of documents and books. Wondering if she had gone completely insane. Then a great premonition of danger filled her, the world seemed to warp, and she remembered... She remembered being Samantha Brigsby, famous medium, occultist, spiritualist mage who had tried to reconcile the Dreamspeakers with the Order of Hermes. The memories flowed over her, while at the same time she felt a magical attack upon the mansion.

Summoning the local friendly spirits she gathered the library she had found and brought it with her into the Umbra. Later on she would never have tried such a feat, but at the time her powers were amazing, it was as if she could do virtually anything she tried.

In the Umbra she saw the mansion as a shining castle under siege by dark, mechanical forces, clockwork machines trying to attack the living structure of the mansion. Fortunately the spirits hid her from sight, and when they reached her car she stepped outside again.

For a while she was too shaky to drive, if not for the books piled up in her car she would have thought it was all a fantasy. Then she noticed a glare in the distance, the mansion was on fire. For several minutes she stood there, watching it burn, before she got back into her car and drove away.

Back home she called in sick and spent most of the week trying to make sense of things, with little success. Her dreams were troubled by fragmented, half remembered parts of her past life. In the end she decided to re-enact one of the rituals described in her book, to summon a helpful spirit. If it worked she was still sane, if not, if not she thought she'd need professional help.

Fortunately for her she found it quite easy to summon a friendly spirit, who, in return for a promise of rewards, carried a message to the Order of Hermes.

Unfortunately that is roughly when she came down with a strong fever, after which her memories of the past life were much hazier. Afterwards she was never sure if it was paradox backlash of some sort, or if it was a result of technocracy action to delete the memories of those staff who worked with the mansion papers.

When she recovered she was once more in the position, that only the big stack of books and documents, which she found in her house, convinced her that her memories were real. Or rather that they could be real. Back at the university she went through their documents, and found that they seemed like fairly standard spiritualist accounts. Indeed she had trouble understanding why, a month earlier, they had seemed so fascinating. At this point however she began to suffer something similar to a nervous breakdown.

Eventually she was contacted by House Shaea of the Hermetics, who helped her recover, and cover up the suspicious changes in her behaviour. Then began the long period of study and education, to help develop her abilities, and to help her overcome the problems of her awakening.

Though she is still a novice mage she has had a few interesting assignments due to her circumstances; as a woman of independent means she's able to travel extensively, visit various universities, and study odd artefacts without drawing undue attention.

XP

Previous Sessions - 130 XP
1st & 2nd New Orleans - 5 XP
3rd New Orleans (fleeing the wuffs) - 5 XP
John Score (Werewolf in New Orleans) – 6XP
Return to Chantry & Romancing Dory – 3XP
Unspeakable Mess with the tree, Jodi Blake, and all that – 8XP
Finally destroying von Flammenberg – 7XP
Journey to Victoria Station – 3XP (+4 Paradox, -1 Monta, -6 Quiet)
Lunar Landing – 3XP
Moon Nazis! – 6XP (+4 Paradox)
Each Uisge - 3XP
Moon Lotus Adventure! – 3XP
Travel to Lin Siegens Fort of Doom! – 3XP
Time Travel Adventure (Including Toko's origin story) – 5XP
Death (?) of Lin Seigen & Lots of Talking – 3XP
End of the World! Sort of – 6XP
Quest for Alexander's Grave – 3XP
Quest for Alexander's Grave (Bus Bombings!) – 3XP
Quest for Alexander's Grave (Venice: End of the Road) - 2XP
End of the Lin Seigen Episode! - 6XP
Robot Werespider Pitfighting League! - 5XP
Cathololis – 3 XP
Bad Preacher - 4 XP
Ominous Thunder (Elementals) – 3 XP
Hot Spring Hijinks and Perilous Pagodas – 5 XP
Grand Theft Auto (Tokyo Grandmaslam) – 4 XP
Calling Ma Gernsback – 4 XP
Dutch Commodore, French Robot, and Swedish Sniper – 3 XP
Time Stoppers! (Storming the time pyramid) – 4 XP
Storming Hell (Quiet Like)! - 7 XP
Yu Lan's Unwise Adventure! - 5 XP
Harrowing Hell (With injury to insult) - 8 XP
Tokyo is hell! - 5 XP

XP EXPENDITURE

10 XP Mind 1
1 XP Kuei-Jin Lore 1
15 XP Correspondence 1-2
3 XP Alertness 1
8 XP Perception 3
2 XP Enochian 2-3
4 XP Linguistics 2-4
0 XP Firearms 2
1 XP Vampire Lore 1
1 XP Werewolf Lore 1
24 XP Arete 4
12 XP Spirit 4
3 XP Computer 1
6 XP Will 7
32 XP Arete 5
34 XP Prime 3
3 XP Code of Honour - Ma'at
3 XP Buy off tea addiction
2 XP Athletics 2
2 XP Awareness 2
1 XP Occult 4
3 XP Subterfuge 1
14 XP Correspondence 3
7 XP Mind2
24 XP Correspondence 4
4 XP Occult 5

The Strictures of Ma'at

1.

Offenses against individuals, including murder, rape, torture, and similar crimes. Any deliberate act that leads to death or permanent harm of a living person who lives in harmony with Ma'at. The lives of all persons living in accord with Ma'at must be honoured and respected.

2.

Any of the above intentional offenses against any living creature (not just people) living in accord with Ma'at. Allowing any of the above to take place without trying to prevent it.

3.

Causing harm to any person out of hatred, jealousy, fear, or the like (self defense is acceptable). Destroying particularly valuable or inspirational objects such as ancient ruins or religious icons. Causing harm to yourself, including destructive patterns of behavior.

4.

Doing intentional harm to personal or public property without just cause. Impassioned harm against any living creature. Inflicting emotional harm on another person intentionally.

5.

(Cathy is Here)

Doing harm to another person through ignorance, negligence, or thoughtlessness.

6.

Theft, deception or betrayal against any person.

7.

Doing harm (physical, emotional or spiritual) to any person, ro any reason other than self defense or the upholding of Ma'at.

8.

Doing harm to any living creature, for any reason other than self-defense or the upholding of Ma'at.

9.

Allowing any of the previous offenses to take place in your presence without making an effort to prevent it.

10.

Doing anything less than your absolute best to uphold and embody Ma'at at all times.