Itzel Durante

Overview

Appearance

A dark-skinned, dark wavy-haired woman with dark brown eyes, although she laboriously works to stand out by dyeing parts of her hair, piercing her ears and using high-contrast makeup. Her figure is somewhat curvy and bottom-heavy, and fairly toned. She has a tattoo of a snake on her left thigh, which cross-crosses over some self-harm scars. One one is allowed to see it, but especially not Tovar.

Her wrists and thighs are marked with pinkish scars from self-harm, though all but the ones on her left wrist have begun to fade. Her left wrist and hand is continuously bandaged from constant use of her own blood in ritual magic.

Background

Third generation Mexican-American, living in L.A and attempting to complete her doctoral thesis at UCLA. The middle child of a pair of middle-class professionals who gave her everything she wanted in life, except for attention. A proclivity for self-harm and self-sacrifice for the sake of her elder and younger siblings made her a ideal candidate for the clergy of Quetzalcoatl, who has awakened after the destruction of his sect and tasked her with restoring the order of the world.

Lessons

• Prelude: The world is much more strange and dangerous than you think, but you can trust birds.
• Session 7: Everyone has something to gain from remote support, and technology is amazing. Bless that Sistine.

Vital Statistics

Name// Itzel Durante

Tradition// Celestial Chorus (Song of the Ancients)

Concept// Reluctant Priestess of Quetzalcoatl

Image Song// Fulgeance - G I T E M

Nature// Martyr (Self-Sacrifice)

Demeanor// Rebel (Rejection of the Status Quo)

Essence// Dynamic

Chantry//

Things to Track

Willpower// 7

Temporary Willpower// 7

Health Levels// -0 x 1, -1 x 2, -2 x 2, -5 x 1, Incapacitated

Current Damage// 0

Arete// 1

Quintessence// 2/2

Paradox// 2

Attributes

Strength 3//

Dexterity 3//

Stamina 4// Inured to Pain

Perception 2//

Intelligence 4// Educated

Wits 3//

Charisma 5// Authoritative

Manipulation 3//

Appearance 3//

Abilities

TALENTS/

Alertness 1//

Awareness 1//

Athletics 1//

Brawl 1//

Expression 4// Song

Leadership 2//

Streetwise 3//

Subterfuge 3//

SKILLS/

Crafts 3//

Firearms 1//

Drive 3//

Stealth 1//

Etiquette 4// Negotiation

KNOWLEDGES/

Academics 5// Psychology of Religion

Cosmology 1//

Enigmas 5// The Secrets of Narratives

Investigation 5// Research

Law 2//

Lore: Fera 1//

Lore: Vampires 1//

Linguistics 2// Spanish, English, Nahuatl

Occult 4// Rituals

Paradigm

Foci and Spheres

Life 3// Specialty Sphere. Invoked through the shedding of blood, comprehension of the living world and the use of priestly medicine.

Entropy 3// Called into action through priestly proclamations and edicts, and the reading of flowers, stars and other lots.

Mind 1// Sensed through the smell of sweat and blood, and the posture of the castes.

Correspondence 2// Felt by joining with the land by touching and making sacrifices to it.

Prime 2// Blood sustains and powers the universe.

Spirit 1// Patterns on pages, casting of lots and the smell of the wind.

Rotes

A Feast for Eagle Warriors// Life 3, Entropy 1, Mind 1

Consume a meal imbued with scorching chilies to gain preternatural instinct for violence, but non-violent tasks and vocal communication are penalized. May be shared with birds and other animals who can tolerate capsaicin, but not people.

Casting of Lots// Correspondence 1, Entropy 1, Mind 1

Make an offering to Quetzalcoatl and cast lots, provide guidance to person or location that holds the answer.

Coatl Blood-Poison// Life 3, Entropy 1

Transform blood into the Nagah's legendary poison, transforming a lost lethal health level into a single dose of poison. If willingly imbibed, the drinker is denied his Stamina to soak it. This must be done outside the body or the user will die horribly, so it is used as a last resort against tlaciques and other blood-drinkers.

Lesser Coils of the Serpent// Life 3, Correspondence 1

Not a complete transformation of the self, this spell borrows some of Quetzacoatl's divine serpent-nature and bestows snake-like characteristics on the priest. Their vision improves and joints become omnidirectional and trivially capable of dislocating for a purpose, allowing for 360 degree vision and reach.

Pain is Strength// Life 2, Mind 1

Self-inflicted wounds deepen faith. Successes inflict lethal wounds but restore expended Willpower.

Secret Faith// Mind 1, Entropy 1

Convey faith through hidden words and symbols to only communicate with those who share ideology. Quetzalcoatl's conflation with Jesus by missionaries provides fertile ground, but other images and ideologies may do.

The Sun Must Rise// Life 2, Entropy 1, Mind 1

Life must triumph against death. This ritual concentrates the priest's need to live and continue to serve her god and cuts away non-essentials in order to survive. The priest's wounds are healed at twice the normal efficiency through careful self-mutilation and imbibing of blood, but every two health levels regained in this manner temporarily subtract one point of Appearance. 0 Appearance counts as Appearance 5 for the purpose of intimidation and fear-effects.

Backgrounds

Avatar 2// The priestly mantle lays shattered in seven parts, scatted among the Chicomoztoc.

Backup 5// The New Priesthood enjoy the protection of a multitude of birds, wherever they can be reached from the sky.

Cult 1// Some faithful to the old religion have taken notice and ask for blessings.

Library 3// A collection of anthropological and occult documents regarding the Nahua religion. Some of these are genuine texts made hastily to preserve knowledge that would be lost with the end of the Triple Alliance, others are documents written by monotheist Chorister and atheist Technocratic outsiders. While the latter misguided and incorrect, they provide some insights.

Mentor 5// Tovar, a Nagah (Serpent Changing Breed) who has a personal relationship with Quetzalcoatl and is active in the Berkeley area under the guise of running a pest control service. Although he can't help Itzel with Mage-specific things (Arete scores), he can help train most attributes, combat and stealth skills and provides insights into the possibilities of true magick through his own abilities. He is a powerful fera who protects Itzel from those who would seek to keep the Mexica leaderless, but has to keep his own nature a secret.

Resources 1// Grad student life ain't easy. Donations from a small flock are poor, too.

Equipment

Weapons

Obsidian Dagger// Difficulty: 6, Damage: Str+1L, Conceal: P, rolls damage at -2 dif versus clothing and flesh. The blade shatters on any botch or when rolling 3+ successes against a hard surface.

A homemade obsidian dagger. Getting volcanic glass was expensive, and it's not very well made- but insanely sharp nonetheless.

Jade Knife// Difficulty: 7, Damage: Str+2L dif 4, Conceal: P

An antique Aztec jade knife with important ceremonial purposes. An appropriate focus for Itzel's magic.

Merits and Flaws

Merits

Beast Affinity// As his New Priesthood lacks the protection of a temple guard, Quetzalcoatl has declared that the reincarnations of those who served in the previous time must serve again. Thus all birds, from the mighty eagle and flighty hummingbird must obey the commands of the young priests.

Soothing Voice// Between two decades of experience of singing in choirs, talent shows, voice acting lessons and call center work, Itzel has a naturally very nice-sounding voice with a wide range. Some other members of her Sect have taken to calling her the Songbird Priestess for her abilities. -2 to all social rolls involving usage of the voice.

Shattered Avatar// Quetzalcoatl has declared that the avatar of his new high priest has been shattered and scattered among the Chicomoztoc. The meaning of this is ambiguous: it may mean that seven pieces have been placed in seven locations, or among individuals who reflect the descendants of the seven Nahua peoples. The Avatar fragments take the form of a sacred hearts' blood, which must be shared between the priest and the soil to sustain the harmony of the land and heavens.

Flaws

Bard's Tongue// A priest must speak truth, demonstrating etiquette only before the gods.

Conditional Magic// Until its true value is understood, shed blood is a crutch to priestly magic. Forgoing it imposes a +1 difficulty to all Arete rolls.

Compulsion// Itzel suffers from a tendency to self-harm when she's stressed or anxious, something she's been trying to fight for some time. Quetzalcoatl naturally approves and views it as a generous behavior.

Enemy// Made a bitter enemy of The Thing In The Sewers, after cursing it to be incapable of harming others.

Life Drawbacks//

• Increased Body Temperature/ Noticeably warmer to the touch, +2 dice to attempts to track her via temperature.
• Increased Calorie Needs/ Strains the limits of Resources 1 to stay fed, starvation interval is one shorter.

Chargen

Attributes

Physical 24/24

• Strength 1
• Dexterity 2 (4)
• Stamina 4 (24)

Mental 44/44

• Perception 2 (4)
• Wits 3 (12)
• Intelligence 4 (24)

Social 64/64

• Charisma 5 (40)
• Manipulation 3 (12)
• Appearance 3 (12)

Abilities

Talents 27/27

• Alertness 1 (3)
• Awareness 1 (3)
• Expression 1 (3)
• Streetwise 3 (9)
• Subterfuge 3 (9)

Skills 15/15

• Crafts 1 (3)
• Drive 1 (3)
• Etiquette 3 (9)

Knowledges 39/39

• Academics 4 (10)
• Cosmology 1 (3)
• Enigmas 3 (6)
• Investigation 3 (6)
• Law 2 (4)
• Linguistics 2 (4)
• Occult 3 (6)

Backgrounds

Background Points 21/21

• Mentor 5 (3)
• Avatar 1 (3)
• Resources 1 (3)

Spheres

Sphere Points 61/65

• Life 3 (31)
• Entropy 1 (10)
• Mind 1 (10)
• Correspondence 1 (10)

Freebie Points

Freebie Points 118/118

• Willpower 7 (11)
• Library 3 (9)
• Cult 1 (3)
• Backup 5 (15)
• Craft 3 (6)
• Strength 2 (4)
• Expression 4 (12)
• Etiquette 4 (6)
• Enigmas 5 (7)
• Investigation 5 (7)
• Academics 5 (7)
• Occult 4 (3)
• Leadership 2 (5)
• Shattered Avatar (15)
• Beast Affinity (6)
• Soothing Voice (6)
• Conditional Magic (+3)
• Bard's Tongue (+3)
• Compulsion (+3)

XP

Experience Gains

Experience Total/Spent/Unspent (65/63/2)

• Prelude (5 +1 Lesson)
• Interlude (2)
• Session 1 (5)
• Session 2 (5)
• Session 3 (5)
• Session 4 (5)
• Session 5 (5)
• Session 6 (7)
• Session 7 (6)
• Session 8 (5)
• Session 9 (5)
• Session 10: The Killing Tree (5)
• Session 11: Problem Walks Into Patra (4)

Experience Spending

Experience Total/Spent/Unspent (65/63/2)

• Lore: Vampires 1 (3 -1 Mentor)
• Lore: Fera 1 (3 -2 Mentor)
• Entropy 2 (8 -1 Library)
• Strength 3 (Life discount 4 -3 Mentor)
• Dex 3 (Life discount 4 -1 Mentor)
• Entropy 3 (16 -2 Library)
• Drive 2 (2 -1 Mentor)
• Drive 3 (4 -3 Mentor)
• Stealth 1 (3 -2 Mentor)
• Athletics 1 (3 -2 Mentor)
• Brawl 1 (3 -2 Mentor)
• Firearms 1 (3 -2 Mentor)
• Prime 1 (10 -1 Library)
• Prime 2 (8 -3 Library)
• Resources 2 (3 -2 Special)
• Correspondence 2 (8 -2 Library)
• Spirit 1 (10 -2 Library + Mentor)

Freebies

• Avatar 2
• Enemy