SHR Main Page | Opera Propria | Camera Mysteriorum Introduction
Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Str 0, Sta +3, Pre 0, Com -3, Dex 0, Qik +1
Size: 0
Age: 117 (40)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 8 (3)
Confidence Score: 2 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Flexible Formulaic Magic, Greater Immunity to Disease; Affinity with Perdo, Cyclic Magic (Shadowy Hours), Personal Vis Source (Perdo, gained from Twilight Scar), Puissant Perdo, Special Circumstances (Heavy Shadows), Strong Willed; Dark Secret (Umbrus' origins), Plagued by Demons; Cyclic Magic (When shadows are smallest), Deleterious Circumstances (When away from Umbrus), Disjointed Magic (from Twilight Scar), Susceptible to Divine Power, Susceptible to Infernal Power
Personality Traits: Brave +2, Paranoid +2, Wrathful +3
Reputations: Dangerous Wizard (Order of Hermes) 3, Paranoid/Crazy (his covenant) 3
| Fist | +1 | 0 | +1 | 0 |
| Kick | 0 | 0 | 0 | +3 |
| Dodge | +1 | n/a | +1 | n/a |
Soak: +3 (Stamina)
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: Artes Liberales 1 (Ceremonial Magic), Awareness 3 (Shadows), Code of Hermes 2 (Peripheral Code), Concentration 5 (Ignoring Pain), Dominion Lore 3 (Souls), Finesse 5 (Targeting), German 5 (Insults), Infernal Lore 2 (Fighting Demons), Latin 5 (Insults), Magic Lore 4 (Regiones), Magic Theory 7 (Perdo), Parma Magica 8 (Corpus), Penetration 8 (Perdo), Philosophiae 3 (Ritual Magic), Ride 3 (Pursuit), Stealth 3 (Sneaking), Survival 2 (Black Forest)
Arts: Cr 5, In 5, Mu 5, Pe 28+3, Re 5, An 5, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 20, He 5, Ig 5, Im 5, Me 5, Te 5, Vi 20
Twilight Scars: Stephon has had only three Twilights. The first destroyed his ability to draw connections from the spells he knows already (Disjointed Magic). The next one caused him to literally grapple with his shadow for seven years in a shadowy Twilight gloom. When he emerged he began to call himself "Umbrus" and from then on seemed to speak only in the third person; "Umbrus votes this way!" "Umbrus doesn't like this!" "Umbrus will destroy you all!" Or is he actually referring to Umbrus and not himself? He has not bothered to clarify, though he rarely answers to "Stephon" any more and signs his name as "Umbrus." Now when his Shadow wanders, it often comes back with strange dust that clings to the hands. This is Perdo vis (He gained Personal Vis source during his last Twilight), but he is afraid to use it, as he fears that it is corrupted (he is probably right). Now he has lots of it. He had one more near Twilight episode but managed to resist it.
Equipment: Black Robes, Candles
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Description and Background:
Stephon Narboer was a capricious, even cruel young boy. His parents were glad to get rid of him, while Master Malifax whipped discipline into him along with a taste for combat. He is the only magus currently at his covenant who has been here all along and clearly remembers the magi who started it.
At a relatively young age after graduation Stephon performed a great favor for a powerful Bonisagus wizard who specialized in Longevity Rituals. His reward was an incredibly potent ritual, which has seen him through to the rather old age he is currently at. He barely looks as if he has aged at all, but there is evidence of hard living in his eyes and face.
Stephon spent much of his time fighting demons when he could find them, other things when he could not. He eventually earned the title of Master, but in a rather unorthodox way. He went to three different Masters on the first day of the Full Moon with a sealed scroll; they say he offered them the envelope if they did not offer him a Master's token. Whether this is true or not he does not say, but he dares any to dispute that he is a Master.
Some time later Stephon engaged in battle with a horrid demon woman with the features of a cat called the Soul Drinker. He destroyed it, or thinks he did, but found that his shadow was...different afterwards. It often acted on its own, independent of him. Stephon spent ten years studying it and in the end emerged from his lab calling his shadow Umbrus. In reality, he bound the Shadow to him much like one would a Familiar, but the Shadow actually contains both his spirit and...something else. Stephon's magic and activities became heavily shadow and darkness-reliant after that. Umbrus, meanwhile, takes to wandering and is prone to some mischief, but no one realizes yet the truth.
Stephon fears death, and the only thing he fears more than death is Umbrus, whom he also loves. He is paranoid, but then again demons really are out to get him. He is beginning to wonder if the one chance he has rather than redemption (heis afraid to try it at this point), is Final Twilight. He is contemplating attacking his invisible enemies with a huge amount of vis to virtually ensure his last Twilight. Umbrus counsels against that though...better the evil that you know...
Stephon/Umbrus is a small intense middle-aged-looking man. He wears black robes with candles in his belt. His searing eyes are gray, and he constantly looks about himself nervously. His shadow is often out of sync with him and will act out a reflection of its or Stephon's mood. Stephon speaks always in the third person now, it seems, and often talks of his many enemies who will not stay dead.
The Shadow: Umbrus
Umbrus is much like a Familiar and is bound by three cords to Stephon. The method Stephon used to achieve this was a minor breakthrough and unique to the situation that he was in. It is likely not reproducible, and at any rate Umbrus has destroyed the lab texts. The three Cords are:
The Thorny Cord: Score 2/9. Stephon can spend the points after the slash exactly like Confidence points and can spend as many points as his base Cord score in a round. He regains 2 points for every 1 spent at the next Sunset. These points increase his Cord score exactly like an Ability. When a score of 3 is reached, Stephon is irredeemably Damned, though he can live on to wreak further havoc.
The Gray Cord: Score +3. This Cord acts as a bonus on any sinful Personality Traits or Personality rolls that further sin. It acts as a penalty on any virtuous traits or virtuous rolls.
The Ashen Cord: Score +2. Up to the Cord's level in Fatigue levels can be ignored per day from Perdo spells Stephon casts, as long as they involve destroying living things. The Shadow Familiar absorbs them instead.
Umbrus is insubstantial, ranging in size from -1 to +1 depending on light sources, and is largely immune from harm (certain magic might effect it, though it is hard to target). It has a Might of 10, which is Magic for now but will slide to Infernal with its Master's corruption. It can not be fatigued in light that is conducive to shadows (Twilight, candlelight etc) and in this light is size +1. At night and high noon it is very small and weak, with only 3 Fatigue levels and size -1. In normal light it is size 0 with 5 Fatigue levels. It can move on its own away from Stephon but it must always stay within the same Structure or attached to Stephon's feet if they are outside. Umbrus can speak to its Master and others if it chooses but prefers to let people think it is just a strange Twilight Scar (which most do; Stephon has not told anyone his greatest secret). Its main means of interaction is that it can use Unseen Arm and Wielding the Invisible Sling. At its greatest strength these actions cost nothing; when weakened they cost 2 Might per use, 1 Might in average conditions.
Umbrus is sentient, partly composed of Stephon's spirit and partly something...else. Stephon both loves and fears Umbrus, and he fears to lose it most of all. When Stephon sleeps it sometimes guards over him and sometimes wanders. These wanderings will sometimes bring back ashen dust that clings well to the hands and is Perdo vis. Stephon is worried that the vis might be corrupted and has not used it, but has quite a lot right now (25 pawns).
Text copyright © John Padavic 2006.