Meet Mathew of Bonisagus. Born to a blacksmith in the
center of London, he was a precocious boy. Wickedly smart, he was always sure he could do
anything his brothers could do. This naturally extended to time at the forge, learning
their father's trade.
Unfortunately, Mathew is a complete klutz. He would hoist
the red hot iron onto the anvil, only to have it slip from the tongs and drop on his
brothers boots. As he approached puberty, it became apparent to him and his family that he
was more of a danger than a help. Still cocky, one night Mathew went to the forge in
determination. To his amazement, through a sheer act of will, he caused a perfect sword to
be made: he heated the iron with his mind, forcing the carbon from the hearth into the
metal. He held a perfect vision of a sword in his head, and pushed the new steel into it's
form. Icy water appeared from nowhere and quenched the new masterpiece.
Although his family admired the work, he scared the bejesus
out of them. At age 14 he was shipped off (with the families trusted confidant, Dafydd ap
Gower) to a minor noble cousin in the country (a Jerbiton), where, after a year of study,
he was shuffled off to Wales, to study under a slightly insane elderly member of House
Bonisagus, an elementalist. Here, over 15 long and tiring years, Mathew grew to understand
his unique talents and limitations. His Master (Thaddeus), put him through the gauntlet,
smiling gracefully as he granted Mathew his unique sigil: a rainbow aura as each magic is
worked. With that last gesture, Thaddeus entered final twilight.
Mathew is 30 years old as he starts his new life, with his
faithful blacksmith friend Dafydd ap Gower.
Thaddeus: A Bonisagan elementalist,
extremely old and nearing twilight. Particularly powerful in Aurum and Aquam, has spent
his whole active life refining these forms. As he neared final twilight, his experiments
of grew wilder and less predictable resulting in several lapses into twilight. The last
few had left Thaddeus unconscious for weeks at a time, during which Mathew took care of
the master and studied diligently. Thaddeus was considered by most of his covenant to be
insane, but his elder status and obvious power made him "chief inmate in the
asylum". Mathew was reluctant to leave after his gauntlet, as the Asylum remains the
pre-eminent Library of elementalism in the Order. Many of the books tying elementalism to
hermetic theory were penned by Thaddeus himself.
The Asylum: Deep in the woods of Wales,
nestled in the hillside’s of Snowdonia, a powerful, old, and weird covenant holds
sway. Founded early in the order’s history as a resting place where Magi who have
stepped too far into oblivion can study in safety and peace. The house is predominantly
Criamon, but also included Thaddeus (anchor of Hermetic Elementalism) a Bjeorner who finds
it hard to retain human shape any more, a Merinitus who spends most of her time several
regio up in the Faerie.