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 Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:32 pm
A quick summary.
A little girl gets sick and there's no cure. She reaches for faith to find hope and finds a Plague instead.
Ta-da~
Updates
6/18/2013 - quest thread started. Yay leeches!
6/24/2013 - (first draft of) quest thread finished; thread open to critique!
7/4/2013 - adoption center opened; thread under construction now with Maiden's Hair as the Plague item.
7/8/2013 - once again, open to formal critique.
9/19/2013 - QUEST APPROVED! AHHHHHH
Have a playlist with lots of Regina Spektor because she sings truth.
oo1 - Anna's Theme (The Red Violin Original Soundtrack)
oo2 - Two Birds (Regina Spektor)
oo3 - I'm Alive (Next to Normal, Original Broadway Cast)
oo4 - Ordinary People (John Legend)
oo5 - Nana de Mercedes, violin v. (Pan's Labyrinth Original Soundtrack)
oo6 - Music Box (Regina Spektor)
oo7 - I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie)
oo8 - Que Sera Sera (Doris Day)
oo9 - Song of the Caged Bird (Lindsey Stirling)
o10 - Songs of Captivity and Freedom (Doctor Who Original Soundtrack)
o11 - Human of the Year (Regina Spektor)
o12 - Come to Your Senses (tick...tick...BOOM!, performed by Kelly Carey)
yes that is a Dr. Who song in there don't judge me
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:38 pm
The Keeper
Character name: Petra Crake. Petra, female variant of Peter, derived from the Latin word for "rock", and referencing St. Peter, the "rock" of the Church.
Age: Roughly fourteen to fifteen years old --- she does not know her exact birthdate.
Region: Born in Roanoke, a small northeastern Imisese town near the River Styx. Currently traveling, most likely in Auvinus and Shyregoed because of the number of House of Obscuvos hubs in those regions. She occasionally visits a brother in Easton, Imisus, if she happens to be in the area.
Intended Faction: House of Obscuvos
Appearance:
At 4'9'' Petra's a little on the short side for her age, but she's hoping for a growth spurt. Her hair is dark and long. She keeps it tied back in a French braid style for convenience's sake. Her eyes could be considered either hazel or green, depending on the lighting.
Her fingers have turned a frightening blue-black color due to her affliction, making more dextrous handiwork clumsy but not impossible. There is also some scarring on her arms and hands from the leech therapy that will likely fade after a while. The gangrene will continue to spread over time, though slowly enough to buy her a year or two.
Her clothes are plain and practical, barring the red ribbon she received from a member of the Order of Nightingales. She keeps it on her at all times, usually in her hair. In public, she almost always keeps on a pair of gloves so as to hide her gangrenous fingers.
Personality:
 Enneagram Profile: Type 2 (The Helper), Wing 1 (The Reformer)
Petra is right on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, and as such exhibits a combination of both childish and mature characteristics. Her working class upbringing means that Petra is no stranger to honest hard work. From a young age, her mother instilled in her the importance of her duties and obligations as a daughter and eventual wife, so Petra takes the concept of responsibility seriously. On a more lighthearted note, as a child she also spent much of her time out of the house playing with the neighborhood children. Social, bright, and inquisitive, Petra nonetheless did not seek out an education other than the mandatory teachings of the local church. Her moral code is therefore much in alignment with the teachings of the Church of Panyma. However, at her age she is also quite impressionable. Her experiences and the people she meets at this point in her life will greatly influence her changing views of the world.
Petra truly believes that you can accomplish anything if you just keep on trying. Whether this is a sign of her naivety or optimism depends on the point of view. She values perserverance as a sign of character, and thus highly disapproves when other people show signs of giving up. When her eldest brother Jehan was having doubts about applying to the Imperial Guard and its rigorous training program, she dumped sand in all of his food and drink for a week to show him "what a tough life really means." In any case, Jehan did eventually join the Guard, though it probably wasn't solely because of Petra's sand treatment.
Jehan and her argue a lot, but that doesn't stop them from being each other's favorites. In their family, they are the only two who share a desire for more than the small town life in which they grew up. Before the affliction took hold, Petra used to dream of marrying a traveling soldier, who would take her with him to all the different regions of Panymium. Petra loves to try new things and new experiences, and can get frustrated when something or someone prevents her from doing so.
At the core, Petra is a person motivated by her feelings. She does think before she leaps -- in fact, she rarely makes a decision without extensively weighing the outcomes of each choice. But her thought process is based on the emotional or moral consequences of each choice rather than what would be most logical. If Petra were an intellectual, she'd argue that she is in fact a logical person, who simply takes into account the factor of emotions as a part of the logic. But she received no schooling past age ten, and thus is not quite so eloquent.
In the aftermath of her illness, Petra's feeling-based motivation becomes primarily faith based. Not, as her family believes to be and disapproves, a delusion that Obscuvos will heal her when Panyma would not. Petra knows that any cure at all is unlikely, or if one is found, it may be too late for her. ("I'm lame, not blind," she is fond of reminding her brother.) Petra's faith stems more from a belief that if she lives her life fully and well, the length of it does not truly matter. She sees an importance in having hope for the future, no matter how slim that hope is, because hope provides meaning for life.
Still, it is often hard for Petra to keep the flames of her faith lit so very bright, as her illness continues to progress. Every day is a struggle to regain that epiphanic sense of peace and assurance that she felt when the Order of the Nightingales prayed over her. What challenges her faith the most is her increased perception that she is useless, helpless, and a burden to those who care for her. So she keeps herself busy and her outlook sunny, in an effort to chase such self-pitying thoughts away. For the most part, she is successful.
History:
When Petra was fourteen years old, her fingers turned black. Hers was the first case of the ergotism plague that swept the little town of Roanoke.
As the family which brought the plague, by the laws of the community so must the Crakes be the family to cure it. The town's Panymese priest suggested that the family travel to the port city Persea, burial place of Magister Anthea. It was rumored that if sufferers of the "holy fire" touched any part of her earthly remains, they would be touched by her blessing. Petra and her father took three days to travel to the eastern Imisus shore where Persea was located. Once there, using the funds that the Roanoke Church had collected from all the townspeople, they obtained a lock of Magister Anthea's hair.
They returned home in victory. But when the priest opened the box to exhibit the relic, he shrank back in horror. The lock of hair was slick with an evil aura that could only mean one thing: it was infected with the Black Death. No one could touch it without risk of catching the disease. The townspeople bemoaned their fate to have hope brought so close, only to be snatched away. They accused Petra of corrupting the relic with her tainted hands and sinful heart. The next morning, the Crakes awakened to the sound of sobbing and the smell of dead flesh. As if by divine punishment, Petra's youngest brother had also contracted the holy fire.
Henry had always been a sickly child, and the disease spread faster in him than it did with Petra. With young Henry fading rapidly, the Crakes put all of their savings into finding the best doctor their money could buy -- which, frankly, was not much. The doctor poked and prodded and hrmmed and finally prescribed the customary cure-all of the time: leeches. The treatment consisted of placing leeches on Henry's and Petra's affected limbs until they passed out, to be repeated every twelve hours. In the meantime, the darkness seeped to yet another of Petra's fingers, and almost Henry's entire foot was now black. The doctor pulled their parents aside and informed them that amputation was the only option.
They operated on Henry first. He was dosed with as much wine as he could take, but Petra could still hear him screaming in agony as they chopped him up. Worse than imagining the pain, though, was imagining what bleak life would remain afterward. Crippled, and for what? The doctor had said that leeching would work, and he was wrong. Who was to say that amputation would be the right thing to do? When it came to Petra's turn, she balked. She pleaded for them to give her some time to prepare for the ordeal. The doctor agreed to give her one day to say her prayers. But, he warned, they must amputate or else risk the fire reaching her heart in no less than two years.
Petra was tired of prayers that went unheard and treatments that didn't work. She had followed the teachings of the Church all her life, and did not understand what she'd done to deserve such punishment. Perhaps she wasn't even being punished for anything. Perhaps God just didn't care. At the lowest point of her despair, she was visited by a most extraordinary lady who asked Petra's parents if she might pray for their daughter. She wore a red ribbon in her hair and seemed just like any other person, until she put her hands over Petra's ears. The lady was an Obscuvian from the Order of Nightingales; they had heard of the plague in Roanoke and came to ease the town's suffering. As the woman prayed to Obscuvos in a low, soothing murmur, Petra felt a great weight lift from her chest. The woman did not beg or cry for a miraculous cure; instead, Petra listened as the woman spoke words of peace and Paradise, and indeed Petra could feel the fear that had plagued her heart for the past month disappear. As the woman finished her prayer, Petra experienced a clarity of the mind which she had never felt before.
No, she told the doctor and her family. No amputation. In amputation, she saw only a life filled with regret and what-ifs. If she lived with her illness, at least she could hold onto the tiny hope that someday, medicine may find the answer to the cure. A short life filled with hope was better than a long life of despair. The adults argued with her and even tried to force the decision, but the prayer lady -- an Obscuvian, they were now outraged to discover -- defended the little girl's will. This alliance with an Obscuvian was the last straw for the town of Roanoke. They already blamed her, the first to be afflicted, for the disease that ravished their countryside. The relic hadn't worked because she was the one who corrupted it. And now, she was aligning herself with the Devil. They cast her out from the only home she'd ever known, along with the Plagued relic she'd foisted on them.
For a short time, Petra stayed with her brother in Easton. But Petra's idea of life did not include being a useless burden to her brother. If she only had a few more years to live, she wanted to use them to do something worthwhile. So she looked to the north, and dreamed of joining the Order of Nightingales...
*Quick note: gangrenous ergotism is a very real affliction that plagued many medieval towns, though outbreaks are considerably more rare in modern times. The disease which Petra has is very similar in all of its symptoms, but I have made it more slow-acting for creative purposes.
Views on the Fellowship: Petra hasn't had much interaction with the Fellowship, but because of their close ties with the Panymisian religion, she would likely feel wary of their company. Their strong aversion to anything or anyone Obscuvian would probably put a wrench in their relationship as well.
Views on the Council: Petra associates the Council with the doctor who failed to cure her. As such, she does not trust science. She does not question the Council's motives, only their ability to effectively solve the problems of the world.
Views on the Guard: Her brother is training for it, so Petra sees the Guard in a positive light. She doesn't really know much about it though.
Views on the House: Just as the Order of Nightingales showed her kindness in her darkest times, so does Petra seek to emulate them. The concept of spiritual equality, obscurity/normalcy, and reverence of chaos highly appeals to her as a young working-class female. Petra remains innocent of the more fiendish going-ons of the House, but if the House phrases any requests by appealing to her sense of duty and obligation, Petra will be more than eager to show her dedication to the faction. Despite her personal conviction of her Obscuvian views, Petra generally does not flaunt her Obscuvian faith in public and to some degree seeks to hide it. She is all too aware of how the Panymisian majority views the Obscuvian minority.
Views on Plagues: She feels no fear of Plagues; after all, it would be silly to swap fear of one plague for another. As a Grimm she would likely treat her Plague with a good deal of reverence, keeping in line with her Obscuvian beliefs and Anton's chaotic/chaos alignment. She would definitely feel some secret pride over being "chosen" as a Keeper of a Plague, a duty which she would throw herself into whole-heartedly.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:44 pm
The Relic
aka the Plague
Item: Maiden's Hair, a relic of Magister Anthea of Persea.
Name: Anton. He does not adopt Petra's surname, but sometimes adds the epithet "of Persea".
Gender: Male
Item history:
*Information on the history of Magister Anthea can be found in one of the posts below.
In a port city such as Persea almost anything is up for trade, including relics. Because Magister Anthea was buried in Persea, she is a particularly popular patron to those with all sorts of troubles: money, love, health, and more. It is rumored that any devout follower who touches a part of her remains will be touched by her blessing. While her mummified tongue, displayed in the main church in Persea, is the most well-known Magister Anthea relic, locks of her hair are also quite popular among the more common folk because numerous of them exist.
This particular lock of hair was the property of one of the smaller churches in the city, known affectionately as the Salty Chapel because of its immediate proximity to the sea. People from all walks of life sought out the Salty Chapel to ask for Magister Anthea's blessing; for example, many sailors came before a long voyage to touch the relic and pray for a safe return.
As is the nature of these things, some of the prayers were answered. Others were not. The fortunate thanked Magister Anthea for rewarding their faith, while the priest comforted the families of the less fortunate with assurances that God's plan is in all things, whether we understand Her reasons or not.
Occasionally, when business took the priest away from Persea for an extended amount of time, the priest would take the relic with him for safe keeping. One day, on one of these travels, a man asked to approach the relic. His skin was covered in patches of buboes, and when he coughed into his sleeve, the fabric came away flecked with blood. He prayed for his health, and that of his wife and newborn son. As the man stroked the lock of hair, a black aura crept along its silky strands, unnoticed by the hapless priest.
When the priest returned home to Persea, he was horrified to discover what had happened to the precious relic. He would have to buy a new one, discreetly, before the chapel's reputation was ruined for good. But where would he find the funds? Fortunately, there happened to be a traveler and a daughter in Persea that day, desperately looking for a relic of Magister Anthea...
Petra and her father thought it lucky that they were able to find such a kind priest to sell them a relic at a discounted price. In their hurry to return home, they did not notice anything out of the ordinary about the lock of hair -- after all, Magister Anthea had dark hair, and the port city was full of strange smells. It wasn't until they returned to Roanoke that the deception was revealed. By then, it was too late.
Personality:
Enneagram Profile: Type 4 (The Individualist), Wing 3 (The Achiever)
As only a part of a living thing, a lock of hair cannot truly be considered either alive or dead. Instead, it occupies a space close to life -- quite literally, as it is separated only by a layer of skin and bone from the brain, the powerhouse of the human body.
And so is the maiden's hair Plague close to human in its mannerisms, yet not truly human. As an Excito, Anton acts much like a human child who is wildly curious about everything, and can be quite reckless as a result. He is forever touching things, smelling things, and even putting things in his mouth. He seems to take great pleasure in doing all the things that he couldn't do as an immobile lock of hair, particularly in his new ability to speak, and can amuse himself by playing with the sounds of words and names for hours. While Anton enjoys touching everything, he especially enjoys getting very touchy-feely with other humans and Plagues. In a word, he's clingy. (This can be somewhat off-putting to the others, especially once he discovers his fixation with other people's hair). His physicality has nothing to do with attachment or sentiment of any sort, unless he has arrived at the feeling separately; there's just something about the physical touch of others, indiscriminate of whom, that seems to comfort him. This is reminiscent of how hair is attached to skin, and also of how people were always touching him during his time as a relic.
Anton has a strong desire to be liked by other people and Plagues. As a result, he comes across as quite amicable and eager to please -- not to the extent of bending over backwards for them, just a moderate people-pleasing nature. He may get anxious when someone does not warm up to him instantly, though he makes every attempt to cover up his insecurities with a cool, charming facade. In general he is preoccupied with how people perceive him, and as such takes great stock in reputation and status.
Because Anton is so amicable, it's difficult for Petra to really get mad at him for the lies. Lying comes as naturally to him as speaking, though not quite as often, and consequently it can be difficult to discern the truth from the fiction. He does not lie out of malice (very few of his lies actually hurt anyone), and some of his lies he actually believes to be at least partially true -- similar to how sometimes children can tell themselves a falsehood so many times that they're able to convince themselves of its veracity. For other lies, Anton is perfectly and guiltily aware of what is coming out of his mouth. Anton may especially feel the need to lie in order to boost or protect his desired reputation as a "nice guy".
Lies especially come into use when avoiding confrontation. Though he generally does not feel hatred toward those who do not share his views (from religion to favorite colors), may feel a superiority over and pity for their ignorance. It would be difficult to push him as far as visible anger; instead, he would strive to act the "better person", acknowledging their points in a show of empathy while inwardly remaining strong in his conviction that his point of view is the correct one. His propensity to lie may seem at odds with his eagerly idealistic nature, but while he does strongly hold to a moral code, it is not a moral code necessarily shared by the majority. Anton is proudly Panymisian and therefore much of his moral code extrapolates from his research on Panymisian theology, but Panymisian (like RL Christianity) is such a widely practiced religion that it contains a multitude of philosophical variances within -- just as there are extremist Obscuvians, there are also extremist Panymisians! Anton particularly subscribes to the concept of spiritual inequality, in direct contrast to the Obscuvian tenet of obscurity and normalcy. Though Anton logically knows that spiritual status and worldly status are not equivalent, he is easily lured into confusing the two. All beings with a soul, however, are sinners to varying degrees (with some fated to be more or less divine than others, such as the "divine passage passed down by Panyma" [source: "Obscuvian" entry in PD wiki]) and must redeem themselves throughout their lives in preparation for Judgement Day. Similar to the beliefs of Magister Anthea (more information in a post below), Anton places great value in redemption through suffering. This contributes to his recklessness (which also manifests as persistence in the face of unfavorable odds), as Anton fails to grasp the concept of consequences; just as the earthly life pales in significance to the spiritual life after, any misfortune which may come about by his actions such as running into a dangerous situation or speaking out about his beliefs would only serve as another step in his path to ultimate redemption. Anton is a big picture kind of guy and is less focused on the practical details in-between. He values ends over means and is able to justify his lies based on this priority. In an extreme situation, Anton would even consider sacrificing or otherwise contributing to the detriment of a greater sinner for the benefit of a lesser sinner. This also justifies the adage of "sacrifice one to save many" if a situation calls for it, as the number of redeemed souls comes into question. In these cases where the desired ends do call for questionable means, Anton would certainly feel internal moral conflict, but accept his emotional suffering as just one of many divine trials that Panyma has decided to bestow upon him.
Anton remains undecided on the gender of Panyma; if forced to decide, he would most closely align with the belief that Panyma is genderless, but mostly he simply deems the whole matter inconsequential. Therefore, though Anton does not believe in spiritual equality on a universal level, he does not believe in any difference between male and female souls (or anything in between). He takes neither the low road or high road in regards to female status and dislikes focusing on such immaterial labels -- men and women are first and foremost people. His prejudices run more to a person's reputation and legacy.
The relationship between Petra and Anton appears healthy and equal, but their feelings toward each other differ slightly in underlying motive. Petra considers Anton to be her charge or ward. His mental and physical well-being are her responsibility, a duty she takes seriously. Petra finds it easier to forget about her own self-pity when she puts all her energy into taking care of something else, so she voluntarily throws all of her love into raising the Plague. In return, Anton views Petra similar to how a saint might view his most loyal "disciple", for the lack of a better word. He expects her adoration and takes it somewhat for granted because, after all, aren't religious idols meant to be treated with reverence? Anton accepts her "worship" and, like a shepherd protecting his flock, assumes an obligation to care for her in return -- even to the detriment of other people who do not fall under his protection. This selective caring nature extends to any other humans or Plagues he might view as his "followers". One of the few times when his wrath might show itself would be if somebody purposefully attempts to harm somebody under his protection. His intentions are well-meaning, but in a way that is inherently demeaning; essentially, he sees most other people, even Petra, as lesser than him and therefore in need of his guidance and protection.
There is one person in Anton's life more important than Petra: Magister Anthea. Starting when Anton is a very young Excito, Anthea walks in his dreams and speaks with him. These nights are spent discussing a wide variety of things, from small talk to philosophical arguments to motherly advice. He sees her as his best friend, his confidante, and -- occasionally -- his moral compass. It is unknown if this Anthea of his dreams is actually the historical saint speaking to him from her grave, but Anton certainly believes that she's the real deal, and his natural curiosity will certainly propel him to research more about Anthea's life and beliefs in the waking world, as well as theology in general. Anton sees these visions as proof that he is a true relic of Magister Anthea, and as such sees himself as a reincarnation or manifestation of the saint herself, which is a source of great pride to him, considering his Panymisian beliefs about spiritual inequality and redemption -- with a previous life as Anthea under his belt, Anton's "redemption points" start off at a significant advantage over normal people. To Anton, "Anthea" is as much who he is as "Anton"; he is a part of her, just like a lock of hair is only part of a greater person.
Views on the Fellowship, Council, and Guard: Anton would approve of the Fellowship's and Council's ties with the Church of Panyma. Subsequent feelings about organizations would depend on his impressions of those affiliated with each faction.
Views on the House: Once he learns how other Panymisians feel about the House of Obscuvos, Anton will also grow to disapprove of what the cultists stand for. Though he must grudgingly agree with their high opinion of Plagues, the concept of spiritual equality sounds like complete nonsense to him. In addition, the thought of Obscuvos devouring the world at the day of Catalyst seems vulgar, and the worship of Obscuvos at all over Panyma and Ada is just completely wrong in Anton's mind.
Views on Humans: Anton doesn't have anything against the human race as a whole, but he tends to view most of them as spiritually common and therefore not of significance. A human who ranks high in the political/social/academic/religious sphere would be able to earn his respect. He is also attracted to virtuous personality traits and optimistic attitudes, as well as people who affirm his beliefs and/or boost his ego.
Views on Plagues: Anton believes that Plagues do have souls. In this, he has one of his few outright disagreements with the Panymisian doctrine. His opinion of individual Plagues would depend on a variety of things -- similar to how he views humans, reputation and personality are important, but Plagues differ from humans in that instead of inheriting a lineage, they arise from an item or creature. If this item or creature has religious or magical connotations, Anton may very well add that to the Plague's favor.
Concept ideas:
Putesco form
Likely Alignment: N/A
Petra isn't educated well enough on plagueology to distinguish gender on Putesco Plagues, and therefore dubs it "Anthea" after the magister from whence it came.
Excito form
Likely Alignment: Caedos (Chaotic)
Anton's revealed gender as male is quite the surprise for Petra. She subsequently masculinizes the name "Anthea" to "Anton".
Anhelo form
Likely Alignment: Infitialis (Chaos)
Anton is unable to feel pain, since hair contains no nerve endings with which to feel pain. He can, however, still get injured, even if he doesn't notice it. This only fuels his reckless behavior.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 6:32 pm
Additional Information
The Crake family
- Robert "Hob" Crake, father, 45
- Irina Crake, mother, 38
- Jehan Crake, eldest son, 20
- Robert Crake, second son, 17
- Petra Crake, only daughter, 14
- Henry Crake, youngest son, 10
The Crake family owns the resident bakery in the town of Roanoke. They are firmly in the middle of the working class, and like most of their neighbors are followers of the Church of Panyma, based more on the traditions of the region than on actual religious fervor. Robert "Hob" Crake was born and raised in Roanoke, the eldest of three sons. He was apprenticed to his father early, and took over the bakery once his father died.
Irina Marinov immigrated with her parents from Ecara to eastern Panymium when she was six years old. Her father found work in Roanoke, and the family rented one of the rooms across from the Crake family's bakery. Hob started courting Irina when she was 17 and he was 24. He proposed within the year, and the couple had the first of their four children within another year. (Hob got to name the boys. Irina had the privilege of naming their only daughter.)
The eldest son, Jehan, is currently a Private in the Guard stationed in Easton, Imisus. It hasn't been all that he'd expected, however. Some of the things he's seen in his travels have been enough to put a dent in his religious upbringing. He no longer prays or goes to Church regularly. He does still believe in the existence of a God, but he just doesn't want to bother with a God who doesn't care. He and Petra have always been close, but recently he has been uncertain what to make of her since her banishment from Roanoke and newfound interest in the House of Obscuvos. Unlike his parents, however, he would not turn Petra away if she decides to visit.
The second son, Robert, is expected to take over the family business. Petra, before her affliction, would have been expected to marry in few years then learn to help her husband with his work. Now, her future is up in the air. Little Henry will likely be dependent on his parents and older brothers for the rest of his life; nobody will take an apprentice with no hands or feet.
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Magister Anthea of Persea
Name: Born Giada Ouro, but assumed the name Sister Anthea upon taking her vows
Age: Lived from 1298 to 1333 (34 years old at death)
Appearance: Dark hair, pale grey eyes, and lightly tanned complexion. Though historically Anthea was known for being quite conservative in her manner of dress, as a saint she is often depicted in sumptuous clothing featuring extravagant colors and ornate designs. Symbolically, this discrepancy is meant to illustrate how a humble and frugal way of living leads to a richness in spirit and soul. For inspiration, look to pictures of Our Lady of Guadalupe: X X X
History:
Giada was the youngest child of three in a wealthy Imisese family. Her childhood was happy and relatively untroubled. Inheriting an Ecaran-Uquese background from her mother's side of the family and an Ecaran background from her father's, Giada grew up with a deeply religious upbringing. From an early age, she knew that she wanted to dedicate her life to the glory of Panyma and Ada.
Giada left home at age 17 to enter the convent in Persea. She took her vows at age 19, casting away her previous life and assuming her new name Sister Anthea. Having grown up sheltered by her family's wealth, Sister Anthea was greatly affected by the poverty and suffering she saw around her as a nun. She became increasingly frustrated with her inability to help, and three years after taking the veil, Sister Anthea left the convent in order to work more closely with the poor and the sick.
In five short years, Sister Anthea gained much popularity in Imisus for her famed kindness and initiatives to help the unfortunate. Gathering a loyal group of followers around her, she supervised the founding of many projects such as orphanages, poorhouses, and clinics for the sick. Anthea also began to gain a reputation for her passionate sermons and speeches, which she would hold out in the open for all of the public to hear. In time, she became somewhat of a political figure in her own right, as people in power began to express open admiration and respect for her.
Anthea passed away at age 34 from an infection, after her health was significantly weakened from undiagnosed convulsive ergotism. She suffered from such symptoms as seizures and delirium near the end, and she often spoke of a painful ringing in her ears which she interpreted as the voice of God calling her from her mortal shell. These symptoms only served to further convince her followers of her divinity. After her passing, many of her alleged body parts popped up in Persea and other areas all around Imisus, peddled as relics. She was canonized after multiple claims of miraculous healings involving those who touched some part of her earthly remains.
Anthea has been dubbed by some as the patron saint of lost things or people, due to a popular urban legend where she returned a lost girl to her parents after finding the girl's lost doll. As a result, people with all sorts of requests appeal to Magister Anthea -- lost love, lost money, lost faith, lost health.
Beliefs:
Sister Anthea was brought up by very conservative Panymisian parents. Despite their wealth, they lived frugally and practically. In accordance with Panymisian values, Anthea extolled such traits as humility, obedience, and charity in her numerous sermons. She eschewed the concept of luxury and decadence, seeing such things as a waste when there were so many people less fortunate than her. She could not abide the hypocrisy of those who committed themselves to the Panymisian faith but did not follow all the teachings of the Book of Ada. This contributed to her decision to leave the convent, for she felt that isolated as she was in the nunnery she could not truly exercise Ada's teachings of kindness to her fellow man.
Anthea had very specific beliefs regarding the suffering of man. She believed that, as Ada had suffered for the sins of mankind, suffering and pain brought man closer to God by allowing him to feel what Ada had felt. She therefore saw the poor and the sick in some ways more holy than those who had suffered relatively fewer hardships. When nursing the sick, she often encouraged them to embrace their pain as a gift from God. As she neared her own death, she frequently expressed thanks to God for showing her the ultimate enlightenment in the form of her own suffering.
*History and Beliefs roughly inspired by the lives of St. Anthony of Padua and Mother Teresa.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:50 pm
Possible Future Plottings
Cure
Do miracles exist? Anton will be actively looking for one, even if Petra is content to only hope and pray. Finding a cure becomes something of an obsession with Anton, as he has already failed her as a Putesco. As time runs out, Petra may have to resort to amputation to save her life...but we'll cross that bridge once we get to it.
Survival, and Joining the Order
Petra doesn't have many options available to her, but by a strange combination of luck and tenacity, she'll find ways to make her living. Her father has left her under Jehan's care in Easton, but he cannot devote the money or the time to properly care for her while working with the Guard. Inspired by the treatment she received at the hands of the Order of Nightingales, Petra will seek out Lettie Arelgren (knife effect) in hopes of joining the Order. But Petra's youth and inexperience makes such a prospect impractical.
Instead, through Lettie's introduction, Petra will travel for some time with Innocent the Black-Eyed Quietus (NPC). In exchange for her assistance with various things (for example, whatever he can't do without hands), Innocent will take care of her and educate her about the Obscuvian ways. Petra will stay with Innocent at least until she has learned enough to formally join the House. Sometime during Anton's mid-Excito period, Petra will once again appeal to Lettie to join the Order. Depending on what Lettie thinks is wise, she may or may not agree. If she does not, Petra will be sure to try again in the future. Unless something drastic happens, Petra's biggest dream will continue to be joining the Order.
Once Anton becomes an Excito, Petra will develop an interest in Plagueology. As a Keeper, she would feel obligated and inspired to learn more about Plagues in order to better care for him. Once again through Lettie's help, Petra will be introduced to Dr. Adlam, the Plagueologist (NPC) in order to work as his assistant and to learn about Plagueology from him. In this way, she will hope to contribute to the cause of the House of Obscuvos.
If at any given time Petra is not under the care of someone (for example, when working for the Order), Petra will not be above living off the charity of others in her travels, especially Obscuvian monasteries and other charitable organizations. Her hands may be used to gain donations of pity, but mostly Petra will use her status as a Grimm of a Caedos (which, along with Infitialis, are considered sacred in Obscuvian culture) to inspire reverence or respect.
Family
Once Petra joins the House, she'll have access to the flockery. The flockery will allow Petra to send letters to Jehan as well as her family back in Roanoke. Though Jehan might reply and keep in touch, her parents and other brothers will not. They have cut off all ties with her, following her banishment from the town.
Religious Tensions
Magister Anthea is a Panymisian saint, which means that Anton will be loyal to the Panymisian faith. With Petra's conversion to Obscuvian, Anton is put at odds with both her and the House as a whole. Petra's saving grace is her devotion to Anton; instead of branding his Grimm as a traitor or heretic, he sees her more as a lost lamb who needs to be guided to the right path. As Petra continues further down the Obscuvian path, however, Anton's faith in Petra and himself may begin to falter.
Veracity
Relics are of high demand in a religious world struck by the Plague, and unfortunately, there tend to be a great deal more fake relics than the actual items. Is Magister Anthea's hair a true relic? Or is it just a cheap joke that's been played on Petra and the town of Roanoke? The evidence for either supposition will be conflicting -- his gender as male seems to suggest a fraud, but what of the visions of Magister Anthea that come to him at night?
Corruption
The lying is so innocent, at first. Making up fanciful tales of things that never happened, switching a few details here and there, letting an assumption run free. But lies beget more lies, especially when used for a purpose. Sometimes, the greatest harm comes from misguided good intentions. Such as manipulating Petra into getting the amputations, for example..?
Romance
Romance for Petra is out of the question, unless a suitably-aged candidate for some puppy love cuteness shows up. True, in medieval times it was entirely possible for a tween to marry an older guy, but I don't feel comfortable RPing that (though unrequited schoolgirl crushes are definitely within the realm of possible). Anton on the other hand would have more options open to him, but his habit of lying about almost everything might make relationships a bit complicated.
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:40 pm
Some Interesting Reading
Ergot Poisoning/Ergotism/"Holy Fire"/"St. Anthony's Fire"
*Ergotism isn't a bacterial or viral infection, but fungal poisoning. There are two separate sets of symptoms that can manifest: one has seizures and hallucinations and other fun stuffs, and the other results in gangrene of extremities.
Ergot of Rye: History
Another report on ergot and its effects [doc]
A blog entry on some modern cases of gangrenous ergotism
Leeches and/or Bloodletting *this is a remnant of my original Leech Plague quest. However, it is still interesting information on the medical practices on the time c:
*Bloodletting is the general practice of withdrawing blood from a patient in order to put the four humours back into balance. This includes the use of leeches, as well as other means. The use of leeches has been shown in modern times to actually have potential beneficial effects, but in medieval times bloodletting using leeches was often detrimental as the patient would be bled to the point of fainting, which was thought to be a good sign.
Wiki page on medicinal leeches
Care of Leeches
Wiki page on bloodletting
Article on leeches and maggots in medicine
Thank you to kotaline, The Semblance of Unity, Nilah44, knife effect, and ex o ex Snoof for feedback/critique/idea bouncing so far! You've all been such a tremendous help and ever so patient with all of my bothering. This thread is now open to formal critique and feedback so go ahead and tear me down via Skype (gwendyfwendy), PM, or posting in this thread!
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