Svengi Knarllifist of House Bjornaer
filius Horthgar Bjornesonn
(Viking Mage, Final Version)

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Background

Horthgar Bjornesonn of House Bjornaer, commonly known as Horthgar the Oft Maligned, was the master to Svengi Knarllifist. He was not a particularly intelligent magus. He was disliked throughout the Order of Hermes, and knew it. Most of his life was spent in seclusion, working modest magics to spite people who had, or he thought had, done him wrongs. Horthgar's only reason for taking an apprentice was to help him with his work.

Svengi's life as an apprentice began at the age of eight, when his poor peasant parents sold him to Horthgar, His parents feared Horthgar's wrath if they did not take the small amount of silver offered for their third son. For the next fifteen years, Svengi's life consisted of acting as personal servant and laboratory assistant. His education proceeded slowly at first, as Horthgar would teach him only sporadically, as he needed Svengi to know something to help. Svengi soon became quite good at recognizing when his master would be open to answering questions, and rarely missed an opportunity to learn what he could. Although he received an adequate education, he knew that it was mainly due to his own efforts, not the desire of his master.

In 898 AD, Svengi's chance to leave Horthgar appeared. Horthgar was instructed to attend the Tribunal at Durenmar in Germany. Here, Svengi was able to demonstrate his abilities to other Bjornaer magi. These magi questioned Horthgar as to why Svengi was still an apprentice after seventeen years. In defense, Horthgar said that he was only waiting for the Tribunal to declare Svengi a magus. At this point all that mattered to Svengi was that he was acclaimed a magus of House Bjornaer, and thus was free of Horthgar. The next evening, he met with a group of newly graduated ex-apprentices, and his adventures began.

Once free of his master, Svengi had only two notable desires. First, to sail the seas as a Viking ... as he had heard in the tales told by bards on special occasions. Second, to learn stronger magics, to increase his power and abilities. Unfortunately, it seems neither of these will ever be his. Fleeing from Horthgar meant that he would be years getting back to the fjords and the Viking way of life. Also, his access to magical knowledge, while never great, is almost nil, given the limited resources of his new life.

Svengi Knarllifist, Viking Mage, is a tall, blonde, moderately muscular, classic Nordic Viking type. He normally dresses in a shirt and trousers, with a heavy leather vest for protection. He is an outgoing and generally personable sort of fellow, although he does like to gossip, something he considers a great asset, although not everyone might agree with him on this point. Svengi's greatest personal problem is his constant over-confidence. He has a tendency to be easily excited by any tense situation, and to then rush in where a bit of careful though is probably called for.

Other Comments

This is the second version of Svengi Knarllifist, Viking Mage. The first version was a reclusive shapeshifter / weather wizard. Unfortunately, all but one of the other players in the campaign also created reclusive characters. The party just didn't make any sense. One player commented that we needed an eight-sided room so there could be enough corners for everyone to have a corner of their own in which to hide. None of those characters would have been willing to go off on their own into the wilderness. At the Campaign Master's request, Svengi was changed to be a more outgoing leader for the party.

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General Information Name: Svengi Knarllifist House: Bjornaer Covenant: None Age: 25 Year Born: 873 AD / 1012 AA Gender: Male Size: 0 Decrepitude: 0 Twilight Points: 0 Confidence: 3 Player: David Ternes

Characteristics Intelligence: +3 Not obvious Perception: -2 Near sighted Strength: +1 Strong arms Stamina: +2 Magic related Presence: -1 Overbearing Communication: -2 Talks very, very fast Dexterity: -1 Fidgits Quickness: 0 Time Current Season and Year: Spring 898

Magical Arts Technique Level Form Level Creo 5 Animál 2 Aquam 3 Intéllego 5 Auram 6 Córporem 4 Muto 5 Herbam 2 Ignem 2 Perdo 5 Imágonem 2 Mentem 1 Rego 5 Terram 4 Vim 5

Personality Traits Brave +1 Excitable +2 Leader +1 Outgoing +1 Sea Eagle +1 Reputations Foolish master 2 Amoung magi Gossip 2 Amoung magi

Virtues and Flaws

Virtue	Level	Note		Flaw	Level	Note
Silent Magic	+4			Susceptibility To Rational Power	-4
Subtle Magic	+2			Incomprehensible	-2
Inventive Genius	+1			Over-Confident	-2
Heart Beast	+1	Sea Eagle		Bad Reputation	-1	Gossip
Book Learner	+1			Infamous Master	-1	Foolish master
Personal Vis Source	+1	Auram

Abilities

Ability	Speciality	Level	EP
Speak Own Language:	Norse	+4	0
Speak Latin:	Expansive vocabulary	+5	0
Scribe Latin:	Crisp, neat penmanship	+3	0
Magic Theory:	Inventing spells	+5	0
Hermes Lore:	History	+1	0
Hermes History:	Houses	+1	0
Parma Magica:	Mentem	+5	0
Finesse:	Ignem	+2	0
Certámen:	Creo	+3	0
Concentration:	Long periods	+2	0
Penetration:	Auram	+2	1
Dodge:	Verses melee attack	+1	0
Sword, Attack:	Wild melee	+1	0

Grimoire

Technique	Form	Level	Mastered	Title
Muto	Aquam	10	0	Lungs of the Fish
Intéllego	Auram	15	0	True Sight of Air
Intéllego	Auram	15	0	Whispering Winds
Intéllego	Auram	20	0	Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow
Muto	Córporem	15	0	The Serpent's Armor
Muto	Córporem	10	0	Eye of the Cat
Creo	Ignem	10	1	Heat of the Searing Forge
Perdo	Imágonem	15	0	Invisibility of the Standing Wizard
Muto	Terram	15	0	Hands of the Grasping Earth
Intéllego	Vim	10	0	Sense the Nature of Vis
Muto	Vim	10	0	Gather the Essence of the Beast

Personal Possessions

14 silver pence One dark brown / black robe with a large hood and a leather belt Two shirts (one light, one heavy) Two pair of trousers (one light, one heavy) One leather jerkin (equivalent of hauberk leather armor) A pair of good boots A pair of sandles A short sword Two daggers (one on his belt, one in his pack) A round shield A wooden staff A medium sized waterproof backpack. It holds the following: Any of the above items as desired and will fit A tinder box and some dry tinder Some candles Some feather quills cut for use as pens 30 feet of good, light hemp rope A knife for eating Two wooden eating bowls A small iron cooking pot A bag of salt Two water skins (tied to outside of the pack) A small book (real parchment) used for lab notes) A rolled scroll with his spells written on it Two bags (one on his belt, one in his pack) of spell components, each with the following contents: Four leaf clover Liver of a pig (dried) Bag of oak leaves Pieces of snake skin Bundle of cat hairs Lump of chrysolite Bag of fern seeds Bag of powdered fish scales Pair of brown gloves A really cheap sapphire Book Of Spells (written by Svengi, and therefore incomprehensible to others), contains the following: Lungs of the Fish (Mu Aq 10) True Sight of Air (In Au 15) Whispering Winds (In Au 15) Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow (In Au 20) The Serpent's Armor (Mu Co 15) Eye of the Cat (Mu Co 10) Heat of the Searing Forge (Cr Ig 10) Invisibility of the Standing Wizard (Pe Im 15) Hands of the Grasping Earth (Mu Te 15) Sense the Nature of Vis (In Vi 10) Gather the Essence of the Beast (Mu Vi 10)

Personal History

Only one entry was ever made in Svengi's personal history.

Spring 898

Went to the Grand Tribunal at Durenmar in Germany with my master. There I met a group of other young magi apparently equally disgusted with their masters. We decided to run off and find a new place to live. While Horthgar was away, at the request of the group, I stole a book of arts (Auram 20) and a spell book (100 levels). The others also took valuable arts and spell books, plus some vis and money. They planned to head east to find a safe place to settle. They are a bunch of total dweebs, but this is better than staying with Horthgar or going back anywhere where he is known. After many days on horseback, our group found itself deep in the mountains of the Roms, or at least that is what I was told. On a narrow path along a cliff side we found the huge doors to what looked like an ancient temple or palace. The inside was dark, musty, and unpleasant. The morons in the party loved it and decided that we just had to leave there. It will probably take a long time to explore this place.