Libra
Overview
Quote: "It's better to do something right once than to do it wrong twice - so quit wasting our time here. The text says the circle must be nine measures wide, and that is exactly what we're going to do. Now give me the chalk, and go grab that violet taper - quickly!"
Adrianne Elgar has a background in anthropology, having worked as a professor at Berkley until her Awakening at the age of 37. For decades, she studied cultures and social mores with the skeptical mind of a scientist, and wrote her doctoral thesis about the importance of dismissing supernatural claims when dealing with primitive cultures while not replacing them with other, equally far-fetched beliefs (like so many British imperialist anthropologists had done historically, in her opinion).
When she learned of the true nature of reality, she considered it an epiphany, but kept her wits about her. Understanding that many might consider that power she was touching "Divine," she still prefers to look at magic and myth as something to be approached methodically and empirically, never buying into symbolic explanations. Rather, Dr. Elgar would prefer to understand why something is symbolized in such a way, and with that knowledge, form her own opinions.
For this reason, and because the Free Council didn't find her first, she learned about the Mysterium and was initiated into that order. She feels that finding out as much as she can about the true nature of things will lead to a greater understanding of the world in general. Her devotion to collecting information and her academic outlook toward the cataloging of data, coupled with her near-mastery of more than one Arcanum have earned her the title of Curator. Her methods are sometimes a bit non-traditional, however, and the rest of her order pays careful attention to her progress. She has yet to make a severe blunder, though, and after many years of faithful service, there is little doubt that she would ever betray the ideals of the Mysterium.
She is still sometimes mistaken as a member of the Free Council, because she refers to the other realms mages speak of in more scientific terms. To her, the "Supernal" Realm is some other vibrational frequency of reality, and "Awakened" individuals have evolved to the point that they're able to perceive and manipulate these qualities somehow. Rituals to her are mere tools to achieve the states of consciousness required to attain a goal, depending more on an adherence to precise mechanics than on actual belief in what the process represents.
She chose the shadow name Libra to represent balance. Prior to Awakening, Adrianne had no love for astrology, feeling that it was a typical lazy human desire to understand the cosmos without all the work. People weren't willing to learn that it was only a primitive version of real astronomy with supernatural trappings that were unnecessary. After discovering that there was some hint of truth to the symbolism behind the zodiacal progression of planets, she felt that naming herself after the most balanced of the air signs would remind her to keep her mind open about the things she once believed to be pitiful attempts to find meaning.
She came to Chicago after the Mage War, in search of information about the Celestial Flange. The Mysterium has a genuine interest in protecting this information; if the stories of the Flange's powers are true, the Mysterium feels that no other order will be able to decipher the Flange's exact purpose as well as the Mysterium will. For this reason, after the fall of Delphi, Libra decided, at the urging of other powerful members of her order, that Chicago needed a strong Mysterium presence.
Spending her days and nights investigating what was left of the previous Athenaeum and questioning the few mages left after the war dominated her time. Unfortunately, her cabal's intellectual focus kept the Mysterium out of the political arena for a time, and before she could maneuver her order into the seat to which she felt the Mysterium belonged, Theodore Walsh, representing the Guardians of the Veil, had assumed the role of Hierarch.
She doesn't trust him or his order to do any good toward the search for the truth, but tolerates things the way they are for now. The numbers are in her favor. The Mysterium has members in nearly every cabal in the city, and once the climate surrounding the search for the Flange simmers to a less volatile state, she is sure that the city will be ready for a change.
Description
Libra has short, blonde hair, brown eyes and otherwise unremarkable features for a woman approaching 50. She wears whatever is comfortable and never uses make-up or wears jewelry. She keeps her nails trimmed short and always has a large messenger bag over her shoulder to carry her laptop computer and an array of investigative tools and occult symbols.
Stats
Dedicated Magical Tool: Journal
Real Name: Dr. Adrianne Elgar
Path: Acanthus
Order: Mysterium
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 5, Wits 3, Resolve 4
Physical Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 3
Mental Skills: Academics (Anthropology) 4, Computer 2, *Investigation 4, *Occult (Superstitions) 3, Science 2
Physical Skills: Athletics 2, *Survival 2
Social Skills: Animal Ken 1, Empathy (lies) 3, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 1
Merits: High Speech, Library 5, Sanctum: Size (Shared) 2, Status: Consilium 2
Willpower: 7
Wisdom: 7
Virtue: Prudence
Vice: Envy
Initiative: 6
Defense: 2
Speed: 9
Health: 7
Gnosis: 4
Arcana: Time 4, Fate 4, Prime 2, Spirit 2
Rotes: Time - Perfect Timing, Postcognition, Acceleration, Present as Past; Fate - The Sybil's Sight, Fortune's Protection, Superlative Luck, Gift of Fortune; Prime - Analyse Enchanted Item, Activate Enchanted Item; Spirit - Spirit Tongue, Peer Across the Gauntlet
Manna/per turn: 13/4
Armor: 4 ("Fortune's Protection," Fate **)
References
- CofD: World of Darkness: Chicago, p. 357-358