Zarathustra (MTAw)
Overview
Quote: "I'm sorry, but you're just wrong. I can show you in the Lexicon, that positioning of the crystal indicates the element of fire, not water. Sometimes they are reversed, but only for the following reasons . . ."
Before he Awakened, Adam Burnell was already a repository of knowledge. He spent his youth reading everything he could get his hands on, and soaked up information from all types of media, never forgetting a movie line or a solution to a puzzling computer game. As he matured, he could have excelled academically, but he found himself bored by the standard curriculum and focused his sharp mind instead on learning about the sorts of things that interested him. Still, he slid by in all his classes; people with a memory like Adam's test very well.
After Awakening in his early 20s, he began studying everything he could about the Arcane underground he'd discovered, not surprisingly attracting the attention of the Mysterium. As a Chicago native, his link to the order was through the Mercurials; Libra met him and, right away, saw him for the valuable asset he could be. She brought capable allies with her over a decade ago, but has been open to expanding membership in her cabal if she can find people with wits and determination that might match hers. Adam has proven capable of both, and with his ability to call up obscure information without books or computers at his fingertips, he has found himself included in most of the cabal's research missions.
He respects the goals laid out by Libra, but definitely hopes one day to leave Chicago and find out what secrets the rest of the world holds for the Awakened. Adam is eager to be involved in any task that requires him to leave the sanctum and explore, but he's almost as comfortable researching obscure texts and cataloging information for the Athenaeum. The search for the Flange, in his opinion, is a red herring. He honestly can't believe that mages have been searching for it for nearly 20 years, and thinks that it is either a distraction from another agenda or it is just something that's been dreamed up by an enemy of Chicago's mages, with hopes that the artifact will cause precisely the kind of dissent that it had. He begrudgingly accepts that there's evidence to the contrary, though, and continues to support the efforts of his cabal to find it.
Zarathustra believes that by learning as much as he can, he'll one day be as powerful as the other mages in his cabal. For this reason, he keeps his impetuous thoughts below the surface and tempers his behavior with maturity beyond his years. He knows that if he plays his cards right and remains patient, he'll be able to set off on his own one day, investigating forgotten temples and otherworldly places of power all over the world. Doing so prematurely, in his estimation, would only lead to trouble with his order and the other Mercurials, because they may not feel him ready and would surely suspect him of betrayal. Thus, he bides his time and pays attention, waiting for some indication that Libra feels he's made adequate progress along the road to Arcane mastery.
Description
Adam is just over 5'11", has short dark hair and brown eyes. He has attractive features and a warm smile that lights up his face when he laughs. He's only just approaching 30, making him the youngest of the Mercurials. He likes to wear cargo jeans and T-shirts with a sport pair of sunglasses when it's bright, making him look even younger than he actually is. He grows a small patch of hair under his chin, and only shaves it when he is required to appear more formal.
Stats
Dedicated Magical Tool: Iron knife
Real Name: Adam Burnell
Path: Mastigos
Order: Mysterium
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 3
Physical Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 2, Composure 3
Mental Skills: Academics (Research) 3, Computer 1, *Investigation (Enigmas) 3, *Occult 2, Science 2
Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Drive 1, *Survival (Navigation) 2
Social Skills: Empathy 2, Persuasion 2
Merits: Encyclopedic Knowledge, Eidetic Memory, High Speech, Sanctum: Size (Shared) 4
Willpower: 6
Wisdom: 7
Virtue: Temperance
Vice: Pride
Initiative: 5
Defense: 2
Speed: 9
Health: 8
Gnosis: 2
Arcana: Mind 3, Space 2, Prime 1
Rotes: Mind - 'One Mind, Two Thoughts', Third Eye, Misperception, Multi-Tasking; Space - Finder, Ward; Prime - Analyse Enchanted Item
Manna/per turn: 11/2
Armor: 3 ("Misperception," Mind **)
References
- CofD: World of Darkness: Chicago, p. 358-359