Millicent "Millie" the Inquirer



“How am I supposed to learn anything if I don’t ask questions?”

Millicent was born in a small Yorkshire village in 1172 to the Redcap Owen of Voluntas and a peasant woman he encountered on his travels. When he heard of his daughter’s birth, he came and took her to Voluntas to apprentice her as a Redcap. Many covenfolk found her cheerfulness and quirkiness endearing, and were often glad of sharing her company, especially as they found in her a rapt audience for their stories. Though she proved successful enough in her responsibilities, many Redcaps came to find her endless questions and irreverent nature to be tiresome and impertinent.

This was worsened by her interest in politics – quite a faux pas amongst the Redcaps – and her decided lack of interest in having her own children. Though she was constantly told that she was still young, she was quite adamant that the whole process was “nasty” and insisted that she wouldn’t do it.

All of these things in concert led her to being something of a pariah amongst her peers; when she completed her apprenticeship, she was denied longevity potions as long as she maintained her insistence on not having children, and she was not granted any magical items as the covenant did not “have the means or expenses to produce any more”.

Though tolerating her presence, Voluntas quietly sought to shuffle her off to another covenant if the opportunity presented itself. Lo and behold, Essel of Sagehollow soon arrived from a centralised location, without a redcap stationed there...

Description
Born: 1172 (aged 22) Height: 4'9" Weight: 81lbs Build: Scrawny Nationality: English

Millie is a short, cheerful young woman with a habit of merrily asking (often quite personal) questions. She generally travels under the guise of a young messenger boy – the letters of a noble lord are worth little to common bandits, and being seen as a prepubescent boy is safer than a small woman. She often carries a long, stout walking staff and has many pockets filled with oddities she finds on her travels, and a seemingly never-ending supply of snacks.

Notable Features: She has an unruly mop of blonde hair, often covered by one of an assortment of flamboyant red hats.

Downtime: Most of the time she doesn't spend on the road, Millie is latched onto a member of the covenfolk, following them around observing and asking a barrage of questions. Some covenfolk might find a rapt audience to build confidence, while others are impatient with her getting underfoot. She enthusiastically accepts most invitations to try new activities, as long as they're sold to her as being fun.

Religion: Millie quite enjoys attending the church, so long as the service isn't too long. The priests are happier to answer questions than most, though she finds they get annoyed if she plays devil's advocate - especially when it's literal. She's actually read The Bible as part of her apprenticeship, and the priests are often quite disconcerted to find a friendly young girl playfully batting passages at them as part of her counter-arguments. She believes that her not having kids is fine because even though God wants people to procreate, she figures that as long as there's enough people obliging him, it's all good.

Fun Fact: Millie owns more hats than she does any other item of clothing. She also once annoyed Kirist of Voluntas so much that his eyebrows combusted.

Pet Peeve: People stonewalling her conversation.

Most Embarrassing Secret: She only stopped wetting the bed when she was nine.

When Drunk: Millie has only been drunk once, due to that dangerous combination of boredom and curiosity. Depending on which patron you asked, she was either the life or the death of the party. She doesn't remember.

Characteristics
Strength (Encumbrance) -2 Stamina (Long Distances) +1 Dexterity (Dancing) +0 Quickness (When Chased) +2 Perception (Ambushes) +1 Intelligence (Recalling Gossip) +1 Presence (First Impressions) +2 Communication (Dumbing Things Down) +1

Virtues

 * Independent Study
 * Lone Redcap
 * Social Contacts (Covenfolk)
 * Well-TravelledFree

Flaws

 * Busybody
 * Craving for Travel
 * Small Frame

Reputations
Nosy (Redcaps of Stonehenge) 2

Voting Sigil
A wooden button engraved with a smiley face :)

Personality Traits

 * Brave +1
 * Curious +3
 * Loyal +2

Key Abilities

 * Area Lore
 * Athletics
 * Intrigue
 * Ride

Languages
Artes Liberales 1: Latin
 * English 5
 * Latin 3

Abilities

 * Animal Handling (Horses) 1
 * Area Lore: Stonehenge Tribunal (Roads) 38
 * Artes Liberales: Latin (Logic) 1
 * Athletics (Running) 35
 * Awareness (Ambushes) 2
 * Bargain (Information) 1
 * Brawl (Dodging) 2
 * Carouse (Drinking Songs) 2
 * Charm (Being Cheeky) 2
 * Code of Hermes (Tribunal Procedures) 29
 * Common Law (Yorkshire Laws) 1
 * Etiquette (Magi) 1
 * Folk Ken (Magi) 2
 * Guile (Filibustering) 2
 * Intrigue (Finding Gossip) 25
 * Language: English (Insults) 5
 * Language: Latin (Hermetic Usage) 44
 * Magic Lore (Magical Traditions) 2
 * Order of Hermes Lore (Politics) 28
 * Peasant Weapons (Quarterstaff) 4
 * Ride (Speed) 3
 * Stealth (Hiding) 2
 * Survival (Woodland) 2
 * Swim (Rough Waters) 2

Combat
Soak: 3 (Part Metal Reinforced Leather 2 + Stamina 1) Encumbrance: 2 (Load 3 = Burden 2 - Strength 0)

Typical Gear
Metal reinforced leather (part), walking staff, flamboyant red hat, waterproof messenger bag, snacks, riding horse (Jeremy), familiar (Trevor)

Opinions of Others
Mages Arianwen – She reminds me of Phessallia. She doesn’t seem to like me much, and she never gives me proper answers. Cirice – Apparently she’s been cursed or something. I guess that’s why she’s so moody. Essel – She reminds me a lot of Julia, but I think she’s a bit over-ambitious in trying to go toe to toe with Blackthorn. Better to undermine them. Still, she’s answered my questions and she seems to treat the covenfolk well. Evelyn – She’ll talk to me all day long! She knows how to have fun. Just a shame she’s so pretty, I feel like a troll when I’m near her.

Companions Tancred – He’s pretty intense, isn’t he? And he’s always going on about the good old days. He doesn’t seem to know much about them besides killing people, though. Tessora – Apparently she’s a mage? She sure doesn’t seem like one. Hard to argue she isn’t blessed by the divine, though. I wonder when the Cult of Heroes is going to track her down, and how that conversation will go… Fun Robin – Now there’s the Robin Hood I’d heard so much about! He’s daring, and bold, and charitable, and he has style. Rohen – He doesn't seem to know what to make of me. I guess he's not used to people just being themselves? All the people in his life have so many masks. Torvi – Apparently she isn’t a mage? She sure seems like one. I don’t really understand her, but she’s very calm and patient. She has a lovely smile.

Grogs Al – He’s friendly enough, I suppose. He sometimes makes me snacks for the road – just stay clear when he gets carried away with the stirring. I’ve never seen someone get porridge on the ceiling… Alistair – I didn’t really know the guy, he died a month or two after I joined Sagehollow. He seemed friendly though, always happy to tell me about his adventures. It sounds like he was the best warrior, and a real loss to the covenant. Cass – She says she gets bored when I start telling her about politics, and she keeps trying to get me in trouble, and I think she flirts with me sometimes. She has a great sense of humour, though! Chimi – She gives the best hugs! Sometimes we go climbing trees and foraging together – she’s really good at it. Erik – Why would you want to die?! I’ll never understand him. Still, I can see why the mages keep him around – having someone eager to lay down their life in their defence is useful. Falko – Wow, he’s a tough guy! I don’t think I’ve seen anyone take half as many wounds as him in such a short span of time. Giles – When he talked to the people in York he acted like he’d been in some fights. Silk said he’s still got the moves, but he’s so old and mild-mannered, I can’t imagine it. Gilly – A spear in the face – ouch! That must have sucked. Though the scar’s not made her as ugly as she seems to think. It looks cool! Haeddi – Has no one told her that if she’s failed her mage apprenticeship, she’s not a mage? There’s no shame in it. Why do so many Hermetic people act like not having magic is such a bad thing? Everyone else gets by fine without. Islwyn – He’s one of those quiet, nervous types, like Alice at Ungulus. I think he’ll take some time to open up. Oskar – He’s sharp as a tack, this kid! I think he’ll go far with that kind of drive and industriousness. His pig keeps trying to steal my food, though… Silk – I don't see why he has to lie all the time, but at least he’s entertaining! Theopania – She’s got one of those weird things about her – I can’t ever remember what she looks like. That must get annoying sometimes.

Other Covenfolk Doc – He told me he only wants to see me if I’m dying. What a thing to say! I just wanted to know what all those instruments were for. And how you keep someone alive after an amputation. And what would happen if someone mixed all those herbs up and drank it…

Others Corvus of Voluntas – He’s clever and I can find out lots of interesting things from him, but he gets naked a lot. It’s weird. Desiderius of Voluntas – He’s old and weird and he smells. But he’s happy to talk to me – I just wish we could always do it outside of his lab. Julia of Voluntas – She’s quite nice. Always busy though, and I only really hear about politics from her when she forgets I’m in the room. Kirist of Voluntas – He scares me when he gets angry, yelling about how he has better things to do than put up with my “damn fool questions”. Phessallia of Voluntas – I don’t think she’s ever smiled. She doesn’t like me much; she won’t even tell me why she’s got all those scars.

Boring Robin – I don’t know how the stories came from this guy. He doesn’t give the money back to the poor. He doesn’t even have a hat! Will – I guess he’s good looking, but eww! He’s way too old to be looking at me like that.

Experience
Spring 1192: Area Lore: Stonehenge Tribunal 2xp (Exposure) Summer 1192: Code of Hermes 3xp, Intrigue 5xp, Order of Hermes Lore 3xp (Adventure - Diplomatic Introductions) Autumn 1192: Area Lore: Stonehenge Tribunal 2xp (Exposure) Winter 1192: Language: Latin 13xp (Teaching - Richard) Spring 1193: Code of Hermes 6xp, Order of Hermes Lore 5xp (Adventure - Banditry & Blackthorn) Summer 1193: Area Lore: Stonehenge Tribunal 2xp (Exposure) Autumn 1193: Area Lore: Stonehenge Tribunal 2xp (Exposure) Winter 1193: Latin 11xp (Practice)

Story
To come...