Nathair was born in the highlands. The story tells that he was
cut out of his mothers womb very early in pregnancy because she was
bitten by an adder and died. Nathair survived and grew to be a very
intelligent boy with some weird talents. For one, he would pet snakes,
which made those near him quite uneasy. People in his village also
talked that he could become a snake during night. Some say he was seen
flying on a drake when he was just 13 years old. Whether these stories
are true or not, nobody knows, but Nathair does nothing to correct
them.
As a young boy Nathair was taken to apprenticeship by a local
Aonaran, Winifred, maga Ex Miscellanea in the highlands. He enjoyed
his apprenticeship, liked learning the ways of magic. But rumor of
his intelligence and inventiveness spread to the ears of a travelling
Magus of house Bonisagus, Callidus from the covenant Artifex Famis,
far in Egypt. By the right of Bonisagus, he took the boy with to Egypt
to train him. He was a quick learner, especially in the field of
formulaic spells, which he seemed to be able to learn in amazing
speed. He proved also to be a very good writer with a quick and fine
pen-hand. But the apprenticeship under Callidus was not as enjoyable
as under his previous parens; Callidus was quite hard on Nathair. He
never got used to Egypt, either, even though he learned to know a lot
about snakes.
Once during apprenticeship, when he was in the shape of
a local snake, a huge hawk grabbed him and almost killed him, and
now he cannot stand birds of any kind. Nathair knew that true
serpents, dragons, were much more abundant in the north where he was
from. So, as soon as he got out of apprenticeship, he started his
journey back to Loch Leglean tribunal. There he met his former parens,
Winifred, who guided Nathair to seek the covenant of Insula Maledictus
because there he would have good possibilities to show his skills and
an opportunity to study dragons as well.
He considers the serpentkind
to be the purest form of life, especially dragons, and never got used
to the fay side of magical world, which he believes to be twisted form
of magic. The weakness he keeps most secret is that always when using
magic of his own invention, he leaves behind shed skin of a snake, of
the color of arts used (his wizard's sigil). This shed skin, although
not much, may be used as an arcane connection to him. Of course, he
would rather lose an eye than let anyone know this.
Now, back in his home tribunal, he seeks knowledge as a hungry
dragon seeks sheep. He will not rest until he has invented the most
powerful spell, met the wisest dragon and made his name known throughout
the order.
Nathair prefers to use his gaelic name, and even in in formal situations
and letters he does not use his hermetic name, Venator ("Hunter", referring to
his habit to hunt rodents in snake form and his hunt for knowledge and
fame). In Levant tribunal magi call Nathair Serpens Caledonicus, Scottish
Snake, because he was not well liked in Levant and he let the magi know
that the feeling was mutual.
|
