Absit Omen RPG

Yavin knew how to charm her - Athena could make even Healers squeamish with her cases, although it wasn't so much the details of the peril but they gleeful way Athena related to them.

"So kind of ye t'ask, happens we did!" The healer leaned back in her chair and set a long leg on the low part of the desk. She'd have knocked any of the other Healers or mediwix in the head for it, but eh, perk of the job.

"Vampire bite, if you can believe it. Old codger fought back and made a real mess of it, although well lucky for him. He was dressed up in his own blood like he'd been swimming so it took us ages to find his holes. Turns out he had a dozen. Put water in him and he'd be like fountain, spurting all over." Athena didn't add the concerned eyebrows or the polite-company euphemisms. She told it all like she'd seen a cat riding a dog riding a sheep down the street followed by a phalanx of bobbies. She didn't even add that he'd be alright.

She laughed, "and the rest of us! We looked the lot of us like a gang of muggle surgeons, elbows deep in half his blood. Lady MacBeth never had it so good. Eh, third bite this month, but awards for the mess. Only the new nurse booted, but she made it to the sink. All you can ask for, really."

Athena wrinkled her nose. "Might be happier on the papercut wing, if I'm honest."

"And what about ye, sweetheart? What's the latest mystery?" She gave his mind a little nudge, just a wink really, just to check his mood. She had a favor to ask but had to test the theory.
 

30 December 2011
8pm
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
First Floor: Creature-Induced Injuries

The Healer-in-Charge of the floor, Athena Marrowbone, was at the front desk of the floor. It was, and she was a bit, a bulwark against wanderings in and out of an 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here' sort of place. In fact, someone had placed a placard saying as much and Athena had to have it removed. Well, moved behind the desk. There was always hope if Athena had her way, as much as she appreciated the gallows humor. Beyond this desk were wards for those who'd been harmed by Dementors, victims of werewolf attack, and vampire bites. They'd seen Runespoor poisonings, they'd seen dragon burns, and Kneazel scratches.

They also had, over the last several months, harbored a few special guests. A top-secret patient who we shan't even mention in exposition[1] and his keepers, including the Head of the Department of Mysteries Yavin Morgenthau.

And whom should she see rolling by, but that devil himself. She whistled at him, and my Morgana, that sweater. His loud fashion always amused her, especially in juxtaposition to their grim business. She was less finely decorated, in her Healers' robes with the sleeves rolled up. Her short blonde hair, as always, was carefully wild and her eyeliner on pointy point. The lights were  dimmed at this hour, torches directed to flicker to embers but a lamp, under the tall desk lit her face from below.

"Yavin Morgenthau, happy New Year. You look smashing."

1.	But footnotes seems safe enough: Lawrence Musgrave

Athena reached out into Bruce's mind and gathered up the gentle impression of stubbornness and concealed pain. Athena's Legilimancy was broad strokes and potent points of light, flashes of things, but it told the tale. Bruce was trying to hide something. Athena watched and kept on smiling as Bruce returned to base and laughed in all the right places. Bruce was never dull. And never subtle.

"Ooh, bribery," Athena said cheerfully. "I love it."

She ignored the form and wheeled back over and tested the action in Bruce's knee again.

"You're better. Better than last time. Been taking good care of my little baby, much appreciated. I worked so hard on it and I'd have a good cry if you went and fouled it up. Fouled it up by not telling me where it's biting thee. I'm a Healer, or did you hear? I'm very good, at that."

But Athena didn't harass her more. Bruce was going to be fine. Could've gone back to work months ago if she'd had a mind to. But she didn't and Athena supported that.

"So what's this offer?" She slide the form over and attached it to her clipboard.

Special Ability

Character Name: Athena Marrowbone
Age: 40
Character Biography: https://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=20188.0
Do any of your other Characters have Special Abilities?: Yes
If Yes, then Please provide their name and a link to their bio: Tamzin, Animagus: https://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=19608.0
 
Special Ability: Legilimency

What level is this ability at?: Intermediate

At what age did your character gain this ability?: 20s

How did they learn or hone this ability?:
She got interested in it when she was in the US for a gap year, but started to seriously pursue it during her healer training. On the recommendation of a friend she contacted a Legilimency maven who gave her private instruction. (Unless there are any current Legilimens who'd have taught her.)

Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:
Athena's practice of Legilimancy is primarily in the emotional aspect. She's not a skilled mind-reader but she's adept at seeking and finding the corners of complex and hidden emotions.

She finds the greatest use of it as a Healer to understand the mindset of her patients. It's helped improve her boisterous sometimes callous bedside manner over the years.

Privately it helps her a great deal in her love life, such as it is.

Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability: Transparency is important to Athena so she doesn't hide her ability. But she doesn't always announce it either.

When she's peeking in, a perceptive wix may be able to sense it, and she's good at wading through the bs. It takes an Occlumens to effectively conceal that they are hiding emotions.

"I want you to walk around at all, no matter what you smell like," Athena retorted and slid over to have access to Bruce's leg.

"Phoo!" She opened the jar and used a tongue depressor to spread a dollop just under the knee. The smell was as promised - eye-watering and spicy. But it was powerful stuff that acted quickly and lasted for hours. "There you go, now let me see again."

She closed up the balm and walked her fingers in the air. If Bruce wanted to be back at work, Athena wanted to get some idea of how Iona would 'stand up' to hours on her feet. She didn't imagine her patient would tolerate anything less than her best, and Healer Marrowbone would do what she could to make that happen.

"Planning to get in the field again, then," Athena asked. "Used to that cane yet?"

The questions just kept on coming, and Athena with her keen eyes wasn't missing much.

Athena crowed with laughter. Bruce could always get her going, terrible puns or jibes delivered dry like good wine. "I'm bringing thee to my next break-up. Maybe there'd be less blubbering if we were all having a laugh."

Probably not. She'd tried to be nice, but she just couldn't stand insecurity. A little bit of ambition wouldn't go unwelcome in a lover. But Bruce was on her feet, clearly eager to show off at how she launched herself to the floor.

"Carter? Aye, he's a lad, isn't he." Athena couldn't say she hadn't looked.  She also saw Bruce hitch.

"Oh, I saw that, lovely. Still getting that bite. Using the dragon's balm? I'm telling you, take the nip right out of that. You get it down Sellaphix's right? They deliver."

She said this all in a pleasant sort of sing-song, not a chiding Healer's lecture. Bruce would do exactly as she pleased and Athena would do the same. Even as she spoke she summoned a tub of the power stuff to her hand.

The two witches chatted a bit as Healer Marrowbone made magic work of getting Bruce's trouser leg out of the way to reveal the appendage in question. To most eyes it was a horrific sight, every red-stained gash or puckered scar screamed a scary story of werewolves in the night. The werewolf had nearly taken the entire thing as Bruce's comrades tried to drag her to safety. She was lucky in many ways, but in all the ways she wasn't, that was were Athena came in.

"I dropped that bloke, did I tell you? The Ballycastle keeper." she said.  Her hands and wand worked over the leg with gentle but firm ministrations. She poked and evaluated the scars, moved around Bruce's knee and ankle, keeping an eye on her face for any sign she'd caused any discomfort. Her wand was likewise occupied. The Healer was using it to search for congestion of humors or traces of the curse still rotting in the joint.

"He's still finding himself and I got well tired of looking for him," she laughed. "Lad was barely thirty, why do I bother. Need a proper adult this time, hold me to it, sweetheart. Alright, not too gnarly. Let's see you walk."

Athena slid back on her stool and crossed her arms, giving Bruce space to get down off the table and hobble around a bit.

Panic? Athena had never panicked in her life. She's splinched her arm clear off when she was a girl and she'd kept her head on the whole time. She hadn't panicked the first time she met Bruce Ballentyne either. Even with her leg rent to ribbons as it was, with her mates carrying on, with the apprentice booting in the bin, Athena didn't fret, she fixed. As well as she could.

"Ey up, lovely! Sit down, sit down, let us see."

She was talking about Bruce's leg, of course, no a piece of parchment.

Healer Marrowbone sat down on a wheeled stool and rolled up her sleeves. Even seated, Athena seemed to tower over her favorite patient. Even as Healer-in-Charge of the floor, Athena always had time for Ballentyne. Not only because Athena adored her, but Athena was always keen to see how her handiwork was lasting.

She had a look at the parchment. It was from the Ministry of Magic, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It had very tiny lettering but Athena recognized the form. She looked up at Bruce with a massive smile.

"You madwitch, my god. Madder yet, if you think I'm signing anything without a proper look."

Wand: 13 in, oak, unicorn tail hair

Physical Description:
Athena stands at a towering 6’2 with pale skin, short blonde hair, and a boisterous smile. She has brown eyes and a sharp nose and chin. She has a solid build, and moves with the grace of an athlete, someone used to her limbs. Taking up space doesn’t bother her, she’s all self-love and personality.

At work, Athena dresses practically in healers' robes with the sleeves rolled up, revealing an eclectic collection of tattoos featuring insects, anatomical reference, and astrological symbols. On her own time, Athena is fashionable and always on trend favoring bold colors and a dark smokey eye - she’s very happy to be seen.


Her rough northern accent is easily plied to make her opinions known, penetrating easily through a disagreement. Now 40, she's not concerned about aging, and is coming to enjoy the privileges that come with experience.

Personality Description:
There are few who delight as much in blood, disfigurement, and gore than Athena Marrowbone - that is, in the context of repair and care. Athena has crafted for herself a purpose to seek out disasters and she does it with verve - she can afford to bypass the shock and sadness and take sometimes disturbing gusto in the fixing of ills, never a hint of squeamishness or hesitation. After twenty years there’s nothing surprises her, and when a mystery or malevolence emerges, her delight and curiosity reign.

Outside of work, Athena is a risk-taker, a hard partier, and has been romantically linked to people ranging from professional Quidditch players to Unspeakables, chefs to homemakers - whoever excites her and for as long as they hold her attention. She’s usually a friendly person, but can be a bully towards people who lack the qualities she values: fortitude, bravery, and drive.

She’s open about her political beliefs, which include loosening of regulations around Healing, abolishing the Werewolf Registry, and complete Ministry transparency. She’ll argue her points with anyone but will set her stances aside in favor of a good time.


History:
Athena is the third of five children raised by single father Helio Marrowbone in a small village outside of Leeds. Helio is a freelance magical builder who has recently founded his own guild in partnership of a few of his old colleagues. Growing up, Athena was always interested in his craft and went with him to work sites from time to time.

Athena showed an early fascination with injury when she splinched herself trying to Apparate on a summer home from school. Even through the agony, Athena insisted on watching every unpleasant step of attaching her arm. She took special interest in simple healing spells and improvised her own poultices from whatever she found in the garden.

The 1970s were a troubling time to grow up, even in rural North Yorkshire. Even though they were well outside of the fray, their isolation meant they were far from help as Voldemort’s servants terrorised the countryside. When Athena was five, the family left the home and went into hiding for three weeks in remotest Scotland; Death Eaters had been spotted in the area and Helio took no chances.

By the time Athena joined her siblings at Hogwarts in 1982, the Dark Lord had been defeated, seemingly for good. She did well in school despite frequent disciplinary write-ups. When Athena began to gain her height, she was a force for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and was considered popular.

Following Hogwarts, she took a gap year in the United States where she formed much of her political views. When she returned to England, she began as a Healer’s apprentice. Nothing could faze her, no kind of injury or malady could make her blink, and she was desperately eager to get her hands in as much as possible. Upon completion of the program, she was hired up by St. Mungo’s where she as been for fifteen years, working in various specialities before finding focus on Creature Injuries.

During the Second Wizarding War, Athena had no qualms side-stepping the ethical rules that would get in the way of helping the just and hindering the harmful, and picked up one or few muggle medical techniques. The war ended and everyone buttoned up again, but some things were never quite the same.

Athena worked through the ranks, learned as much as she could, and gained a reputation as a fearless and effective Healer, especially in the gravest of cases. In 2011 she began taking shifts as an on-call field mediwitch for the Ministry of Magic.


Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
As Healer-in-Charge on the Creature Injuries floor, Athena supervises a team of Healers, nurses and Mediwix in caring for those who’ve been maimed, rended, bitten, scratched, lashed, cursed, or otherwise harassed by any magical creature. Or indeed, any mundane creature as well - whatever is nipping your heels.

Healer Marrowbone actively treats patients, teaches others, and coordinates with other Floors. Hers is the floor that most likely deals with Dementor victims and werewolf bites.


Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Athena has seventeen years’ experience as a Healer at St. Mungo’s. She’s proved her mettle and skill many times over.


Writing Sample:


Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Athena Marrowbone delights in the blood and gore she encounters in her craft as a healer. Her height and big personality tend to polarize how people feel about her, but ultimately her goal is to help people and have a good time.