1 views
Warlock Origin: Macy Starscholar
DND Character Origin: Masalia “Macy” Starscholar
As the youngest daughter of the Starscholar family, Macy enjoyed a top-drawer childhood. Her and her brother Albus wanted for nothing, receiving every book, toy, and candy that they could imagine. This did not, however, make up for the fact that their parents were widely absent from their lives. The Lord and Lady Starscholar were premier traders in Stonefast, specializing in magical metals and spell components. While they amassed a neat fortune in the north, Macy and Albus were left to their own devices. As children, the brother-sister duo was joined at the hip. They were the best of friends and did everything together, having no other playmates or parents to turn to. They wrought magical mischief across their estate, enraging their nannies and tutors.
The Starscholar children were quickly shuttled off to the Alabaster Academy. This was in part due to their magical aptitude, but also because their parents had run out of governesses. It was their hope that apprenticeships would “refine” Macy and Albus, transforming them into adequate heirs for the family business, ‘Starskullen Survey Co.’
Academy life was swift to sever the pair. Macy and Albus fell into different schools of magic, leaving their schedules incompatible. Their meetings became increasingly rare, leaving Macy to eat lunch alone. Albus became absorbed in his research, devoting himself to the study of stars. He began to act strangely, speaking of “divine ascension” and “becoming a god in the astral planes.” When his experiments turned as wild as his vernacular, he was promptly expelled from the Alabaster Academy. Macy was aghast and more alone than ever.
Despite her posh beginnings, Macy has always been a humble soul. In fact, her self-confidence lacks terribly and she’s always seen herself as second to Albus. Alone at the Academy, Macy poured herself into her wizardly training. She excelled with gleaming accolades, which flagged her as a “try-hard goodie-goodie’ to other students. After winning ‘Evocation Student of the Month’ seven months in a row, she was almost universally despised by her peers. There was always a pin on her chair, a ‘hex me!’ note on her back, or a quasit conjured into her book bag. Always desperate to please and overly-trusting, Macy was an ideal prank target. School became a living hell, with her only joy coming from Albus’ letters. She delighted in his adventures, reading of how he’d single-handedly slain a giant hermit crab, neutralized a flaming wolf spirit, and beaten a Blackrift Golova in hand-to-hand combat.
Macy’s third year at the Academy was easily her worst. While competing for the yearly title of ‘AWE’ (Alabaster’s Wizard Exemplar,) a new nemesis rose to meet her. Andy Bonetoe, a dwarven abjurer, beat her to the top of the Dean’s list. Andy was somehow popular -and- academically inclined, using his impressively thick facial hair to wow the other teens. He heckled Macy at every opportunity, using her awkward scrawniness to make himself look better. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, Macy was enrolled in ‘Spellcasting History 101.’ The class proved to be her Kryptonite, relying heavily on public speaking skills rather than magic. She was constantly a wreck in front of her classmates, dropping her notecards and garbling her words. To Macy’s great horror, her grade-point-average began to drop. Desperate to maintain her hard-earned honors, she turned to the Academy’s library. Her nights were spent in furious study, gobbling down every book, scroll, and incantation that could possibly help her. It was then— quite by accident— that she met her patron, ‘Sister Silver.’
While returning ‘The Quick and Easy Guide to Public Speaking’ by Vollo Geddarm, Macy observed something odd about the return slot. Books seemed to catch before reaching the collection bin below, bumping an obstruction in the chute. Peering into the slot, she discovered an ancient-looking text caught sideways in the shaft. Returned centuries earlier, the book had sat forgotten for generations. With a bit of mage hand poking and prodding, Macy managed to free the tome and dust it off. It had once been bound with beautiful blue leather and silver filigree, which had long since dry-rotted and tarnished. The Infernal word for ‘COUTURE’ was embossed across the cover, which Macy mistakenly translated as ‘CULTURE.’ Assuming it to be a social science book, she popped the lock and began to read.
In reality, ‘couture’ referred to the couture-loving demon concealed within the pages. A great fiend called out to Macy, offering her her greatest desires— to pass Spellcasting History 101 and to make a true friend. The devil introduced herself as ‘Isablizz,’ known throughout the Hells as ‘The Silver Sister.’ Isablizz is a haughty, drama-loving demoness with all the time in the world. She isn’t evil in the traditional sense, caring little for mindless bloodshed or destruction. Isablizz lives only for all things beautiful, be they jewels, tiaras, petticoats, or gilded battle-axes. Motivated by vanity alone, she sees the mortal plane as her personal jewelry box. She was previously familiar with Arun’al and will likely recognize her in Jackal. The two were never friends nor foes, though Isablizz will enjoy poking fun at her. Having not sponsored a warlock in ages (ever since her tome was wedged in the return chute,) Isablizz was eager to recruit Macy Starscholar. Speaking with sugar and charm, the deal was quickly struck. In exchange for Isablizz’ academic assistance and companionship, Macy would carry out her fashionable whims. She was allowed to keep the ‘Couture’ book via ‘Pact of the Tome.’ A binding mark sprouted from Macy’s palm, appearing as Isablizz’ silver eye. The eyeball serves as an arcane focus and peephole from Hell. To hide this feature, Macy has taken to wearing lace gloves.
This proved a surprisingly fruitful alliance. Whenever Macy was to give speech, she’d forgo her consciousness to Isablizz, allowing the fiend to take the wheel. Infinitely confident and winsome, Isablizz charmed the professors and saved their grades. At the same time, at the demon’s request, Macy retaliated in the prank war. She cut holes in Evelyn Snowblade’s prettiest frock, ruined Andy Bonetoe’s finest boots with an eldritch blast, and banished Regina’s sun hat to the depths of Avernus. Isablizz reveled in this childish destruction, pleased with her choice in warlock. Macy was everything she could have hoped for— bright, easily-influenced, and incredibly naive. Over the last year, Isablizz has grown genuinely fond of Macy. While she finds her bumbling nature endearing, she hopes to mold her into a pillar of might and style. Isablizz is quite protective of her little warlock, though she’d never admit to actually caring.
For awhile, things were looking up. Terrified by Macy’s sabotages and bizarre personality shifts, her classmates backed off. Only Andy Bonetoe maintained his teasing, determined to keep the upper hand. For the first time ever, life at the Alabaster Academy was almost tolerable.
…until the bad news came.
When Lord and Lady Starscholar arrived at the Academy, Macy knew that something was very wrong. She was summoned to the Headmaster’s office alongside her parents, where a bloody jar was waiting for them on the desk. This, she soon learned, was all that remained of her poor brother Albus. Having fallen to his death on the Giant’s Spur, the wizard had been reduced to a jelly blob. A note from the Narwhal crew was attached, describing Albus’ “heroic sacrifice” and “powerful magicks.” It was signed by a ‘Captain Pevel Wepreival,’ who Macy swore to meet in person. Overwhelmed with shock and grief, Macy was inconsolable. She’d lost her oldest friend, hero, and inspiration. Days on end were spent sulking in her dorm, crying her eyes out and eating tubs of chill-touched ice cream. Only Isablizz was able to comfort her during this time, encouraging Macy to take matters into her own hands.
It was Isablizz who first suggested necromancy. It was also Isablizz who provided the gilded skull, the spell component necessary for reanimating Albus. On the day before his funeral, Macy quietly swapped his jar with a container of raspberry jam. The jam was buried in his place and mourned by the extended Starscholars. With aid from her patron, Macy learned the ‘Summon [Putrid] Undead’ spell and conjured her brother. In his undead form, Albus is little more than a bloody ooze filled with bone chips. He cannot speak or cast spells as he had in life, which is disappointing to Macy. She aspires to reanimate him in a more permanent and complete fashion.
With Isablizz in her brain and jello-Albus on her shoulder, Macy sets off in search of the Narwhal. She’s determined to finish what her brother started in the quest for the fallen star. If he’d been willing to die for it, then she’d gladly do the same. Likewise, Macy hopes that following in his footsteps might bolster his ghostly presence. She’s also in search of Albus’ missing glass eye and the friends that spoken so fondly of him. Summer vacation has granted her freedom from the Alabaster Academy, which she’s eagerly left behind. Having never before travelled on her own, she is ill-prepared for the journey ahead.
© Katherine Steffeter
As the youngest daughter of the Starscholar family, Macy enjoyed a top-drawer childhood. Her and her brother Albus wanted for nothing, receiving every book, toy, and candy that they could imagine. This did not, however, make up for the fact that their parents were widely absent from their lives. The Lord and Lady Starscholar were premier traders in Stonefast, specializing in magical metals and spell components. While they amassed a neat fortune in the north, Macy and Albus were left to their own devices. As children, the brother-sister duo was joined at the hip. They were the best of friends and did everything together, having no other playmates or parents to turn to. They wrought magical mischief across their estate, enraging their nannies and tutors.
The Starscholar children were quickly shuttled off to the Alabaster Academy. This was in part due to their magical aptitude, but also because their parents had run out of governesses. It was their hope that apprenticeships would “refine” Macy and Albus, transforming them into adequate heirs for the family business, ‘Starskullen Survey Co.’
Academy life was swift to sever the pair. Macy and Albus fell into different schools of magic, leaving their schedules incompatible. Their meetings became increasingly rare, leaving Macy to eat lunch alone. Albus became absorbed in his research, devoting himself to the study of stars. He began to act strangely, speaking of “divine ascension” and “becoming a god in the astral planes.” When his experiments turned as wild as his vernacular, he was promptly expelled from the Alabaster Academy. Macy was aghast and more alone than ever.
Despite her posh beginnings, Macy has always been a humble soul. In fact, her self-confidence lacks terribly and she’s always seen herself as second to Albus. Alone at the Academy, Macy poured herself into her wizardly training. She excelled with gleaming accolades, which flagged her as a “try-hard goodie-goodie’ to other students. After winning ‘Evocation Student of the Month’ seven months in a row, she was almost universally despised by her peers. There was always a pin on her chair, a ‘hex me!’ note on her back, or a quasit conjured into her book bag. Always desperate to please and overly-trusting, Macy was an ideal prank target. School became a living hell, with her only joy coming from Albus’ letters. She delighted in his adventures, reading of how he’d single-handedly slain a giant hermit crab, neutralized a flaming wolf spirit, and beaten a Blackrift Golova in hand-to-hand combat.
Macy’s third year at the Academy was easily her worst. While competing for the yearly title of ‘AWE’ (Alabaster’s Wizard Exemplar,) a new nemesis rose to meet her. Andy Bonetoe, a dwarven abjurer, beat her to the top of the Dean’s list. Andy was somehow popular -and- academically inclined, using his impressively thick facial hair to wow the other teens. He heckled Macy at every opportunity, using her awkward scrawniness to make himself look better. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, Macy was enrolled in ‘Spellcasting History 101.’ The class proved to be her Kryptonite, relying heavily on public speaking skills rather than magic. She was constantly a wreck in front of her classmates, dropping her notecards and garbling her words. To Macy’s great horror, her grade-point-average began to drop. Desperate to maintain her hard-earned honors, she turned to the Academy’s library. Her nights were spent in furious study, gobbling down every book, scroll, and incantation that could possibly help her. It was then— quite by accident— that she met her patron, ‘Sister Silver.’
While returning ‘The Quick and Easy Guide to Public Speaking’ by Vollo Geddarm, Macy observed something odd about the return slot. Books seemed to catch before reaching the collection bin below, bumping an obstruction in the chute. Peering into the slot, she discovered an ancient-looking text caught sideways in the shaft. Returned centuries earlier, the book had sat forgotten for generations. With a bit of mage hand poking and prodding, Macy managed to free the tome and dust it off. It had once been bound with beautiful blue leather and silver filigree, which had long since dry-rotted and tarnished. The Infernal word for ‘COUTURE’ was embossed across the cover, which Macy mistakenly translated as ‘CULTURE.’ Assuming it to be a social science book, she popped the lock and began to read.
In reality, ‘couture’ referred to the couture-loving demon concealed within the pages. A great fiend called out to Macy, offering her her greatest desires— to pass Spellcasting History 101 and to make a true friend. The devil introduced herself as ‘Isablizz,’ known throughout the Hells as ‘The Silver Sister.’ Isablizz is a haughty, drama-loving demoness with all the time in the world. She isn’t evil in the traditional sense, caring little for mindless bloodshed or destruction. Isablizz lives only for all things beautiful, be they jewels, tiaras, petticoats, or gilded battle-axes. Motivated by vanity alone, she sees the mortal plane as her personal jewelry box. She was previously familiar with Arun’al and will likely recognize her in Jackal. The two were never friends nor foes, though Isablizz will enjoy poking fun at her. Having not sponsored a warlock in ages (ever since her tome was wedged in the return chute,) Isablizz was eager to recruit Macy Starscholar. Speaking with sugar and charm, the deal was quickly struck. In exchange for Isablizz’ academic assistance and companionship, Macy would carry out her fashionable whims. She was allowed to keep the ‘Couture’ book via ‘Pact of the Tome.’ A binding mark sprouted from Macy’s palm, appearing as Isablizz’ silver eye. The eyeball serves as an arcane focus and peephole from Hell. To hide this feature, Macy has taken to wearing lace gloves.
This proved a surprisingly fruitful alliance. Whenever Macy was to give speech, she’d forgo her consciousness to Isablizz, allowing the fiend to take the wheel. Infinitely confident and winsome, Isablizz charmed the professors and saved their grades. At the same time, at the demon’s request, Macy retaliated in the prank war. She cut holes in Evelyn Snowblade’s prettiest frock, ruined Andy Bonetoe’s finest boots with an eldritch blast, and banished Regina’s sun hat to the depths of Avernus. Isablizz reveled in this childish destruction, pleased with her choice in warlock. Macy was everything she could have hoped for— bright, easily-influenced, and incredibly naive. Over the last year, Isablizz has grown genuinely fond of Macy. While she finds her bumbling nature endearing, she hopes to mold her into a pillar of might and style. Isablizz is quite protective of her little warlock, though she’d never admit to actually caring.
For awhile, things were looking up. Terrified by Macy’s sabotages and bizarre personality shifts, her classmates backed off. Only Andy Bonetoe maintained his teasing, determined to keep the upper hand. For the first time ever, life at the Alabaster Academy was almost tolerable.
…until the bad news came.
When Lord and Lady Starscholar arrived at the Academy, Macy knew that something was very wrong. She was summoned to the Headmaster’s office alongside her parents, where a bloody jar was waiting for them on the desk. This, she soon learned, was all that remained of her poor brother Albus. Having fallen to his death on the Giant’s Spur, the wizard had been reduced to a jelly blob. A note from the Narwhal crew was attached, describing Albus’ “heroic sacrifice” and “powerful magicks.” It was signed by a ‘Captain Pevel Wepreival,’ who Macy swore to meet in person. Overwhelmed with shock and grief, Macy was inconsolable. She’d lost her oldest friend, hero, and inspiration. Days on end were spent sulking in her dorm, crying her eyes out and eating tubs of chill-touched ice cream. Only Isablizz was able to comfort her during this time, encouraging Macy to take matters into her own hands.
It was Isablizz who first suggested necromancy. It was also Isablizz who provided the gilded skull, the spell component necessary for reanimating Albus. On the day before his funeral, Macy quietly swapped his jar with a container of raspberry jam. The jam was buried in his place and mourned by the extended Starscholars. With aid from her patron, Macy learned the ‘Summon [Putrid] Undead’ spell and conjured her brother. In his undead form, Albus is little more than a bloody ooze filled with bone chips. He cannot speak or cast spells as he had in life, which is disappointing to Macy. She aspires to reanimate him in a more permanent and complete fashion.
With Isablizz in her brain and jello-Albus on her shoulder, Macy sets off in search of the Narwhal. She’s determined to finish what her brother started in the quest for the fallen star. If he’d been willing to die for it, then she’d gladly do the same. Likewise, Macy hopes that following in his footsteps might bolster his ghostly presence. She’s also in search of Albus’ missing glass eye and the friends that spoken so fondly of him. Summer vacation has granted her freedom from the Alabaster Academy, which she’s eagerly left behind. Having never before travelled on her own, she is ill-prepared for the journey ahead.
© Katherine Steffeter
