Elder Magi <-
Vitenka Dmitri Gwyntar Revan Phillipa Jumlian Marcus

Gwyntar, Chairman of the Council of Animus Silvae

Page updated 3rd February - Spring 1228

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Played by Tristan

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Gwyntar is a man of fairly average height, and build, but on meeting him all are struck by his magical aura. The power that lies within him can be felt even by those who are not magically sensitive. This makes dealing with mundanes difficult for him, to say the least. Gwyntar has grey eyes and thinning brown hair, and his joints are arthiritic: he has to be careful when moving about and now spends most of his time using an advanced flying spell he has developed. He had his arthiritis when he arrived at the covenant, but despite being fifty years of age by 1218 is as yet untouched by the ravages of age, thanks to his skill in creating a longevity potion(The piccies is an older version :)). This is in part due to his expertise in hermetic theory: he is committed to understanding the fundamental nature of magic, and is also a specialist in the form of Vim.

Gwyntar came to magic late. He was initially commited to becoming a priest, but due to a crisis of confidence decided he could no longer trust his vocation. He moved away from his family to Scotland and used the money they sent him to fund his study at the recently formed university at St. Andrews. Just before graduation, the power which had laid latent in him for many years was freed, and after a night of panic on both his and many others part, he found himself apprenticed to a magus. His master, Balthus of Boniusagus, saw his potential, despite the fact that Gwyntar was far older than most apprentices. Indeed, if Gwyntar had been apprenticed from his youth he might have an aptitude for magic matched by only the greatest. Balthus also could appreciate the benefits of training an apprentice who could already write and speak fluent Latin and was accustomed to scholarly thought.

[Gwyntar piccie]
An older version of Gwyntar studying in the lab.
Credit to Don Maitz

Gwyntar joined the covenant when it was founded, in 1200. He came from England, a land far to the west, though he was trained in the Loch Leghlan tribunal by Balthus Ex Bonisagus, one of the most powerful magi of his house, who is known to be strongly opinionated on several issues, and has been very active in the political infighting in that tribunal. This is one of the reasons that, after passing his gauntlet, Gwyntar wanted to get as far away as possible.

As a member of house Bonisagus Gwyntar feels that it is important to increase and spread the knowledge of the order. He has written on one of the better books in the library and is curretly working on a project to extend Hermetic theory to provide some understanding of the spirit world. He has also taken an apprentice, Tenar, both to aid Tenar in fulfilling her true potential and to benefit from her assistance in the lab.

However Gwyntar also feels strongly about other things: he is protective of the covenant and its grogs, though perhaps not as much so as Deunan, and helped in the expedition to defeat Dracovore. He believes strongly in the right of each individual to plot their own way throug life, and is hence strongly against the use of intrusive Mentem magics and interference in the affairs of mundanes.


[Gwyntar writing his famous books]
Gwyntars writing style became somewhat, erratic, in later life.
(137k)

As time has passed Gwyntar has tried to leave the past behind, immersing himself in the study of magic and successfully correcting a minor flaw in the Aegis of the Hearth spell. Despite the founding of a chapel in the village growing up opposite the covenant and Gwyntar;s religious background, he did not attend.

Then came the journey through the black gate. Gwyntar realised that he had closed his mind - had not appreciated the full scope of God's creation, and the possible true importance of the events involving Samahazai. This was not sufficent to rekindle his faith, until they arrived in a world where all magic was clearly from God, where the divine aided magic instead of suppressing it. A world where instead of twilight, magi, called the blessed, ascended, becoming like unto the angels.

However, there was more to follow. Due to the specters that had attacked this realm, Gwyntar was forced to use his magic. For some reason, his spells acted like some kind of beacon to divine energy, and he started to ascend. By the time he had devised a spell of sufficient power to return home, this divine energy had altered his personality, given him the outward form of an angel, and started to warp his perceptions.

After bringing the others back to their home, the changes faded away, but return whenever Gwyntar enters a place of divine influence. He has taken this as a sign that magic and God are not as incompatible as he thought, and though he is profoundly scared, he has realised that he must have faith. He has started going to the chapel, and occasionally spends days at a time in prayer (well, he kneels in front of the altar). Since The chapel has a dominion aura this has led to several angel sightings around the covenant, though deft use of Muto Imaginem has prevented Gwyntars transformation from becoming common knowledge to any others than the magi and father Vulpis.

In recent years, as the magi of Animus have become more withdrawn into their own personal affairs and less concerned with taking responsibility for anything, Gwyntar has found himself having to take the lead on the council more and more often, especially in the recent "collaring of Vitenka" incident.


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