Mary-M
A 3 foot 6 (and one-half) inch tall female halfling of youthful appearance, moderate build and pleasing features. Her most notable physical attributes are the white feathered wings that sprout from her back, extending some 7 feet when fully open. She also goes invisible irregularly -- when stunned, asleep, concentrating hard...
Her adventuring clothes are somewhat unusual; she favours quite ornate gilded cuirbolli armour, with an armoured kilt and greaves, and a helmet with bright tropical bird feathers. She normally carries a pair of crystal shortswords.
Mary M is a Namer and master Healer, and known by many to be a follower of the Powers of Light, in particular Sammael.
Some people know that she is the mother of Guild member D'Artagnan, and a few know she is the daughter of an ex-Guild member, Aloysius Took one of the founders.
- Mary-M is played by Helen Chessum.
On Combat
"War is not a game. Combat is not a sport. Diplomacy and discussion are better alternatives to combat, and you only fight when there is no better choice available.
You fight in defence of your life, your friends, and innocents. You don't fight just to try and see who is best.
Having committed to combat you fight to win, doing the absolute best you can with the weapons and skills you have, and you take whatever advantages the enemy offers. The aim is to take enemies out of the fight. You don't hit people once they're down or no longer a threat.
After the battle you tend to the wounded; your own first and then the enemy. You never kill prisoners or captives".
Who is... Mary-Em
Originally published in the Seagate Times, Issue 51, Summer 805
After the exciting events at Carlson’s Switch last quarter, we grabbed the oportunity to meet with one of its outstanding figures: Mary-M the young female halfling, (who looks barely 20, if that) with angelic wings. She met us with a ready smile and was completely at home in the hustle and bustle of the “Tookery”: the nickname given to a collecion of interconnected buildings and businesses in Seacroft run by the extended halfling Took clan (being in parts a pun on their name, a reference to the rather ramshackle exterior appearance of the conjoined buildings, and the reputation that many halflings have for light-fingered behaviour).
I've been dying to ask, as are many of our readers, are those real wings you have? When and why did you get them?
Yes they’re real, they were a gift from the Archangel Sammael after I helped rescue him from his imprisonment within the mind of the demon Belial. I thought his wings were really cool and asked if I could have some the same. I later chose to become one of his Agents.
Is it true that they change colour depending on what mood you’re in?
No, they’re naturally invisible like the rest of me, but when I’m visible they’re always white. Oh, the invisibility was the result of a magical explosion caused by flying into a Balrog whose hand was made from Warpstone, while I was carrying a powerful holy symbol.
When and why did you join the Seagate adventurers Guild?
Both of my parents are ex- adventurers — my father Aloysius was one of the original Table of Twelve along with Herkam and Maia — and it seemed like a really good way to see the world.
It’s been nearly twenty years since I first ran down the Seagate wharf, ink still wet on my Namer graduation certificate, to join Von Kroft’s expedition to the mythical Southern Continent. He was very happy to see me... until he discovered that Divination was Special Knowledge.
Why are you still an adventurer - what motivates you to join a party?
Come on, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure. Where else can you:
- Drink from an Holy Grail
- Ride on the back of a 200 mile long dragon
- Fly between planes in an ancient Elven aether ship
- Be in the middle of a stand-off between a demon Emperor and four Archangels.
- Organise a comedy festival for the mummified ex-rulers of the Empire of the Sun
- Meet the last Elven Empress from before the War of Tears
- Help to prevent the return of Baal, the first demon
- Watch Sith's brother Carroc transform himself into a dragon -- which we really should do something about one of these days. If anybody has seen him recently please let me know.
- Stand in the drifting ash of a thousand destroyed undead after the battle of Carlson's Switch
- Save the world, again -- sometimes you'd just like it to stay saved, you know --
When and how did you get the standard of St Bartholemew? (Is that its name?)
It’s the standard of Saint Jeremiah, which our party were forced to recover by an off planar villain; we’d all had out heads cut off at the time and this was the price of getting our bodies back. During the course of the adventure we all became undead, but fortunately Penni and I were able to use the Standard to restore everyone. The evil Lord of the plane was eaten by vampire bats controlled by another party member, and we managed to kill the bats by trapping them in an inn and burning it to the ground... which also resulted in the pocket plane being destroyed... which was actually a good thing!
Why were you chosen to hold it at the battle of Carlson's Switch?
It was my idea to borrow the Standard from the Church to use it to battle the forces of the Dark Circle... it is more effective in the hands of an Agent of the Powers of Light.
What other areas do you specialise in?
I’m a Namer, Philosopher and Healer, although I use two shortswords, not a hand-and-a-half, and not all halflings are thieves. I would also like to take this opportunity to lay to rest a persistent rumour. Despite certain incidents, I am not, nor ever have been, a Greater Summoner. But, okay, my picture is on the wall at the guild stables - they won’t loan me another horse.
What do you do whilst not adventuring?
I’m working on being a serious mage. I’ve spent most of the last 17 years raising my son, Dart, whose father abandonded me three days before our wedding after he was seduced by Sabella, a tart with no scruples and a love potion.
Anything else you want to say to the guild populace?
Be all that you can be... it’s never too late to change for the better... and you can never have too many cream buns.
Adventures
- Fey Haven Spring 807
- Sword of Petrus Winter 807
- Crisis on Alternate Alusias Spring 806
- Blood, My God the Blood Autumn 806
- How Much for the Little Boy Spring 805
- Brastor Breakout Winter 805
- Jeremiah's Chariot Summer 805
- Quest for Lost Dragons Spring 802
- The Road Builder Autumn 801
- A Terranovan Picnic Summer 801
- Heedless they... Spring 799
- The War of Tears (Adventure) Summer 799
- Overdue Library Books Winter 798
- Empire of the Sun Investigation Spring 797 - Summer 798
- Around A Hat in 80 Hours Autumn 797
- Against ze Flying Nomes Autumn 790
- Blabbo Take's Birthday Party Spring 788
- The Progress of Disease II Winter 788
- Holy Grail (We all love King Mark!) Summer 788
- Delph I ???
- Southern Continent Expedition Spring 787
