What is a Game and How do I Play?

by Rotsu

Those above had watched, and found her worthy of a second shot at life. She had lived well, as Sindrie. Now, as Aubrey, how might she deal with politics, Dark Lords and old secrets, best left buried? Full intro at the top of Chapter 1.

24. The Warning

AN: Welcome to "Major divergences from cannon 2: Electric Boogaloo." Hope you enjoy.

Breaking cannon aside, the last 3rd of the chapter is her fixing her stats up and getting a perk. I'll summarize it all in an end of chapter (pre year 3) write-up if you don't like reading the long form of it and just want to see the effects.

---

When I woke up on my birthday, I had a number of very odd feelings. First, I felt oddly stronger than when I had fallen asleep. Second, like this birthday wouldn't quite be the same as the others.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I felt like I was in immediate danger. This is probably important, as I don't normally wake up before the sun. Not in the summer, when it rises around 5:00 am.

I roll out of bed - towards the center of my room and snatch both my wands out of their holsters, one under the pillow, one on the bedside table.

Then I realize what's wrong, here.

Oghma is in my room, looking at me bemusedly. For those who can't picture it - let me describe the god of writing and the arts for you.

He isn't very tall - maybe 1.8 meters, brown hair, brown eyes, pretty plain face. Really, he looks like some guy I'd run into in the market. Except his clothes. He was wearing a traditional robe, like the kind you'd imagine Merlin wearing. It's super fancy, with gold and silver embroidery. He has a thick belt, with a large tome on one hip and a scroll-holder on the other. There's no less than 12 scrolls of varying sizes on it. I can see another scroll on his back. He seems to have a number of pouches on his person, and I can see at least one of them must contain ink-stones. Another seems to hold a brush.

So a super rich writer from Arthurian times. Then you get to his aura, which is undeniably divine. So much so that it almost hurts to stand in his presence. This is undoubtedly the thing which woke me up.

I guess turning 13 is a magically significant year, but what the hell is this?

"You weren't told?" Oghma says, sounding genuinely confused and displeased. "Well, allow me to fill in what your foolish father failed to do," He says, grabbing and unrolling one of the many scrolls on his belt before passing it to me. "Simply put, the most intelligent, powerful and able-bodied of the generation following the current head of house must take up headship. This can be anyone from the main branch. So even if you can't produce an heir, I can take a niece or nephew as head. The most able of all current house members is made head, immediately. You, being the fifth-most so of your house - very impressive for your age - will overtake your own father and become head of house no later than your eighteenth birthday. As such, having divined everyone's potential in your family, I know yours to be the greatest," he tells me while I read what is clearly a contract.

The Line of Hawthorne and the Abstract entity of Art, Thought and Writing, Oghma, were bound to each other. Basically we worship him by furthering and improving all arts we're in (Magical, Mundane, it does not matter.) and in return, whoever he picks out of a generation gets his blessing - which is laid out on the paper pretty clearly. We're basically the 'archpriest' of his religion, though he really doesn't care for formal worship. He cares for the production and furthering of his domains. Because when you write something - you're worshiping. At least that's what I've been taught. So we create great works which help us and further his domain. He doesn't mind if you don't share, even. Just that it exists. But he knows that to be the head of a group of excessive bibliophiles and researchers/artists is hard, and the head needs to understand what all the projects mean. To this end, he gives boons to the head, and line as a whole. The ones I think are most important are as follows:

You can read and write every language (including musical or future languages, such as computer programming).

You have access to greater levels of higher thinking than you would otherwise have access to.

The Bloodline as a whole is guaranteed to never have any squibs, as long as Oghma is pleased.

And so it went. Lots of minor things - good handwriting. Increased writing speed. Better comprehension. All of these were listed as minor boons, which makes me think for most of us, the boon is just a fraction of a percent, a tiny edge over our natural abilities. Not even quantifiable. But another way of looking at it, would be our above-average intellectual average is a result of this blessing.

I think for those truly daft, or maybe young, it would be a larger percentage, since there's a lot more room to misunderstand.

"So I'm your pick for this generation?" I ask, finishing the contract. It's only good to be clear. Abstract entities need clarity on some really odd things. Best to be sure than assume and die.

"Yes, indeed. I didn't expect I'd see you again, Sindrie - now Aubrey - Hawthorne nee Amaglain." He says, and I want to sigh.

"Of course you're the same one in both universes. Say, could you find a way to let Markus know I'm alright, over here? I've been worried about him." I ask the deity nods.

"'Twould be my pleasure, after the noble and generous life you led. The balance was sublime. Your Karma came out to be not good, yet not evil. Neither for law nor for chaos. You are simply a being who wished the world were a better place. To me that means more knowledge - greater arts - and I can see you're well on your way to finding the same. To making this world a better and more beautiful place," he tells me and I nod, though I'm sure we both know I feel far more inclined to helping people than not - even if I'm more selective in who I help, they tend to be 'big hero' types who try to save the world or whatever.

"Well, I suppose I'm to take your blessing now, then?" Oghma nods his head.

"I will bless you now, yes. As your deal with the Luminous one, though, don't abuse my power or you will lose it. Your father has already lost a number of the minor boons, and is close to losing major ones. Use it well, and perhaps I will grant you more." He said, and then clapped his hands, and I got a series of notifications. "Good Luck," he mutters before disappearing.

I flip through the notifications.

Blessing of Oghma Received!

Due to the effects of this boon, we're granting you the more complex things in stages so they don't affect you as severely. Your stats are affected by this.

+1 int/wis every level. -1 to Strength or Constitution or dexterity or agility, rotating every level.

Mastery of Written Language (All) Level 1

Calligraphy - MAX

Rune-Carving - MAX

Then the second notification -

You have garnered attention from a divine being! You live in very interesting times!

+50 to (Divine) Magic.

+50 to (Light) Magic

+50 to (Structured Magic)

This blessing removes your ability to utilize 'Wild' or 'Unstructured' magic. Demonic Magic and Asgardian Magic among them the two prime examples.

If you continue to impress the lord of writing then he may deem you fit of further blessings!

The last message was the most interesting to me, though.

You've entered a deities presence, and not been vaporized! This is incredibly good for you, and lucky! Most deities destroy mortals who dare to gaze directly upon them!

+5 Luck.

+Divine Resistance (Level 1)

+Perk - Planar Sense.

I enlarged Planar Sense. It's very simple -

You can sense beings who do not originate from this plane of existence.

So I decided to go on with my life. I'm up. It's my birthday. Aside from a random wishing of good luck (which is likely not random at all) things look good!

All in all I would find that luck didn't impact my birthday. I would go through the day with no issues. My birthday was entirely unremarkable. More family magic books, more basics of the how which we've discovered - based on arithmancy and runes. They knew I was taking those, along with Care, so they were giving me these 'advanced materials', which probably held nothing I didn't already know, with some interesting insights into the material which didn't seem too impressive.

Really, one of the major breakthroughs in the last book had been how they'd tweaked the tanning charm to be a large area getting tanned instead of a single person, which you could achieve by doing a flick-into-a-circle instead of a jab.

Basically AOE vampire killing. But the book hadn't even mentioned it for that purpose! Oh no! I had to figure out the use of the tanning charm out of the book from an ancient vampire/vampire hunter who ruled Romanian and Albanian Vampire society. He simply went by "The Baron" in the book, and as the author's name. Good enough for me.

I still wonder how such odd books got into Hogwarts at some point so the Room of Requirement could copy them. That one had been brought in by a Black of some sort, 99% chance they're from the Black family. No first name given. Potentially it was a book in the Black family library, which had been in there since before they came over in the Roman invasion, but translated to English.

I live for these types of mysteries. If I ever meet a normal, not in any way insane, Black, I'll ask if it's not horribly impolite or likely to get me stabbed or otherwise maimed/killed.

So it was that I went to Daphne's with my mum in tow.

"Ah, it is good to see you Mrs. Hawthorne. I hope nothing is amiss?" Lord Greengrass asks. Mama blinks.

"Oh, no… nothing." She mutters, I roll my eyes.

"Mama. Let them help. I've already asked and they've already agreed. We've been over this." I remind her. She nods, looking at them wearily.

"You're sure you can help?" She asks, Uriel nods.

"Cursed items and objects are a personal specialty of mine. It's become a bit of a dead end, but I'm really good at dealing with minor, moderate and even a few major curses. If I can't figure out what the curse is or how to remove it, I know who can help fix it for you." He says, moving to slowly draw his wand. "I'll need to cast on you. Do I have permission?" He asks.

Mama nods. "Of course." She appends, fidgeting with her fingers. He nods satisfactorily, and casts three spells.

Then frowns, and casts at least five more - I think it was seven but it could have been more. The man casts incredibly fast...

"Odd," he mutters, casting two more, then grins. "Damn that Hawthorne magic. I know how to fix this, but it was a loop to make it look a lot worse than it was, really, all you have to do is…" and he casts one more spell, and I hear the sound of metal snapping. "Break the metal bands without hurting the wearer. There was nothing protecting what the curse was anchored on, and there was nothing watching that method of curse-breaking. For all his tricks, he forgot the first rule." He sniffs in a very unimpressed way.

While he talks, Mama flicks the rings off and sighs in relief.

"Additionally, you should know there were a number of compulsions to think your daughter was the cause of the things ailing you, and to favor your other children - really, any child - over her. Also, mild compulsions to trust your husband, and a few other, nastier bits and bobs, but nothing too harmful as far as curses go. Controlling and vile? Certainly. But no physical, soul-based or mental harm done. I absolutely recommend studying occlumency and seeing a mind healer, though." He rattles off.

"But-wh-I…" Mama mutters, and I get under one arm of hers and give her a hug. "Why?" She asks, sounding a bit broken. About as broken as you can, really. I felt similarly at my betrayal, but this stings anew. Truly nothing is sacred to my forebear.

"Control. He wants control over everything so he can keep his life exactly how he likes it. Wife, job, three kids, white picket fence… Every man's dream. He's doing everything he can to keep his dream. His shoddy fix-me-up will be what broke it, though," Uriel responds. Looking upon us, he sighs. "Feel free to stay a few hours, to collect yourself then go to Saint-Mungos for a sudden migraine or similar. Afterwards… I'll give you an address in Knockturn here soon, they sell short-term mind protections for those who need them. They break after a month. They only sell them for that long and only sell one per year, per customer. Tell them I sent you." He says, shuffling off. I blink in shock.

What the hell?

Not one to pass up his generosity, I bring mama to the sitting room (where no one except guests or people who need to be there go) and lay her down on a couch, putting her head in my lap.

Most of the two hours is just quietly crying and quiet conversations about what to do from here.

In the end, I find I have a new student in Occlumency, and she finds I'm not so much a little girl as she thought. Instead, I'm a bit cold, blunt and really don't trust anyone with anything. Except the Greengrass family, and Sarah, of course.

"You're just paranoid." She mutters, letting out a very weak (though genuine!) chuckle. I smile at her.

"I think I have a good reason to be paranoid, mama. Look what happened when I trusted someone?" I say, and she gives me that same tired nod.

"Yes, of course. But.. how will it not be obvious to him that I'm not wearing the rings, later, when he sees me?" She asks, and I smile, though it's a fake smile.

"Just put the broken rings back on, and use magic to mend them. The curses are gone by now. When you have a chance, get similar replicas, or trade them for better pieces, or find a way to make an illusion so it looks like you're wearing them. Any of those would work." I tell her. She shudders.

"And again, I must question why I can't just divorce him and take you kids with me?" She asks, and I sigh.

"As the lord of an ancient house, and you being a Muggleborn, he'd be able to keep us, and get you all but banished from England. Really, the best play is to just bear with it, and build a number of minor offences against him to get him to sleep on the couch, or to even wind up with separate beds, in separate rooms. Most lords are willing to keep a wife even if they don't share a bed, because it looks really bad to get a divorce. Married in name only." I tell her. Of course this is a bit more elaborate than it had been previously. Before I'd not mentioned the bit about the "in name only" deal.

"It does solve the issue, I guess. Old-fashioned world we live in." She mutters. I nod.

"I'll take over at 18, as I've told you and put you in a vacation home with the other two and have papa focus on furthering his research, since our patron isn't happy with him, as I've said." I mutter to her. She nods.

"Good, yea. I can hold on for a few years for you kids." She mutters. "It's worth it." Then she sighs and picks herself up. I cast some cosmetic charms to get her back to prime condition, and then a minor beauty illusion to hide that she'd been crying.

As I cast Astoria comes tumbling into the room, Daphne standing in the doorway she'd come from.

"You need to learn to mind your own business, Tori. I warned you, if I caught you trying to eavesdrop again, what would happen." Daphne says dangerously. I chuckle, casting the charms on myself quickly as I do.

"You know I silence my rooms before I hold talks," I tell her. She nods.

"Tori doesn't. Anyways, my father wanted me to give your mother this list - it's the mind healers he knows are the best - and actually hold customer privacy highly. Other than that, he has a few other things in there he said you'd like to know, though he didn't specify what." Daphne says. Putting the aforementioned scroll on a table near the door she (and the now standing and scowling Astoria) came from.

"Ah, thank you." Mama says, bowing a bit. Daphne nods, and then turns to me.

"Business past, can we get on with our routine stuff?" She asks. I nod.

"If this is about the other name and the magic trick I told you about, no need to worry. I have those memories." I tell her and she nods, happily. "Really, I think Mama should come and discuss the traditions of various things the next couple days with your parents." I tell her. She catches this to mean 'so I can teach her Occlumency, with help of your father who is infinitely better at the actual attacking of a mind and helping set up the defenses' because it's true. They're the best at that whole process that I know of. Daphne nods, and my mom goes to ask a question, so I follow the train of thought I'm on.

Uriel taught Daphne. She's the person with the best shields I've ever encountered. Like, hers were even better than Uriel's - though I only know that peripherally and due to him and I testing each other.

He'd probably fixed the error I'd found since then. Really, it was only notable if you knew about illusions like I did - I used a type of mist as my 'probe' in others minds. Any cracks or windows or anything and I could seep in. He was a type of stone construct in his defense. A few cracks let me right in.

Daphne feels like a wall of steel. I had to actually try to hit her to get in - which wasn't so fun.

Sarah's defense was like mine - just a ton of space and you had to play hide and seek with the memories and then deal with the defenses. Hitting the place was useless and you couldn't really blanket the whole thing in mist. You had to trigger the mind to show you where what you wanted was, then piggyback on that to the information, then you could blanket/hit/etc the place what you wanted was in, and get what you wanted.

It took a lot more time and effort to set that up, though. Hence why basically no one did that. Have adequate defenses in a few months of nightly exercises? Or have that in a year of the same nightly stuff? Most people take the monthly stuff, then try to work up to the other stuff later.

Rarely do they succeed.

Now Sarah is working on adding layers to her defense - an outer defensive shell, and then she's going to make walls and foe-caches. Supreme defense, multi-layered and faceted. As opposed to the one wall with many tricks most had. In a decade, she'd probably have some of the best mental defenses you could get, while Daphne and her father would get stuck at around two-thirds her effectiveness. Unless they really pushed their mental defenses, and compacted the inside into a dimension, and used the initial defense as the outer barrier. It would require some knowledge of dimensionalism on their parts, but then maybe…

That's a magical theory for another day.

"...of course, feel free to come by anytime!" I come back to hear Uriel talking to Mama. I glance at Daphne and tilt my head - no need to stick around. She nods and we get to walking to her room.

Hopefully everything goes according to plan.

It would be a while later - on the tune of a week and some days (now August 6th.) that I got a delivery from a bedraggled Hedwig. I fumbled in my trunk to get my pouch of owl-snacks which I'd gotten with her in mind, then tossed one to her, before taking the letter, and smiling.

"Took the idiot long enough. Could have been worse… While I get you some water, why don't you tell me about his summer, and why it took him so long to get back to me?" I ask. I'm 98% sure it's his relatives who gave him all those negatives.

She sits on my shoulder while I get a bowl from the kitchen, fill it with water and then take it to my room, setting it on my desk. She gives the occasional ruffle of feathers or trill. I nod along with her explanation.

"So it was his relatives?" I guess, and she bobs her head. "Of course it was. Well, suppose I'll read the letter. Good job getting it to me. Do you want to rest here for the night, or would you like my response before nightfall?" I ask. She taps her foot twice.

Letter now. Okay. I crack open the letter.

"Dear Belladonna Maple, (Wrong again, though closer. He's only in the list of fourth years, now. Soon he'll actually figure it out.)

I apologize for my lack of letters. I was forbidden from sending mail, and never got any to reply to. It turns out that my mail was being stolen - without orders - by a house elf. It knows of a plot it's master has to bring a great danger to Hogwarts, and it wanted to keep me safe." The letter begins. I blink. Okay, not pulling your punches, there. I'll write to Flitwick and Dumbledore, since apparently Dumbledore is willing to listen to me, somewhat. I'll say I have sources which wish to remain anonymous at this time, but which may come forward independently on their own time and volition.

I doubt much can be done on my word alone, but people will be on the lookout at least.

"Additionally, I would like to know if there is any means to get people reported for mistreatment and endangerment of a minor? I was locked in my room up until yesterday, the 4th, with bars on my windows and the whole deal. I would like to be removed from the home for obvious reasons." Yea, there is a way to do that, actually. Designed for heirs of Noble houses and above which he certainly meets the criteria of.

"Lastly, how would I go about accessing the money you've mentioned previously? You only ever mentioned it's at Gringotts.

Yours truly.

H. J. P."

My response isn't long.

I tell him I'll do everything in my power to get the issue with school handled. It'll be hard to do things all on my own, but people tend to listen when I talk, I write as much, anyways.

On mistreatment of minors - I point him to some attorneys - specifically the Pucey and McMillan agency, or the recently appointed Tonks and Smith agency, both of which I know to be top notch and actually good/clean. They can handle it.

Lastly, on the money front, I tell him to go to Gringotts and ask for a full inheritance set. If he has any vaults he can access they'll show up there. If he's the last of any lines and their main branch, he'll get access to all funds in their coffers. The Goblins get nothing for sitting on a lot of gold, but they do get something if it's being spent.

An active economy and active funds suit them, after all.

Then I write down my own questions. All short and simple.

"Can you tell me where you are now? If not, are you happy where you are? Has anything odd happened?" I ask them to append.

"When done reading this letter, burn it, and only write your reply immediately before sending it. I don't trust anyone with anything physical at the moment. If the elf gets your letter from me, I'd prefer not to be in danger, even if he's not taking your mail, allegedly." I write, then sigh, sign the letter, and turn to Hedwig.

"You need to make sure only Harry gets this letter. If anyone else tries, then see it destroyed or otherwise lost." I tell her, and she bobs her head at me.

I tie off the letter and set her loose. Hoping for the best. Then I turn and get to work on my letter to Dumbledore, and a separate one to Flitwick. Time to test how much Dumbledore is willing to trust me.

It wouldn't be until after I finish and send the letters that I would get a quest -

Enemies of the Heir…

For your 3rd year at Hogwarts, malevolent forces are intending to release something upon or into the school. Figure out what it is before it gets dealt with, and make a plan for dealing with it that will work!

Main Objectives -

Alert Hogwarts to the threat - Complete.

Discover the exact details of the threat -

Make a plan to deal with the threat -

Ensure the threat is dead or otherwise neutralised at the end of the year -

Bonus Objectives -

Don't let anyone get hurt by the threat -

Help reverse whatever damage is caused by the threat -

X

X

X

Secret Objectives -

Alert Hogwarts to the threat before the year begins.

Failure-

Death or Petrification.

Well, damn. Okay.

Petrification? What can petrify? Gorgons, Medusae, Basilisks, and cockatrice were the only creatures in my last life which exist in this one. Medusae are long extinct, though, so we have three. Cockatrice are sub-intelligent creatures in this world. If it's one of those, then we'll know quickly.

Gorgons and Basilisks are the real threat. Gorgons can hide very well, and they have a gas of petrification which siphons your magic into the Gorgon so it grows in power. They're a class 4 - and intelligent - creature. Fully sentient, but barely. Something like a 65 IQ, if I remember right.

Basilisks are a class 5 - extremely intelligent - creature. They can kill with a look, or petrify. Their venom is the most complex acidic and venomous compound known to man. They're recognized as the fifth most dangerous creature on the planet, behind Nundu's, some Dragons, and the twin monsters, Scylla and Charybdis in Greece. They beat out every other type of dragon, and everything on down. If it is one of these, we'll probably need to bring in a whole team to deal with it, if it's older than a few months.

Then we get into the two spells which can petrify. I know of one - it's mentioned briefly in a few texts, it's supposedly an old spell - classified as Dark - which turns flesh to stone-like consistency, but does not kill the one it's inflicted upon. Instead it leaves them alive and aware, but unable to do anything.

In short it's a torture spell. It was used as an example because the only known cure, and thus why it's not unforgivable, is a potion. They've also developed a cream and a salve for the petrification. I'll make sure to figure out how to get some so if anything winds up petrified and not, for some reason dead, I can fix it.

Plan in mind, I went about finishing my day up - nothing else happened. Other than the letters, everything was normal.

On the last day of summer, I decided to pull the trigger and upgrade myself with the perk points and stat points I've accumulated. After my run-in with a god, my numbers are pretty different.

The perk he gave me was fully retroactive, it seems. Easy enough allocation, though. Round int and Wis off at 100 each, then bring all my other stats up a few points to make up for the loss - 5 each (Except STR, which I'm only going to keep at roughly this level, for now)

The rest get split between int and wis Also, round off what I can to a whole 5. In the end, the stats that'd changed -

HP - 11,910

MP - 31,675

STM - 14,050

55 Str

70 Agi

70 Dex

70 Con

115 Int

115 Wis

70 (95) Luk

4 Points to spend.

Perk Points to Spend - 3

Then Perks - First, Supportive Specialist was a must. I had long since decided to also get Duelist Champion after my first dueling tournament, so I could have an unobtrusive entrance to the scene - a natural one - then I could show up the next year and blow them all away. "I've been training" indeed.

The Supportive Skill-Set. (2 pts)

You know, better than anyone, perhaps, what it means to support another. You have trained long and hard, and are now perhaps one of - if not the - supportive specialist. Your creative use of the skills could be your biggest boon. A tanning charm to kill a Vampire, or the animation charm on a silver Chain to choke out a Werewolf - your skills may not be directly combat-oriented, but you know how to make them work, in a pinch.

+30 to all non-combat magics, +30 to Improvisation +30 to Persuasion.

So now we're all done, for now. I opened my full status, to check my skills and I got a popup.

Due to Int and Wis going above 100 you have received perks -

Inspired Learning

Your great intellect gives you an advantage when it comes to learning new or refining already known skills. You never make the same mistake twice - literally - unless it's intentional.

+25% learning speed.

The Endless Well.

You in-combat MP Regen is doubled.

The perk is short and sweet - just how I like them.

More learning buffs? Wonderful - you can never have too many! I now have something like a 70% increase in learning, which will only help as time goes on. If I get enough of them I may be able to get close to the number of things I want to do. Such a short life - and yet so much to do! Even if I live to 150 (which is what can be expected for a healthy Witch or Wizard) - that's not even a fifth of how old I would have been in my last life! For another time.

I spent the last couple days making sure everything was ready for Hogwarts.

---

AN: It came up in a review - so let me be clear. Not all titles are listed because some of them are repetitive / do the same thing. I do count them all in my calculations, but if I can cut down character count buy 20 words, I'll do it. IE: Monster of Ravenclaw.

Anyways, as promised -

End of Chapter Stats -

Name - Aubrey Hawthorne

Titles - Reincarnate

The Princess Raven.

Prodigy

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Salazar's Favored.

Awakened One.

Race - Human.

Level 30

HP - 11,910

MP - 31,675

STM - 14,050

Age - 13

57 Str

70 Agi

70 Dex

65 Con

115 Int

115 Wis

75 (100) Luk

2 Points to spend.

Perk Points to Spend - 2

Perks

Inspired Learning (100 int)

Your great intellect gives you an advantage when it comes to learning new or refining already known skills. You never make the same mistake twice - literally - unless it's intentional.

+25% learning speed.

The Endless Well. (100 Wis)

You in-combat MP Regen is doubled.

Enhanced Mana. (50 Int)

+10% to your Mana Pool.

Enhanced Control (50 Wisdom)

+10% Magical Control.

Strong Back - (50 STR)

You can carry far more than you have any right to - doubles your lifting power.

The Hands of a Duelist - (50 Dex).

+50% to Casting speed and Precision.

Tough - (50 Con)

+15% to HP and Stamina.

Lucky! - (50 Luck)

In every game of chance, you have silly luck. Be it slots, poker or a roulette wheel. You have luck at it.

Actor - 1 point

You are an exceptionally skilled actor, naturally. You can pick up details, such as the habits and quirks of a person by watching them for a while to successfully impersonate them. Why with some polyjuice potion (A substance which when embied you look like the person it's keyd to) you could convincingly pretend to be a well-known and respected public official from another country for months without anyone noticing anything was amiss. (Observation, Acting and Deception all start at "Adept")

Investigative skill - 1 point.

You are a gumshoe of some note, capable of making connections that others would miss and you are keenly observant allowing you to get a much more accurate idea of the situation with a simple glance at a crime scene than an ordinary person would get by combing it carefully. (Investigation, and Perception start at "Adept")

Parseltongue - 1 point.

You have the rare gift of Parselmouth. As a Parseltongue you can talk to and control snakes. Has the potential to do far more, there are even legends of it being used in various magics. Be careful, this trait has negative stigma attached.

The Shadowed Path (2pts)

You have a natural affinity for the arts of the Shadow - you can use Shadow magic, and stealth starts at Journeyman (Level 31)

Potential. - 8 points.

You were born to greatness, and this reflects in everything you do. Magic is second nature to you. While you don't get any skill or knowledge innate with this perk, nor any gifts or talents that pass down bloodlines or through rituals, you now have limitless talent in every single branch of magic apart from these limitations.

Besides that, you are a genius at learning magic too, mastering material at positively enormous rates. This growth continues indefinitely, never slowing no matter what.

With time and effort on your part, your grasp of magic and its theoretical framework could be such that you can manipulate the very nature of it, and do so with an almost contemptuous ease. You would be able to take apart spells and rituals. Even altering spells in real time could be a possibility to you, changing their effects, size, scope, everything. As is coming up with entirely new pieces of magic, with due research and innovation.

Finally, to fuel all this, your 'Magical Core', per se, is proportionately vast. You have a humongous amount of magic at your fingertips, stretching far and beyond any known metrics well into the realm of legends like Merlin and the Founders.

This is the power level the magical titans operate at - to name a few famous ones you may interact with - Albus Dumbledore, Thomas Marvolo Riddle, Voldemort, Harry James Potter and a few others. They are referred to as "Archmagi" generally, or in older terms, Warlocks or Sorcerers.

Etiquette - Part one of the "Magus" Line

Manners Maketh Man. You find you have an impeccable understanding of social norms and etiquettes, knowing just the right way to treat everyone higher, equal and lower in status to you at all times. You're at home in any high-level gatherings, and will never be caught wearing the wrong cut of robes. (Adds 30 points to "Etiquette" skill)

Dedication - Part one of the "Modern Wizard" line.

Staying focused is easy for you. You can mindlessly slog through even the most boring of tasks with single minded determination - be that three hours of scrubbing cauldrons or similar - you have the dedication to do it! (Grants buff to willpower and helps you ignore distractions when you need to focus or get stuff done.)

Occlumens, -2 points.

Your mastery of Occlumency means a fully ordered mind with the ability to instantly recall any memory, and hold off Legilimencers through use of memory redirection of brute force. You can resist veritaserum.

Social Butterfly -1 point

For some people the most terrifying thing they'll face in life is socializing with other people, but for you, it is the least scary thing you'll have to do. Reading body language is all well and good but it doesn't give you the knowledge of the ins and outs of complex social encounters. Now this won't be a problem whatsoever for you. You can read the mood of any room you walk into, spot when your political opponent is laying a trap in their questions, notice when a friend is hurting even when they try to hide it. You can also act the part that is expected of you in varied circles such as walking and speaking with the poise of a born noble among the aristocrats at their fancy gatherings even if you weren't actually born into that world, or appearing as a harmless bartender serving drinks and gathering juicy secrets. Mind, you won't be more intelligent nor gain any information you don't already know and if you aren't wearing the right clothes people will notice the odd outsider in their clique.

+20 to all social skills, Etiquette, Lie-Detection, Insight and Politics.

Perk - Planar Sense.

You can sense beings who do not originate from this plane of existence.

Blessing of Oghma

+1 int/wis every level. -1 to Strength or Constitution or dexterity or agility, rotating every level.

The Supportive Skillset. (2 pts)

You know, better than anyone, perhaps, what it means to support another. You have trained long and hard, and are now perhaps one of - if not the - supportive specialist. Your creative use of the skills could be your biggest boon. A tanning charm to kill a Vampire, or the animation charm on a silver Chain to choke out a Werewolf - your skills may not be directly combat-oriented, but you know how to make them work, in a pinch.

+30 to all non-combat magics, +30 to Improvisation +30 to Persuasion.

Skills

Observe - Level 75

Acting - Level 88

Etiquette, -83

Persuasion - 67

Deception - Level 91

Intimidation - 31

Lie-Detection - 72

Insight - 67

Killing Intent - 12

History - Level 82

Mathematics - Level 83

Art (Drawn) - Level 29

Art (Violin) - Level 76

Cooking (General) - Level 45

English - 140

Spanish - 102

French - Max

German - 65

Dance - 54

Acrobatics - 46

Gymnastics - 47

Stealth - 73

"Common" - Max

"Elvish" - Max

Meditation - Level 88

Improvisation - 30

Bladed Weaponry (All)- 32

Longswords - 67

Daggers - 51

Perception - Level 59

Investigation - Level 50

Healing - Level 30

Charms (Non-Combat) - 77

Charms - Combat - 47

DADA (All) - 31

Dueling - 96.

Transfiguration (Non-Combat) - 65

Transfiguration (Combat) - 35

Potions (All) - 65

Herbology (All) - 62

Astronomy (All) - 61

Ancient Runes (All) - 63

Enchanting - 66

Arithmancy - 67

Care of Magical Creatures - 64

Rituals - 41

Soul Magic (Non-Combat) - 39

Soul Magic - (Combat) - 9

Magical Theory - 132

Magical Control - 22

Magic Sensing - 5

Mage Sight - 1

Shadow Magic (Non-Combat) - 56

Shadow Magic (Combat) - 26

Paseltongue - Max

Wanded Magic - 35

Occlumency - Max

Legilimency - 27

Read Language - All 1/10

Write Language - All 1/10

Divine Resistance - Level 1

Magical Alignment -

+260 Light

+154 Arcane Magic

+152 Neutral

+150 Structured

+53 Primal

+51 Divine

(Super complicated, will be explained later, but if you must know leave a review/dm me and I'll add the explanation as an AN at top on next chapter)