Agnotha Catherine Vartouhi

In Character

Name: Agnotha Catherine Vartouhi
Age: 53
Gender: Female
Note: She has the noble rank of Lady, through her first marriage, but is rarely referred to as such.


(For family, just enter names and if there alive or dead please)

Parents: John and Allegra Torren(both are deceased) Play-bys: Patrick Stewart and Sigourney Weaver
Grandparents: Syhn and Dea Torren and Fairfax and Calandra Ribpon(all deceased)
Siblings: Charles Torren
Aunts & Uncles: Pandora Torren, Tacita Algona and Davis Ribpon(all deceased)
Nieces & Nephews: Kael Torren, Gabrielle Richon and Mignon Torren
Cousins: none living
Children: James, Ianthe Lystrya, Unnamed infant (died at birth), Adrian John, Seth (died at four months), Allegra (died at age 3), Hafwyn Dane and Fabron (died at birth)
Grandchildren: Unnamed infant (died before birth) Robert (died at birth) Catherine, Hortense and Viviane (James' children) Syhn and Virgil (Ianthe's sons) Agnotha Grace (Adrian's daughter) Christoffer, Britt, and Agamemnon (Hafwyn's children)
Other Family of Consequence: Isaac and Isadora Ludwane (Hafwyn's birth parents)

Extra on family:
-James is married to Apphia nee' Borken (play-by: Saffron Burrows)
-Ianthe is married to Ebbe Lystrya (play-by: Ioan Gruffudd)
-Adrian was married to Grace nee' Heathers (she died in childbirth) (play-by: Rosamund Pike)
-Hafwyn is married to Bruis Dane (play-by: Karl Urban)

-James is 38 years old (play-by: Russell Crowe)
-Ianthe is 35 (play-by: Lena Headey)
-Adrian is 30 (play-by: Sam Worthington)
-Hafwyn is 27 (play-by: Sophia Loren)

-Catherine is 15, (play-by: Pilar Lopez de Ayala)
Hortense is 6 (play-by: Taryn Davis)
and Viviane is 4 (play-by:) TBA
-Syhn is 17 (play-by: Leonard Whiting)
and Virgil is 9 (play-by: James Robinson)
-Agnotha Grace is 4 (play-by: TBA)
-Christoffer is 8, (play-by: TBA)
Britt is 5 (play-by:TBA)
and Agamemnon is 2 (play-by:TBA)



Skin color: White
Hair Color: Silver-white
Hair length: Half-way down her back
Eye color: Blue
Size: 1.53 m (5 feet)
Build: Petite
Play-by: Barbara Stanwyck
Picture:




^With Agamemnon



Crushes: none
Mates/Spouse:
Former: Lord Fredrick Ashford Willon (died age 21) play by: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Current: Sir Ragnar Vartouhi (age 63) play-by: Donald Sutherland (pictured below)
Status: married




Personality
From a young age, Agnotha developed a strong compassion for the world around her. That care, presently well tested, allows her to keep a pleasant demeanor in the face of turmoil or difficultly. Stanch in her convictions, she is not easily swayed, settling quite stiffly if she sets her foot down. Still more often than not, she doesn't find the situation important enough for a complete lack of flexibility.
She makes friends easily due to a nearly constant pleasant demeanor and light attitude. She hates arguments and would say or do almost anything to soothe any bent or ruffled nerves.
More inclined to listen than speak, Agnotha measures her words and uses them as needed. She is a firm believer in a soft word turning away wrath and would lean toward gently working out a problem before resorting to any other measure. Still, there are times for other actions and she can force herself to set aside her care for one person in order to help or save another.
Often she comes across as naive and innocent to those around her; as they believe her sweet personality is a result of an easy life as opposed to a decision to not be ruined by the hardships of the world. Hard-working, she enjoys the company of others, and is careful to not too quickly judge those she does not know. She enjoys simple things and more than anything else, her family around her.


Around Family/Friends
Agnotha deeply loves her family, devoting all of her time and energy to the growing brood. She has good relationships with her four surviving children and dotes on her grandchildren. Along with her children, she considers their spouses as equal additions to the family and loves each of them. Both she and her husband have a strong love for each other, having gone through many trying times together. Their relationship is divided nicely between them; with Ragnar being the more passionate part and Agnotha being the more thoughtful. She rarely does things without consulting her husband or/and children, considering their advice and knowledge helpful. Still, she is able to stand alone, often taking time to help others in the town or in the outskirts around.


Around Enemies
She prefers to give the benefit of a doubt to all those around her. Good is in everyone in her eyes, with all people as children of God and thus requiring love and patience. She hates harm to come to anyone, but would not hesitate to inflict it on anyone attempting to harm someone else.

Usual Mood around strangers:
Ever the hospitable hostess, Agnotha goes out of her way to be friendly and kind to strangers.






Your Story Please?
Agnotha was not born, her husband liked to jest, sitting by the fire, she was created in a burning river, in which both the entirety of the flame and the flow of the water formed a ripple. Well, regardless of Ragnar Vartouhi's anecdotes, she was in actuality born in the normal fashion associated with the human race.
Sato and Ela Frinon were married nearly twenty years before Ela found herself to be with child. Their joy was however spoilt as baby Agnotha was far from the perfect child. Perhaps it was their disappointment in her gender that began the problems; or maybe it was the little spark of rebellion in the infant's eyes. But by the time she was two years old, her parents could no longer tolerate their gift from above.

She did not cry in the night like she had ought to; neither did she attempt to mimic the sounds her parents used to teach her to speak. Instead she cooed like the birds in the rafters and silently stared after their every activity. Their neighbours said they were twice blessed for having such an obedient daughter, but the Frinon's did not agree. Then, soon after her second birthday, Agnotha brought her dropped toy to her side with the smallest twitch of her hand. As the object floated before the shocked adults, the last ounce of love for their little creature faded away.
Afraid that she would be drowned by the community and they with her, her parents settled her into a basket in the dead of night and journeyed to the nearby river. There they found a barely floating abandoned boat and put their only child within it. The trembling hands of Sato pushed the boat from the shore and the waves and current continued the action, until only a dot remained of the vessel and its unwanted cargo.
Heavy-hearted, the couple returned home, dug a little grave behind their house and soon welcomed the shared sadness of their neighbours and friends. Whether Fate disagreed with their nearly flawless cruelty or not, hardly two days after their deed, both died from a fever and found themselves buried beside that little false grave.
Agnotha floated down the river, completely unaware of the water slowly trickling into the boat. Her wide innocent eyes were delighted with the rising sun and the trees hanging overhead. The bubbles made by the fish beneath the water amused her and the delicate fawn drinking cocked its head at her as she waved.

By the third day of the infant's trip, the boat filled and sunk. However, instead of taking the unfortunate soul to the bottom with it... Agnotha floated. It was often speculated through ancient times, that to prove that a woman was or was not a witch, she would be secured to a chair and dunked into water... the theory being that if she sank she was indeed innocent; not that that often helped the water-logged damsel. But regardless, Agnotha did not sink; due to what her parents had already feared: she was a witch. And with such a handy buoyancy, she found herself ashore directly in front of an entire forest.
Terribly hungry, the baby ate various nuts and plants, all of which were thankfully harmless and soon nestled herself down into a patch of moss for her nap.

Sir John Torren was a wealthy man, with royal blood close enough in memory to have a finger or two on the rope for some throne or another. But mainly, he contented himself with the care of his family and manor, as well as the some five hundred peasants that worked the land his father had left him. A caring man of great virtue, he went hunting with his young son each afternoon, endeavoring to teach the boy what would become his joy and passion.
And it was upon such an outing, with pheasant in hand, that the father and son came across the cherub-cheeked infant. She lifted her arms out to the large man, pink lips set in the sweetest of smiles and whispered 'Da-da'. And though John was known to be a stubborn man, by both friend and enemy, he could not do anything but scoop up the child and take her home with him.

As religious and saintly a man as he was, John Torren was also something else. Something that not even his beloved wife knew. From birth, he had been a wizard and by choice along with the education given him by father and mother, he had continued in such a walk of life. He knew little Agnotha shared his magical ability, unlike his own son and therefore he saw finding her as divine providence giving him a blessing.
They named her Agnotha Catherine after a beloved aunt and soon even the jealous Charles was in love with her. She still refused to truly speak; only cooing and whispering choice words such as 'Da-da', 'Mu-mu' and Cha-cha', but her new parents were far more forgiving of her faults.
It was not until well after her fifth birthday that she did begin to speech coherently; but it was in full sentences and as clearly as many children twice her age. Her nurse shook her head when her parents praised her, saying that any child who took longer than two years to develop speech was mentally lacking. But, Agnotha enjoyed proving those about her to be wrong and beamed with urchin innocence whenever her mental capacity was brought up.

As was the custom of nobles, John's neighbour and friend, Lord Ashford Willon came to visit on the dawning of a beautiful spring morning, one of which was during the sixth year of Agnotha's short life. They supped in the great hall, the laughter assisted by ale and the good conversation of gossip brought by Ashford's trip to town. It was during the meal that the lord rested his eyes on the dark-haired daughter. He knew as well as any in the county that she had been found wandering the wood and also that her adopted parents loved her terribly. So, with a wide smile and hoping hand, he offered his only son to John. When the girl was of a suitable age, his own son, Fredrick, would be very suitable for her and she for him, he claimed, awaiting the reply of his suddenly silent friend.

John loved no friend greater than Ashford; as they had been friends since boyhood. But he also knew that the boy they spoke of was sorely spoilt by both of his parents and nurse alike. At ten, young Fredrick Willon was a known terror of the Willon Manor. By the time he would be of age to marry, there wouldn't be a decent bone in his body.
Torn between losing his friend's trust and possibly losing his daughter, John made out a treaty of sorts. When Agnotha was of an age suitable to marry, she would be given the right to choose between marrying Fredrick or another. This pleased Ashford, as he took in the doe-eyed creature nestled on her mother's lap. Doubtless she would easily fall in love with the dapper young boy that was his son.
With that behind them, John no longer truly worried about his daughter's future, instead enjoying the present. He enjoyed the long rides with her tucked in front of him, with Charles laughing on the horse beside him. They watched many dawns together and slept under the starry sky. Life was without calamity and knew no bounds to joy.

Agnotha's education was usual to her status. Her mother taught her to sew and the finer points that were involved in such a skill. Her nurse made certain she knew the many flowers and ferns about the manor by name and smell and her father was certain that she learnt how to ride the creatures he deemed most beautiful. She was taught to read and write in Latin and Greek, and upon her request her nurse also ensured she knew how to write and read the Gaelic that their region of country used.

To her mother's dismay, Agnotha did not desire to learn to play any instrument, although her father convinced to her bend to Mother's wishes.
She grew slowly and soon reminded her family through her very appearance, that she was not the child of their blood, but only their love. While her mother was tall and fair, with the sprinkles of the sun across her nose, Agnotha was small with a slight figure in both stature and weight. Unlike her mother and brother's light blonde hair or her father's red curls, she had hair the colour of a raven's wing. But, she was beautiful, in a manner different than her pretty mother and thus uniquely her own that made up for the differences. John believed his lovely daughter would attract eager parents as ants to honey... each desiring her for their sons. But, though many toasted her beauty before her doting father, none dared offer what the Lord of Willon had already. She was a strange child, they all murmured, not the sort to be a good wife or mother...
Charles became very ill in Agnotha's tenth year and following after him, her mother also lay feverish.
John and his daughter nursed them through a difficult year, already wearied by the blight that had descended over the potato and wheat crops and the early frost that had destroyed much of the orchards.

Still, with their belts tightened another notch and the winter approaching, they continued on. Soon enough, the sun shone and Charles rose from his bed, rosy cheeked and well enough to help work the new fields. Agnotha's mother did not rise; though Death did not yet desire her. She remained bedridden, doing what she could to help her family from where she weakly reclined.

Agnotha had been told of her true parentage from an early age; so the overheard remarks would not harm her. She turned a deaf ear to the names given her by the peasants and other nobility. Faerie Child was their favourite, as many believed she had been born by the earth and given to the sir and dame as a blessing and curse. As long as there is a bloom in her pale cheeks, they'll live, the villagers would say, but come her dying and the whole county will be paying for it. Others were less poetic, calling her the a little witch and devil's apprentice. And correct as they may have been on the first account, none still truly believed the delicate child was of such design. For it is a known fact, that the unknown and the unusual is often the most loved, or the most equally feared.

Another fact of life unkept from her was her father's wizardry. He spoke with her from the first day he'd found her of the wonders of magic. On his knee by the fire, she watch as he spoke soft spells to bring to life animals and people from the flames. Her little fingers fondled the polished wand he hid away and her sharp mind memorized all he taught her in spells and potions.

To John Torren, the days that passed from when he first gathered up his little daughter to the moment he went to her about her engagement, were all to short in their passing. But at her fifteenth birthday, as promised, he asked her whether or not she desired to marry Fredrick Willon. They had occasionally seen the young man over the years, he was nearly twenty now. He had become a large, strong and passionate young man with a taste for pleasure of all sorts. It was well known by any who followed after gossip that he squandered his father's wealth on wine and women and that he had killed many a beloved horse in a reckless endeavour that he had only just managed to survive. John did not want his little raven-haired daughter to socialize with him much less marry him. But he gave her the choice all the same. And to his horror; she decided to go through with the engagement.

Agnotha knew, as John and Charles did not, that Fredrick had set a great store on the promise along with the sum of money that was her dowry. If he was disgraced by her refusal, he had made it very clear to his friends and family that he would extract vengeance on John and Charles, even if it went to having them slain. So to save her father and brother from even the threat of harm, she smiled softly and agreed to marry the man she knew would care less for her than the prized stallion he'd maimed in a hunting accident.
Their wedding was a dismally silent one; tears from the bride's side of the church and deep sighs of regret on the groom's. The only smiles given were those of the bride, who ignored everyone's foreboding nightmares and reached on tiptoes to kiss her morose husband.
Their wedding night did not include the horrendous passion that the village thought it would, in fact, it never happened at all. Agnotha sat in the centre of the bed, waiting for the moment to begin her wifely duties, but instead fell asleep alone and awoke alone.
Fredrick's father, Ashford had died two years earlier and so the large manor house was fairly empty beside the occasional puttering servant. The mistress of the house had died many years earlier, so it fell to Agnotha to keep the slipping slope that was her new abode. The servants were all old and tired, any of the younger ones having fled for fear of their lives, but with the care shown them by their new mistress, slowly the manor crept back to its former glory. With her husband away most of the time on business, Agnotha ruled her roost without fear of any masculine interruption.

One his rare visits home, her husband drank heavily, spoke little and slept long. At first she used to crawl into the bed next to him; watching the rise and fall of his chest. He was a handsome man and she pitied him as he cried out for nightmares. When she first moved to comfort him, he threw her aside, not desiring the tiny maiden's assistance or care. But as the months passed and his fourth attempt to slumber at home resulted in waking in a near feverish sweat, Fredrick allowed her to wipe his face with a damp cloth and hold him like a little child. In this way, Agnotha became his friend. He never saw her as the wife she was and took to calling her 'his little mouse', giving himself the position of the lion caught by hunters. His friends laughed heartily during the parties he threw to honour the anniversary of his father's death; but sobered quickly when the little mouse begged Fredrick to save some part of himself. In his drunken rage, the lion set fire to the dining hall, sending his friends fleeing into the darkening night. Agnotha dragged her intoxicated spouse from the flames and helped the servants put them out. The next day, Fredrick left the manor, ashamed for his conduct and believing himself in need of sinful solace. Of which he could not ask of his little bride. She watched him ride away, knowing that he would not ride back again.

They had been married for nearly two years when Fredrick sent word that his many debts had been called upon and that he was no penniless. The taxes were demanded at the same time and without another course of action available, Agnotha let the servants go and sold the manor to the state. She moved in with an old servant woman who was unable to care for herself and soon took up the duties of caring for her. Leaving behind the mantle of nobility, Agnotha slipped into the life of a peasant. She hauled the wash to the stream along with the other women, beat them clean with the rocks along the bank, and dried them in the clean air. Befriending those around her, Agnotha allowed them to teach her the facts lacking from her life. Such as how to plant a good vegetable garden, kill the occasional chicken or duck, thatch a leaky roof, bone a fresh fish, and other needful skills. Soon those in the village stopped referring to her as 'my lady' and took to her name, calling without hesitation on the gracious charity of the young woman.

John had been ill since soon after his daughter's marriage and at the earliest signs of his recovery he demanded that his horse be brought round for him to go visit her. Charles, who had in this time married a vibrant young woman named Pora, accompanied his father. His wife, who was expecting their first child stayed behind to care for Allegra.

Father and son were deeply angered and concerned when they found the manor abandoned and Agnotha nowhere to be found. At the local inn they found word that Fredrick had been killed in a duel a month earlier and that his widow now lived with the Widow Margen in the village.
John went immediately to collect his daughter, cursing himself for having allowed her to marry in the first place. It startled and pleased him to find her hard at work in the garden, happily swinging a hoe. She was quick to assure him that all was well and refused to leave the old woman, since she was the only one to care for her. And though neither John nor Charles were pleased to see Agnotha living in complete poverty, they bowed to her wishes and did not force her to return with them.

Now a widow at sixteen, without husband or child, Agnotha gave her energy to making life more comfortable for Widow Margen which entailed making sure they ate at least twice a day. Her father had given her some money, but the harvest for the Torrens had been hardly better than anywhere else in the country and people suffered from a long cold winter and fevers.
Some of those with fevers was a family that lived beside the Widow Margen and Agnotha often went to nurse them whenever the widow did not need her. Sadly the father soon passed away as did the two older sons, while the mother and her year old son clung stubbornly to life. The strain of losing her sons and husband was too much for the woman and but three days later she joined the shallow graves. Despite her fear that the warm screaming baby would die, Agnotha took him back with her to the widow's and by her fervent prayers and gentle care, the fever broke.
Since she'd never been told the boy's name, she named him James, liking the sound of it as she took him as her son. It amused her that she'd never even properly shared a bed with a man and yet now she proudly rocked little James. Like she was loved by her parents, she knew she could also offer such a life to the little infant.

Agnotha was never happier than that year as she carried her growing son around. She delighted in playing with his little hands and feet; cooing in baby talk to him as she laid next to him in a flowered field. Many of the weathered mothers of the town shook their heads at her. Perhaps they were simply overwhelmed with the task of caring for their own families to appreciate the love another had for her single charge. But Agnotha worked as hard as any other in the town and still laughed and played. She's a faerie child, the villagers would murmur, watching her sing bits of poetry to her son as she scrubbed their clothes or worked in the garden.

James was barely two, when the widow breathed her last. The old woman was properly grieved and buried behind her little hovel with flowers at her headstone and tears to wet the soil. Packing up the small amount of personal items she owned, Agnotha returned to her family manor with her young son. They were happily welcomed and within a single week, little James was riding on his proud grandfather's shoulders along with his cousin, Kael.
During the harvest that year, Agnotha took James out with her when she helped in the fields. He played with leaves and sticks while she occasionally glanced from her work to be certain he hadn't wandered off. She did not notice the young man glancing her way from his own tending.

Ragnar Vartouhi was a simple man. He had been a solider until his father's death and mother's illness had forced him to return to care for their little farm. With his mother's passing, he had given the estate to his brother and taken to wandering the countryside. Then, as he watched the dark-haired girl play with the baby as she worked, he was glad he'd wandered into helping with this manor's harvest. Not a believer in fate, he surely at that moment believed in love.
They spoke of nature and the weather and James, straying no further than those three basic conversations. He was awkward from lack of experience with those of the fairer sex and she was shy knowing how a young widow with a little child was to act.
With the completion of work for the day, he went to speak to John Torren, hoping he could gain permission to court her. John spoke to Agnotha before giving any promises to Ragnar and she heartily gave her consent. Barely two weeks into their courting, Agnotha accepted his marriage proposal and the couple were married in a ceremony much more happy than the one three years earlier.
Ragnar took James as his son, knowing that his wife's first husband had not been the child's father and she was not by blood his mother. So lucky little James became the Vartouhi's heart child. Agnotha's mother's sudden death tore horribly at John and so instead of taking his little family away, Ragnar moved into the manor with his in-laws.

Charles and his wife were happy to have his sister with them and they were already expecting their second child. They had a little girl they named Gabrielle, their little son happily accepting his sister.
Agnotha happily found out she was pregnant a few months into their marriage and the couple joyously awaited their newest arrival.

Marauders began to ravage the countryside during this time, burning hovels and mercilessly slaying men, harming the women left behind. Ragnar and Charles were forced to leave their families to help in the defense of the neighboring estate, leaving the sickly John to care for those of the manor.
In the dead of night, the renegades attacked the manor, killing John as he gave time for Agnotha and Pora to escape with their children.
Together the two women hid in a cave with their three children. The grief of losing her father combined with the long run they had endured forced Agnotha into early labour and with only Pora to help her, she gave birth to twins. The boy breathed twice and no more, his blue lips unable to take in more air as underdeveloped lungs failed. But the girl was slightly bigger and she lived.
Agnotha named her Ianthe and gave her to Pora believing that her life had come to end.
Ragnar and Charles returned to the burning manor and gave into despair as they believed they had lost their families. With the rising of the sun, Pora went in search of help and a surviving peasant family took them in.
Agnotha barely lived through the ordeal, gaining strength when Ragnar found them.

Afraid for his family, he had no sooner buried his son than Ragnar packed up his weak wife and their two children. They journeyed to a town far enough away that he felt some safety, where he built them a respectable house and took up the job as blacksmith.
Agnotha slowly regained her strength, her love for her children and husband bringing her back. She delighted in the new baby and tried to not think of the one they'd buried, nameless, in the black scorched earth of her childhood home.

The little family was at first warily ignored by the town's community. They didn't trust people they didn't know and at first were certain that the large young man and his bright-eyed wife were odd. But as Ragnar worked hard and began to build friendships with the men about him, Agnotha soon had 'bewitched' even the hardest of hearts. James and Ianthe played happily with the other children as their mother washed their clothes and cooked.
Agnotha had saved her father's wand and hid it well, wondering if either of her children would have magical ability. She did not feel magic coursing through either of them when she held them, but still she hoped her later children might. Like her father, she believed that magic was a gift from God.
When James was nearly eight and Ianthe was five, Agnotha and Ragnar welcomed a healthy baby boy into their family. They named him Adrian John and his older brother and sister soon had wonderful plans for the chubby baby.

Life was simple, sweet and sure; each morning only broken by the occasional mishap in town or in the family, nothing happening beyond control or fixing.
James fell from a tree and broke his arm, but given time, the bone mended and order resumed its usual pace.
Unfortunately baby Adrian became very ill during the winter and his parents forced themselves to prepare for his eventual death. Agnotha rocked him by the window, his agonized wails of pain long ago having lessened to soft whimpers. She felt the magic in him that she and her father had shared; the precious gift that she believed her own blood parents had feared. As before, she prayed that her son would not die. James had lived though his time had appeared to come and now she begged that her little son would also be granted a full life.
That coming spring, Adrian turned a full year and their lives continued on.

Ragnar was commissioned by the local lord to create a new weapon for him; the price ample enough that upon completion, the Vartouhi family was able to live in greater comfort. Three months after they added another level to their home, another son was born. They named him Seth after Ragnar's father and wept more at his passing four months later than they had laughed at his birth.
Already having buried two children, Ragnar spoke with Agnotha and they decided against having any more children, deciding to be content with the three they had.

That summer was without rain and very dry. The threat of fire was high and a watch was set in the town to be certain none were started without proper supervision. Some travelling gypsies forgot to bank their fire however, and by the time they noticed, it had engulfed the entirety of the wood, moving along at a horrendous speed.
The little town nestled in the forest was soon surrounded by fire, the thatched roofs burning through and scorching the walls and dirt floors of every hovel. Those with mules and horses fled with all they could gather, but many were left behind in the chaos. Ragnar took James and Ianthe to the nearest stream, knowing they would be safe while he returned for Agnotha and Adrian. But by the time he reached the edge of the town, the fire was too hot. He watched from as close as he could get as tens of people died in tormented agony, unable to put out the flames.
Agnotha carried her toddler son into their burning house and created a magical portal. Holding it between her son and her, she whispered the proper incantation and vanished as the roof collapsed on them.

Neither Agnotha or her husband ever truly discussed how she had survived the blaze, but he wondered long and hard over it. He loved her too much to ever suspect witchcraft, but he was certain there was something odd about the ordeal. Finally, he settled on divine providence and buried it.
As with anything destroyed, the town was rebuilt, the dead buried and wounded cared for. At this time, James was ten, Ianthe was seven and Adrian was two. And despite their promise to not attempt to have any more children, Agnotha talked her husband into breaking the oath at the completion of their new house.

With the bountiful harvest that year, the small family was blessed with a healthy baby girl. James asked if he could name her and his parents were delighted when he picked his beloved grandmother's name for her. So baby Allegra took Adrian's place as the youngest and the good harvest allowed for the prosperity of the town and all those within it. Well, nearly everyone. The carpenter, Thomas Higg, had too many unpaid taxes to have any profit. And in his anger at his horses and other livestock being taken for the collection of debt, he accused Ragnar of witchcraft. Without proof and respect, his accusations were laughed at and when he persisted, he was run out of town by his neighbours. Agnotha felt guilty; believing that her own occasional act of magic had gotten her husband accused and in turn ruined the carpenter's life. Since they lived on the very edge of town, she convinced Ragnar to offer aide to the refugee and they took him into their house. Although they were gracious and kind to him; sharing their food and other comforts with him, the man set it in his heart to hate the prosperous blacksmith who was well on his way to gaining favour with the lord. And soon he especially resented the family and wife his enemy so lovingly cherished.

For nearly two years, Thomas lived with the Vartouhi's, each month allowing for his hate to deepen. He hated the manner in which Ragnar scooped up his children and laughingly twirled them around. He hated the soft kisses Agnotha gave her husband each morning and night. He hated the way James and Adrian idolized their strong father and how Ianthe and Allegra were told no one could ever hurt them because their father would keep them safe. Finally he could take it no longer and while Ragnar was away on a visit to the lord's manor, Thomas made his plans.
Though he desired Agnotha, he wisely came to the conclusion that she would never leave her husband. So instead, he moved to strike as much hurt as he could bring to Ragnar. In the dead of night, he took up his packed things and a knife, stealing into the room the children shared. There he took Adrian and Allegra from their beds, gagging them as he carried them to his horse.
The next morning, Agnotha found her youngest to have vanished without a trace along with their houseguest. Immediately convinced they had been kidnapped, she rode to find her husband, leaving James to protect Ianthe. By the time Ragnar and several of the lord's men had begun to look for the missing children a full day had passed and Thomas had made good time in his journey. Finding an abandoned hovel in the forest, he settled his silently crying captives and locking them in went hunting.

Barely six years old, Adrian took charge of his little sister and together they worked to be free of their bonds and then to try to get the door unlatched. They were unsuccessful and Thomas returned with a brace of rabbits before they could get away.
Agnotha and Ragnar searched for their children for nearly a month, their desperation not allowing them to cease even with the complete lack of trail or evidence. The lord's men returned to the manor and Ragnar returned to get James to help in the search. Sickened from worry and fatigue, Agnotha was forced to remain behind with her daughter.
During this time, Thomas was living like a king in the forest. Adrian did whatever he said, afraid the man would harm his sister if he refused and little Allegra had no idea what was going on. At night the two siblings huddled together and cried for their parents, but not even their whimpers would soften Thomas' heart.

Another month passed and still there was no hope. Ragnar and James returned to the town, not knowing where else to look. Agnotha's health continued to decline, her grief for her lost children slowly taking her life. Completely lost himself, Ragnar sought help from the local priest. However, instead of comfort or prayers, the priest only urged the weary man to forget his children and recant of the horrible sins he must have committed to lose them in the first place. In a blind rage, Ragnar left the church and vowed never again to return. He would worship God outside of the church from that day on.

Ianthe's twelfth birthday came and Agnotha took the girl to visit Charles and Pora. As they travelled alone through the forest, Ianthe imagined the laughing giggles of her younger siblings and suddenly asked her mother to stop their horses as she saw a young boy hide behind a tree.
Agnotha fingered the wand in the pocket but allowed her daughter to see who the boy was. To their complete joy it was Adrian and he happily took them back to the little hovel. Thomas was out hunting and Adrian was sure he wouldn't return until that night. Delighted to have her children back, Agnotha had Ianthe take her brother on her horse and she took Allegra on hers. Just as they moved to ride away, Thomas appeared, his bow pointed at them.
The scuffle that took place ended with an arrow in Ianthe's horse, spurring the wounded animal wildly through the forest. Agnotha and Allegra were taken into the hovel by Thomas and locked away while he went to try and recapture the other two.
Agnotha charmed the door open and thought about another portal, but instead found she could not leave her other two children. On foot and carrying Allegra, she went after Thomas. She found him, forcing Ianthe and Adrian back through the forest and hid in the shadows, waiting for the proper time to attack.

In the complete fall of night, Thomas found the hovel to be empty and just as he moved to begin searching for his other captives, Agnotha attacked him, stupifying him. Thankful her children hadn't seen the bit of magic, Agnotha hurried her children home and all seemed to be wonderful again now that the family was together.

An unnamed wizard felt the magical power given off in the forest that night and went in search of the bearer. In his youth he had been caught performing healing magic and had been whipped, branded and imprisoned. Now he sought Agnotha to warn her of the witch-hunters that had moved into the area. They had a magical device that allowed them to see if someone had magic within them and had no doubt also seen the magical attack on that device.
Agnotha saw him and they spoke when she took Allegra with her to wash the clothes. Even as he warned her, suddenly an arrow struck the wizard down and the witch-hunters came out of the woods, surrounding the mother and child. They chuckled mirthlessly as they found both Agnotha and Allegra were witches.

Ianthe saw the disturbance from where she played and hurried to get her father and brothers. Ragnar hurried to help his wife, but arrived moments too late as the hunters forced mother and daughter into the nearby river and the waterfall at its middle. Without her wand, Agnotha couldn't free her bound hands and Allegra could only cling to her as they vanished beneath the water.
Ragnar and men of the town fought the hunters until they were forced to flee. Worried eyes scanned the calm water, hoping for a sound or movement to show that they hadn't died, but there was nothing. None watching could swim and tears were many in their falling.
James moved to beneath the waterfall and found his mother and sister in the shallows of the shore. Agnotha had broken both her wrists in her efforts to save her daughter, but yet lived. However little Allegra had drowned.
It was a sad funeral in the town that week. The town had adored the little blue eyed urchin and they were ashamed to have allowed the hunters to get as close as they had.

Agnotha never forgave herself for her daughter's death; believing her magical ability had been what killed the innocent girl. Likewise her husband also never forgot that he had not managed to reach his wife in time to save them.

Nearly five months after Allegra's burial, a travelling circus group came to the town. The entertainment was happily welcomed by the townspeople and Ragnar took his children to watch the acrobats so that Agnotha could clean the house without interruption. James wandered from his family to see a magic show off to the side and caught a child's hand as it reached to pick his pocket. To his surprise the little girl was no older than the little sister they had such a short time ago buried. He asked where her parents were and was told by the nearby fortune teller that she was an orphan they had picked up. Remembering the story of how he had come to his own mother, James took her back to his father. Ragnar looked at the dark-skinned girl and couldn't help but want to help her. She looked and acted nothing like his little Allegra, but she needed their compassion and mercy nonetheless.
So instead of tales and food, Agnotha was presented with a dirty faced orphan upon her family's return and nothing could have made her happier. By the next week, no one could have seen the newest addition and not believed she was well loved and cared for.
She did not have a name despite the fact she was nearly four years old; so they named her Hafwyn. She did not replace Allegra; but she definitely helped them bear the grief of having lost her.

Two years later, James sought permission to join the army as he was now seventeen, an age well past most of his friends who had already done. His parents allowed him leave and he was glad to go on his way without tears from his mother though his sisters sniffled slightly. Ianthe was deeply in love with the ferryman's son and at nearly fifteen, she hoped to marry soon. However when Ragnar caught his daughter's beau kissing another girl near his shop, he refused to allow the union when it was requested. Deeply hurt by her father's refusal, Ianthe ran away that night. Agnotha realized that her husband, in his anger, had forgotten to tell their daughter the reasons behind his refusal and went after her, hoping to make everything right by explaining.
Quickly forgetting his wrath, Ragnar forgave his daughter when she returned and they healed the broken relationship with the truth and softer words.
Hafwyn and Adrian both became ill that spring as fevers swept across the county. With the battles won, James returned to his family just as the youngest two were starting to recover. He returned a different young man than when he'd left, hardened by the terrors he'd endured the year and a half he'd been gone. The first thing he did upon returning was marrying his childhood sweetheart, Apphia Borken.

Ragnar and Agnotha were happy to find out they were going to become grandparents that winter. That year the couple celebrated their sixteenth year of marriage. James was nineteen, happily looking forward to becoming a father, Ianthe was sixteen, being courted by a far better suitor than the earlier one, Adrian was eleven, unsure of whether or not he wanted to be an uncle and Hafwyn was eight, everything in life delighting her. Sadly, Apphia lost the baby before the full term and only the care offered her by her husband's family saved her from joining the tiny infant.
Agnotha asked James to bury his child next to the brother and sister he'd lost and she assured him that heaven had accepted the wee baby. James wasn't entirely sure, since his own father refused to enter a church, but nonetheless he refused to not trust his beloved mother.

The following spring Ianthe married Ebbe Lystrya, changing both her name and residence. Her husband built a lovely little house for her and she was comforted to know it was just down the road from her family home. She did not bear a child in her first year of marriage much to her despair, although unknown to her, Ebbe thought it was a blessing. He wanted to establish his work and have a little money before they began their family. Still, many tears were shed over the empty cradle. Agnotha and Apphia both attempted to soothe Ianthe, but soon she became ill. Through the following month, Agnotha nursed her depressed child, hoping for a miracle as her fever seemed to take her every breath. Hafwyn did her best to help her mother and sister; becoming fairly adept at soothing Ianthe's warm head. Finally the fever broke and Ianthe returned to her wifely duties in higher spirits thanks to her survival. That same year, Ebbe and Ianthe welcomed a beautiful son into their little cottage. They named him Syhn and he quickly became the apple of his father's eye and the pride of his mother's.

James and Apphia lost another baby, this time during birth. They named the still son, Robert, and buried him beside his brother or sister. Though they grieved deeply over their lost children and empty house; their love for each other grew as they found comfort in each other.

Agnotha surprised Ragnar that Yuletide with news that she was expecting and the entire family was careful to give prayers for the forming child. So many children had been lost to Agnotha, both her own and her grandchildren, that many believed another loss would break her. The age was one in which tiny unnamed graves were plentiful, but for some, the grief was more than others. Others in the town were less caring as many embittered villagers told Agnotha that it would be a blessing if her child died before some evil slew it like it had Allegra.

On his return home one night, Ragnar was attacked by less than cordial men intent on taking his money. They beat him badly, outnumbering him four to one. For nearly two weeks, Agnotha and her daughters did all they could to save the severely injured man. His head wound worried them the most along with his refusal to awake. Sadly when he finally did, he didn't know any of them, his memory having been lost. Carefully, Agnotha helped him to gather new memories, telling him about the life that they had had together up until that point. He believed everything she told him, but still found it awkward to do almost anything. He remembered how to go about his work and hid himself in his shop. Agnotha's heart nearly broke as her every attempt to comfort him was skirted. In the late hours of night, as Ragnar worked in his shop, she went into early labour alone in their room. Too weak to call out for anyone, she gave birth alone and did not have the strength to care for the child before lapsing into unconsciousness. Hafwyn found her there the next morning; the little child having died in the night and Agnotha barely holding onto life herself.

No one told Ragnar, afraid that it would harm his already delicate mental state. Agnotha was put to bed and little Fabron was buried beside his brother, sister and nephew. Only a few months later, James and Apphia finally had a healthy baby girl, who they named Catherine after Agnotha.
Over the course of the next five years, Ragnar made the smallest of improvements. Slowly he allowed his family to treat him as a friend rather than a stranger, still unwilling to take the place of father and husband. He listened only to Agnotha and Hafwyn, who had just turned fifteen.
Angry over the loss of his father, Adrian joined the army without permission. It worried his entire family greatly, but soon he sent word back that he was safe and well. Hafwyn married Bruis Dane only a few months after Adrian's letter came and her only regret was that her brother was unable to be there.
Ianthe and Ebbe welcomed a second son, Virgil, and a year later Hafwyn and Bruis were the proud parents of their first child, Christoffer. Due to the fact that Hafwyn still helped Agnotha with her father, the couple did not move into their own house and stayed in the family home. James had built Apphia a house on the outskirts of town by that time, so the house only housed Agnotha, Ragnar, Hafwyn, Bruis and their baby.
Syhn was eight when little Virgil was born, but took to be an older brother with great joy. Ianthe enjoyed bringing her year old son by to see her mother and sister as often as possible.

Ragnar began to regain his memories; embracing his wife quite unexpectedly after nearly seven years. It was slow progress, but soon he had retaken his place as father, husband and now grandfather.
In the following years, James and Apphia were blessed with another daughter, Hortense. Hafwyn and Bruis had their first daughter, Britt a year after Hortense was born. Eager to meet his new nephews and nieces, Adrian returned home for a visit. He did not leave his position as he enjoyed the duty of a soldier. By the noble blood of his name and parents he had been set as a captain and boasted to his brothers to have caught the eye of a general's beautiful daughter.
The next year, Adrian married Grace Heathers and soon wrote that he would become a father. Apphia gave birth to her third daughter, Viviane only a month before word arrived that Adrian's wife Grace had died giving birth to his own daughter. In his grief, the young father collected his child and returned home for a needed furlough. He named the baby Agnotha Grace after the two most loved women of his life and asked his parents to keep her as he returned to his duties.

Agnotha took great joy in her young granddaughter, smothering her with enough love and affection for two babies. Or at least Ragnar teased as he watched her with the baby. Mara Heathers, Grace's mother came to attempt to take the child, believing that her granddaughter belonged with her. A terrible verbal battle took place between Ragnar and Mara, with Hafwyn and Agnotha helplessly watching from the sidelines. James and Ianthe arrived and diffused the situation with the letter Grace had left for her mother and Adrian. After reading that her daughter had wanted Adrian to have Agnotha Grace, Mara backed down and returned home; but not before Agnotha promised to visit occasionally with the girl.

Hafwyn and Bruis moved into a house right next to Agnotha and Ragnar's. James moved his family into another town when he was offered the position as sheriff there. Another son was born to the Danes, Agamemnon and for the time, the family seemed complete.

Ragnar became friends with a traveller in the inn, a Godric Gryffindor, who he brought home for dinner. Agnotha knew he was a wizard the moment he walked into the door. The meal went well, but she noted that he watched her curiously all through it. Hafwyn noticed as well, anger blazing through her as she thought the stranger was lusting after her pretty mother. Therefore when he left, Hafwyn followed him, demanding to speak to him. He quickly assured her that he'd only been curious after her mother for purely innocent reasons and when she insisted, he finally confessed the truth. Hafwyn as a magical witch herself listened intently to the ins and outs of the magical world, intrigued when he finally left.
She went back to her mother and told her everything. Agnotha still didn't trust Godric, but believed what had been said. The two women swore to never mention it to Ragnar or Bruis and life continued. They soon realized that all three of Hafwyn's children were magical, something that she jokingly said was her fault, since Agnotha was not her birth mother.

Not long after their meeting of Gryffindor, a letter arrived by way of an owl for Hafwyn. Carefully taking the scroll from the bird, the young woman trembled as she opened it. Her parents and husband looked on anxiously as she read it, paling as she finished. Apparently, all the years earlier when the Vartouhis had taken little Hafwyn in; the fortune teller had lied. She had not been taken by the travelling fair due to being lost nor was she an orphan. It horrified all those listening as Hafwyn read that her blood parents had been searching for her since her kidnapping so many years earlier. Later in a private discussion with Agnotha, the frightened young woman spilt her fears of meeting her blood parents, especially since they were both magical and well settled into the magical community.

It was decided by all parties involved that they would invite the couple to their home. Hafwyn assured her parents that she loved them and had no intention of ever seeing anyone else as her parents. She wasn't a child anymore and had a husband and children of her own. Nevertheless, Ragnar and Agnotha both dreaded the arrival of the couple.

Isaac and Isadora Ludwane were not in the least bit anxious or fearful about seeing their daughter for the first time in over twenty years. Instead, they were angry. The agent they had hired to track their missing daughter had finally happened upon her magical signature and they had been prepared to march in and rescue her when a letter had arrived from Agnotha, inviting them to the Vartouhi home. Confused and sensing a trap, the Ludwanes arrived at the house with every intention to hate those who'd stolen their precious child. They were greeted by a silent Ragnar and a hospitable Agnotha and ushered into a comfortable parlor. Hafwyn met them there and they hurried to embrace her, apologizing again and again for not having been able to find her in such a long time. She assured them she held nothing against them and proudly introduced her nervous husband and wide eyed children.

Overwhelmed with the joy of having found their daughter and now their grandchildren, the Ludwanes floated high into clouds of ecstasy. Ragnar watched his grandchildren settle into the laps of the couple and felt pain pierce his heart. He hated the idea of losing part of his family due to blood ties and soon left to work in his workshop. Hafwyn knew her father was upset, but let him be, knowing he needed time alone. Agnotha on the other hand, desired to welcome her daughter's 'true' parents into the family, hoping to expand the family rather than lose anyone.
Two weeks passed during which Ragnar drew deeper and deeper into himself, Hafwyn's talks with him having little effect since it was her children effected most. Liking the attention of the new grandparents, Hafwyn's children accepted the couple into their hearts with speed that broke Ragnar's heart. Agnotha and Hafwyn both did their best to include the Ludwanes in the family. But when James and his family came to visit, he instantly disliked them for their part in his father's pain and their cold treatment of his mother. James and Isaac got into an argument that became so heated that they resorted to fists. Hafwyn, Agnotha and Isadora all did everything in their power to stop the fighting, but they were ignored. Annoyed, Hafwyn stepped in between the two men, receiving a punch meant for James from Isaac. Both men stopped immediately, horrified as they stared down at the unconscious woman.
Agnotha brought her daughter around with soft pats and wet cloths, while Isadora and Isaac anxiously watched. James insisted that the couple leave, claiming they were only hurting Hafwyn by staying. Another fight nearly broke out until Agnotha inserted herself between the two angry men, begging her son to apologize. Begrudgingly, James did as he'd been asked and Isaac accepted it. The men shook hands and some small bridge was built between the two families.

Currently, James is sheriff of Lansfield. His three daughters, Catherine, Hortense and Viviane are well and healthy as is his wife, Apphia. Ianthe's husband, Ebbe is a hard-working carpenter and their two sons, Syhn and Virgil often visit their grandparents and play with their cousins when they aren't busy helping their father work. Adrian is now a Major, only occasionally coming to see his little daughter, whose fragile health is carefully managed by her grandparents and aunt. Hafwyn and Bruis live happily with their three children, Christoffer, Britt and Agamemnon and are expecting their fourth child in the fall. The Ludwanes visit often, sharing their grandchildren with their daughter's adopted parents. The relationship is still fragile but present nonetheless.
Agnotha and Ragnar devote their time to their granddaughter, household cleaning and the occasional project. Ragnar was forced to retire mostly as he has developed a heart condition, not allowing him to lift the heavy loads he once carried easily. Still it is a happy life, simple and sweet.



Magic Side: Light, with the purely innocent occasional dapple into the grayer regions
Favorite Spell: none



Weaknesses:
Afraid of water (due to Allegra's drowning)
Occasional weakness in hands (due to breaking her wrists)
Often too trusting
Her family (both a strength and weakness)

Skills:
Cooking
Cleaning
Sewing
Tending children
Nursing the ill
Herbology
Gardening
Plays the lute (but rarely)
Teaching (but only her own children or theirs)


Items:
Her father's wand -a 14 inch willow with red unicorns engraved into the handle with a silver core
Her father's sword (it was given to James when he went to become a soldier and passed to Adrian when he followed)
A handkerchief with Ragnar's initials, a precursor of sorts to a ring
Her mother's ring (it was given to Ianthe upon her marriage)
Silver mirror (present from James when she became a grandmother)



Favorite Color: Pink (like the roses)
Voice: Soft with a lilting Irish brogue
Theme songs:
General: My little Phoenix by Tarja Turunen/ Underneath by Tarja
Ragnar/Agnotha: Beneath a Phrygian Sky by Loreena McKennitt