Ikelos ex Criamon
Background
García woke suddenly from his sleep. He had been dreaming about the old man again but he could not remember the particulars. Something about food again.
His back was to the warm chimney of the bakers. It was a prime spot late in the year as the baker's always kept some coals banked up for the next day's baking. Nothing else moved except for some crows.
His stomach gave a growl and he got up to begin the day looking for food. He rolled up his blanket with his other possessions. Three small coins, a quartz crystal that he found and length of rawhide string that he used to tie up the blanket. Climbing down García decided to try the Plaza de las Tendillas in his search for food. Toledo had several places that were decent pickings for one such as García and at Plaza de las Tendillas he was less likely to encounter Ferro and his gang.
He began walking and then realized he was heading for the Zocodover. That was the opposite direction he wanted to go. Mostly animals there at this time of the morning and the City Watch was always there. The shopkeepers and others looked on him with suspicion as he moved. It was always this way as long as he could remember. The key was to not let them see you.
He spotted a fruit selling near the edge of the plaza and hung back to wait. As soon as a customer came up to look at the fruit, García sprinted forward and grabbed an apple from the stall and kept running out of the plaza. He dodged away from a pair of City Watchmen and moved down the street.
García looked over his shoulder while rounded the corner into the Zocodover and ran into someone. A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up into the scared features of a man with the cape of the City Watch. He turned to run but Ferro and his gang rounded the corner and stopped at the sight. As he started to move the hand on his shoulder tightened to prevent his running. The guard then spoke to Ferro with the air of authority virtually glowing from him. “Get out of here dogs or I’ll give you a beating that you will never forget.
Ferro cowled then turned and left. García started to twist out of the grip then a feeling of calm came over him. “You will come with me. The guard said softly. “Your future awaits.” García was lead to the other side of the plaza. When he turned to the guard he gasped in surprise. In his place was an old man with tattoos on his face and arms. THe old man’s hand had never left his shoulder.
García gapped at the old man. “You! You were in my dreams!” The old man nodded and beamed a smile at him. “Indeed. And I am called Photius. I shall be your Master from now on.”
The Magus Ikelos was born to a prostitute in Toledo from an unknown father. His mother was killed by a customer when he was 6, orphaning him to the streets. His Gift was already manifesting so staying with a gang was not an option. Luckily, his inattentive mother had trained him well to survive independently. He was claimed by his pater Photius when he was 10 years old.
They traveled through Iberia. Visiting Gibralter, Estancia-es-Karida and Estancia Escarida. Staying for periods of training. They traveled to the Cave of Twisted Shadows for Ikelos’ gauntlet and initiation into the Art of Dreaming.
Photius belongs to a small sect within the Criamon that believe they can escape time in the timeless realm of dreams. They have been making their own initiation scripts to impart the skills for Dream magic in their group. The group stay secret from the rest of the Order due to the negative feelings that most of the Order has to Dream magic. The Dream sect is known to other Criamon and is watched to gauge their success.
