Pumilius, Ex Verditius, Filius of Callidus
Pumilius was born Alfredo, son of a serving girl Lucia in Verdi Covenant, the Domus Magna of House Verditius. She got somehow mixed up in a story involving a Faerie Dwarf smith, and ended up being “married” to him and living in his Faerie Regio, until she was rescued by the Magi of the Covenant.
Alfredo was born from this union, and grew up at Verdi. His Faerie nature is strong, and it is obvious to anyone with any knowledge of the Fae that he is descended from the Faerie Dwarves, as he is only 3 feet tall, even though he is strong and tough for his height. From an early age he showed an aptitude for making things and his Blatant Gift was obvious, and so he was soon taken as an apprentice by Callidus, a Verditius Magus who also happened to be a Mercurian Magus.
Callidus is a firm believer in doing things “by the book”. He spent over a decade teaching Alfredo Latin and crafting skills, focusing on his aptitude for metalwork and gemcraft. Only when Alfredo was 20, could speak Latin fluently, and had produced several mundane craft pieces, did he deign to open his Hermetic Arts and begin his official Hermetic training.
If Alfredo thought this would enrich his life and make his study more interesting and varied, he was sadly mistaken. Again, Callidus decided that a thorough grounding in the theory was what was needed, and so Alfredo spent the vast majority of his apprenticeship studying Magic Theory. It was only towards the end of the apprenticeship when Callidus decided Alfredo might need some Hermetic Arts and spells training, that he deigned to teach a bit of actual practical magic.
Even then, the magic had to be practical and useful for a Covenant. Alfredo studied the three basic wards against creatures of Might, the Aegis of the Hearth, and Touch of Midas. As a last gesture of goodwill towards Alfredo, he finally taught him Pilum of Fire, which was the most excitement that Alfredo had in 30 years.
As his arts were so under-trained, Alfredo’s final Apprenticeship piece (a leaden belt that warded against fire) was mediocre at best, even given his outstanding Magic Theory knowledge. It was finally selected by his Parens Callidus, more to save his own reputation as a Master than to rescue Alfredo. Still, the Gauntlet was passed, and Alfredo became Pumilius Ex Verditius and Journeyman Enchanter.
Which meant that finally he could get away from Callidus’s pedantic teaching, and start to actually do something with his learning and his life. So, when Tethys approached him with the offer of a place at Aoide Covenant, he leapt at the chance, and signed up. If he never sees Callidus again, it will be too soon.
Description
Pumilius is 3 feet high, but quite tough-looking for his height, and is quite obviously not a standard human “genetic dwarf” – his Fae heritage is quite obvious to those in the know. As well as being a Dwarf, he is also hunchbacked. He has almost jet black hair and beard, and piercing blue eyes. He wears utilitarian leather clothing (more fireproof in the forge than simple cloth robes) and around his waist are bunches of casting tools, which he needs to cast any magic.
He is quite abrupt and almost rude in his dealings with people, which combined with his Blatant Gift and lack of awareness of normal mundane society, makes him particularly unsuited to dealing with mundanes. However, get him on a topic he is passionate about, and he becomes particularly erudite and can explain himself with great facility.
Magic
Although he is a theorist to rival many Bonisagus Magi, Pumilius’s Arts leave something to be desired. He has a smattering of Creo and Rego, as well as some basic knowledge of the forms of Ignem, Terram and Vim.
His Wizard's Sigil is a faint smell of heated metal, as though at a forge.