Madame Cleo Verthank is a fortuneteller True Mage and Master of Time located in Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco.
Overview[]
Around the turn of the 14th century, an especially bright star pierced the night sky like a silver sword. Under this omen, Cleo Verthank was born to a Rom couple in a northern region of the Holy Roman Empire. Her Mentors were Rom seers, mad hermits, and a few sorcerers attached to the last great Covenant, Doissetep. Over the years Verthank has advised many mages, cabals and Chantries.
Exactly 76 years after her birth, another bright star hung above the earth. Verthank reflected that this celestial blade was poised as if to deliver the killing blow. Indeed, the Mythic Age was in full decline. Yet she had foreseen a time when, long after the abandoning of vulgar magick, a Mythic Renaissance would return in force. So Madame Cleo gathered up her belongings, filled her Life Pattern with Quintessence, and stepped out of history.
After each giant leap forward in time, Verthank paused just long enough to battle Paradox and plot her temporal route. She is presently on an extended layover. Because of her many temporal leaps, Madame Cleo suffers from a Paradox Flaw: everyone within 13 feet of her slips though time more quickly than usual; each minute becomes one hour.
Aside from her awesome powers of time travel and divination, Madame Cleo has little magickal talent - certainly nothing approaching combat ability. Thus, statistics are neither provided nor needed - Verthank is a plot device, not a foe. As a servant of the Oracles of Time, her charge is to warn the mages and Norna about their fates. She is unaware of the Oracles' master plan (they, in fact, want Norna to survive at any cost), but suspects that the mages' destiny will affect reality itself.
Appearance[]
Madame Cleo is an ancient, heavyset woman. Her swarthy skin is wrinkled and sagging. Dark pouches underscore her eyes. She has but two remaining teeth. A few locks of gray hair protrude from beneath a dirty scarf. Madame Cleo wears colorful, loose-fitting garb and pounds of cheap jewelry.
References[]
- MTAs: Loom of Fate, p. 56