Olbeck, known as “Old Olbeck”, is a battle mage of the coastal region who holds three offices at once (guilds, “functions in water” and the library) and who may have had a hand in “producing” his daughter, who is turning into a medusa.
| Type | Character |
| Offices | Guilds; “functions in water”; library |
| Training | Battle magic, examined in the towers |
| Status | On extended sabbatical; traveling north |
| Spanish entry | Olbeck |
Description
In the coastal region his name opens conversations: “we can start with the name of Olbeck”. He is “the guilds man”, has “functions in water”, and was “the most erratic one in the library”. Even his own people found the combination odd: “it struck us all as strange because he has functions in water”.
He was examined in battle magic in the towers. The regent recalls that “he passed through these towers and they saw his battle-magic exams”, but “he was not a direct disciple of mine”. He is one of the principals of Alwin and holds important rank in the Tower, though he does not belong to the Tower of Knowledge itself.
History
His sabbatical year, by which a ranking mage stays out of conventions without losing rank, “is stretching out” and has not been revoked. He is not officially in conventions; he is traveling.
Two or three months ago, as winter was beginning, he passed by the tower and went north toward the forest. He came by ship with two assistants, one of whom “looked like a baquear”. He set out “just when you can’t sail or anything”, with the forest dangerous.
Family
His daughter is turning into a medusa and “is in very great danger…” (the phrase breaks off). It is said that Olbeck “may have had something to do with the production of this young girl”.
Open questions
- What the “functions in water” are, what authority they confer, and how guilds, library and water combine in one person.
- How the daughter became a medusa, and how far her father “produced” her.
- What a baquear is.
- The exact destination of the journey, and whether it seeks, flees or caused the daughter.
- Whether he is alive and has returned from the forest.
- His age, appearance and voice are not recorded.