The Astrodia Campaign

Marka

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Marka is the WitchCrafters’ calligrapher — the guild’s master of penmanship, cartography, and documentation of every kind. “Anything the guild needs written, I’m the go-to for that.” She drafted and amended the party’s contract with Madame Verre on the spot, using a self-writing quill.

She is the guild member who wrote down, in enforceable language, the only protection The Fallen have over the Golden Chalice.

Her Craft

Marka’s thesis is that a spell is not only what it says but how it is written. Wizards use spellbooks; she believes the calligraphy itself imbues a specific type of magic, independent of the words.

“How the spell is written, and the calligraphy of that in itself, can imbue a specific type of magic.”

Background

She studied at the Grand Spellbook Tower in “Marcell” (name as heard at the table in Session 11; possibly Marseille, unconfirmed) and left because it didn’t suit her: “I felt it a bit too — I don’t know. Just didn’t really vibe with me.” She went looking, ended up in Pentamarone, and met Madame Verre.

Session 11 — The Contract and the Notebook (September 9, 2026)

  • Drafted the guild contract binding Madame Verre and The Fallen — the guild’s best effort at identifying the Golden Chalice in exchange for Verre’s undisclosed use of it, plus a written acknowledgment that the party warned her of the danger, and no harm to the party.
  • Deadpan negotiator. When Úlfr demanded food and lodging, she turned to her boss and asked whether to add a clause “that we have to provide you housing, or else you don’t agree to the contract.” Verre rolled her eyes and agreed.
  • Assigned to the records team with Genni — searching every book, history, and account in the guild for the Sinful Spoils or any chalice able to manifest physical copies. Aren and Asha worked alongside them.
  • On the fireworks festival, she was cagey and pleased with herself: the guild’s entry is already handled, and whatever Verre is planning with the chalice is “something else.” — “If it goes how we want it to go, it’ll be a beautiful unveiling.”

She Read Snorri’s Notebook

At the tavern, Úlfr handed her Snorri’s notebook — never letting it out of his sight — and asked what she made of it. She flipped through it and immediately placed the language:

“I’m picking up some words here that originate from the War Rock Mountains.”

Her reading of the object itself:

“The words are particularly powerful. It almost feels like someone really put their heart and soul into this book. Whether that’s benevolent or malevolent power, I’m not one to say — but you seem to be able to wield it how you see best.”

Her theory: power can be imparted into an object subconsciously, by whoever wrote the right words in it. She also noted, drily, “a couple words that are not quite appropriate to say at this table.”

Úlfr and Marka closed the exchange in complete agreement on the subject of words as weapons:

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt me.”
“I strongly disagree.”

Session 12 (September 23, 2026)

  • Asked Aren what brought her to the group, having noticed she’d been helpful all week but hardly said a word. Aren: a holy mission to cleanse the world of undead. “We love a girl with a mission.”
  • Her team’s findings (records, with Genni, Aren, and Asha) went into the report on the Golden Chalice: the best match is a white-dragon-worshipping clan’s ritual object from the Great Ravine of Caelwyrm, fought over by rival clans and lost a few centuries ago.
  • Her old school is now on Aren’s list. After a private audience with Madame Verre, Aren wants to visit Marseille, possibly Marka’s “Marcell”, for “interesting ways of magic.”

Fellow WitchCrafters

Madame Verre · Genni · Haine · Edel · Schmietta · Pittore · Seed · Ceramia · Dolly — see WitchCrafters.

First Appeared

Session 11 (September 9, 2026), summoned by Genni to draft a contract, in the WitchCrafters guild hall in Pentamarone.

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