Calyptra’s Tale
Gender: Female
Race: Dwarf
Class: Witch
Calyptra lived a secluded life in a small mossy-green cottage hidden in the copse of gnarly elm trees, as did her mother and grandmother before her. Sometimes, the squatty red-haired witch was seen digging up mandrake roots in the old church graveyard in the dead of the night or lurking in the forest at dusk, gathering nightshade flowers and bats’ droppings while her pet owl Glitchie was hunting mice and spiders.
Because of her habit of prowling in the dark forest, or perhaps because of her twitching furry ears and amber eyes taking on a fiery hue and emitting dangerous sparks when she was vexed, Calyptra earned the nickname of Hell Cat.
The green cottage was generally avoided by the prudent townsfolk of nearby Mulberry, but every now and then a timid visitor – a languished with love milkmaid or a doddering old-timer – would come over, seeking a love potion or a remedy for constipation; occasionally a wealthy merchant would cough up a tidy sum for a well-placed curse ridding him of a pesky competitor or a cantankerous mother-in-law. Calyptra herself wisely kept a low profile and visited Mulberry only to stock up on essential supplies, clean-shaved, diffident and wearing an inconspicuous dark-green robe (one size fits all) and a modest wide-brimmed pointy hat with a copper buckle.
The harmonious symbiosis of the fair town of Mulberry and Calyptra the Hell Cat was compromised by the arrival of Warpianus Warpiani Jr., a newly appointed Magistrate from Athkatla. The gallant and ambitious administrator breezed in carrying a suitcase with smallclothes and a large, exquisitely painted portrait of Chief Inspector Brega. The painting depicted the scowling Inspector holding the shriveled head of the infamous criminal and solemnly pointing at the inscription,
“Why take up crime and commit a misdeed,
With so many legal, sublime ways to cheat?”
Warpianus passionately set about purging the evil from Mulberry. Having all neglected front lawns properly mowed and all trespassing goats severely punished, he finally turned his vigilant eye to the green cottage. In vain did the anxious merchants implore the Magistrate not to take hostile actions against the witch, arguing that Calyptra’s jinxes, in fact quite altruistic and benign, helped to promote morale among the mothers-in-law. The unmarried Magistrate was unable to fully appreciate the benefit of pacifying curses and thus remained unmoved. Several milkmaids attempted to surreptitiously spike his morning milk with a love potion, but either their potions were weak, or Warpianus was gay, but the stimulants had no effect on his attitude.
Warpianus started with issuing numerous writs and subpoenas summoning Calyptra to court. After she repeatedly failed to comply, three militia guards were dispatched to arrest the witch. The guards, none too happy with the perspective of facing the fearsome Hell Cat, cowardly deserted the mission and fled to the enemy side.
The exasperated Magistrate declared War on the green cottage. Any communications with the evil witch and her henchmen were strictly prohibited, and Warpianus personally patrolled the merchant quarter to enforce the trade embargo. He enjoyed a small victory catching Glitchie delivering a laxative to a senior citizen; both were labeled as enemy combatants and imprisoned.
Calyptra retaliated by instigating malcontent seniors to throw stinky bombs into Warpianus’ window but the damage was minimal and the collaborators were quickly apprehended.
A gloomy shadow of despondency descended on the folks of Mulberry.
Calyptra barricaded in her cottage but allegedly maintained covert liaison relationships with some of the merchants.
In Baldur Gate III you will have a choice to join forces either with Warpianus Warpiani Jr. or with Calyptra the Hell Cat. In any case you will have to find Calyptra’s agent first.
Calyptra will join your party if you smite Warpianus and free Glitchie.
If you side with Warpianus, your own portrait in a lovely golden frame will be wall-mounted next to the portrait of Chief Inspector Brega.