Theodora Morris

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### Sibling/s

Peter MorrisHugo MorrisOtto MorrisAnton MorrisBeatrice Petrov, née MorrisSarah Ivanov, née Morris

## Background

Born on the 13th day of the month of seeds, 1832, Theodora was the sixth of seven children. Her father, Wilhelm, was an immigrant from Dunwall where he worked as a whaler during the industrial boom. An unfortunate accident culminating in the loss of his right hand led him to journey to Dabovka, Tyvia, in search of his fortune. Instead of money, he found love, marrying the daughter of a prominent Tyvian wine merchant and causing a minor scandal resulting in her mother’s disinheritance. The family lived a frugal life, her parents using the small amount of coin her father had sequestered after his accident to open an apothecary.

In late 1835, news of a novel illness effecting Dunwall reached southern Tyvia, causing panic amongst the citizens. Where once the family business had been ailing, a sudden influx of worried Tyvians seeking protection from the plague turned their fortunes around. In truth, the Morris family elixir was little more than spiced wine, but when the plague failed to spread northward into their borders, the people of Dabovka believed it to be the result of their remedy. The family moved from their ramshackle apartment to a lavish home near the Citadel district. Masterful tutors were hired to educate the family’s children. Theodora received comprehensive schooling, showing particular skill in the fields of natural philosophy and science as she grew. Soon, she began to work in her parent’s apothecary, developing new elixirs for any number of conditions. Whilst the original Morris elixir was little more than snake oil, Theodora’s remedies were the real deal, and their reputation spread far beyond the city’s elite clientele.

Soon, the family had pilgrims appearing from the far isles seeking a cure for what ailed them. Her father, an ambitious man, used their influence to become embroiled in the politics of the isle. With friends in such high places, it seemed as though the Morris name was to become a legacy, rivalling the Sokolovs and Pieros of the world. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The High Judges had been keeping a watchful eye on the family patriarch, uncomfortable that a Gristollian immigrant could have accumulated such a degree of influence over the city. When a young woman, the daughter of a mid-level politician, was discovered murdered in their laboratories, the crime was attributed to him- an affair gone wrong. Theodora knew not whether there was any truth to the allegations, but the operators came for him one night regardless. He was sentenced to a life of ‘freedom’ in the Utyrka salt mine, and never seen again.

The family name was irreparably besmirched by the scandal, and the family lost everything. Theodora’s eldest sisters married into obscurity, and her eldest brothers joined the army, leaving Theodora and her mother to pick up the pieces. Her mother, having lost everything, became fiercely overbearing, hardly allowing the girl to leave her sight. It was around this time, 1848, that Theodora became acquainted with Konstantin Sidorov, a gifted physician who had previously been known to frequent the same circles as Anton Sokolov and Piero Joplin. He had travelled the world and heard whispers of the miracle cures offered by the Morris family. Initially, he sought out Theodora’s remaining brother, but when it became clear the boy knew little more than chasing girls and playing at sword fights, he turned his attention to her.

Galina Morris, a devout follower of the Abbey of the Everyman, was vehemently against this association, having heard of Konstantin’s reputation of carving bonecharms in the old Tyvian fashion. The two met in secret, under cover of darkness, and for two years he educated her in all matters of natural philosophy, runes, bonecharms and medicine. Theodora proved a capable and gifted student, and on her seventeenth birthday he sponsored her education with the Academy of Natural Philosophers. She was accepted, and the following year before her admittance date Theodora absconded from Tyvia to Dunwall to attend the Academy, specialising in chemistry and vivisection.

For the next four years, Theodora learned the way the world worked outside of Tyvia. Under Empress Emily Kaldwin, Dunwall was a relative bastion of freedom comparatively. Without the threat of the Operators lurking around every corner, Theodora thrived. She met regularly with Konstantin throughout this time, discussing philosophy and science over Tyvian wine long into the early hours of the morning and the two formed an inalienable bond. When Delilah took the throne in a surprise coup in 1952, the Academy provided shelter from the political turmoil for the duration of her short reign.

When Corvo took to the throne, things initially looked promising, despite the rumours of his emerging tyranny- the rebuilding of Dunwall was well underway, and it seemed as though there would finally be some lasting peace across the province. Then the restrictions began. At first they were subtle, with students persuaded to research various technologies which seemed harmless at first glance, useful in the peacekeeping efforts across the fractured city. Slowly it became clear: the research produced by the Academy was being used to fuel the fires of repression. When prominent academics began speaking out against this flagrant abuse of science and technology, they vanished, their names stricken from the records. For this reason, upon her graduation, Theodora turned down a prestigious position within the Academy, opting to follow her long-time mentor in his travels across the Isles.

Together, the two toured the known- and some of the unknown- world. From Serkonos to Morley, and even a brief venture to the Pandyssian Continent, they lived a life of exploration and scientific pursuit. Theodora learned to be at ease amongst the nobility, making powerful friends across the continent and collecting no small number of secrets and favours. From Konstantin, Theodora also learned the art of trading those secrets. Despite their longstanding friendship, Konstantin had some secrets of his own. He would frequently disappear for weeks at a time, and as Theodora matured this caused a rift between the two.

One night, after a particularly tumultuous argument between the two, Konstantin left in a rage. Theodora, for her part, was used to this charade, and did what she always did: she waited for him to return. The days turned into weeks, turned into months, with no sign or word from her mentor. As the rage settled and turned to concern, Theodora searched high and low for Konstantin, calling in all the favours she had accrued to no avail. The man had simply disappeared into thin air, or had been made to disappear. There were rumours of course- he’d fallen foul of the wrong aristocrat, the Abbey of the Everyman had finally taken action against his flagrant heresy, or even that he’d had a run in with the newly formed Justiciars.

With the money running out and limited options, Theodora was faced with few choices: return home to Tyvia and a life of obscurity, or take up a position with the Academy of Natural Philosophers. By this point, the organisation was a shadow of what it once was, serving only to advance the tyrant emperor’s goals. Still, with the threat of another plague on their doorstep, Theodora was certain she could assuage some of the nation’s problems. After all, how could researching new remedies ever hurt anyone? But Theodora was, by her nature, an inquisitive person, and she had a dangerous habit of overhearing the wrong conversations. Now, filled with doubt over the true purpose of her research, she is more determined than ever to solve the mysteries of what is really going on behind closed doors at the Academy.

## Personality and Behaviour

The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” in human form, though it’s yet to be seen whether satisfaction can bring her back. Theodora is stubborn to a fault. Once she catches the whiff of an unanswerable mystery she is helpless against the urge to follow all leads, no matter how spurious or dangerous, in pursuit of an answer. She needs to know, but more than that, she *deserves* to know by virtue of her determination. Her inquisitiveness is less of a conscious choice and more indicative of something deeper, a trait harboured deep within her genetic makeup. She believes all of life’s secrets should be brought out into the open, regardless of the harm they might do.

Impulsive to the point of irresponsibility, Theodora rarely considers the consequences of her actions and uses her gut, rather than the law, to decipher ‘right and wrong’. To her credit, she does seem to have an innate ability to decipher between the two, even if her methods for how to deal with injustices are crude. She doesn’t shy away from conflict and discourse, and will fiercely argue her point of view. However, she has a strong aversion to violence, having never so much as held a weapon for more than show before. She’s not entirely sure she would know how to fire a pistol, let alone how to hit a target.

Though Theodora is gifted in many academic and cultural pursuits, she lacks real world knowledge. Until this point, she has led a life largely sheltered from the realities of life outside of her comfortable lifestyle. Though her family has suffered failures here and there, she is yet to experience real hardship. In truth, she finds such things tiresome and boring- why should she learn how to wield a sword, or pick a pocket, when she’s always had someone to do it for her?

Even though Theodora has dedicated her life to the pursuit of science and academia, she longs to be seen as knowledgeable and capable. When she is confident in her skills, she moves with efficiency and a natural grace. When she is not, she develops several tics: repeating herself, ending sentences in questions and fidgeting. She hates admitting to needing help and advice and would rather figure things out by herself, a trait that has infuriated any who have tried to teach her.