Sister Athanasia of Santorini

She was a monastic of the Greater Schemata in a small convent on Santorini, and was not abbess only because she did not care to be; she was offered the post four times. She was busy enough, being local physician, midwife, councilor, locator of lost items, prognosticator of storms and earthquakes (very important on Santorini), and general wise-woman. She was also an exorcist, as many a ghost, kallikanzeros, and especially vampire had learned.

Finally, she was an agent of the Logothetes, the Eastern Orthodox Order. A wise-woman on Santorini was in an excellent position to give the Logothetes a steady flow of information on esoteric activities. Much of her information came from the cowed vampires of Santorini, who found it paid to be temperate, flexible, and circumspect about their appetites while she was alive, and patiently waited for the day when she would go to her reward. Unfortunately for them . . .

There was a fellow from Sicily who called himself Stregus. He was a mage and a ghost-eater, who deliberately turned vampire as a career move. A few years later, he fled to Santorini to recover, having lost out in a territorial dispute.

He was determined it should be a recovery, not a retirement. After laying low for some time, and taking stock, Stregus decided that he could raise a useful number of followers from the Santorini vampires, especially if he could be their hero by getting Sister Athanasia off their backs. So, he selected a young woman in Athanasia's village and proceeded to prey on her, slowly but persistently.

Sister Athanasia duly arrived to do battle, of course. Usually, such a case was the work of a newly arrived vampire than needed to be taught the local rules. (Rule 1: Don't provoke Sister Athanasia.) And most such new arrivals were exhausted and desperate.

But she had not gotten where she was by being unprepared or by being over-confident. When the dust settled, the young woman was fine, though her cottage was not, and Stregus was convincingly dead. She had as much as possible gathered up and burnt, just in case. Then she went back to her cell, to rest.

All too soon, she felt completely rested, but thirsty. A few quick tests, and she knew what had happened. Her first move was to pray for release. After long pondering, she walked to Oia, the port town, and down to the watery brim of the caldera, meaning to throw herself in. She went, of course, at night.

She was surprised to see a little ship approaching in the moonlight. It was far too swift for the available wind, and far too bright for the moonlight. It came straight toward her and, when it was a little way off, the sailor cried to her, "Come back at the next full moon."

She turned and started back up the steps of the cliffs. At the first landing, she looked down, but the ship was no longer there.

She returned to her cell and destroyed the letter she had left to be sent to the Logothetes. She wrote a new letter, instead. A few weeks later, as the sun set and the full moon rose, a trade ship came in, bearing Bagoas and Alexis. They found Sister Athanasia standing on the dock, waiting for them, a very small bag beside her.

Sister Athanasia could be a standard Greek vampire if she wanted to lower her standards. As it is, she has never bitten anyone or any beast. Normally, she just meditates for her daily prana, in a manner analogous to the mathematical meditations Pythagoras uses for a slow prana draw. She has occasionally sucked on raw meat. She quickly learned how to suck breath and delve into the Dreamworld. She has been known to play cards or chess for prana. She has also been known to rip every last scintilla of prana out of an enemy's being, sometimes causing them to crumble into dust or evaporate on the spot. (Rule 1: Don't provoke Sister Athanasia.)

She casts normal reflections and shadows. She has enormous strength and speed during the night. She has been known to have it during the day, when she needs it. She is still an agent of the Logothetes, and now the other six vampires of Patmos are, too.