Maus Ponyhosen

**Ari “Maus” Baumer Ponyhosen** was a dreadborn ranger/cleric in SteamSpell. They were played by Samwise Gamegee.

During *WovenRealm* Maus lives in the city of Weidenhafen with their wife Petra, and runs the Baumer Haus, an orphanage where several of the Emerald Caravan spent some or all of their childhoods.

## Description

### Appearance

Maus is a small, thin, faun-like dreadborn who is agender and presents very androgynously, leaning towards more masculine styled clothing. Maus has yellow eyes, pale green skin and fur, black deer antlers that have grown longer and larger as they’ve aged, and black deer hooves. A small green deer tail pokes out behind them— in their younger days they strove to conceal it, but stopped once they began raising other dreadborn children… they did not want any of the children to feel they had to hide a part of themselves. Their dark green hair was kept in a very messy bun for much of their adventuring time, but then they had it cropped into a short pixie cut, and have kept short styles ever since. In WovenRealm days, Maus’ dark green hair is streaked with grey.

Maus has oversized deer-like ears and very large bucked front teeth. These traits combined with their high pitched voice, small size, and shy personality earned them the name “Maus” as a child— High Gothic for “mouse”. Being too timid to ever establish preference for a different name, it simply became theirs… over time, they embraced it as part of who they are, and chose to keep it.

Maus grew up homeless, struggling with severe Crohn’s disease: as a result they grew up very malnourished and small in size. In their teens, they were taken in by their mentor Sancha Espino and began to grow stronger and healthier, learning to manage their chronic illness with herbal medicines, potions, and nature magic.

As an active member of the Black Coats, Maus wore all black and of course an eponymous long black trench coat. They routinely used a large hood to cover their then-much-smaller antlers while traveling in the Empire. In their retirement, Maus still leans towards dark and simple clothing, often wearing purple with their blacks now. Old friends of theirs would notice a definite impact of Maus’ wife Petra on their fashion.

About 25 years ago Maus went on a Black Coat hunt and returned with a severe injury to their left eye. St. Lilian was ultimately able to save the eye and some of Maus’ vision in it, but they would forever have a deep scar across it. Some of their vision was damaged in the eye as well, which they believe has harmed their archery skills— though over the years they have adapted… and persevered.

### Personality

Maus has always been an incredibly, almost painfully, shy and anxious person. As a member of the Startouched Maus was often playfully teased for the way they constantly apologized for the smallest things, and for how hard they were on themself. As they’ve grown older— married, and helped raise many children in their orphanage— Maus is still quiet and reserved, but they are far less needlessly apologetic and are able to speak and act with confidence.

Maus is exceptionally kind hearted. They always put others before themself, often to their own detriment. They also try to see the best in others, though ever since their experiences with Detlef they are more pragmatic about it. They are very serious, and often do not understand jokes immediately, needing to think about them. Maus tends to take things rather literally, and is teased by Petra for having no imagination: Maus is well known for keeping a pet mouse companion since their days on the streets, however every mouse is named Meep. They just add a number to the rodent’s name— Maus currently has the company of Frauline Meep XLII.

In the days of WovenRealm, all that matters to Maus in the entire world is the safety and happiness of the children they and Petra care for in their orphanage. And, of course, Petra herself. Those who knew them in the days of SteamSpell would be shocked to learn they regularly face down members of the Imperial Inquisition who try harassing their wards… and they always win.

Maus does not anger easily, but greatly dislikes when others use their health issues against them in any way: they are known for executing the biomancer Dr. Branson after he tried doing so. Maus has repeatedly denied the aid of biomancer medications that may cure their conditions, not wishing to benefit from the suffering of the organization’s past victims. They do not judge those who do so, also recognizing those victims' suffering should not be for nothing and that not everyone feels as they do… but Maus believes their experiences with illness is simply part of the course of nature, and wishes to manage rather than cure it for themself.

Maus is a devout worshipper of the god Marlfax, who once saved their life and made them his cleric. However, living in the Empire of Kovith means they must worship Marlfax in secret (though during WovenRealm it’s rather a well known secret due to their past). Maus publicly pretends to be a devout worshipper of Kovar while in the Empire’s borders, mostly to help ensure the protection of the children under their care.

## Biography

### Background

Maus grew up in the city of Wiedenheifen, in Lesser Goth, in the Kovithian Empire. They had a twin brother, born Detlef Baumer, who eventually went by the name Jade. The twins grew up with their mother and father until the age of 7, when they were orphaned:

Maus’ father had very severe Crohn’s disease. Over time he became too ill to help work in the bakery he owned with his wife, and as their finances dwindled they became unable to pay for medical care for him either. Eventually the Baumer’s fell into debt, having to sell the bakery and eventually ending up homeless with their young children (then about four years old). When the twins were five their father passed away from complications of his illness, something that deeply affected each child. Then at age seven, the twins’ mother died in a mugging attempt, and after that the twins were left to their own devices to survive. Maus’ brother Jade eventually began turning to petty crime to help them get by, and began to get resentful of Maus’ refusal to do the same, to do anything it took to survive. Finally at age 14, Maus tried to pick a pocket at Jade’s behest… only to be immediately caught, beaten, and dragged to the city guard.

That was when Maus met Sancha Espino, the half elven guard on duty who handled the complaint. Sancha was appalled to see the young dreadborn in such a state, paid Maus’ bail, and brought them home for medical care and ultimately invited them to stay with her. Sancha was a retired member of the respected Black Coats, and saw the potential in Maus to find safety and a home within the guild as she once had. She offered to let Maus live with her, and to train Maus to hunt, and to sponsor their entry into the Black Coats. Maus agreed, but only if Jade could be with them for all of it. They wouldn’t leave him without a home or way to make an honest living too. Sancha reluctantly agreed, not liking the streak of cruelty she sensed in Maus’ twin. However, Jade was resentful and jealous of Sancha and ultimately turned his back on her training and shelter, and left.

Eventually, Maus discovered Jade had joined the biomancers instead of the Black Coats, essentially stealing the guild’s training for their greatest enemies. Even his mentor, Juan Muertos, was the most wanted by the guild, he too was an ex-Black Coat. This discovery caused the twins to have a massive fight, and stop speaking to each other for many years…

When Maus was 24, they were on a job for the Black Coats hunting a doppelgänger that was committing murders throughout Weidenhafen. Maus was lured into a trap by the doppelgänger, named Shen, and was caught in a massive explosion. They would have died, if the god Marlfax had not been keeping an eye on the brave hunter for some time. Marlfax interceded, stopping Maus from truly dying in the accident on the condition they served him, hunting for him. Maus agreed, and returned to consciousness with new holy powers, and a magical bow made of antlers in their hands— Marlfax’s Gift.

After this, they were set on a path that eventually intersected with that of the Startouched.

### The Startouched

Maus joined the Startouched just as the biomancer agent Juan Muertos had caught up with the party, hunting Kat Steele. Maus’ twin brother Jade had become Muertos’ apprentice, resulting in a terrible tension between the twins as they hunted each other. Muertos was able to lure Maus into a trap by pretending he had murdered Jade— this ruse ultimately proved deadly to Kat.

Eventually, Jade wound up assassinating the biomancer Nora Lynn, just as she and Kat could have reconciled. Maus managed to prevent the two from killing each other, but Jade was arrested and eventually faced a trial by the Black Coats.

Maus struggled to find their place in the Startouched through these trials, but was still welcomed into the party with open arms despite their twins’ actions.

When the party went to face Dr. Branson and liberate Wren’s Run from biomancer control, Maus helped sneak the group through defenses by disguising themself as Jade. Then in the ensuing battle, it was only Maus’ arrows that were able to reach the cowardly Branson hiding in the rafters as others fought for him. Maus dealt the killing blow to the doctor as he scolded them for wasting their chance “to be cured”.

The last the audience saw Maus in SteamSpell, they had gone on a special date to a festival with the Bailen stable master, Petra Ponyhosen.

### SteamSpell Epilogue

In the days after SteamSpell, Maus attended the Black Coat trial of their twin Jade. After petitioning to be on the firing squad, Maus loosed their arrow a moment too early to ensure their brother a quick and painless end, as the others surely would have caused him misery out of spite. Maus buried Jade themself near the Spire of the First King in Bailen, where they had previously buried various clones of Jade created by biomancers.

Maus spent the next five years active in the Black Coats, and hunting the doppelgänger that once bested them. They were eventually allowed to start their own Black Coat chapter in Bailen, After five years Maus successfully found and defeated the doppelgänger named Shen, and passed control of the chapter on to their protégé, Raz Astaldo.

Petra Ponyhosen proposed to Maus as soon as she heard they were retiring. The couple were wed by Duke Nettle Swiftfoot herself. They then moved back to Maus’ home city of Weidenhafen, where Maus used their considerable savings from adventuring to buy back their family’s old bakery…

The couple also bought the adjoining properties, using them to open the Detlef J. Baumer Memorial Home for Children, or the “Baumer Haus”. Maus and Petra have since dedicated themselves fully to making their new orphanage into a safe place for any child in need, especially dreadborn children or others at risk of harm by the Sixth Legion.

### Days of WovenRealm

Maus still lives in Weidenhafen with their wife, Petra, where they continue to run the Baumer Haus now in its 26th year. The couple has taken in many children over the years now, including two members of the Emerald Caravan, Fenris and Oleander, whom they helped to raise for some time.

## Caravan Connections

### Fenris

An unnamed infant who would one day become Fenris Amarak was the first child taken in by the Ponyhosens. Maus felt an immediate affection and pull towards the young dreadborn, due partially their own Lycus heritage and Clairvoyance. They also could not help but be reminded of their own late brother, Detlef… perhaps raising this child was a chance to prevent the world from darkening another heart, like their twin’s had been.

Maus gave the child the name “Vercingetorix”, wishing him good fortune in his life in a way honoring Marlfax, and raised him as their own son for years. Eventually he was formally adopted by the Vvargenhelms, one of whom was a childhood rival who ultimately became a very good friend of Maus’.

### Oleander

As part of their dedication to keeping children in the Empire of Kovith safe, sometimes that has meant helping them to flee its borders. Maus and Petra were integral in keeping Oleander hidden and safe as the aftermath of their family’s excommunication died down. Then, they helped to coordinate Oleander’s safe adoption by Maus’ own former guardian, Sancha Espino, and helped arrange the young Morgenstern’s escape into Urgovel.

## Skills

Maus was trained as a ranger by the Black Coats in the School of the Weeping Elk. They excelled at archery, tracking, hunting, and were very talented with animals and plants. Even in retirement Maus keeps up with their ranger skills as much as possible: the orphanage frequently has fresh game and foraged vegetation for meals, as well as an incredible garden and domestic animals that are quite a nuisance to some of the neighbors…

Once they were named a cleric of Marlfax, Maus struggled to adapt to those expectations, having little religious knowledge of the illegal deity. However their perceptual skills, stubborn perseverance, and wisdom gained through life experiences was all Marlfax sought: they were able to channel their will through his gifts to perform healing magic, but his connection also strengthened their hunting and archery talents.

## Memorable Quotes

“I do not need curing from the likes of you, Herr Doktor!” - Maus, to Dr. Branson

“Oh! Uhm, I’m sorry.” - to literally everyone

## Trivia

Maus has Crohn’s disease just like their actor and creator, Samwise

Sam originally wanted to play a character with a Germanic inspired accent because they had taken German language in college, so at Alex's suggestion they made a character from Kovith.

Maus never had to pay the Cosmic Price of “a soul for a soul” for dying, because the Astral Star and Marlfax prevented Maus’ soul from ever reaching the Soul Forge.