Pasha Lovetts
Headmaster of Merriam Academy and Knight of Merriam Academy — a title of considerable prestige in the European homo magi world, earned by claiming the Heartseed at the Hell Hunt. A contemporary and former friend of Eric and Arthur Murray; attended Merriam Academy with them and with Cary St. Clair in the mid-1980s. In the final moments of their Hell Hunt, he used all three as a distraction, abandoned them to the Briarhart, and claimed the Heartseed himself. Cary was killed by the Briarhart. Arthur nearly so. He is now in secret talks with Anne Murray to arrange the marriage of Eva Murray to his son Abel.
Biography
Pasha Lovetts's magic is rooted in blood. His homo magi lineage grants him the ability to read the thoughts, emotions, and memories of anyone whose blood he tastes — a power with obvious and devastating applications in negotiation, interrogation, and manipulation. He can also determine with certainty whether someone is lying from a small taste alone. His son Abel inherits a related but distinct expression of the same bloodline: Abel can track any person by the smell and taste of their blood, and shares the lie-detection ability. The Heartseed — the Briarhart's heart, claimed through betrayal — elevated him to Knight of Merriam Academy, a formal honorific carrying significant social weight in European homo magi circles. His headmastership derives in part from this title. He is in alliance with Anne Murray to arrange a marriage between Eva Murray and Abel. Neither Eric nor Vera Murray are aware that the man who killed their friend and nearly killed Arthur is now in their mother's orbit, reaching toward their daughter.
Relationships
- Relationship sealed.abel-lovetts — parent
- Relationship sealed.eric-murray — former friend; betrayed at the Hell Hunt — Cary killed by the Briarhart, Arthur nearly so
- Relationship sealed.arthur-murray — former friend; nearly killed at the Hell Hunt; Arthur held romantic feelings for Pasha before the betrayal
- Relationship sealed.arthur-murray — Arthur over-romanticized their connection; Pasha's betrayal was experienced by Arthur as both friendship and romantic abandonment
- Relationship sealed.cary — indirectly — abandoned Cary to the Briarhart; the Briarhart killed Cary
- Relationship sealed.anne-murray — secret marriage arrangement — Eva to Abel
Timeline appearances
GM Notes
Pasha holding blood-reading abilities means he is extraordinarily dangerous in any negotiation. Anne likely does not know the full extent of what he can do — or she does and considers it an asset. Either way, if he ever tastes Eva's blood (or any of the main six), the information asymmetry becomes catastrophic. The Knight of Merriam Academy title is worth developing as a formal system — how many Knights are there? What obligations does the title carry? Is claiming the Heartseed the only path to it, or just the most direct? Eric holds a deep grudge against Pasha for Cary's death and Arthur's near-death. He does not yet know Pasha is in Anne's orbit and reaching toward Eva. When he finds out, that confrontation will be significant. Arthur's romantic feelings for Pasha before Hell Night add a layer to the betrayal that has never been named between the brothers. Arthur was blindsided on both axes — as a friend and as someone who romanticized the connection. This dimension of the Hell Hunt betrayal is private to Arthur and has not been shared with Eric.