Fiona Bernoulli Government Fate Witch

While the life of a fate witch is not what it was, there is still a stigma to being a Sorte Strega. Fiona was allowed to learn to read, and officially there was no prejudice against Strega. However, she was legally required to carry a licence and register her power, and there were plenty of people who wouldn’t employ her when they discovered what she was. When she was younger she dreamed of being a concert violinist, but the rest of the world was aware of how Sorte can influence music and such a career was barred to her.

She tried a few career options, but unless it was considered ‘appropriate’ for a Strega, she simply never got an interview. It wasn’t long before she discovered that whatever the official line, no one really wanted fate witches to do anything other than stay at home. However, Fiona had no desire to stay at home at all. Her father had Fiona’s elder sister when he needed to call on the services of a witch. She was happy to live off daddy’s credit card, but Fiona wanted a job. Eventually she found what she was looking for when she thought she had run out of options.

There was one place that was very glad to employ Fate Witches; unfortunately the great families of Vodacce hated their daughters working there. Many years ago, in response to pressure from the general population, the Vodacce government had set up an organisation to police federal crime, and crimes against the state. Many years ago the great families had been forced to allow elections and democracy, but the government was extremely corrupt and effectively only the rubber stamp committee for the great families’ policies. Unfortunately the new organisation (called simply ‘The Agency’) was not so corrupt. Once appointed, the heads of the Agency decided not to tread lightly as they were expected to. They enforced law as they were supposed to, wherever it led. They focussed on crimes against the state, and while they ignored the worst excesses of the great families, they made it very clear they were not the families’ lap dogs.

The Agency needed Fate Witches. Strega gave them a certain respectability and connection due to their noble blood. They also sent a message that the Agency was not some peasant organisation, but a Vodacce wide government department. In a way, the mixing of noble and ordinary Vodacce went a long way towards making the country unified.

So Fiona decided to join, if only as a way of putting two fingers up at the system that sought to restrain her. Her father was angry, but could do very little. Once Fiona’s application was accepted she moved out of the family home and spoke little to her father. She wishes things could be different, but knows that her father would only be happy if his youngest daughter did only as he wished. Fiona spent a year in training and since then has become a valued member of the department. She has more freedom to use her magic that an ordinary Strega, but still has to register and make any suspects aware of her ability. Her skills as an investigator are excellent, but it saddens her that she gets taken off cases to work where they need a Strega. After all, only a Strega can work her powers, whereas any other field agent can work an investigation.

There is still a great stigma in being a Strega. People avoid her in the street and her colleagues are still a little frightened of her. However, that fear works in her favour when interrogating a suspect, and she has met other Witches in the department who have become friends. She has also made friends with two members of the Corattzi family who are also in the department. With Strega rarely needing bodyguards in the modern age, not all the members of the guardian families can find work in their ancient responsibility. Many are part of the Agency, as it grants them the chance to look after their Fate Witch partners and guard the public.

So Fiona works as a field agent, chasing criminals that often lead back to the noble families. She has a gift with forgery, but in her case it is the ability to tell it apart from the real thing. Policy ensures that she is kept away from investigating her own family. However she fears that one day the Bernoulli will be her target, or worse, be the ones to ask her to work against the Agency.