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Jacob is intelligent and rather shy, a born scholar. Indeed, he is a substantial scholar in his own right, although only other Jews take his learning seriously. (Int +3, several knowledge skills, including one at 6, say Quadrivium: he is a mathematician and astronomer.) Since no-one would accept a woman running a money-lender's, he fronts the operation. Deborah makes all the decisions, and his good memory means that he can pick up the necessary information to be convincing. He is not a dreadfully religious Jew, but he would never dream of apostasising. When he does not have to deal with customers, he spends his time studying. He has a good library, of 40 books, and several astronomical instruments, including a high-quality astrolabe and armillary sphere. These are not decorated, just very well made. 26 of his books deal with Quadrivial subjects, the others cover philosophy and Jewish law and history. He is in his mid-thirties, and his dark hair is already thinning. He looks very Jewish, and gestures a lot with his left hand while talking. He wears dark clothes, of good, although not fancy, make.
Deborah is also intelligent, and has a real talent for finance (Int +2, Knack +4 with finance). She has studied the theory, and keeps in touch, through her husband's contacts, with what is going on in the world. Her Premonitions, while not fool-proof, mean that her gambles come off more often than not: if she is about to engage in a disastrous course of action, she tends to get a warning. As a result, Jacob has prospered, although not so much as to look like anything other than a successful moneylender. She wants to buy acceptance into society, ultimately, and thus spends a lot of money on good works: charitable donations and the like. She is reluctant to work with the Church, for obvious reasons, and so concentrates on personal hand-outs. This has worked to the extent that they are not hated: most inhabitants of Richmond think of them as good people, for Jews. When the magi arrive, she sees them as valuable insurance. They will be able to help if things go pear-shaped, and maybe they will be able to introduce her to society. She also keeps a banqueting hall in their house, and would love to give parties. She does give feasts for the major Jewish festivals, to which the Jewry of the town come, but she is reluctant to associate herself too closely with the other Jews, since she knows that they will never be accepted. Deborah is extremely beautiful, and doesn't look that Jewish. She married Jacob because he was rich enough to get her family's approval, and also was intelligent enough to talk to, and willing to let her have her head. She has grown to love him deeply, and has a great deal of respect for his learning. She does despair of ever turning him into a society host, however.
If the covenant do borrow from them, Deborah will eventually need favours. In the meantime, she will try to build up contacts between Jacob and the scholars at the covenant.
Copyright David Chart 1995-1998