(“The mind moves the mountain”)
filius Quartus Oriens, of Houses Cristofer and Derleth
apprenticed 407; declared mage 422
Generally recognized as far from the most talented student of Bethelion's unusually competitive tenth graduating class, Mens was nonetheless declared the Loriat largely due to political considerations: all of his rivals for the position had been involved in some disciplinary scandal or another, and the Council had also wanted to allow the founder Quartus Oriens, who had announced his intention to retire from the University as soon as his last student was declared mage, the Loriat student that he had always wanted but never quite been able to achieve. Mens Agitat Molem's refusal in 422 to accept the position of Loriat at all unless the University reverse its expulsion of his erstwhile rivals [T95/D4e] and [A89/D4f] won him back the respect of many of the New Derlethians, but even those who are quite fond of him personally do tend to find puns on his parens' name ("Fourth Choice," "Fourth Best," "The Lower Quarter," "Quartus Opacus" and so forth) well-nigh impossible to resist. This set of affairs has somewhat tarnished the Loriatship, and quite a few magi have never been able to take it as seriously as they once did. Mens finds this all terribly embarrassing. He does not himself ever use the honorific.
Shortly after his graduation to magehood, perhaps partly in an attempt to salvage his self-esteem, he travelled to the west to take part in the second rogue hunt—an act from which he had previously refrained due to the University's clear wishes that students of his class not leave Bethelion until after their graduation. There, he became friendly with Circumsessor, and after the conclusion of the House restructure, he requested permission to accompany Circumsessor back to Gaetan to join Covenant Manu Tenere, which he did in 425.
At Manu Tenere, he has pursued an interest in the study of insects, a passion which steps on no other Magi's intellectual toes.
