Mathilda is neither a witch nor a sorceress, but, in her words, “something else.” She is a strange one, erratic in her temperament and unpredictable in her actions, yet fiercely loyal, dedicated, and stubborn. She does not admit defeat easily, nor will she shy away from doing whatever is necessary to fulfill her goals. She has a daughter, Eliza, whom she will do anything to protect.

Mathilda hails from parts unknown, though it is rumored she might have been raised in Shantytown, a dilapidated amalgamation of structures that grew over time along Shantywall. Whatever her origin, her reason for coming to Alchester remains a mystery, though she has expressed disdain for the machinations of the Warders, whose plan to stop the Jakaree regardless of the fallout does not sit well with her. This would seem to place her in the role of a protector of the city, but she is also known to have made deals with the death priests of the Jakaree, so her exact motives remain her own.

Though Mathilda is a solitary creature, acting alone most times, she has a constant companion in her familiar, whose name is simply You. You is a fat and obnoxious crow who delights in doing as he pleases. He particularly enjoys antagonizing a certain Nameless Assassin, whom the crow sometimes must summon for Mathilda when she wishes to speak to him.

Mathilda faced the vats with arms lifted. Over the shouts of the guards and the panicked commotion of the lab gremlins, I heard her chanting the same pattern over and over. Two guards had gone to deal with her, but the sight of what she’d done to the other one, who lay quietly crumpled on the floor now, stopped them well short of her. Or maybe it was the boilers, which emitted hot steam now like an engine running full throttle. More than the vats were affected by her magic: on the tables, alchemical liquids frothed and boiled, powders ignited, and gases swirled and billowed inside their enclosures. But whatever nefarious spell she worked affected the steaming vats the worst. They shuddered and groaned, the pressure inside them rising to hazardous levels. Some scientists tried to get to pressure-release valves or some such things, but it was already too late. Someone yelled for everyone to get out.

- THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE / WITCH’S IMPERATIVE

Mathilda’s magic is a powerful force to reckon with in a battle, but she is also a fair hand with small blades like short swords, daggers, and knives, which she will use when her opponents least expect it.

MATHILDA’S MAGIC

When Mathilda says she is “something else,” she isn’t far from the mark since her magic is a unique blend of witchcraft and sorcery. On the one hand, she can call upon the Spirits, but she can also tap into her sri, something typically reserved for practitioners of the art. Mathilda often uses rhymes when casting a spell. This isn’t necessary, but she finds they sometimes amuse or delight the Spirits, so she hopes to win their favor with such a small gesture and thereby gain access to greater power to fuel her magic.

Her bond to her familiar, You, is strong, allowing her to perceive the world through his senses.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Mathilda first appears in The Assassin's Blade (Assassin Without a Name Book One).