- "He vas' drowning from the inside-out, it was very scary. But I stopped wasting time and got on with it, because that is vat' needed to be done!"
- —Sting recalling a memory
Madam Ishwari Nehru Sting (née Prabhati) O.M. (Third Class) B.R. (For Witches) (b. 13 November, 1958) is a Pure-blood hindu witch, hailing from the Southern most regions of Asia, India in the small magical community of Kalale, Karnataka . Ishwari lived with her deeply spiritual parents up until around her eleventh birthday when she received her invitation to attend the Temple of Shakti, a magical school located and hidden somewhere within the Himalayan Mountains, nearest to the Indian subcontinent.
Sting was Hospital Wing Matron at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, having taken the role on some years after Poppy Pomrey's retirement. She was renowned at Hogwarts for her no-nonsense style, but under the surface there was always a wavering kindness. Sting was also the Supreme Healer of Healers Club, offered to all years, focused on the anthropological and practical study of Healing Magic. She was usually heard before seen, due to the incredulous amount of clanging jewelry she wore. Toward the end of 2021 (shortly before the appointment of Inquisitor Zimelda Zemeckis) Madam Sting retired. Instead of returning to India, she went to live with her daughter Sita Sting in London.
((This character is currently not active, however you are encouraged to refer to her in your role plays. "At least nasty Matron Sting isn't around anymore!" "Oh, if Matron Sting could see this, she'd lose her nerve!"))
((OOC Note: The following is not to be used in any IC (In-Character) way unless otherwise allowed by the character themselves. Meta-gaming is not tolerated))
Biography []
Early Life[]
Ishwari Nehru Sting was born deep within the village of Kalale, Karnataka, on 13 November, 1958 to Vibhat Prabhati, a gregarious architect with an impressive belly, and his wife, Padma Prabhati (née Nehru) a devoutly religious witch. The two had seven children. In order of birth, Nishat (1943), Ekaksha (1944), Fulki (1950), Adheesh (1951), Ishwari (1958), Twins Ladhi & Lakshaki (1959). The family of ten, including the house tiger, lived slightly nearest to the green side of Kalale, and owned a small fruit picking business.
Prabhati Tiger
With six siblings, Ishwari found it immensely difficult to gain any attention from her parents, particularly Padma, her mother, who was a cold and unfeeling woman. She did receive attention from her oldest brother Nishat, however, who preferred Ishwari out of all his sisters because she was 'less of a prude'. The two caused a lot of trouble in the village.
As Ishwari was approaching her eleventh birthday, her brother Nishat was suddenly inprisoned for illegal snake charming. Padma could not speak for weeks aside from muffled prayers and almost all of Ishwari's sisters, apart from Ekaksha, blamed her for what happened. It remarkably brought Ishwari and her father closer however, for Vibhat in his devastation wanted to understand why his only son had lost his way.
Shrine of Kali
In 1969 Ishwari received her invitation to attend the Temple of Shakti, the boarding school for wizards and witches, hidden by enchantments somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains, nearest to the Indian subcontinent. Similar to the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts, Temple of Shakti housed a great Shrine of Kali, a brilliant blue figure with four arms, half submerged in a mossy pond, that assorted students into one of the great 27 alignments based on the students psyche. The Shrine contorted its lined face and asked Ishwari, "How is your brother?" Aghast, Ishwari dismissed the question, "Why don't you ask him? I trust he will be out soon enough." and so, with a loud and booming laugh, the Shrine of Kali nodded and concluded, "House of Shakti."
Temple of Shakti life[]
Those housed in Shakti are said to be prospective healers, herbologists or potioneers. Ishwari was always naturally talented in all of those fields, but because of her tough attitude was seldom praised for her work. This would all change in her third year, when Ishwari came face to face with a boy, Jivin Sting, who was drowning from the inside out. He had just been hexed by fourth year boys from the House of Ganesha and left for dead. Ishwari reached for her wand and performed a flawless incantation, clearing the boy of all his pain, but she was too late and the boy had died. She was shaking and crying, when a hand appeared on her shoulder. A healer was stood at Ishwari's side and encouraged her to carry on trying.
Ishwari wiped away her tears, and on she went with her wand outstretched. After a minute or so of rapid, inexplicable whispers, the boy coughed back into life, water sprouting from his mouth. She was surprised, but very overjoyed, and immediately ruptured into laughter and cries, pulling the boy into embrace. She was invited thereafter to become the youngest known Healer-in-Training in the Temples Atrium. She would later go on to marry Jivin, the boy she saved.
Into her fourth year Ishwari was already doing incredibly well as a healer in training and it quickly became her most
Student Ishwari (Copyright 2010 Tanya Wheeler)
preferred subject. She and Jivin were talented Carpet-Flyers too; he was on team Indra and she, team Shakti. Ishwari still had that inner-wild, from her days with Nishat, so revelled in matches against Jivin, to show off her abilities. She even became the Temple of Shakti Flying Carpet Gold Medalist 1978. She was absent during one of the games, however, when she discovered the news that her father Vibhat had passed away, perhaps through sheer sadness over what had happened to his son those years before. Ishwari was overcome by grief, but recovered a lot faster than her siblings did. It was at this point when she began to write a book on Healing Methods, though it was, at first, untitled.
She achieved E's and O's in all of her chosen academics and went on to become a Shakti Prefect, a role bestowed upon Ishwari during her fifth year. Ishwari seldom spoke to her siblings during her schooling years, if only absolutely necessary, as her relationship with them still stirred. When she finally graduated in 1976, Sting received countless offers from hospitals throughout India. Jivin went on to become one of India's national flying carpet players, the Indian equivalent of Quidditch.
Employment
Ishwari enjoyed a few years of employment throughout various hospital establishments in India, before finally moving to England with her daughter, Sita Sting. She eventually joined Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a healer sometime around Dolores Umbridge's reign.
Wizarding Wars[]
She played a crucial part during the second wizarding war, fighting hand-in-hand with Poppy Pomfrey to defend the Hospital Wing and eventually the great hall from evil wizards and witches. She defeated three herself during the battle, but broke her nose. During this time Sita, her daughter, was in the courtyard with the others, and also survived the battle.
Personality[]
- "Madam sting is kind of scary but I also kind of like her. She's strict, no-nonsense type."
- — First year Sila Warrington on Madam Sting
Madam Ishwari Nehru Sting is described by students as being scary and strict, but with caring interludes. She is an
Portrait of Madam Sting, with her wand
assertive character who can take charge of any situation within seconds, if needed, and is known for her sharp, abrupt responses. She is always brutally honest and prefers to tell a student if they are making a royal mess of something. Her irritability is usually noticeable such as when she drums her bony fingers along her wand. She does exhibit kind traits and has been known to soften on certain students, particularly those who are honest about their intentions. A student that admits to a crime is more likely to gain Sting's respect than one who stands by idly as the innocent are wrongly accused.
Appearance[]
Sting can often be seen sporting traditional hindu sari, in many varying colours such as purple, lime, brown and black. The sari is usually worn both around the waist and over the shoulder, with a patterned and usually backless petticoat underneath that either matches the sari or is completely different.
She is known to walk around in bare feet too, but this was first questioned in 1996 by Dolores Umbridge, who held little regard for her hindu traditions.
She also drapes herself in brilliant jewels such as a golden bindi in the middle of her forehead that usually contains either a purple or diamond stone, a symbol of her devout ways and to represent the Sixth Chakra, Ajna.
Magical Abilities and Skills[]
Healing Magic[]
Madam Sting has over 52 years of experience in the Healing Magic(s). She is said to have a method for almost every malady. In her teenage days she became the youngest-known Healer-in-Training in the history of Temple of Shakti. She was also able to bring a student back to life after he was violently hexed, drowning from the inside out, with her quick-thinking and natural abilities.
Potions[]
Sting incorporates a lot of Potions into her methods and has written several of her own including the Sickness Supplement and Headache Soup taught to students at Hogwarts. She has a cauldron on the Hospital Wing and prefers to organically brew her own remedies rather than purchase them.
Herbology []
She knows her way around a greenhouse, primarily because she prefers to brew her own remedies. She also spent an exponential amount of time studying plants during her younger years in pursuit of drowning preventatives, to no avail. In her fully illustrated guide, the Healers Aid, she details varying plants and their uses.
Defense Against the Dark Arts[]
Madam Sting was able to create a corporeal Patronus in the form of a Scorpion, a charm known to be extremely difficult, during the Battle of Hogwarts. She defeated three death eaters then continued to protect the students using shielding charms, with Madam Pomfrey.
Sting is extremely powerful in duel, having learned a lot from her brother Nishat. During the Battle of Hogwarts she was described as unrivalled, confident and even frightening.
Languages[]
Madam Sting is able to speak both Hindi and English, having been taught the language from a very early age by her father, Vibhat, who honed the ability due to his career as an architect. It was also taught throughout the Indian schools.
Possessions[]
Wand[]
Madam Sting's wand was crafted using wood of the Millettia Pinnata tree native to tropical and temperate Asia. It has strands of hair extracted and braided from the mane of a Dawon, is 11 inches in length and has an unyielding quality.
The Dawon is a sacred tiger. It has the appearance of a normal tiger, but has powerful protective qualities and can defend itself or a target peerlessly. Wands with these mane-braid cores hold strengths in protective spells and healing, respectively. She was likely presented this by a wand-crafter sometime before she attended Temple of Shakti.
Healers Aid[]
Naturally she owns a hard paper copy of her book the Healers Aid, with various scribbles and burns on. This book sits somewhere in her office up in the Hospital Wing, an accio-away.
Relationships
Harry Potter
Sting had brief encounters with the boy who lived during his time at Hogwarts, though what she knew of him was mainly told to her by Sita, her daughter, who was a student of the castle at that time. Sita, like many before her, had a crush on Harry, something that her mother Ishwari resented. After all, it was she and Poppy who had to deal with the chaos that boy often induced to the Hospital Wing.
Dolores Umbridge[]
Sting had many run ins with Dolores; Dolores for one never understood why and how Ishwari was still employed by Hogwarts. She resented Sting's Hindu traditions and demanded that she wear shoes on her feet. Umbridge also shut down Sting's famous tyrant's more than once, almost throwing her out with Sybil Trelawney that very same day.
Molly Weasley[]
Sting enjoyed a close friendship with Molly Weasley, perhaps due to having aided Molly's children numerous times throughout their education's. Sting was so warmly liked by Molly that she was invited to attend Bill and Fleur's wedding. The wedding was unfortunately cast into turmoil due to an attack by death eaters, but Sting managed to escape to safety just in time. They briefly hugged each other at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, Sting sharing in Molly's grief over the death of her son.
Possible image of Sting during the wedding of Bill and Fleur, 1997
Behind the scenes[]
- Madam Ishwari Nehru Sting is a character that was portrayed by Corpsette aka ishwaristing Resident in the virtual world Second Life® @ Mischief Managed, a devotional sim created by Anya Ohmai and voluntarily maintained by various creative Administrators and players. You can find out more information here: http://mischiefmanagedsl.net
- The name Ishwari originates in Sanskrit: meaning Goddess. Also refers to the goddess Durga who is the most prominant incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti in the Hindu pantheon. This denotes various connections: such as the school she attended, Temple of Shakti, and the house she was assorted into, House Shakti.
- The name Jivin also originates in Sanskrit: meaning Gives Life. This was done as a deliberate juxtaposition as the character Jivin dies twice during the story, in exactly the same way.
- Although it is not clearly indicated throughout the story, Madam Sting's patronus was not always a scorpion; it became a scorpion after the penultimate death of her husband. Before this it may have been a tiger.
- As a bit of OOC fun, Madam Sting was assorted into Gryffindor on the website Pottermore.
- Q: Why did the player decide to roleplay as a none-Hogwarts-Alumni? A: At the time the player was fascinated more by the idea of magic schools around the world, having their own traditions, and their own spells, and even wand makes. The player wanted to create a character that was so different to the common grain, and yet somehow organic in a British setting.
- The Temple of Shakti is a magical school conceptualised by ishwaristing Resident set in India. It is a fan-created extension to the Harry Potter Universe by J.K Rowling. Characters with indian/asian backgrounds are encouraged to refer to the school in their backstories if they so wish.
- Shrine of Kali is a direct reference to the Sorting Hat. In Hinduism, Kali is the goddess directly associated with empowerment, the Divine Mother Shakti. In the story they are positioned together: the Shrine of Kali assorts the students and the Temple itself is Shakti, the Divine Mother who incorporates them all. Read more about the Temple of Shakti.
- Temple of Shakti has an additional class, Healing Magic, unlike Hogwarts that does not teach it as a secular subject.
- The player coined the term 'Healers Aid', as a way of describing Hospital Wing assistants, and the title has been used at Mischief Managed ever since.
- The player also coined the charm, 'Mobillarbus Circumage', a level 5 spell that allows potions or liquids to stir themselves. It was originally created for Healers Club, but is now an official charm taught at Mischief Managed.