Geomancer Esme of the Sacred Pillars

# Chapter 1: Esme and Pan
Who are you? asked Pan, shifting into a defensive stance.

My name is Esme of the Sacred Pillars. I am a Geomancer and, like you, I am a Green Wizard. I come to ask for your aid, @wizard3282, nothing more, said the blue-skinned wizard facing him. The Shaman eyed her warily, clutching his forked Dumb Stick in one hand. His plague rat quivered at his side, looking askance at Esmes familiar Aurora.

The Shaman had the majestic antlers and head of a stag and, though her sudden appearance had startled him, he exuded a tranquil power that seemed interwoven with his forest surroundings. His voice was deep and true, seeming to take root in the mulch on the forest floor and grow, taking on a life of its own.

I have business to attend to. Even now my comrades are converging on the beast; without my help

Esme cut him off, speaking with rising urgency: Your friends will cope, Shaman. I have seen Thaumaturge Akrons visions of the future in the scattered sand  temples tumbling amongst the rocks, flames engulfing the seven guilds, and countless wizards burnt as heretics. Time and again I have witnessed these events and more unfold

She slammed her fist into her palm as she continued, lips quivering at the thought of @wizard3922, brutally assassinated by his own disciples. The world will turn to ruin beneath the rule of the Celestials if you refuse to join me, but the visions have shown that whenever you put your faith in me we prevail. Together the Emerald Rangers can put a stop to this genocide and return the Temple to the true Astral magicians.


Isaac had been like a second father to Esme growing up on the mount below the Sacred Pillars, even after she had embraced the Green guild. As a young woman, Esme had visited the Yellow Wizard several times at the Temple of the Falling Stars, where he had served as High Priest for so many years. When the Elders at the Sacred Pillars had informed her of the coup, she had been ready to storm the Temple on her own, before the Thaumaturge intervened with his visions of the alternate futures that could come to pass, and set her off on this journey to find the Shaman.

The Celestials are coming for our kind, Pan! I have travelled far to see you let me show you. The Thaumaturge has infused my staff with some of his visions. She pulled her emerald staff off her back and sat cross-legged on the ground. The spiked crest of red hair that ran over the centre of her scalp fluttered in the whispers of wind that blew through the small clearing. Aurora bounded over and hopped into her lap and Esme placed one hand on the rabbits soft fur, laying her staff on the ground beside her.

Pan hesitated, yet found himself sitting down to face her. As Esme began to speak, she twirled her fingers in Auroras fur, tracing the outlines of the Rune of Fire; the emerald in the head of her staff emitted a dull glow that painted itself across the Shamans face as green fire leaped up from the gemstone. The Shaman blinked in surprise, eyes widening as images began to dance in the flames. When the visions faded, Esme watched him silently. After a moment, Pan took a deep breath, and raised his eyes to meet hers. It seems I have no choice, but we must go and find Eric and Baird. I am sure that they, too, will want to lend their support.


Esme eyed him intently. We can try, Pan. I must warn you, though, they have their destiny, and you have yours. For the moment, these fates do not intertwine, but it is clear that you will need to see for yourself. Come!

With that she stood and beckoned him to follow as she strode out of the clearing in the direction of the river.

# Chapter 2: The Emerald Rangers
@wizard2875 surveyed the scene below from the thick branches high in an ancient Silver Bark. The beast knocked the first Battle Mage flying, then veered towards the other one, who had no time to unleash his rune before the creature was upon him. It slashed downwards with its cruelly hooked beak and the wizard was forced to throw himself backwards into the long grass that hugged the riverbank.

The beast let out a sharp cry and raised a muscular hind, ready to stamp down on its adversary, but the two familiars appeared simultaneously, springing at the lizard-like animal from either side. Flexing the one leg that remained on the ground the beast sprang between them with startling speed, launching itself straight over the wizards head and bounding off into the forest with the black wolf and shaggy brown dog in pursuit.

Akron turned his attention to the other Battle Mage. Baird was running flat out after the large blue and white egg being swept towards the falls along the narrow but powerful river. His red-bearded companion got groggily to his feet, saw Baird hurtling off down the wooded slope, and immediately set off after his friend, whistling for his familiar to join him.


Akron smiled with satisfaction. If his divinations were correct, that story would play out in the lower reaches of the river, where its banks broadened and the waters settled into a more meandering route through the tangled forests of The Thorn. The Thaumaturge would have plenty of time to catch up to Baird and Eric, once he had verified that the seed planted with the Geomancer, Esme, had taken root.

He leant back against the sturdy trunk of the Silver Leaf and waited, enjoying the incessant rumble of the water and the faint veil of mist drifting across his face even here, high above the falls.

The sun was well past its zenith when the Shaman burst out of the trees on the far side of the river with his plague rat in tow, closely followed by Esme and her dirt rabbit. He cast about the scene, examining the areas of trampled grass, then followed the footprints along the muddy trail that ran next to the river.

They went this way, Esme. If we hurry, maybe we can catch them!

Despite the roar of the nearby falls, Pans words carried clearly to the finely-tuned ears of Sowil, Akrons dirt rabbit, who crouched in the long grass beneath the Silver Bark. Thanks to the bond with his familiar, Akron heard the Shaman as if the rabbits ears were his own.

Esme stopped, her eyes narrowing as she eyed the bushes to Pans right. She put a finger to her lips and inclined her head in the direction of the bushes. From his vantage point in the towering Silver Bark, Akron could see the lizard-like creature making its way stealthily through the undergrowth, creeping up to Pan and Esme.


The two wizards whirled around in unison as the creature sprang silently from the cover of the trees, its razor-sharp beak poised for a killing blow. Without fully understanding why, the Shaman raised his Dumb Stick in front of him and channelled the forests energy through the gnarled wood as Esme simultaneously slammed the head of her emerald staff down into the crook of the forked stick. The emerald exploded with light, bathing the creature in a vivid green curtain of radiance.

The beast let out a cry of rage as it found itself paralysed in mid-leap and crashed to the ground. The light seemed to solidify, condensing around the beasts static limbs, tighter and tighter, squeezing the animal, lengthening and distorting its body through a narrowing beam of light that sucked it into the stone of the Geomancers staff. The emerald shook violently, emitted a piercing whine, then the light faded and everything was silent, save the sound of the waterfall.

The Shaman stared in awe at the gemstone, unable to speak.

Do you see now, Pan? asked Esme. He nodded, then quickly crouched and spoke soft words into the ear of his plague rat. The small rodent nuzzled his hand, then scurried off down the trail, following the footprints of Eric and Baird that headed off into the forest. The Shaman rose and turned back to Esme. Lets go.

Akron smiled to himself and whispered under his breath as they disappeared into the trees. And so it begins! Another spark of life for the world of wizards. In a flash of elven blue, the Thaumaturge summoned Sowil, whipped his cape over his shoulder, and was gone.


## Story Arc Index:
Prologue: @wizard2875

Part 1: @wizard3032

Part 2: @wizard1182

Part 3: @wizard3282

Part 4: @wizard3916

Part 5: @wizard2550

Part 6: @wizard3919

Part 7: @pony433


Alchemist Baozhai of the Plains

# Chapter 1: In the service of the Voidlord
Baozhai watched as the wizard fished the shimmering white and blue egg out of the sluggish flow. She had chanced upon the egg mere moments ago, yet already it captivated her, throwing up a thousand images in her mind a magical creature from another realm to raise as her own  the possibilities were limitless!

*The Great Lord will find out, you know He will!*

*Yes! Hell roast strips of your flesh and feed them to you while you beg for mercy!*

She focused her mind, pushing the voices backwards. Luckily, she had heard the man coming just before she had exposed herself. From the colour of the hip scarf he wore and the band tying back his straight dark hair from his face, she guessed that he was of the Green guild, though that was never a certainty.

Now, hiding in the dense undergrowth, she plotted a way to get the egg away from him. She had sensed the power of the Rune embedded in the eggs shell, even though she was unable to divine its identity. As much as she thirsted for that power, though, she wasnt sure if she was a match for this Battle Mage, and she was not one to take unnecessary risks. This was going to take subtlety. She reached inside her hip pouch and ran her fingertips over the glass vial that held her Astral Potion.

*You could trick Him, Hell never find out, youre skilled enough to keep this secret from Him!*

Hera pricked up his ears as another onyx wolf emerged from the forest and trotted over to the wizard. Baozhai could feel her familiar trembling with excitement. She eyed the man on the far riverbank again.

*You are worthless you are nothing the Great Lord will bond you in eternal suffering*


*You are worthless you are nothing the Great Lord will bond you in eternal suffering*

*No! Youve proved yourself useful, He needs you!*

A smile crept across her face as a plan began to form in her mind, pushing the cacophony of voices into the background for a short time.

One voice remained as always, though, constantly grating metallically inside her skull and reminding her of what was expected:

*You will bring me any magical artefacts you can make, find, or steal, minion! You belong to me now. If you fail me, you will suffer the agonies of the depths of the Quantum Shadow be sure to please me often, for you do not want me to feel unappreciated.*

She shuddered. The Great Lord of the Void was not one to be trifled with, yet the pull of that egg was overpowering. Perhaps she would be able to hide just this one prize from Him? The Voidlord had been most pleased with the three keys she had brought to Him in the Dream Realm so far. If she could find another treasure to bring Him before she was summoned again, maybe she would be able to keep the egg for herself.

Baozhai steeled herself, fighting to suppress the voices in her head again. If she could just get the egg back to the Alchemists Archipelago, she would have access to the vast alchemical treasury to help her conceal her thoughts from her Lords prying mind for a while  perhaps long enough to stash her prize safely and secure a warding to obscure her memories of the egg  from His  influence.


# Chapter 2: The temptress
Baird clutched the egg close to him, allowing the energy of the rune to flow into him. The relief he felt at having recovered it was tempered somewhat by his concern for Pan. The Shamans failure to appear at the appointed time was a worry. Who knew what misfortune could have befallen him, and his friends had not been there to help. Birds thoughts were tinged with guilt, but equally, he could not imagine surviving without the egg.

It was a long trek back to The Fey, but with the egg in hand, Baird was determined to return and find out what had happened to his friend. As he sat and pondered, Shimmer burst out of a tangled thicket with a yelp of excitement and bounded over to Skadi. The jet black wolf leapt up to meet the shaggy dog and the pair spun in circles around each other.

A moment later Eric rushed into the clearing, and beamed as he caught sight of Baird. Finally! he boomed. By Mercury, youre a tough man to catch. I see you got your egg back. Dont worry about Pan, hes fine, he sent Fester to find us. He sat down and puffed out his beard, then pulled back the flap of his travel pack so that the plague rat could jump out onto the bare earth, where Eric scattered some nuts and seeds for him to nibble on.

Baird breathed a sigh of relief, and listened as Eric related the story of Pans disappearance. I say we get a good nights sleep then go after him in the morning. Fester says they were moving through The Fey towards Dream Master Lake. If we cut across Frog Master Marsh and head along the Carnival Pass, we can probably make up some time, he finished.


Baird agreed, then Eric called Shimmer over. I passed some boar tracks not far back, well go see if we can rustle up some dinner.

Ill get a fire going and see if I can find some berries along the river, Baird replied. The two men clasped hands, and Eric and Shimmer walked back the way they had come.

#

Bairds stomach growled as he dumped an armful of dry sticks on the ground and began to build the cookfire. As he worked, Skadi suddenly sprang up and bounded out of the camp towards the river. Baird called after her, but the wolf was already gone. Baird stared after her thoughtfully  Skadi was independent, but usually he could sense her intentions; this time, no signal had passed through the bond, and he had not even been able to read her body language.

Strapping the egg in its pouch on his back, Baird followed his familiar down the trail, wondering what had made her behave so strangely. The dense tangle of briars on either side of the path clawed at his sleeves as he hurried towards the river, the jagged outline of skeletal trees framing a small sliver of grey sky. Baird came out onto the open riverbank, scanning upriver and down for Skadi, but she was nowhere to be seen; once more, she did not come when he called.


Upstream, the rivers path twisted and the water was swallowed by the surrounding forest. Delicate wisps of blue smoke drifted around the bend in the river, filling his nostrils with an enticing scent that coaxed him onwards. As he came around the bend, the river widened into a dark, shallow pool overhung by a riot of different plants. Their vibrant colours and diverse forms were in stark contrast to the thorny interior of the forest; beneath the overhanging plants, amidst the pale blue smoke rising off the surface of the water, bathed the most beautiful woman Baird had ever seen.

In the back of his mind, an alarm went off, but as the smoke wafted around him, all cautiousness dissipated and he found himself drawn forward as if in a dream. The woman turned, eyeing him over her shoulder alluringly, and beckoned him to join her. He took a deep breath, sucking smoke deep into his lungs. It felt as though he floated on a cloud high above the forest; stars spiralled across his vision and he laid the egg pouch on the ground, then shed his clothes and slipped into the river.

# Chapter 3: A poached egg
The Mages cries of despair shook the darkened forest. @wizard2875 tucked his blue cape behind him and parted the brambles covering the thicket where he hid. His elfin eyesight allowed him to see the scene in clear detail, though it was dimly lit by the silver moonlight: Baird knelt on the floor, half-naked, his head in his hands, as Eric tried in vain to console him.


She was long gone by now, but Akron had witnessed the Alchemist tipping her potion into the pool; her onyx wolf coaxing the Mages wolf upstream, away from her master; how the Wizard, infatuated by the vapours of the potion, had allowed himself to be seduced, and had then fallen asleep on the riverbank; the alchemist dressing hurriedly and disappearing into the forest with the egg slung over her shoulder in its pouch.

The Thaumaturge shook his head ruefully. It did not please him to see Baird in such pain. Yet it was necessary For the solar visions to come to pass, he must suffer now; Akrons latest visions had been very clear, it was not enough that the Battle Mages had been separated from the newly-formed Emerald Rangers. @wizard4298s anger when he discovered that the Alchemist was hiding the eggs existence from him would divert his attention for a time, allowing events to unfold without his interference.

Whether Baird ever regained the egg or not  well, that remained to be seen. Akron was satisfied regardless; it mattered not in the greater scheme of things. With the egg in the Alchemists keeping, for now the Runiverse would struggle on.

## Story Arc Index:
Prologue: @wizard2875

Part 1: @wizard3032

Part 2: @wizard1182

Part 3: @wizard3282

Part 4: @wizard3916

Part 5: @wizard2550

Part 6: @wizard3919

Part 7: @pony433


Shaman Thor of the Obelisk

Halfling / Shaman
Raised in an asylum, his father abandoned him and his mother was imprisoned. Disgusted by societys decadence Thor decided to leave it behind. He realized that the Gods worked through him. He didnt know why he was chosen to serve. It was Thor that stopped the Evil Druid that had declared war on the Runes.


Chronomancer Udor of the Marsh

**Half Orc / Chronomancer**
For reasons unknown Udor was exiled from his community. He wandered deep into The Thorn and then into the Quantum Shadow. He accidentally walked through a time portal and wound up in Cuckoo Land and the Psychic Leap. Realizing he had gone forward in time he returned  to his village only to find his older but now younger brother Theobald II-Song. Together they explored an abandoned school of magic and defeated the illusions within.


Arcanist Artis of Mu

**Elf / Huntress **
At an early age Artis knew people to be gullible and easily exploited by her beauty. The gods gave her an unmistakable sign and she dropped everything to serve the divine. After completing the sacred Trial of Chiefs for a tribe of wood elves Artis accidentally disrupted a ritual in a sand temple outside Zaros Oasis turning everyone into sand. She was later noted for reuniting a group of monks and helped defend their monastery from a warband. Artis reunited with her 5 siblings and now looks over Zaros Oasis and the sand people that she cursed.


Battle Mage Malthus of the Mist

**Lycanthrope / Wizard**
As a child Malthus was considered a prodigy of sorts. He demonstrated a mastery of the arcane arts. When he was old enough he set out on his own to learn more magic and expand his power. It was his time at the Toadstools that he began to dabble in the dark arts. But News traveled from home that a terrible blight had caused crops to fail and many to starve. Having lost his sibling he left The Toadstools and made his way back to the Vampyre Mist. He cast a Necromancy spell to revive two of his siblings. They were never quite the same but it was all the family he had left.


Battle Mage Malthus of the Mount

**Human / Pirate **
He needed to escape his village quickly so he stowed away on a ship. When the crew found him they forced him to work for his passage to the new world. Malthus worked as a sailor for many years and became respected throughout the Salt and Brine. He eventually retired off the coast of Skylord Rookery.


Electromancer Darick of the Tower

**Dragonborn / Time traveler **
Son of Jaxi and Zedaar Pyraxtallinost both successful Wizard explorers. Raised by neither of his parents Darick spent most of his childhood wandering through portals and time traveling. Having made over 400 Psychic leaps Darick went on to become headmaster at the Secret towers where he taught portal jumping for over 3 decades. His apprentice Hillanot accidentally sent Darick to the Archepelgo dimension where hes been trapped and unable to escape the island of Alchemists. They say the lighting during the rainy season is from Darick casting lighting spells out frustration of being unable to escape the island.


Sorcerer Taqi of the Tower

**Punjabi / Sorcerer **
Raised by his parents who were both halfing fighters. Taqi grew up on the streets of Calistas Citadel. War ravaged the town of Calista reducing everything to rubble and ruin. In the aftermath it was Taqi that helped rebuild the city. He later designed and constructed the Tower of hope where wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks could hone their skills.


Archmagus Fark of the Wood

**Half-Orc / Wizard**
Archmagus grew up listening to tales of great wizards and knew he wanted to follow in their path. He strove to be accepted at an academy of magic and succeeded. After defeating the dread Beast Baaloch inside its volcanic lair Archmagus went on to stop the water elementals from forming in a magic fountain and then bested an Azer Lord in a massive workshop in the shadowfell.


Aleister of the Plains

**Human / Hermit **
Enamored by tales of heroes, Aleister dreamed of being something more than ordinary. One day while wandering around Hedge WIzard Wood Aleister encountered an otherworldly being the two entered into a dark pact and they became inseparable. Together they explored The Feywild and attended the court of an Archfey. They resolved a fight between two chromatic dragons that almost devisated the countryside.


Battle Mage Nicolas of the Canyon

**Dwarf / Barbarian **
Dwarves are some of the most fascinating creatures in all of the Forgotten Runes. Small compared to most but do not let their size fool you. They are some of the most determined folk you will ever meet. Fighting was the only life Nicolas ever knew. His anger needed to be channeled into battle, or he risked becoming an indiscriminate killer. He spent time in jail chained to an orc. He served his sentence of 4 years after being convicted of theft.  A distant relative left him a stipend that enabled him to live a comfortable lifestyle for 19 years.


Sorcerer Soya of the Brambles

**Half Elf / Sorcerer **
Soya grew up in a small village deep in the Fey wood. Soya and his 5 siblings were raised by their father Bertram, a human sorcerer. Their mother Ahinar was imprisoned for attempting to steal one of The Seven Toadstools. Soya followed in his mothers footsteps and became a well known criminal who fell in with a gang of reprobates and neer-do wells, where he learned to heist jewels from luminaries. After being ensorcelled by a fey Soya was enslaved for 6 years in the Alessars Keep Prison. On the day of his release he helped a grand wizard capture a demon.


Hedge Wizard Blaise of the Sacred Pillars

**Human / Entertainer**
Originally thought to be from the Ethereal Planes Blaise grew up in a mansion and had many friends. Everyone knew him and was liked by all. One day in the local tavern he met a traveling entertainer that took Blaise to see a bard perform. It was then Blaise knew what he was born to do. After his Mother passed away Blaise packed up his belongings and went to Atlantas Pool where you can still see him perform his act in the King's Court. His father is still alive and well. They spend the summers in Kelpies Bay together drinking Green Dragons Ale, eating too much Salt Fish, and Honey Cake.


Clairvoyant Soya of the Villa

**Dragonborn / Monk**
Soya was comfortable with being isolated. He sought inner peace, searching for instruction to gain a deeper understanding of existence and his place in the world. It was at The Great Owl Obelisk Tower where he became a monk. For 3 years he did not speak a single word and he unlocked the mysteries of the world by using the deepest forms of ancient meditation. It was the first day of spring and he broke his vow of silence as he explained to his fellow monks that the Ancient Druids spoke to him in his dreams and urged Soya to leave The Tower at once. Not knowing where he was going he wandered into Frog Master Marsh where he nearly died from an attack from a pack of wild wargs. Left with scars and one ear, Sha Charlton, a half-orc druid brought him back to her village and nursed him back to health by using Athelas. They fell in love and had several children.


Witch Lilith of the Brambles

**Elf / Witch **
Her immediate family never spoke of her ancestors and when she asked they changed the subject. It wasn't until she started displaying strange talents that the full truth of her heritage came out. Monsters wiped out Liliths village, She was the sole survivor. She had to find a way to survive. She was accused of extortion. She committed the crime but nonetheless the authorities found her not guilty..


Artificer Robin of the Heath

**Gnome / Noble **
Robins family is filled with remarkable people. He hoped to live up to their example. When he was born all the water in Dream Master Lake froze solid, the milk spoiled, all the iron turned to copper. His family was convinced that this event was a harbinger of stranger things to come for Robin. He was ensorcelled by a fey and enslaved for 3 years before he could escape.


Battle Mage Rodolfo of Avalon

**Tiefling / Warlock**
Rodolfo often got in trouble but managed to talk his way out of it every time. When he was faced with a terrible crisis he prayed to any being who would listen, and the creature that answered was a crow named Fafnir who became his patron. Fafnir happened to be a level 37 wizard who  defeated a Revenant in a castle of Ice in the Mountains of the Sacred Pillars. Now they brew the best Miruvor in all of The Quantum Shadow.


Archmagus Allistair of the Wood

**Half Elf / Sorcerer**
Son of Ahinar and Koath Allistair, both highly esteemed members of the Sacred Pillars guild. Growing up Archmagus saw spirits and entities that no one else could perceive. He sought out the ancient druids to help understand the visions and communicate with these unperceived beings. Accused of murder and nearly caught in the act Archmagus had to flee the countryside and is wanted in Kobolds Crossroad to this day.


Magus Kang from the Shadow

**Human / Shaolin Monk Pirate**
Press-ganged by pirates and forced to serve on the Golden Eel until one day Magus finally escaped while the crew was docked and passed out in Kelpies Bay. Overwhelmed with anxiety he sought the advice of philosophers to help face his fears. To prove himself worthy he wandered deep into The Thorn until he came across something magical. He emerged with the purple horseshoe of manipulation and Sapphire Slime. He then overthrew the Golden Eel and enslaved its crew. He set sail to the Brine and Salt and no one has seen the Eel or Magus ever since.


Ice Mage Flynn of the Ice

#  Pizza Dough!!


**Ingredients:**
+ 1L of LUKE WARM Water  (TIP: don't ask your Goblins to warm it up!)
+ 650gr of 00 Flour (NOT BLEACHED!)
+ 15ml Olive Oil
+ 26gr Salt
+ 1 Tbs of Honey  (Not necessary if oven > 320 C/608 F)
+ 2.5gr Dry Yeast (5gr fresh yeast)

**Preparation**

Dissolve the Yeast and the Honey in the L of water and put it into a bowl.
Sift all the flour into a SEPARATE bowl to remove any impurity and break down eventual conglomerates.
Slowly start to add the flower into the water bowl while with your strong hand stir the mix on a continuous and steady circular movement. (TIP: have the bowl slightly inclined while the mix is dense enough). The idea is to allow the two ingredients to bond together forming what is called the "GLUTEN NET". What most people do wrong here is indeed not keeping a steady and circular movement, stiring randomly and therefore breaking it down.
Add the salt as soon as you start feeling the mass forming.
Once the mix is consistent enough, you can add the Olive Oil and transfer it to a working bench covered with a dust of flower: here is where the kitting and consolidation of the gluten net will happen.
Keep gently folding the dough until the external surface is clean from flour or water residues and feels tight enough. Usually, 15 min of well done work should be enough.

Grab back the bowl of before, place the dough inside and cover it with a humid towel.
Place it in a dark and room temperature cupboard for ~3 hours.


Place it in a dark and room temperature cupboard for ~3 hours.
After ~3 hours, remove the humid towel, cut the dough in 4 equal pieces, shape them as balls and place them in a SEALED container, leaving to them enough space to grow (15cm from every side).
Store them in the fridge @ 3-7`C for NOT LESS then 12h.
Pull the dough out from the fridge **3 to 5 hours prior baking**, depending on room temperature.
NOTICE: It's very important to allow the yeast to "wake up" from cold temperature and start working actively again. Also, the temperature of the dough entering the Oven, should ideally be 25-26*C.

Stretch, top and bake! ENJOY


Alchemist Konoha of the Plains

Alchemist Konoha: Manifester of the Plague

Ever since the wizards of the Runiverse had been introduced to years of havoc and war, not
much attention has been given to the origins of some of the disasters imposed upon them.
Particularly, the genesis of the plague that led to the demise of thousands of wizards and
stranger folks was largely unknown. Never would the lower dwellers have imagined the one who
had promised them escape from famine- Alchemist Konoha- was the same wizard who had
unleashed a plague onto them.

Alchemist Konoha was once known for his extraordinary alchemist skills; his ability to create
substances was unmatched. No-one knew for sure what had happened, but one day, Alchemist
Konoha left the Alchemist's Archipelago towards the Wild in search of materials that he could
use for his alchemy that would allow the famines to subside.

At one point during his quest, Alchemist Konoha encounters a stranger folk who offers him a
passion potion, claiming that it is the cure to the famines that would save the lives of many. Unsure of the way the potion works, he decided to test it for himself and take a sip. After a few moments, he found himself hallucinating and experiencing eccentric visions. His face began to bare a tengu appearance and his skin slowly turned red.

As he attempted to fight and gain back control of his mind, he realised that he was beginning to have visions on how to make use of the matter around him. His unconscious mind was guiding
him on how to create substances from elements around him essentially being able to create
anything from the simplest of materials. Realising that this was the key to success, he caved
into his mind, dousing himself in more passion potion until his eyes had turned to glass.


When he returned to his island, he was unrecognisable to all except for his wife, Medium
Cybele, who noticed the ring on his finger. Worried by his strange appearance and behavior, the other wizards moved away from him. Alchemist Konoha rejoiced over his new abilities, oblivious to the fact that he was not communicating to the wizards in a comprehensible manner and was merely speaking to himself. He does not think much of their eerie silence, and continues to speak utter nonsense.

Then chaotically, his visions fixate on his wifes familiar, an ember frog, telling him to use it for it would end the famine. His new abilities allow him to quickly create a transmutation circle that- in his mind- transforms the ember frog into satiety potions. Yet in reality, the frog became corrupted and produced spores that in turn produced miasma, a heavy cloud of toxic organic matter. His glass eyes had shut him away from the realities of the world, tricking him that the toxic cloud in front of him was indeed the key to making satiety potions that could end hunger.

The wizards watched in horror as the miasma spread, and some of the stronger alchemists
charged up against Alchemist Konoha to stop him. Lost in his deteriorating sanity, Alchemist
Konoha plunges the wizards into the transmutation circle. The wizards screamed in agony as
they slowly rotted away and their organic matter added to the miasma above.

His wife, in the process of running away, inhales some of the toxic air and develops large
swellings on her hands and black markings on her face. She continues towards the south and,
while her escape was victorious, she inadvertently carries within her what will become the
beginning of the plague in Calistas Citadel. With every breath, she releases spores that infect others around her.


The Runiverse would be met with years of an unstoppable plague caused by a wizard who
remains under the spell of a passion potion. It remains unclear who the stranger folk was that had offered him the potion, or how to make Alchemist Konoha come back to his senses.
Supposedly, wizards like Holy Monk Aldo have tried to come up with a cure against the plague,
but to this day none remain successful.


Artificer Gwendolin of the Wood

**Goblin  / witch**
Born on an outer plain her father was enslaved for criminal activities. Gwendolin was raised by her mother Felosial, a neutral elf cleric. Gwendolin resented authority in her younger days and saw the life of crime the best way to fight against tyranny and oppression. She suffered a terrible emotional strain, which brought forth her latent magical powers. She still fights to control it. She later discovered the mystery of the moving Aldos Isle. She started an illegal magic item smuggling ring operation out of Goblin Town prison.


Archmagus Gellert of the Desert

**Half Orc / Soldier**
Forced by the local lord to enlist in the Skylord Army. Gellert learned how to fight amongst an elite group of soldiers. Battle after countless battle Gellert began losing his mind. Suffering from terrible nightmares drove Gellert to the brink of insanity. He took what sense he had left and made his way to The Weird house where they experimented with Dragon Eggs. He wanders the desert under the assumption that he is a Sandril.


Vampyre Damien of the Havens

Stealing wasnt something Damien was concerned about. Not anymore. He was a bloodsucking Vampyre, after all. And made his experiments much easier too, since obtaining rare substances and items was no longer a question of money.

Damien was a scientist as long as he can remember. Now he was also a Vampyre and a thief. He learned soon enough that Vampyre magic enables him to get to hard to reach places, persuade hard to persuade people and get his hands on hard to obtain items. Since he became a Vampyre his laboratory never lacked substances, tools and items to experiment with. But Sacred Flame is something Vampyres shouldnt play with lightly. Especially Vampyres, who are very sensitive to fire and all things sacred.


Artificer Jasper of the Moors

**Gnome / Folk Hero**
Raised by the famous lawful Gnome Cleric, Fabien Jasper.  Growing up Artificer was never well liked amongst his peers. Always acting as though he was better than everyone he knew all too well the gentle art of making enemies. Through trial and error Artificer awakened his latent bardic abilities. He became quite famous for his writings and was well received throughout Chronomancers Riviera where he still lives with his wife Vaina, a neutral Elf Cleric. Together they saved dozens of children from a warren of Kobolds.


Artificer Toby of the Hall

**Gnome / Outlander**
Toby grew up without a permanent home. Others saw him as different and kind of strange so he had few companions. A notorious thief looked after Toby and other orphans in Fur Gnome Wold. Toby spied and stole to earn his keep. Having an affinity for animals he explored his talent to see how he could use it best. Along his travels he met and fell in love with Jacoba Marlee, an evil human sorcerer. She disappeared without a trace and Toby has been searching for her ever since.


Arvid Terror of Penguins

# PENGUINS!

Argh!!  Horrible little birds that waddle around trying to look cute, when in reality they are devious little swines.

We've all heard the legends about the criminal penguin known under the alias Feathers McGraw, how he managed to disguise himself as a chicken to defraud and steal.  Evil creatures.  Never trust a penguin.  Ever.

One such victim of penguin nefariousness is poor Arvid.  Her favourite, and indeed only sword was stolen by a vicious gang of penguin bandits.  She saved up for months to buy the beautiful blade, only for several smelly little bastards to sneak into her hovel and steal it.  Why?!  Who knows!  What on earth do penguins need with a longsword?  Maybe they traded it for fish?  I doubt we'll ever find out.

So for now, Arvid is not only bladeless, but she is full of anger.  This anger will rain down on all the penguins.  All of them.  Of course, all her guildmates find this hilarious and have apparently given her a daft title, which she hates almost as much as those wretched penguins.


Adept Hadrien of the Rock

> Art by jun_ka

# The Psychic Leap
---
Hadrien had ignored the people around him when they said it was easy to get lost in Cuckoo Land and set off anyway. Whilst many understood why he was leaving, they were adamant that if he were to go anywhere it shouldnt be *there* of all places. Regardless, that is where Hadrien went.

He had been gone for months and whilst there had been highs, there were also deep-dark lows. Eventually, the entertainment of the region was no longer able to distract him from the battering of his own mind, and it was time for the Psychic Leap.

Hadrien had read that *shifts* were possible via the Psychic Leap, and thought it was likely that this would be a way for him to reach the Peace of Mind he sought. His journey was a fresh start in many ways, but he still carried the burdens of his own voice, ringing between his ears. For months before deciding to travel to Cuckoo Land, Hadrien had been in a depression.

The depression had been blunt and unmoving, dulling his mind. Whilst he had grown accustomed to being active and introspective, the cloud that hung over him had made him uncurious. Any inward seeking he attempted brought forth no new insights, leaving him without hope or cause.

It was a librarian at The Rock that had first noticed the change in Hadrien. Her attempts to keep him excited had faltered and he was no longer visiting the Library of The Rock. Whenever their paths did cross, he had come across rude and uninterested. Thankfully for Hadrien, whilst his heart had hardened, hers had not. She did, of course, become frustrated with him for a time, but after weeks of not seeing him at all, she grew worried and visited his home.

---


---

She opened the door into his abode quietly and with caution after three knocks and a shout had brought no answer. Pushing through into the room she saw Hadrien curled up at the foot of his bed. The room was a mess, and his appearance dishevelled to say the least.

>             Fuck off, Hadrien started, without opening his eyes.

>             Its me, she replied, gently.             He looked up slowly and raised a hand to protect his eyes from the light now streaming into the room over her shoulder. Seeing who it was his face softened, and the glimmer of tears began to well in his eyes.

> You need to get out of here, Hadrien, she said.

> What?, Hadrien said.

> She clarified, You need to leave.

Hadrien was confused. He brushed the tears out of his eyes and studied her face to try and understand what was happening.

*This woman who had been so kind, a true friend and supporter of his studies in the Library, was now asking him to leave?*

> Youre stuck. The Rock has no more answers for you. Youve read every book in the Library and I know, because I have helped you. You need to explore, she continued.

Hadrien paused for a second, looking back down and around at the state of his room.

She was right. He had been living as if he were dead for weeks, yet despite his trying, he had not made any progress into truly figuring out why.

> Where would I go? Hadrien asked.

> Anywhere, she had said.

---


> Anywhere, she had said.

---

After that Hadrien had set off from The Rock after a few short goodbyes and headed towards Cuckoo Land. He had been young then, and what he didnt know was that it would be a long time until he ever returned to the Rock.

He travelled by hitch-hiking and thought many times that he would die. Although he had travelled these lands when he was even younger, when the trails over the mountains were no longer warmed by sunlight, he had twice feared he might freeze to death. Thankfully, first a 12-wheeler lorry, and then a horse and carriage had come to his rescue. Eventually he had reached the boundary between Cuckoo Land and the rest of the realm and had stepped through with only a moments hesitation.

To some degree, the step forward had worked. The time he spent in Cuckoo Land had crumbled some of the internal walls that had been keeping his development hostage, and he felt like he had gained some idea of why he had been depressed. Now, all that was left to do was to move on, and hence, he sought the Psychic Leap, a *shift*.

Now no longer merely wandering through the Cuckoo, he wandered with intention. The beings he had met (or imagined) had been clear that there were no set directions that would lead one to the Psychic Leap, but that if one followed their nose they might find it, if the conditions were right.


He wandered and wandered, and wandered and wandered, and he thought that he might go mad. The regular concepts of time fell away, and he met (or imagined) fewer and fewer beings. All that he did meet would point him in a new direction, which he would follow, until he met another, and so again he would change his course to *their* tune. Although he had no way of telling if it had been merely days or true months, the moments between these meetings seemed to get longer and longer.

Eventually a great silence fell upon Hadrien. Then, his feet seemed as if they appeared out of nowhere to place one foot in front of another. By all intents and purposes, he was going nowhere and directionless. There was no one else to guide him now; no books, no beings, no goal, nor intention. Even the idea of finding the Psychic Leap had left him.

The emptiness of his experience expanded far out and all around him was no sign of a horizon. All that was left to do was to put one foot in front of the other, and so he did. Hopeless, yet filled with resolve. This continued for some time, until he collapsed.

---

Blinking his eyes open, Hadrien saw that he was still lost. The blank of the expanse seemed to have no end, but there was a noticeable dot in his vision.             Sitting up, squinting hard, and rubbing his eyes, he saw that the dot was moving, just a little; left and right.

Looking deeper, he saw that the dot also seemed to be moving up and down; just a little.

The dot got a little larger, and he saw that it had an aura. It was surrounded by a cloud or kind of shimmering that changed colours from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to indigo and to violet, before blending into red again.


> Curious!, Hadrien exclaimed aloud, his first word in some time.

Getting to his feet, Hadrien started to walk in the direction of this dot that he had by now made sure was not just something caught in his eye.

They grew closer and closer to each other, the dot continuing to be surrounded by a cloud cycling through the hues of a rainbow, until the dot turned into - a Hare.

> Curious!, Hadrien said, again.

He stopped where he was and was laughing to himself unselfconsciously when the Hare eventually reached his feet.

Crouching down, he half expected his hand to pass through what he was now calling in his head; cute fluffy disco bunny, but instead, he was able to gently pat this little being on the head.

*'Im not actually a Hare', the rabbit thought*

> Youre cute!  Hadrien said.

The glowing rabbit pulled away from his pets and hopped through Hadriens legs.

By the time Hadrien had turned around, he saw that the bunny had made its way to the other side of a large crevasse in the previously flat whiteness of his surroundings.

There it was, still glowing, looking back at him as if nothing had happened, now sat, with a great crack separating them by what must have been at least 15 meters.

Hadrien walked up to the edge of the new feature in the landscape and looked down. There was no bottom in sight, just the slow fade of white into black. Looking left and right, he saw no way that he would be able to walk around it.


Blinking, Hadrien assumed he must be dreaming and jumped in the air to see if he could fly as he sometimes would when he was lucid enough. He tried again, but gravity showed no sign of getting weaker, let alone disappearing.

> Hmmph, Hadrien grumbled.

Now the internal dialogue had started up again.

> *Well, what are you gonna do?*

> *Nothing I can do, Im stuck.*

> *Why not jump?*

> *Oh yeh, and then fall to my death, nice idea, brain*

> *Some would say more than a brain, but whatever, you might make it*...

> *I am not jumping.*

            He took another peek over the edge and into the blackness.

> *Nope, definitely not.*

When he looked up again he saw the Hare, but another feature had appeared - a door.

A pretty ordinary looking door was now unhelpfully placed just behind the hare.

Hadrien quickly spun round to check if any more doors had appeared, and they hadnt.

> *Great so now theres a door.*

> *This doesnt make sense.*

> *Has this ever made sense?*

> *Well, not really.*

The door blew open and through it he saw a grass, flowers, and the blue sky.

> *Oh BLUE SKY, how I missed BLUE SKY!*

> *Looks pretty nice!            *

> *I need to get back to my life.*

> *Maybe you could jump*

> *It doesnt seem possible.*

> *And yet here we are, still wondering.*

> *Im not sure.*

> *What else are you gonna do?*

---


> *Im not sure.*

> *What else are you gonna do?*

---

Hadrien looked around and saw nothing, more nothing, the hole in the ground, the fluffy disco bunny, and the door.

He started pacing up and down, right on the edge, eyes focused on the ground, darting into the crevasse and at the bunny and door, from time to time.

> *Youre not going to be able to think yourself out of this one, Hadrien.*

            Finally, Hadrien stopped.

He looked back at the door, smiled, and then started walking in the opposite direction.

> *What are* **you** *doing* ?

After about twenty paces, he stopped and turned around, ran towards the crack, and leapt.


Arcanist Bathsheba of the Mount

**Halfling / Sage Cleric**
One of 10 siblings Bathsheba grew up poor in a rundown shack on the border of The Thorn and Vampyre Mist. She worked as a cleric and saved every Castar she could. Naturally curious she packed up what little she had and went to a university to learn more about the world. She carried out her externship for two summers in Carnival Pass. She was cited for defeating an ancient facility that produced deadly golems. She later became shipwrecked on a deserted island full of Grungs and undead snakes.


Aleister of the Mist

# The Lore of Aleister of the Mist, Wizard #8326
Submerging into The Mist, on the cold winter's eve of the 655th Winterfest This was the last anyone had seen of Aleister. His quest was one of great treachery and peril. For he was after something of great magical worth: the fangs of a vampyre. To this day, none are sure of his whereabouts or that he even still exists.

It is quite uncertain how or when, or even why Aleister appeared. He was not born, nor did he sail the Forgotten Winds of Time, as some of his greater contemporaries did. He simply existed. He stood tall and confident, but he often spoke in ways that many did not, or possibly could not, comprehend. For Aleister was a purple hat wizard and his ramblings were long, winding labyrinths of word. Words not from the manuscripts or tongues of mortals and men, but the tongue of wizards. As that is the ancient language Aleister often spoke. Aleister carried about his person a small magic bag, at all times.

Aleister was very unpredictable, but his bag.... more so.

Out of it poured diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. They glimmered like stars in the sky. No gems were more precious. Spurring from it came food and drink, enough for all. Enough to feed cities, armies, even kingdoms but oftentimes Aleister was unable to grant such graces.


For Aleister did not control his bag, it controlled him
While purple hats are wise and powerful, they are not always sane. Oftentimes wizards in the Runiverse have powers of laughable status. They pose no real threat, harm or danger. But Aleister was not one of those wizards. If he, or rather the magic bag, willed so, great destruction was caused. The burning of villages, the slaying of men, regicide. All was possible.
And for that reason Aleister sought the fangs of a vampyre. They, and only they, could tear the bag open and reveal its secrets. For Aleister wanted nothing more than to be free of its grasp.