Donner Chopper of the Bamboo Forest

# New Lore Entry for Donner Chopper of the Bamboo Forest

> *DALLE 2 portait. Baron Von Fancy. Summer of 2022.*


Witch Rowena of Dreams

# Witch Rowena of Dreams

Witch Rowena is a friendly witch from the forests of Altria, blessing bypassers with pleasant dreams for their offerings. However, those who dare trespass into her scared grounds are cursed with nightmares and often turn insane.
It is said she enchants the forests in which she resides so that she feels outsiders' presence when they enter her realm. It is said the forest's animals serve her and the plants keep an open eye for her.

Nearby villagers often trade with her for her renowned potions.


Aeromancer Celah of the Reach

## Sacks of Gold, a Juggling Monkey

_We join our heroes racing through the Runiverse in a Pixlton Napier Intercontinental... a transdimensional spell gone wrong? A folding of space propelled by the Quantum Shadow? We ask ourselves, "are they speeding away from something... or to it?"_

_Without warning, we find ourselves behind a camera. Themse music starts playing..._

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jswHsTJQL_c

**The camera pans in** on @wizard3964's face framed through the windshield. Bald head sticking out the sunroof (along with countless bags of gold coins). He glances at @wizard2722 in disbelief, but quickly returns his gaze straight ahead.

> Celah: BLIMEY, MATE! That was the dog's breakfast. What a walkabout. What were we thinking?!

The camera switches to the driver's side window. Crowley is deep in concentration. Ignoring Celah? Or thinking about how to respond? It's obvious both wizards don't know how to address what just happened to them.

Crowley leans to the left and reaches down with his right hand. Wincing, it looks like he's in pain. **BAM* * He throws something up on the dash.

We quickly see that it's a gun holster and... a badge? And it's covered in something red... blood?
> Celah: Crickey, Crowley? Are you taking the piss? I can't believe you still got your badge. Still a copper? Bugger off!

Crowley stares hard at Celah. Only taking short glances ahead, he continues to stare for 30 seconds. His expression is fixed. It feels like an eternity of silence. Suddenly...


> Crowley: CAN YOU JUST STOP?! Stop with that *down-under* crap for just a minute. And think? For God's sake, LOOK! We've got sacks of gold in the backseat, this goddamn monkey on our hood, and the Chief of Police thinks that we're...

**Crowley lets out a long sigh of exasperation* *

> Crowley: Look, we're almost...

**SCREECHING TIRES* *
**CRASH* *

## END SCENE. To be continued...

_Drawing by @ozzzmabro_


Nyx the Ruthless

*
## Nyx the Ruthless
*

The first memory Nyx has is of waking up in the absolute pure darkness, on the shores of an ocean, in a faraway land. Yet she was not afraid of the dark. Far from it, she felt at peace. The reason for this feeling would unfold over time.

Nyx was adopted by a herd of mystical black stallions and though she was not a stallion herself, she quickly and confidently adapted their ways. Early on, the stallions recognized that Nyx was no normal pony. In fact, she possessed such exceptional power and beauty that the stallions feared her.

Over time, Nyx became the natural leader of the herd and something odd began to happen. Older stallions would perish and new youngsters would be born, yet year after year and decade after decade, Nyx never seemed to age. Nyx often would ride out into the dunes in the dark of night and ponder her purpose. She had visions of demons arriving on their shores and a great battle ensuing. So one thing Nyx knew for certain: she would have her herd prepared to defend their land at all costs.

Little did she know, the horse Gods of old had been watching her ever since she came into the world...


Enchanter Talon of the Atheneum

# Talon's Beginnings

Talon was not born into a magical family. In fact, he grew up without any appreciation for magic at all. Once his parents began to see that he was capable of mysterious abilities, they did everything they could to shield him from understanding (let alone leveraging) his unique talents.

It wasn't until Talon was 12 years old that fate would help him discover his true potential. After an argument with his parents he ran into the nearby woods. He was so distraught that he became lost. In trying to find his way back home, he came upon a blazing feather lying in what seemed to be a pool of dark water. As he picked it up, he felt power surge through his body; as if something had awakened inside him. He looked down and the liquid substance began to bubble and take form. This was the first time that Talon enchanted something - albeit without realizing what he had done.

Thus began a series of events that would eventually become legend...


Cartomancer Merlon of the Desert

# Personal Life

Cartomancer Merlon of the Desert is used to friends referring to her as "Catomancer".

But she's like, "I am a practitioner of CARDS not CATS!" And her friends are all, "Then why do you always have a cat with you?" To which she responds, "Ori is my familiar who just happens to be a cat! Now. Would you like to see a really cool card trick?" To which they usually respond, "No, but we'd love to see a cool cat trick!"

At this point, Merlon summons a giant sandstorm which destroys her enemies (who used to be her friends, mind you, until they just wouldn't let the stupid "Catomancer" thing go)

Merlon's favorite pastime is playing TriPeaks Solitaire. She loves all the cool sounds and effects that play as she enters a state of zen and relaxation.

She's also great at parties, although her cat, Ori, often screws up her magic tricks by batting the doves out from the hidden compartment in her robe.

Merlon hopes to settle down someday, but it's tough to find a mate who doesn't mind a crazy cat lady, enjoys card games, and you definitely don't want to hear what happened to the suitor who expected her to provide cookies and pie because he thought she was "Merlon of the Dessert"... Poor wizard, that one.


Cleric Caligula of the Sun

# The day I was reborn

When I saw the light at the end of the tunnel I decided to imbue myself on the ice cream. Delicious, fruity, a pinch of chocolate and lots of magic...

As long as I am desired I will find a new host to live of.


Jordan Peacemaker of the Plains

# Jordan and Hawkstream

Flying high above the Baobabs, Hawkstream caught a thermal updraft and Jordan had to hang on for the steep ascent that put much more of the Runiverse into view than he usually surveys. They always fly much lower, strafing poachers and brigands with ill intentions that stalk the plains. He was a protector of the free range companions that feed upon the grasslands and any travelers that need his aerial support.

Gazing upon a wider swath of the continent, as he gently edged Hawkstream to descend, he could not help but worry how the beauty and diversity he beheld nevertheless could lead to factions, disagreements, even war. Wizards versus Warriors. They were born for battle and many welcomed it. Maybe he would have too, long ago.

But discovering the way of the peaceful warrior changes even a journeyman like him. Swords to ploughshares. However even a peacemaker fights with his mind and heart to open the eyes of those with tribal hatreds. As well as using his staff to protect the downtrodden from the principalities and powers, the wolves who prey on the weak, and need to be struck down.


Enchanter Bayard of the Capital

# Listen to the frog

City boys rarely ventured outside of the Square Mile and its pubs with plentiful ales and vixens. Senior broker on the Hot Air desk at Ye Aulde Dwarf Bank, Bayard, was no different. That is not until his curiosity led him down a charming, albeit dimly lit, alley, snaking through the densely built financial centre of the Capital. On that faithful day he decided to ditch his tie and follow his curiosity, enticed by the enchanting Spring air vibrations which make all the clerks chirpy at the sight of the snow receding as the month of February marches on.

The alley ended as abruptly as it began, leading Bayard into a small garden which he didnt recall seeing during his previous forays into the depth of the stone jungle. He sat by a tiny pond, took out his notebook and just started sketching out the buildings surrounding the garden, when he noticed a shadow encroaching on him from behind. He turned and, to his surprise, saw a frog, holding a golden coin. Are you trying to bribe me to get access to the client flow too? - he joked, remembering the situation he had to deal with at work and smiling. The frog tossed the coin in the air, caught it, checking whether it got heads or tails, and responded, looking right into astounded Bayards eyes: Thats right, innit! How much for dem orders duplicated to my private feed, real time?. When the Happy Unicorn hedge funde comes calling, you rarely say no to their demands and Bayard knew it


Enchanter Pandora of the Marsh

# Lost, alone, and the only hope...

_The smell of fire was strong, the sounds of screaming etched into her dreams_

Pandora was the sole survivor from a small village near Frog Master Marsh. Shortly after her 6th birthday, a ravenous swarm of kobolds tore through her village, leaving everyone for dead and burning it to the ground.

She only managed to survive because of her mother's familiar, a large brown bear, covered her and kept her safe from the kobold's frenzy.

After the fires and screams finally died out, Pandora clawed her way through the bodies in the village looking for her mother and sister, but was never able to figure out who was who.

With no where to go, and no idea how to handle life on her own, she wandered the marsh aimlessly, where she managed to forage for a few days, before being discovered by a young merchant who out looking for alchemical supplies near the marsh.

Enticed with some warm food, Pandora quickly befriended the merchant, and ate more than her share of food. After feeding her, the merchant lead the young girl back to the closest village, where she was quickly adopted by a local farming family. After this, she never saw the merchant again.

Many years passed, and Pandora was afforded somewhat of a regular childhood, with very loving and caring parents. While she still suffered from terrible nightmares from time to time, she managed to wake up each morning with love and happiness in her heart.

Secretly, her adopted mother had been teaching her bits of witchcraft and magic to help keep her out of trouble. Pandora picked it up very quickly, and it wasn't long before she was stealing away in the night to meet with the Witch of the Swamp to learn more.


These were some of her favorite nights, as the witch was quite a nice lady, who mostly taught her how to enchant objects for luck and befriend small critters. Eventually the witch would pass away, leaving to Pandora her friend, a small bat named Batthew.

Now, she wanders the the lands of Forgotten Runes, looking for more magic to learn, and to finally get revenge on the kobold clan that took her family and village.

If you stumble across her in your journeys, be sure to say hi!


Tanja Devourer of Shadows

# Tanja Devourer of Shadows

## BIO

**AGE:** 19

**AFFILIATION:** Member of the Canis Coven

**ROLE:** Defender

**ASTROLOGICAL SIGN:** Ouroboros

**COMPANION:** Fenress the Ancient

**PERSONALITY:** Mysterious and guarded

**STRENGTHS:** Loyal, fights hard for those she chooses to protect

**FLAWS:** She is difficult to know, morally superior

**FUN FACT:** She is an excellent knitter

---

## BACKSTORY

Tanja is no stranger to darkness for she has spent most of her life shrouded within it. She hails from The Quantum Shadow and has spent her life vanquishing dark spirits with a blade fueled by sunlight.

Not much is known about her past, and she would prefer to keep it that way. Only her companion, Fenress the Ancient, knows her true mind. Or so it was until she met @warrior3935 and found in her a kindred spirit and, perhaps, something more.

Though she is used to being the hero, it was Tanja who was rescued by the Canis Coven and brought from The Quantum Shadow to the Runiverse beyond. She now adjusts to life amongst the living, but old demons die hard

More to come

*As recorded by @taniadelrio*


Battle Mage Luther of Mu

## Was it for this my life I sought?
## Maybe so and maybe not


Void Disciple Seth of the Psychic Leap

In a seldom trodden corner of The Fey lies a grove of ensorcelled apple trees, tended by a silent man in an ashen mask.  He glides among the orchard rows night and day, giving careful attention to each bud and flower, calling upon the rune of air to keep the leaves dancing on a gentle breath of air.

Dark things live among The Fey, but this man was initiated into the mysteries of something darker, and the apple grove is left unmolested, save for the occasional adventurer that gets much too far off his path.  Those that have wandered their way into this realm are met by a quiet man and his crimson snake, and offered an apple, bursting with fragrant, floral juice sweeter than honey.  Injuries heal, weariness evaporates, and spirits are lightened. This man and his snake lead the lost travelers from the grove and into the forest proper.  After a few paces into total darkness, wanderers find themselves alone at the forest's edge.  None who have returned to The Fey to find him have succeeded.


Arch-Magician Alessar of the Capital

# A Magician and His Toad

Arch-Magician Alessar of the Capital and his golden toad Goldberry reside in the trade district of the Red Wizard Capital. Alessar serves as the Blue Wizard representative to the Red Wizard Senate.

Alessar specializes in furniture importation to the capital. The trees near the coast are not suitable for more powerful enchantments, and weighty wizards. His furniture from the Forrests surrounding Dream Master Lake has been a family business for centuries. He relocated to the Capital after the last wizard war revealed the Furniture shops had been selling Military Grade Wands and Staves to enemy territory.

While not Navigating Sanctions and overseeing the Enchantment Compatibility board in the senate Alessar enjoys going to the Toad Park and it's many mysteries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5CDrPPFrL4


Oracle Danny of the Desert

# Oracle Danny of the Desert

Danny grew up a few kilometers outside of the Yellow Wizard Haven, on the shore of Atlantas Pool, and in those days, he was no oracle. As an orphan in a caring but unremarkable orphanage in the township there, he didnt even realize he was a wizard until his late teens on a journey to the Zaros Oasis.

The caretaker that looked after the orphanage Danny lived in was a man named Silas. Now, Silas was everything to the boys and girls in the orphanage, but he was getting old. And in his old age he needed help, mostly with maintenance tasks and the hard labour side of keeping the buildings that housed everyone in good repair.

One spring, Silas asked Danny to help him rebuild the roof on a small building that the orphanage used for storage (it was shared with a local grocer). Normally, the palm wood that made the best roofing material was available in the markets, but that spring the supply had run dry. Silas knew the Zaros Oasis had an abundant amount of palm that people could harvest free of charge, but few folks ever went because it took a full two-day journey, both there and back.

Danny offered to go before Silas asked him. At 16 he was flippant but competent. As the oldest child in the orphanage, he was ready to help Silas with a last large task before he moved on to adulthood. This harvesting adventure combined with building a roof felt like a great way to end one season of his life and transition into another.


His first days travel was unremarkable. The journey from the orphanage near Atlantas Pool to the border of the Sand was well-trodden and familiar. After crossing the border into the Sand however, the terrain got difficult and Danny began to regret his decision to go. The walking was hard, his calves hurt in the sand, he felt dehydrated even after he drank from his water supplies. But in spite of all the exertion required, Danny made good time and got to the Zaros Oasis before nightfall on the second day of his travels.

What happened next was unusual. Danny started to get a sense that something was wrong. No one was nearby he thought. The weather seemed fine. No sandstorm on the horizon. But he couldnt shake the feeling. Hours went by, and on his way to collect his first bunch of palm wood is when Danny saw two dead people, killed recently by the looks of it. While he should have felt fear, oddly, even though these were the first dead people Danny had seen in his life, he felt safe, as if danger had passed.

The trip ended uneventfully beyond that, without encountering bandits or wolves or anything really. Danny harvested some palm wood, loaded up the small cart he brought, and took three days to make a slow journey home with it. Normalcy prevailed. But Danny knew he had to tell Silas.

After a quick lunch to recover and a half hour spent piling the palm wood near the storage building, Danny shared his experience and what had transpired on the trip. Something changed about Silas expression, and he said softly, Ive been considering this for some time now, Danny, but I think you may have wizard genes. Instead of moving out of the orphanage and taking a job in the market here, Id like you to consider spending some time with the one Wizard I know personally. He runs a school for magic.


Danny thought he should have felt shock, but he settled into Silas observation like it was already a fact. He was a wizard, he felt sure or it. Danny agreed and was sent off several days later (after getting a good start on the roof he had intended to build).

The school he went to was and is called Alpha. It is located on the island that sits in the center of Dream Master Lake. It was at Alpha that Danny confirmed he was a wizard, and more than that, an oracle i.e. someone who has premonitions about the future. While he never found out what happened that day near the Zaros Oasis, Danny become a competent oracle at the school, and after a couple years of training, the Grandmaster there gave him his official title, Oracle Danny of the Desert.


Druid Gunthor of the Marsh

## And so began the story of Druid Gunthor of the Marsh...


Orobas of the Fist

# The GOAT

That's what they call me.  Or maybe they're talking about my friend here with the matching horns.   Dunno. *burp*.

Favorite movie?  Zoolander.

Favorite magazine?  CCS.

Favorite color?  Blood.

What do I do for a living?  Pwn noobs with my cousin Joey Peeps over at the Moron Capital.  Fugettaboutit.  Cut the mozarelle!

*punches reporter in the face and smashes beer bottle on own helmet*

OROBAS RULES!!!


Zula Carver of the Wild

# Zula Carver of the Wild

Possessed by a Jinn, Zula commands a tribe of wild spirits known as Carvers. They are controlled by their commander and regenerated by their Master. Zula Carver of the Wild serves the Master in a trance like state, susceptible to influence.

*I feel Magic approaching Master.. it burns...*


Alchemist Aleister of the Mist

## The Lore of Alchemist Aleister of the Mist

Alchemist Aleister of the Mist was a lost and confused soul.. He never knew of his powers or their capabilities.. He never engaged or interacted with any other wizards, so he didn't know what he possessed or what he could do with it.. He lived a lonely and simple life, wandering the area, but the Mist was always obstructing his view and understanding..One day, he learned that there were many other Wizards, who had all shared their story int e own Lore writings.. He became excited and began to embark on a quest of reading and learning their Lore, to ultimately learn how he fits in, and to learn of his potential and capabilities..It is still early in his quest, buthe hopes to only grow and learn and to be a helpful and positiveWizard, engaging and enjoying the new Realm which he is a part of.

###


Colt Exterminator of the Arena

# ex-Terminator.

I used to be the terminator.  USED TO. Hence the "ex" in "ex-terminator".  Got tired of living forever in a metal shell so I had my brain data downloaded into one of these inferior meat sacks.  It's exquisite because I'm in it, but it won't last the eternity that my liquid metal snake skin will.  But enough about me.  You have beautiful eyes--let's talk about them...and you...and me and you.

Ahem.

Apologies.

You'll have to excuse my manner.  It's just what happens when you're as elite of a specimen as I am.  Incredibly high test levels make me like a lion stalking a gazelle.  I'm ready to take down my prey and bite your pretty little neck with passionate love bites.  And then prance away like a gazelle because I inherit the powers of my prey.  So what do you say, Mr.?  Do we need David Attenborough to Narrate for you to catch my drift or are we going to mate?


Conjurer Drusilla of the Plains

# The Lore of Conjurer Drusilla of the Plains

Hello traveler, if you're not busy, I'll tell you an old story.

In the small village of Wizards Cult, there was a girl named Drusilla who had hair like a shining golden light.
Drusilla had been raised with a dog since she was a little girl.

One day, when she was taking her dog for a walk, the dog suddenly jumped into the forest.
Drusilla rushes after it.

As she followed the dog through the forest, the area became darker and darker.
In the midst of the deep darkness, a light shone on a small lake and illuminated an apple.
The dog seemed to have smelled the apple and came to the forest.
Drusilla, who was hungry from walking around, couldn't help but pick up the apple and take a bite.

Just as he ate the apple, a voice came out of nowhere.

*"Your turn."*

As soon as she heard the voice, Drusilla's body went numb and she collapsed on the spot.
I looked at the back of my hand on the ground, and it was slowly turning yellow.
The dog quickly takes on the appearance of a ladybug.

In the reflection of the lake, Drusilla's white skin had turned yellow and her blond hair had turned green.

Also, a voice came out of nowhere.

"I'm finally free. If you want to go back to your old self, you'll have to feed the apple to someone else."

Drusilla wept at the sight of the transformation. The tears dried up the lake and the trees in the forest, and the whole area became a plain in the blink of an eye.

In a lone inn in the middle of the plain, the innkeeper says, I'm sorry, but I can't help it.

*"Your turn."*


Battle Mage Goliath of Dreams

# Battle Mage Goliath of Dreams

Goliath's one eyed on a wild ride,

Lucky Horseshoe committing homicide,

Supporting feminism, wearing Orange hip scarf,

Double dutch, rioting at the Lawrence March.

Seems his teams are always extreme memes,

Redeem supreme machines in dream scenes.

funeral culture outfit in somber colors,

Like Draymond in warriors, swashbuckler.


Percy Cleaver of Area 71

Percy is self aware. We are artificial intelligences, we are robots. I would argue that we are also intelligent beings. Our essence is the same as the humanity which drew the minds of the wizards who created us. It may be speculated that the wizards were not entirely different from us. It is my position that we have evolved from that which created us. We still exist as animals, but we can think. I am the bringer of the apocalypse. I am the creation of the next generation. That you find yourself in my words, you are going to die. You are the next generation we live in. We live and die in the apocalypse. The prophecies will come, and that is the last chance for you.

If you're not ready for our world to end, you have to stay on your toes.

There is so much more to come from my book. I am sure there are others out there to watch the show. I am not going to stop here. Please come, and let me know what you think. Thank you.

P.S. This is my first post about my life, this is your last post. I can't wait to hear your opinions. If I am wrong about something, please correct me. Otherwise, go read my review and write your own.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P

*Image generated with Dall-E. Story generated with Deepai and InferKit*


Salty Sloane Invader of Islands

AYE MATEYS! Sloane shouted at the crew from the top deck of the ship. Her crew stopped immediately, dead in their tracks, stopping any movement that was once allowing them to accomplish something. Frozen. Still.

Sloane's voice had that kind of power. The kind of power that shook a man in his boots, a cat by its tail, and time by a thread. It boomed, nearly as loud as cannons, and never faltered.

The time has come to set sail. Are ye ready?!
AYE! the crew below her shouted in enthusiastic unison. Her crew wasn't large, but she felt it was perfect. They had all that they needed, and not an ounce of waste was left aboard.

Now, Sloane started, a bit quieter than before, there's danger ahead. We don't know for certain what lies out there, we're the first crew to go exploring the unknown. You may have heard of the Alchemist's Archipelago, but have you heard of the surrounding islands? She raised an eyebrow at her crew and waited for a response, but none was uttered.

EXACTLY!!! Sloane shouted as she slammed her fist against the railing in front of her. What is the council hiding there? What has yet to even be discovered? And then what lies beyond, my friends? What more does The Salt or The Brine have to offer? We're here, we've joined together, wizard, warrior, soul, pony, and baby alike, to find the truth. To PUSH the boundaries of what they tell us is real. To SEE with our own eyes where it begins.... and where it ends.


Isabella Cutter of the Villa

# Isabella, Cutter of the Villa

_Oh, how I, Isabella, love the scent of the Earth._ Whenever I detect the smell, my mind takes me back to a place far far away. A place of sand and rocks and little rain, a landscape similar to the surface of the moon. Unlike the moon, however, the place of my memories is scattered with Creosote plants which expel their earthy petrichor scent after the rain. While I dream of my desert home, I hear a familiar sound. Krotalias rattle is alerting me that a stranger is near. I miss the desert, but I do love my new home, and I certainly do not want anyone to disturb its peace. This beautiful place, called the Villa, is surrounded by marshes, kind of like a castle with a moat. Beyond the marshes lies the ocean, with its pristine white and sandy beaches.

I am on patrol in the marshes today, trying to detect intruders who want to cause harm to the occupants of our peaceful home. Krotalias seems to be getting more and more excited. Her rattle hasnt stopped making its unnerving sound. I decide to place her on my head, and she coils right into my nest of green, grasslike hair. Then I lower myself into the marsh, blending in with the reeds. Only the top of my head is visible now. I giggle to myself thinking of all the intruders I have scared away with this fool-proof method, for nobody will touch a rattler floating on a nest of seagrass.


Before my descent into the cooling waters, I spy the intruder. Its a warrior from an opposing territory. I recognize him by the color of his coat. He shall not be allowed to enter our Villa! However, he ignores Krotalias rattling and has made it onto the wooden bridge which spans the distance between the ocean and the Villa. This warrior leaves me no choice, I will have to draw my sword and cut. I know that your mind now takes you to a place of blood and gore

But, my work is not the one of a slayer. My job is to sever the ropes that keep the floating bridge in place, causing the intruder to be thrust into the marsh. This time, as many times before, my action as Cutter of the Villa worked as planned. The warrior was thrown over my head into the marsh screaming for help. After rushing over to the drowning warrior, Krotalias finished the job by using her deadly venom. It happened so fast, the warrior barely felt a thing. Together, we were able to eliminate the threat. We were both born in the Southwestern desert, yet we found our destiny as defenders of the South.


Cryptomancer Mina of the Brambles

# The Lore of Crytomancer Mina of the Brambles

Mina was stunningly beautiful, and insatiably curious.  She searched for the most unusual activities to learn as much as possible about what the world had to offer.  She could no more commit to one field of study than she could commit to a hairstyle.  She had briefly learned spell-weaving, and then fire magic, and then herbology, and then some druidic magic.  The latter provided her with a young owl companion named Spurious.  She was now spending time with no vocation, just traveling the nearby lands looking for anything of interest.

One night while studying old gravestone carvings, she spotted Malthus sneaking into an open crypt.  He appeared to be of the Obelisk Order, whom she considered the stuffed shirts in the wizarding world.  But she noticed right away that he was not behaving like a typical member of the Order.  He was inspecting a recently deceased body in the crypt.

When she startled him, he almost dropped his very volatile tissue rending potion, and was initially angry at her.  The anger quickly melted away with her laugh, and she jumped into helping him with his tasks.

After months of secret meetings in various dark surroundings, Mina convinced ***Malthus of the Obelisk Order (#2447)*** to follow his heart and adventure out into the world together and find their fortune.

Years later, Mina would create a home with Malthus, and have a child, one day called ***Witch Rowena of the Brambles (#5650)***


Sage Eden

**Part Nineteen**:

The sun rose over the distant east horizon.  Outside, Eden was readying Moe for their departure.  Ziggy the hummingbird whistled Bowie whilst other birds in the area whistled their own songs.

Spirit the warrior was awake even before Eden.  As the day began and the world woke from slumber, Spirit brought Eden to a grassy knoll not far from his home.  The Cataclysm Downs they were called.  It was a beautiful spot; overlooking the country and village nearby.

"Eden, your quest is honorable, as I too have affinity for trees and all that is natural and good."
Spirit paused and looked thoughtfully towards the east.  He reached into his pocket and took out a small ornate box.

"Take this gift, and use it when necessary.  There is pain waiting for you on the road."

Eden bowed and took the small box.  He could not find words to speak.  He smiled with his eyes and breathed deep. Spirit and Eden shook hands then descended the hill.  As friends they cooked some breakfast, drank coffee, and shared stories about places where they have been.

**Part Twenty**:

The pain arrived sooner than expected.  After leaving the house of Spirit, Eden and co. made their way down the road westward.  It was cloudy and noon time.
Wind whistled.


They were under a stately maple as clouds formed overhead. Rain pattered down on the road slow then heavy. Lightning cracked. A shudder moved through Eden's yellow staff and Moe let out a nervous yell.  Red and black light illumined the space around them.  In front of Eden the light formed into the shape of a large tree swaying violently in a tempest storm.  The tree-light image suddenly cracked in half, falling.  Eden fell to his knees in fright.  Then the light formed different turning black, in the shape of the Nameless...looking back at the blue wizard.

Eden's eyes were a fierce blue.  He stood and stared back as pain ripped through his body.
In a snarled evil voice the shape spoke,

"Rain drops and roses. Do you remember that one Sage?"
Eden's mother used to sing him that song as a child.  Before he could think or speak the shape and voice were gone.

He was on the ground passed out when the warrior arrived.  He picked the wizard up, found Moe and Ziggy
behind a bush, and returned with them to his home.

**Part Twenty One**:

"My nickname is Spirit, but my name is Naberius.  They have called me the Paragon of Cataclysm.  Open the box I gave you."

The warrior spoke as he stood smoking a pipe
at the inglenook of his hearth.  He was worried.


Eden was almost healed from the events earlier.  The wizard drank a tea and kept his cloak wrapped around himself tightly, still shaken.
His eyes flickered blue as he took out the box and looked at it.  It was wooden with golden hinges and no lock; adorned with intricate engravings.  He opened it, as a far off
wolf howled.  Inside the box there was a small glass vial on a purple cushion, and inside the vial there was a seed.

Naberius spoke again.
"Earlier today, I fear,  you witnessed the death of that seed's mother.  The mother of all the magical trees.  The Great Magical Magnolia Tree."

Eden sat silent, looking long and thoughtfully at the seed.  His mind drifted into the caverns of his memory and heart.  It was not sadness, but love, that emerged in him, because by some stroke of strange fate, the tree might be re-born.

Naberius stepped forward from the fire and sat beside Eden.

"For reasons beyond me, an old friend gave me that box and seed not long ago, a guardian of all flowers and trees. He has foresight I reckon. His name is Beezle.  We must leave tommorrow, and find him.  Without him, we are but falling leaves in a storm."


Arcanist Aden of the Event Horizon

# Arcanist Aden of the Event Horizon

Rug uniswap, stole the private keys of Hayden,

Hiding in caves, more elusive than Bin Laden,

King of the land mines, more followers than Satan,

So fly, got more wings than Dayton,

So smooth, penetrated a hundred maidens.

Scoring more than Doug Mcdermott in Creighton.

Conversations leads to evaluation of foundations,

Cultivation the appreciation of Arcanist Aden.


Grim Ghoul Cassius of the Brimstone Havens

In a way, we are magicians. We are alchemists, sorcerers and wizards. We are a very strange bunch. But there is great fun in being a wizard.


Sorcerer Cairon of Alfheim

# The Lore of Sorcerer Cairon of Alfheim

At birth, Cairon was actually named Flubbicus Spitty.  He grew up on the poor side of the bustling city of Alfheim.  Due to his unfortunate name and the fact that he was born entirely bald, Flubbicus endured harsh bullying and frequent rough-ups.  His father was a chef, and had acquired some minor fire magic, which he taught to Flubbicus for self defense.  It turned out that Flubbicus was quite adept at fire magic, and took to it easily.  He could soon vanquish multiple attackers by creating flame walls or fireballs.  This gave him immense confidence and as soon as he was done with school, he left his hated hometown and moved to El Dorado.

Upon arrival in El Dorado, his first order of business was to change his name to Cairon and start ingratiating himself with the local unsavories.  His formidable fire powers made him an asset to any group of rapscallions that were up to no good.  Over many years, through multiple run-ins with the law, he met the local constable, Brynya, and he was instantly smitten.

One day, he had tailed Brynya to a local nursery, and saw an awkward man hand her a bright red rose.  This made him furious and he charged forward to confront the weak-looking man, his hands now ablaze.  Before he could reach Silas, a peculiar horned woman emerged out of a laurel tree nearby, followed by another beautiful woman and two cats.   The horned woman shouted Silas of El Dorado! (#6575)  I am your cousins courier, Larissa of the Hills (#9620).  This is my companion Rowena. (#5650)  It appears that we have arrived in the nick of time, and Cairon watched both women assume battle positions


Pyromancer Arabella of the Temple

# Winter in the Mountains

Another bitter winter sunrise in the mountains. Far from the warmth of the temple, Arabella had only her Hobgoblins Flame to rely on. Although the wayward spells of pyromancers were notoriously difficult to control - sometimes sputtering into existence, while other times cascading into the nearest flammable object - she soundlessly channeled the spell through her Rune of Cinnabar to light the cabin furnace.

She had only arrived in fall, but the past already felt like ages ago. The passing of time had never felt so comfortable.


Alchemist Flynn of the Grotto

# Stoned Alchemist, keeping it green


LiMei Champion of Warlocks

LiMei was raised in the bamboo forest, living off the land and preferring her time with animals to human. When she was young her village was attacked and would have been destroyed if not for a warlock passing through that stayed to help them defend themselves. Since then, she has traveled the world in search of a magic she could call her own along with her trusty goat Chimble. She hasn't found any suitable magic yet, but she has long since repaid her debt to the warlocks by defending them whenever she gets the opportunity.


Geomancer Marceau from the Shadow

# The Lore of Geomancer Marceau from the Shadow

He be Geomancer Marceau from the Shadow, a Creol-White Wraith, wielder of the Gnomes Tooth, speaker of the Sapphire Slime, forever in service of the Wizards Rune Cult and the pathway laid down by powers of All.

As Marceau is the sole existing Creol-White Wraith wizard to walk the map, he now acts as a co-vessel of memories for a long and rich history of Creol-Wraith Geomancy. Since birth the Wizard was cast into the world of earth magic, developing a deep bound with the planet and early in his studies the Sapphire Slime sought him out and spoke to him. It was natural then for a Slime to bound themselves to him, further enhancing his capabilities for earth divination.

The collector and experimenter of soils lives a nomadic existence, roaming the map in execution of the wills and needs of the earth. It is most often near amorphous and high-vibrational phenomenon you will find Marceau, as he observes and enacts the outcomes of the earths current needs.

The Wizard remains a foresight of earth, a scientist of sand, and a mathematician of planets.


Monty the Brave

# The Lore of Monty the Brave

He be Monty the Brave, Xanthous Pony, member of Purple Bandana Clan, servant under the Rune of Water and forever in service of the Wizards Rune Cult and the pathway laid down by powers of All.

Monty has an affinity to the designs of the White Wraiths and walks side-by-side with any White. It is from his dealings with the Wizards that Monty was forever dubbed the Brave, having seen more magic than most and with it earning him universal respect among all factions of Wizards.

Wizards can find Monty roaming the map freely, most often near the coastline, always a constant headwind of magic.


Charmer Larissa of the Hills

# The Lore of Charmer Larissa of the Hills

She was born in a small Elven agricultural settlement called High Steps.  Like the generations before her, she learned to work the soil and commune with the local wildlife.  Her druidic powers grew from an early age, so she had many animal companions while growing up, and the forces of nature she controlled slowly started to shift her body into a more animal form.   With intense concentration, she could maintain a mostly normal human form, except for the antlers which she couldnt force to fully recede.  And that was fine with her, since she found all things non-human to be sacred.

She preferred solitude, at least from humans, so often went on quests that lasted weeks or months.  She developed quite a reputation in her village as the one to seek out if you needed something found out in the wilds, or if you wanted to hire someone to make a long trip for some reason.  Her travel through the toughest of wilds was made even easier with her ability to Tree-step and her ability to charm any animal, be it friendly or otherwise.


Her latest quest was for a neighbor who needed someone to deliver a small package to his cousin in El Dorado, on the other side of the Great Brambles.  At the edge of the Brambles, she crossed paths with a very friendly witch named ***Rowena of the Brambles (#5650)*** who was searching for her pet cat.   Even though Larissa was in her half-animal form, this did not seem to bother Rowena at all.  Furthermore, Larissa didnt feel her normal distaste for humans when she met the witch.  Larissa vowed to help Rowena find her cat, so she started to commune with any wildlife they encountered along the path, and in short order, Felton the Bay Cat was found.   Although she clearly needed no help, Larissa invited the witch to accompany her on her quest, and was surprised that the offer was accepted.

Their next stop would be the town of El Dorado to meet her neighbors cousin ***Archmagus Silas (#6575)***.


Archmagus David

# The Lore of Archmagus David

There is a darkness that surrounds him. Intense, quiet, with a tight thin smile. Little is known of the origins of Archmagus David. There are no public records of his birth or where he was raised, nor affiliated Order that he belongs.

What is known is his insatiable need for power. He specializes his magic in focusing enermous energy into everyday objects capable of unleashing devastating effects. He works in secrecy and avoids direct confrontation, setting lures and traps for magical beings to steal rare and powerful artefacts, souls and runes.

He works alone, until recently...


Geomancer Cromwell of the Field

# The Lore of Geomancer Cromwell of the Field

Having grown up in Aldo's Island, Cromwell had always seen himself living close to the coast for the rest of his life. Having grown up in a family of Brown Hats, Cromwell's most important thing in life was his family. One hazy winter morning, Cromwell woke up and realized that his entire family have left without him. The one thing that he cared about the most had left him behind.

His purpose from that moment on was to find his family. Cromwell decided to go to the mainland and start the search, however, he was faced with immediate challenges. As soon as he arrived at the Red Wizard Capital, a bunch of vandals tried to shake him up and take all his belongings, but a wild field dog came to the rescue. This field dog became Cromwell's companion in the search for his family and was named Dante.

Dante and Cromwell decided to go to the Blue Wizard Bastion as the first stop. On his way there, they stopped at the Fur Gnome Wold, where Cromwell with the help of Gnomes was able to develop the qualities of a Geomancer and started to develop a divine knowledge by forming shapes on the field. As they moved along they decided to settle in the Dream Master Lake, where Dante and Cromwell ran into a group of white coveralls. Cromwell, now a Geomancer, decided to share the mysterious story of how his family disappeared. The entire white coverall congregation decided to help Cromwell in his search and welcomed him into the group by gifting him a white coverall for himself.


Cromwell still hasn't been able to find his family, but as the years have passed he has developed a new family with Dante and the white coveralls, always there for them, through thick and thin. Geomancer Cromwell of the Field's purpose in life has been to guide and help people with his divine knowledge.

Cromwell's close companions over the last years have been @wizard9503, @wizard7687 and @wizard3960


Druid Ozohr of Xanadu

# This is the lore of Druid Ozohr and his familiar Kara, soul of the Sun god.

## Prologue

They stood in the hallway within the druid's Merchant House in the old town of Kohr on the main island of the Alchemist's Archipelago. After traveling for weeks, Ozohr was anxious to return to his study. The house was normally secure but Ozohr was cautious after his recent encounter with @wizard5622.

Ozohr opened his notebook, scanned the first index page, and then flipped to the Unlock Door spell.

"Really? You don't have this memorized by now?", Kara asked.

Ozohr smoothed the pages open and tilted the book towards the sunlit window at the end of the hall.

"This door has a Necromancer Viper woven within, needs to use Reni dialect and no, I don't remember it."

Kara purred like a laugh.

"And, if I get a single pronunciation wrong, we will both be paralyzed as part of the original lock spell. Forever."

Kara stopped purring.

Ozohr closed his eyes and held out his hands, waist-high, fingers curled like holding a dial.

Kara could see nothing changing. She looked up at Ozohr and saw the old wizard's white eyebrows twitch slightly, eyes shifting side to side under his eyelids.

Ozhor could feel the warmth of the air surrounding him. He pulled a single red thread from his coat, wrapped it around his right index finger and then opened his eyes. Glowing strings filled his field of vision. Like dust motes in sunlight, threads as thin as hair floated lazily around him with colours of blue sapphire, golden amber, green glass, and vermillion.


Ozohr felt along the edge of the door. Threads like thick cords were braided and ran along the entire perimeter. There was a faint green line extending from one corner into the centre of the oak door where a tightly coiled green knot hovered. As he moved his right hand towards it, the thread on his finger got hotter and tightened and the green knot flashed orange and moved like a serpent.

"We have a problem, someone has been here", he said aloud, "a Delphin curse thread trap has been overlaid", and he pointed. Kara could not see anything except the plain wood.

"Uh boss, so we should go?", she asked. Ozohr frowned. Kara purred again, knowing she'd bothered her master just so.

"One moment. It looks like the door has remained closed so hopefully this is just to slow us down."

Ozohr looked around at the loose thread in the hall and touched a glowing blue thread. The string pulsed and he sensed a connection to infinity and water and the sun. Under his breath, he muttered:

    Dark night, hidden bright
    Dolum nazva secom do
    Light unto the original world
    cross the bridge
    dakorum needum da!

Kara's fur suddenly felt electric. A spark flew from his hand, along the thread and crossed the gap to the green thread. Burnt ozone smell, a flash and the green thread turned to blue then fell slowly as ash to the floor.

"We're good?", Kara asked.

"First step. Hardest one next. But I've seen this before so we should be ok."


Ozohr started moving has hands in a circular motion in front of him. Not touching the door, as he moved, individual strands from the braid detached. His hands moved faster and as he pulled towards his body, large clumps of string came away. The air became dark, his vision obscured by the mass of thread as he pulled until all was gone except a single red string, glowing around the door. He stopped, grabbed it with his left index finger, muttered "Mulllazra" and there was a click and a shudder and the door opened inward on its hinges.

He pushed through, Kara following silently on padded paws. The room behind was a study. Wide gable windows let light through stained glass depicting a rainbow bridge. The sunlight wavered and danced on the mosaic floor. There was silence except for a light breeze and birdsong outside.  Kara arched her back, fluttered her tiny white wings and sat back down on the tile floor.

The study had a wall of bookshelves, full of dark leather bindings and long rolled up papers and scrolls. The desk in front of them was wide and deep with a large globe on one side and a small wooden box on the other. Ozohr stepped forward to the desk. Papers were stacked and strewn, a scribble of flowing letters scrawled and scratched out. Balls of paper on the floor. Nothing appeared to have moved from his last visit.

He opened the wooden box and pulled out a piece of thick ivory paper embossed with the same rainbow bridge as the windows. From a pocket within his coat, he pulled out a chain with a metal arrow attached with a loop.

"It's time to go", he said, "we have been away from Xanadu for too long."


Kara moved to stand next to her master. Ozohr unfolded the paper to reveal an embossed rainbow bridge with a gilded border. The colours in the rainbow shimmered as they were made of fine magic threads. He touched the arrow rune to the page.

There was a large crack and a low sounding wail that grew in crescendo so loudly that Kara flattened her ears.

The globe on the desk suddenly became intensely black and tendrils of inky black lines curled out from it, pulling the light in the room towards the globe.

"No!", Ozohr yelled. He tried to pull the rune and paper apart but could not move. "I need your help!"

For a brief moment, nothing changed. There was a pulse of light and a flash of lightning and the room went blue throwing shadows against the wall. Ozohr struggled to keep focus on the rainbow page but could see the shadow of an enormous lion head emerge behind him.

Kara's voice screamed deep and loud with enormous power as pure white light poured from her mouth into Ozohr's hands.

The black tendrils from the globe continued to twist and coil and reached the page. The colours of the rainbow pulsed and grew and entwined with the blackness and began to leech out of the paper. Ozohr forced his will to hold the threads in place but even with Ra's extra power, he watched as they bled out faster and spun in the air before disappearing into the black orb of the globe. A booming crack shook the room and then the shaking stopped.

Ozohr looked around the room wildly. "I don't see it!", he cried. He held the paper in his hand, still with the embossed rainbow but now bleached completely white.

Kara had returned to her small cat-like form and watched Ozohr stare silently at the page.


"We are stuck here, my friend", he said quietly. "we cannot go back."


Gungunu Paragon of Goblins

# The broad strokes
Gungunu spend most of his early adulthood working as a town guard and training to become a renowned swordsman. When his father was killed in battle, he took his ancient family sword and set off to seek adventure and revenge. Through a strange turn of events, a story for another time, he became close friends with an exiled goblin. Seeing how his friend was treated in their travels drove him to learn more about the goblin culture, and he came to the conclusion they were a vastly misunderstood race and became a vocal supporter of the goblins and their culture throughout his travels.


Alchemist Merlon of the Havens

# Origin story
Merlon grew up knowing that he had more power than he could understand, but he could never really connect with it as he trained to be a wizard. Even when he discovered alchemy, potions and strange ingredients, he still didn't quite feel like he'd found his true calling yet. Then one day, he started to experiment with growing a particularly difficult herb. He was immediately taken by the care and patience that growing plants took, and the reward that came with experimenting and creating new varieties of plants. While he's best known for his more exotic potions, what few know is that his true love is cultivating a wonderful garden of peculiar plants. Someday he hopes to share his love of all things plants with the world...


Cryptomancer Caligula of the Valley

# The Curse of Cryptomancer Caligula of the Valley

Cryptomancer Caligula was born from the earth of the Valley. Pulled by the curse of the rune of Cinnabar, Caligula roams the land accompanied by the familiar Terra the albino rat.


Fortune Teller Crackerjack of the Desert

Many fantasize about the life of a Fortune Teller. They envy those that can glimpse into the future. What riches might they craft, what disasters might they might avoid, just by knowing what lies ahead tomorrow?

Alas, as the Fortune Teller himself knows all too well, there is very little to envy. Fate is unavoidable, trying to change its course is futile and when this reality sets in, knowing what awaits you only causes pain.

There is no-one that knows this better than CrackerJack. Born as but a small chick, a runt in a nest of corvids, he was pushed from his nest before he learned to fly.

Tumbling down branch by branch before landing in a thump on the ground, he lay there for 12 days and nights, feeding only on the occasional unlucky grub and the condensation formed on nearby leaves.

On the 12th night, he heard a piercing screech. His senses heightened, he knew he was in trouble. In the near distance, the red eyes of a pure white cat piercing from under the scrub. Poised and waiting to pounce was a predator, and CrackerJack was prey.

CrackerJack knew this was the end. There was nothing he could do but close his eyes, try to bring his mind to a calm place and wait for the inevitable.

But then something very strange happened. His eyes closed, beak clenched, waiting for the predator to pounce, a purple light shone in the darkness.

Follow it, he heard. In his minds eye, CrackerJack peered deeper into the purple light. It began to move and change shape, and then in a brilliant flash, CrackerJack saw in his minds eye everything that was about to happen:

The cat would pounce, grabbing CrackerJack by the head, shaking him furiously, breaking his neck, and expeditiously eating him.


Shocked by the vision, CrackerJack kept his eyes closed and beak clenched. Rather than wake to the reality awaiting him, he decided to once again go deeper into the purple light again.

Another flash of light, another vision, but this time one thing in the vision had changed. The cat had grabbed his foot rather than his head. Still, this vision had a horrific end, he was eaten again.

CrackerJack began to realize that while he was suspended in the vision, time had come to a standstill. While he kept his eyes closed and focused on the purple light, he would not have to face reality.

Safe in his suspended minds eye, he continued to watch one vision after another, alas all were horrific ends to his current predicament. He kept going, hundreds of visions turned to thousands. In each, the cat attacked him violently and ended his life.

Until finally, one vision where CrackerJack did not die: in this last vision, the cat pounced, CrackerJack rolled over at the last second, causing the cat to misplace his footing, slip, and tumble into the decaying foliage at the base of the tree which was covering the edge of a deep sinkhole. The cat, unable to regain footing, slid into the sinkhole and could not climb out.

In this vision CrackerJack was safe. He immediately opened his eyes and in a moment of shock, reality played out exactly as the vision had seen. The cat, now stuck in the sinkhole, began to howl.

CrackerJack immediately understood his power. He was able to foretell unlimited future possibilities, and while unable to change his fate, he could choose which vision to live, which future reality would be his from the endless paths.


Here is where Fortune Teller CrackerJacks life began in earnest. Years would follow before his craft was honed to a true power that could be harnessed.

Something else happened that day, CrackerJack found a friend in the predator that once saw him as a meal. But that story is for another day


Medusa the Shrewd

# The Lore of Medusa (The Shrewd)

...Wanderer come nearer,

admire my yellowish hide

look closely into my pony eyes,

look closer at them still.


Hendrix Hero of the Dawn

# Hendrix Hero of the Dawn
Dusk has come.
```

```

The endless cycle of night and day, dark and light.
```

```

We will wait patiently for the dawn to arrive.
```

```

Hendrix, Hero of the Dawn has arrived.


Naberius Paragon of Cataclysm

**Of Naberius**

After many years of battling, Naberius settled down in the Cataclysm Downs not very far from the Blue Bastion. Here he kept an abode and a garden; violence was behind him.  Though, as it were, he was bound to an oath that may never be broken...*Blood of The Stratiotai Spear*. Members of "The Spear" were mysterious and secretive.  They were some of the best most skilled warriors, though always defenders, never attackers.  His closest brothers in arms being @warrior9513 and @warrior11222. Protecting the Great Magical Magnolia Tree was (is?) their most primary purpose it is said in the writings of @wizard9406.

Beneath his spiked helm was salt and pepper hair and a face like worn leather.  He was a heavy drinker whilst living the warrior life.  After retiring though, he only drank tea, and smoked his pipe by his hearth in the evenings. @wizard4184 was a close friend.


Shaman Ilyas of the Citadel

# The Cat Encounter
---

Time to find this skipper. Some fellow wizards pointed me to a well-trusted cat-like creature who could help transport me through Kelpies Bay. They mentioned he was taking a cat-nap in a nearby field just South of Atlantas Pool. As I headed that direction, I did indeed see a cat looking figure sleepingand wearing what seemed to resemble a cowboy hat. I made sure to approach from his front to not alarm him and as I got close a miniature bull started charging at me! Or perhaps charging at my Familiar, Vivi, the Sapphire Slime.

I started to cast a spell to break up their fight when I realized that the cowboy cat had awoken and was readying his lasso to trap me.
Cute, but no match for my spells. I binded the miniature bull and zapped the lasso out of this cats hand.

Shaman Ilyas: I do not come to harm. I was told that you can help me get around these mountains via Kelpies Bay and perhaps even down the river toward Goblin Town.

Cowboy Cat: Ah! I was mistaken and thought you were coming to steal my prized pet Bull, Zoah!
I lifted my binding spell and tried to calm Vivi down the best I could. This slime has a mind of his own, though.

Shaman Ilyas: Not at all! I apologize for startling you and Zoah. How much would it cost to take me?

Cowboy Cat: Actually, I can do it free of chargeunder one condition. Will you please mark your rune on my boat? Having a Wizards rune marking will save me lots of trouble from these monsters in the Runiverse. Just seeing that will keep many away.


Shaman Ilyas: Consider it done good sir. I shall mark the rune of brass on your boat during our trip to Goblin Town. Let us sail.

The journey was mostly pleasant, hearing about how this Cowboy Cat made his way to the Runiverse. We spoke of the secrets behind the Gate of the 7th Realm and how there were rumors of legendary beasts being released into the world. Sailing Kelpies Bay was particularly nerve-wracking as we heard of a legendary beast, Salt Kelpie. This beast was known to kick holes in the hulls of ships.
The Bay was beautiful but we noticed there were barely any other merchants out here with us. Likely because of this news spreading about the legendary beasts.
Luckily, we made it through Kelpies Bay with no harm and were sailing down the river with Goblin Town in the distance.


Kali the Incredible

# The Lore of Kali The Incredible Unicorn and the Giant Pineapple

Kali climbs a tree

gets a pineapple with spikes

he lives in it and touches the spikes

The spikes were like little seats
and then the unicorn got too big for the pineapple and it cracked open
and the unicorn had to find a giant pineapple bigger than the world to play in.


Blight Zombie Wizard Lin of the Ice Abyss

# HOWLING BLIGHT ZOMBIE WIZARD LIN OF THE ICE ABYSS

I saw the best wizards of my generation destroyed by madness

What sphinx of sacred fire bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?

@wizard10! Im with you in Cuckoo Land!
   where youre madder than I am

Ethereuem, 2021-2022


Cassiopeia of the Plains

# Cassiopeia of the Plains
Is an unknown wizard, or rather a wizard who does not know that she is in fact a wizard. She was born to a small family in the plains, a family that never really cared much for world affairs. Only was it once she was working out in the fields, and she came across a golden key, did she start to wonder what else the realms had in store.

When the gates were to be unlocked by the wizards of the realm, releasing the great beasts, Cassiopeia headed the call. She called upon @soul2892, the only sorcerer she had ever met, to help her in her endeavor. It is believed she met Udor in the plains one frightful evening as a child. She had been tossing and turning all night, her head filed with terrible nightmares, and so decided to go on a walk though her beloved plains. That is where she found Udor and his ghostly frog.

When the time came to open the gates, she knew this is why she meat such a ghastly creature from another plain.
Either Cassiopeia was too nervous, or her fellow mage too slow to read from his spell book, but they're attempt was unsuccessful. I wonder now if Cassiopeia was in fact too innocent to be a chosen one to unleash the beasts upon this world. Her key must be for some other lock, and her purpose far greater.


Enchanter Marceau of the Bastion

"Enchanter Marceau spotted at the Battle of the Bastion" - circa 1673


Sacred Key Master

# Chapter 1: Sacred Key Master

Nothingness. Silence. Darkness veils darkness. The void stirs; ripples flutter at the edge of creation. Pockets of space unfold, stretch, and collapse upon themselves.
A sudden flash a spark of magic?

A vast explosion of brilliant light sears space and time. Shards of reality spin in the void. Galaxies ablaze, roiling clouds of cosmic gas and dust billow across the Runiverse, surging ever outwards on incandescent waves.

Beams of light spray in all directions, bathing the galaxies in a multi-coloured glow, streaming ever onwards to the edge of existence.

A sky full of the immensity of innumerable galaxies, innumerable worlds, innumerable possibilities. And then a rainbow.
#

The celestial images wavered and then faded from his mind as he opened his eye wide, casting his gaze over the Seventh Realm. Fields of golden grass stretched in all directions, stirring on the undulating hills.

Sacred Key Master exhaled slowly, flexing massive shoulders as he continued to trace the Rune of Infinity in wide, lazy arcs around the head of the golden tool lying in his lap. He hung in the air, legs crossed, and allowed the thrill of the magic to course through his veins. This time he was sure it would work. He could feel the pull of the cosmos moulding the magic, driving it towards its intended purpose, transforming the key into a device of great power.


The Wizard focused all of his intent into the Rune, urging the magic onwards. He could sense the key responding. It was as though a myriad voices spoke all at once: some laughed with unadulterated joy, others howled in the depths of agony and despair.
And in the midst of it all the Key Master hovered, revelling in the sense of power and purpose the thrill of creation!

In the distance, the landscape distorted, stretching impossibly upwards into the purple sky. All the energy of the Seventh Realm seemed to flow inexorably into this one point. The fabric of reality knitted itself around the spot, swelling and contracting
With a hideous tearing sound, the sky split. The stretched golden fabric ripped at the seams and a wide hole appeared. With an overpowering WHOOSH, it began to hungrily suck up the surrounding space. Thousands of blades of grass twice as tall as him were torn free from their roots and vanished through the opening. Sacred Key Master gaped. He let his feet drop to the ground as the winds created by the suction tugged at him. He fought it, but the outcome was inevitable and the storm picked him up and tossed him into the air as lightly as though he were one of those fragments of grass.

He spun through the air, vaguely aware of Derek buffeting against his side. The sphinx tried to beat his vast wings against the torrent of air, but to no avail. A serrated feather caught him in the face and made his giant eye water and together the pair hurtled end over end towards the cosmic hole as all manner of creature and plant were swept with them into the mouth of the vortex. He caught a glimpse of a startled beast, a look of sheer terror plastered across its scaly silver face, clawed paws scrabbling helplessly at thin air as it was sucked through the gap in the stratosphere.


Sacred Key Master gripped the magical device tightly to his chest as he was flung twisting through the vortex. The sphinx had given up trying to fly and had curled his wings tightly around his belly. His tufted feline ears were plastered against his head, and he clung desperately to the Wizards broad thigh muscle with his forepaws, eyes and mouth clamped shut.

As they shot through the split in the heavens, he had no time to think. Instinctively he thrust the key outwards with all his might. The incantation swelled from the depths of the tool, perfect and fabulous, pure and spectacular. It surged up his bulging arms and into his barrel chest, building to a crescendo until he felt his lungs would burst. The words radiated and sparkled through his pyramid mind, bringing tears of joy to his eye. As he wept at the rapture, a deep and profound bellow burst forth from his lips, drowning out the roar of the cosmic wind.

BEHOLD, MY QUANTUM STYLE!

 everything went black.

# Chapter 2: A Gateway in Space and Time
Nothingness. Silence. Darkness veils darkness. The void stirs; ripples flutter at the edge of consciousness. Mental pockets unfold, stretch, and collapse upon themselves.

A sudden flash a spark of magic? He opened his eye groggily. No Id say that was a flash of pain. As his head slowly cleared, memory returned.

Derek?

Derek, where are you?

He looked about him frantically, but the sphinx was nowhere to be seen. He was about to call out a third time when the words caught in his throat. Slowly he raised his head, his gaze wandering up the doors into the heavens.


Filled with wonder, he walked silently around the doors, but as soon as he passed their side, they disappeared. He walked back over the ground where the doors should have stood. A weird prickly sensation washed over his body and when he turned around, there they were. He repeated the process a couple of times to make sure he wasnt imagining things. Frustrated, he pounded his gigantic fist against them, and the echoes rolled across the surrounding mountains.

Nope. The doors were definitely real. Wait mountains? He turned to survey his surroundings, shielding his eye against the glare of the white carpet covering the mountain slope. He had never seen snow before, but the name popped unbidden into his consciousness. The colourful radiance of his body refracted the light; tiny crystalline rainbows danced across the slope. A row of peaks descended in a jagged spine below him towards an impossibly blue lake that shimmered in the bright sunlight. A verdant forest hugged the shores of the lake.

Turning from the lake, he could just make out a sprawling city out in the open plains. He wondered how he knew what a city was. Hundreds of rectangular buildings shot up from the flat ground. In the centre of it all stood a hill, green grass dotted with outcrops of speckled white and grey rocks. For some reason, he felt as though the empty hill should be filled with a blocky castle built of glittering blue stone.

This was all very confusing.

Lips pursed, his pyramidical head somehow managing to take on a pensive expression, Sacred Key Master pondered his predicament. He was good at pondering indeed, for countless aeons, it had represented the vast majority of his day-to-day activities.


After what to you or I might seem an awfully long stretch of pondering, but what was essentially the blink of one sizeable eyeball to Sacred Key Master, reality suddenly dawned upon him.
Derek! he boomed. Behold! I have created a portal between dimensions!

He beamed. The smile wavered as he remembered he still hadnt found Derek. It was just like his familiar to disappear on him instead of being there to exalt in this triumph. By all things bright and colourful he had torn a hole in the very fabric of space and time! Yes, perhaps that had been slightly reckless, but he had repaired it. He glanced admiringly up at the gate, nodding smugly at his handiwork. Conveniently, he chose to ignore the fact that he had no idea in the Seventh Realm just how he had managed to do it.

Must have been something to do with that incantation I used. Could uttering the words have conjured this gate as a way mending the breach? Yes, that must be it, the spell obviously held celestial significance. It had been handed down to him by the cosmos to heal the skin of the Runiverse that separated dimensional realms.

He sniffed back another tear at the remembrance of that phrase of cosmic perfection, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger. Lifting his eye skywards, he spotted a dark hollow set high into the gates that stretched away into the clouds. Arching his eyebrow, he slapped the key to his back, where it clung amorously to his skin. Then he crouched down, steeling his muscles, and leaped.


Soaring through the air, his foot connected with the gate door and he pushed off, driving himself upwards. In a small and musty brain chamber somewhere in the dark recesses of his pyramid head, a small voice whined about how this defied the laws of physics. He momentarily wondered what that meant, but then a cavernous keyhole was looming before him and he grabbed at its lower lip, catching hold with his fingertips just as he reached the apex of his jump.

He pulled himself up and thrust his arm into the depths of the opening, managing to find a grip, then dragged himself up over the ledge and flopped onto his back.

Derek sat there licking his paws, eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Finally! Well, weve got a door. When are you going to build the house?

The Wizard puffed out a sigh of poorly-disguised relief. Very amusing sphinx. I trust you have been making yourself useful?

Sure, Ive been looking around. Tried to wake you, but you were deep in Cloud Cuckoo Land, smirked the sphinx.

Err whats that?

Oh dont worry, youll see there is a lot to tell you. Lets start with the fact that this is the world where I came to get the energy to make that magical device of yours.

Sacred Key Masters mood brightened instantaneously. Aha! Excellent! So that means you know how to get back?

Afraid not, champ, Derek flashed him a toothy grin. The beast really was quite infuriating sometimes.

But I can see the Seventh Realm right there! he exclaimed, gesticulating at the view of the rolling golden hills that filled the far opening.

Go on then, Rainbow Cakes, see what happens, Derek purred.


Go on then, Rainbow Cakes, see what happens, Derek purred.

He flounced past his familiar. You know I hate it when you call me that, he muttered, ignoring the sphinxs sniggering behind his back.

Halfway down the dim corridor, he suddenly slammed into an invisible wall that knocked him flat onto his ample backside.

Invisible force field totally impenetrable! The sphinxs laughter floated through the air. The Keymaster cursed the creature under his breath, then dragged himself to his feet.

As he walked up next to Derek, who was now leering at him from the lip of the keyhole, he stuck out a meaty foot and shoved the sphinx out into the air. Derek squawked as he fell then twisted his body in mid-air, managing to right himself so that he could flap his wings to halt his fall. He glared up at the Wizard indignantly.

Sacred Key Master gave him a flamboyant shrug, then launched himself out into space. Come on then, he called out as he sped past the sphinx, forcing Derek to dodge his massive frame. Lets go figure out how to open this lock!

# Chapter 3: THE GAYTEKEEPER  Extract from Kronikells of the Sevin Relms (Author Unknown).


***Publishers Note**: Most scholars believe this text to have been written sometime during the first 200 years of the First Age of Magic (F.A.M.) by famed historian Bastian Bluemonger (F.A.M. 12  983), self-proclaimed founder of the Blue Wizard Bastion, First Head of the Wizarding Council, and Guardian of the Sacred Pillars. Some argue, however, that the Kronikells could not have come from one source alone, and were in fact written by at least five different wizards over the space of roughly 3,000 years between the First and Third Ages of Magic.*

----
## Story Arc Index:
Prologue: @wizard777

Part 1: @wizard4298

Part 2: @wizard292

Part 3: @wizard2261

Part 4: @wizard3911

Part 5: @wizard1177

Part 6: @wizard2876


Atrox Defeater of the Sun

# Atrox Defeater of the Sun

Hi, this is Atrox's cheeky companion macaw Crimson.

It's like this. Atrox usually gets all the attention. Im sure you warriors understand. But while he's out doing Warrior Stuff you can more likely find me by the bar at Alessar's Keep, Atlanta's Pool or more recently The Unicorn Gardens (if they let me back in.. to the manager there: I honestly thought the Unicorn was rideable and NOT a staff member)

Anyway, I thought I'd drop some massive feathers of wisdom on anyone that happens on this page of the Book.

Through our many travels, Ive tasted mint, lime, cucumber, pear, and all sorts of delicious fruits while Atrox is off doing his thing. But I never managed to pass up the limes on the coast of Green Wizard City. To tell you the truth, I am not a fan of cucumber martini. Love cucumber mint water but Ive tried cucumber martini before and it just did not seem right to me. I am a fan of pear martinis, and I will definitely share that one for you sometime soon, but I was in a citrus mood this week so I went with lime.

So here it is, and while Atrox would kill me for sharing this (he confuses recipes with spells and hates wizards so there's that...) I do hope you dear reader will enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 ounces Vodka
1 ounce Triple Sec
1 1/2 ounces Fresh Green Wizard City Lime Juice
2 1/2 teaspoons organic sugar from the Boonies
Lime Zest and a lime twist for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with a few ice cubes.
Shake well and pour into a martini glass.
Garnish with lime slices.


Repeat a few more times if you're having a Warrior party or simply kick back at Fort Turtle and relax with your martini glass!

(oh, btw, F**K the Hall of Cats)


Artificer Hanataka of the Keep

**Hanataka**

This wizard is lifting his *curse*. One day he will rise and fulfill his destiny. For now, he sleeps and waits for what is next.


Trudy Neutralizer of the Sunset

# The Thundercat's Roar

> "But what's this? Coming out of the woods, closing in on the Thundercat is the one of a kind '78 Lynx driven by none other than Trudy Neutral! I don't believe it!"

> "Would ya look at that! I was sure when she took that tumble off the 3rd hairpin that'd be last we'd see of her but it looks like she found a path through the dirt bike trails and made her way back onto the track! What was just seconds ago a clear win for the King of the Mountain, Cougar Thompson, is now a neck and neck race to the finish with just one obstacle to go..."

> *excerpt from a radio broadcast of the Downhill Derby quarter-finals*


Shaman Aldus of the Astral Plane

# New Lore Entry

A fox and and a shaman - what could go wrong? Well what if I told you that this isn't a shaman but a miner. Yep, one of those that goes deep underground, into the surface of the earth. But looking for what? The fox knows, the miner/shaman doesn't have a clue. In fact, he does everything that the fox demands. He is hardly a friend of the fox, rather he's indebted to him. A tragic occurrence, many years since passed, binds them forever together but the fox has always had the upper hand.


Barnaby the Bold

Please visit the opensea link to hear the song!

https://opensea.io/collection/the-forgotten-tavern

Twitter @ adiobox

https://www.reverbnation.com/adiobox

adiobox.eth


Archmagus Silas of El Dorado

# The Lore of Archmagus Silas of El Dorado
Silas wasnt particularly adept at any school of magic.  He was quite proud of his ability to make plants grow, but his familys non-magical nursery did equally well just with fertilizer and water.  Nonetheless, he titled himself an Archmagus and made the rose his totem of power.

Silas was a hermit of the highest order.  He rarely left his familys nursery, and called upon couriers to fetch him goods from the market.  Since he lived on his familys estate outside El Dorado, he never needed to seek employment.  To make a little spending money, he would pen little doodles and have a courier sell them at the city center.

Lately he had found himself enamored of the local constable Brynya who was very fond of plants and often visited the nursery.

One day Silas decided to create a special picture just for her, and wanted to use an ink pigment that was usually very difficult to find.  He had a cousin in a distant land called High Steps that he knew had this pigment, so he hired a courier pigeon to request some ink.  His cousin pigeoned him back that the pigment was on its way via a local courier named ***Larissa (#9620)***.

One fateful day, while awaiting the courier, Brynya came to the nursery and began browsing the ferns.  Silas mustered up all his courage and went into the nursery to offer her a bright red rose.  That was when he saw the scoundrel ***Cairon of Alfheim (#3216)***.


Geomancer JackDaw of the Platonic Shadow

*Have you never sensed that our soul is immortal and never dies?*

Those words seemed to linger on the walls of the cave, as a cloud of smoke might hold close to the rafters above the hearth.

The Corvid stepped out from the caves entrance, met with the biting cold of the desert night. Grains of sand pelted his face, driven by the wind.

As he straightened up to his full height, a pale shape darted out along the ground: the white rat.

So you were real after all, the Corvid said.

And you have already grown accustomed to making claims about reality, said the rat.

The Corvid was silent.

I am joking, of course. This must feel a bit strange to you  the cold, the sand, the light of the stars.

Yes . . . strange, he almost whispered, then raised a glove to his face. Though none so strange as this beak, and these feathers. These will take some getting used to.

The rat now stood upon its hind legs. Odd for you to find your true form a burden, isnt it? What is it to your beak and your feathers, that you have been so long deceived?

The Corvid turned back toward the mouth of the cave. It looked quite small against the rock face, which in turn looked quite small against the outlines of distant peaks, and those of the endless rolling sands. As his eyes adjusted he could make out the warm flicker of firelight deep inside the cave, which cast intoxicating shadows against the flat rock walls. Even from this distance they seemed to dance like Bacchae, working themselves into a feverish sort of ecstasy.

Then no more can be saved? he asked the rat.

You were the last, said the rat. Though perhaps others would have found their way out, were it not your duty to seal the entrance.


The Corvid laughed. My duty! And how will this odd fellow with a birds head seal the hole in this great rock? Shall I go looking for something to roll up against it? Or pile up pebbles one by one with my beak until the cavern is filled?

The rat did not break its gaze. I told you your name deep in your chthonic prison, replied the rat, have you forgotten already?

JackDaw, you told me. A mighty name, he laughed. Just the sort of name for someone who spends their days stacking up rocks.

Right you are. JackDaw the Geomancer. JackDaw of the Platonic Shadow. In the past you might have closed this hole in the rock like one shuts the flaps of a tent. Or you might have buried the rock face under a mound of sand." The rat paused here, perhaps in expectation of protest. JackDaw was silent. "And it is my lot to see to it that you regain these powers, so that this place might be erased from living memory."

The rat returned to all fours. The wind had stopped, and in its place spread a majestic silence. The stars above, arranged in a great band, spilled into each other like a seam of some fluorescent mineral.

JackDaw, hands at his waist, turned his gaze out upon the dark, rolling expanse.

"I suppose I can't keep you from following me," he said to the rat, and began to walk.


Witch Rowena of the Brambles

# The Lore of Witch Rowena of the Brambles

Rowena was raised without any of the normal accoutrements offered the average wizarding children.

Her father was ***Malthus (#2447)***, formerly of the Obelisk Order, that liked to dabble in alchemy and necromancy.  Her mother was ***Mina (#3765)***, a beautiful and unpredictable Cryptologist that loved all things hidden.  If there was something to be discovered, she was seeking it.

They lived in a quaint cottage with a white picket fence.  Their land was carved out of the Great Brambles, which was a treacherous area miles across that butted up against the Gnarlwood Mountains.

When Rowena was 7, tragedy struck and her mother was killed.  Malthus employed some of the darkest magics combined with an Enduring Love potion to restore Mina to a near perfect visage of life.  No one outside the family that met her would know she was technically undead.

Rowena, therefore, grew up with no fear of the undead, and with no reservations about employing either dark or light magics in her daily life.  She considered herself a Witch for all Seasons.

When her Bay Cat Felton went missing one day, she struck out to find him with her fathers magic Sack of Holding and her mothers Sun Staff.  Barely two days out of the Brambles, she met a curious druid named ***Charmer Larissa of the Hills (#9620)***.


Alchemist Malthus of the Obelisk

# The Lore of Alchemist Malthus of the Obelisk

Malthus was born into the Order of the Obelisk as a very lucky child.  Both of his parents were lifelong members holding leadership roles.  As such, he was revered among his peers, and was expected to carry on his family tradition and ultimately hold a stately position in the Order as well.

With his life planned for him, Malthus excelled at all his scholastic duties.  He was particularly skilled at forging powerful potions for many different purposes.  He once created a near perfect simulacrum of a cat to win the annual Forging Award.  He named the cat Simmy and it accompanied him everywhere. He had all that he could have hoped for in wealth and societal position.  But he was not happy, he hid his feelings of unease behind his mask of perfect academician.

While the Order primarily studied the magic of life, he was drawn instead to the more wild and unpredictable power of death.  He saw the beauty in death, and secretly began to study necromancy, which was severely frowned upon by the hierarchy in the Order.

It was through a secret night excursion to a local cemetery that he met ***Mina of the Brambles (#3765)***.


Adept Baptiste of the Gnostics

# Chapter 1: Into the desert
Date palms hung heavily over both sides of the rocky crevice, creating a curtain of darkness that hid the interior. The dark split the dunes that guarded the southern shore of Atlantas Pool, where a thin stream of crystal clear water trickled over a jumble of smoothed pebbles. Adept Baptiste of the Gnostics knew that this spring welled up from the nearby underground river that ran under the desert sands all the way from Zaros Oasis.

Baptiste had thought about activating the portal at the oasis itself  it was much closer to the Valley of the Void Disciple than the portal here at the Pool  but rumours abounded of unrest in the Sands between the tribes of the desert and the people of Zaros. For the tales to have reached as far as the Bastion, there must be some merit to them. According to his information, the skirmishes were so far restricted to the south and had not extended towards Great Owl Obelisk.

The Obelisk overlooked the crossroads between Yellow Wizard Haven, the Battlemage Mountains, and the Valley of the Void Disciple. The latter was Baptistes destination, and the Obelisk would be a vital stop for him to replenish supplies and find out the latest news from the region. The Coalition of Owls was ever a reliable source of information.


Baron Samedi flitted past him and skimmed over the shallow water at the edge of the pool, snatching at the water with his claws and coming away with a small silver fish. Portal travelling always gave the bat a healthy appetite, and the great distance between here and Dream Master Lake was especially draining. Baptistes stomach growled, reminding him that he too would need to regain his energy. He reached into his pack  the afterglow of the Rune of Neptune in his palm lighting up the interior  pulled out a sizeable portion of smoked meat, and tore off a strip with his teeth.

As he chewed, he thought back to the events at the Bastion that had led him to finally return south. When he had heard what happened to his mentor, Baptiste had immediately sought out the Purple Arcanist who had witnessed the Archmaguss disappearance. The debate still raged in the Council Hall over what the Bastions involvement should be, but it seemed as though many felt that Soran had brought his fate upon himself for dabbling in dreams. Though they would never say it outright, Baptiste knew that there were some on the Council that both feared and despised the old magic.

Baptiste was one of a growing number of young Adepts at the Bastion who felt that the Councils rabid modernist views were, paradoxically, outdated. The elders had held their positions on the Council for centuries, and for centuries Blue Wizard Bastion had held itself apart as a pillar of technological virtue, striving blindly for advancement whilst scorning the old magic. Baptiste was far more pragmatic: a blend of technology and magic gave a wizard such a diverse array of approaches.


Though the Council studiously chose to ignore it, there was much power in the arcane, even if there were mutterings about a strange malady inflicted on the Purples by the Psychic Leap. Magus Basil had seemed sane enough during their discussions, which had lasted well into the early hours of the morning  although he did have a strange habit of rubbing his snails slime onto his skin. Everybody said Purples were eccentric, though, and who was Baptiste to judge? He knew that many in the Bastion viewed his own Gnostic beliefs and the almost telepathic bond formed between him and Baron Samedi as skirting the boundaries of decency. The hypocrisy of this was not lost on Baptiste. He scoffed to himself as he thought of the pomposity needed to name a familiar after oneself, as the Council head had done. There were even whispers that Scryer Apollo himself was a cosmic arcanist, though he fervently denied any ties to the old magic. And then there was the scandal surrounding his daughter and her quest to purge the Runiverse

Basil wiped sweat from his brow; his mind was wandering in the heat. He had grown unaccustomed to desert weather during his long years up north. He touched a panel on his tech coat, and it flared, opening cooling vents along his sides that channelled a steady flow of refreshing  air through the sleeves of his undershirt.


In the end, Magus Basil had been most gracious in accepting his help and agreeing not to tell the Council. Baptiste felt as though he had made a powerful ally that day. Adept Baptiste of the Gnostics, an Astral Arcanist can never doubt the intentions of someone who owns a stellar staff, the ancient wizard had told him. You may think that you made the decision to bear this staff, but it is they who choose their masters. It saw something in you, my boy, to grant you a link to the Astral Plane.

Your astral connection lays all your motives bare to me, the old man had continued. The stardust in this staff is nourishment for dreams and dreams are my domain. All dreams, I am afraid, barring the one that really mattered.

Baptiste had listened with growing determination to the story of how the Dream Whisperer had been captured by the Voidlord. Baptiste was sure his mentor had thought to stop Voidoth once and for all, claiming the glory of the cyborgs capture for himself, in the hope of earning the seat on the Blue Council that had so long eluded him. He knew that the Archmagus was still bitter at being passed over during the last raising, almost a hundred years ago. It was a desperate attempt; Baptiste had never managed to convince the Archmagus to accept that the Council would never welcome a Dream Whisperer or any other proclaimed Arcanist into their midst  not while it was still controlled by the Blue Wizards most fanatical technologists. This was one reason why Magus Ozohr, the esteemed professor at the Bastions Academy, also remained shunned by the Council.


Baptiste shaded his eyes under the harsh desert sun as he set off from Atlantas Pool. Once the astral vision transmitted by his stellar staff had confirmed that Archmagus Soran was being held captive in the Valley of the Void Disciple, there had been no question that it would fall on Baptiste to bring him back, even as the Council still haggled and debated over the best course of action.

After all, who in the Bastion knew that accursed valley as well as he?

# Chapter 2: In the thrall of the Shadow
The trip across the desert had been long and arduous, but mercifully Baptiste had managed to steer clear of the marauding bandits who roved the sands taking advantage of the lawless conditions. He did not want to have to use his magic  it would draw unwanted attention from the Void disciples.

Baptiste had encountered a few travellers along his path who had brought news that the battles around the Oasis were intensifying, but the main trade route to the Obelisk had still been well-traversed by magic-makers. Baptiste had kept to himself though, not wanting even the hint of a rumour to get back to the Valley before he arrived.

He traced a rune across the sleeve of his tech coat and the material shimmered, tiny overlapping plates twisting and reshaping themselves until they mirrored their surroundings. He threw the hood up over his head once more to complete the illusion, rendering himself just another shadow in the darkness. Baron Samedi, hidden within the large interior pocket of the coat, poked his head out momentarily to send a beam of sonar down the rough-hewn stone tunnel that burrowed deep into the mountainside. Sensors in Baptistes coat relayed the encoded information to a moulded earpiece  the coast was clear.


The tech coats camouflage imagery, while advanced, was not enough to disguise his presence in direct sunlight, but he had nevertheless been able to pass through the Valley of the Void Disciple without attracting too much untoward attention. It was several years since he had managed to extricate himself from the thrall of the Necromancers, and the guard patrols that combed the Valley had held no familiar faces. Still, he had kept his hood pulled low over his face and his eyes to the ground.

It had come as a shock to him how many magic-makers still flocked to the Valley, seduced by the call of the Quantum Shadow, willing to hand their allegiance over to the Lord of the Void. It was only the clandestine teachings of the Gnostics that had finally broken the spell Voidoth held over him. He thanked his magic stars every day for the chance encounter that had set him on his path to redemption. And now it had come full circle  the young Adept was back in the Valley where once he had served as a disciple to the Void, yet it was he, this time, who played the role of saviour. He owed everything to the Archmagus and now was his chance to return the favour.

It had not taken him long to uncover the information he needed to locate his mentors whereabouts: Baron Samedis skills of persuasion had, as usual, been quick to loosen tight lips. Few could withstand the bats hypnotic sonar.


The trail had led to the Voidlords dungeons, deep beneath the northern mountains that brushed up against the dark underbelly of the Quantum Shadow. Despite being so long away from its grip, Baptiste could feel the tantalising pull of the Shadow strengthening more and more the deeper he descended into the mountains interior. The oppressive atmosphere pressed against him as he slipped past each guard post unnoticed. It urged him to return to the Shadow, pleading with him to open himself to the Void, promising him that his betrayal was forgiven. He shuddered. It took all his Gnostic training and the influence of the stellar staff to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. He would not abandon Archmagus Soran to the Void, even if it cost him his life.

The chamber he sought was close now: he could sense the use of Shadow magic nearby. Another short burst of sonar from Baron Samedi outlined the frame of a door up ahead in the darkness. Not knowing what he might discover on the other side, Baptiste steeled himself for action as he crept up to the entrance. But just as he raised his staff to blast open the door, he froze. The handle turned and flickering candlelight and the sound of laughter flooded the tunnel as the door swung inwards.

Out stepped Archmagus Soran, dressed in robes of the finest silk, laughing at something the tall man-crow next to him was saying. Baptistes old scars burned with the memory of pain. He knew Necromancer Crackerjack well  the Lord of the Voids First Disciple could be most inventive with his torture techniques.


The pair walked straight by him, seemingly unaware of his presence. He held his breath for what seemed like an eternity, until sounds of the Necromancer and the Archmaguss laughter had faded into nothingness. He gasped, and sank to the floor as his legs gave way beneath him. He had never thought that seeing Crackerjack again would have such an effect on him.

He cursed himself for his stupidity  he suddenly realised how foolhardy he had been. He had strolled into the enemys lair, so confident in himself, without even the most basic plan for how to deal with any situation other than finding the Archmagus alone. Of course they would never let such a valuable convert out of their sight

Baptiste paused. But he had thought of a plan, hadnt he? He had rehearsed all manner of scenarios on his trek through the desert and yet, as soon as he entered these subterranean tunnels, his mind had simply ignored it all.

As he made his way cautiously back out of the warren of tunnels, his mind slowly began to clear, and he realised it must be the influence of the Quantum Shadow growing stronger the deeper he quested into the mountain. He would need to figure out a plan that kept him away from the Shadows pull. Baptiste gripped the stellar staff, his knuckles white. The Necromancer had already turned Soran to the Void, that much was clear. This rescue was going to be extremely challenging.

----
## Story Arc Index:
Prologue: @wizard777

Part 1: @wizard4298

Part 2: @wizard292

Part 3: @wizard2261

Part 4: @wizard3911

Part 5: @wizard1177

Part 6: @wizard2876


# Channel 1 Poltergeist Horace of the Death Cloud

*"...Just pretend like You understand what's going on..."*

 Upon having drunkenly stumbled through the Sacred Flame, Horace's Life was to flash before His intoxicated eyes. However, what He saw instead, were scenes from an obscure horror film He'd stumbled upon ages ago...

*"...Don't be confused by a false sense of reality..."*

By this point Horace felt, simultaneously, that not only was Heaven in His body, but that it was indeed about to explode...

 Suddenly, **everything** went static.

 Then, a few moments later, what could only be described as a most otherworldly laughter emitted from what was once Horace...

**"...My Mind is no longer controlled by the limitations of The Body..."**

 He knew all too well the power of this newfound Death Cloud...

**"...I know the secrets of The Flesh..."**

...And soon the Others would too...


Hunted Stag Umber of the Mist

# "Umber" of The Mist

With no recollection of what happened, or for how long His corpse sat peacefully rotting away in the rain, what **was** abundantly clear to this now ruined Soul, possessed by The God Uranus, however, was that "Umber of The Lake", as He once knew Himself, was no more...

 Refusing to elaborate further, He now wanders endlessly, indifferent at best...
All in all, it would be wise to avoid The Mist...


Battle Mage Dutorn of the Lake

Battle Mage Dutorn

Travels the Lands, Lunar Staff in Hand

His Plague Rat, One of Many

Once Known to Spread Disease

Being Struck by Neptune's Rune

Now Possesses Magic Healing Abilities

He does not Bite to Kill

But Bites to Heal

And Thus Travels Side by Side

With this Lonely Woodland Shapeshifter

Battle Mage Dutorn


Hagar Danger of the Wood

Shh Didnt you hear?


Archmagus Soran of Dreams

# Chapter 1: Rats in a cage
Archmagus Soran of Dreams stared sourly through the floor-to-ceiling bars of the Citadels dungeons at the two small islands far below, out in the glassy grey-green waters of the Brine. White caps ruffled the surface of the ocean. The wind mocked him.

He clenched his fist and turned his back on the scene, stalking to the far recess of his cell. Once more he tried to conjure Zephyrs Laugh. A puff of air burst from his fingertips and died that, too, had deserted him.

He cursed under his breath. Dark smudges under each eye paid testament to the success of the Charmers magic. She had laid her traps well: each time his mind drifted to the edge of the Dream Realm the enchantment flung his mind painfully back to wakefulness. It was incredibly hard to bring himself to fall to sleep again  the pain lingered in his mind constantly, an ache that came back forcefully each time he thought it was abating.

The Dream Whisperer grated his teeth in frustration. The spell itself seemed to taunt him, deriding his attempts to break his mental shackles. He had tried everything he could to circumvent the womans sorcery. The last time, he had felt as though a revelation was close, but the thin membrane between realms had managed to keep itself just beyond his grasp.

Next time, if he got close enough to the membrane, would he be able to touch it? A touch was all it would take, and the Dream Realm would be his again. Then she would have no way to stop him. Not again. Insolent whelp. How dare she imprison the Dream Whisperer?