Rubyn Nyruel Runali

Rubyn Nyruel Runali was a patron of magic and a wizard of the Gernaran tradition of Old Hisrech, having learned minor manipulations of the winds and temporal reality. He served as War Magier and leader of the Lavidian Front against the Denisatvan forces from Scoria through Inundia during the Wizards' War.
== History ==
=== Early Life ===
Rubyn was born in 1003 CE to a middle-class family in Gernaris in the city of Ashmir which is just North of Penford. His parents were of working stock, his father Rykard owned and operated a carriage driving business called Runali’s Rides while his mother Jeska trained the carriage horses. Neither seemed interested in using much magic, aside from simple items and sinches they needed for their jobs or to calm panicked horses. Growing up, Rubyn’s parents showed him the ways of their trade. At a young age, he grew proficient in helping them, but these tasks he shared no love for. To his father’s dismay, Rubyn would instead spend every moment he had with his nose buried in books, wanting to know more of the arcane. Jeska recognized Rubyn’s thirst for knowledge and ability for magic, and after some convincing, convinced Rykard to allow their son to mentor with a dragonborn wizard named Tokris Delmirev in the nearby town of Makrech.  
=== Arcane Tutelage ===
Rubyn left his home at the age of fourteen and began training with the Tokris, learning the basics of magic and assisting his master in his own studies. The most thrilling part of this was that Tokris’s home housed a great many tomes that detailed the histories of Urz, as well as the complexities of the arcane. Rubyn had vowed when he first entered the home and took in all the shelves of books that he would one day read every book Tokris owned.  Tokris just chuckled, and replied, “An empty stomach never knows when it is full until it is too late to stop.”  This was Tokris’ way, his lessons were slow and methodical, even when most of the time Rubyn would pick up the teaching rather quickly.  Tokris would always have some saying that would explain patience over action.  
Tokris over time became a father figure to Rubyn, and through him he learned much.  Through Tokris’ tutelage, they together discovered that Rubyn was a Spell Driver - one that could cast more than one spell at a time.  Rubyn chuckled at the name, pointing out that his father was a carriage driver, so it must be in his blood that he is also a Driver of some sort.  In their studies, Tokris and Rubyn traveled from time to time and even studied some of the more known sites of magic found in nature, such as the Water Rises of Pilth (great falls that flowed up a cliff rather than down), and the Groaning Stones.  Rubyn learned the basics of magic and was taught the intricacies of crafting a spellbook.  Tokris and Rubyn talked about life, and debated the big questions.  Rubyn over time came to trust Tokris, and confided in him many things.  Eventually, the two were more partners than pupil and student, and they worked on their own studies, exchanging what they learned each evening, or giving the other ideas for the next day.  Rubyn indeed made a valiant effort to read every book Tokris had, but there was one that Tokris refused to allow, saying that some knowledge was too dangerous to learn, but too precious to destroy.  
And so it went for six years.  Rubyn’s mother visited once in a while, but his father never did once.  That is, until one night.  One night, a knock came from the door, and it was Rykard, face twisting with emotion.  Rykard had come to tell Rubyn that his mother had died from illness.  Rubyn was gutted, and soon found himself traveling back to his former home to pay last rites to his mother.  Afterwards, he mourned with his father, and assisted him with caring for the home that had fallen into disrepair while Rykard had cared for his ailing wife.  Rubyn found in their own way, his father and him worked their way to a quiet understanding.  His father may have frowned when Rubyn used magic to mend some things that were in dire need of repair, but he nodded satisfactorily when the deed was done.  Due to all of this, it was nearly two months before Rubyn returned to Tokris’ home.  
=== Beginning of a Mystery ===
To Rubyn’s surprise, the home was dark inside and empty.  He lit some lamps and searched the house, and found nothing was out of place.  Tokris had not left, or if he had, he had not taken anything with him.  Rubyn returned to the study, and at last noticed a large tome placed in the center of his master’s chair, with a note on top labeled Rubyn.  The tome was one he recognized - the forbidden tome.  For now, Rubyn settled in his own chair, a place he spent many past nights across from the fireplace, pouring into books.  He turned up a lamp, since the hearth was out, and began to read:
* Rubyn,It is difficult to decide how to start this letter, but I cannot afford the luxury of time.  Despite how much it pains me to further a cliché…I’m not sure I can put it any other way than this:  If you are reading this letter, I have failed, and am hopefully dead.  For that, and more, I am sorry.  I suppose it is with what I have not told you that I should start – my past.  I may never have mentioned it, but I once had a son.  A bright lad, talented.  Took after his father in many ways, I was pleased to see.  Always tinkering, asking questions, a quick study.  Like you. When he came of age, I took him as my pupil.  He was my first pupil, and it was a wonderful pairing.  He picked up complicated techniques and displayed rare talents.  He was a quick study in control and concentration, and eventually we were able to work as a team in what I thought to be some of the unexplored areas of magic.  What I failed to realize is that some areas of magic were unexplored for a reason.  All this centered around the Chandranicdo Codexia Ex Perturbinatious, the very same that you have discovered with this letter.With the depth of our studies, my son became less of a pupil, and more of a colleague.  I likely should have kept a better eye on him, but in my excitement for discovery, I became foolhardy.  I became so obsessed with the possibilities of the tome that I never stopped to question the dangers.  Perhaps I didn’t realize the dangers.  If you are curious of the details of our experiments, I do apologize.  I will go to my grave before allowing another to make the same mistakes that I have.  It is why I have always taught you caution and control.  Eventually, my son made a rather impressive breakthrough with the codex, and that was the beginning of it all.  At first, I didn’t realize anything was wrong.  Perhaps there was a tickle in the back of my head…some warning signs…but I was blind to any of it.  Eventually, I couldn’t help but notice.  We worked together every day, so when he began to be absent, sometimes for days at a time, I couldn’t help feeling some concern.  When he returned, he became increasingly hostile and emotional.  He would complain of trouble sleeping.  Of nightmares.  When he was around, he would lock himself in his study and instruct me not to disturb him.  He refused to tell me why.  He grew worse with each day, and was absent more than present.  In the end, I had to find the truth of what had befallen my son.One day, a day when he didn’t come in, I had had enough of watching my son transform into a mere shadow of himself.  Our close relationship seemed like a thing of the past, and was now a thing of secrets and questions.  I aimed to answer them myself if he would not.  When I entered the room, the mess that lay before me was a stark contrast to what had been the neat and organized study I had known from our work together.  Upon further study, to one corner there were tracings on the floor in a strange script – not of draconic, but demonic in nature.  In the center of the tracings – the Codexia.  I knew for a fact that my son did not know the language of the abyss, and my worry turned to open horror.  The writings were in blood.  As I searched his study, I found blood and body parts stored in jars.  Human and Dragonborn and the Triumvirate know what else…  My mind suddenly went to the growing crime rate and disappearances that had been rumored throughout the area.  My son…what had become of my son?  All I could do was weep.  After a time, I knew that I had to confront my son.  Perhaps even discover…something, anything.   Using my magic, I sent a message to him, simply telling him to meet me in his study, and that I knew.  It wasn’t long until he came…His eyes were like fire.  That’s the first thing I saw.  His face was ashen, his demeanor…unfamiliar.  Though he had the resemblance, he was not…my boy.  He looked at me mockingly.  He spoke of a coming evil.  A demon prince.  That there was nothing I could do.  That I was going to die, by his hand.  And then my own son attacked me.  I killed my own son.  Not then, no.  I killed my son the day I introduced him to the book.  This creature was no longer my son.  I saw then that whatever had remained of my son had vanished in the fires of his eyes.  His last words as the light faded from those eyes were: “I will see you again.”  It chilled me to the core.  This is what comes of flying too close to the sun, Rubyn.  I know not what spell my son had unveiled, but I have spent the greater part of my life trying to uncover what happened to him, and trying to prevent the events foreshadowed from the demon inhabiting my son before I turned him to ash.I never took on another pupil until you, and now you know why.  Why did I take you?  Perhaps I saw you as my second chance?  I admit, I saw much of my son in you.  I had hoped this time it would be different.  If you haven’t picked it up by now, which with your quick mind I’m sure you have gleaned, lately, even before you left, I had been exhibiting similar symptoms to that of my son before he was lost.  Yes, I too have fallen into the trap the demon has laid within the Codexia, but this time it was willingly.  I had to know.  The demon’s name is in fact the name of the book: Chandranicdo, and the return the demon spoke of is coming, and he means to use the Codexia as a tool.  I know this now because I have dreamt it.  I have felt his thoughts inside me.  He does not yet know I am aware of him, but I fear once I try to reverse the effects that it will be open war for my mind.  One that I cannot afford to lose.  Which of course brings me to this letter.  If you are reading this, I did not succeed in ridding the demon from my mind.  Perhaps there isn’t a way once he is there…I haven’t seen any success as of yet.  I refuse to turn into the monster my son has become.  My final motive is to die before the demon exerts his will, to spare you and many the pain that I myself have undertaken.  Unfortunately, my end will not finish this.  The Codexia is everything.  There are no hands it is safe within, not even mine. It must be locked away and never used, or it could be used to bring Ashmadia, demon prince of greed, to the world of Urz in mortal form.  I know now that the Codexia is…tainted.  That is evidenced enough by my son and I’s tragedy.  You must get the Codexia sanctified, and soon, before our fates become yours as well.  From there, perhaps you can succeed where we have failed…and perhaps many before us…I am sorry, Rubyn.  Perhaps I never should have accepted you as a pupil, but I have, and for the brevity that we have had, I am thankful for it.  You have brought back life in this old Dragonborn’s heart, and awakened places in my mind I thought dead and forgotten.  Perhaps in some ways, I fulfilled you in ways your father could not.  I am sorry that you are now mixed up in this because of me, and if there were any other way…I would have done it.  But there was not, and here we are.  I still pray that I need not give you this message…but I feel perhaps it is just a matter of time.  Have caution and be safe.  May the aspects guide you.  -Tokris
Rubyn dropped the letter to his lap, sobbing.  His second loss in as many months.  For a while, he just stared, taking in and considering what he just read.  Considering the implications of it all, and wondering where his master’s body was if he had died.  At that moment, remembering how Tokris described killing his son, Rubyn turned to the fireplace in front of him.  With a sinking feeling, Rubyn lifted the lamp and saw the remains of his master, ash and bone on the hearth.  
It took Rubyn several days to recover from the layers of loss he had just undergone.  Eventually his mind again began to work on, as it always did, the problem at hand.  Something had to be done about the Codexia.  He gathered some of his favorite books from Tokris’ collection (including a gramarie), his first spellbook, a vial of ashes from his master’s remains, and the Chandranicdo Codexia Ex Perturbinatious - carefully wrapped in cloth and nailed shut in a wooden box.  
Rubyn decided the best person to go to was the magical magistrate in town.  After showing them the letter, an investigation began, and Rubyn was taken to Old Hisrech along with the Codexia to be questioned by higher members within the order.  The Codexia was deemed unsafe and was taken by the order.  Rubyn was given the opportunity to join the order, and found that much of what he learned under Tokris’ tutelage prepared him well for his studies at the College of Hisrech.  During this time, the Conglomerate installed a member of their faction as the regent of the Ruby Throne of Ludos, but Rubyn was not directly involved in any of this.
=== Magier Operator ===
Over years of study, Rubyn embraced the Conglomerate’s teachings, his master’s past history with pact magic and dangerous magics kindling for his zeal to ensure that the laws of magic are not ignored.  Rubyn is recognized for his talents, is given a Headband of Intellect by the order, and is trained as an Agent of the Order.  He then began questing to find criminals who abuse magic and bring them back for sentencing or in some cases when necessary, to eliminate the villains.  Rubyn sees this as honoring the legacy of his master, though in the back of his mind he is ever mindful of the warning his master once wrote, of the demon prince Ashmadia.
Rubyn has now been an agent for over twenty years, and in this time he has gone on many missions and developed many contacts over the course of his career.  One such mission was investigating a series of high-profile burglaries in a nearby city.  Normal burglaries might be left for the local authorities, but in this case the suspect was stealing personal effects, hair and even blood from families.  Some posited that it was politically motivated, due to the targets of the crimes being noble families, or perhaps an anti-establishment resistance group.  Rubyn staked out various manors over the course of several months before pursuing an individual through the city.  Finally, he caught the individual and uncovered that the mage was one that practiced Blood Magic.  The mage ended up being a wanted fugitive who had escaped a death sentence, and had plans to bond his own life force to the individuals he had stolen blood from.  From there his plan had been to turn himself in, and as a result, the members of noble families he had bonded with would be executed along with him.  For his efforts and tenacity, Rubyn was awarded an Orb of Time, inscribed with the names of the six individuals he saved from execution.
In the recent past, many of these quests he was sent on were to recover cursed items that are causing trouble in communities. Blades of returning that would return by impaling the wielder, wands that would sap the owner’s energy to restore the charge, armor that cannot be removed, false potions, and countless more. As he recovered more and more of these, Rubyn got fairly adept at handling these magical items carefully, and at recognizing hints that might tell him that an item is cursed.  Eventually, Rubyn found that all of these events were connected, and was in time able to track the creator of the cursed items.  He led a small operation to apprehend the individual, a mage by the name of Duridan, and brought him into custody.  Rubyn was awarded the Bracers of Defense for his efforts.
Rubyn then was sent on a mission in Nock, which the Conglomerate had registered him with Ocyria prior to his arrival.  He was tasked with tracking down a rogue member of the order, as well as anyone who may have profited from the arrangement.  This mage had been using his magics to try and secure his own power, and was connected in some way to the Montulais.  Any old conglomerate tech was ordered to be confiscated or destroyed so that it didn't (continue to) fall into the wrong hands.  Rumors stated that the temple was connected to a bound demon prince and they were siphoning power from her and her seat of power and effectively storing it away.  While not the same demon foretold in his master’s words, this rang too close to home for Rubyn, and he was resolute with purpose to see this quest done.
=== The Rogue Operative ===
Shortly after arriving in Nock, Rubyn requested that all dignitaries who followed the laws of the city work to ensure the rogue Conglomerate agent be brought before him at once. A trail was set before him and the location of the ancient temple was made clear. Rubyn traveled to the old temple and found the remnants of Conglomerate presence: a broken gargaunt nyctalope guarding the front, torn soul-storing dolls, and the shackles used to contain aberrations left empty. The temple showed scarring from some massive entity moving through stone as easily as a worm through soil. And the markers of a tear in the material plane into the Places Between were present, though seemingly closed in recent days, thus stopping the demon prince that was present here from being used as a source of power. Whoever did this had to have been very capable indeed. 
Tracking the rogue mage had been easy enough. He seemed to have taken solace in the nearby town of Manus. Rubyn's arrival was shortly after a group of adventurers came to identify the mage was present in the tavern and had been left for dead. The townsfolk explained that this group of adventurers were benevolent to the town, helping to cure ailments that had suddenly assailed the citizenry with plague-like symptoms. They also reported that the group of heroes had gone north just before his arrival in the town, meaning they may have been responsible for sealing the tear at the temple. The trail appeared to continue back into Nock. 
The adventurers apparently had given the mage's auto-carriage over to the Montulais family and the family was helpful in giving Rubyn access to the device. Another operative for the Conglomerate was mentioned at this time by Rubyn's Montulais contact, a woman named Marin Montulais who was Lead Magistrate for the family and a priestess of their strange religion. Though the nature of the religion was strange and could be considered heretical by the predominant faith in Ocyria, it broke no laws of the nation nor did it break any laws of the Conglomerate regarding magic. 
The next month was spent coordinating with a group of House representatives that were investigating a death cult in the city. This was expressly interesting for Rubyn due to the ties this cult, or at least one group that was considered to be a part of the cult, had with the Demon Prince of Lust, the bound demon prince that the rogue mage was siphoning. Very quickly, a plot between three cults was uncovered with outside elements engaging in pushing public awareness onto the other contenders. A rogue element of House Daigot in league with Idealists in the Magic District. A Mardigan-allowed cult of the Demon Prince of Lust (or ur-priests that had taken her power from before) that was opening portals to the Dread Realm to put dead souls into this strange newly formed Dread Realm that was ruled by the lord called Hiro Rockscale. And a quiet but potent cult of Dhuron Balcard with a known magic lawbreaker known as Vadius. 
Rubyn's work in this matter resolved recently with quite a few loose ends, but he had been coordinating with House Rosnald to assist in a magical matter that has been troubling them. Starting research had begun in this investigation, with a strange source of magic being present in and around the Blackavon Lake. However, Rubyn's process was interrupted by a request from the Temple of Atavius, who had been taking the lead on the investigation into the cult. Meluriel Elralei, a Judiciar for the Church, had reached out to Rubyn directly and stated that a group known as the Heroes of the Library (which Rubyn knew to have caused issues for many in the investigation regarding the cults by making it seem like the matter was concluded) had desires to enter into the Dread Realm and get answers regarding its formation and why it was being used by that aspect of the cult. Rubyn agreed to meet with this group of heroes (the same ones from Manus) and offer aid.
=== Within the Dread Realm ===
Rubyn joined the Heroes of the Library in a sort of antechamber to the Dread Realm, which appeared to be a replica of the grand station in Nock. From there he secured the group passage to the Dread Realm on a ferry, then witnessed an encounter between the group and the "Trainmaster", an elf who in truth was Keldur Alfwyn. The group further explored the station that had three reflections of itself. Rubyn mistakenly let his curiosity get the best of him and pulled a lever that released a many-eyed beast. A fox idol they had found within the station was utilized to banish the beast in some way, and with it Keldur. The group then boarded the ferry for the Dread Realm. In the realm, the group encountered Hiro Rockscale, who cursed the souls of the group as soon as they stepped foot into the domain. Rubyn quickly realized it had been a mistake to go to this place, as Hiro was much to powerful to challenge or unseat. The party narrowly escaped, and found themselves days north of Nock and plummeting out of the sky. 
That night, a Syrix Stone fell from the sky and was recovered by an orcish scout party. The group followed them to their settlement named Darkflame and treated with their leader: Cren. Rubyn revealed himself to be a member of the Conglomerate to both the orcs and the party, and eventually meets Lady Maras, who represents the Hand of Mudis, known as Benson Bardock. Rubyn manages to obtain what turned out to be one of two Syrix stones that had fallen together, his being an illusionary pink, the other a necromatic purple. The two were magicked apart by Lady Maras. Eventually the party finds out that they were not only displaced in space when they arrived in these lands, but in time - it has been one year since they entered the Dread Realm. With that, Rubyn teleports the group back to Nock and finds things in a different state. 
=== Servant of Corruption ===
Rubyn and the group eventually learned that efforts were made by the head of House Harrigan to continue the goals of the death cults that had sent souls to Hiro's Dread Realm. This lead them beneath House Harrigan's compound and brought them face-to-face with the actual culprit: Malica Wildwarren. The witch sat on the back of a metallic dragon construct and declared that she would not let them thwart her plans. The Heroes of the Library and Rubyn joined her and her mount in combat, but the engagement was quickly brought to a route when Avran Normac drew a strange bottle out and unleashed an unfriendly djinn from it. The warrior's plan was hopeful that the djinn would help or serve, but it was immediately resentful of Avran and attacked him. This allowed for Malica to corner most everyone else, forcing a surrender. Rubyn was allowed to leave the compound by Malica, who knew that if The Conglomerate had lost its Operator in Nock, they would surely come to the city and delve deeper into the matter. Rubyn agreed to leave Ocyria. 
=== Return to Old Hisrech ===
After coming to the understanding that his initial efforts in the Broken Blade Coast region were a lost effort, Rubyn returned to the capital city of Gernaris and the central headquarters of The Conglomerate. In keeping with the faction's focus of establishing themselves as a force for good in their homeland, the High Arcana gave Rubyn the title of High Magier and granted him a position among their number. Rubyn accepted the title but refused to be placed upon the council as he had matters he needed to focus on as an Operator and a position on the High Arcana would bind him to Old Hisrech. 
=== War Magier of Lavidia ===
The nation of Gernaris was embroiled in war when the peoples known as the Denisatvans journeyed from the lands of Scoria west of the lands of Lavidia and began a invasion into these well-established civilizations and cultures on the basis that their ancestors were promised those lands by the draconic masters they served during the War of Sword and Serpent. The conflict began while Gernaris as a whole had been broken up in its leadership due to the centuries-long machinations of The Conglomerate, an organization that was created to police magic use but was corrupted to serve the faction itself and the most powerful members of it instead of the peoples they swore to protect. The faction was in the process of restructuring, which meant that the towns and cities of western Lavidia were at the Denisatvans’ mercy. The middlelands of the region were taken and renamed Inundia. The noncombatants of Gernaris were allowed to remain in their towns and continue with their lives, but they were now under the oppressive security state imposed by the Denisatvans. From this position, the Denisatvan forces continued northward towards the heart of Lavidia, its capital city of Penford. This movement caused the cavalry forces known as the Eonian Riders to fight against the fortified city. The siege of the city was eventually broken by an unnamed group of Conglomerate operators.
The forces of Denisatva also moved southward and claimed the Barony of Uliman, usurping its leadership and displacing all who contested their claim for rulership. Some towns were wholly replaced with fierce routes by the Denisatvans when the town would struggle against them. Other towns were allowed to continue as normal but with the yoke of an oppressive tyrant state placed over those who once held power. This caused the mobilization of the full force of Conglomerate power to be pushed into the region under the command of the newly elected War Magier Rubyn Nyruel Runali. His efforts with the Conglomerate Aerial and Aquatic Navies as well as ground forces lead to the liberation of the Uliman region, the central Lavidian Plains, and the waterways of the area as a whole. Eventually, Rubyn came to the isle of Ordris and became inserted in tumultuous internal politics of their kingdom that were being manipulated by Denisatvan efforts. In the end, he was granted the right to allow his forces to use Ordris as a port and this served as a launching point for a full on invasion of the middlelands of Inundia.
Countless battles were waged during this time, with the Denisatvans being pushed back into Scoria and then gaining a powerful otherwordly ally in the form of the Lady of the Deep and then pushing back into the lands. Decades and decades of conflict with such historically notable battles as the Battle of Balthonir, the Conflict at Kohi’nor, the Crusade of Gateneath, the Defeat at Bridger, Eruption at Ankragh, the Retribution of Eonis, the Siege of Anvilvoht, and the Skirmish of the Makonski Plains. Many innocents were killed and many more displaced from the regions of Lavidia and also Scoria. Ultimately, Rubyn’s strategic genius led to the theft of the Narpas Sword from the War Leader of the Denisatvans and a demand to come to the negotiation table or it would be obliterated. Once at the table, peaceful discourse was made as War Leader Raudica came to see Rubyn as her equal. The refugees of Scoria were allowed to settle within Lavidia and be incorporated into the lands of the Gernaran Monarchy. The rights and claims on the lands of Gernaris established by the Dragon Matriarchs would not be honored in whole but in part and the Denisatvan nation would be incorporated into the system of government upheld by the Gernaran Monarchy and The Conglomerate.
=== Retirement ===
== Trivia ==
Due to the three "Rue" sounds in his name, a nickname he developed with those closest to him was "Tri-rue".
Josh wore the same blue sweater every session when playing Rubyn in What Remains. None of the party noticed.