The Runekeepers

## The Order of the Runekeepers Creation

Seekers of Knowledge

This order was disbanded on 8/13/2017 due to a lack of both interest and inactivity from it's members, and a failing in event attendance.

It was originally started on 6/19/2017, but the guild itself was created on 3/20/2017 in order to prevent the name from being taken. Starting from March, the website was created and the guild lore was created.

## **Guild Lore**

The guild lore as written on the website with a link at the bottom to the website itself, until the pages can be remade here, the website contains the most information regarding the guild ranks, rituals, and lore.

### **Creation of the Tome**

Prior to the Exodus of the Earthern along with Tyr, Ironaya, Archaedas, Mechagnomes, and Vrykul, a Vrykul Seeress known as Groa Volva created a large book to serve as a personal record of the exploits of her fellow Titanforged, as well as a place to store her knowledge of runes and visions. To create this book, she enlisted the aid of Master Smith Vord Icebellow, a frost giant and close friend of Groa, and with his aid the tome was made with an exterior of truesilver, joints of titansteel, and pages made out of mithril. Groa expanded on the book by enchanting it with her magic, carving a master rune of protection onto it's cover and making the book effectively limitless in terms of pages.

She chronicled the history of the Titanforged, her experiences in the War against the Black Empire, and when the Winterskorn began battling the Earthern, she recorded this as well before being mortally wounded by servants of Loken who wished to steal her tome. She survived for a time, concluding her records and recording some of her knowledge and magical expertise into the tome before granting it to her apprentice, Aurvandil. Aurvandil carved his name onto the next fresh page and took up the task of his master, recording history and using the book to store his magical knowledge about runes and the arcane. And it was he who took on an Earthern apprentice as they fled Northrend with the Keeper's Tyr and Archaedas, but Aurvandil made mortal by the curse of flesh, eventually dying, but before that he passed on the Tome of Volva to his apprentice, giving it to him while he was in stasis before dying.

His apprentice, an Earthen known as Highhelm, wouldn't alter the book yet, for he was in stasis when the book was given to him, Aurvandil, hoping his apprentice would continue his quest when they left. This did not come to pass as he expected, most of his apprentices memories were gone but Highhelm's mind was sharper then most and he recalled just enough to bypass the defenses and to decipher the codes of the Tome of Volva, and with it he remastered the Arcane and went by the name of Nisvik Highhelm. Despite effectively having his memories restored, he kept the knowledge hidden for to Nisvik, knowledge was power, but that power was only there if the knowledge was scarce. He would be known as Nisvik the Wise eventually, and it was Nisvik who formed the First Runekeeper Order.

### **The First Order**

Once he mastered the tome, Nisvik took apprentices and would eventually raise a family with one of them, starting the line of Highhelm Runekeepers, a line that would eventually forget it's roots and become known for it's Arcanist's and other styles of Magi. But onto the order itself, Nisvik took on the mantle of 'Runemaster' of the Order, naming several of his veteran apprentices Runelord's of the order. He picked eight of his apprentices, each was a master of a different school of magic and they became his Truesilver Council. The Tome of Volva was also renamed to the 'Grand Book of the Runekeepers' and it was soon after this that Nisvik found 'The Seer's Eye', a potent scrying foci and gem of power that he attached to his staff, creating his greatstaff as it is known today, 'Secret Keeper', this would also begin the downfall of Nisvik as the visions of the Eye were not the kindest to the mind and Nisvik would begin becoming mad. Although he would largely stay true to his goals and live just a few years past his fifth century, a feat that baffled even his apprentices.

It should be noted that when Nisvik started taking apprentices, he did so in the method of his master, Aurvandil, which was to gift each apprentice with a simple staff forged entirely out of truesilver. This was known as the Staffing Ritual, and it marked the beginning of each apprentices journey towards that of master. The journey would later be turned into three stages, the Novice who turns into a Runeweaver or a Runewarden from the Staffing Ritual, and the weaver or warden who becomes a true Runekeeper from the Engraving Ritual. After this point, the journey is nearly complete, the staff that was once blank is now covered in various runes, sigils, and symbols of power that serve to make a potent weapon and tool for the Runekeeper. But soon the Test of Nisvik would arrive where all of their knowledge and training would be tested, if they are successful, then they become a Runelord, although this should not be confused with the Runelord's on the Truesilver Council. But by becoming a Runelord, their journey is officially complete and they are gifted an gem or an orb of power to adorn their staff to symbolize Nisvik finding the Seer's Eye. Nisvik and his Truesilver Council also took it upon themselves to advance the study of magic in secret, where memory of the order slowly faded as they hide away the order's libraries into secret wings of Ironforge, they also discovered several other artifacts that would become known as "The Seven" when including the Grand Book of the Runekeepers, Secret Keeper, and the Seer's Eye, the seven artifacts of the Runekeeper Order.

*(The Staffing Ritual was the novice receiving a staff, The Engraving Ritual was a test of progress, and the Test of Nisvik was a final challenge and test of knowledge!)*

It was during this time that Nisvik would help his closest friend, Zulbar Greatforge the Mighty in creating the legendary axe known as "Bitter'Ice", an axe that would house part of Zulbar's soul and be passed down his bloodline to it's current wielder, Zulatobari Greatforge. Although Nisvik was extremely old, and largely directed his son, the current Runemaster of the Order, in the runecrafting involved in making Bitter'Ice, although Nisvik did imbue the axe with power himself.

The First Order would survive through the thousands of years until it's first shattering during the War of the Three Hammers. By then, the order was largely comprised of equal parts Bronzebeard and Dark Iron, the Highhelm's and since forgotten the order, and were no longer involved with the Runekeepers although they still tracked their heritage to Nisvik the Wise. While some Wildhammer's were part of the order, they were a clear minority. When the war started, the order split apart as the Bronzebeard's wanted to aid their kin and bring their magical might on their foes, and the Dark Irons wished to do the same, they bickered and eventually started fighting. The Order's primary base was destroyed, as was much of the ancient wisdom and knowledge housed there, and the Dark Iron's salvaged all the artifacts save the Grand Book, the Seer's Eye, and Secret Keeper. Secret Keeper and the Eye had been lost after Nisvik's Death and the Grand Book had been recovered and protected by Dhurlin Hammerhand, the Bronzebeard Runemaster of the Order. The few Wildhammer's left to aid their kin and would abandon the use of Arcane seeing the danger it brought, these Wildhammer's would also be some of the first Shamans of the Wildhammer Clans some time after the war, acting as wise men and advisers to their kin. This started the Second Order of the Runekeepers.

### **The Second Order**

The order was reformed after the civil war and the Bronzebeards allowed gnomish mages into the fold to bolster their numbers, they then, fearing Dark Iron reprisal from the former Order members, returned to the shadows and acted as a police force on magic, keeping a close eye on the magical currents of Ironforge and ANY magic being used by those outside the order, they did protect Ironforge fairly well during this time, just not from the Dark Iron's, to their relief, their former members never tried teleporting into the city, but their arcane magic did attract a number of demons over the ages. The order managed to banish them at great casualties, even preparing to battle a Dreadlord known as Nerothos before the Guardian forced himself past the ward's they set up over Ironforge to banish the demon himself before leaving just as quickly. Nerothos did not accept defeat so lightly, and when he reformed on his world of Nerothalis he plotted his revenge against the Runekeeper's and the Guardian, although the latter would never come to pass he did put those plans into action during the Third War when he infiltrated the order and rose through the ranks rather quickly. He managed to put most of the order under his sway, although the Runelord's and the Runemaster of the time, a Merdin Stouthammer, would remain uncorrupted, but with their focus kept on watching the Legion, they didn't notice the demon in their fold. Nerothos would lead the order into a suicidal mission where he revealed himself, but he was still nearly defeated by Merdin in a battle of magic where he almost banished Nerothos using the latent magic of the Grand Book. But he would be slain, their souls used for the gateway back to Nerothalis where he began to study and learn the book's secrets. A process that was completed years before Kalrum retrieved the book. But when Kalrum retrieved the book prior to Gul'dan's defeat in the Nighthold, the Third Order of the Runekeepers would begin when he finished deciphering the book himself, this was completed shortly after Gul'dan's defeat in the Nighthold. An act that would infuriate Nerothos!

### **The Third Order**

When Kalrum recovered the Grand Book of the Runekeeper, he set to deciphering it. A process that was completed shortly after Gul'dan's defeat in the Nighthold, after that, he shortly started recruiting for the new order, writing his name into the book. He was semi-successful but Nerothos would have the last laugh when infiltrated their new base and slaughtered nearly all of the novices and runeweavers and runwardens, even stealing the Grand Book back and retreating. The few Runekeeper's who survived were gathered by Kalrum where he disbanded the order in fear of further attacks by Nerothos and a lack of power to fight back at the moment.