Grundelthum Sunder

*"Secrets are secrets for a reason, and some do not wish to see them uncovered. Especially when the secrets are particularly unseemly."*

-Grundelthum Sunder

## History

Born in Thunderdome, the capital of the Final Empire, Grundelthum Sunder never knew his parents. From what he could piece together afterwards, someone - perhaps his family - discovered that he had a spark of magical power, and smuggled him to Jotunheim’s Rebellion. It was there that he was raised and trained, and became a scholar. Fascinated by the Shield, the Old Ones, and higher planes, he decided to research these things. To this end, he made a pact with the old one Aldrich, gaining great insight and magical power. During the rebellion, he became acquainted with Tolumvire, Tan, and Philoktia, and served on the battlefield as a capable soldier. Upon the founding of Arendur, Sunder joined the Illuminated, where he continued his research and rose the ranks Branch of the Staff, making an excellent impression on Jotunheim, who personally tutored him. During Tolumvire’s exile, he remained loyal to Jotunheim’s faction, refusing to follow the Doppelganger. It was during this time that Sunder wrote a manifesto that would become known as Sunder’s Heresy. Circulated around the Illuminated and presented in lecture format, it asserted three things:

* Knowledge should be shared, and the people of Arendur should be educated on matters of the arcane.
* The Old Ones are the greatest threat to mankind, and the Shield should never have been taken down.
* Unfettered magic will lead mankind to ruination, not utopia.

The tract earned universal condemnation, and Sunder was considered persona non grata, with his position, research funds, and personal connections stripped from him. For the rest of Tolumvire’s exile, Sunder lived in Forester’s Town, where he could at least earn some peace.

Things changed during the Demon Wars, when Jotunheim became Grand Master of the Illuminated. The position of Master of the Staff was now vacant, and there was need for an expert in matters once thought niche and theoretical. Jotunheim had a great deal of respect for Sunder’s courage in writing the Heresy, and wished to draw upon his talents. And so, Grundelthum Sunder was promoted to Master of the Staff. He was universally hated in his position, frequently issuing unilateral decisions and expecting his subordinates to accept his views in all matters. Nonetheless, he served courageously in the war, and was valued by Jotunheim for his counsel. Following the destruction of Arendur and Jotunheim’s gradual dissipation, Sunder and his old friend, Tan Blackhand, engaged in a bitter struggle over who would become the Acting Grand Master. Tan won out, and Sunder resigned his position and left Tower of the Illuminated. Expecting that he would come around in the end, Tan did not accept his resignation, allowing a deputy to perform Sunder's duties until his inevitable return.

## Personality

Grundelthum Sunder was a proud and aloof man who believed in the strength of his convictions. His self-discipline was legendary, but he was irascible, and alienated his fellow mages with his eccentric beliefs and high-handed ways. His attitude that he knew what was best for others was not unique in the Illuminated; only Sunder was less tactful in conveying that attitude.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Sunder spent a great deal of time travelling and mastering the powers he had drawn from the Great Old Ones. In particular, he was interested in the philosophy espoused on the island of Nallval, that of “sipping from the cup”, that is, taking only as much power as needed, and no more. He made sure to master other forms of arcane magic, so that he need not rely on his pact, and with time, he became a rarity - a warlock no longer dependent on his patron. Indeed, it seems like it was he who used Aldrich, not the other way around. Sunder would return not too long after New Arendur was founded, curious to see the state of the Illuminated and the nation they professed to guide. He was repulsed by what he saw, and found that few remembered him, and that among those who did, his name was held in contempt. Jotunheim dispatched him to the First World alongside Voidwatcher, mostly to keep an eye on him.

## After the War

*"Perhaps my old age and fearfulness deceive me, but I suspect that the human species -- the unique species -- is about to be extinguished, but the Library will endure: illuminated, solitary, infinite, perfectly motionless, equipped with precious volumes, useless, incorruptible, secret.”*

-Grundelthum Sunder

Grundelthum Sunder was deeply concerned about the events of the heist, and the loss of the Pallid Mask. He resumed his old position as Master of the Staff under the condition that he be allowed to investigate the Carcosai. Tan permitted him to do so, but his work would be forestalled by the invasion of the Reich. Sunder would fight beside his fellow Illuminated to preserve their nation and their way of life. He would be captured alongside the other leaders of the Illuminated, and put to trial. During his deposition, he would try and convey his concern about the activities of the Carcosai and the dangers of the Great Old Ones, but he was not believed. With his last words, he would issue a final warning about the perfidy of the Carcosai to the Hexenjägers. His statement would be dismissed as bitterness and slander directed to the enemies who overthrow him. He was the second of the Illuminated Masters to die, after Voidwatcher.

Towards the end of his life, Sunder had begun to explore the Dreamlands, and knew much of the Dream of the Old Ones. Anticipating that the Illuminated would not last forever, his last project was the construction of a great library in the Dreamlands in New Arendur, transporting the entire arcane corpus of Illuminated there for future generations to find.