The Eight Travellers

**Aeber, the Prince of Thieves**

Now recognised as the patron of thieves and darkness, he once was known as Oracle’s most fearsome master thief, famed for his unabashed and rampant acts of larceny. However, his notoriety mainly derived from his habit of stealing from the rich and providing for the poor. For countless years, Aeber was never caught, until one day, when he gave himself up to the now-fallen kingdom of Kresti, where he was put to the executioner’s axe. Throughout all of history’s tales and accounts of the master thief’s exploits, the only constant were his final words. “To all thieves out there in world, I grant you my blessings.”

**Aelfric, the Flamebringer**

A man whose holy and benevolent nature made him seem beyond the shackles of mortality, Aelfric was but a simple cleric, leading a peacefully quiet life in the icy hills of Oracle. According to legend, he had sought to deepen his spiritual bond with the gods and immaterial elements of the world, leading to his decision to meditate for years on end. Through this, he had strengthened his connection with the very fabric of magic itself; each individual mote of ether stood ready at his command. Yet, only once was Aelfric witnessed to use his magic in battle, whereby his fearsome command over the arcane arts had earned him the moniker of “Flamebringer”. No greater sage has come before he, and there are none who ever shall be.

**Alephan, the Scholarking**

Seen as the “Forefather of Knowledge”, records of Alephan tell tales of a wisened man travelling the world as a vagrant, seeking, finding, and sharing knowledge with all those around him. Proficient in magic himself, his most notable discovery was the ability to combine the material with the immaterial– object and magic. Inventing the ‘Law of Transmutation’, Alephan had also created a medium for which this enhancement could occur– the enchanting table. His findings and research live on to this day, serving as the basis of scholarly practice all over the world.

**Bifelgan, the Trader**

Records of Bifelgan tell of a man who rose from the dredges of society to become a travelling merchant, garnering fame for his tradework across the entire continent of Oracle. Tales of his journey resound through the realm: stories of appraisal, bargaining and innovation resulting in the generation and distribution of products never before seen. His most sought-after artefact is the ‘Mercantile Manuscript’; a text which both detailed his exact paths of trade and contained all of his extensive commercial knowledge– something worth more than the finest jewels. Bifelgan's legacy lives on today, and his name is synonymous with trade and prosperity. Many young merchants dream of emulating his success, but none can truly match the achievements of the man himself. Bifelgan, was a true legend in his own time, and his story continues to inspire to this day.

**Brand, the Thunderblade**

Second prince to the now-lost kingdom of Kenka, records of Brand tell of a tenacious and honourable swordsman famed for his undying will, fighting to end his kingdom’s endless conquest and warfare. Driven out from his homeland by his vicious and ambitious older brother, the High Prince, he sought out allies and soon amassed a force to liberate the colonies conquered by the rapidly militarised kingdom. Fiercely battling his way through Kenka’s army, he overthrew the despot, toppling the throne with a powerful strike of lightning and steel. His strength was known to be so immense, each blow of his sword sounded like a clap of thunder.

**Dohter, the Charitable**

Called “The Charitable” for her endless kindness and altruism, tales of Dohter describe her as a master of concocting medicine and healing magic, likening her apothecary work to the divine grace of the gods themselves. She demanded no price nor reward for her efforts, simply treating all those in need with a warm heart and gentle smile, before departing to the next land who required her aid. Her skills and knowledge live on today, passed down through the generations by the many she had taught. The story goes: "She had the power to save lives, more than any other…"

**Steorra, the Spiritseeker**

A mysterious figure known for her connection to a realm seemingly beyond ours, Steorra was famed for her dark, light, and spirit magic. Stories speak of an arcanist whose command of the eidolons of Oracle allowed her to tell the future, see the unseen, sense the presence of undead and identify magical items. It is rumoured that she left the continent shortly after the Battle of Sealing, leaving nothing but her cloak and stave for a worthy successor to find.

**Winnehild, the Bowmaster**

Revered by many as the “Lady of the Hunt”, Winnehild is described as a cool-headed yet passionate warrior with an affinity for nature of Oracle. Legends describe her as the greatest archer to have ever lived, capable of shooting even the fastest target with with deadly accuracy. Her keen eyesight and sharp reflexes allowed her to hunt the most elusive and dangerous beasts, earning her respect and admiration from both man and animal alike. It is heard that she passed on her skills to her children, who passed them down to heirs of their own. However, her fabled weapon, the ‘Skyfall Bow’, has been lost to time, eluding even the master adventurer and excavator Kalahan.

***~~–Kalahan’s journal–~~***

Entry #5890

…The stories are incomplete.

There was actually a ninth traveller. One who was erased in the bloody conflict know as the 'Battle of Sealing'.

The one which all eight banded together to seal away.

And according to the texts I found in those ruins, the ninth’s name was…

~~F̷̧̛͇̺̝̳̣̝̻̯́̑̆̉̄͒̉̌́̎͜i̶̙͊̓́͆n̸̡̻͚̹̟͕̣̮̩̥͔̫͉͛͒̚͜ì̵̢̨̤͍̎̓̄̍̀͝ş̶̾,̵̨͔̯̯̰͇͖̪̙̖̱̠̩̪̃̍͂̓̇́̊̃͜͝ ̸̝͕̜̺͖̥̻͕͍̜̘͖͍͑̑͑̔̽̇̄̃t̴̞̱̭̹̐̇̍̎́̓̽͝h̶̢͉̱̰̩̤̙̳̘̓̽̓̐̕̕͠͝e̷̢̡̺̞̻̘͍̭̖͈̬͙̰̘͉͆́̌͗͂̃̍̆̽̏̀͆͠ ̶̢̺̼̻̱̻̫͚͎̮͖͌͋̓̂͝S̶̛̠͙͚̯̳͙̼̬͍͎̰̫͔̲̤̿̆͂̍̎̽͒̚͠ċ̸̼͉͔͉̝̺̮͕̻̔̀̓̃̌͌̋̃ȍ̵̧̡̼̮͇͆̾͋͐͋̒̒̔̊̓̐̚͝ư̷͎̙͛̑͝͝r̵̖͉̝̻̺͙̮̦͈̹̹̮̖͗̆̏͗͐̂́͂́̀͘͜͜g̵̮͖͔̩͓͔̼̋̑̒̒̀͛̄̐͑͂̈͗͛̕̕͠ȩ̵͉̖̖̞̳̗͍̲̣̩̦̳͎̅̆̂̀̈̀̽̿̚̕.~~

Not much is known about them. Only tales of a f̵̗̬̟̾̓͆̆͑͒a̷̡̢̢̛̟̱̯͕̞̲̹͚͆͛͑̊l̴̛̗̺͊̇͌͗̓̽͗̎̈͛̍͝l̵̛̛̞͍̟͉̻̭̻̦͍̀̅̈́̇͗͒̒̎̅͝͠e̷̤͙̪͍̦̙͙̰̿͑n̸̳̔͒̔͂̔̂́͠ ̸̙̻̰̺̾͊̉͆́̍̒̓̈̏͒͗͋̄͝͠͠a̶̱̲̣̙̦̲͈̘̳̰͕͕̜̎̀̾́̃͆̏̈́̉̇̅̂̚͝n̷͔̗͚͎͉̜͇͎̭̤̑̓̑̕͜g̶̨̱͇̙͗ę̴̨̧̪̗̟̙̟̪̥̻͈̪̪͕͔̑̇̇̒̀̉͋͋͝l̷̢̛̛̛̳̎́̉̾͋̓̽̅̀̒͆̚. Only tales of darkness and night, of death and corruption.

Traces of his destruction are still left behind. Marks of the devastation and calamity he wrought. Yet, one must ask; will those scars ever fade?