The great mage masters power by knowing much and revealing little.
Once one of the greatest Nexi to have ever lived, Polinore has been ousted from the higher circles of the Conclave, but his ascent to power is not yet over. To the surprise of his bitter rivals, the Archivist seems almost eager to risk his life as a Seeker, helming expeditions into the Malediction. All watch him from afar, wondering: what could he be scheming next?
About the Seeker
History
Goals
Legacy
A man blessed with charm and intelligence in equal measure, Polinore was once the most promising—albeit unruly—apprentice the Conclave had ever known. Due to his prodigious magical skills, he was soon allowed to face the Gaze of Molech, the last test to confirm him as a Master of the Conclave. To stand before the Molech Oracle, source of all Liastrum, to draw from and control it, was a test many did not survive. Polinore would return, alive but forever changed. Gone was his once joyful demeanor, replaced by a stark and haunted facade. Whatever terrible thing he had witnessed, he would never speak of it.
All thought him mad when he decided to journey into the Malediction himself, instead of waiting for the time when his influence would be great enout to send agents in his stead. Polinore, however, returned wielding a Legacy of great power, the Runefold Gauntlet. In the years that followed, every risk he took paid off, and his quick ascension made him the obvious successor for role of Keeper of the Molech Oracle. This came at a cost: power-hungry eyes peered at him from all directions, biding their time to strike. When his apprentice, Londriel, stepped forth to denounce the corruption of the Conclave, those eyes found their opportunity. Both master and pupil were charged with manufactured accusations, leading to Polinore’s downfall and Londriel’s exile.
As punishment, the Council of the Nexi stripped Polinore of his role as Keeper and demoted him to a bureaucratic position of little political power. He would become the Prime Archivist, overseeing the return of expeditions from the Malediction and logging their discoveries. Polinore, however, had cleverly maneuvered himself to be closer to the Relics, using his privileged access to control the flow of information about them, and through this, the flow of power to Quinvala. His peers now feared Polinore could break the Balance of the Spheres, but greed has seldom clouded Polinore’s mind.
Through all his machinations, Polinore kept many a secret, but none so terrible as his failing at the Gaze of Molech, having been saved only by the intervention of the artifact itself, which showed him a grim truth: the Oracle is incomplete and on the verge of collapse. Now, Polinore is the Vestige's chosen, its sole protector, imbued with the mission to uncover its pieces and make it whole, albeit ignorant of what will come to pass once this mission is achieved.
As much as Polinore came to despise the political machinations within Quinvala, the truth is that nobody embodies the Conclave’s ways better than the archivist. His hunger for power and for knowledge is unmatched, and he is cold, calculating and effective in his methods. Polinore understands that people care about any given thing just as much as it benefits them and no more. He knows this song, and through meticulous planning and inscrutable schemes he can make people dance to his tune quite well. The broken nature of the Molech Oracle is seen by Polinore as an obstacle only he can overcome. He will never abandon this goal, for this would be an admittance that all he has sacrificed for power was in vain.
Only a fool would try to brave the Malediction when so many more experienced mages had failed. Why risk one’s own life when apprentices and mercenaries can perform the same work at no great expense but the lives of paltry pawns? Polinore might have been a prodigy as a student, but he had only recently been recognized as a master, and this was too much, even for him. Many rejoiced at the possibility of seeing a young and smug Polinore fail for his own vanity. However, to the consternation of many, Polinore returned, wielding a new gauntlet of ancient construction and of unmistakable power, marking his victory. This feat allowed him to quickly ascend the ranks of the Conclave and become the Nexi of his own Sphere.
The Runefold Gauntlet allows Polinore to manipulate Liastrum with such potency and refinement of the artifact that the taint of liastrum stopped spreading through Polinore’s skin, the corruption held at bay by the Legacy. Its ancient patterns indicate this tool was one of the first prototypes of these items, now so vital for any Conclave Mage. There are few mentions of this Legacy in the archives, but the ones that exist reveal that it was crafted by Molech himself, using the soul of an extremely skilled Erysir, who was the most prodigious apprentice of the Everlasting. It is said that Molech wept at the loss of a pupil of such promise that one day could have proved his equal. The Serpent of Logic shedding a tear at all makes the story at once awe-inspiring and doubtful to have ever happened.
Some have witnessed the legacy shimmer, as it evokes the power of magic it has witnessed, be it a spell cast by Polinore or by his opponents. Beyond that, the gauntlet seems to record information through some unknown method, sharing it with its bearer alone. Polinore took years to truly master the Runefold Gauntlet, discovering that, through its connection to the Molech Oracle, the Legacy can give him glimpses of the near future. Just enough to allow him to pick the best approach to a situation, a tactical advantage that has saved his life many times in battle.
Short Storys
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Story
Conclave of the Spheres
Bathed by the waters of the eastern shores of Selejia, the Isles of Quinvala are home to the Conclave of the Spheres. These are the wielders of liastrum magic and keepers of the Molech Oracle, a relic that dates back to the time of the Everlasting. The history of the Conclave is inextricably linked to […]
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east
Story
The Everlasting and the Relics
In an age long since past, the Everlasting, divine beings of unfathomable power, descended to the world of Agnar from their celestial realm. First, they created great tools with which to shape reality and anchor the chaotic primordial state of the world into one of their liking. These were the Everlasting Relics. To ensure that their grand vision for the world would come to pass, even in their absence, these gods decided to imbue mortal beings with part of their power and knowledge.
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east
Story
The Fall and the Malediction
In the last years of the Age of Relics, a great alliance arose against the Astarians between all the remaining kingdoms of the world. Osterath was besieged, and the combined might of their enemies, and the betrayal of the Erisyr and Oerikan people, who had joined the empire, proved too much for the great city. […]
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east
