The Lore of Archmagus Soran of the Arctic
Born to high-placed red wizards in the Capital, Soran was raised among the systems of privilege and power found there.
As expected, Soran’s parents ensured that he received admission to the best wizarding school in the Capital. Although specific magic spells cannot be taught, the mentors at the school work with the students to help them discover their inborn talents and affinities, and potentially, unlock the power of a Rune. Unfortunately for Soran, he did not appear to have much in the way of inborn magical ability. And no Runes were forthcoming.
However, Soran did discover another talent - the ability to network, scheme, and maneuver in order to achieve his goals. He purchased a “bag of tricks” from an artificer to enhance his ability to adapt to any situation. This, combined with his family’s influence and connections, allowed him to graduate from the school with honors. In his senior yearbook, he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed in a Non-Magical Realm.” He decided to take that as a compliment. Soon afterward, he was hired to Capital Resources, LLC, one of the largest wizard-owned corporations in the land.
Capital Resources’ primary business is to survey the land, locate important stores of magical resources, and extract those resources for sale. Certain magical schools in particular, such as alchemy and artificing, rely on such ingredients. Soran found that he was adept at figuring out likely locations for resources, organizing exploratory expeditions, and ensuring that local interests did not get in the way of resource harvesting and extraction.
Soran possesses a keen eye for reading a situation and knowing the appropriate strategic move. This came into play during his stint as head supervisor at the CR cinnabar mine at an undisclosed location. Soran fostered the conditions for maximum cinnabar extraction while also minimizing costs, and his balance sheet looked excellent. However, he knew the rate of miner turnover (through fatalities, not quitters, the debt-inducing miner contracts ensured that) and the excessive depth of the mines would lead to disaster soon. Soran secured a transfer mere weeks before the mines collapsed through a mysterious lava eruption. Soran’s replacement didn’t survive the incident.
As a result of his efforts, Soran has recently been promoted from Magus to Archmagus (the standard career path for wizards in Capital Resources). Still, this amounts to middle management, and Soran is not satisfied. However, this resourceful wizard believes his current project is really going to make him stand out to the higher-ups. Donning his tundra wear and calling his snake familiar (purchased from a poacher during another project in a tropical region), he headed north.
Acquiring alchemical minerals and phoenix feathers is all well and good, but magical energy is where the real money is. In the Expanse, Soran discovered vast stores of magical energy, trapped in the ice. By thawing the ice, the energy could be extracted and sold. True, the process gradually turned the ice into a sea, but that seemed an acceptable loss - Soran figured the polar bears and nomadic tribes had plenty of time to move elsewhere.
Everything was going swimmingly, and Soran anticipated a call from the Capital any day now, announcing his promotion to Sage and a corner office at headquarters. However, one evening, as Soran worked after hours to finish up some accounting, a pair of wraiths appeared at the door to his office.
The next day, the plant workers could not find any trace of Soran. There were no signs of foul play. Only a small card on his desk, with a Rune of Cinnabar drawn on it in red ink.
Soran better get himself out of whatever predicament he’s in, or the head office will not be pleased…
(to be continued)
Entered by: 0x380B…9229 and preserved on chain (see transaction)
