The Ponderer
Magus-Tir Ponder Stibbons (a.k.a. The Ponderer)
"It is my dear friend who now ponders above the water. Brave and smart, held the lives of everything and everyone of this plane as sacred, even those who wronged him. He exchanged few words, but they each contained a lifetime. I lived his life and traveled his journeys. Perhaps one day we shall all be grateful. Perhaps day he shall return. Oh, how I yearn for a proper goodbye."
The Ponderer, formerly known as Magus-Tir Ponder Stibbons, was a wizard and member of the Conclave of Magi. He turned himself into stone during the escape and is regarded as the force responsible to the closing of the Infernal Storm.
Holy Books & Codes
The main curated collection of The Ponderer's Notes serves as both study material in various magical guilds around Edora. The Fellowship of The Ponderer follows and preserve those writings as they believe they hold the key to his return to mortal form, and to delivering mortals into a higher states of mind.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Ponderer's divine symbol is a blue sun with golden rays in a night sky, obscured by a blue tower with blue masonry and a golden crown. Followers will usually adorn a simplified version of the symbol above their cloths. Some weave or embroid the symbol into their clothes.
The Sun
The sun represent the second sun that shone bright over southern Edora during the Ponderer's escape from the vaults, shortly after sunset.
The Tower
The tower represents the fallen Ivory Tower, viewed as a punishment on the hedonist nobles of Vintia, who have become distanced from their people.
The Crown
The crown represent the meek, who the Fellowship of the Ponderer believes shall inherit the land after the downfall of the high and mighty.
The Ponderer
The Ponderer's Crest
by
Zimo
The Ponderer's holy symbol. A blue sun with golden rays behind a blue tower with golden crown.
Tenets of Faith
Fellowers of the Ponderer preserve knowledge and education above all else, even if it endanger their well being or social status. They also respect the magical arts and believe it must be free and unrestricted, as it is the godsend gift of the Ponderer to all mortals.
Followers of the Ponderer will never inflict harm knowingly on anyone, even to those who wronged them. They would also refrain from telling lies, as the truth hurt once but lies fester forever. finally, they are expected to stand by other people in times of trouble or need and will never turn a blind eye to wrong doings.
Physical Description
Identifying Characteristics
As a human, Ponder was tall and skinny, almost looking malnourished. he had two deep, clawmark looking scars that went down from his neck and disappeard in his clothes. He had a very pale complexion and perpetual bags under his eyes.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Life In The Grove
As a young boy around the age of 8, Ponder was found by a druid wandering through the Aderian forest. The boy was starving, bleeding and incapable of speech. The druid, who lived in the forest, together with her young apprentice, took the boy in and nursed him back to health.
It quickly became clear that the boy had a mind unlike any other person the druid had ever met. While the boy could not speak when he was found, by the time a year had passed, he had mastered the local Common Language, Elven, and Sylvan languages, while showing a remarkable talent for magic. Unfortunately, Ponder made a terrible druid. He was impulsive, impatient and reckless. He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and a fearlessness that bordered on self-destructive.
The Owlbear Accident
After four years with the druid, while Ponder was out gathering herbs, he encountered a monster. He had seen bears before, but this one was much bigger, covered in feathers and had an owl-like head. He could not contain his curiosity and went to take a closer look. When his teacher found him, Ponder was on the verge of death. His torso had been ripped open by the owlbear's beak, and he was covered in claw marks. The druid just barely managed to save the boy's life.
When Ponder had fully healed, the druid sent him away. The boy was entirely unsuited to life in the forest, but the druid did know that with his talent for magic and his thirst for knowledge, he would make a great mage someday. Thus, the druid gave Ponder some money and supplies, and sent him to the Conclave of Magi in Ammand.
Conclave Education
At the conclave, the same curiosity that got him into trouble in the forest served him well; and he quickly rose to be one of the top students in his class. He spent the following years in the libraries, classrooms and laboratories of the conclave, learning everything he could. He was a bit of an outcast among his peers, who looked down on him for practicing the habits he had acquired while in the forest, but his enthusiasm in class made him a favorite among his teachers. Ponder excelled in his studies and earned his 'Mage' rank; acknowledging him as a wizard who went under official Conclave training thus allowing him to be employed as one.
Ponder Stibbons as a young Wizard
Leaving Ammand
His impulsiveness and recklessness, however, did not diminish. Soon, Ponder was doing experiments on his own, and he got in trouble for performing dangerous experiments many times. The conclave did not want to risk losing such a brilliant mind, but they also could not allow his reckless experimentation to continue inside the branch, or the city. He was put under house arrest in one of the Conclave's houses in Ammand and his experiments were strictly monitored. To Ponder, this meant he could no longer learn everything he wanted to at the conclave, which in his mind left him with only one option. It was time to leave.
In the kingdom of Navara
Ponder leaves Ammand for the distant town of Taldirin, deep into the Eastern Frontier on the far side of the empire. In his travels he meets Emrys Telnarthor and the Inquisitor Kairoz Half-Elven and the three return to the city.
In Navara, Ponder, Kairoz and Emrys meet with Elistar Ariora, a changeling and a long time friend of the inquisitor. On their first day after arriving at the city Ponder loses his wizard permit and gets in trouble with the Inquisition while trying to buy a loaf of bread in the city's market. After a chase that includes a burning flying broom, several volleys of arrows and one fainted civilian he is finally arrested. Kairoz, returning home to the scene of ponder in shackles uses his leverage to free him, as he needs his help to uproot a cult that operates inside the city.
Talador and the wish
During his stay in Navara, Ponder is transported into the Astral Plane, and arrives into the realm of Talador. The god uses the spirit of Joy to lure him into meeting him, where he tricks him with a fake blessing, actually reuniting Ponder with a portion of his former powers. Talador then sends him to go look for his lost friend in the realms of Eyre, knowing full well the young mage would not be able to cross the Empty between them and would end up in the Blue Palace of Navara.
Ponder indeed did not manage to cross into Eyre's domain and landed straight inside the anti-magic throne room of the King of Navara. He was promptly incarcerated and sent to the dungeons. While locked up, ponder manages to awake some of his powers and unlocks the dungeon doors, releasing all the prisoners inside, providing him with a way to escape. The situation quickly becomes a terrible mess and Ponder is transported away once more. On his return he wishes the events of today would not affect anyone but himself. His wish is granted and he returns back to his room under Laughing Kate.
The Culling of Northriver
The next few days become a painful reminder to the adverse effects of excessive use of powerful magic, as ponder suffers a slight case of Wishisitis. Nonetheless, he agrees to escort Emrys and his mentor, Felix Feininger to a meeting with some sun-elves in Northriver. The meeting is discovered to be an ambush laid by the unknown cult, Felix betrays the group and leaves them to fend off the abominations that roam the streets. The group barely manages to clear their way towards the city gates when a terrible sound brings everyone to their knees.
Studying in Darseras
Ponder wake up 3 days later sitting next to a table in an unknown inn along with Elistar and Emrys. A mysterious figure reveals to him that the two are about to die and that he must make his escape from the inn. The two are indeed killed immediately after, Ponder manages to go out unscathed and find out he is in East Hollow, in the Kingdom of Southern Amarris. A messenger quickly find him and invites him to study in the White Diamond Tower on the Isle of Darseras in order to achieve his Magus title. The confused Ponder agrees, becoming the youngest person ever to be permitted to study.
After being the fastest human to ever finish their Consternation, Ponder is appointed as an apprentice under Magus-Tir Rymir of the Council of Dragons and start his first year in Darseras. During his studies he met with Magus-Tir Maira Von Fritz, who would later leave the conclave in the form the Fellowship of the Ponderer. He also met with Venadora, who would proceed to form the Dragonguard after the incident in Vintia.
Visiting in Vintia
As he was advised by Venadora, Ponder decide to spend the Days of Non-Magic in Vintia staying at her apartment in the Ivory Towers . Born in Ader, he didn't venture outside the empire before. Ponder was not accustomed to the magic being openly displayed in the streets and was immediately captivated by the city.
On the eve of the 4th of Erlwin, Ponder accompanies two ladies to a ball in a nearby town. Unbeknown to him, the other passengers are actually the Queen of Vintia, Alexia Von Grieft and her right hand and instead of a ball, they are smuggling the queen to a safehouse in the outskirts.
The convoy was attacked by the Vexian Crows who were contracted by the family of the queen's Spellmaster. Emrys turns out to be alive, and tries to kill Ponder with the help of another assassin. Ponder's mystical forces awoken during the fight and he exploded. Decimating the surrounding outskirts in a 3 km radius, turning them into a 50 feet deep crater. Forces that were sent to retrieve the queen found them eventually and returned the three to the Marble Palace. The three formed a connection, sharing their entire life experience up to that point. Bethany would later join the Fellowship of the Ponderer and would write his biography based on these newly shared experiences.
The next morning, Ponder burns a hole through the palace roof as his mind is transported to The Tower where he meets with Bartholomew Lorewise. Lorewise tells ponder about his origin, reveling to him he is a Traveler, and a god. The creator of his shard, bound into a shell of his creation. When Ponder returned to the palace, he was appointed as the new court mage of the Vintian Imperium. He had to fight an exceptionaly large mimic in order to clear his predecessor's office, displaying a terrifying power according to eye witnesses. Later, he went to visit the Grand Library of Vintia to learn more about his new duties. He was given a tour of the building, during which he was led into the underground anti-magic vaults by the chief-librarian, Toverti Jesiniari.
The Escape
On the eve of the 5th of Earlwin second sun began to shine in the sky, washing the entirety of southern Edora with a faint blue light. Later the Imperium would disclose that the phenomena was related to the events that occurred the day before. About an hour after sunset an earthquake started the shake the city as Ponder blew his way out of the vault. The explosion was so big it immediately pulverized the City's eastern, and much wealthier, side. One of the famous Ivory Towers of Vintia, up until then presumed indestructible, has collapsed and the Darsal Sea rushed into the rubble. Most of the city's nobility was staying in the city for the Days of Non-Magic, and very few of them survived. By the time the city's many wizards have managed to reach Ponder he was already turned into stone. There have been several attempts to move, or even destroy him completely since then, none have succeed and some even proved lethal. The Conclave of Magi declared him banned and revoked his titles, but not before confiscating all of his belongings and assets. Ponder's unique Spellbook remains unaccounted for. Eventually the city continued its life around him. A new harbor was built where the former district was and several traditions formed around the statue.
The Fellowship
Two years after the Escape, Maira Von Fritz returns to Vintia from her expedition to Southern Amadels. She begins to study the statue and invite Loddvir Bessel, Ponder's childhood friend who became a famous enchanter. The two meets with Bethany Lidori and with her help found the Fellowship of the Ponderer, the organization would devote itself to study the statue and to rebuild the city.
The organization discovered a connection between the statue, the Weave and the Infernal Storm and managed to prove that it slowly, but consistently, slows it down to a halt. In a single decade the storm was all but gone, much to the relief of the Dragonguard, who were they only ones capable of combating the demons routinely crashing down through its center. Following this discovery, the Conclave reinstated The Ponderer's titles, and granted him the title of honorary Magus-Tir. His belongings where not returned, despite several requests made by the Vintian Museum of Magical Heritage.
Awakening
In the 22nd of Midspri, 1572 The Ponderer's statue suddenly and without warning crumbled to dust. Mass panics quickly ensued throught the Imperial Lands and the Darsal Crest, as people speculated the end-times where upon them. In the 10th of Latspri, The gold dragon Venadora announced she has found the Ponderer and that "mortals of the Prime Material Realm can rest assured he is well, bares no ill intents, and would return in the near future." Vendora refused to name dates or even specific time frames for the Ponderer's return, citing she can not make such predictions in the name of the deity. In response, interest in the Ponderer and his teachings began to soar again after being somewhat stagnant during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.Education
Mage of the Conclave
Ponder has completed the rigorous training and studies required to achieve the rank of Mage. He excelled in both Enchantment and Conjuration and continued his research in Ammand, before leaving to continue his research outside of the city.Magus of the Conclave
Ponder is the youngest human to earn the rank of Magus he was also the fastest human to ever finish his Consternation. While studying he achieved 89% of his academic duties, attending nearly every lecture that was available and did not conflict.Honorary Magus-Tir
After restoring his title, the Conclave of Magi declared Ponder as an honorary Magus-Tir.Social
Contacts & Relations
Beside his classmate and best friend Loddvir Bessel, Ponder has little friends and no family to speak of.
While living in the forest he was under the care of Ightend Yinrieth, who was both a teacher and a somewhat parental figure.
Ightend's apprantice, Corelin, was his closest friend but the two haven't met since Ponder left for Ammand.
Most of the teachers in Ammand's branch of the Conclave remember Ponder fondly, even if a little foolhardy. His conjuration teacher, Zachary Barrington, even offered him the position of tutor in his course; An offer ponder has yet to accept as it leave little time for his experiments.
Social Aptitude
Ponder is a bit of a loner and often prefers to be left to his studies. If you have something to teach him though, you will find him a very enthusiastic listener.
Mannerisms
While some aspects of growing in the woods have remained, Ponder is mostly civilized. His odd remarks and tendency to inspect one's anatomy and features have sometimes led others to regard him as rude, he has yet to grasp the concept of personal space
Hobbies & Pets
Ponder's has a loyal raven named Hex as a familiar. The winged companion follows the wizard wherever he goes and follows his orders. Hex appears to have a better grasp of civilization than Ponder does.
Current Date: 2nd of Latsum, 1572
Divine Classification
Religions
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Realm
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Currently Held Titles
Date of Birth
Unknown
Year of Birth
1181 AC
391 Years old
Birthplace
Unknown
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
6,5
Weight
150
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Related Myths
Ruled Locations
