ELDRIC RUNE-BINDER
FrostbornMaster Runecrafter and Teacher
"Every rune is a promise - to the ice, to the spirits, to yourself. Break that promise, and the rune breaks you.""
Identity
- Residence
- Frosthold - Rune Academy
- Civilization
- Frostborn
Appearance
• Physical: Stooped with age but still imposing at 6'2". His translucent skin is so pale it's nearly colorless, making the blue runes tattooed across his arms and chest appear to float. His white beard is braided with rune-stones that softly glow in cold temperatures. • Clothing: Wears heavy robes of white bear fur lined with silk traded from distant lands. His fingers are permanently ink-stained from decades of rune-work, and he wears rings carved from glacier ice on every finger. • Distinguishing Marks: His eyes are completely white - blind from a rune-crafting accident thirty years ago, yet he "sees" through runic perception.
Relationships
- Family - Never married; considers all his students his children. His actual niece, Sigrid (NPC #56), is his only blood family.
- Allies - Chief Councilor Hrothgar (NPC #8), who values his counsel; Shaman Yrsa (NPC #12), with whom he discusses spiritual runes.
- Rivals - Runecrafter Njal (NPC #41), who advocates for more aggressive runic weaponry.
Personality
- Traits: Patient to a fault, cryptic in speech, deeply traditional, unexpectedly humorous
- Mannerisms: Traces runes in the air while speaking, pauses to "listen" to the magical resonance of any room he enters, taps his rings together when thinking.
- Voice: Soft and melodic, with the cadence of someone reciting ancient texts. Often speaks in riddles or metaphors.
Backstory
Eldric was the youngest master runecrafter in three centuries when he attempted to bind a rune of true sight. The ritual blinded his physical eyes but opened his perception to the magical weave of reality. He has since trained over two hundred runecrafters and created the wards that protect Frosthold from the harshest storms.
Daily Life
Eldric teaches advanced runecraft at the Academy, spending mornings in meditation, afternoons with students, and evenings in his workshop creating new runic combinations. He rarely sleeps, claiming the runes whisper to him in the dark hours.
Secret
Eldric discovered a rune of absolute zero that could freeze anything instantly, including living beings. He destroyed his notes but fears he remembers too much. Nightmares of its use haunt him.
Story Hooks
- 1 A student has gone missing after discovering Eldric's hidden notes on forbidden runes; he needs discreet help finding them before they hurt themselves or others.
- 2 The wards protecting Frosthold are failing in a specific pattern; Eldric believes someone is sabotaging them and needs investigators.
Narrative Value
Mentor for magical characters, source of runic knowledge and lore, quest giver for magical mysteries, wise advisor with cryptic guidance. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════