Zakhar Kitaev
Prologue
Many of my ancestors were members of the Mystic Assembly. It has long been a family tradition that the most magically talented children become curators and researchers when they've proved themselves ready. The submersion of the island and our migration to the Silothreni lands changed all of that. Most of the curators abandoned their purpose when the museum was no longer accessible, but my father and a few others felt that their responsibility continued. Although the Mystic Assembly was all but dissolved, my father made me as much of a part of it as he could. He has given our ancestors' most sacred secrets and given me the charge to protect them until the Mystic Assembly is reorganized.
Phoenix
I spent several years in House Dagan. Sylwith is close to our tongue and many of the Silothreni traditions are very similar to ours. It seemed like a reasonable place to live. However, there was one serious drawback; we were regarded as the Wyred, second class citizens that consisted entirely of magic-users. If we were to continue our research in the land, we would be forced to do so in a large supervised structure known as the labyrinth. I think that's largely part of why my father gave me our ancestors' records. He felt that being an official member of the Mystic Assembly required that he stay with the majority of our people and work to find a new home for us. Me? I was never officially made a member. I was only thirteen when the island sank.
When I was old enough, I decided to head to Phoenix with several other Aerinal, the magic capital of the entire known land. It seemed like the best place to go to study my family's secrets. I was mostly right, too. I was allowed a great deal of privacy to study the ancient magics and even practice them, so long as they didn't cause any problems. Eventually, in order to provide myself with more access to the resources of Phoenix, I decided to become a citizen.
My ancestors' magic proved to be extremely difficult to perform and very exhausting. I think it left me a bit susceptible because, looking back on it, what I decided to do is a bit distasteful. I became involved with a group that researched modifying the physical body using elemental and other magical essences.
Experimentation
Shortly after getting involved with the research, the entire group and I went through a portal to a city in the Suul Empire. That's when I learned how despicable the research really was that I was doing. The Suul mages performed several experiments on their slaves to see what kind of results they could get. It helped further along the research, but the pain the slaves endured was immense. Most of them couldn't even survive the process. Those that did suffered from all manner of illness and torture and were eventually executed.
Although I didn't like seeing the subjects endure what they did, I couldn't just stop. We were learning so much! Continuing the research might eventually leave me a way to discover how I can perform my ancestors' magic without leaving me exhausted. However, I did eventually become the first volunteer subject. I felt that doing so justified my actions. After all, if I was willing to go through what I helped to make others experience, it was ok, right? I was wrong. No one should ever endure the degree of torture I experienced.
Byzeris
I'm not exactly sure of all the details, as I was very weak and confined to my room, but the Suul city in which we were conducting our research was completely sacked. A Celestine resistance group that had been conquered in the last decade or so, managed to release some strange magical plague on the city that left it almost defenseless. Shortly after the plague took effect, they marched in and slaughtered every Suul there. Many of the subjects of our experiments were rescued. I was among them, assumed to be a prisoner like them.
We were taken to a rebel-owned city called Byzeris. I've had a few months to reflect since coming here. I learned a lot from my research and I'm definitely not going to abandon the knowledge I obtained, but I'll never take part in such work again.
I recently learned that there's a mercenary group made up of some of surviving subjects. Rumor has it that they've each acquired some special powers from the experiments. I think I'll join them so I can study the long term effects. They shouldn't recognize me. I never took part in performing the actual experiments. Furthermore, I was always careful to make sure I was concealed using illusions.
Important NPCs
Anzhela Karataev
A female Aerinal mage that formally administrates what's left of the Mystic Assembly. Anzhela has what many Aerinal would say to be very angelic and beautiful features, representative of her name, which means "Angel" in her tongue. Further complimenting her name, she's known to be very calm and kind. She also has a strong sense of tradition.
Artem Kitaev
Zakhar's younger brother by two years, Artem, is extremely stubborn and strong-willed. Like the rest of his family, he frequently develops his magical talent. His skills, magical and mundane, are primarily focused on dealing with communication. He has always been fairly charismatic and politically-minded.
Kirill Kitaev
Zakhar's father and one of the few members of the Mystic Assembly that still conducts research in its behalf. Kirill, is deep-thinking, traditional, and very logical. He gave Zakhar all of their ancestors' private magical research with the hopes of protecting it from the strict and controlling Silothreni government. He feels it contains secrets too powerful to be allowed to become a part of the Mystic Assembly's public archive, let alone that of the Silothreni labyrinth.
Sergei Chesnokov
A friend of Zakhar and one of the Aerinal that went with him to Phoenix. Sergei comes from a line of well known Aerinal artists, craftsman, and enchanters. Phoenix caught his attention when he learned of the vast libraries and resources available to citizens.
Taras Malikov
A rival of Zakhar and one of the Aerinal that went with him to Phoenix. Taras is an elementalist that was intrigued by Phoenix the moment he heard about it; first by the name and second by it's known purpose to expand magic. The name he found interesting because he has always dreamed of finding a legendary phoenix since he was a child.
Vera Kitaev
Zakhar's mother and a childhood friend of Anzhela Karataev. She also joined the Mystic Assembly, where she met Zakhar's father, but never was a very prominent member of the organization. She supports Kirill in his research, but conducts none of her own.
Veronika Kitaev
Zakhar's younger sister by four years and an enthusiast for magic. If she were older, she might have gone with Zakhar to Phoenix. Veronika, like her older brother Artem, is also fairly charismatic. She aspires to become a respected member of the Mystic Assembly and, one day, succeed Anzhela.
Organizations
Mystic Assembly
An organization of Aerinal mage scholars dedicated to studying and expanding magic. It was never formally disbanded but its structure mostly collapsed when the Aerinal were forced to leave their island. Under the direction of Anzhela Karataev, some of the more dedicated members of the organization continue to research and develop magic in the Silothreni and Sierranai lands.