Alleyverse Character Discussion

[AonEne he/him]

6 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

You know, I kinda assumed that the troublemakers and criminals being close to if not occasionally more powerful than the law bringers mean that law enforcement (at least in some parts of the city, such as the poorer areas) are not very effective at their job.

I mean, I would assume places like the Sphere are much safer, as Radiants are going to be by and large law abiding.

I don't think they're necessarily super effective! I don't think they're entirely incompetent, they'd have magic like everyone else, but I think guild enforcement and vigilante justice are both at least equally as common. I just think they wouldn't be that level of incompetent. 

I'd say most Radiants are more inclined to be good people, but that doesn't have to mean law-abiding! I mean, I'm a Skybreaker type myself, but I know lots of people aren't lol and I can easily see any number of other orders breaking the law left and right. But like, I see your point that law-abiding would probably match up with good people, here. 

[AonEne he/him]

15 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Merits: his major merit is being a second ideal stoneward. he also has a high effeshency at using stormlight as if he was at the 5th ideal. This means that he would be able to do a lot more with less stormlight. so we know that kalidin started using less and less stormlight to power his flight it would be something like that. i would be able to do a lot of things with less stormlight

I'm curious why he's as efficient as a 5th Ideal Radiant if he's on 2nd? 

[Longshot97 he/him]

I am making a character, and would appreciate some feedback. Especially, I worry that my character is a) too overpowered---the merits feel odd---or b) too much of a lone-wolf. Really, any and all feedback is very much welcome.

Quote

Name:
Eighth of the Eve

Appearance:
A withdrawn man in his late twenties, pitch-black eyes, and shoulder-length hair with colorful plumes woven in. Currently wears muted Idrian clothing, with the only clothing from his home being a leather tracker’s coat. Strewn about his person are a collection of tools he has acquired in his travels.

Affiliations:
Eighth currently works for no one and is in debt to no one.

Personality:
As a person, Eighth struggles with the traditional expectations placed on an Eelakin tracker. He enjoys poetry and song, but can hardly indulge in either on the Pantheon. His niece longed to become a tracker—for Patji, no less—and he was forced to turn her down, a choice that drove a wedge between them.
This came to a head after falling in love with an outsider. Eighth chose to marry Elmina Smedry, and before he could come to terms with that choice, he was ripped away from home. Eighth currently believes Patji could not stomach a heretic priest for one of His Children, and thus banished him from First of the Sun. As such, he tries his best to model the Eelakin ideal, even after being forced to collect tools along his travels to ensure his survival.

Concept:
A confused intergalactic exile trying to get home.

Motivation:
In the short term, he currently seeks to embody the Eelakin ideal.
In the long term, Eighth is trying to find his way back home. On one level, he longs to return to First of the Sun. At the same time, he yearns to reunite with his wife.

Merits:
Eelakin tracking (Major)
Aviar-granted reflexes (Normal)
Rtich motivator (Normal)
Detritian light-line (Minor)
Unsealed ironmind (Minor)
Zinkall (Minor)

Flaws:
Smedry Talent: Getting lost in daydreams
 - Practically, teleportation, especially to other worlds
 - Uncontrollable, given his a) lack of understanding and b) zero experience
Eelakin Traditions:
 - Avoids overly advanced tech
 - Eschews speech as much as possible
Alleyverse Newbie:
 - Little Cosmere knowledge (except for First of the Sun)
 - Practically no Cytoverse knowledge
 - Nearly zero Reckonerverse knowledge
 - Amusingly, almost no Free Kingdom knowledge
 - Zero Rithmatist knowledge

Relationships:
Elmina Smedry - Wife
 - Loves her, sincerely
 - Hasn't seen her since his "exile" from the Drominad system
 - Keeps catching glimpses of her as he worldhops
 - Convinced she is also offworld
Fourth of the Noon - Niece
 - Favorite relative (non-romantic, obviously)
 - Turned down her request to learn tracking
 - Since his "exile" regrets his actions

Home Planet: 
First of the Sun

Current Residence: 
Wherever is most convenient. Currently, he beds down in the Corridor.

Backstory: 
Born as the eighth child in a large family, Eighth of the Eve sought to distinguish himself (if only unconsciously) from his dozen siblings. He did his best to be the ideal Eelakin child. Despite his love of words and poetry, he maintained an impenetrable silence. He had raised several birds by the age of seven (not Aviar, obviously), was an unparalleled swimmer, and excellent. He managed to convince his uncle to train him a full year earlier than most, and completed his training swiftly. While on an expedition in Lokui, he found an injured Aviar chick, whom he nursed back to health. He would eventually take the chick to Patji with his uncle, and when the time came to choose his island, he once more returned to Lokui.

Eighth did well as a trapper, helping to support his family. He took on a few apprentices, but was forced to reject his beloved niece. She withdrew, hurt, but he knew the unspoken rules. He even brought her an Aviar chick by way of apology, but she still refused to speak with him. Indeed, he grew rather distant from much of his family.

One day, while making his rounds of Lokui, he found one of his traps triggered not by a fellow trapper, but by a young women with strange clothing, odd glasses, and otherworldly features. He rescued her and safely escorted her back to a safecamp, pausing to save her from deadly threats no less than seven times. He nursed her back to health over the course of several weeks, in which time the two came to know each other. She was entranced by the capability and kindness Eighth displayed. He loved her for her way with words and her honesty, among other things. And so, after much internal debate, Eighth proposed to her, and she accepted.

The two married on the shores of Lokui. For once, his family accepted his invitation, and came to witness the marriage. No one seems to care for the tradition Eighth spited that day, though a few trappers muttered darkly. The time came, and for some reason, the woman insisted on giving Eighth a ring, rather than a ring. Amused, Eighth held out his hand. The moment Elmina Smedry placed the ring on his finger, however, everything went wrong.

Eighth was ripped from First of the Sun. He had a vague sense of seeing numerous worlds, near enough to touch yet impossibly distant. Finally, he fell, and as though startling awake from a daydream, he came to his senses in a strange world. A world of tunnels and endless rock, infested with oddly mute meeks, with strange pockets of civilization sprinkled throughout. Odd ships sailed the skies there, though the sky itself seemed to be underground.

Thus began the series of intergalactic jumps Eighth of the Eve experienced. He left that world of caverns with a strange bracelet, capable of producing endless amounts of seemingly unbreakable rope (which glowed, of all things). This would come to set the pattern for Eighth. Just as he made progress in one world, he would find himself awakening in some ungodly land, where the sand might be white, or little gods tried to kill each other, or odd ships flew on metals. Yes, metals.

Eventually, the interplanetary hops grew less frequent, and Eighth was able to make progress. In his travels, he had determined that only Patji could have been responsible for his exile. For that was what it was, exile. He was being thrust further and further from the Pantheon, and was now far enough that Patji had lessened its punishment. By violating tradition, Eighth had doomed himself to never again return to the Children of Patji.

Still, he tries to make it home. Tries to find his wife, whom he's caught but glimpses of throughout his travels. Tries to be a better Eelakin, worthy of returning home. Even now, cast far from the Drominad system, in search of the love of his life, he tries to maintain the face of a traditional Eelakin tracker. At the same time, he recognizes the need for allies, and so walks the thin line of necessary interaction and traditional solitude. A man of contradictions, Eighth is.

Loose Ends:
Eighth still has yet to reunite with his wife, someone he dearly loves.
By marrying an outsider, he has broken tradition, reflective of a broader conflict within him of traditionalism versus progressiveness.
Still hasn't made it home.
Keeps spotting Elmina Smedry as he worldhops, but is unable to meet her.

Edited May 2, 2024 by Longshot97

[Koloss17 She/They]

5 hours ago, Longshot97 said:

I am making a character, and would appreciate some feedback. Especially, I worry that my character is a) too overpowered---the merits feel odd---or b) too much of a lone-wolf. Really, any and all feedback is very much welcome.

Hmmm. It is certainly an interesting concept! I generally like it a lot. The only issue I can spot with it is that loner aspect of the character. However, that can be overcome if there is some reason for him to be engaged in the plot.

 

Actually, there might be a way for me to lock your character in the Alleyverse that would be plot relevant, if you would be interested…

That could both solve the problem of not socializing (as he would have to get to the bottom of what’s going on with his power before he can actually escape), as well as giving him something to work towards past just leaving the Alleyverse. 
 

If you’re interested, I can go into more depth in PMs

Edited May 2, 2024 by Koloss17

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

45 minutes ago, Koloss17 said:

Actually, there might be a way for me to lock your character in the Alleyverse that would be plot relevant, if you would be interested…

We’re you thinking about our subplot 

[Koloss17 She/They]

6 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

We’re you thinking about our subplot 

No, more of the mysterious being that is influencing Perses

[Longshot97 he/him]

I was bored, so I wrote out a character sheet for the wife of this guy, Eighth of the Eve. I don't currently plan on playing this character, I did it more for the fun of it. As such, feel free to read if you're interested, but it's nothing important.

Quote

Name
Elmina Smedry

Appearance
Roughly 5’6, of average weight and build, with red hair and hazel eyes. Wore a Free Kingdomer tunic, trousers, and skirt as her “escape outfit.” Since then, she has been outfitted in Eelakin linens and leathers. Often can be seen with pink-tinted Oculator’s Lenses. Still bears some jewelry she has yet to sell, though finally got smart enough to conceal most of it.

Affiliations
Elmina was associated with the Nalhallen court, though voluntarily distances herself. If she so chose, she would be welcomed back, but currently avoids the Free Kingdoms and any residents.
The Eelakin people as a whole grew distrusting of Elmina (following the disappearance of Eighth). However, Eighth’s family still adores her, and sheltered her for a time before she departed in search of Eighth.

Personality
Elmina Smedry is a brash, rebellious personality. Having been raised among royalty, there is a level of arrogance. She tends to want to help those beneath her, who she sometimes assumes to mean all people. She chafes at the thought of anyone being above her in authority, and though she has gotten better, she still struggles. Elmina is very poor at disguising how she feels, despite her time in politics. She very much dislikes the idea of nobility and ruling classes, preferring people who try to help the masses more honestly.

Concept
A noblewoman-turned-altruist.

Motivation 
Long-Term
- Wants to make a difference in the world
Short-Term
- Trying to rescue her husband, wherever he is

Merits
Major
 - Smedry talent (daydreaming)
Normal
 - Aviar-granted reflexes
 - Oculator
    - Oculator's Lenses
    - Tracker's Lenses
    - Disguiser's Lenses
    - Warrior's Lenses
    - Windstormer's Lenses
Minor
 - Noble education and training
 - Glassweave tunic
 - Social competency

Flaws
 - Issues with authority
 - Sometimes haughty and arrogant
 - Very unpracticed at combat
 - Not quite gullible, but naive.

Relationships
Eighth of the Eve - Husband
Fourth of the Fall - Niece
Asylum Smedry - None currently, might change with RP.
 - Asylum is not an Oculator, so if they were related, they would be cousins, or perhaps an aunt-nephew/uncle-niece dynamic.
 - Of note, Eighth still keeps the ring Elmina gave him on a cord around his neck…a very recognizable ring...=D

Home Planet
Elmina Smedry hails from the Free Kingdoms of Alcatraz-Earth, where she is the result of the unification of the Dartmoors and the Smedrys (though she tends to favor her Dartmoor side).

Current Residence
She stays at the Bindpoint, because it reminds her of home. She does not, however, have enough money to remain there much longer. She stays at a nonspecific upscale hotel. (Side point: I realized while making this character that there is no Free Kingdom/Alcatraz district).

Backstory
Elmina Smedry was born some time after the events of Bastille vs. The Evil Librarians. She is a later descendant of Alcatraz and Bastille, though NOT next in line for the Dartmoor crown. 

At a young age, Elmina felt smothered by the court, simultaneously hating the restrictions on her life and how little she herself could do. The fact that Nalhalla was virtually a paradise did not help matters. She wanted to make a difference in the world. She wanted to be a noble who could truly help those in need. 

This led to Elmina growing with few good feelings towards the Nalhallen court. It did not help matters that she was one of—if not the most eligible bachelorette of the Free Kingdoms. Partly out of disgust for the court, and partly out of spite, Elmina refused to marry.

This went on under the disapproving eyes of her parents, who were embarrassed at their daughter’s behavior. After years of preventing her from selling priceless heirlooms to fund distant orphanages, catching her mingling with the peasantry, dragging her back to the castle, and much more, they had finally had enough. On her twenty-third year, they demanded she marry, for the good of the crown. Rather than confronting and selecting from a choice of suitors, Elmina ran off. 

Her parents were not altogether surprised. Elmina led the court on a merry chase through the Five Kingdoms. She had little concrete experience in living away from court, and so it was not terribly difficult to follow her. It became a bit of a game, lasting a full month, ending somewhere on the northern tip of Dino Land. At this point, Elmina had nowhere left to go. And so—in a last-ditch effort—Elmina jumped off the continent to the ocean below, engaging her Talent with all her might.

She awoke in mid-air, some two hundred feet above what appeared to be the Mokian Isles. Thankfully, she had appeared above a landmass, and used a pair of Windstormer’s Lenses to slow her fall.

She was unpleasantly surprised to be swept up by a net the minute she landed. She hadn’t even done anything. She’d seen a colorful feather, and thinking nothing of it, plucked it from a nearby tree. She couldn’t reach her lenses, and her Talent was exhausted. She was trapped.

Hours after she had given up calling for help, a strange man appeared from the jungle. He had vaguely Mokian features, if taller and more slender than any Mokian she had ever seen. He was actually wearing pants, strangely enough. In fact, his clothes were odd. Two brightly colored birds followed him through the trees.

She sighed, resigned to her fate. Her parents had made sure every Free Kingdomer knew her face. Further, her Lenses gave her away as an Oculator. One last time, she tried to daydream, but her Talent was still recovering. She was caught.

And why was that Mokian staring like he’d never seen a Nalhallen before?

It didn’t take long after he’d let her down for her to try running away. Each time, she nearly ran into some horrible danger. Quicksand. Strangling vines. Poisonous flowers. A horde of fanged rats. A sleeping animal almost like a Gak, but horribly wrong. Each time, that strange Mokian was there to pull her to safety.

It didn’t take long for Elmina to realize that she wasn’t in Mokia. Or any other Free Kingdom. Or even on Earth. Her tutors had spoken of this, she vaguely remembered. Of other worlds created by some far-off deity her ancestor had once declared a potted plant. 

It didn’t take much longer for her to fall in love with that man, either. The details were unimportant. She was free. Her parents would never find her here, on a planet that saw the stars as only stars. She was free to do what she wished, help all who needed it. There was no possible way that every world was as perfect as the Free Kingdoms.

Looking back, she should have kept her head. She had acted like a child, with no thought of consequences. But that old life of hers had seemed so distant, and she hadn’t known…

She still remembers the moment she put that ring on his finger. When the air had rippled, warped, and he had vanished, her hands still poised as though to hold his. When she realized just what she had done.

She left First of the Sun as soon as she could. The people had begun muttering about her, though she was sad to see Eighth’s parents go. They had seemed so approving of the two of them. She explained as much as she could, strode to the cliff where the two had stood, and jumped once more to the ocean below. And engaged her Talent.

Months followed, with her never quite able to catch Eighth. The worlds she saw fascinated her. Yet she could never stay too long. At times the two saw each other, before events forced them apart. Once, she even saw him vanish, to awaken who knew where.

Eventually, Elmina landed in Alleycity, at the Bindpoint. Her Talent was exhausted again, having only barely rescued her from a full-blown shootout in a strange world where people flew through the air and jewelry seemed to grant powers. In the months since then, she’s tried to use her Talent, but something was wrong with it. She was stuck.

Loose Ends 
Elmina likes to pretend that she’s fine with abandoning everyone in her family…but she’s not =)
Still trying to locate Eighth
Wondering what happened to her Talent.

Side note: does each Oculatory Lens count as a Merit? Or is it fine to say "Oculator" and leave it at that?

I'll split the difference, and list her lenses under that Merit.

Edited June 6, 2024 by Longshot97

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

would it be possible to create a character who was infected by Yelig-nar in a similar fashion to how spore eaters are in tress? thinking about making a villain for the next era that I could play in the background.

[Koloss17 She/They]

56 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

would it be possible to create a character who was infected by Yelig-nar in a similar fashion to how spore eaters are in tress? thinking about making a villain for the next era that I could play in the background.

Hmmm. We’ll have to discuss that more in depth. It seems possible, but the question boils down to how many villains we want next era. Once we get to the end of this episode, which I think will wrap up pretty soon after @Stormlightsong and @TheFrugalWizard finish their scene, I’ll get into the potential plans for next era.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

10 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

Hmmm. We’ll have to discuss that more in depth. It seems possible, but the question boils down to how many villains we want next era. Once we get to the end of this episode, which I think will wrap up pretty soon after @Stormlightsong and @TheFrugalWizard finish their scene, I’ll get into the potential plans for next era.

sounds good to me. was just an idea I had that sounded cool.

Spoiler

also access to all 9ish surges would be cool

not sure if I would get the 10th as there are only 9 brands of fused for a reason.

 

[AonEne he/him]

On 6/3/2024 at 4:20 PM, Longshot97 said:

I was bored, so I wrote out a character sheet for the wife of this guy, Eighth of the Eve. I don't currently plan on playing this character, I did it more for the fun of it. As such, feel free to read if you're interested, but it's nothing important.

Side note: does each Oculatory Lens count as a Merit? Or is it fine to say "Oculator" and leave it at that?

I'll split the difference, and list her lenses under that Merit.

What I'd go with is Oculator as the major merit on its own, with room for her to gain more Lenses down the line potentially, and the Talent as a normal. (Some could be majors but that one I think is good as a normal) 

[Stormlightsong]

On 6/16/2024 at 8:23 AM, RoyalBeeMage said:

would it be possible to create a character who was infected by Yelig-nar in a similar fashion to how spore eaters are in tress? thinking about making a villain for the next era that I could play in the background.

This seems like an interesting idea. Although I have been making big plans for the next era’s antagonist. Sadly the antagonist I have in mind would not fit well with a highly invested entity. But we could work things out by possibly pitting them against each other or doing two separate stories. If you want more information about my idea, feel free to send me a PM.

[Longshot97 he/him]

@Tamriel Wolfsbaine First off, I wanted to say that your character seems awesome. It's a nice combination of different factors resulting in something greater than the sum of its parts.

I also tried to get an image for my own character. None of the generators I tried were satisfactory. Which generator did you use, and was it free?

[Tamriel Wolfsbaine]

17 minutes ago, Longshot97 said:

@Tamriel Wolfsbaine First off, I wanted to say that your character seems awesome. It's a nice combination of different factors resulting in something greater than the sum of its parts.

I also tried to get an image for my own character. None of the generators I tried were satisfactory. Which generator did you use, and was it free?

Thanks! I have been fantasizing an aetherbased bendalloy compounder for a long time trying to make it even slightly balanced. @Koloss17 mentioned going for a spore eater instead of aetherbound as a balancing point and I really liked the idea. While I accept Tom wont have much control over the aether at all beyond trying to will it to take different shape (smooth crystal vs shards) I think that being nearly indestructible to physical abuse should allow for some fun moments while tempering back any absurd attacking potential. 

I honestly just use the Bing AI. If you have never tried convincing AI to get anything close to your description you are in for a treat. I tried describing the character in 10 different ways adding a bit here and taking away from here. It wasnt until I told it to make him look like an oversized hobbit that I got a result I liked. So use lots of different desciptions when trying to get something you like. And dont be afraid to tell the engine you are using that it jacked up the face and hands and make it try again. I know in the BING app set to creative you get 30 messages each up to 8000 characters. It will repeat and edit your images as many times as you need and it even saves the prompts that it is trying to do so you can omit bits that you dont like as well. You average 4 images from each prompt and then you can select different filters (which really just redoes the image in a specific style and usually looks a lot different but the same general idea).  Also describing a background or asking for a generic setting will really help getting it to sort it out a bit. I took a risk with that one and it was the first time I asked for anyone to be holding anything. The sandwich works so well in the image I had to save it. 

Good luck! 

And yes BING app is free just enter your microsoft account. 

Edit: 

I will say the biggest downside is that you will never get 2 images of the same character. There is no way for me to take that picture and actually set up another scene ever with the same character unless I find a way to draw it out myself.  So its great for a one time portrait of your general idea. Not so great for moving beyond that if you want to make your character come to life more than the one time. 

Edited June 18, 2024 by Tamriel Wolfsbaine

[UltimateArchivist He/Him]

Hello, I would like to join the Alleyverse. I have created a character, but I do not know where to submit it for review. In addition, I don't wish to play in the current era, but I simply wish to have a character to return to when I return from my hiatus. Can anyone help me?

[Koloss17 She/They]

1 minute ago, UltimateArchivist said:

Hello, I would like to join the Alleyverse. I have created a character, but I do not know where to submit it for review. In addition, I don't wish to play in the current era, but I simply wish to have a character to return to when I return from my hiatus. Can anyone help me?

If you have what you believe to be a full character, feel free to post it on the character thread. If you have the gift of a character or need some spots to still fill in, this would be the place to post it and get some feedback on it. Either way, I’ll give you some amount of feedback .

[UltimateArchivist He/Him]

Awesome. Here it is. I'm open to all feedback.

Spoiler

Name: Archibald Artaxerxes
Appearance: A tall, bearded, white haired Elantrian Male wielding a notably sleek and beautiful staff, topped with a bright, faceted emerald. He is sixty three years old, but still hale and capable, if not rather thin. He wears voluminous gray robes embellished with swirling blue patterns, and the pointed, conical, wide brimmed hat typical of a wizard. Archibald has the Elantrian silver skin, as he is an Elantrian, but his hair is pure white instead of the silver hair they typically have. His beard is long and stretches down to his waist, whereas his staff is made from a silver metal.
Affiliations: The Ire and most other Elantrians.
Personality: Archibald has lived in seclusion for the past twenty years of his life. He has little knowledge of any social hierarchy and seeks only to spread his knowledge. He could be considered unkempt because he ignores his appearance to an extent as he considers his other work far more valuable. He can be oblivious in conversations and is usually very cheerful, but his concept of right, wrong, and justice is very strong, and his rage is great and terrible. Archibald has devoted his life to gathering as much knowledge and magical skill as he can, and therefore is very passionate about his craft. He loves to share his knowledge and discoveries, even when the situation is not appropriate.
Concept: A powerful, if not absentminded “wizard” with large understanding but little practice. Motivation (Short & long term goal): Eventually, by merit of study and mastery over investiture, all knowledge in the Cosmere and whatever lies beyond. As for today, he is seeking out the next repository of knowledge through which to continue his long study.
Merits: Major merit: A desire and defense of knowledge and justice that swallows up all else. The hunger for Archibald to know everything and judge accurately is his motivation and his trial. All of his inspiration comes from this. Normal Merits: Firstly, Elantrian abilities. He has focused most often on teleportation, shielding, and healing, with minor combat abilities. He has access to his staff, which carries a portable connection to the Dor, allowing whichever Elantrian wielding it to practice AonDor away from Sel. Second is the enormous amount that Archibald knows. His knowledge stretches from nearly any topic you can think of, both magical, Cosmere, and mundane. He does not know everything, but on matters of simple knowledge and wisdom and common sense, he is very knowledgeable. Minor Merits: Archibald has beautiful handwriting, and excellent memory.
Flaws: Archibald suffers from critical distraction. He very often gets distracted trying to study something utterly insignificant but minorly interesting. He also has a latent fear of fighting despite his Elantrian Abilities, as that was how his parents died.
Relationships (Eg. Family and Friends): No family, few friends. An apprentice long ago that betrayed him. His parents were killed by Teoish Pirates. He was in love, once, long ago with a woman that quested with him, but she would never tell him her name, and he has not seen her for twenty years.
Home Planet: Archibald is from Sel, and was Arelish before the Shaod took him.
Current Residence: An Alley on the edge of the city. It leads to something called the Archive, which is a titanic library with book- sized portals leading to hundreds of thousands of other libraries. He also can occasionally be found in his professor’s office at the University.
Backstory: When Archibald’s parents were killed battling Teoish pirates, Archibald was taken captive by them. He was a slave for three months until the Shaod struck him. Then, the pirates sold him to the Elantrians. As a young Elantrian, he was taught Aons, but what intrigued him most were the books. However, one day, when reaching deep into a shelf to withdraw its knowledge, he fell into one of the portals leading to the Archive. He could not reach the portal he fell through, so he moved on. From there, he walked among the infinite dusty shelves, trying to find another portal he could fit through, but he soon grew too large for any portal. He scavenged what food fell through until he found the Alley that led back. He chose to forsake his Aonic name and exchanged it for names he found in the books he read.
From there, he traveled all over Sel, learning more about his Aons but always remembering the location of the Alley. Finally, after his apprentice betrayed him and the woman he loved left, he returned to the Archive. He found his staff when it fell from the pack of a mysterious peddler that passed through the Archive. Then, for twenty years, he read every book in the Archive until he was unsatisfied with the pace of his learning. There, he traveled deeper into the Archive until he found the other end of the Alley. He emerged into Alley City, where he immediately fell in love with the Scholar’s Court. He is now a professor of Atomic Theory, Navigation, and Calligraphy at the University
Loose ends; The woman he loves has vanished, but he is sure she is still alive. His rebellious and usurpationist apprentice is still out there, training to finally defeat his master. And finally, though Archibald is discovering many new things from all the books in the Scholar’s Court, he still has yet to find the ideal learning environment to learn everything. He is eager to help bring justice and order to the Alleyverse, along with a bit of knowledge and light.
 

 

[Koloss17 She/They]

2 hours ago, UltimateArchivist said:

Awesome. Here it is. I'm open to all feedback.

  Hide contents

Name: Archibald Artaxerxes
Appearance: A tall, bearded, white haired Elantrian Male wielding a notably sleek and beautiful staff, topped with a bright, faceted emerald. He is sixty three years old, but still hale and capable, if not rather thin. He wears voluminous gray robes embellished with swirling blue patterns, and the pointed, conical, wide brimmed hat typical of a wizard. Archibald has the Elantrian silver skin, as he is an Elantrian, but his hair is pure white instead of the silver hair they typically have. His beard is long and stretches down to his waist, whereas his staff is made from a silver metal.
Affiliations: The Ire and most other Elantrians.
Personality: Archibald has lived in seclusion for the past twenty years of his life. He has little knowledge of any social hierarchy and seeks only to spread his knowledge. He could be considered unkempt because he ignores his appearance to an extent as he considers his other work far more valuable. He can be oblivious in conversations and is usually very cheerful, but his concept of right, wrong, and justice is very strong, and his rage is great and terrible. Archibald has devoted his life to gathering as much knowledge and magical skill as he can, and therefore is very passionate about his craft. He loves to share his knowledge and discoveries, even when the situation is not appropriate.
Concept: A powerful, if not absentminded “wizard” with large understanding but little practice. Motivation (Short & long term goal): Eventually, by merit of study and mastery over investiture, all knowledge in the Cosmere and whatever lies beyond. As for today, he is seeking out the next repository of knowledge through which to continue his long study.
Merits: Major merit: A desire and defense of knowledge and justice that swallows up all else. The hunger for Archibald to know everything and judge accurately is his motivation and his trial. All of his inspiration comes from this. Normal Merits: Firstly, Elantrian abilities. He has focused most often on teleportation, shielding, and healing, with minor combat abilities. He has access to his staff, which carries a portable connection to the Dor, allowing whichever Elantrian wielding it to practice AonDor away from Sel. Second is the enormous amount that Archibald knows. His knowledge stretches from nearly any topic you can think of, both magical, Cosmere, and mundane. He does not know everything, but on matters of simple knowledge and wisdom and common sense, he is very knowledgeable. Minor Merits: Archibald has beautiful handwriting, and excellent memory.
Flaws: Archibald suffers from critical distraction. He very often gets distracted trying to study something utterly insignificant but minorly interesting. He also has a latent fear of fighting despite his Elantrian Abilities, as that was how his parents died.
Relationships (Eg. Family and Friends): No family, few friends. An apprentice long ago that betrayed him. His parents were killed by Teoish Pirates. He was in love, once, long ago with a woman that quested with him, but she would never tell him her name, and he has not seen her for twenty years.
Home Planet: Archibald is from Sel, and was Arelish before the Shaod took him.
Current Residence: An Alley on the edge of the city. It leads to something called the Archive, which is a titanic library with book- sized portals leading to hundreds of thousands of other libraries. He also can occasionally be found in his professor’s office at the University.
Backstory: When Archibald’s parents were killed battling Teoish pirates, Archibald was taken captive by them. He was a slave for three months until the Shaod struck him. Then, the pirates sold him to the Elantrians. As a young Elantrian, he was taught Aons, but what intrigued him most were the books. However, one day, when reaching deep into a shelf to withdraw its knowledge, he fell into one of the portals leading to the Archive. He could not reach the portal he fell through, so he moved on. From there, he walked among the infinite dusty shelves, trying to find another portal he could fit through, but he soon grew too large for any portal. He scavenged what food fell through until he found the Alley that led back. He chose to forsake his Aonic name and exchanged it for names he found in the books he read.
From there, he traveled all over Sel, learning more about his Aons but always remembering the location of the Alley. Finally, after his apprentice betrayed him and the woman he loved left, he returned to the Archive. He found his staff when it fell from the pack of a mysterious peddler that passed through the Archive. Then, for twenty years, he read every book in the Archive until he was unsatisfied with the pace of his learning. There, he traveled deeper into the Archive until he found the other end of the Alley. He emerged into Alley City, where he immediately fell in love with the Scholar’s Court. He is now a professor of Atomic Theory, Navigation, and Calligraphy at the University
Loose ends; The woman he loves has vanished, but he is sure she is still alive. His rebellious and usurpationist apprentice is still out there, training to finally defeat his master. And finally, though Archibald is discovering many new things from all the books in the Scholar’s Court, he still has yet to find the ideal learning environment to learn everything. He is eager to help bring justice and order to the Alleyverse, along with a bit of knowledge and light.
 

 

Hmm. Overall, I think the character is good. Elantrians are always going to be powerful, but if this one has a strong aversion to confrontation, that could be a decent dampener. 
 

My main issue is with the Archive. The idea of a hidden area that exists within the Alleys is entirely plausible, but something would have to keep it stable, as the Alleys are unpredictable and extraordinarily dangerous. And something of the scale you are talking about would need to be created or at least permitted by Voidus himself (not @Voidus but their god-like persona in-world). However, Voidus does like knowledge and progress, so it would not be entirely unreasonable. 
 

The library portals, while interesting, is a bit too Discworld. Obviously the Alleys are something similar, but they are much more dangerous and much more cognitive realm-esque.

And a consideration: if you want to go the living in the Alleys route and craving knowledge, the likelihood of Archibald being recruited by the Dark Alleys is high. Now, that might be a bit out of your character’s moral comfort zone, but it is an option.

[UltimateArchivist He/Him]

12 minutes ago, Koloss17 said:

The library portals, while interesting, is a bit too Discworld. Obviously the Alleys are something similar, but they are much more dangerous and much more cognitive realm-esque.

Ah, obviously I misunderstood the nature of the Alleys. Forgive me. How about I modulate it?

 

13 minutes ago, Koloss17 said:

Elantrians are always going to be powerful, but if this one has a strong aversion to confrontation, that could be a decent dampener. 

He does dislike combat, but I do want him to start to overcome this and use his abilities as part of his character arc. However, I do not wish to have an overpowered character. How about I change that as well?

 

There. I have made the changes. His staff now has a limit to the amount of Dor it can use at a moment, meaning he can only make a certain amount of Aons before it is drained. Also, if he devotes more power to the Aon, it can drain his staff faster. As for the other changes, I hope you enjoy.

Spoiler

Name: Archibald Artaxerxes
Appearance: A tall, bearded, white haired Elantrian Male wielding a notably sleek and beautiful staff, topped with a bright, faceted emerald. He is sixty three years old, but still hale and capable, if not rather thin. He wears voluminous gray robes embellished with swirling blue patterns, and the pointed, conical, wide brimmed hat typical of a wizard. Archibald has the Elantrian silver skin, as he is an Elantrian, but his hair is pure white instead of the silver hair they typically have. His beard is long and stretches down to his waist, whereas his staff is made from a silver metal.
Affiliations: The Ire and most other Elantrians.
Personality: Archibald has lived in seclusion for the past twenty years of his life. He has little knowledge of any social hierarchy and seeks only to spread his knowledge. He could be considered unkempt because he ignores his appearance to an extent as he considers his other work far more valuable. He can be oblivious in conversations and is usually very cheerful, but his concept of right, wrong, and justice is very strong, and his rage is great and terrible. Archibald has devoted his life to gathering as much knowledge and magical skill as he can, and therefore is very passionate about his craft. He loves to share his knowledge and discoveries, even when the situation is not appropriate.
Concept: A powerful, if not absentminded “wizard” with large understanding but little practice. 
Motivation (Short & long term goal): Eventually, by merit of study and mastery over investiture, all knowledge in the Cosmere and whatever lies beyond. As for today, he is seeking out the next repository of knowledge through which to continue his long study.
Merits: Major merit: A desire and defense of knowledge and justice that swallows up all else. The hunger for Archibald to know everything and judge accurately is his motivation and his trial. All of his inspiration comes from this. Normal Merits: Firstly, Elantrian abilities. He has focused most often on teleportation, shielding, and healing, with minor combat abilities. He has access to his staff, which carries a portable connection to the Dor, allowing whichever Elantrian wielding it to practice AonDor away from Sel. However, it does have a limit to the amount of Dor it can draw, and therefore must recharge after casting Aons. Second is the enormous amount that Archibald knows. His knowledge stretches from nearly any topic you can think of, both magical, Cosmere, and mundane. He does not know everything, but on matters of simple knowledge and wisdom and common sense, he is very knowledgeable. Minor Merits: Archibald has beautiful handwriting, and excellent memory.
Flaws: Archibald suffers from critical distraction. He very often gets distracted trying to study something utterly insignificant but minorly interesting. He also has a latent fear of fighting despite his Elantrian Abilities, as that was how his parents died.
Relationships (Eg. Family and Friends): No family, few friends. An apprentice long ago that betrayed him. His parents were killed by Teoish Pirates. He was in love, once, long ago with a woman that quested with him, but she would never tell him her name, and he has not seen her for twenty years.
Home Planet: Archibald is from Sel, and was Arelish before the Shaod took him.
Current Residence: He can most often be found in his professor’s office and study at the University.
Backstory: When Archibald’s parents were killed battling Teoish pirates, Archibald was taken captive by them. He was a slave for three months until the Shaod struck him. Then, the pirates sold him to the Elantrians. As a young Elantrian, he was taught Aons, but what intrigued him most were the books. However, one day, when reaching deep into a shelf to withdraw its knowledge, the book vanished. He realized it had fallen into a small portal. Indeed, many hundreds of the Elantrian’s books were being taken over time. As a champion of knowledge, Archibald vowed to get them back. He traveled the Alleys, braved many perils, and grew in his magic abilities. He found not just the Elantrian books, but hundreds of others as well, which he read and learned many things about the Cosmere itself. He chose to forsake his Aonic name and exchanged it for names he found in the books he read.
From there, he traveled all over Sel and the Cosmere, learning more about his Aons over his lifetime. He taught many people and was considered a mysterious figure on Sel, as he could randomly appear and disappear by traversing the Alleys. Finally, after his apprentice betrayed him and the woman he loved left, he returned to the Alleys. He found his staff when it fell from the pack of a mysterious peddler that passed through. Then, for twenty years, he read every book he had ever collected until he was unsatisfied with the pace of his learning. There, he traveled deeper into the Alleys until he found the exit. He emerged into Alley City, where he immediately fell in love with the Scholar’s Court. He is now a professor of Atomic Theory, Navigation, and Calligraphy at the University
Loose ends; The woman he loves has vanished, but he is sure she is still alive. His rebellious and usurpationist apprentice is still out there, training to finally defeat his master. And finally, though Archibald is discovering many new things from all the books in the Scholar’s Court, he still has yet to find the ideal learning environment to learn everything. He is eager to help bring justice and order to the Alleyverse, along with a bit of knowledge and light.
 

 

[Koloss17 She/They]

8 minutes ago, UltimateArchivist said:

Ah, obviously I misunderstood the nature of the Alleys. Forgive me. How about I modulate it?

 

He does dislike combat, but I do want him to start to overcome this and use his abilities as part of his character arc. However, I do not wish to have an overpowered character. How about I change that as well?

 

There. I have made the changes. His staff now has a limit to the amount of Dor it can use at a moment, meaning he can only make a certain amount of Aons before it is drained. Also, if he devotes more power to the Aon, it can drain his staff faster.

Have you read Mistborn Era 2 (specifically TLM)? If not, I’d be wary, as while the Alleyverse does not give any plot spoilers for any book, it does give magic system spoilers.

If you have, there is a trick with accessing the Dor off of Sel, and it is actually embarrassingly simple. Now, maybe your character doesn’t know this, but with the amount of knowledge he has, he probably would.

As for nerfs, physical or mental barriers are always welcome. As this is an offshoot of Sanderson, trauma is always welcome . Now, we already have some powerful players in the current era, and while some are designed to be more powerful than most, the goal is to have the baseline be around misting level. That means the further above that level you get, the more flaws or restrictions you will need. 
 

For example, there was a very amusing solution to a Chromium compounder in that they were allergic to chromium, so they could only take it in small amounts.

If you want your character’s mind to be sharp, maybe they had some sort of physical affliction. It would certainly be interesting if they had tremors in their hands, which impaired their ability to draw aeons, for example. Maybe they are stress induced, which is part of that not doing well in combat. 
 

Again, that’s just an idea, but hopefully it can get your gears turning. I actually find that the more significant the flaw, the more deep and interesting the character becomes, because you then have to factor in how they would react to that hurdle.

[UltimateArchivist He/Him]

I see. I will think more. I have read TLM and am up to date on all Cosmere (except for Stormlight 5 releases, please don't spoil) and I definitely forgot about purified Dor. I really do want to keep the staff. Actually, now that I think about it, I have a really good idea. I will need time.

[Koloss17 She/They]

Just now, UltimateArchivist said:

I see. I will think more. I have read TLM and am up to date on all Cosmere (except for Stormlight 5 releases, please don't spoil) and I definitely forgot about purified Dor. I really do want to keep the staff. Actually, now that I think about it, I have a really good idea. I will need time.

I was more talking about the fact that if you draw a map of your location and adjust your aons to it, you can use that area as an anchor rather than Elantris.

And yes, take all the time you need!

[Voidus]

1 hour ago, Koloss17 said:

Hmm. Overall, I think the character is good. Elantrians are always going to be powerful, but if this one has a strong aversion to confrontation, that could be a decent dampener. 
 

My main issue is with the Archive. The idea of a hidden area that exists within the Alleys is entirely plausible, but something would have to keep it stable, as the Alleys are unpredictable and extraordinarily dangerous. And something of the scale you are talking about would need to be created or at least permitted by Voidus himself (not @Voidus but their god-like persona in-world). However, Voidus does like knowledge and progress, so it would not be entirely unreasonable. 
 

The library portals, while interesting, is a bit too Discworld. Obviously the Alleys are something similar, but they are much more dangerous and much more cognitive realm-esque.

And a consideration: if you want to go the living in the Alleys route and craving knowledge, the likelihood of Archibald being recruited by the Dark Alleys is high. Now, that might be a bit out of your character’s moral comfort zone, but it is an option.

Yes this sounds somewhat like the Department of Records for the DA, but obviously accessing that has some moral implications for most characters. But then sacrificing morals for knowledge is one of the principal themes of the Alleyverse so could be an interesting angle to play off of. Stability is primary concern here, learning how to get to a specific place in the Alleys is incredibly difficult and almost always lethal.

[UltimateArchivist He/Him]

All right. I changed something major. I wanted him to be an Elantrian because I think Elantrian magic make the best wizardry. However, I like this better; I am willing to assume there are few characters that are simple humans, and this sets his feats apart. Hopefully this is the last revision. As I stated earlier, I will be holding Archibald in reserve for a later date. I am perfectly willing to change him to mold him into whatever story is current at the date of my return. All I need is your final confirmation.

24 minutes ago, Koloss17 said:

I was more talking about the fact that if you draw a map of your location and adjust your aons to it, you can use that area as an anchor rather than Elantris.

I had completely forgotten about this, though it explains how Moonlight did what she did. Thank you for the reminder!

Spoiler

Name: Archibald Artaxerxes
Appearance: A tall, bearded, white haired male wielding a notably sleek and beautiful staff, topped with a bright, faceted emerald. He is sixty three years old, but still hale and capable, if not rather thin. He wears voluminous gray robes embellished with swirling blue patterns, and the pointed, conical, wide brimmed hat typical of a wizard. Archibald has pale skin, as he has lived indoors for many years, and his hair is pure white. His beard is long and stretches down to his waist, and his staff is made from a silver metal.
Affiliations: The Ire, the Elantrians before the Reod, and the University in the Scholar’s Court.
Personality: Archibald has lived in seclusion for the past twenty years of his life. He has little knowledge of any social hierarchy and seeks only to spread his knowledge. He could be considered unkempt because he ignores his appearance to an extent as he considers his other work far more valuable. He can be oblivious in conversations and is usually very cheerful, but his concept of right, wrong, and justice is very strong, and his rage is great and terrible. Archibald has devoted his life to gathering as much knowledge and magical skill as he can, and therefore is very passionate about his craft. He loves to share his knowledge and discoveries, even when the situation is not appropriate.
Concept: A powerful, if not absentminded “wizard” with large understanding but little practice. 
Motivation (Short & long term goal): Eventually, by merit of study and mastery over investiture, all knowledge in the Cosmere and whatever lies beyond. As for today, he is seeking out the next repository of knowledge through which to continue his long study.
Merits: Major merit: A desire and defense of knowledge and justice that swallows up all else. The hunger for Archibald to know everything and judge accurately is his motivation and his trial. All of his inspiration comes from this. Normal Merits: Firstly, Elantrian abilities. He has access to his staff, which carries a portable connection to the Dor, allowing whichever person wielding it to practice AonDor away from Sel, even if they are not an Elantrian. However, it does have a limit to the amount of Dor it can draw, and therefore must recharge after casting Aons.Though he was raised by Elantrians, he was not taught many Aons for casting, so his powers are much further behind an average Elantrian’s. He has focused most often on teleportation, shielding, and healing, with minor combat abilities. Second is the enormous amount that Archibald knows. His knowledge stretches from nearly any topic you can think of, both magical, Cosmere, and mundane. He does not know everything, but on matters of simple knowledge and wisdom and common sense, he is very knowledgeable. Minor Merits: Archibald has beautiful handwriting, and excellent memory.
Flaws: Archibald suffers from critical distraction. He very often gets distracted trying to study something utterly insignificant but minorly interesting. He also has a latent fear of fighting despite his Elantrian Staff, as that was how his parents died.
Relationships (Eg. Family and Friends): No family, few friends. An apprentice long ago that betrayed him. His parents were killed by Teoish Pirates. He was in love, once, long ago with a woman that quested with him, but she would never tell him her name, and he has not seen her for twenty years.
Home Planet: Archibald is from Sel, and is Arelish.
Current Residence: He can most often be found in his professor’s office and study at the University.
Backstory: When Archibald’s parents were killed battling Teoish pirates, Archibald was taken captive by them. He was a slave for three months when the pirates sold him to the Elantrians, who took him on as a page. As a young Arelish, he was taught some Aons, but what intrigued him most were the books. However, one day, when reaching deep into a shelf to withdraw its knowledge, the book vanished. He realized it had fallen into a small portal, which was actually an Alleyway. Indeed, many hundreds of the Elantrian’s books were being taken over time by these errant Alleyways. As a champion of knowledge, Archibald vowed to get them back, even though he had no special abilities. He traveled the Alleys, braved many perils, and grew in his non-magic abilities. He found not just the Elantrian books, but hundreds of others as well, which he read and learned many things about the Cosmere itself. He chose to forsake his Aonic name and exchanged it for names he found in the books he read. He found his staff when it fell from the pack of a mysterious peddler that passed through, and then learned it could grant him powers similar to an Elantrian.
From then on, he traveled all over Sel and the Cosmere, learning more about his Aons over his lifetime. He taught many people and was considered a mysterious figure on Sel, as he could randomly appear and disappear by traversing the Alleys. Finally, after his apprentice betrayed him and the woman he loved left, he returned to the Alleys.  Then, for twenty years, he read every book he had ever collected until he was unsatisfied with the pace of his learning. There, he traveled deeper into the Alleys until he found the exit. He emerged into Alley City, where he immediately fell in love with the Scholar’s Court. He is now a professor of Atomic Theory, Navigation, and Calligraphy at the University
Loose ends; The woman he loves has vanished, but he is sure she is still alive. His rebellious and usurpationist apprentice is still out there, training to finally defeat his master. And finally, though Archibald is discovering many new things from all the books in the Scholar’s Court, he still has yet to find the ideal learning environment to learn everything. He is eager to help bring justice and order to the Alleyverse, along with a bit of knowledge and light.

(Hey, 100th comment!)

Edited August 21, 2024 by UltimateArchivist

[Koloss17 She/They]

50 minutes ago, UltimateArchivist said:

All right. I changed something major. I wanted him to be an Elantrian because I think Elantrian magic make the best wizardry. However, I like this better; I am willing to assume there are few characters that are simple humans, and this sets his feats apart. Hopefully this is the last revision. As I stated earlier, I will be holding Archibald in reserve for a later date. I am perfectly willing to change him to mold him into whatever story is current at the date of my return. All I need is your final confirmation.

I had completely forgotten about this, though it explains how Moonlight did what she did. Thank you for the reminder!

  Hide contents

Name: Archibald Artaxerxes
Appearance: A tall, bearded, white haired male wielding a notably sleek and beautiful staff, topped with a bright, faceted emerald. He is sixty three years old, but still hale and capable, if not rather thin. He wears voluminous gray robes embellished with swirling blue patterns, and the pointed, conical, wide brimmed hat typical of a wizard. Archibald has pale skin, as he has lived indoors for many years, and his hair is pure white. His beard is long and stretches down to his waist, and his staff is made from a silver metal.
Affiliations: The Ire, the Elantrians before the Reod, and the University in the Scholar’s Court.
Personality: Archibald has lived in seclusion for the past twenty years of his life. He has little knowledge of any social hierarchy and seeks only to spread his knowledge. He could be considered unkempt because he ignores his appearance to an extent as he considers his other work far more valuable. He can be oblivious in conversations and is usually very cheerful, but his concept of right, wrong, and justice is very strong, and his rage is great and terrible. Archibald has devoted his life to gathering as much knowledge and magical skill as he can, and therefore is very passionate about his craft. He loves to share his knowledge and discoveries, even when the situation is not appropriate.
Concept: A powerful, if not absentminded “wizard” with large understanding but little practice. 
Motivation (Short & long term goal): Eventually, by merit of study and mastery over investiture, all knowledge in the Cosmere and whatever lies beyond. As for today, he is seeking out the next repository of knowledge through which to continue his long study.
Merits: Major merit: A desire and defense of knowledge and justice that swallows up all else. The hunger for Archibald to know everything and judge accurately is his motivation and his trial. All of his inspiration comes from this. Normal Merits: Firstly, Elantrian abilities. He has access to his staff, which carries a portable connection to the Dor, allowing whichever person wielding it to practice AonDor away from Sel, even if they are not an Elantrian. However, it does have a limit to the amount of Dor it can draw, and therefore must recharge after casting Aons.Though he was raised by Elantrians, he was not taught many Aons for casting, so his powers are much further behind an average Elantrian’s. He has focused most often on teleportation, shielding, and healing, with minor combat abilities. Second is the enormous amount that Archibald knows. His knowledge stretches from nearly any topic you can think of, both magical, Cosmere, and mundane. He does not know everything, but on matters of simple knowledge and wisdom and common sense, he is very knowledgeable. Minor Merits: Archibald has beautiful handwriting, and excellent memory.
Flaws: Archibald suffers from critical distraction. He very often gets distracted trying to study something utterly insignificant but minorly interesting. He also has a latent fear of fighting despite his Elantrian Staff, as that was how his parents died.
Relationships (Eg. Family and Friends): No family, few friends. An apprentice long ago that betrayed him. His parents were killed by Teoish Pirates. He was in love, once, long ago with a woman that quested with him, but she would never tell him her name, and he has not seen her for twenty years.
Home Planet: Archibald is from Sel, and is Arelish.
Current Residence: He can most often be found in his professor’s office and study at the University.
Backstory: When Archibald’s parents were killed battling Teoish pirates, Archibald was taken captive by them. He was a slave for three months when the pirates sold him to the Elantrians, who took him on as a page. As a young Arelish, he was taught some Aons, but what intrigued him most were the books. However, one day, when reaching deep into a shelf to withdraw its knowledge, the book vanished. He realized it had fallen into a small portal, which was actually an Alleyway. Indeed, many hundreds of the Elantrian’s books were being taken over time by these errant Alleyways. As a champion of knowledge, Archibald vowed to get them back, even though he had no special abilities. He traveled the Alleys, braved many perils, and grew in his non-magic abilities. He found not just the Elantrian books, but hundreds of others as well, which he read and learned many things about the Cosmere itself. He chose to forsake his Aonic name and exchanged it for names he found in the books he read. He found his staff when it fell from the pack of a mysterious peddler that passed through, and then learned it could grant him powers similar to an Elantrian.
From then on, he traveled all over Sel and the Cosmere, learning more about his Aons over his lifetime. He taught many people and was considered a mysterious figure on Sel, as he could randomly appear and disappear by traversing the Alleys. Finally, after his apprentice betrayed him and the woman he loved left, he returned to the Alleys.  Then, for twenty years, he read every book he had ever collected until he was unsatisfied with the pace of his learning. There, he traveled deeper into the Alleys until he found the exit. He emerged into Alley City, where he immediately fell in love with the Scholar’s Court. He is now a professor of Atomic Theory, Navigation, and Calligraphy at the University
Loose ends; The woman he loves has vanished, but he is sure she is still alive. His rebellious and usurpationist apprentice is still out there, training to finally defeat his master. And finally, though Archibald is discovering many new things from all the books in the Scholar’s Court, he still has yet to find the ideal learning environment to learn everything. He is eager to help bring justice and order to the Alleyverse, along with a bit of knowledge and light.

 

Now that’s interesting. I really don’t know of the logistics of an elantrian staff, but it seems quite plausible. I would say it’s more plausible in space age Cosmere than in pre-TFE Cosmere, where Elantris takes place, but it’s still possible. 
 

It would actually be pretty interesting to have a wizard character set in space age that just wanted to ride the nostalgia of the olden days without fully grasping what the olden days were like. But that’s probably not this character.