Lord Sebulus The Grandiose

Some Wizards are known more for their presence and their appearance of power than for their actual acts of magical prowess. Such was the case of “Lord” Otto Sebulus – The Grandiose. Sebulus began his career as a Wizard generalist who thrived off of networking, self-promotion and a tenuous family lineage that he claims linked him to the VonWikkens Barony. He became known as a reliable, if somewhat self-absorbed, sorcerer with impressive discipline. His services and deeds ranged from military campaign support to exterminating giant crabs that would often invade public squares and plazas along Gateway’s southern coastline.

But none of his deeds ever earned him the reputation he desired. Sebulus wanted power and devout worshippers, like the evil sorcerers of old. Much about Sebulus smacked of an old-world state of mind; his tower in Tower City was bigger and more imposing than most wizard towers, and was carved from onyx and crowned with snarling statues of demonic creatures. It featured 20-storey-high stained glass windows that depicted scenes of Sebulus rising out of the center of a massive volcano. He would sit upon an actual throne in the middle of an elaborate, under-lit raised platform in the central chamber of his tower. Sebulus also wore a cape and would conspicuously attend high-society operas or eat in the fanciest restaurants every single night, stroking his ridiculous moustache. It was all very showy.

Ultimately, Sebulus was unsatisfied with his public image and the lack of respect he seemed to garner. So he decided to remake himself entirely in order to strike fear and awe into the hearts of Gateway’s unsuspecting public.

Sebulus transferred his soul and his magical powers into a gigantic carven stone head, made out to look like a slightly handsomer, angry-looking version of his own face. By all accounts, the transference was a success. His former body was now a lifeless shell that he quickly discarded (he would regret this later). He was, admittedly, an impressive sight to behold – a giant silvery-blue head hovering menacingly over a pool of molten runestone. Visitors admitted that they were intimidated by him and felt compelled to avert their gaze. This delighted Sebulus, and he immediately hired a bigger staff and approved plans for expansions of his already enormous tower.

What Sebulus didn't count on was how much arcaenic energy it would take to keep his new form afloat and alive. He had to have liquid arcaea (created by the convergence of a natural underground spring and a ley-line nexus) pumped up from an impossibly deep cavern below his tower to a fountain directly beneath his new “body”. He also could no longer leave his inner chamber, so he was forced to conduct business from a distance and hire more servants to take care of all of his tasks. The cost and hassle of this new form caused him great consternation. He became so unpleasant to deal with that he was constantly having to hire new staff members to replace the ones that became fed up with dealing with his attitude and verbal abuse.

But when the SALMUN Act was passed, and runestone rationing began, Sebulus’ source of income and magic came under threat, and Inquisitors began to inquire about his personal arcaeanic usage. Despite having been such an unpleasant character, he quickly became a well-respected advocate for arcaenic freedom and a very powerful, literally, voice of dissent against the Chancellor. This earned him a top rating on the Chancellor’s “enemies list.”

Sebulus was eventually charged with various counts of practicing illegal arcaenic magic and was brought to trial, or trial was brought to him. In a desperate move, his lawyers unsuccessfully tried to argue that Sebulus was no longer a person, and was in fact a very large runestone, and therefore was exempt from the laws. Sebulus was found guilty and sentenced to house arrest.

The Inquisitors moved in to cut off his source of liquid arcaea but not before Sebulus blew the roof off of his tower and hurtled himself at Gateway’s Centrallis Tower, where the Chancellor resides. But the enormous head bounced off of the tower’s powerful magical barriers and tumbled into the harbor where he promptly sank to the bottom.

Despite having no source of arcaea, Sebulus reportedly still lives at the bottom of a deep chasm below the harbor. Some claim that on a very dark night, you can see his faint blue-green glow beneath the waves.