Latest revision as of 05:06, 3 December 2025

Astrid Myriad

Blue Tiefling • Great Old One Warlock • Survivor of the Soul Harvest and Archon of Hope

Astrid's current appearance as the custodian of the Ethereal Realm

Overview

Astrid Myriad is a tiefling warlock whose pursuit of forbidden knowledge brought catastrophic consequences to his homeland of Corinth and nearly to all of Westwynd. His brilliance, curiosity, and arrogance drove him deep into occult study — ultimately binding him to the entity known as the Lord of Faces / Microphone.

With the effort of the The Runaways, Astrid was able to separate the yolk of Microphone from Westwynd and break free of the pact that once defined him.

His powers previously manifested violently: when casting spells, his body would erupt in unstable, violent black flame, a visible sign of the warped magic flowing through him when he was tethered to the Lord of Faces.

Physical Description

Astrid appears in their early twenties, slight of build, with distinctly fiendish tiefling features and faint arcane scars burned into their skin from the failed ritual that cursed him. Their eyes glow with an unnatural intensity, and when channeling eldritch power, they become engulfed in roiling black fire that distorts the air around them.

Personality

Astrid began as a quiet, intensely introspective figure whose pursuit of knowledge often overrode caution and empathy. He valued precision and truth above diplomacy, and early on he was intentionally cruel and emotionally withdrawn.

Meeting The Runaways challenged both his worldview and his emotional detachment. Forced to trust others to survive, Astrid learned that the true worth of people was not in knowledge, skill, or power — but in the ability to endure hardship, confront fear, and continue forward.

He ultimately came to live by the philosophy:

“This too shall pass.”

Early Life

Myth around the time of Astrid’s fall to the Lord of Faces.

Astrid was born in Corinth to loving parents, Cryo and Mina. He grew up beside his younger brother, Lear, whose small but natural magical talents Astrid envied yet adored. Their days spent fishing at the lake and experimenting with Lear’s dancing lights remain Astrid’s most cherished memories.

Astrid’s insatiable curiosity led him to topics most considered dangerous: gods, forbidden histories, and the nature of mortal belief. Under the influence of his enigmatic classmate Myth, Astrid pursued knowledge outside the Weave, unknowingly inching toward the being that would destroy his home.

The Catalyst Event

Astrid’s desire to comprehend what should not be comprehended brought him into contact with the Lord of Faces. This first brush shattered his worldview and began the spread of the Soul Harvest across Corinth.

His parents fell ill, and Lear’s magic — then his mind — dissolved before Astrid’s eyes. Astrid alone survived, burdened with guilt that would shape every choice that followed.

Abilities & Powers

**Former Thrall of the Lord of Faces:** Astrid was bound involuntarily through exposure and forbidden study.
**Black Flame Curse:** Not a weapon, but a catastrophic self-inflicted curse from a ritual born of arrogance. When casting spells, Astrid erupted into unstable black flame that harmed his body, mind, and surroundings.
**Vast knowledge of rituals, curses, and forbidden runes:** Much of this knowledge was gathered under Myth’s guidance or through fragmented eldritch texts.
**Resistance to Soul Harvest corruption:** Not immunity, but a hardened tolerance that allowed him to survive exposure that killed others.
**Ascended Insight:** After becoming custodian of the Ethereal Realm, Astrid created a vast library recording the lives and stories of mortals, observing without interfering — a deliberate rejection of the Lord of Faces’ possessiveness.

Relationships

**Cryo & Mina:** Astrid’s loving and inquisitive parents, both lost to the Soul Harvest.
**Lear:** Astrid’s younger brother, whose fall to the corruption remains Astrid’s deepest wound.
**The Lord of Faces:** His former patron, captor, and cosmic tormentor.
**Isaac Neeman Blackburn:** Astrid once saved him from suicide. Isaac now carries a watch that preserves an aspect of Astrid’s soul.
**Jane:** Astrid’s lover. Her tethering to the Soul Harvest and their final encounter haunt him.
**Myth:** Tutor, betrayer of the Lord of Faces, and Astrid’s closest intellectual companion.

Major Story Arcs

The Journal Years (Ages 17–20)

Astrid’s journals detail his descent from prodigy to cursed warlock.

Early Obsessions

At seventeen, Astrid questioned the nature of gods, fate, and mortal worship, believing truth could be grasped through study alone.

First Contact

Despite Myth’s warnings, Astrid sought deeper comprehension of the entity that empowered them. Curiosity became fixation; fixation became infection.

Lear’s Fall

Lear loses his magic, then his autonomy, then himself. Astrid witnesses the Soul Harvest consume his brother — a trauma central to his character.

Study of Wards & the Black Flame

Astrid learned to hide thoughts from the Lord through Wards taught by Myth. He later discovered fragmented texts describing the ‘‘Black Flame’’ — a ritual he arrogantly believed could free him.

The Jane Incident

A defining tragedy in Astrid’s life.

Tethering

Jane read Astrid’s tome in desperation while he slept, unintentionally exposing herself to the Lord of Faces. A Soul Harvest parasite attached itself to her.

Myth’s Warning

In a vision, Myth warns Astrid that Jane is tethered and that the Lord despises her influence.

The Black Flame Outburst

Astrid attempted to execute a controlled spell to kill the parasite. Instead:

The curse ignites uncontrollably
His flesh burns to ash
His voice is destroyed
Their home is obliterated

His final message to her, pushed into her mind:

+JANE, LEAVE.+

It is the last time he sees her.

Before Runaways

Astrid wandered Westwynd, cursed and unstable, still tethered to the Lord of Faces. He sought ways to sever their bond, unaware each attempt only deepened his corruption.

Sparkborough

In Sparkborough, Astrid encounters Isaac, scarred by the Lord’s influence. This awakens Astrid’s desire to protect others from suffering the same fate.

World Tree

Astrid learns the metaphysical structure binding the Lord of Faces to Westwynd’s planar fabric. This knowledge becomes foundational to his eventual ascension.

The Death of Myth

Following events beneath the World Tree, Astrid believes Myth has been killed by the Lord for his betrayal and replaced by a false tutor named Doc. The loss pushes Astrid further toward self-destruction.

The Black Flame Rebellion (Corrected Canon)

Astrid’s final attempt to use the Black Flame was not a rebellion — it was a catastrophic miscalculation.

During the ritual:

The two realms blurred
Geometry distorted
Sanity strained
The Black Flame surged uncontrollably
Astrid’s body decayed into living fire

The ritual did not harm or even touch the Lord of Faces. Instead, it left Astrid permanently cursed, broken, and closer to death than ever before.

The Corellite Era & The Error Project

In the Corellite Empire, Ovina attempted to elevate Astrid to godhood by isolating and amplifying the ‘‘Error’’ — a fractured mind-piece of the Lord residing within Astrid.

Astrid writes a mental note urging himself to:

Protect Ragnar
Protect Marco
Protect Ausmund
Trust Merridoc
‘‘Break the chain, even if it means breaking yourself.’’

This marks the beginning of Astrid’s internal rebellion against destiny.

Myth’s Perspective

In his private writings, Myth classifies Astrid as a ‘‘3b Warlock’’ — one who knows the truth of the Lord yet continues to struggle against it.

Myth does not view Astrid’s Black Flame ritual as defiance, but as tragic hubris. Yet he admires Astrid’s refusal to surrender his identity, even as he destroys himself.

Current Whereabouts

Maintaining stability in the Ethereal Realm. He has chosen to refrain from influencing the Material Plane so as not to mimic the actions of the Lord of Faces.

Notes

This page reflects only the most commonly accepted version of Astrid’s history. Competing records, magical distortions, and unreliable narrators may alter or contradict certain details.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 == Overview ==
 Astrid Myriad is a tiefling warlock whose pursuit of forbidden knowledge brought catastrophic consequences to his homeland of [[Corinth]] and nearly to all of [[Westwynd]].
-His brilliance, curiosity, and arrogance drove him deep into occult study — ultimately binding him to the being known as the [[Lord of Faces]].
+His brilliance, curiosity, and arrogance drove him deep into occult study — ultimately binding him to the entity known as the [[Lord of Faces|Lord of Faces / Microphone]].
-With the aid of [[The Runaways]], Astrid was eventually able to separate the yolk of [[Microphone]] from Westwynd and free himself from his patron’s grasp.
+With the effort of the [[The Runaways]], Astrid was able to separate the yolk of Microphone from Westwynd and break free of the pact that once defined him.
-Astrid’s powers previously manifested violently: whenever he cast spells, his body erupted in unstable '''black flame''', a curse that corrupted him further with each use.
+His powers previously manifested violently: when casting spells, his body would erupt in unstable, violent '''black flame''', a visible sign of the warped magic flowing through him when he was tethered to the Lord of Faces.
 == Physical Description ==
-Astrid appears in their early twenties, slight of build, with sharp tiefling features and faint arcane scars etched into their skin.
+Astrid appears in their early twenties, slight of build, with distinctly fiendish tiefling features and faint arcane scars burned into their skin from the failed ritual that cursed him.
-When channeling eldritch power, he becomes engulfed in roiling black fire that distorts the air around him, flickering as if alive.
+Their eyes glow with an unnatural intensity, and when channeling eldritch power, they become engulfed in roiling black fire that distorts the air around them.
 == Personality ==
-Astrid began the story quiet, analytical, and intentionally cruel. He valued precision and truth above empathy and frequently dismissed emotions as distractions.
+Astrid began as a quiet, intensely introspective figure whose pursuit of knowledge often overrode caution and empathy.
-His obsession with understanding what destroyed his life made him cold, calculating, and often self-destructive.
+He valued precision and truth above diplomacy, and early on he was intentionally cruel and emotionally withdrawn.
-After meeting [[The Runaways|the Runaways]], he was confronted with ideas that challenged his beliefs. Forced to rely on others, he slowly learned that strength lies in endurance, not detachment.
+Meeting [[The Runaways]] challenged both his worldview and his emotional detachment. Forced to trust others to survive, Astrid learned that the true worth of people was not in knowledge, skill, or power — but in the ability to endure hardship, confront fear, and continue forward.
-He ultimately embraces the worldview:
+He ultimately came to live by the philosophy:
 ''“This too shall pass.”''
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 [[File:myth.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Myth around the time of Astrid’s fall to the Lord of Faces.]]
-Astrid was born in [[Corinth]] to Cryo and Mina Myriad. His younger brother, [[Lear Myriad|Lear]], admired him deeply.
+Astrid was born in [[Corinth]] to loving parents, [[Cryo]] and [[Mina]]. He grew up beside his younger brother, [[Lear Myriad|Lear]], whose small but natural magical talents Astrid envied yet adored.
-Though raised in a magically sparse world, Astrid displayed exceptional intelligence and a relentless curiosity.
+Their days spent fishing at the lake and experimenting with Lear’s dancing lights remain Astrid’s most cherished memories.
-Lear’s playful sorcery and their time fishing together formed Astrid’s happiest memories. These moments would later become sources of deep grief.
+Astrid’s insatiable curiosity led him to topics most considered dangerous: gods, forbidden histories, and the nature of mortal belief.
+Under the influence of his enigmatic classmate [[Myth]], Astrid pursued knowledge outside the [[Weave]], unknowingly inching toward the being that would destroy his home.
-Astrid’s academic path shifted when he befriended [[Myth]], an enigmatic classmate who introduced him to knowledge beyond the [[Weave]]. Under Myth’s influence, Astrid grew obsessed with unraveling the nature of gods, fate, and forbidden cosmic truths.
+== The Catalyst Event ==
+Astrid’s desire to comprehend what should not be comprehended brought him into contact with the [[Lord of Faces]].
+This first brush shattered his worldview and began the spread of the [[Soul Harvest]] across Corinth.
+His parents fell ill, and Lear’s magic — then his mind — dissolved before Astrid’s eyes.
+Astrid alone survived, burdened with guilt that would shape every choice that followed.
+== Abilities & Powers ==
+* **Former Thrall of the Lord of Faces:** Astrid was bound involuntarily through exposure and forbidden study.
+* **Black Flame Curse:** Not a weapon, but a catastrophic self-inflicted curse from a ritual born of arrogance. When casting spells, Astrid erupted into unstable black flame that harmed his body, mind, and surroundings.
+* **Vast knowledge of rituals, curses, and forbidden runes:** Much of this knowledge was gathered under Myth’s guidance or through fragmented eldritch texts.
+* **Resistance to Soul Harvest corruption:** Not immunity, but a hardened tolerance that allowed him to survive exposure that killed others.
+* **Ascended Insight:** After becoming custodian of the [[Ethereal Realm]], Astrid created a vast library recording the lives and stories of mortals, observing without interfering — a deliberate rejection of the Lord of Faces’ possessiveness.
-== The Catalyst Event ==
+== Relationships ==
-Astrid’s attempts to comprehend the unknowable brought him into contact with the [[Lord of Faces]].
+* **Cryo & Mina:** Astrid’s loving and inquisitive parents, both lost to the Soul Harvest.
-This first brush with the being shattered the boundaries of his reality and initiated the spread of the [[Soul Harvest]].
+* **[[Lear Myriad|Lear]]:** Astrid’s younger brother, whose fall to the corruption remains Astrid’s deepest wound.
+* **[[Lord of Faces|The Lord of Faces]]:** His former patron, captor, and cosmic tormentor.
+* **[[Isaac Blackburn|Isaac Neeman Blackburn]]:** Astrid once saved him from suicide. Isaac now carries a watch that preserves an aspect of Astrid’s soul.
+* **[[Jane]]:** Astrid’s lover. Her tethering to the Soul Harvest and their final encounter haunt him.
+* **[[Myth]]:** Tutor, betrayer of the Lord of Faces, and Astrid’s closest intellectual companion.
-His family succumbed to the corruption — Mina and Cryo falling ill, and Lear losing his magic, his mind, and ultimately himself.
+= Major Story Arcs =
-Astrid alone survived, carrying the weight of his failure.
 == The Journal Years (Ages 17–20) ==
-Astrid’s journals chronicle his descent from brilliant idealist to cursed warlock.
+Astrid’s journals detail his descent from prodigy to cursed warlock.
 === Early Obsessions ===
-Astrid rejected divine authority and sought to understand the foundation of divinity itself.
+At seventeen, Astrid questioned the nature of gods, fate, and mortal worship, believing truth could be grasped through study alone.
-He questioned why gods exist, why mortals empower them, and whether fate could be dismantled.
-=== Contact with the Entity ===
+=== First Contact ===
-Despite Myth’s warnings, Astrid willingly sought deeper connection with the being beyond comprehension.
+Despite Myth’s warnings, Astrid sought deeper comprehension of the entity that empowered them. Curiosity became fixation; fixation became infection.
-His curiosity became fixation, and fixation became corruption.
 === Lear’s Fall ===
-Lear’s decline was rapid and cruel. His sorcery faded, his mind collapsed inward, and the Soul Harvest consumed him.
+Lear loses his magic, then his autonomy, then himself. Astrid witnesses the Soul Harvest consume his brother — a trauma central to his character.
-Astrid’s grief and guilt would define much of his life afterward.
-=== Study of Wards & Forbidden Rituals ===
+=== Study of Wards & the Black Flame ===
-Myth taught Astrid mental '''Wards''' to hide thoughts from the Lord of Faces.
+Astrid learned to hide thoughts from the Lord through Wards taught by Myth. He later discovered fragmented texts describing the ‘‘Black Flame’’ — a ritual he arrogantly believed could free him.
-Astrid later discovered ancient writings on the ‘‘Black Flame’’ — a ritual he arrogantly believed could free him.
 == The Jane Incident ==
-A pivotal moment in Astrid’s story, marking the beginning of his irreversible curse.
+A defining tragedy in Astrid’s life.
-=== Jane’s Devotion ===
-Jane stayed at Astrid’s side through illness and fever, caring for him when the curse made him weak and delirious.
 === Tethering ===
-A parasite of the [[Soul Harvest]] attached itself to Jane after she read Astrid’s tome in desperation.
+Jane read Astrid’s tome in desperation while he slept, unintentionally exposing herself to the Lord of Faces. A Soul Harvest parasite attached itself to her.
-This act tethered her to the Lord of Faces without her realizing it.
 === Myth’s Warning ===
-In a vision, [[Myth]] warned that Jane was tethered and that the Lord of Faces despised her influence.
+In a vision, [[Myth]] warns Astrid that Jane is tethered and that the Lord despises her influence.
-The only way to save her was to sever the tether before it took hold.
 === The Black Flame Outburst ===
-Astrid attempted to use a controlled burst of the Black Flame to kill the tethering creature.
+Astrid attempted to execute a controlled spell to kill the parasite.
-Instead, the ritual catastrophically backfired:
+Instead:
-* The curse ignited uncontrollably
+* The curse ignites uncontrollably
-* His body began to burn from within
+* His flesh burns to ash
-* Their home was obliterated
+* His voice is destroyed
-* His voice was destroyed
+* Their home is obliterated
-* The curse rooted deeper into his being
-His final psychic message to her:
+His final message to her, pushed into her mind:
 ''+JANE, LEAVE.+''
-She fled in terror.
+It is the last time he sees her.
-Astrid never saw her again.
 == Before Runaways ==
-Astrid wandered Westwynd, still tethered to the Lord of Faces. His unstable curse warped the world around him.
+Astrid wandered Westwynd, cursed and unstable, still tethered to the Lord of Faces.
-He searched for ways to sever his pact, unaware he was only tightening the noose.
+He sought ways to sever their bond, unaware each attempt only deepened his corruption.
 == Sparkborough ==
-In Sparkborough, Astrid met [[Isaac Blackburn|Isaac]], whose exposure to the Lord of Faces mirrored Astrid’s own trauma.
+In Sparkborough, Astrid encounters [[Isaac Blackburn|Isaac]], scarred by the Lord’s influence.
-This encounter awakened Astrid’s desire to protect others from the fate he had inflicted on those he loved.
+This awakens Astrid’s desire to protect others from suffering the same fate.
 == World Tree ==
-Astrid discovered the metaphysical structure connecting the Lord of Faces to Westwynd’s planar fabric.
+Astrid learns the metaphysical structure binding the Lord of Faces to Westwynd’s planar fabric.
-This knowledge set the stage for his future ascension.
+This knowledge becomes foundational to his eventual ascension.
 == The Death of Myth ==
-After events beneath the [[World Tree]], Astrid believed that [[Myth]] had been killed by the Lord of Faces for his betrayal, replaced by a hollow imitation named [[Doc]].
+Following events beneath the [[World Tree]], Astrid believes [[Myth]] has been killed by the Lord for his betrayal and replaced by a false tutor named [[Doc]].
+The loss pushes Astrid further toward self-destruction.
 == The Black Flame Rebellion (Corrected Canon) ==
-Astrid’s final attempt to use the Black Flame was not an act of rebellion — it was a disastrous overestimation of his own power.
+Astrid’s final attempt to use the Black Flame was not a rebellion — it was a catastrophic miscalculation.
 During the ritual:
-* The planes blurred together
+* The two realms blurred
-* His surroundings twisted into impossible geometries
+* Geometry distorted
-* The Black Flame surged violently
+* Sanity strained
-* The magic consumed his body
+* The Black Flame surged uncontrollably
-* The curse deepened
+* Astrid’s body decayed into living fire
-The ritual did '''not''' harm or even touch the [[Lord of Faces]].
+The ritual '''did not''' harm or even touch the [[Lord of Faces]].
-It was a catastrophic, self-inflicted curse born of arrogance, desperation, and incomplete understanding.
+Instead, it left Astrid permanently cursed, broken, and closer to death than ever before.
-This failure marked the lowest point of Astrid’s mortal life.
 == The Corellite Era & The Error Project ==
-During his time in the [[Corellite Empire]], Astrid became the subject of an experiment engineered by [[Ovina]], advisor to the Draconic Kingdom.
+In the [[Corellite Empire]], [[Ovina]] attempted to elevate Astrid to godhood by isolating and amplifying the ‘‘Error’’ — a fractured mind-piece of the Lord residing within Astrid.
-She attempted to elevate Astrid into a godlike being by amplifying the ‘‘Error’’ — a fractured echo of the Lord lodged in his mind.
-In a mental note to himself, Astrid warns:
+Astrid writes a mental note urging himself to:
 * Protect [[Ragnar]]
 * Protect [[Marco]]
 * Protect [[Ausmund]]
-* [[Merridoc]] already knows
+* Trust [[Merridoc]]
-* “Break the chain, even if it means breaking yourself.”
+* ‘‘Break the chain, even if it means breaking yourself.’’
-This internal rebellion marked Astrid’s first conscious step toward self-determination.
+This marks the beginning of Astrid’s internal rebellion against destiny.
 == Myth’s Perspective ==
-In his writings, [[Myth]] categorizes Astrid as a ‘‘3b Warlock’’ — one who knows the truth of the Lord of Faces yet continues to struggle against it.
+In his private writings, [[Myth]] classifies Astrid as a ‘‘3b Warlock’’ — one who knows the truth of the Lord yet continues to struggle against it.
-Myth views Astrid’s attempts to harness the Black Flame not as courage, but as tragic hubris.
-Yet he admires Astrid’s resolve.
+Myth does not view Astrid’s Black Flame ritual as defiance, but as tragic hubris.
-Even when Astrid destroys himself, he refuses to surrender his personhood.
+Yet he admires Astrid’s refusal to surrender his identity, even as he destroys himself.
 == Current Whereabouts ==
-Astrid now serves as custodian of the [[Ethereal Realm]], working tirelessly to maintain its balance.
+Maintaining stability in the [[Ethereal Realm]].
-He refrains from influencing the Material Plane, determined not to repeat the sins of the [[Lord of Faces]].
+He has chosen to refrain from influencing the Material Plane so as not to mimic the actions of the [[Lord of Faces]].
 == Notes ==
-This page reflects the most commonly accepted version of Astrid’s history.
+This page reflects only the most commonly accepted version of Astrid’s history. Competing records, magical distortions, and unreliable narrators may alter or contradict certain details.
-Conflicting accounts and planar distortions may alter or contradict certain details.

Astrid Myriad: Difference between revisions