Astrid Myriad

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.

Today, Astrid is debatably ascended to the status of an Archon. At this time, there has been no confirmation or further follow up on the nature of his endeavors in the Astral Realm.

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 He valued precision and truth above diplomacy, and early on he was intentionally cruel and emotionally withdrawn.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. Previously known as Milston.

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

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

Although what Myth was doing was objectively dooming Astrid, it was a necessary evil.

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.

Myth’s Perspective

In his private writings that Astrid discovered just before his death, Myth classifies Astrid as a ‘‘3b Warlock’’ — one who knows the truth of the Lord yet continues to struggle against it -- as well as the nature of all of The Lord of Faces kin.

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.

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 which weighted on the sanity of Astrid. In his attempt to cast the spell, the Black Flame surged uncontrollably and left Astrid’s body decayed into living fire.

The ritual did not harm or even touch the Lord of Faces. Just as he had always done, he merely watched and pulled the strings of Astrid's fate.

This would be the catalyst for Astrid as it left him permanently cursed, broken, and balanced in a state of undeath.

The Corellite Era & The Error Project

In the Corellite Empire, Ovina attempted to elevate Astrid to godhood by isolating and amplifying the ‘‘Error’’ — a horrible spawn of The Lord of Faces that was obsessed with Astrid.

While undergoing Ovina's attempts to ascend him, Astrid wrote mental notes 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.

Ethereal Sea

Shortly after Astrid's ascension to the Atheral Sea following the defeat of Microphone and Doc, Astrid noticed a collection of souls that were not going to their final resting places. In fact, a large amount were stuck in this in between in the Astral Plane, unable to move on. Astrid does what he can to keep these wayward souls comfortable but does not know how he can help.

During his times containing the idea of Microphone, Astrid learned of the real Rivers Guangxi and that the one serving under Venoa and the Dragon Empire may, in fact, be a farce. The real Rivers died 38 years ago in small town on the continent of Cassius. He allegedly lived a quiet life after defeating an early form of Microphone amongst other accomplishments.

Current Whereabouts

Maintaining stability in the Ethereal Sea. 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.