Stratus

Stratus was born to a Human family in Karthene, and his Windborn nature was evident from the first breath he took. His arrival was seen as a sign of good fortune, and his parents named him for the clouds that drifted above the city. It quickly became clear, however, that Stratus was not merely Genieborn, but a Sorcerer with no control over his innate powers. His Wild Magic affected the world around him in unpredictable ways, bending chance, stirring the air, and unnerving those nearby. The Karthene Council, uncertain of what to do with a child whose very presence could cause chaos, advised his parents to send him to a monastery in the far city of Umbirch.

At the monastery, the monks attempted to instill discipline and control over his volatile power. Rituals, meditation, and strict study were all employed, but Stratus’s magic resisted confinement. Even under their guidance, his abilities could flare unexpectedly, causing accidents or minor havoc. The monks could neither tame nor fully understand him, and Stratus grew restless under their watchful eyes, aware that the structure meant to contain him could never truly shape him.

Eventually, Stratus descended the Wealdshield on the southern side, seeking isolation amidst danger. He lived alone on the edges of the Sea of Trees, where the wilds and the deadly creatures that inhabited them tested him daily. There, away from society and observation, he learned to survive and to temper his magic through experience rather than instruction. Exposure to the harsh elements and constant danger taught him control, patience, and the limits of his own abilities, shaping him into a sorcerer of practical skill and self-reliance.

After years of solitude, Stratus returned to Karthene, only to find his parents stricken by a wasting illness. Their deaths severed his remaining ties to the city and left him unmoored. With his magic mastered but no obligations tying him to a place or people, he traveled west, taking work as an Adventurer. Over time, he earned a minor reputation for skill and unpredictability, eventually purchasing a manor on the cliffs of the Fencrest Foothills. From this perch overlooking the Shifting Blue, he watched the storms he felt deeply connected to, studying the currents and whims of the skies with quiet devotion.

Stratus’s solitude ended when a Devilborn named Mercy appeared at his door, desperate to control his own wild magic. Having learned of Stratus through a contact at Cliffsunder's Middlecliff Market, Mercy pleaded for guidance. The windborn took him on as a pupil, driving the young man to confront the extremes of his own power. Stratus trained Mercy relentlessly, pushing him to dangerous limits as he done himself, believing that only under true peril could one fully master the chaos within.