Vis Lightbearer

Vis Lightbearer is a human character played by Magister Vis. Currently wandering the plane of Gielinor, Vis keeps to himself and often avoids speaking to others, though rumor has it that he's taken interest in the Iron Rooks Brigade, a mercenary group with an interest in commerce and mercantile.

Appearance
Vis, being a man of 56, has a face that reflects a mage of his advanced age, with wrinkles along his constantly furrowed brow (most likely caused by his tendency to overthink everything), an unkempt, greyed beard (from his disinterest with personal appearance) and a few singed spots of skin from his constant experimentation with fire magic.

His body, however, seems almost unnatural for a man his age. Standing at 6'1" with a tone, slender build, he is in better shape than many men half his age. This is due in part to his strenuous training and strict diet, as he believes that magical enlightenment comes from a healthy balance of mental capacity and bodily strength.

He can always be found in his ornate armor, sporting blue, silver, and gold - the colors of Saradomin. The robe's chestplate the plating on the leggings are detachable so that Vis can also sleep in them. The only times he will not be found in this exact outfit in public is during prayer or church proceedings. During those circumstances, he removes the hood and his gloves out of respect for Saradomin. He also removes the entire outfit in his home, preferring to sport a craftsman's apron or a more casual robe depending on what he is doing there.

History
Born the son of a Yanille merchant, Vis was raised for the first six years of his life by his hired guardian, Erdrick, a retired mage from the Wizard's Guild. Erdrick had never married, and as a result, had no children. He cared for Vis as though he were his son.

On Vis' seventh birthday, his father, at the suggestion of Erdrick, surprised him with a vacation to Karamja. However, the trip quickly took a turn for the worse when the ship was sank by pirates. His father and mother died in the cannonfire, while Erdrick acted quickly enough to ward himself and Vis from the onslaught. However, though they were safe from the violence of combat, the ward did little to stop them from sinking into the dark depths of the ocean. Erdrick woke a few hours later, on the shore of an island he could not identify. An unconscious Vis lay next to him. Though he was weak from the battle, he carried Vis farther into the island, eventually coming upon a Saradominist monastary. There he asked the high priest to watch over the boy. The priest agreed, unable to turn away such a desperate plea. Moments after the priest had the boy taken to an infirmary, Erdrick slumped to the floor, the last breath that would ever grace his lungs escaping into the tropical air.

A few years passed. Vis woke to what he expected to be another uneventful day in the life of a monk of Entrana. After saying his morning prayer, hailing Saradomin like he always did, he went downstairs for breakfast. The high priest was already sitting at the table, an excited look on his face, and an ornate scroll clutched in his hand. As Vis sat down, the priest began discussing the boys future. He explained that, though Vis had tried to keep his practices a secret, he had noticed the boy training with magic. He told the boy that he had once been close friends with a certain higher-up in the Wizard's Tower. He and this mage used to travel the world, spreading the will of Saradomin everywhere they went. He had discussed the boy's magical talent with this friend, explaining that the boy had never had training, yet was still easily able to grasp advanced magical concepts. The boy had even discovered the law rune altar near the monastary, and had quickly started using teleportation to get around the island. He continued, describing the mage's shock at this, and how he had admitted that he had not learned how to teleport until his sixth year at the tower. The priest smiled, explaining that thanks to his constant insistance, Vis would be leaving for the Wizards' Tower and all it's training the next morning.

Vis had always enjoyed magic, and when he arrived at the Wizards' Tower, this proved no less true. The mage who offered to give him a tour never got him past the ground floor, for as soon as he saw the floating crystals and bookshelves in the library, he immediately excused himself as he went and searched for a book on how to accomplish levitation. That book lead him to another magical puzzle and another book, which rose more questions to the boy, leading to another book. By the end of his first day, Vis had read two bookshelves' worth of books on levitation, elemental planes, and magical constructs. The head librarian saw potential in the boy and took him on as an apprentice.

Six years passed, and at the age of twenty-two, Vis had greatly surpassed the head librarian in magical knowledge, and even the advanced magic instructors were humbled by his magical prowess. By age twenty-six, Vis' mystical knowledge and arcane ability was on par with the Archmage, whom he had found out had been the friend the priest had mentioned. It would be two more years before the Archmage passed away. Vis was chosen by many of the council to replace him, but declined the offer, deciding that he had learned all he could from the Tower. He decided to wander the world, seeking out new instructors to teach him other ways of magic.

For twenty-five more years, he wandered the plane of Gielinor, learning other forms of magicks from distant clans, exotic cultures and other adventurers. Determined that Saradomin had bestowed his magical gifts upon him, and had blessed him the day that he allowed him the opportunity to leave the island, he decided to spread the teachings of the church as he travelled; condoning violence against the defenseless, smiting the wicked, helping those who could not help themselves. He did all he could to show the good will of his god.

In the last few years, his wanderings have dwindled drastically. After becoming a partner in a runestone manufacturing and trading company, he tends to stay inside the borders of the kingdoms of Asgarnia and Misthalin, not wanting to stray very far from Port Sarim. But, thanks to the nagging memory of adventures and excitement in his past, he has very recently taken interest in a group of mercenaries and merchants called the Iron Rooks. Using his runestone trading as a guise, he plans to approach the group in an attempt to join their ranks.

But what will come of this sudden change of interest? This part of the adventure has yet to unfold...

Personality
Vis' personality, for the most part, reflects what you would expect of a Saradominist mage: intelligent, decisive, generous, and morally sound. He condones evil in every form, from heinous crimes such as murder all the way down to minimal offenses like loitering. But this strict code of conduct does not make him a stick in the mud in any sense. His intellect and cunning make him a natural mischief-maker, and he often enjoys joking with friends or playing pranks on his close allies. He is a powerful boon to his allies and a deadly adversary to his foes, and above all, he believes that the will of Saradomin is reflected through his actions, making him challenge any obstacle with every bit of his ability, knowing that he will eventually succeed.

Though this does not mean he is a saint. No, Vis follows the teachings of Saradomin in every aspect except one: humility. Vis is aware of his gifts and has no problem showing them off, making (on more than one occasion) bizarre and showy demonstrations of his magical prowess to prove to skeptics that he is not simply "some old has-been wizard." He can often be found on roadsides in arguments with younger mages over magical theory, or in town squares summoning lightning from the sky for some passer-by that was doubtful about his power.

History in Current Roleplaying Scenarios
Vis Lightbearer has yet to roleplay with any major groups, clans, or organizations.