Orluo Zallian, a young half-elf with spectacles perched on his nose, exists in a realm where magic intertwines with science, a nexus of the natural and supernatural.
Born to an elven mother, Serene Illurio, a deft cleric, and a human father, Ribeli, a respected blacksmith, Orluo is blessed with both the sublime, fluid grace of his mother's kind, and the sturdy, pragmatism of his paternal lineage. His parents struggled to reconcile the two vastly disparate worlds they hailed from, but their love remained unwavering over the years.
Orluo's childhood brims with memories of his family huddled together in their cozy, Ivy-covered homestead, surrounded by ancient hermetic tomes and bubbling alchemic tools. Ribeli, with his earth-stained hands, would enchant his son with tales of his adventures in the grim mountains and resinous forests, whilst Serene would sing ethereal lullabies of the shimmering silver cities in the distant mystical lands. The young sapling grew, absorbing their narratives, their art, their science.
A peculiar figure impacted Orluo's formative years - Maberly, an elderly gnome, with a beard as long as his tales were tall. Maberly was not just a neighbor but Orluo's mentor, introducing the young elf to the alchemy of science. Under the gnome's guidance, Orluo souped spells with circuits, merged hexes with hypotheses, and turned equations into enchantments. The curious lad ventured beyond, exploring the coexistence of mysticism and mechanics, gathering threads of wisdom wrapped around microscopes and moondust alike.
Orluo's brother Thale, older by two summers, bristled with a warrior's spirit, steely determination lodged as much in his muscle as in his mind. Orluo admired Thale's zeal but felt no kinship with the path of a fighter. Instead, the call of books and scrolls, glass beakers and stardust compasses resonated in his heart.
Today, Orluo works as a provisioner, providing goods birthed from a blend of nature and alchemy, bolstered by his unique knowledge of arcane physics. He aids adventurers, merchants, scholars, filling their pockets with potions that can heal wounds, scrolls that turn into shields and meals summoned from shards of crystals.
Despite his courageous ventures into scientific exploration, Orluo harbors a deep fear, an ice-cold stream that runs through his heart. He fears his work, his passion, crossing the invisible line separating science and magic, might attract the attention of the nightmarish entity that unsettles magic-imbued lands - Ilsabrut, the Destroyer of Magic.
Undeterred, Orluo stands strong by his life creed - "Knowledge shines the brightest when lit by the lantern of wisdom." He believes that as long as he threads this path with an understanding heart and a curious yet cautious mind, Ilsabrut shall remain a shadow in the night.
In an unfortunate twist of fate, a beloved alchemical artifact, the Aetherscope, disappears from his workshop. The eerie traces of potent magic at the scene accuse him of an unthinkable crime. As the gears of suspicion turn against him, Orluo remains steadfast. He turns the crime into a puzzle, a crux he must solve. His very symbol, a leaf - half mechanical, half ethereal - reflecting his legacy becomes his guiding beacon.