THE BRANDED

 

There are no other more notorious servants of the Wheelhouse than those called the branded. Marked with a rune tattoo upon their left cheek, the branded are sent beyond the Wheelhouse to regulate or to reclaim magic in the Remains. The enchanted rune marking allows the branded to steal magic from items or people, making them dangerous enemies to those who wield the ancient power.

 

Of all the occupations in the world of Mythren, none have a reputation quite like that of the branded.  Instantly recognizable by the enchanted tattoo, the branded have the unique power to render a person or object barren of magic.  Those who know the touch of the branded are unable to cast magical spells or use enchanted items ever again.  Furthermore, for a brief time, the branded keep the power they steal.  For this duration, they can access the magic and use it however they choose. With such power literally at their fingertips, the branded are greatly feared by those who dwell in the Remains.

 

The Wheelhouse offers no apology for the work of the branded. No remorse is felt for the lives left barren in their wake. On occasion the branded are sent to rein in the threat of dangerous magic to the Out-towns. Other times, the branded are sent to collect enchanted relics that are the lifeblood to some of the races living in that region. The branded act without compassion or fear of reprisal in either case. They are skilled in combat, and proficient with numerous weapons, and will not hesitate to remove threats to themselves or to their mission. Indeed, the branded are perhaps one of the most efficient and dangerous weapons wielded by the Wheelhouse.

 

Once, in the lost chronicles of the Old World, they were called reiners. In those days they were responsible for crusades, persecutions, and the taming of forbidden magic. Now the Wheelhouse alone holds the ability to produce these regulators. And while the work they do is without compassion or guilt, and often leaves suffering in its wake, they are, in essence, servants to a higher power. The Wheelhouse requires the magic they take, and without it, the tower would not have the energy to maintain its hold on the broken world of Mythren.