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11:40, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Gumman Soup

Background

Gumman Soup is, or was, a highly regarded elven alchemist, magician and scientist. Among other projects, he sought to create the mythical “philosopher’s stone.”

Gumman was in his seventies, but reportedly still of good health and a sound mind. He was of noble blood, which helped his academic pursuits begin at a young age.

He never actually married, but did have numerous children with different women (mostly nobles or higher ups of some sort). It was partly his belief in Caballus, but he also viewed himself as genetically superior, believing his genes should be spread widely. Some just say he was horny. In any case, he did make sure his children and their mothers were taken care of, and family ‘alliances’ or unions still occurred to some extent. Some of his children became notable in their own right.

Because it is something of a myth, the exact nature of the philosopher’s stone is not known or clear, which leads to a wild variety of stories and rumors. The general consensus is that it would bypass the normal ‘laws’ of magic and science, and grant great power. This gained the interest of many, including military forces.

Gumman did not work alone though. He traveled frequently to learn from others, get their input, and sometimes recruit them into his team. He also had to gain funding and resources, usually in exchange for some kind of favor (not necessarily related to the stone). The members of his personal team were ever changing, for various reasons. Gumman was also a member of the Order of the Black Herb, at least in some capacity. There were many offshoots of Gumman’s work, trying things in different ways.

It is known that some forms of forbidden magic were used in Gumman’s research and experiments (not necessarily by him specifically). As far as anyone knows though, they were used very carefully, and Gumman seemed to be a peaceful man of good morals, if a bit self-important.


Recent Events

Gumman Soup and his entourage were last seen at Windbreaker Castle in the Valleys of Wind. Most believe he was there for the usual purposes of acquiring funding and useful personnel, forming connections and passing on research. Because of the recent siege of the castle however, this has been hard to verify.

They were headed for the Wetlands, crossing a larger stretch between settlements. However, they were never heard from again. The likely site of their disappearance was discovered, but they could not be tracked beyond it. As luck would have it, a large storm had occurred around the same time, washing out any trails. There were also several rivers nearby.

The group was quite large as well, making its complete disappearance all the more baffling. There was Gumman and his core team of skilled people. Then a bunch of helpers, servants and the like. Lastly, a military escort of knights and soldiers. It is believed everyone that was last with him also disappeared with him, since they have not been discovered either.

It has been less than a year since Gumman Soup’s disappearance, so people do still remember hearing about it. Efforts to find the alchemist have mostly dried up, and others have tried to continue his work but with minimal success. No credible claims or demands have been made either.

Most believe the rivers had something to do with the disappearance, as they would have provided quick means of departure with less chance of being tracked. There was also a bizarre ripple effect after Gumman’s disappearance, as there seemed to be more murders and disappearances that didn’t lead anywhere definitive.

Some suspect the Ruins of Peas’mak are being used as a hideout, for the same reasons a lot of suspicious things might happen there. That would be a significant distance to cover though without anyone taking note. Some think the Crow Barbarians had something to do with it, just given their numbers, overall capabilities and bad intentions. Criminal networking is also suspected, or The Shroud.