Leto Gareth Runewood



Gifted Human (Cygnaran) Stormsmith Warcaster

Abilities

 * Excellent Potential (Human)
 * Arcane Focuser (Gifted)
 * Feat: Caster
 * Bond (Warcaster Armor)
 * Bond (Prospero - Lightning Rod)
 * Specialization: Stormcaller
 * Specialization: Lightining Rod
 * Weatherman
 * Weathervane
 * Maestro
 * Additional Study
 * Languages: Cygnaran, Llaelese

Equipment

 * Prospero - Lightning Rod
 * Storm Chamber
 * Rune plate
 * Bond
 * Stormcaller
 * Stormsmith Armored Coat
 * Warcaster Armor
 * Storm Chamber
 * Rune plate
 * Bond
 * Immunity: Electricity
 * A number of journals & writing implements
 * Letters of commission (Special Operative of the Strategic Academy, Cygnaran Army)

Story
The youngest sister of General Sebastian Nemo (Elena) and the youngest son of Archduke Alain Runewood (Gaheris) married in a grand gala of mostly circumstantial gravity. While it is an interesting footnote that these two influential families are now aligned, there are far too many heirs in line before either half of the happy couple for historians to take note. The couple is fiercely patroitic, however, and Gaheris Runewood gained accolades and decorations as a member of the "Storm Watch" - the 32nd Storm Knight Company - before his death in combat. This death occurred just days after the birth of his youngest son, whom he never met. Leto Gareth Runewood was raised by a grieving mother, but had surrogate uncles in the form of various Cygnaran military men, who thought of him as an entertaining mascot. So despite his affluent home life, he possessed a working man's outlook on name and station. By the time he was a young man, Gareth (as he was commonly called) had developed a talent for the arcane, particularly the storm-driven mechanika and magics that are signature to his country; a highly anticipated acceptance into Cygnar's prestigious Strategic Academy; and a disdain for the ceremony and decorum practiced by the nobility-run military.

So while he trained and was eager to push the boundaries of his own knowledge and capabilities, he was never one for saying the right thing or attending the proper function. His tendency to speak plainly and lack of tolerance for "the game" threatened his progress, but Gareth's natural talents impressed anyone who wasn't moved by his surname. He rose in rank, and was granted the title of Magus by the Strategic Academy, many members of which commented on how the genius of Nero had been passed down. Gareth continued to show very little interest in his bloodline - but was obsessed by galvanic thaumaturgy. Eager to revolutionize the thinking of the Strategic Academy (and, though he's loathe to admit it, in pursuit of the title of Prime Stormsmith), Gareth was liberal with resources, equipment, and information. In one notable incident, Gareth invited Veryth Vrir, a Nyss Sorceress he met during field research, to join him at his offices and was seen escorting her about the facility. Rumors flew that the two were romantically involved, and there was even suspicion that Veryth was a spy. Gareth dismissed the espionage criticism as nonsense, refused outright to speak to the nature of his relationship with the sorceress, and maintained that her insights into Storm - the natural, capital S version of the forces they harnessed - were invaluable.

Too many Academy leaders were threatened, however, and Gareth was eventually asked to leave. Since this is Cygnar, it was done in the most pompous way possible... Gareth was given a rank of "Special Operative" (to his knowledge, he is the only person to hold the meaningless commission), equipped with Cygnaran military finery, and charged with "long term, far reaching field research on the subjects of weather manipulation and galvanic thaumaturgy, in an effort to expand the Strategic Academy's expertise on these subjects, and with indefinite scope." In other words, "go do what you do, but do it as far away from here as possible, and don't feel like you have to report in."

Milestones

 * Stormsmith Prime
 * Gareth has never been one to lean on his station, but it doesn't mean he's immune to the drive for recognition. He's confident he can push forward the understanding of storm arcana, and will look for education and experimentation every chance he gets. He's collecting copious notes, and one day hopes to return to the Strategic Academy to present, be recognized for, and teach his philosophies.


 * Being Noble Without All the Pesky Nobility
 * Cygnarans diffuse criticism about their social structure and its influence on their government and military by suggesting that the giant social machine allows them to do good and protect their people. To Gareth's ears, that's an empty excuse. Gareth looks to help people - practicing real nobility - as often as possible, particularly the poor and powerless.