Key Figures of Nexus
Archivist's Note: Nexus is not ruled by a single king or council, but by the gravitational pull of its most influential personalities. To understand the city is to understand the figures who define its markets, guard its secrets, and walk its shimmering streets. This document serves as a primer on the city's power brokers, both Awakened and Unawakened.
The Awakened Power Brokers
The Oracle of the Glass Lens
- Faction: Neutral (Aligned with the Way of the Middle Pillar)
- Role: Information Broker, Master of the Nexus Infosphere
- Primary Path(s): S6 Tiferet, S8 Hod
- Primary Cycle: The Devil's Bargain (A neutral, non-malevolent application)
- Profile: An enigmatic and ancient figure who resides at the top of the Silent Fulcrum. The Oracle is the city's most respected (and feared) information broker. They do not deal in secrets, but in "balanced truths." For a detailed assessment of their methods, see the Gilded Scale's report: The Oracle of the Glass Lens: A Profile.
"Somnus," the Dream-Broker
- Faction: Heretical (Independent)
- Role: Black Market Illusionist, Dream-Dealer
- Primary Path(s): S9 Yesod
- Profile: The proprietor of the infamous "Somnarium," a hidden dream-den in the chaotic heart of the Verdant Ward. Somnus is a master of Yesod who deals in a dangerous commodity: bespoke, addictive dream experiences that lead to a rapid form of Hollowing corruption. For a detailed threat assessment, see the Lamplighter Guild's case file: Somnus, the Dream-Broker: A Profile.
The Unawakened Guild Masters
Factor Gratian
- Faction: Unawakened (Gilded Scale Consortium)
- Role: Factor, Chief Negotiator
- Profile: The pragmatic public face of the Consortium. Gratian is a master of mundane economics and negotiation, viewing the grand conflicts of the magical world as market forces to be measured and profited from. He is the architect of the Consortium's rise to power.
Factoria Lex
- Faction: Unawakened (Gilded Scale Consortium)
- Role: Factor, Chief Risk Analyst
- Profile: The cold, statistical heart of the Consortium's power. Lex is the pioneer of "conceptual actuarial science," a discipline that translates magical phenomena into actuarial tables of risk and return. Her models predict the economic fallout of magical events with chilling accuracy, allowing the Consortium to treat suffering as a quantifiable externality.
Artisan-Primus Korbin
- Faction: Unawakened (Menders' Collective)
- Role: Master Artisan, Technocrat
- Profile: A legendary engineer from the Menders' Collective who revolutionized the field of magical damage repair. Korbin believes magic is simply another system of physics to be understood and engineered. His controversial treatise, The Mage as an Engine, is required reading for Nexus's new generation of technocrats.
Master Caelus
- Faction: Unawakened (Silent Relay)
- Role: Guildmaster of the Silent Relay
- Profile: The current, anonymous master of Nexus's most secure courier service. "Caelus" is a title, not a name, passed down through the guild's secret hierarchy. They are the ultimate master of mundane security, a paranoid genius who designs the puzzle boxes and protocols that have foiled even the most powerful scryers. For an in-depth look at their methods, see the intelligence document: Master Caelus: A Profile.
Captain Eva Rostova (ret.)
- Faction: Unawakened (Nexus Lamplighters, ret.)
- Role: Legendary Lamplighter Captain, Author
- Profile: The most decorated Captain in the history of the Lamplighters. Rostova is a cynical, pragmatic veteran who has forgotten more about fighting astral pests than most mages will ever know. Now retired, she penned the guild's standard training manual, a masterclass in mundane solutions to magical problems.