Klaus Bergendorf

Keeper of the Cube of Time, Star Instrument of the Telmari, Protector of the City of Limbo

"I look upon you all, mages, and I don't see Terrans, or Renathians, or Endamians, Dreandrilans, or Orkanisans...I see one people, united by magic and able to weather all misfortune. I look upon you, and I see hope for our multiverse's future."
~Klaus Bergendorf, after defending the City of Limbo from the Telmari.

Klaus Bergendorf is the current head of the Seven, the central organization of mages throughout the multiverse. He has seen war, failed diplomacy, and glimpses of the multiverse's future, guiding the Seven through a trying time in their short history.

From Farm Boy to the Sunless City

Klaus was born into a simple farming family in Bavaria. Growing up on the farm gave the young man a powerful sense of wonder and a grounding in his culture’s fairy tales and stories. The nearby woods gave him space to explore, as well as something to avoid at night.
All this changed when he was harvesting a wheat field in 1999. He discovered a small, perfectly round crater in the field, at the centre of which was a glowing blue cube. Curious as he was, he grasped it and was instantly chosen as the next Keeper of the Cube of Time. He underwent the Change at a breakneck pace, knocking him out for several hours.
He was discovered there by a few scouts of the Seven, who had detected the Cube's landing position. He was immediately scooped up and taken to the Sunless City of Limbo. Awakening there, he was swiftly invested into the Council of the Keepers, with a Master for his education.

Education and the Scourge of the Telmari

Klaus's keen instincts were quickly supplemented by the knowledge contained within the Cube. Because of this, his learning quickly outmatched any mage's training thus far, completing the Gauntlet and gaining his Mastery after only three months of study.
His Mastery came just in time, for the city of Limbo was assaulted by an unexpected foe: the Telmari of Dreandril. These angered mariners and mages laid siege to the Sunless City in 2000, breaching The Argent Wards and flowing into the city streets.
As leader of the Seven, Klaus was expected to lead the city's defence against the Telmari. He leapt straight into the battle, using the Cube of Time to slow the approach of the enemy army long enough for his forces to get in position and surround them. The strategy was successful and the army was routed from the city, with their leader Veros Telmar taken prisoner. He was hailed as a great hero, and a statue in the Sixten Gardens was erected in his honour.

Mission to Telmaria

Klaus was given the capacity to interrogate Veros Telmar about his people's attack. It wasn't long before he heard the truth: the Telmari's signature Star Ships were failing, and Franco Colbartha, the Keeper of the Cube of Ice was to blame. Hearing this, he questioned Franco, who attempted to escape justice.
Recapturing Franco himself, Klaus then took him to Telmaria in 2002 to stand trial for his transgressions. The disgraced Keeper handed over the plans and knowledge he had stolen, and he was stripped of the Cube that he had used for evil. Klaus spared no expense in banning Franco from the Seven for his crimes, and a few people that were caught aiding him had their accumulated titles in the Seven revoked.
For his decisive and just act, the Telmari awarded Klaus with the honorary title of Star Instrument. He wears the badge proudly, incorporating the design of the Heart of Telmar into his official documents.

Recent Projects

Taking advantage of the current peace in the Sunless City and his growing knowledge of the Seven's bureaucracy, Klaus has spent much of the past decade resting. The task of running the multiverse's defence against demons is a dangerous one and a thankless job, and it weighs down on many. Many have remarked that he has grown more closed off, speaking mostly through representatives.

"I may see the future, or some futures, but it is in constant motion. I place my trust in the present. I place my trust in all of you."
~Klaus Bergendorf on the inauguration of his statue in the Sixten Gardens.

A statue of Klaus Bergendorf in the Sixten Gardens.

Species

Terran

Conditions

• The Change

Year of Birth

1982 CE

Aligned Organization

The Seven

Related Myths

• The Hundred-Fold Void

Ruled Locations

• Klaus's Home

Powers and Abilities

As well as a powerful control of the hermetic magicks common to all mages, Klaus also has a few special abilities related to his guardianship of the Cube of Time:

• Ability to slow down and speed up time with little effort; and
• Clairvoyance of a much more powerful capacity than most; he can also view events in the past and in a simultaneous multiplicity of futures.

Family Life

Both of his parents died in 2011 from a disastrous fire, with his estranged brother receiving the inheritance. Klaus doesn't mind, however, as he has a wife and three children living in Bavaria that he visits on a weekly basis and enough money from the Seven's coffers to live a very comfortable life.

Hobbies

When the difficulty of running the multiverse becomes too much, Klaus has been seen travelling the multiverse. His iconic green hood and brown cape have visited the districts of Lerdelore, traversed the valleys of Schinter, and have even become an item of worship among a tribe in the wilds of Renath.
When even short-term travel isn't possible due to the demands of his position, he enjoys talking with the variety of peoples that call Limbo home. Many have claimed to have bumped into him at parties, in taverns and browsing shops. He has done this less and less as the duties of his office have weighed down on him.

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)