You have been talented your entire life.  Despite every challenge your small town life put in front of you, you surmounted it with relative ease.  Being the prodigy of your community has made life an absolute bore.  So when you came of age, you took the fastest way out, whether it was merchant caravans or military conscription, it was an escape.  You excelled at your new life as well, rising in the ranks to a position of prominence in your organization. It was then when you first saw it, the true power of arcane energy.  Immediately enamored with it, you used whatever resources or social status you had in order to gain opportunities to learn arcane secrets, and you failed.  For the first time you tasted real failure, as time and time again you found yourself incapable of producing more than some minor cantrips.  This fueled your need for it, as you spent every free moment pouring over texts, and finding a measure of success.  Your obsession with this endeavor consumed you to the point which you let the life you have built slip, possibly going as far as to desert it altogether.  Now your path is devotion to the arcane arts, using your previous experience to get you from one study to the next.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History

Tool Proficiencies: Your choice of Alchemist's Supplies, Calligrapher's Supplies, or Forgery Kit

Languages: Choose one of Celestial, Elvish, Infernal, or Primordial

Equipment: Insignia of Rank, a set of artisan's tools, Cyphrean's cipher, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Spell List

Cyphrean's Cypher has allowed you to unlock the secrets of the following spells.

Spell Level	Spells
Cantrip	thaumaturgy

Suggested Characteristics

For one who seeks to unlock the secrets of arcane power, they must forsake all else.  Giving up all that they know in order to pursue this knowledge tends to lead a person to wander from archive to catacomb, in search of undiscovered knowledge.  Therefore the Arcane Obsessed doesn't get too comfortable in any one location too long.  Past relationships become strained and new ones become more of an assessment of usefulness as opposed to companionship.  The obsessed believe that once they find that which they seek that their life will be complete and all of the sacrifice will have been worth it.  The crux in in this ideal is that most spend nearly a lifetime obtaining the prize with little life left to use it.  

d8	Personality Trait
1	I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.
2	I begin or end my day with small traditional rituals that are unfamiliar to those around me.
3	If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.
4	I’m always polite and respectful.
5	I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones.
6	I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
7	I’ve read every book in the world’s greatest libraries—or I like to boast that I have.
8	I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.

d6	Ideal
1	Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)
2	No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
3	Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)
4	Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
5	Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)
6	Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)

d6	Bond
1	My freedom is my most precious possession. I’ll never let anyone take it from me again.
2	Though I had no choice, I lament having to leave my loved one(s) behind. I hope to see them again one day.
3	Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
4	Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
5	I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
6	I protect those who cannot protect themselves.

d6	Flaw
1	Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life.
2	I believe that I’m intellectually superior to people from other cultures and have much to teach them.
3	I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
4	I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
5	I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
6	I am easily distracted by the promise of information.