Divination Wizard | Human | Clocksmith | The Time Keeper

Backstory

Hails from a clocksmith family, grew up learning how to build clocks but without him knowing the clock blueprints he learned from were secretly actually magic circles, and so he innately understands how magic works purely through clockwork patterns and gears. Growing up his family always made him study the different gear patterns and clock making techniques, these techniques were heavily protected by the family and kept inside tome-esque books. At around age 20 his parents had disappeared, but left him the keys to their clock shop and a pocketwatch that his father always carried around. Though, inside the lid of the pocketwatch there is a key for which he does not know where it leads.

Then about 20 years later he had a deep-dream, one of which was him falling through a world of patterns that seemed oh so familiar; they were the exact same patterns that he has dedicated his life to, that of clockwork and gears. It was after this dream where his life felt shaken, he picked up smoking to help handle the constant state of anxiety he was in. Ever so rarely he began to be able to predict milliseconds into the future, it was so near that it came of no use but it was always so jarring; almost like seeing the world from a third person perspective.

It has been about 10 years since then, and it was at this point where he dug back up all of his family’s tomes of clock smithing and now started to see these symbols in a completely different light. They were actually magic circles! This whole time they were magic circles, it was at this point he began to secretly practice his magical prowess and studied these tomes beyond just building clocks.

Recently, he was approached by the Mage Society because he started to get a little too open with his magical prowess and is now required to take a test. He will pass and become a white robe.

Appearance

He greyed early due to his cigarette use. He is about 52 years old. Is always well dressed, but reeks of tobacco. Carries a pocketwatch passed down to him, inside the lid of the pocketwatch is a key that he does not know what it opens.

Magical Prowess

He casts spells through visualizing clocks and how the gears shift. The flux of magic is visualized like gears ticking in a clock. His pocketwatch is his spellcasting object. He uses the clock and it moves like a pendulum and from it comes a series of gears that shift and turn based on the spell.

Personality

White robed; tries to bring joy in everything they do and believes that since they can use magic it should be used for good. He is honestly a joy to be around, he often smokes cigarettes but can give sage advice due to his experience in life. Though short compared to many other races, it feels as if he has lived many lives (due in part to him being a divination wizard).

Traits

Methodical Optimist - He believes in order, patterns, and that everything happens for a reason. Even when things look grim, he trusts there’s a gear turning somewhere that will make it all make sense.

Generous with Knowledge - Despite his family’s secrecy, Silas wants to share what he learns. He sees magic as a gift meant to help others, and gets genuine satisfaction from teaching someone a new skill. He shares knowledge freely about clockwork and “normal” magic, but is extremely careful about what he reveals. Uses teaching as a way to deflect from his own abilities.

Contemplative Presence - He’s comfortable with silence. Will sit and smoke while others talk, then drop a single insightful comment that reframes everything.

Master of Misdirection - Uses his smoking breaks, tea rituals, and friendly chatter as excuses to pause and process divination glimpses without anyone noticing.

Flaws

Paranoid Under the Surface - Constantly worried someone will notice the tells when he glimpses forward. Second-guesses every reaction, every word. The anxiety that led to smoking is as much about hiding his secret as processing his powers.

Crippling Need for Control - His whole life is about precision and patterns. When chaos strikes or things don’t follow predictable paths, he becomes anxious and compensates by trying to micromanage everything and everyone around him.

Lies Through Omission - He’s become too good at hiding things. Even when he should trust someone, he defaults to secrecy. This isolation eats at him.

Analysis Paralysis - Sometimes he sees too many possible futures or outcomes. He can freeze up trying to calculate the “perfect” move, smoking through half a pack while the party waits.

Imposter Syndrome - He’ll become a White Robe, but he’s terrified they’ll discover he’s not just a “normal” diviner. What if his family’s pattern-magic is forbidden? What if he’s the reason they disappeared?

Emotionally Guarded - His parents vanished without explanation. He’s terrified of getting too close to people because they might disappear too. Uses humor and sage advice as a shield to avoid vulnerability.

Addictive Personality - The smoking is just a symptom. He latches onto patterns, routines, and habits obsessively. Could easily transfer his cigarette dependency to other crutches.

Tensions Within

Order vs. Chaos: Wants everything to follow patterns, but divination shows him that free will and chaos constantly interfere

Sharing vs. Secrets: Wants to be open with his knowledge but was raised in a family that hoarded secrets

Present vs. Future: His glimpses forward make it hard to stay grounded in the now

Joy vs. Anxiety: Genuinely wants to spread happiness but is constantly worried about what he’s seen/might see and always anxious about showing his divination powers too much

White Robe Ideals vs. Self-Preservation: Supposed to use magic for good, but has to hide his best abilities

Helping vs. Hiding: Sees disasters coming but revealing them risks exposure

Reads the Room Obsessively - Not just socially aware—he’s hypervigilant. Always tracking who’s watching him, who asks too many questions, who might be testing him.

Deflects Personal Questions - About his magic, his family, his “luck.” Uses humor and redirects to the other person. “Ah, but enough about my boring clocks—what about your sword technique?”

Selective Vulnerability - Shares emotional truths (missing his parents, anxiety, wanting to quit smoking) to seem open, while hiding the real secret. People think they know him, but don’t.

Roleplay Hooks

He taps his pocket watch when nervous (checking time, feeling the key inside)
Occasionally says something cryptic that only makes sense hours later when events unfold
Offers people cigarettes as a bonding gesture, even though he knows he shouldn’t
Gets genuinely excited when machinery or puzzles appear
Pauses mid-conversation when he glimpses a micro-future, creating awkward moments
“I Have a Theory…”: Frames foreknowledge as logical deduction from patterns
Strategic Mistakes: Occasionally gets things “wrong” on purpose to seem fallible
Watches His Words: Brief hesitation before speaking when he nearly reveals too much

Goals

Needs to learn more about what his family is/was
Discover what happened to his family, realized that maybe they did not just run away, maybe something happened to them
Needs to figure out what this key does
Wants to learn more about why he sometimes sees life through the third person and seers into the future
Wants to establish himself in the Mage Society, sees it as a potential key to figuring out more about his family and his power. Though he realized early on that he has divination powers, so he tries to handle it with class
He should want to build better habits and hopefully try to quit smoking
Wants to figure out more about the “Pattern World” that he glimpsed into briefly
Develop his own style of magic, that branches off the magic passed down through his family line

Relationships

Ispin Greenshield

Was a human that whenever he passed through town he would stop by Silas’s clock shop. Many times not to buy a clock, just to talk.

Father: Aldric Tempus

Appearance: Tall, lean, prematurely silver hair, intense gray eyes, always wore an oil-stained leather apron. The pocketwatch (now Silas’s) never left his side.

Personality: Obsessively precise, cryptic teacher, quietly protective, increasingly paranoid before vanishing. Taught through riddles and questions rather than direct answers.

Key Trait: His hands never shook, even when everything else was falling apart.

Last Words: “The key opens what you need when you need it. Not before. Trust the pattern, Silas.”

Mother: Miriam Tempus

Appearance: Warm brown eyes, laugh lines, practical dresses with tool-filled pockets, intricate braids, ink-stained fingers from constant sketching.

Personality: Warm pragmatist, fiercely intelligent pattern theorist, anxious optimist. She designed half the patterns in the family tomes. Translated Aldric’s cryptic lessons into plain language.

Key Trait: Hummed ticking patterns while sketching—the same habit Silas has now.

Last Morning: Made his favorite breakfast, hugged him too long with red-rimmed eyes. Felt like goodbye.

Sage Advice Catalog

On Patience & Timing

“Every gear has its time to turn. Force it early, and the whole clock breaks.”
“The difference between a reckless fool and a hero? Three seconds of patience.”
“Sometimes the best move is to let the mechanism run its course.”
“Rushing breaks more than just clocks, friend.”
“There’s a rhythm to everything. Miss the beat, and you’re dancing alone.”

On Failure & Mistakes

“I’ve rebuilt more clocks than I’ve built. Every master starts as a student of their own failures.”
“A broken gear teaches you more than a thousand working ones.”
“The first time you assemble something, it’s learning. The second time, it’s skill. The third time? That’s art.”
“Mistakes are just patterns you haven’t recognized yet.”
“Even a stopped clock is right twice a day—but don’t be a stopped clock.”

On Trust & Relationships

“Trust is like a mainspring—wind it too tight and it snaps, too loose and nothing moves.”
“People aren’t machines. They don’t always do what you expect, and that’s… well, that’s the beautiful part.”
“Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is just be there. Ticking along beside them.”
“I’ve learned that people show you who they are in the small moments, not the grand ones.”
“Loyalty isn’t built in a day. It’s assembled piece by careful piece.”

On Fear & Courage

“Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s lighting a cigarette with shaking hands and going anyway.”
“Every hero I’ve met has been terrified. They just didn’t let it stop the gears from turning.”
“Fear is just your mind trying to protect you. Thank it, then do what needs doing.”
“The bravest thing I ever did? Admitting I didn’t have all the answers.”

On Change & Growth

“You can’t hold onto yesterday’s clockwork and expect tomorrow’s innovations.”
“I spent twenty years building the same clocks. Then one day I looked at them differently. Everything changed.”
“People think they can’t change, but I’ve seen a man who couldn’t read become a scholar. We’re not as fixed as we think.”
“Sometimes you have to disassemble everything you know to build something better.”
“Growth is uncomfortable. Like breaking in new boots, but for your soul.”

On Decisions & Choices

“Every choice is a gear that moves ten others. Think about where they lead.”
“There’s no perfect decision. There’s just the one you make and how you handle what comes after.”
“Paralysis is a choice too—usually the worst one.”
“I’ve learned to trust my gut. It’s been calculating patterns longer than my brain has.”
“Sometimes the right choice feels wrong because it’s hard. Don’t confuse difficulty with incorrectness.”

On Purpose & Meaning

“We’re all building something. Make sure it’s worth the time you’re spending.”
“Meaning isn’t found, friend. It’s assembled. Piece by piece, day by day.”
“I fix clocks so people can spend their time on what matters. What do you do?”
“Purpose isn’t one big thing. It’s a thousand small gears all turning together.”

On Loss & Grief

“Grief is just love with nowhere to go. Let it wind through you.”
“The people we lose don’t really leave. They’re in every tick of who we’ve become.”
“Time doesn’t heal wounds. But it does teach you how to carry them.”
“I still set two cups for tea sometimes. It’s not forgetting—it’s remembering that matters.”

On Persistence

“The difference between a craftsman and an amateur? The craftsman kept going after the hundredth failure.”
“Giving up is easy. It’s the staying that builds character.”
“Every master was once a disaster. They just didn’t quit.”
“I’ve fixed clocks that everyone said were beyond repair. ‘Impossible’ usually just means ‘difficult.‘”

On Self-Awareness & Habits

“I know I should quit smoking. Knowing and doing are different gears entirely.” (self-deprecating)
“We all have our vices. The trick is not letting them wind the whole mechanism.”
“I’ve rebuilt a thousand clocks but can’t fix myself. Funny how that works.”
“Self-improvement is the hardest repair job you’ll ever do.”

On Mystery & The Unknown

“Not everything needs an answer right away. Some mysteries need time to reveal themselves.”
“The more I learn, the more I realize how little I understand. And somehow, that’s comforting.”
“There’s a pattern to everything. Sometimes you just can’t see it from where you’re standing.”
“Questions are more valuable than answers. They keep you moving forward.”

Humorous/Lighter Ones

“Never trust a clock that runs fast. It’s lying about how much time you have left.”
“Life’s too short for cheap tobacco and bad tea.”
“If your plan requires everything going perfectly, it’s not a plan—it’s a prayer.”
“I’ve met wizards who can bend reality but can’t show up on time. Priorities, people.”
“Age doesn’t bring wisdom automatically. I know plenty of old fools. Just… less fool-hardy ones.”

Cryptic/Prophetic (When He’s Slipped)

“That gear’s going to break soon.” (about a situation, not actual gear)
“Interesting. That’s not the path I expected you to take.” (said before they announce a decision)
“Hold onto that. You’ll need it later.” (seemingly random advice that proves true)
“Three days. Give it three days.” (with no explanation)
“The pattern’s shifting. Can you feel it?” (to himself, but audible)

Silus’s Clockwork Spell Flavoring

Cantrips

Fire Bolt - The Striker’s Spark

Pocketwatch swings like a pendulum, a gear ignites and launches forward trailing flame
The gear spins rapidly, friction creating the fire as it flies
Sounds like a clock spring releasing

Mage Hand - The Phantom Mechanism

Translucent clockwork hand assembles itself from spinning gears and springs
Ticks audibly when it moves, like a mechanical automaton
Fingers click and whir as they grasp objects

Message - The Synchronized Chime

Pocketwatch chimes softly, the sound travels on invisible gears to the target’s ear
Like two clocks striking in perfect synchronization across distance
Target hears a faint ticking before the words arrive

1st Level Spells

Alarm - The Sentinel’s Tick

Creates an invisible web of interlocking gear patterns around the area
When triggered, sounds like a clock alarm bell ringing in Silas’s mind
He can visualize which “gear” was disturbed, showing him where the breach occurred

Chromatic Orb - The Prismatic Escapement

A crystalline gear forms, each tooth a different color
Spins rapidly, building energy until the chosen color dominates
Releases as the gear shatters and reforms into elemental energy
Different damage types = different gear rotation patterns (clockwise for fire, counter-clockwise for cold, etc.)

Comprehend Languages - The Universal Cogwork

Tiny gears appear around his ears and eyes, translating in real-time
Each language has a different “gear signature” that clicks into place
He hears the original words but understands them through the mechanism
The gears adjust and recalibrate as different languages are spoken

Detect Magic - The Pattern Reader ⚠️ CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE

Gears overlay his vision like clockwork spectacles
Magical auras appear as colored gear patterns turning at different speeds
RISKY: This is where he might slip—he sees magic as literal clockwork patterns, which isn’t how normal wizards perceive it
Should describe it generically: “I see the typical divination shimmer” while internally seeing intricate gear-work

Grease - The Overflow Valve

Gears materialize and spin so fast they leak oil/grease
The mechanism “breaks down” deliberately, spilling lubricant everywhere
Gears vanish, grease remains

Identify - The Mechanism’s Truth

Creates a complex analysis engine of interlocking gears around the object
Gears probe, measure, and decode the item’s properties
Takes the full hour (ritual) as the mechanism slowly “reads” the enchantments
Final gear clicks into place, and he knows what it does
Cover Story: “Just analyzing the enchantment patterns through mechanical theorem”

Mage Armor - The Defensive Mainspring

Invisible gears rotate around his body in protective layers
Creates a “buffer mechanism” between him and attacks
He can feel them ticking against his skin
When hit, sounds like gears grinding/absorbing impact

Shield - The Emergency Brake

Instant reaction: massive gear materializes and interlocks with incoming attack
Sounds like a pocket watch snapping shut
The gear halts momentum, then dissolves
His fastest spell—pure reflex

Sleep - The Lullaby Mechanism

Musical box gears appear, playing a hypnotic ticking rhythm
Targets see/hear a soothing pattern of rotating gears
Their perception “winds down” like a clock stopping
Gears fade as they fall unconscious

2nd Level Spells

Augury - The Pendulum’s Prophecy ⚠️ EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

His most risky spell—this is TRUE divination magic
The pocketwatch opens, and he uses special divination “components” (worth 25gp)
Watch swings as a pendulum over a spread of tiny gears representing possible futures
The gears align to show: favorable (smooth meshing), unfavorable (grinding/jamming), mixed (stuttering), or nothing (gears don’t move)
THE PROBLEM: He’s TOO good at this. Has to deliberately misread it sometimes or claim uncertainty
Cover: “The mechanism is temperamental. Even with the formula, it’s only 75% accurate.” (It’s not. He’s more accurate than he admits)
Takes 1 minute of intense concentration—good opportunity for a smoke break cover

Enhance Ability - The Optimized Mechanism

Gears appear around the target’s body, whirring at key points
Different abilities = different gear placements:
- Bull’s Strength: Gears around muscles and joints - strength
- Cat’s Grace: Gears around feet and hands, increasing precision - dex
- Eagle’s Splendor: Gears create a subtle “halo” effect, polishing presence - int
- Fox’s Cunning: Gears behind the eyes, accelerating thought - charisma
- Owl’s Wisdom: Gears around the head, enhancing perception - wisdom
The gears spin constantly for the duration, making faint ticking sounds
Target feels slightly mechanical but more capable

Phantasmal Force - The False Mechanism

Creates illusory gears and machinery in the target’s mind
The “mechanism” is fake, but their brain treats it as real
Could be: a clockwork trap closing around them, gears grinding toward them, a ticking bomb
The beauty: it’s their own mind filling in details through the gear-framework he provides
Sounds of ticking and grinding only the target can hear
Silas’s favorite part: It’s elegant—a few gears that make the mind do all the work

PORTENT - Divination Wizard Feature ⚠️ THE BIGGEST SECRET

What It Is

Each morning after a long rest, Silas rolls 2d20 and records the results
These represent glimpses of possible futures—moments he’s seen before they happen
He can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (his or another creature’s) with one of these rolls
This is LITERAL future sight—the core of what he’s hiding

The Experience

Dawn Ritual - The Morning Visions

He wakes before dawn, always at the same time (internal clock)
Sits with his pocketwatch open, smoking his first cigarette
The visions come unbidden: flashes of moments that might happen today
Sees them through that third-person perspective he mentioned—watching himself and others from outside
The pocketwatch ticks in rhythm with the visions
Records the “weight” of these moments (the d20 results) in a small private journal
Uses coded notation: gear symbols instead of numbers (a 20 is a perfect gear, a 1 is a broken tooth)

During the Day - The Slip Risk

When a portent moment arrives, he recognizes it—déjà vu but certain
Has a split-second to decide: let it play out naturally or intervene
Physical tell: his hand goes to his pocketwatch, feels the key inside growing warm
Time seems to slow slightly (only for him) as gears overlay his vision
After using it, he needs to cover immediately

Cover Stories for Using Portent:

For good rolls (helping allies): “I had a feeling about that! Trust your instincts!”
For bad rolls (on enemies): “Something seemed off about their stance—I knew it wouldn’t connect.”
For his own rolls: “Years of pattern recognition. You learn to read situations.”
When caught off-guard: “Call it a clockmaker’s intuition. Timing is everything.”

What He NEVER Says:

“I saw this coming” (too literal)
“I knew this would happen” (too certain)
Any mention of visions, futures, or foreknowledge
Anything that suggests he CHOSE the outcome rather than just “read the situation well”

Roleplaying Portent

When He Sees Low Rolls (1-8)

These are bad omens. He chain-smokes that morning.
Considers calling off plans for the day (but can’t always)
Saves these to force on enemies at critical moments
Or “wastes” them on his own meaningless checks to get rid of the bad omen
Mutters: “Going to be one of those days…”

When He Sees High Rolls (15-20)

Visible relief. Actually smiles at breakfast.
More generous with advice and help
Saves these for crucial moments or to help allies
The weight of foreknowledge feels less burdensome
Still cautious about using them too obviously

When He Sees Mixed Rolls

Most common. Middle-of-the-road results.
Strategic thinking: which will matter most today?
Goes through possibilities in his head during “smoke breaks”
Treats them like precious resources in a tactical game

The Emotional Burden

Every morning he sees fragments of the day ahead
Sometimes sees someone failing/getting hurt and has to choose whether to “waste” a portent
The isolation of knowing things others don’t
Guilt when he chooses not to intervene (saving portents for “more important” moments)
Fear that someone will notice he’s never truly surprised by anything

Mechanical Reminders

Can use portent rolls AFTER seeing the d20 roll but BEFORE knowing if it succeeds/fails
This means he genuinely sees the moment unfolding and can “correct” it
Works on any creature he can see within range
Once used, that portent is gone for the day
Gets them back after a long rest (more visions at dawn)

Ritual Spells - Special Notes

Detect Magic (Ritual) - When he has 10 minutes:

He can actually pull out tools and “build” a small clockwork device
Cranks it, peers through its lens/mechanism
Gives him plausible cover for why his detection is so precise
“Just a little detection device I crafted. Clockwork theorem, you understand.”

Identify (Ritual) - The safer version:

Pulls out actual clockwork tools and “analyzes” the item physically
Can claim he’s using family techniques to read enchantment resonance
The hour gives him time to really understand it AND create a believable cover story

Comprehend Languages (Ritual) - When he has time:

Can set up a more elaborate “translation mechanism”
Makes it look more like a learned technique than innate magic

Augury (Ritual) - Already takes 1 minute, so:

He can make a whole production of it—laying out gears, checking mechanisms
The more theatrical he makes it, the less suspicious his accuracy seems
“The calculations are complex. Let me consult the theorem…”

Spell Selection Strategy

Safe Spells (Low Suspicion)

Fire Bolt, Mage Hand, Message, Grease, Mage Armor, Shield, Sleep
Chromatic Orb, Enhance Ability, Phantasmal Force
Why: Direct effects, obvious mechanisms, nothing predictive

Moderate Risk (Be Careful)

Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Identify
Why: Could be explained by clockwork techniques, but show unusual insight

High Risk (Use Sparingly/Carefully)

Detect Magic, Augury, PORTENT
Why: Show him perceiving things others don’t
Strategy: Downplay accuracy, claim uncertainty, use rituals for cover

Audio Signatures

Fire Bolt = Whirring wind-up then TING
Shield = Sharp SNAP (pocket watch closing)
Sleep = Music box melody
Alarm = Sustained low ticking
Augury = Deep, resonant pendulum swing with layered ticking
Enhance Ability = Smooth, fast gear spinning
Phantasmal Force = Discordant, unsettling gear grinding
Comprehend Languages = Multiple ticking rhythms overlapping
Identify = Slow, methodical clicking
Portent Moment = Only Silas hears: a single clear chime, like a clock striking the hour

Daily Routine with Divination Powers

Dawn (Portent Ritual)

Wakes before sunrise, always precise time
Opens pocketwatch, lights first cigarette
Visions come—records in coded journal
Chain-smokes if the omens are bad
Plans his day around what he’s seen

Throughout the Day

Constant low-level anxiety about hiding reactions
Hand frequently touches pocketwatch (checking, grounding himself)
“Smoke breaks” = processing visions and planning interventions
Hyperaware of moments that match his morning visions

Evening

Reviews what came true vs. what he changed
Updates his coded journal
Struggles to sleep knowing tomorrow brings more visions
The isolation of secret knowledge weighs heavily

The Curse and Gift

He can help people avoid disaster
But he can never fully explain how he knows
Every day starts with foreknowledge he must hide
The loneliness of seeing futures no one else can see

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Silus Tempus