First Chaosmatic Congress
Principal of Agriant Academy and outward proponent of modern Talismanic stability. His performative warmth masks rigid institutional dogma and a covert political involvement — most damningly, the secret hoarding of illegal Discordant contraband within his private office.
A round-bellied man with a prominent mustache, traditionally dressed in a sharp vest, slacks, and a distinctive tall hat. He carries a golden pocket watch tucked into his vest, which he consults with practiced, bureaucratic precision. Characterized by a default oily or greasy smile, his expression can instantly transition into cold resignation or irritation depending on his audience.
Works directly alongside Octavia Greenfield and the First Chaosmatic Congress in his capacity as Academy principal, though the depth of their alignment — and how much Octavia knows of his contraband activities — remains unclear.
Following the containment crisis at Emergent Park, Steadman engaged in a hushed, panicked exchange with Grand Master Silas Thorne, willingly accepting an illegal Discordant scroll and assuring Thorne he would secret it away with "the others."
Steadman has an established history of friction with Zane Grey, reflecting his broader prejudice against independent and militant factions he regards as outside the bounds of proper institutional order.
Steadman explicitly knew Beatrice Grey's late mother during her time in the city, offhandedly noting that she possessed "some fire in her" — a remark that carries weight given his institutional power over Beatrice's current situation.
Steadman proudly displays a black-and-white photograph from his youth featuring his mentor, the gifted but ultimately tragic Principal Runesilver — a figure whose legacy clearly shaped Steadman's own institutional identity.
Dr. Wondil Steadman is the Principal of Agriant Academy, the premier institution for young Channelers in Capitol City. Outwardly he presents himself as a progressive, nurturing educator and a firm proponent of modern Talismanic stability. His performative warmth, however, masks a rigid adherence to institutional dogma and a series of covert political involvements that place him at the center of an unfolding conspiracy.
As head of Agriant Academy, Steadman occupies a powerful position within the civilian Chaosmatic community, working directly alongside Octavia Greenfield and the First Chaosmatic Congress. He has deep historical roots within the capital's academic history, proudly displaying a black-and-white photograph from his youth featuring his mentor, the gifted but ultimately tragic Principal Runesilver.
Steadman maintains an intense, long-standing prejudice against the Lodgesworn, whom he regards as "savages," and historically clashed with Zane Grey. He explicitly knew Beatrice Grey's late mother during her time in the city, offhandedly noting that she possessed "some fire in her."
Despite his public position as a vanguard of order, Steadman is actively subverting his own legal framework. Following the containment crisis at Emergent Park, he engaged in a hushed, panicked exchange with Grand Master Silas Thorne, willingly taking illicit possession of a smoking, highly illegal Discordant scroll. Assuring Thorne that he would secret the artifact away with "the others," Steadman has functionally transformed his private office into a storage vault for contraband materials.
Steadman views mass-produced Talismanic technology as a flawless modern miracle and a definitive remedy against the instabilities of Chaos. He strictly enforces standard Academy mechanics, dismissively instructing struggling conduits to ignore anomalous phenomena — such as the visual perception of the Fog — which he labels as a simple source of stress and a precursor to standard overloads.
Despite hosting personalized Remedial Channeling lessons for volatile students within his office, Steadman displays a clumsy lack of attunement to raw energy currents. He routinely hides behind his paperwork or newspapers during training, offering empty textbook platitudes while entirely failing to register when a student's internal pressure is on the verge of shattering an implement.
Steadman is highly protective of his administrative authority, using a complicated network of inputs mapped directly into the ambient energy to lock and seal his inner sanctuaries against unauthorized entry.