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Lander Phoenixsong

One of the Four Underdogs that attempted to defeat Char Reyarteb and MooMaa in Book 4. The group succeeds in defeating Char Reyarteb in the Elemenstor Radio Dramas, though in The Elemenstor Saga they failed, and in the ElemenstorLance novels, (such as The Underdogs of Rubian), whether or not they actually defeat MooMaa remains the subject of heated debates on message boards.

In the radio drama, Lander is a sullen young man in his 20s, coming to grips with the harsh realities of the realm and bitter from having his childish misconceptions of the world torn asunder.

Lander is from the Village of Delberry in Portund. As a very young child, Lander falls down a well, which opens up into a large cavern. In the middle, beneath a single shaft of light, a verdant tree grows. When he approaches the branches seem to bend down to him. From the top most branch, a glistening red fruit of a perfect rubian can be seen. He plucks it and looks into its ruby depts as the tree withers and dies. Although unable yet to read, he knows deep within himself the meaning of the runes he sees. He keeps the rubian with him, but tells noone in the village of it, or the cavern at the bottom of the well.

At the age of 7 he is sent to board at Grimm Elemenstati Akademia in The Kingdom of Parsonya. There he is trained as an Earth Elemenstor by the cold but knowledgable and fair Professor Swiftbranch.

Turned out at 18, but with no place in particular to go, Lander strikes out on his own and travels north through the Ruins of Blee. There he meets an novice Air Elemenstor named Fantasmaphila who is fighting cornered by a pack of hungry Seeping Knawers. He saves her life, and the two companions then venture on together.

Passing the the Ruins of Blee, and into the realm of Morlond's Field, the come to a small rural village where peasants talk of a petty and cruel Elemenstor living in a hut on the outskirts of town. This Fire Elemenstor, named Wendell Blunder is forcing the villagers to pay him tribute in salt and grain as if he were himself a god.

Determined to intervene, Lander and Fantasmaphila confront Wendell. A brief battle ensues and Wendell is quickly subdued. Unwilling to kill him, but equally reluctant to leave him in the village where he would surely recover and resume his reign of oppression, they take him along on their journey.

Heading west toward the The Baren Swamplands of Yore, a tremendous thunderstorm (later referred to as The Storm of Fate) drives the party north. They flee before it, but not fast enough to escape its ravages. The three are forced to request shelter in L'fh'ik.

They weather the storm in the gatehouse, where they meet the gatekeeper's daughter Myrtle Breakwind, a Water Elemenstor. Lander, Fantasmaphila, and Myrtle soon become fast friends.

Lander travels with these three companions, and soon the webs of destiny that tie all Men together, and women too I suppose, drew them to their inevitable confrontation with Char Reyarteb in the underground kingdom of the War Men.

Lander eventually became the first Grand Elemenstor of Earth.

Phoenixsong is responsible for the creation of Elemenstor Fitness Day, which is supposed to encourage emphasis of physical prowess and health amongst Elemenstors. It is best remembered as his greatest failure.

Fan Art by Rhok: