Crypto Gloss

Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult

Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult is a collection of 10,000 pixel art wizard NFTs on Ethereum launched in June 2021 by the “Magic Machine” team — notable for storing all art fully on-chain in the Ethereum contract, building one of the richest community-driven lore universes in NFT history (the “Runiverse”), and securing a television development deal with Syfy, positioning the project as a rare example of NFT-to-traditional-media transition.

The Collection

Attribute Detail
Supply 10,000 NFTs
Blockchain Ethereum (fully on-chain)
Launch June 2021
Creator Magic Machine (Elf and Dotta)
Art style Pixel art (80×80 pixels)

Each Forgotten Runes wizard is a 80×80 pixel art character with:

  • Character body and head variations
  • Rune/title (e.g., “Nirvana of the Metaverse”)
  • Background setting (desert, tundra, void, etc.)
  • Affinity (faction/school of magic)
  • Familiar (companion creature)

On-chain storage: All pixel art data is stored on-chain in the Ethereum contract. Like CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs, Forgotten Runes will persist as long as Ethereum runs.

The Lore Culture

Forgotten Runes has developed one of the most extensive community lore ecosystems in NFTs:

  • Book of Lore: An on-chain lore book where holders add their wizard’s stories, artwork, and history
  • Community art: Thousands of community-created artworks depicting their wizards
  • “Great Burning”: A ritual where wizards are sacrificed to summon Warriors (companion collection)
  • Runiverse: The shared world where wizards, warriors, souls, and other characters exist
  • Collaborative storytelling: Community members write lore that expands the shared universe

The lore-first approach is intentional — the Magic Machine team regularly creates lore content, hosts events, and treats the wizards as characters in an ongoing narrative.

TV Development

In 2022, Forgotten Runes announced a television development deal with Syfy for an animated series — one of the first NFT collections to secure a significant traditional media deal. The show development remains ongoing. This represents the potential NFT-to-IP-to-entertainment pipeline that multiple projects have sought.

Companion Collections

  • Forgotten Runes Warriors’ Guild: Warriors summoned by burning (sacrificing) wizard tokens
  • Forgotten Souls: Undead versions of burned wizards
  • Forgotten Ponies: Mount companions
  • Baby Wizard: Smaller wizard companions

History

  • June 2021 — Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult launches; 10,000 pixel art wizards mint; on-chain storage from day one
  • 2021 — Book of Lore launches; community begins building wizard lore; strong creative community forms
  • Late 2021–2022 — Great Burning event; Warriors Guild created from sacrificed wizards; lore deepens
  • 2022 — Syfy television development deal announced; major milestone for NFT-to-media
  • 2022 — Bear market; floor declines; lore community remains highly active
  • 2023–2024 — Forgotten Runes maintains one of the most engaged NFT communities; on-chain storage and lore depth are cited as long-term value factors; TV development continues

Common Misconceptions

  • “Forgotten Runes is just pixel art.” — The pixel art is the aesthetic; the on-chain storage, Book of Lore, and community world-building are what distinguish Forgotten Runes as a serious creative enterprise rather than a simple pixel art PFP collection.
  • “The TV deal is just PR.” — A development deal with Syfy is a legitimate, contractual relationship. Whether it results in a produced show remains to be seen, but the deal itself is documented and real.

Social Media Sentiment

  • X/Twitter: One of the most creative and lore-engaged NFT communities; wizards are discussed as characters with ongoing stories; the community produces high-quality art and writing consistently.
  • r/NFT / r/CryptoArt: Respected as one of the most art-forward and community-rich NFT projects; the Book of Lore is frequently cited as a model for community world-building.
  • Creator community: Many artists within the collection create and share wizard lore art; the community is more creative and collaborative than typical PFP communities.

Last updated: 2026-04

Related Terms

See Also

  • Loot Project — the other prominent community-lore NFT experiment; Loot used text primitives while Forgotten Runes uses pixel characters; both prioritized community world-building
  • On-Chain NFT — Forgotten Runes’ most technically significant feature; full on-chain storage of all pixel art data
  • Nouns — another community-governed CC0 NFT with strong lore and creative community; comparison point for decentralized creative NFT projects

Sources