Rupert Pycon
From Mizahar Lore
| "... and so, one door after another, closer and closer to perfection, I finally reached the summit of Truth by means of Alchemy. What did I see there, you ask? Nothing. There was nothing there for me. [...] Finally, I realized I had merely gotten my directions wrong. That truth and perfection were not my answer and I should not have gone up, but down." - Rupert Pycon, notes |
| Race | Human | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 98 BV | ||||
| Place of birth | Northern Alahea | ||||
| Date of death | 31 BV (aged 67) | ||||
| Place of death | Treval (destroyed) | ||||
| Title | Court mage of Alahea | ||||
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Rupert Pycon was a legendary Alchemist who lived before the Valterrian and served as the court mage of Alahea for over twenty years, single-handedly saving the state in the battle of Bloodvalley in 43 BV. Today he is best known as the creator of the race that carries his name, the Pycon clay-men. A man of extreme intelligence and cruelty, Pycon originally designed his creatures as weapons of mass destruction. He was killed by Sagallius in 31 BV at the end of a tremendous battle in his own laboratory. Pycon is also rumored to have wielded a lost discipline called Aitheia.
Biography
Pycon was born to a poor family but was able to enroll at a magic academy thanks to a municipal official taking him under his wing as a protegé. Said official died under mysterious circumstances a few years later, and it was discovered he'd left all of his fortunes to the young Pycon. This was only the first in a series of 'lucky' coincidences that projected Pycon into the magical elite of the rapidly declining Alahean empire. He was appointed court mage of Alahea by Aterax Nymkarta in 53 BV after the other candidates died or retired from the competition in a hurry. Pycon was thought to have the backing of the most conservative wing of Alahean wizards, the Uplifted. They knew Aterax was a weak ruler and supported Pycon as a shadow emperor furthering their agenda.
In 43 BV, Suvan delivered a crushing blow to Alahea at Bloodvalley (formerly Boonvalley). The Suvan army was ready to march onto Treval and conquer Alahea, but Pycon saved the day by releasing unknown Alchemical substances upon the Suvan battalions. The horrific effects of Pycon's Alchemy were so devastating on the soldiers' morale that the Suvan top brass opted for a temporary withdrawal. In the aftermath of Bloodvalley, Aterax lost his older son Akridius and most likely took his own life. His younger son Kovinus then took the throne. Kovinus and his progressive views proved much more difficult for Pycon to manipulate, and relations between the two were immediately tense even though they needed each other in Alahea's direst hour. Kovinus reportedly cut or investigated several of Pycon's projects, causing the court mage to grow more and more hostile to his emperor. In the end, Pycon switched sides to Suvan, betraying his own country.
His plan for a coordinated bombing attack on major Alahean seats of power carried out by his newly developed clay-men was discovered by an ambitious Benshira wizard, Sahgal Hrinn, later known as Sagallius. It is said that Sagallius was helped by Caliman, the Supervisor golem of Pycon's own laboratory. Pycon died in the fight and his laboratory in Treval was destroyed, though the clay men survived and managed to thrive in their newly acquired freedom.
Legacy
More so than Sagallius himself, Pycon was the quintessence of the 'evil wizard'. The Pycon do not acknowledge him as their creator, proclaiming themselves children of Harameus, and his name is generally spoken with disdain, though there are some who greatly admire him, such as the modern Seven Robes. Some of his secret laboratories may have survived the Valterrian, and he may have created more creatures with Alchemy than those attributed to him.