Hebra Hargi

 

History

Fourth Age

Born at Utari, in the marvellous bridge-town Nurhurtha that spans across the Putdwell River in the north of Omoas at the border towards Leitan, Hebra would have been a Mermerant if it had not been for his ancestral ties to the Dwarven 3rd echoing cavern through his maternal lineage. With ‘copper’-tainted blood flowing through his veins, he is a Scion. Although faint, the distant taint of the 3rd made him curious at an early age.

Thus, during his early years in Nurhurtha, a lightning strike struck the copper-heavy terrain a few metres from where he stood, studying the impacts. While such a discharge would have vaporized an ordinary child, Hebra’s faint, ancestral Dwarven blood acted as a biological grounding rod. Instead of destroying him, the immense power was drawn inward and trapped—dormant—within his physical frame.

This trapped inward kinetic force became his Fate Seed. Rather than granting him overt magical abilities as a child, the dormant charge sharpened his mind and system, fueling his intellect, and razor-sharp intuition. It made him the bright, exceptionally capable lad who mastered alchemy and siege craft with startling ease, though he remained unaware that he was carrying a ticking reservoir of raw power.

The lightning strike’s effect on the local terrain due to the copper ores, and his surviving made him especially interested in and focusing on alchemy and restorative crafting. The urge to study at an early age and the unknown effect of the strike ensured he gained vast knowledge the engineering lord who had hired Hebra’s father noticed, and he offered to apprentice the lad.

In 1167 Hebra passed his first examinations and became a journeyman. But as there was so much work to do locally, he didn’t travel. Instead, he learned from his lord and those who came to work there. In 1173 he passed the examination as chief and then master in 1181, and in 1190 he gained the rank of lord. He achieved a double graduation, with both alchemy and engineering elegantly woven together. This achievement made some jestingly call him the unicorn, and as that was the ancient totem of his Dwarven heritage, he adopted a turquoise unicorn with a peridot above its head as an emblem; it was very stylish and made his mother proud.

In 1192 his Mermerant father died during an engineering accident, and in 1194 his mother passed as well; the Ortagui in her had countered the Dwarven vitality, and with the loss of her beloved, her flame burnt but briefly. As Hebra, now lord of the crafting workshop he had already spent 50 years in, with several skilled people apprenticed, he began studying siege engineering. So he created small miniature models and simulated sieges on the workshop’s first floor. Within a few years a small group of local militia and army officers occasionally gathered and discussed strategies and tactics at his place.

In 1207, it all ended abruptly, though. At a meeting on the first floor of his workshop, representatives from the 1st alliance, the local Mermerant queen, some Tatongol, Borji, Ughuz, Ortagui, Dwarven envoys, and a small group of Scions gathered. Most likely it was the impression the Scions, led by Aragon Beorrian, a jarl of Ye Olde Zephyrs, gave that aroused Hebra’s curiosity, as those were the first he spent time with after the meeting.

So, at the age of 63, some say his dwarven taint overtook his mind as he started his own version of the grand dwarven wandering and handed the workshop to his most skilled apprentice. But as he didn’t cover himself in weird tattoos instead of clothes, we skjalds beg to differ. It’s far more likely that he decided to join the 1st alliance or at least use it to cover his expenses for travelling across the Isles. Because the rest stops and meetings we have managed to string together suggest a far more subtle journey than just knocking on the gates of the echoing caverns and having a goblet of wine.

When he set out from Nurhurtha, he travelled north-west into and across Leitan to Inosio, where, in the summer of 1208, he met Sang Marsol. Then he went to the 3rd echoing cavern and stayed there for the winter. In the spring of 1209 he travelled to the eastern shore of Bilza. Found a ship in Mûhnaphû and sailed to port Khathoon-ogolo in Zanzati at Mealis. Another ship took him to the isle of Mahadigas in Udanzuu and then another to the mainland, where he visited Toorpe Thot. As we enquired quite a lot, all the tall, dark indigenous people recalled the short and pale stranger. Then he moved inland and crossed the border into Rokkoau, where he travelled all the way down to the 9th Ecchoing Cavern. He stayed there for more than a year.

In the early, hot spring of 1211, he travelled across Pearlin, and entering Meneya, he became captivated by their ancient ruins. It was at this travel that he began to study astravel and the sites/gates. Thus, reaching Bené ‘Herdsman’ Énry in Thang took longer than anticipated. So the visit and knowledge exchange became more brief than he had planned, and after just one month, he left for Aramorko to find a ship there taking him to Port Asivol in Andalus at Findon. Arriving at Port Asivol in 1214, he went directly to the 4th Echoing Cavern, where he stayed for four months and then sailed across the wide strait to Brakyl. There he hired a guide to Ugren, and as 1215 came to closure, he finally stood at the door of Pawa Zacula. He stayed there for four interesting months, and much of it was spent sharing a wealth of experiences.

Then Black Oak contacted them to discuss certain matters. So, in the early weeks of 1216, Pawla and he astravelled to Ye Olde Zephyrs. A few days later she left, but Hebra stayed for a month. Then he travelled to the 14th Echoing Cavern, where he stayed for a year. Then he travelled to visit Tomaltu Baer in Kahulat. That became an intriguing visit, and as the pair invented a few small new mechanics, two whole years passed with him staying there and more or less doing nothing but reviewing and concluding information for the 1st alliance.

Eventually, in 1218, he decided to move on towards House Herold, but the astral travel went slightly wrong, and he landed somewhere in Shoak, where he met Samia El Rial. That meeting delayed Hebra severely, and he stayed for a year. Eventually Hebra decided to complete his grand travel, or it was Samia’s urge for adventure. Regardless, in 1220 he knocked on the gate to House Herold, where he studied for 8 years. Then one day, he closed a tome rather forcefully. Stood and walked out – heading for Wheiag, he said.

In 1228, he opened the door to Oly Huezen's newly built temple and presented himself and his reason for visiting. He stayed at Oly’s for 4 months. Then he left for the 12th, 8th, and 13th echoing cavern, staying exactly 3 years in each. In 1238 he walked out the gate of the 13th and found a ship at Tartu in Spiy that would take him to Gilhammn in Efron, as the tour through the green king's country would bring him to the north gate of the 5th Echoing Cavern. As they sailed, he noticed the Stallari of Ye Olde Zephyrs; The Pilgrim was on board as well, keeping company with a male and a female. But Hebra kept a low profile so as not to reveal any connections to the 1st alliance. As they debarked on the gangplank, The Pilgrim passed him very closely, and as he manoeuvred nimbly around “Hebra,” he said, “Thank you for the passage.” As Hebra smiled to himself, he knew perfectly well what was really meant.

He stayed at the 5th echoing cavern for a year, then heard growing rumours about lowborns, mermerants, wanderers, n-erectus, and scions about to play the green king a devastating blow and humiliation. Muldum was going to rebel. So, in 1239, he stood in the city when it declared itself the free city of Muldum. Experiencing its birth was quite breathtaking, and people were sharing whatever they had freely. Seizing the moment, Hebra grasped whatever he could from every type of plate, and he learnt quite a lot of recipes, secrets, gossip, and lies.

Then the seed that had remained sleeping for decades was brutally awakened. As the crowds celebrated their newfound freedom, a high-tier mana manipulator, most likely dispatched by Nefius, the Green King, struck from the shadows. Intent on crushing the rebellion in its crib, with a spectacular show of the real powers of Markeoy, the assassin unleashed a devastating, high-tier lightning spell directly targeting Mayor Tri-M, F.F. Jaeger, and the fledgling city’s other founders as they stood exposed in the central square.

Seeing the mana manipulator at the balcony, amongst a thousand other arm flapping feasting citizens was ignored by everyone else. But Hebra let Instinct overtake reason, and he stepped into the path of the arc. Rather than incinerating him, the incoming strike resonated with the dormant storm stored in his bones. Hebra became a living lightning rod, forcibly pulling not only the entire spell into his own body, but also the energy of the attacker.

Seeing the interference, the assassin’s allies threw their own raw magical energy into the fray, seeking to swiftly overload and disintegrate the intruder. As Hebra absorbed it all, the attack devolved into bloody, close-quarters melee—as the warriors of the Bulls Order fiercely engaged  the ring of foes circling the founders—Hebra reached his absolute limit. The dual charges of his childhood blast and the assassin’s volley fused, triggering The Fate Awakening.

Hebra erupted in a blinding, sphere of crackling electricity fangs. The discharge was hyper-selective: guided by his high Mentalism precision, the arc tentacles swarmed across the square, selectively popping the heads of the assassins, melting the weapons, and burning hands of the attacking enemies, while leaving the surrounding allies of the Bulls Order warriors completely unharmed.

From that moment forward, Hebra Hargi was no longer merely a brilliant Scion craftsman or a subtle agent. His Awakening permanently altered his aura and physiology—converting the raw kinetic energy of lightning into a refined, controllable Mentalism stream, cementing his place as a true Hero of the realm. A sharpened perception which made him notice a disguised Black Oak and one of those from the sailing in a market square, he fell back into the more serious parts of being an agent.

After a short talk with Black Oak and Latinoor, he left for Illandi in East Fjella, where he discussed their country’s state with Muler Miza, as the 1st Alliance couldn’t build the realm on independent city-states, so countries had to be under control. Luckily, the Bull’s order was, according to Black Oak, hinged on their side and would, if needed, secure that area as part of the realm, and Muler confirmed many factions here were ready to stand at the realm’s side. As the Shadowlands seasons made winter travel both uncomfortable and risky, he decided to astravel and as Muler knew some sites there he travelled to Esly at East Fjella. There they travelled normally to visit Aragon Beorrian at Ea. Hebra told Muler that he looked forward to meeting the fellow Scion again, but during the visit Hebra learned that Aragon, as such, was not a Scion but a Fylgin.

Muler left a few days later, but Hebra stayed for a month before a guide secured astravel to Dalip. There he not only met Mizaz Müzliz in Rypern but also saw Lionel. Then he went to the 10th Echoing Cavern and stayed there for three months, and in the autumn of 1241 he went to Castle Yahagoto in Ruburma at Naldar for a 1st alliance meeting to strengthen the Mermerant stronghold, as things had begun to evolve rather brutally. At that meeting he met Raul D'Bridge, Zoe Egrn, Iaspa Roullo, Homed el Rial, Sang Marsol, and Zan Felstad – the female Hebra had seen with The Pilgrim and Latinoor.

From 1249, he moved to Grimsborg and aided in its construction and participated with Zoe, Kanziganthir, and others in refining the wordings in the law of the realm. This achievement elevated him within the ranks of Grimsborg’s administration. In 1271, he joined the Grimsborg Court, working on Methil Maiurs' high king coins with Iaspa, Zoe, Tomaltau, Jiakob Burne, and other grand artisans. A few weeks in he was introduced to Da'Vey. Hebra, along with others, has told us their surprise of the high king allowing the backside designs of the gold Liber Floris as combat herbs still was a debate among the minters 22 years into the production.

When the Grimsborg court began to collapse under the strain of faction weights in early 1274, Niellu Muhuaela had several chests of minted coins shipped to distant administrations earlier than normal and, with a few selected officials, prepared a larger load of coins to leave. Zoe, Iaspa, and Hebra were among the few who knew about these waggons. As the mysterious disappearance of the chests Niellu secured earlier, and then a few of those 1274 gold Liber Floris, with Methil’s profile surfaced. Their departure became a rushed overnight experience, with but a hasty farewell in which Hebra became puzzled about one of Niellus’s sentences about the lost chests.

These words continued to echo in his mind as the trio drove out in three waggons filled with a secret, heavy load. Their escorts, Elge a'Gintyr and Homed el Rial, ensured that they successfully escaped. The escape of the ‘Nail’s’’ corrupt and violence-spinning court was not just with lives and coins but also with Zoe’s copy of the ‘Imperial Cypher’.

In late 1274, Hebra was sure he had solved Niellus’s comment and contacted Lionel, who suggested Mayor Tri-M of Bulls Order could be of use. As they preferred some blade-weaving men, they reached out to Trikzy Kizvik and Si'r Long'Lid. With these four, Hebra found himself venturing deep into the jungles of Meneya at Mealis to retrieve three large barrels filled with the rare 1274-gold liber floris firsts. This treasure was something Hebra had sought since his departure with Niello the minter. It became a long, captivating journey in the dense wildlands, where Trikzy justified his place in the group by saving, if not the life, then at least the leg of Lionel.

In 1281, deep into the despairing route from Grimsborg, Hebra met Trikzy again as the barefoot warrior joined the 2nd alliance forces. Shouting in a mood-lifting way, Hebra cheered his friend. Shortly after, Trikzy left to help secure the rear, and Hebra left towards the newly discovered 1st echoing cavern with Drumin Minol. So, he was not at Battle of Weeping Plains, and when they reached the dwarven cavern, they realised the 1st tribe had already left to aid the 2nd alliance. Then they heard the realmsters had won and begun the cleansing crusade. So, Hebra set out to find a few of his Shadow Exchange comrades.

“A rare perceptive Scion nugget, rolling from cavern to cavern securing their support.”

Skjald Valgrif

 

Organisation

Even though he was affiliated with the realm as it crumbled, Hebra considered it part of Zoe’s Shadow Exchange but now called it “The Empty Ledger Order”… They don’t have a headquarters but a “distributed pattern” of safe houses and rest stops across the isles.

“Is he… affiliated at all… or merely rolling freely.”

Skjald Kazumix

 

Special

Hebra may absorb and redirect electricity.

“A living, breathing, coppery conduit.”

Skjald El Mary