Iaspa Roullo

Legend

“The stomping typesetter, who unlocked the secret of leylines and played them like fiddle strings.”

“Iaspa, the leyline-stomping trubadur-duo.”

Skjald

 

Description

“The weight of time can be found in a single kiss of a Scion.”

Skjald Sejrik

 

History

Fourth Age

Iaspa was born in 1136 in Trigea, a rugged logging and quarry town set in the high passes of Måns Heights in northern Walizia, near the Esly border. He was the eldest son of a family considered Mermerants, though his father’s bloodline carried deep, dense Kobold roots. This ancestral legacy showed in Iaspa early: he was so heavy-boned, broad-shouldered, and surprisingly dense that normal childhood roughhousing ended with other kids bruised.

So, mostly Iaspa was left to his own devices, he spent his youth gathering raw materials, used items and objects, shaping timber and building intricate mechanical playthings. As his craftings became more elaborate a local carpenter recognized his knack for fabrication, and took him on as an apprentice in 1149. Iaspa spent six years learning joinery, timber stresses, and structural framing.

Shortly after he earned his apprentice marks in 1155, his master passed away. Unable to take over the carpentry shop, Iaspa crossed the alley to apprentice under the local master engineer. Though guild regulations forced him to start his formal apprenticeship over from scratch, Iaspa threw himself into heavy gearwork, water-wheel transfers, and lever systems, graduating in 1158. Instead of pursuing the traditional guild track to Chief Engineer, he entered the private service of the local Mermerant Count.

There, Iaspa was tasked with producing and maintaining printing presses, setting up hydraulic metal-bending tools, and refining local engines. Working on the printing presses required him to read, cast, and fix movable metal type. To ensure he was setting type correctly, Iaspa was taught to read and write fluently, quickly falling in love with the preservation of knowledge. Over the next six years, he used any means to acquire texts, binding fragments, and blueprint scrolls, becoming one of Walizia’s premier text hoarders with a rapidly expanding personal library.

The widespread proliferation of printed texts—unvetted and unblessed by the Octogon Clergy—raised quiet fury among orthodoxy practioneers and divine loyalists. So, sabotage began to plague the Count’s worksites: gear-teeth were filed down, drive belts cut, paper polluted, and acid poured into metal molds. In 1164, it culminated in an assassination attempt targeting the Count himself inside the printing hall. Iaspa intervened using a solid iron drive-shaft to crush the assassin’s shoulder purely by luck and positioning. This was surely what drove the local Mermerants to support the 1st alliance.

Grateful for his life, the Count arranged for Iaspa to receive formal training in bladeweaving. Iaspa disliked the quick, finesse-driven weapons favored by conventional bladeweavers; he even openly mocked daggers and rapiers as “low-caliber toothpicks.” Instead, he adapted the fluid footwork and redirecting principles of bladeweaving to massive, high-inertia heavy tools—weapons with a massive, decisive ‘kiss’ behind every strike. After a few years of repetitive sword-drills, he grew bored of the endless formal martial studies and returned his full attention to heavy mechanical design.

In 1168 as water levels began to rise in the Sinkhole of Oglan, deep in the Måns foot-hills. After the counts men had investigated, it turned out to be an ancient untended dwarven hydraulic lift system from third age that had finally collapsed and threatening to eventually drown three villages. Iaspa went to repair and there he met Zambuk, Gilion Ewitz, and Herdsman. Iaspa and Zambuk used brute-force mechanical rigging to jam the main floodgates while Gilion and Herdsman oversaw the lowering of materials to the pair. The success secured Iaspa’s reputation for crisis engineering.

As a Mermerant artificers siege engine, powered by an unstable heat-engine crushed the operator and ran amok in 1274, Iaspa and Lord Nam was summoned. They easily tracked the runaway leviathan engine through the borderland bogs. When they encountered it Lord Nam provided tactical support while Iaspa boarded the moving iron monstrosity and manually dismantled its drive-train from the outside in. Iaspa then took it with him home, unaware that it one day would become his legacy.

In 1182 Iaspa led salvage expedition to recover lost pre-hordal runic plates from a submerged vault near the coast of Saratu Cliffs in Esly. Facing hard currents and aquatic horrors, Iaspa built a custom heavy diving apparatus that allowed the group to operate on the seabed floor. There they recovered the relics of the Deep Trenches.

In the spring of 1190, Iaspa sailed to Muldum on the island of Markeoy to study state-of-the-art mechanical systems. F.F. Jaeger had turned the area into a haven for master blacksmiths, mechanicians, and inventors. Taking a ship east through the wide strait separating Midgard from the two Fjella islands, they skirted the northern arae of Mt. Vula before making landfall on northwestern Markeoy. As the seas had been favorable, so was the landtravel and by autumn he reached solid ground, arriving at Muldum a month later.

At Mino's Workshop, Iaspa crossed paths with Sang Marsol, Trikzy Kizvik, and Zoe Egrn. Though their overlapping time was brief—ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks—they formed an immediate professional respect. While their work was kept secret at the time, Astrid Stormrider later revealed they were laying the groundwork for automated minting engines. Iaspa did his fair share of the mechanical concepts before heading back home in the spring of 1191.

Upon returning home, Iaspa was dragged into a quiet legal and physical dispute regarding ancient survey scrolls and land-charters from Bergon and Setil. The documents detailed forgotten Mermerant water-rights and mineral veins along the Esly border. Radical factions within the Octogon Clergy tried to destroy the scrolls to rewrite local territorial borders. Iaspa used his library contacts to hide the original documents, replacing them with mechanically produced facsimiles that tricked the clergy’s investigators for nearly a decade. And when they finally realised the poli in 1201 the Mermerants had secured every warer source and mineral ores.

By 1202, Iaspa’s reputation as an archivist and engineer earned him a personal visit from high-ranked envoys of the 1st Alliance: Sahnsnot, The'D Fish, Strelagin, and Lord Nam, escorted by the mercenary bladeweaver Homed el Rial. They tasked Iaspa with mass-producing precise, codified maps for the Realmsters—a massive threat to faction leaders who profited off regional secrecy. By 1206, the Torch issued open threats against Iaspa’s life and shop. Realizing violence was inevitable, Iaspa picked up his weapon training again—this time forging a massive, square-headed two-handed sledgehammer designed specifically around his bladeweaving form.

In 1208, Homed el Rial returned. As he had no contracts signed, the mercenary decided to stay in Trigea, sparring with Iaspa and teaching him how to blend defensive sword-redirection with the crushing momentum of his hammer. As the Torch then began to threaten suppliers and apprentices who entered Iaspa’s workshop, tensions boiled over. Iaspa sent a public warning: Clear out, or my hammer is going to give you all a kiss.

In 1209, as they had grown increasingly annoyed with his support of the 1st alliance and the octogon supported anything that could harm his work. A mob of Torch enforcers rushed the workshop at night. But as Iaspa had a hunch about their actions and often slept at the workshop, he stood true to his word. Iaspa met them at the threshold alongside Homed. Those who survived the initial onslaught were hunted down and crushed to ensure no one doubted his resolve: he decided what he built, not some renegades, rouges, or religious zealots.

Impressed by his stand against the Torch, the 1st Alliance then entrusted Iaspa with The Brass Cipher Registers—the master schematics and physical keys used to encode top-secret Alliance courier networks and land-surveying markers across the archipelago.

In 1226, Iaspa and Homed went to meet Da'Vey, but where told he had traveled to Remas, far up in the sweltering Sunlands of Sunlands, to visit the master artisan known as Woodmaster for some long term studies. As Homed was eager to soak up the sun, they agreed to go there as well. Though deeply unnerved by the prospect of astral travel, they travelled to the shore and then by sea by chartering a vessel northwest through the passage between Midgard and Dalip, they tracked Naldar to their left, making landfall six months later. Three weeks later they walked into Woodmaster’s yard, they stumbled upon a tense standoff. A heavily geared group was preparing to leave. Homed looked at Iaspa, rolled his eyes and muttered, “Just our typical luck, huh.”

Taking the comment as a bounty-hunter confirmation, Atallanti drew and charged, only for his strike to be cleanly parried by Homed’s curved scimitars. Iaspa’s boom of a voice halted the fight mid-swing: “Now stop that; we aren’t here for that.” Davey glanced at Woodmaster, who gave a calm nod of confirmation, prompting Da’vey and Atallanti to stand down. Atallanti offered a swift apology, admitting he was jumpy around Da’vey due to persistent vampire threats and their thralls. With introductions made, Iaspa explained their business. Davey invited them to travel along to Andalus, noting they could stop at Cypril to attend their request. When Iaspa and Homed groaned and mentioned another long boat ride, Da’vey grinned: “Long? Oh no—we take the quick path.”

As they walked to the nearest travel site, Atallanti explained the concept of astral travel, while Woodmaster showcased magical shards and explained their practical uses as well. Late that evening they arrived and after Atallanti and Woodmaster had left for their destinations. Da’Vey prepared their journey by feeding the pillars, and when ready, they cramped at the tile, and Da’vey started the astravel. If Iaspa and Homed had groaned over the long sea travel, their first experience with astravel made them groan likewise whenever it was mentioned.

Mid-transit through the Astral Veil, the group hit a localized aetheric pocket rupture caused by a severed ley line. Instead of a smooth shift, the portal glitched, dumping them briefly into a pocket overrun by astral parasites. Da’Vey had never experienced this before and worked frantically to get them back on track meanwhile Homed used his curved blades to sweep back the astral-beasts while Iaspa used his physical weight and hammer to anchor the party to the shifting stone tiles of origin and destination. Davey managed to re-align the ley-patterns, snapping them back to material reality—shaken, but uncorrupted. Looking at them for a while Da’vey then asked if they had any divine enemies.

1241: Iaspa attended a critical 1st Alliance summit at Castle Yahagoto in Ruburma at Naldar to reinforce the Mermerant stronghold amidst rising regional violence. Here he met Raul D’Bridge, Zoe Egrn, Hebra Hargi, Sang Sarsol, and Ann Feldstad. A few years later, in 1247, Iaspa heard news about Raul D’Bridge at the booming mining town of Nagghathol, built around a massive gold vein discovered in 1246. Iaspa had another of his hunches and went for a visit.

1253: Iaspa traveled to Grimsborg to see the automated minting engines he had helped design at Muldum years prior. The machines were no longer conceptual ideas but cranking out hundreds of pristine coins like the gold Liber Floris daily. As it was the very first time Iaspa held such valuable couns in hand he marveled at the minting masterpieces of design and production—the collaborations between Zoe, Tomaltau Baer, Jiakob Burne, and other master artisans showed why gathering talent was worth it—all were mechanical and artistic triumphs. And the difference from the 1250 designs to the 1253 was notable by even the quickest glance. Even the upcoming 1254 promished further improvent. But what was most surprising was the ost notable was the High King allowing the reverse side of the coin to feature relief-molded combat herbs.

Iaspa stayed in Grimsborg as a senior mechanical consultant, fine-tuning the minting dies and designing armored, vault-locking mechanisms for the central treasury. He also set up a secret secondary workshop in the under-city, establishing covert supply lines to duplicate press-plates for emergency alliance use.

In 1262, neighboring hero Zyr 'O' Loth abandoned his pursuit of the country Oglans crown, pivoting toward unifying all of West Fjella. Recognizing Zyr’s potential, Iaspa discussed him with Zoe and backed Zyr politically. And when Nefius came by Zyr asking for military aid to regain power at Markeoy, Iaspa advised Zyr to ignore Nefius completely. Eventually the gamble paid off: Zyr was named Mermerant Baron in 1271 and Duke by 1277.

When high king Methil was dethroned and quickly expelled in the crowning coup of Kjertil ‘Nail’ Ninch, and Kjertil ordered the 1274 firsts melted down. Niellu Muhuaela, the master minter, approached Iaspa and asked for help saving the gold liber floris as he had a feeling Kjertil, the torch and the powers behind would try to destroy the entire series and replace them with message servering ones. Iaspa approached Zoe, Trikzy, Sang, and F.F. Jaeger about secrectly transporting all gold liber floris out of Grimsborgs vaults. As even Zoe had been taken by surprise, and the change of the Grimsborg administration became a dangerous place for ‘ruthless decimator’. He supported securing the realm against the torch within.

Together they hatched a plan to empty the Grimsborg vaults under the nose of the new administration. Chests, barrels, and crates were loaded with millions in gold Liber Floris, mislabeled as machinery parts, construction timber, and iron stock. Every single item was meticulously cross-referenced inside Zoe’s master ledger: The Imperial Cypher. They used thinned gold of the Nagghathol stockpile to mint fakes in the secondary workshop to deceive the High Kings eyes.

Meanwhile the Grimsborg court collapsed under the strain of faction weights in 1274, Niellu took great risks and started a parallel outing of gold liber floris without telling Zoe. He had several shipments of minted coins shipped to distant administrations, but never told anyone who the transporters was. Not until his last large shipment of crates was involved in a transport accident on the road exposing a shattered crate of Methil-profile coins, blowing Niellu’s cover. Then that shipment mysteriously disappeared, but a few of those 1274 gold Liber Floris, with Methil’s profile surfaced and Niellu’s scheme was revealed.

Hearing he was exposed, Niullu arranged a last shipment. In a rushed overnight experience, during a hasty loading and farewell Iaspa, Zoe, and Hebra, rode out on 3 wagons filled with a heavy load and Zoe’s copy of the ‘Imperial Cypher’. Three heavy wagons loaded in near-total darkness, was escorted out of the city by Elge a'Gintyr and Homed el Rial.

What Iaspa and the others didn’t notice was Ye-Asper of Circle de Faramar, silently enjoying a goblet of brandy on a balcony. But Ye-Asperr certainly noticed them. Neither did they hear the sound of his silver coins on table as payment, his footsteps on distant stairs, his mount being saddled – or Niellu hailing Ye-Asperr who followed the heavily loaded cracking wagons.

In 1276, as Circle du Faramer began paying with 1274 gold Liber Floris firsts. Zoe consulted his Cypher and he, Hebra, and Iaspa became suspicious about Faramers wealth so they began to check up on the hidden treasures. Not at all easy tasks as even the slightest mistake could reveal the locations, so they asked Black Oak who said they should use The Pilgrim and Tuuna. When they reported back it became clear that the first concealed of their hidden wagons was missing from its dusty cave. Thus they assumed it was the source of Circle du Faramirs wealth. Taking this up with the powers behind the gold liber floris they came to realise another, more serious matter was brewing – the former high king warned about a world wide conflict.

And that conflict swept the lands like a tsunamy just six months later. The Great Invasion was a horror even beyond that of the Deep Blue Tsunami, as this was not just long deads raising to claim long lost roles or titles, or those after revenge for brutal injusts. This was something far more devastating to the future of all races, it was a grinder to set a turmoil in motion that could end the worlds existence. Iaspa, once more percieving that tools would benefit more than a couple of hammering hands. As he knew exactly what was needed, he imedieatly sent messages through the special deck of astral cards Zoe had had Jiakob create for the Shadow Exchange.

Messages sent he went to the large barn behind his workshop and began to improve the old leviathan siege engine. As he frantically worked inside the belly of the engine, old friends came by as summoned. And although most left again as soon as their opinions had been discussed or contributions implemented, the idea took shape and became functional. F.F. Jaeger, Lord Nam, Byri LaHacil, Cronos, Gilion, Rakon ÿ Kizz, Jakki Yingki, even Zizu came by to aid on engine exchange, and others like Jutai Fereira and Zambuk came by to aid with alloy improvements for armour plates.

Everyone was impressed that Iaspa had managed to decipher that the pre-hordal runic plates from the submerged vault near Saratu Cliffs was in fact a index over Elthuuns earthnode seeds-and thus could be used as a leyline guide for teleporting without an underlying earthnode. Iaspa explained, while working, that it was the gods themselves that had revieled that it could be done, when they tried to kill Homed, Da’Vey, and him years prior. As Trigea was still not attacked in the late winter of 1277, Homed came by, although already battle fatigued, to safeguard his friend from any disruptions to finishing the ‘Gargantuan Stomper’ as Iaspa had begun to reference it.

When Trigea was finally attacked by invaders in the early winter of 1278 they expected an easy sweep. Instead as they surged onto the town and was about to breach the outer defences, it was breached for them. As Iaspa, sitting atop his gargantuan stomper crashed through the wall, sallyed out amongst the stunned and bewildered Ye'Til, Pigryn, and Anurian. The normally formidable Ye’Tils was no match for the stompers mechanical arms and claws, the tough Pigryns was trampled and stomped to pulps as Iaspa rampaged through their ranks, and the agile Anurai was trampled and bashed aside midjumps -and just as the invaders regrouped, the stomper disseapeared and the city watch, led by Homed, sallied out and did their work.

As Iaspa appeared on the other side of Trigea, and began ploughing through the horrofied invaders. All they could hear was a yelling Iaspa, shouting that they should watch his steps, see this slap, and so forth as he operated the engine and at times fed it magic shards to astravel. Sitting in the cabin, the engine absorbing energies from slain foes his yells became quite the ramblings, and then suddenly in a gargantuan multicoloured flash he and it replicated.

Suddenly seeing two of these mechanical gargants, even their leaders paniced. And they fled, pulling the entire invader force with them, as they ran they where relentlessly persued and slain. As the invaders fled the two gargants became one again and Iaspas gargant halted completely. Homed ran to it, was hewed up and found Iaspa sprawled unconsious in the seat. Later that day Iaspa woke and could only recall crashing out the wall, the rest was gone. Well, your fate awakening came late but just at the right time my friend said Homed-and the townsfolk cheered.

Iaspa spent the rest of the invasion inside his gargantuan stomper, porting from battle to battle, but only at the battle of weeping plains did he ever split again. and it was during that split rampage a immense energetic astral blast halted the engine – causing some of its parts to dissolve into astral energies. So Iaspa, glad he diden’t end as parts as well, had the engine remains transported home after the victory and spent the time of the cleansing crusade trying to restore its functionality. All astral travellers hope he makes it work again, so they can study how the transport works.

“The only ever to double himself, raised the question – did both save aura and spirit.”

Skjald Valgrif