Byri LaHacil

 

History

Fourth Age

He was born in 1152 in Morolia, at the northwestern foothills of Ghar’s Sink. The remains of a gargantuan mountain that crumbled during the 1st Cataclysm. Morolia rests on a couple of elevated plateaus, making it quite a sight to visit. The broad street stairs carved into the bedrock and the numerous cranes used for hoisting or lowering goods are particularly impressive and make the visit worthwhile.

In 1156, it became clear that he preferred to craft over playing with others or compete in weapon training. It was as if his husk advantage bored him and it was the sharpness of mind he preferred to feed, so that was what would win the internal ‘two-wolfs race’. Regardless, he could not prevent his mother’s line from unfolding itself, and he grew into a massive powerhouse.

When he came of age, in his case in 1166, he was apprenticed to a friend of his father, and thus he began learning the ins and outs of blacksmithing. Some of it felt quite tedious, though, but evaluating and purchasing bullions (bars, ingots, balls, and discs) interested him. Excellent at what he focused on, he surpassed the evaluation skills of those with longer studies than him.

Thus, he began to travel and purchase alone; his heritage came in handy as he could easily lift the resource crates and not rely on local loaders slowing down things. The ability to do the most extreme liftings came in handy at a purchase in 1174 at the docks of a town in Ikarato. Discussing prices with a Kobold merchant from Utari, a large crack from a nearby waggon, as its left wheel broke, split the air. As some enormous tea-leaf rolls fell atop of some bystanders, yelling and tumult broke out.

The First Friends

Maybe the swiftest moves he ever made brought him to the pile of tea rolls in a few heartbeats. And with ease he plucked the heavy tea-leaf rolls up and threw them aside as if they were pillows of goose feathers. Last one hewn aside, he extended hands to the still stunned-looking Gorean youngster and his Kobold friend and smiled.

“I’m Byri, Byri LaHacil. Come, let’s get you checked out.” He said. Smiling back, both the youngster and the kobold grabbed the large hands and were hauled up. The youngster introduced himself as Jakki Yingki, while the kobold identified himself as Xut’ulka Gisfa, complimenting Byri on the swift haul of both speed and strength. The bystanders were quite surprised by the display of heavy haste.

The bond that Byri formed with Jake and Xut’ulka was his first real connection to any living being other than his parents. These bonds became lifelong and strong, although one lasted shorter than the other. Byri delayed his return for a week, as his newfound friends showed him their realm and homes. Later that year, they both came visiting, and the trio created some quite spectacular building plans, some even sold to patrons.

The trio’s study of the cranes in Morolia sparked their imagination, leading them to create several interesting improvements. But as winter was closing in, Jakki and Xut’ulka had to travel back home. A few years passed, and Byri became a journeyman who was busy travelling around to buy more resources and help improve cranes. He met a few other skilled and remarkable characters, such as Jiakob Burne and Gasse Grozol.

Eagerly exchanging knowledge with the newfound friends and the duo from Marakai in Ikarato, they all lifted each other. So in 1180 he became both evaluator and blacksmith chief. And engineer and enhancer Journeyman. This achievement would have made his father very proud.

The Disaster

In 1189, at the first peak of his power, he was offered a seat in the Gyron Lords. Accepting it, his influence circle grew, and he was for the first time, invited to Mt. Vula, and it’s said he found the lava imps the most strange beings he had ever seen – at that time. Adoring everything about the etheral realm, he wished his friends could see it as well. So at his examination as chief enchanter, he invited Jakki and Xut’ulka, Gasse, and Jiakob. Only Xut’ulka could attend, but he brought along a grand gift from both of Byris Marakai’s friends: an ancient Kobold forged Void-steel hammer.

Xut’ulka – although not really skilled or mentally fit for Mt. Vula, and blissfully unaware of the dangers of Mt. Vula craftings. Joyfully, Xut’ulka explained that he had received help from some Kobold elders to prepare the hammer so it would attune to him. As Byri’s fingers clasped its shaft, it attuned and presented itself as “‘Morken-Stål’, able to absorb and store kinetic energy. But, remember, I’m still my own master, despite their slight ‘wrap’. Quickly exchanging emotions and intentions, they agreed it would “thrum” or grow heavy when Byri’s temper flared, acting as a physical weight to try and keep his Vular temper in check—or, conversely, in case his Ogryl feelings would create dangerous hesitations, it would “pull” his hand toward targets it deemed “unrefined”.

Smiling, he hung Morken-Stål on the belt, gave Xut’ulka a hug, his first ever, and began explaining what he had in mind to melt up, enhance, and craft. It was a bold, and somewhat dangerous, jump to over-craft from his safe chief level and span across master into lord levels. Everything had to go exactly as planned. And as everything did go as expected, Byris’s mood lifted. Thus, just as Byri’s enhanced and magically sealed ingot was to be purified beyond masters’ reach, by a dip into a lava imp’s head. He turned and offered the actual dipping to Xut’ulka. Swapping grip on the plier, Xut’ulka dipped the ingot. But the blissful expression that emerged on the lava imp’s stony face made his humour get the best of him, and he had to cough a laugh down. Just at that moment, his focus shifted, his grip faltered, and he dropped the ingot into the imp’s boiling head – and in a fatal reflex move, he plunged his gloved hand into the bubbling soup to pluck it up.

The imp’s eyes widened in horror, and both it and Byri screamed in shock. But not as horrified and echoing as that of Xut’ulka, whose arm caught swirling astral flames. Dissolving glove and clothes, skin, tissue, and bone, it surged up his arm, and then, engulfing him entirely, Xut’ulka dissolved. Both Byri and the rest of the assembled crafters stood frozen; only the lava imp acted as it ran to the centre of the crafting halls and sat down at the great mana wheel. It still sits there, uttering silent mumblings, and since then no guest has been allowed on Mt. Vula below lord level in any crafting.

The accident changed Byri, and he returned to his rather remote studies. Isolating himself, he diden’t even see his parents, Jakki, or any other comrade in arts; he merely spent time reviewing every enhancing, craft, and whatever he ever did, over and over. Slowly a pattern of mistakes formed, and he began to see crafting clearer, and at times ordered books, tomes, grimoires, and scrolls to be brought to him as well. It was not until 1233, when Jakki brought Jiakob, Black Oak, and Deepminded to his door, asking for his advice about siege cranes for an upcoming peace crusade, that he opened his door.

Perceiving it for what it was, both friends reaching out and some genuine questions – although somewhat reluctant – did he come out. They all sat on his porch, and as the shadows turned long, they discussed metallurgy, siege warfare, and war machines. I’ve been told that as the quartet rode off, both Jakki and Jiakob talked about how Byri had changed, seemingly totally obsessed with his metals as they were the only thing not dying on him and focused on the fire of the forge. They were not sure anything would come out of this, as Byri seemed lost.

The 1st Alliance

A year later, in the late winter of 1234, he came to the gates of Ye Olde Zephyrs, pulling a small-roofed cart behind him. After a short discussion, Black Oak was so impressed with Byri’s solutions that he sent word to a lot of those who now supported the 1st alliance, as well as some of the crafting lords and overlords he knew were able to keep this meeting a secret and evaluate Byri’s work. A few weeks later, with a large group of supporters present, Blackoak rose up and said that Byri, now a part of the 1st Alliance, had invented just what they needed to make their plans as bloodless as possible, but as it was far beyond his capabilities to explain, he offered the scene to Byri. Who stood and began explaining.

The day had turned into long vague shadows when Byri finally fell silent. Then all rose and agreed this was just what they needed to tip the balance and secure a victory even if violence from the Torch erupted. The next day, most of the assembled strode, or rode out, or as some preferred, astravelled to where they were going – to prepare the launch of their crusade. Only the lords and overlords of crafting had another long day, examining Byri. As the sun set, they all agreed; he was a worthy master in all four areas (evaluater, blacksmith, engineer, and enhancer).

The Clarified mind

During the crusade, and in the concluding war, Byri travelled a lot across the Isles, always with a feeling there was something still clouding his mind. But burying himself in the newfound determination of the 1st Alliance, he shrugged it aside. Quite remarkable, as it was his perceptive mind, dulling itself. Anyways, meeting so many new people and gaining new friends, it was not until the High King's coronation that his previous disaster, the astral damping, was finally lifted fully.

Due to his devices, general aid for the 1st Alliance, and his perceptive sharpness, he was offered a seat in the Council of Colours prior to the High King’s coronation. Standing slightly to the high king’s rear right at the ceremony, he felt a sudden tickle against his mind. Looking around, he noticed Jakki eying him, and as their glances met, he percieved a look of blame, and it triggered a burst of emotions like never before. Staggering backwards, he tripped and tumbled down the backstage stairs.

As he landed there, a cracked skull or broken back was saved by the embedded magic of his crafted cloak. The mitigating mind-wrap the lava imp had thrown on him in 1189, to protect his sanity, dissolved, and as his mind cleared, it became a spiral that spun outwards, and as it grew, so did his perceptive senses, allowing him to hear some distant Kinoblinchatter. As if becoming aware of his discovery of their mental prying, they silenced, and his mental growing spin stilled and was replaced by an overwhelming mental darkness, most certainly a magic path trying to end him by suffocating him.

Then a voice he recognised, pierced and shattered the darkness. “Hey, Byri, as I said, grab my hand, big one.” As he extended his hand, a well-known warm Aura Colour forced the last of the shadows away. It was Jakki, asking, ‘What happened, old friend?’ It was clear, from Jakki’s expressions and voice, that Byri had misread him, maybe the initial taint that had made him open for attack – that much he knew about mentalism already. Realising what had occurred, Byri looked around and noticed three sulking Kinoblins staring his way; realising their discovery, they looked away.

Knowing the importance of what he might have overheard, he swiftly mentioned the words he had vaguely heard to Jakki. Also looking at the Kinoblin trio, he said, “You really are spinning, but I know just the man to repeat this to; let’s hurry!” When the Kinoblins noticed them approach Kanziganthir, they left the ceremony in a hurry. As they explained what had happened and discussed what it could mean, Byri noticed he could perceive the auras of all individuals and came to realise that his mind had unfolded into some sort of structural Intuition of astral sight.

The Crafters Progress

With Byri passing as master in his four areas of expertise back then, his cape had made him a lord enhancer in 1249. His knowledge of metals and alloys grew as he dived into the work on the Gold Liber Floris, the Truesilver Soludi, and the Copper Denar coins. His close work alongside Jiakob Burne, Drumin Minol, and Tomaltu Baer on the new coinage of the realm, selecting the right blend of gold from the mines in Inosio at Utari, Gustuje mines in Midgard, and the deep shafts in Zakoro at Dalip, resulted in him gaining a lord evaluation rank in 1250.

During the coinage work, someone had suggested that it should be ‘Combat Herbs‘ on the flipside of the High King’s portrait. SoIvino Alkimel, a bright-headed Vularian herbalist with extensive knowledge of combat herbs, had joined the minters group, and she had caught his interest in more than the scholarly way. Although reluctant to the touches, their friendship grew, and she became an emotional companion. In 1252 they married, and in 1253 a pair of twins became the prime focus of the pair, and their Grimsborg residence rang with laughter but also with Byri’s fear of touching and hugging, because he sensed an upcoming break of flames – oh, how he had come to hate his perception.

With new things on the mind and spending more time studying various lore, broadening his knowledge more than actually refining skills, he progressed slowly. Of course there was still work, and when he at times tested for approvals of skills, what he presented was stunning. Eventually his evaluation and enhancer skills led to him becoming both evaluating and enhancing overlord in 1261. Seeing his kids grow and doing more research than work, he began considering opening his own shop and finally daring to have his offspring begin to unfold their talents. He even bought a somewhat remote villa and began setting it up as a crafters’ heaven.

The Great Invasion

Then, in 1277, came the great invasion, and as Byri was on Mt Vula with a few other great crafters, he did not experience the brutality that struck Grimsborg. All he remembers is that in the finishing enhancing of a full plate of armour, a sudden yank of energies almost made the enhancing fail. Only due to his enhanced perception did he not falter, and completed it, the hardest he ever did, he was ranked lord blacksmith. His internal dread made the ceremony quite short, and just as he was about to astravel to Grimsborg. Although he somehow already knew it, news from countless sources began to float in – the realm was under attack. Grimsborg stood in flames, and the Astral was full of enemies.

He dared the astravel, and arrived at the half-damaged astral site at Grimsborg. Emerging alongside him, two odd human-like elephant-beings materialised. For a second he was stunned by their towering heights, way taller than any T’Aurs he had ever seen. Both at least a metre and a half taller than him and massive beyond belief. As they became physical, he sensed their auras and intentions, or was it Morken-Stål guiding his mind? Regardless, in a heartbeat he smacked Morken-Stål into the chest of the one to the right side of him, releasing most of its energy and killing the Gaji-Kulat with that one single blow. The other one, somehow enraged due to Morken-Stål’s self-consciousness, spread its arms and lifted its trunk in a giant bellowing roar. And Byri simply kicked it back into the half-closed astral gate – alongside a handful of magic shards just to ensure it would be in trouble. The last he saw of it was a burning silhouette similar to the memory of Xut’ulka.

With the fatality of inattention, bright in vision, and his senses at their sharpest made him “anticipate the moves of every foe” that emerged from alleys and doorways. So as he ran through chaotic burning streets of Grimsborg towards his home, he perceived the intent in their auras and easily dodged every foe and killed several in his more and more frantic race. And then he stood at the gates of his… ruin. The besiegers’ engines had lobbed a fire-ball right into his home, and only a few pillars and messy planks still stood.

Roaring in anger, he turned, and as he zig-zagged the streets, he smashed down countless Pigryn and crushed numerous Anurai. Then, in a small city square, he met Pawa Zacula. She yelled, “The high king was dead, and the royal guard as good as destroyed, so they needed to retreat and regroup.” As she grabbed his hand to pull him along, and Byri’s fury somewhat lifted, they heard a voice yelling from an alley, “Hey, you two, over here; I have a way out of this chaos and just about room.” As they ran to him, he threw his cape on the ground, and as it lifted and began to grow, he shouted that he was Rakon ÿ Kizz and they should sit and hold tight. So, to the cursing voices of more enemies, they flew up and across the city wall.

Escaping on the Padurian artefact, they held tight to each other as Rakon steered the carpet-cape through the terrain. Later, they regrouped with the reinstated Black Oak, and once more Byri shouldered with friends in a war. Slowly circling the realm and fighting the invader flanks, the 2nd alliance grew. Byris’ engineering knowledge aided many a siege, and slowly the enemies’ supply points were conquered. And he began renewed studies of and work with constructions and siege engines. No grand ceremony, but Byri was recognised as lord engineer in 1279, and in 1280 his hand on uncountable amounts of weapons and armours gave the final jumps to overlord blacksmith, and in 1281 he became enhancer overlord. I don’t think it would have mattered the same way, but I bet his father would have been standing proud, seeing his quadruple-titled crafting-offspring, steadily on his way to another foursome-leap.

As they almost all died at the Grimsborg trap, Byri had been ordered to seek out some neutral Ogryl tribes and try to get their aid. Some weeks later, the Ogryl and Moss'Ari, whom he had persuaded, came to Grimsborg but found only the scattered remains of the 2nd alliance. Realising what had happened, they began a hunt of the hunters. Trailing the invaders who persued the high king, they managed to slay quite a lot of surprised invader and traitor supply trains. But it was not until months later, at the Battle of Weeping Plains, that they finally caught up. And relieved the hard-pressed main force, so the alliance finally stood victorious.

Byri did not join the Cleansing Crusade but went back to Grimsborg to do one last search of his loved ones, but to no avail. It only brought renewed grief, and he determined that flames were something he should avoid. Thus, as he turned to focus on the alloys of invader weapons, items, and trinkets, he also began studying the flow of essence more deeply, as he wanted to use pure energetic flows not only in moulding metals but in everything in general. To increase his studies, he joined the Guilders Council and became their main evaluator. Now, it’s said, he works tirelessly to become a clover overlord.

“Byri doesn’t work metal to shape it. He merely reminds it of its origin, and then it yields out of respect.”

Skjald Ulrich

Organisation

He has been with both the Council of Colours and The Realm and now is with the Guilders Council.

“He always felt most at home at Mt. Vula, and that was a Vular dream coming true.”

Skjald Sejrik

 

Special

Since the Lava Imp’s protective seal was lifted, Byri’s intuition is bordering the prophetic. He doesn’t “see” raw materials, items, machines, buildings, or a battlefield with his eyes alone; he perceives the stress points, the possible flow of energy, and the inevitable point of failure. This is why he crafts alone—the “noise” of other people’s chaotic auras in a workshop is disturbing to his senses.

“No achievement… can really tame… his Vularian desire.”

Skjald Kazumix