Glenvyine
| Glenvyine ryúl Aneurin | |
|---|---|
| Personal Information | |
| Race | Thyrid |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair Color | Black, later Grey |
| Spouse(s) | unknown |
| Children | 7 (possibly figurative) |
| Date of Birth | Lords 76 |
| Date of Death | Lords 230 (First)
Lords 274 (Second) |
| Burial | None, body destroyed |
| Political Information | |
| House | Lowborn |
| Title(s) | Magister |
| Affiliation(s) | Jyla, Thyrosic Empire (former) |
| Reign | ~Lords 150 - Lords 274 |
| Religion | Pyra Paganism |
Glenvyine ryúl Aneurin, more widely known by the title Magister Glenvyine, was a Thyridic Mage active during the Lords Era. Glenvyine is widely recognised as the most powerful Necromancer of his era, and perhaps one of the most dangerous Mages of all time, and is one of only twenty recorded full Liches following the Red Era.
Glenvyine is widely known for his campaign against the Thyrosic Empire during the The Interregnum, where he waged a sustained half-century fight against the Empire. The actions of Glenvyine during this war contributed heavily to the eventual rise of the Tohrá Dynasty to the Imperial seat, and, alongside Emperor Asgall Navaro, made reforms to the Empire mandatory.
The Magister, as indicated by his title, was also an important figure in the Thyrosic state before his well-known treason. He was a ranking member of the Academy of Sciences and Magics, that famed predecessor of the Serene University of Asgan, and made countless contributions to medicine. Much of the medicines invented by the Magister would go on to save the lives of many Thyridic soldiers during the war against him.
Early Life, and the nature of Glenvyine
Glenvyine's life prior to his arrival in Asgan in 98 LE is a relatively unknown. There are several conflicting accounts of his life, with his age, birthplace, and even race being called into question by the numerous accounts.
The orthodox opinion among scholars, as popularised by the Enlightened Era work A brief account of the Interregnum by the political thinker and historian Seoras contends that Glenvyine was a Thyrid from rural Pyra, the son of a local Magnate called Aneurin. This is supported by the fact that Glenvyine is known to have used Aneurin as an alias on occasion. As a child, he displayed unusual aptitude for magic, and his Father arranged for him to be apprenticed to the Court Wizard in Daigh. Seoras suggests that at this time, Glenvyine may have chosen to strongly align himself with the cult of the Pyran God Jyl, who had by that point taken on a vastly increased prominence in the pantheon. Later, under the patronage of King ??? of Pyra, Glenvyine enrolled with the Academy of Sciences and Magics, one of the more prominent Universities in Thyros.
Official Church doctrine differs with Seroas significantly. Since the 266 Edict of Tohrá, the Church position has been that Glenvyine was a manifestation of the ancient Pyran Gods, driven by prophecy to make war upon the true faith. The Edict suggests that the return of Glenvyine coinciding with the madness of Emperor Asgall was no coincidence, saying that "every manner of dark Spirit, anti-Father and Fae Folk have conspired together to create an event which will draw their Evil into a soul under the aegis of a single body, which in the fullness of time will winnow the followers of the Great Dragon." In this view, Glenvyine is a single-being union of the darker aspects of the old gods of the Thyrids, made to reclaim the land that was once theirs.
Many believe in a combination of the two explanations, an answer favoured by Emperor Orpheus II, who had faced the Magister several times on the field of battle. In his memoirs, published posthumously, the Emperor said that "[he is] faced with one possible answer to the nature of our foe. I know that he is no man, for I have seen him set ablaze entire armies, turn the sky black, and part the seas. I have looked into his unblinking skull and seen no hint of anything human in there. But, I know that he is no God, no immortal Spirit, for I have seen him when he was but flesh, and but bones, and but blood. And I have seen that flesh cut, those bones broken, and that blood spilled. Is it in a God to know pain? Glenvyine was many things, but I consider the truth of it to be this: A man was born, a man lived, a Lich died. Glenvyine was under the guidance and influence of forces far darker than we should have to comprehend, but he was you, and me, on a basic level."
University and Imperial Service
Glenvyine attended the Academy from 90-96 LE, according to census records. Records of his time there are scarce, however, due to the Burning of Asgan, which destroyed the University and much of its records. Seoras contends that Glenvyine, far from his reputation as a genius, was a mediocre student at the time, achieving a middling pass result. However the Scholar is quick to point out that it was not for a lack of ability that Glenvyine did not achieve excellence, but rather he considered himself so far above the material that he barely bothered to attend classes, or to study in the slightest.
Having graduated from the Academy, Glenvyine then returned to one of the subsidiary schools of the Academy to further his education. Funding from Pyra had dried up by that stage, and so Glenvyine was forced to "demean" himself by enlisting with the Thyrosic Legions as an officer. Sponsored by the army, the young Glenvyine spent an additional decade at the Academy, studying medicine and restorative magics, and is credited with inventing Laudanum during this time. Following his service with the Empire during the Conquest of Pyra, Glenvyine returned to the University for his third stay, this time attaining his well-known title of Magister, and becoming a Professor at the University itself. Not content with simple medical work, and changed by the War, Glenvyine became obsessed with figuring out ways to cheat death, in some form or another. His close rival, Marcas of Pyrnoc, denounced Glenvyine's work in this period as "Barely legal", and "Imperially backed necromancy."
By 120 LE, Glenvyine's work had achieved international fame, and when the death of Nicholas III kickstarted the War of Thyrosic Succession, Prince Tadhg Navarro enlisted the Magister as part of his war effort. Forced once again into war, Glenvyine's magic shifted decisively towards the offensive. What could save a life could take one too, he soon discovered. Glenvyine's most decisive action during the war came during the siege of Talarth, where the Sorcerer displayed his growing mastery over the realm of Kutaru, trapping the entire enemy army in a phantasmal state between life and death. This spectral army was under his complete command, and would form the backbone of his eventual rebellion against the Empire.