Dryth ex-Themostila's page

Five background and concept elements important to Dryth ex-Themostila.
1. Dryth was part of an experiment by the Diocles tribe. Rather than have Rhodeans breed and control the bloodlines, a sect of the Diocles tribe thought to create suitable citizens through alchemical and magical infusion of infants. In essence, they sought to shortcut the decades long process of breeding by infusing infants with desired traits, particularly advanced intellect.
2. Dryth is of middling intellect, especially compared to many of the Themostila tribe, but he has a natural way with machines which seem to far outpace many of his tribe-mates.
3. Dryth was initially not accepted into any tribe and moved out to one of the farming communities. He lived there for nearly 6 years before his magical abilities suddenly fostered. With his ability to perform spells and a seemingly innate aptitude for handling machinery, he was soon brought back into Promise.
4. Dryth believes in the idea of machine slaves. He believes Hermea can unlock the true potential of humanity by freeing themselves of meaningless physical work. Fulfilling the Unity doctrine and finding enlightenment can be made easier by relegating nearly all tasks to machines, such as fighting, harvesting, and even walking,
5. Dryth is a mechanical artisan. He has an amazing way with machines, not just making them work or understanding how they function, but often controlling them in a way no one else can. He has found that his spells will affect machines where others’ won’t, and he can convince machines to follow him or pay attention to his innate presence.

Two goals that are important to Dryth.
1. Dryth wants to show he does indeed belong in Promise. Having failed to become a Citizen at first, Dryth is very proud of his accomplishment, and he constantly strives to display his usefulness to the nation.
2. Dryth wants to create himself mechanical slaves to do whatever he needs. He believes if he can show the potential of machine slaves, all of Hermea will benefit.

Two secrets about Dryth, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1. The Diocles attempts to create suitable Citizens was ultimately declared a failure. Of the more than 300 the infants subjected to the process, most never survived the infusion process or died within several years. Only five children survived. Four showed immediate enhanced intelligence and awareness, and they all became Citizens. Dryth was the fifth child, who showed normal, unexceptional development. The cost of the experiment was deemed too high, and the details of the Diocles experiment have been hidden. Further attempts to alchemically create Citizens has been forbidden.
2. While Dryth believes in the power of machines to enhance humanity, he actually doubts part of the Unity Principle. His time on the farm showed him the strong talents and spirit of the farming communities. They have a drive and an ethic which is at times lacking in Promise since its Citizens have little more to strive for. He knows the farms have many people who would make excellent Citizens and be valuable, productive members of Promise. This is what has inspired his work and proposals for machine slaves. He feels if he can create these slaves, then the farming communities may be allowed to join the ranks of Promise, freed from their duties in the fields.

Four people that are tied to Dryth, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1. Tyrone tal-Diocles - Senior researcher in the Diocles alchemical citizen project. Tyrone wasn’t in charge of the alchemical project, but he is one of more prominent researchers who survived the project’s fall. With Dryth’s acceptance into Promise, Tyrone has tried to become a mentor and friend to the young man, trying to gauge his abilities. Dryth has come to rely on Tyrone as someone who can guide him in life, while not knowing the man’s history or intentions.
2. Grace ex-Pelagio - Childhood friend and sometimes-lover. Grace and Dryth were raised together in the same Rhodean unit. She is his friend, confidant, and seemingly the closest thing to family allowed on Hermea. Experiencing so much together as they grew up, it seemed only natural for them to become lovers too. Grace was accepted into the Citizenry immediately, which pulled them apart for several years. Dryth’s acceptance into Promise, however, was one of their happiest moments. Grace has had 2 children already, neither of them Dryth’s. Grace studies plants for Hermea as a part of the Pelagio tribe.
3. Piotr - Non-citizen friend from the farm where Dryth worked during his 6 years before becoming a Citizen. Dryth had been at the farm for a year when Piotr arrived. He helped the young man learn their tasks and the two soon became fast friends. When Dryth left to move to Promise, Piotr was crushed. He was losing his best friend.
4. Halpern ex-Themostila - Halpern is another machinist and Dryth’s philosophical opposite. He believes in the power of the Citizentry as superior beings to the rest of humanity, even those in the farms in Hermea. He believes all other humans should be enslaved to bring their base urges and other defects under control. Human slaves, he argues, can be used for labor and sustaining the Citizenry, who will be free to explore greater enlightenment. Halpern even places machines above potential slaves since they are not bound by the same flaws and can be constructed towards perfection in a single task. Halpern loves machines more than people actually. Dryth and Halpern have argued so much in his time as a Citizen that they fester hatred on sight of each other.

Four memories, mannerisms or quirks Dryth possess.
1. Dryth has a brand of a spoked wheel on his lower right arm. It was done one night in the farming community with many of them wanting to show pride in their positions on Hermea, despite not being Citizens. While painful to have done, he is proud of it.
2. Dryth has a love of animals, born of his time at the farm. He learned to care for horses and dogs there, seeing the intense loyalty these animals can have.
3. When Dryth was welcomed into Promise and signed the Contract of Citizenship, Grace was among the first to greet him. It was a reunion they had looked forward to for years. She presented him with a laurel wreath and helped him dress into his new clothes. They laughed together like they had as children, spinning around until they got so dizzy they collapsed. It was pure, uncontested joy.
4. Dryth has a habit of tapping his lips when he’s thinking, as well as wandering when deep in thought. When he’s working on a complex project, he will often wander the streets of Promise, only faintly aware of his surroundings. With the civil environment of the city, this is rarely a problem as no danger ever comes to him. When he was at the farm, he would wander some of the fields at times tapping his lips and moving through the rows of crops. Several times, he would ‘wake’ from his thoughts to find himself far off the farm property with dwindling daylight.

*Bang! Bang!*

Dryth jerks his head up from the wires he was working on. ”Krys, see who’s at the door.” He peers back into the control box and attaches the wires. There, that should do it. Now, let’s see if the code is right.

”Yes, sir.” Krys, Dryth’s personal robotic servant, wheels over to the door, but just as he approaches it, the door opens. With all endeavors and items in Promise for the collective good, there were no such things as locks to keep people out, but it was still impolite for someone to just enter on their own. Krys expresses his surprise at the intrusion. ”Excuse me, sir! I was just coming to get the door. You did not need let yourself-- Ah, Master Tyrone, wonderful to see you, sir. Master Dryth is in his workroom. Would you like any refreshments?”

”No, Krys, thank you. It seems Dryth has missed an appointment with Aldus this afternoon.” He yells out for Dryth. ”The man’s pride is hurt, Dryth. He was looking forward to this demonstration. You’ll have to apologize to him.” He walks into the workspace. ”What are you working on now that made you skip the meeting?”

Dryth curses as he hears Tyrone’s words. He turns and greets the man who has become a bit of a mentor these last two years. ”Tyrone, good to see you.” He turns back to his status screen. ”Aldus didn’t want to see a demonstration, he wanted a chance to mock me. I didn’t need that today. Besides, take a look.” He points to the half-torso of the robot he had been working on. Typing a few commands, he pulls out a control device. ”Ok, let’s see if this works.” He taps the device.

Suddenly, the half-robot glows with a reddish light. Dryth walks up to touch it. ”See, nothing but normal metal. But watch.” He pulls out a wand from his bag and touches it to the robot’s torso. White hot fire shoots out, enveloping the torso and driving Tyrone back from the residual heat. Dryth pulls the wand away. As both men struggle to regain their eyesight from the blinding light, Dryth grabs Tyrone’s hand and places right where the fiery wand had been a moment before. The older man feels cool metal. Dryth laughs. ”Not a scorch mark or hint of melted metal. Not even warm! And that was a maximized, intensified wand of burning hands. I borrowed it from Prena.”

”A proper protection spell can do the same.”[b] Tyrone responds.

[b]”Yes, but it can’t do it all the time. Drop this guy into a volcano for a week and he’ll come out without a mark. Think of him living in a forge, making repairs without having to shut it down. He works 24 hours a day without a break. He could be used to test fire weapons or rescue someone in a burning building. All without a ‘proper protection spell’ being cast.”

Tyrone rubs his chin, his mind running through the possibilities. He smiles and begins to speak when the torso begins glowing again. This time both men feel the intense heat emanating from the machine and are forced back. ”What’s going on, Dryth?!”

”I don’t know!” He reaches for the control, but it’s too close to the robot. The desk begins to blacken. Cursing, Dryth casts a simple spell. Suddenly the power to the robot is interrupted for a moment, but it’s enough for him to grab the control unit and power the whole lab down. As the temperature returns to normal, Dryth looks at Tyrone. ”Ok, maybe it’s not fully worked out. But it has potential, right?”

Tyrone laughs. ”Keep working, and be thankful your Daze spell works on machines like this. It would have burned my whole house down!” The older man pats him on the back. ”Go see Aldus and apologize. For my sake, at least. I have to deal with him everyday and he’s going to sulk. I know it.” He turns to leave. ”And remember the dinner with Gorath tomorrow! Grace is coming too, I spoke to her. Her testing of the new crops is going well and she’ll be able to make it.”

Dryth nods. ”We talked this morning. It seems the swamp rot isn’t affecting this new batch. Imagine being able to grow wheat in a bog! Maybe Promise will be able to feed more people. But do I really have to go to this dinner? You know how I hate those things.”

Tyrone laughs. "Right. You were holding court at the last one! I've never seen so many people interested in hearing about trionic networks. You'll be there, I know it." He begins to leave.

”[/b] He turns back to his workshop. ”Krys, see Tyrone out. And get me something to eat.”