As a child, Runcible was obsessed with the natural world, learning what he could about the laws of physics and biology around him. Even before his father gave him commands, he was the first to leave home, setting off on journeys of discovery and adventure to far-off lands, and bringing back what he could of new metals and exotic plants.
When the Emperor commanded him to go forth and conquer, he did so without question, preferring to fight his battles through carefully drawn-out tactics that meant rarely fighting an opponent on equal footing. But after making a name for himself, he requested a small contingent of soldiers for a special mission of his own: to understand the workings of death itself.
Some say he set out for the fabled Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, or the rolling Plains of Elysium—but the young prince and his men vanished from the face of the earth for nearly a century. But legend has it that he wound up in a far worse place, and after mastering the secrets of Hell, blasted his way back out again with fire and brimstone. Certainly, in a forgotten province far to the West, there was a strange volcanic eruption—and not long after, Runcible returned, with only one of his men at his side. He had been changed, somehow, by the ordeal—his appearance aged, and demonic, with wicked horns and a prehensile tail.
But he brought back with him secrets of sulfur and coal, introducing guns to Valdis, alongside the highest-quality steel the world has ever seen. Raising new troops from the outcasts of society, he trained his squadron with ruthless efficiency. Using what he called "tactical secrets of the infernal legion," the Iron Battalion quickly became invincible in battle, and Runcible Misthrax, quick to spare repentant prisoners, spread his teachings of the Litany of Iron to all those he would listen.
With the retirement of Chreos, Runcible sees an opportunity for a new world. Under his father, innovation and technology have floundered, with the world staying unchanged over the centuries except for prayer and conquest. And this is unacceptable—the march of progress must begin once again. If Valdis is to move forward into a better, more enlightened and prosperous era, it needs a ruler unsatisfied with the status quo, one who will do whatever it takes to bring forward science and modern prosperity—and Runcible knows right now of no one else who could accomplish that.
