Sir Ulrich "Lightspeed" Von Gaia



Sir Ulrich "Lightspeed" Von Gaia is a citizen of the A.W.E and Mayor of Gaia´s Garden. A warrior turned into an eldritch knight, he merges alchemical and arcane knowledge with his martial arts that range from the rigid fencing techniques of the Ashtrokan Wandenreich to the fluid motions necessary to use a katana taught by Endo.

Affable, kind, with very strong sense of duty and honor, Ulrich spends his days teaching people how to live off the land, how to use a blade for their protection and managing the well being of the citizens under his care.

After binding his life energy to a natural artefact called the Cinderheart, his body pulses with the strenght of a roaring flame, his heart and the Cinderheart beating as one with elemental energy.

Early History
Born as the son of an impoverished landed knight in Rathnir, Ulrich spent most of his early life without too much struggle. It was clear from an early age that he was not interested in the arts of war but instead relied on his wits and intelligence to study alchemy, logistics and the administration of the land. The youngest child, it was clear he was not the first to his fathers meager inheritance or lands.

Once he became of age, he started his journey to travel the world looking for his fortune. With the last of his money, he booked a passage to Eldham.

The Oath
Arriving at the port city of Gaia´s Garden in the Encansavia Province in the nation A.W.E, Ulrich was quick to find jobs and uses for his skills. Under the guidance of Mylnric, the Mayor of Gaia´s Garden, the young man could show his skills and aptitudes for alchemy and engineering, with tasks ranging from replicating ancient brews passed on trought old scrolls, some even requiring arcane ingredients such as Nether Wart, a strange growth found in another plane to large infraestructure projects such as roads, iceways and defensive fortifications. While not an expert builder, his dilligence and discipline earned him the nickname of "Lightspeed" for his speed in accomplishing tasks, which gave him the opportunity to join the order of Imperial Engineers.

Now in a place that he can call his own, he swore a new oath to protect and defend the land, earning the final title of "Von Gaia".

Whispers in the Dark
While Ulrich is a staunch believer of the Church of the Holy Light, most of the knowledge he has in the alchemical arts came to him in visions. Visions of lands consumed by fire and lava, lands where the infinite void is prowled by dragons and tall, dark humanoid creatures that can teleport at will.

The whispers gave him instructions on how to create potions of great power with materials found in the realm known as the Nether.

Way of the Blade
Ulrich, by chance or by destiny, met with Endo in his travels and military service. Accepted as an apprentice of the wandering swordsman, he learns the way of the blade, fusing the rigid military training of his knighthood with the fast paced, precise and skillfull techniques employed by the wandering warrior.

Rise
Working dilligently for his nation, Ulrich was elected Senator for his province of Encansavia. In his term he worked hard to increase the wealth of the citizens trought the implementation of farms for towns in the region. While this has met limited success, it is certain that citizens now have more access to the national iceway grid and farms to provide them sustenance.

Choosen by the Grand Falcon and the High Council, Ulrich was put in charge of the Ministry of Finance as a High Councillor. While inexperienced, he went on to eagerly try to enact change and improve the financial situation of his nation.

Visions of a Dark Realm
Ulrich spent most of his time studying ancient books and scrolls. His fortune spent on search parties, excavations and mystic librarians who sold him many trinkets and artifacts. While most of it was just false, the few hints of ancient knowledge where given to him from visions and trought the diligent study of the characters people call "Enchanting Table Scripture". Before Eldham and before Rathnir, there was only The End. Inhabited by dragons and creatures who can teleport, its meaning was lost to time as the myth of maniacs and mad men. One day, in a hidden ruin, Ulrich found a small sphere that when thrown, it would teleport hm instantly. Upon further study and alchemical testing, by mixing the incandescent blaze powder with the artifact it began to glow like an eye and when thrown, it flew away in a random direction.

Following his instincts, Ulrich followed the glowing artifact until he came face to face with an unnactive portal of sorts. It was similar to the one made with obsidian that gave access to The Nether, but this was made from different materials and the glowing eyes all turned to look at the wandering Knight as he approached. The glowing artifact in his hand, however, began to glow as it flew into one of the empty sockets. Suddenly, the portal turned on as he stared into the infinite void. Similar to the sky at night, but full of strange stars and constellations.

As curiosity took control, the knight jumped inside...and woke up after some time back at his home, on his bed. One of his eyes, however, became a crystalized green sphere not dissimilar from the artifact he once used to track down what he called an 'End Portal'. His hair has been turned grey and white in a few parts and now that single eye could see things others couldnt. With still many questions left unswared, he had to continue studying and exploring to get his anwers.

A Heart Ablaze
After suffering injuries during the defense of his town against a horde of skeleton knights, Ulrich used all the knowledge he had of magic and alchemy to bind his soul and energy to the Cinderheart. This process took weeks and as the weeks passed, the warrior began to change.

The Cinderheart is the core of the mountain that houses Gaia´s Garden. An enormous gem that embodies the element of fire, it manifests its power as an unending flow of lava that keeps the region warm and its heat is used by the local industry.

With his energy bound to this giant natural artifact, his hair began to glow red hot, his eyes became red and his physical prowess was greatly enchanced. He adopted to himself the personal nickname of "pillar of fire" for his capacity to weild flames with his sword with no effort.

Life as a politician
As a member of the High Council, Ulrich stands as the head of the Ministry of Finance of the A.W.E. With a brief time as a Senator and a proeminent member of the National Engineer Corps, Lightspeed managed to be choosen as one of the advisors of the Emperors. With swift action to deal with the taxation crisis, he took up the mission to mantain the infrastructure of the Empire trought one of his prized skills: bookeeping and administration. With a sharp mind for ledgers, he proved to be an efficient and effective, if sometimes unfocused, in his efforts to take care of the Treasury.

Pushing for progress and scientific research, he made sure to direct the funding of the A.W.E towards innovation, universities and scientific development. A Scientist in his own right, he was one of many who contributed to the creation of the Vapor Engine, the redstone rail system used in the redstone railgun rifles such as the Krieger 94 and even the development of new chemical compounds such as Crimsonium Gas, extracted from Crimsom Wine in gas form to provide lift to the tranport airships that line the skies of the Empire.