Dux Lactuca Folipar

Origin
Dux Lactuca (Lettuce) was born in Toppmøte, Bjørn’sberg, his birthdate and most of his origin is unknown when it took place. After the near extinction of the two Tūk species (the Letūk and Jetūk). The last surviving Letūk (Acacia Folipar) and the former king of the Jetūk, had two children (one Letūk which was named Helianthus and one Jetūk) whom they decided to split up so that if the bandits sent by Magus the god of magic, got one family they wouldn’t be able to destroy the other. They decide Helianthus would be sent to the very small nation of Bjørn’sberg, a tributary of Aurlûnor Velande in the continent of Syltör. There, Helianthus was adopted, raised, and fell in love with Juniper, a human. Helianthus and Juniper married and Juniper promised Helianthus she would not tell about his secret powers and give his identity away to the bandits who might try to hunt him down. Helianthus' possessed a unique Botanokinesis ability like all the Letūk before him. His was manipulating and controlling sunflowers (hence his name). When the time came and Juniper and Helianthus had their first child, whom they named Dux. They soon began to realize however that his Botanokinesis ability was manipulating and controlling lettuce, so they gave him the middle name, Lactuca (however in Bjørn’sberg his friends and neighbors referred to him as Salat). When each Letūk’s power was discovered, that marked the beginning of their training. And Dux was no different. Dux spent years in Bjørn’sberg growing up in his small home carved into a mountain, attending events such as Frognog Flaskor and Devian Sloth's wedding as the ring bearer, training with his powers, and building steampunk technology for himself and society at that time. He benefited the economy by instantly being able to make lettuce so now no one he knew could possibly be hungry. He even created his own business called Salat’s Block Stop where he sold colorful building materials. However, he longed for something more and felt drawn somewhere, a part of his culture’s past lied elsewhere. His parents had decided not to tell Dux about the horrifying past of the Tūk race & culture. He began plotting his escape out of Syltör and the place he felt drawn towards, and left without saying anything to Hérjue Bjørn Helheim who was the duke of Bjørn'sberg at the time, President Frognog Flaskor who was the other owner of Bjørn’sberg, or his parents. He gathered his belongings and his steampunk gear and said one last goodbye to everything he loved before leaving one night to find his purpose.

Journey
By the time Dux had left Bjørn’sberg he was about 14 and had no idea where he was going. While not living in severe poverty he never received a proper education nor learned of the various cultures, customs, religions, practices, and geography of rathnir aside from the usually town gossip and neighborhood children telling stories and explaining the various races of Slytör (Most notable the infamous celestial elves). However, soon after leaving Bjørn’sberg only a couple miles behind him (still deep in the chilly climate of mainland Syltör in its various mountain ranges). He came across a map which he found confusing and intimidating at it’s scale. (mind that he was only a small Tūk and he had no knowledge of rathnir and it’s vast and expansive world) He identified Syltör and it’s two north and southern regions and marked where he was and decided he would head into the arid regions present in the southwest, through the Ashuran Desert and beyond into the Great Western Desert Belt (GWDB) in Ummarnu. He would decide from there his next destination. He would soon after plotting his course, miraculously tame a high horse (very rare and impossible for the average elf or man to ride because of it’s small size) and joined a traveling party including a majority of Celestial Elves and a handful of Aurlûnoren Men. Wandering through Syltör’s cold mountains, taiga, and deciduous forest, he talked and exchanged information with his fellow venturers as they advanced further south. Young Dux learned more and more until eventually, after 11 days of traveling he arrived at the Ashuran Desert. His fellow nomads would go no further as they were foreign to the land and would only stay in the northern region were it was cooler and had a higher altitude (besides they were celestial elves and they respected the dune elves enough to keep in their own boundaries). And so, he made an effort to find an oasis that would bring him rest and revival for his next journey into Ummarnu. After wandering through the desert for quite some time he came upon the Sawiya Oasis. Upon arrival he stayed at an inn and talked with the folk that resided and traveled through the Oasis across long journeys. He then would start to save up for a camel and begin working for a Glazier by shoveling and smelting sand for glass production in order to make make a profit. After saving up enough cash and consulting a Dune Elf merchant, they agreed on a deal for a Vastallosi llama (ironic because that would be his next destination) and a robe to suit his journey across the scorching desert. And so, after a few more nights of rest, food, and reading from a local library (he didn’t have access to a library or any type of luxury’s such as this in Bjørn’sberg, even if it was dimly lit and dusty) he set off to travel the rest of his journey through the GWDB. But, while wandering the Ashuran Desert and crossing into Ummarnu, he came upon the realization of the Tūk through the voice of Plaûtqwę, goddess of plant life and the Tūk (also known as Flos, goddess of plant life and Faun through Flosism although several different ideas, practices, sacred scriptures, and stories). While we don’t for sure know how long Dux wandered in Ummarnu, we do know that at some point whilst Dux was sleeping beside his camel under the stars atop the dunes of a desert in Ummarnu. Dux received a dream from Plaûtqwę depicting graphic scenes from the demise of the Tūk. Letūk and Jetūk children screaming, mothers mourning, and men fighting against the various, hunters, bandits, and mercenaries controlled by Magus who sent the order to kill every last Tūk out of selfish rage. Dux woke up in a fright and knew what he must do. Finally he had something to work for, a purpose in life. His destiny was to journey to Vastallos and restore the Tūk’s legacy. And he immediately began his journey there which no hesitation nor doubt.

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