Heretics - The Prelude: Wyrwynn, The Doctor

Born on the 982AEF, Wyrwynn was too young to understand the grand events taking place on 1010AEF, but heard the rumors about "dark lords", "flying ships", "monsters of metal", and similar things and paid them mind as any child pays mind to the ascention of a great politic or the squabbles of the noble scions. Nevertheless, The Years Of Unrest were of a far more real and palpable nature for the young dwarf lass.

In the years that followed, the deeds of Dunkell Erchffinder began to bear fruit and many horrors that should had remained asleep were awakened. Events that defied the explanation of rational minds, sinister shadows of ill and death haunting the innocent, omens of dark fate and fouler times at every corner, The Years Of Unrest were a dark eve for what was to come. It came to the dwarves in the form of a black ichor, spreading across the earth that craddled them like an insidious poison that hungered for everything dear to life. It was on those days that the term "World Wound", "Earth Scar" and "Geostigma" came to name this poison that so vehemently reclaimed the lives of so many in such a short time, among them, someone close to Wyrwynn. Eventually, the horror of "geostigma" dwindled, but such did not put at ease the mind of the dwarven lass, unsatisfied with replies concerning "the anger of the world" or "the will of the gods".

Many were the sources in which she searched for truth and, between the chants and praises to the gods and the crafts and recitations of the mages, she took a better liking for the latter. Nevertheless, neither the personal insights of the divine nor the esoteric and sometimes chaotic truths of the arcane offered any sort of answer for what was something happening before the very eyes of real people made of tangible matter. True, the idea of an "unseen" world explained many a mystery that baffled the most sapient sage, but to come to the conclussion that the arkane purpose was behind every single event in life was as folly as believing a snake's poison had anything to do with the will of the gods. So Wyrwynn was not content, and one by one her tutors passed her unto each other, grown too sore of hearing questions for which they could not offer answer that could satisfy the lass, reminding them of how little they truely cared to know about the truths beyond what was needed to lead a conformist existance.

It came to happen on her 37th year of life, 3 year shy of her adulthood, that Shehrzad, The Storyteller came to pass by Wampi-Imul, where Wyrwynn was also dealing with some errands of her own under the tutelage of another tired wizard. So inspired was the young dwarf by the song-tales of the gria bard about the wonders of the long lost past that she patiently awaited for the very end to meet with her personally to question her about the source of such myths and legends. At first, Shehrzad was reluctant to give an straight answer, but the insistence of the dwarf youngling made the gria to yield and speak of the fabled lands of Al'Manadim to the northwest of the continent and of it's libraries, in which Shehrzad herself had indulged for so many years. After such a revelation, Wyrwynn asked Shehrzad to take her on her journey back home, but the gria, once again, refused, claiming that the ruler of Al'Manadim would not suffer strangers on her domains. However, once again, Wyrwynn would not take a no for answer and would do nearly the impossible in order to convince her only lead to change her mind. Finally, after so many unsuccessful attempts, Wyrwynn told Shehrzad the reasons behind her pursuit of knowledge and the story of her cousin, lost to "Geostigma". While Shehrzad had no cousins of her own, she had a sister, a twin sister, and could no longer refuse the plead of Wyrwynn, taking her to Al'Manadim with her.

Wyrwynn became then the first dwarven maid to step on the bejeweled city of Al'Adlen and the first to stand before the Manath, The Golden, who saw no ill wish on the heart of Wyrwynn, but warned the dwarf against the perils those who master the foundations of the world face upon the temptation such a power brings. And so, for the next 10 years, Wyrwynn feasted and devoured upon tomes of knowledge both forbbiden and forgotten, gaining understanding and insight in the logic and intend behind the seen and unseen design of the world, bereft of the ambiguities of magic and the uncertainties of faith. It wasn't yet the answer, but she had just found her path and the means to achieve it. Now, with years of knowledge as her weapon, Wyrwynn can finally find out the truth behind the mistery of "Geostigma", and what a better place to study it than at the place where the root of it all was? Abandoning the sandy lands of Al'Manadim, Wyrwynn journeys to the heart of the Keep-City of Ashturian in search of answers.

-"Now I understand. They found their truths through the fervour of their faith and the mysteries of the arkane arts. Now I know they are real. I can see them with different eyes now that I have found a path of my own that embraces them all, seeking not power nor solace, but truth. With it, I may challenge the will of gods and the might of minds. With it, I might challenge death and cure the world. The name of this forgotten path of understanding... is science."

Wyrwynn, The Doctor.