"The Collective was doomed, I was certain of it. The War of Magi Ascension shook the tower to its very roots and gave portents of death and dishonor. Those who stayed would either die or never be the same again. So I took my chance. I clamored for whatever books and artifacts I could get my hands off and I ran so I could continue my studies in peace. I only wish I had more time, and more resources, maybe I could be more proactive and make a difference, but I am too old for such pipe dreams. My name is Evander Madrigal, and within this text lies my life's work." Evander Madrigal, Introduction
Evander Madrigal was a member of
The Collective long before the events of the War of Magi Ascension. A gifted arcane practitioner, it was not long before he reached the position of High Magi and began teaching others within the tower. He had a passion for studying and knowledge that was nearly unequal among the rest of the Magi surrounding him. Whereas other High Magi and students would constantly be casting their Arcane Magicks or trying to get stronger, he would spend most of his time pouring over the vast library in the tower to learn whatever secrets he could. Two things interested him in particular: the use of wards and the extension of one's life.
When the war took place and was heading towards the tower he, like many others, decided to abandon the tower and the Collective was the best course of action. Evander broke into one of the many vaults of the tower using his knowledge of wards to get through. Here he stole several items he planned to study on his own further, including the grimoire of a member of the Hand, several alchemical reagents, and the
Crown of Awakening. With these items in tow, he made his escape, heading for what he believed to be an empty tower to continue his studies for as long as he possibly could.
It was in this tower that he began writing his grimoire, detailing his studies and spells that he had discovered in his time alone. The beginning of the text is mostly devoted to Magi ciphers and how to solve them. While not the most exciting subject, it is essential to know and understand these ciphers to gain access to other Magi grimoires in the future. It took him many years to crack the one he had stolen and he hoped the information would help his successor in the future.
Wards were one of his specialties, and a large chunk of the grimoire was devoted to them. He detailed a specific combination of Arcane glyphs that served as a mundane basis for a circle ward targeting specific characters or attributes. By infusing something of a specific target into the creation of the glyphs followed by the infusion of Arcane Magick into the ward, the target would be repelled. Most commonly indicated was hair, scales, or blood from the specified target. They were simple yet very effective once established. The wards were not foolproof, however, as the strength of the ward depended on the power of the Arcane Magick infused into it. Evander believed that the ward would be powered almost indefinitely given the right resources poured into it.
Eternal life is a lofty goal of many Risen, and Evander could certainly be counted amongst them. It was common knowledge that those with potent enough Magick in their veins would live far longer lives than those with more mundane genetics. He also tested an old hypothesis of the Collective, discovering that being in the presence of and the extended use of Magickal Apparatus would extend one's life as well. This helped him gain an understanding of how some martial warriors of the past lived so long without Arcane assistance, as they would regularly wear and use gear infused with
Magick Stones. In the text, he thoroughly recommended regular contact and use of these items to give oneself an unnaturally long life.
The final section of his grimoire was dedicated to a few tests on the Crown of Awakening and what secrets he had discovered from the Hand member's grimoire on this artifact. It was well known that the creator used the Crown on his pet dog to give it extended life and intelligence. After his death, the Hand of the Collective seized the Crown for their own to run experiments. Placing it on a common Rock Drake gave the strength considerable might and wits increases, as well as gaining the ability to talk and manipulate the earth around it. When worn by a Risen, the Crown gave a brief sense of euphoria before causing massive brain hemorrhaging, resulting in a brief but painful death. Throughout his many tests, Evander never found a way for a Risen to wear the Crown successfully. He believed this was an intentional curse placed upon the Crown and wondered if such a thing could be removed by a skilled Magi.
The most disturbing test he found is where the Hand captured and bound a Fae of Dark Night far below the tower of the Collective. Placing the crown atop the creature gave it unspeakable power in its words and illusions and caused the deaths of two members of the Hand, solving a long mystery of their disappearance. Afraid the Fae was reaching the point of godhood, the remaining members of the Hand along with the Grand Archmagi successfully removed the Crown from the Fae creature, but the damage was already done. Whatever tricky Fae powers the creature possessed caused the powers of the Crown to linger in its body. It is written in the Hand's grimoire that the Fae is still trapped far beneath the tower. Evander writes that he wishes to revisit the tower in a time of peace so that he can enact his own wards with the current Hand and ensure this creature is locked away forever.
Being one of the final entries found in his grimoire upon his death, it is believed that he never made his planned return to the tower.
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