Višakh Kalevti

A renowned alchemist and inventor, Višakh Kalevti is credited as being the "father of the Iron Meteor". This anti-siege weapon was pivotal in the aptly-named Siege of the Iron Meteor where it was first conceived and utilised to great effect. Kalevti's work on blasting powder is considered to be a keystone of warfare technology, and he is praised by scholars and soldiers alike.
Conversely, there are those in Isturian society that view him as something of a merciless militant, a man who has contributed to the death and suffering of many.

Early Life

Višakh Kalevti was raised in a small mining town in the central north-west region of the area that would one day become Kur'Taloth. His mother and father worked in the town's mines and he grew up in a heavily working-class area. His older brother was a soldier and spent a lot of time abroad. Due to him being along much of the time, he immersed himself in what few books and scrolls the family had, even going around to other homes in the town, asking to borrow any snippets of reading materials they might possess.
He was fascinated by the knowledge they contained and grew obsessed with obtaining as much as he could. What little coin he earned he would spend on new tomes or pieces of vellum. A particular area that caught his fancy was chemistry, which he learned more about from the town healer. He resolved to leave his home town when he was older and travel to the nearest city of Vur'Khaš, much to the disappointment of his parents. It was Vur'Khas that a famed university existed, a fount of knowledge so great that his curiousity might finally be sated.

Education

Kalevti spend the next 11 years of his life in the city, learning and studying all he could. Vur'Khas, in fact, was the birthplace of the Royal Metallurgist Society‌. While his interest in medicinal alchemy never waned, he also explored the practical applications of chemistry in combination with High Metallurgy‌ and studied the art of invention. During this time, he wrote occasionally to his parents, who maintained a constant disapproval of his lifestyle.

Career

He ended up finishing his studies at the school at the age of 28, at which point he took up a position within the Royal Metallurgist Society as an inventor and alchemist. In this role, he greatly excelled and contributed to his fields of study, discovering new metallic alloys that better suit specific purposes within machines. Around this time, blasting powder had entered the academic field and massive advances were being made, which piqued Kalevti's interest.
Around this time, he recieved word that his brother had been killed on a battlefield due to rising tensions in southern Isturoth. This was likely the catalyst that started him on a more aggressive path, researching applications of alchemy and metallurgy within the area of warfare. He asked the society for a new placement, somewhere he could pursue this research with ample resources at his disposal. The Royal Metallurgist Society gave him a new post at the fortress of Burzha Vel‌, a well-defended and remote stronghold held by the military.
So Kalevti left and set up shop many miles away at the impenetrable fortress of Burzha Vel, under the command of capable veteran soldier, Demul Rokušta‌. Only one year later, the War of Ashes‌ had officially kicked off and three years into his tenure, the Siege of the Iron Meteor had begun.
Mercenary forces under orders from Zhurad "the Greathand"‌ had arrived at Burzha Vel to conquer it, only to find it well defended by brave and loyal peasants and soldiers. Despite the desperate times, it was also the perfect opportunity to test some of his dangerous creations. These primarily consisted of rudimentary devices filled with blasting powder that could be thrown or scattered across the ground, and of course his most famous creation, the Iron Meteor: wheels made from beaten metal cages filled with packets of blasting powder.
These inventions proved deadly and destructive for the invading army, which was eventually repelled. Kalevti was hailed as a hero by Commander Rokušta and the defending forces of Burzha Vel. Višakh Kalevti was given the highest of honours by the Royal Metallurgist Society and continued his work through the War of Ashes.
However, by the end of the war, his passion had dimmed. He was beginning to see the technological advances that followed his innovations and his research, and the potentially devastating applications they would have in warfare. After the kingdom of Kur'Taloth had been firmed established and the new kingdoms were beginning to settle, Kalevti was nominated by a number of his colleagues for the highest accolade he could attain, the title of Prime Metallurgist. Not much is known about what happened next, only that he rejected the nomination and disappeared.

Legacy

Many believe he went into a self-imposed exile, to meditate or atone for his perceived sins. Others think Kalevti simple returned to his home town to become a simple miner, just as his parents had always wanted. Regardless, he remains one of the most influential and divisive figures in Isturian history.

Ethnicity

Isturian

Pronouns

He/Him/They/Them

Height

~180cm

Weight

~60kg

Belief/Deity

Akhmat

Aligned Organization

Royal Metallurgist Society