Meskel

Within the dim, neon-lit chambers of the Iconic Enclave on Lathrendor's Moon, Meskel had earned his place as a maestro of mechanics. His fingertips, perpetually stained with ancient grease and the vibrant inks of the Iconic language, often moved with a reverence that revealed his status as one of the rare Cogcrafters who melded the worlds of machinery and mystic scripture. But Meskel was no ordinary Coghead. He was far more enraptured in tales and prophecies, in ancient stories of The Vocru, Author-Emperors - once rulers of universes, whose echoes were now a whisper. Kind of a fan boy, if you like. While most of his other trades-comrades saw the Vocru as beings of incredible sophistication, Meskel went further, daring to project himself into the legends he read about them, projecting himself into the grandiose cosmic narrative and yearning to be a part of it.

That fine mane and thick beard concealed more than just his face; they were the curtains to a mind as expansive as the cosmos. To most, he was simply over-eccentric, constantly buried in complex devices and Iconic scrolls. But when he wasn't crafting or interpreting, Meskel indulged in his secret vice - collecting rare fragments of the past, particularly those related to the Vocru. It was rumored that deep within the catacombs of his workshop lay a chamber filled with relics and artifacts of a time long gone.
Imagine his disbelief and sheer excitement when, one fateful eve, the doors of his enclave swung open to reveal figures straight out of the pages of legend: Ascendant Masters, whose auras pulsed with the very energy he had studied for so long. The heirs of the Vocru. His heart raced as he beheld their presence, realizing that the tales he had always believed in were not just stories, but palpable truths standing before him.
Despite his vast knowledge and the respect he commanded in Cogcrafter circles, Meskel was, in that moment, a child gazing up at the stars with wide-eyed wonder. He fumbled over his words, reverence and elation evident in every stammer and pause. The dreamer in Meskel saw in these mages the bridging of two worlds: the ethereal magic of the Vocru and the tangible craft of his own hands. A realization that their destinies were intertwined, and that he, with his unique gifts, could play a role in their grand cosmic tale, bowled him over.

by midjourney

However, every legend has its shadows. While Meskel's passion for the Vocru was genuine, it was his undisclosed vice that might raise eyebrows. Nestled deep within his secret chamber, amongst the sacred relics, was an illicit collection of Tarnelian Elixirs. These concoctions, when consumed, allowed one to glimpse into alternate realities, albeit with side effects that could be debilitating. Meskel justified his consumption as a means to better understand the cosmic tapestry, but others might see it as a dangerous dalliance with realms beyond comprehension.