Baxilden
(a.k.a. Baxilden The Thoughtful)
The old wizard of the tower, a Human man known as Baxilden "The Thoughtful", was driven mad by "The Truth". He was the first person to complete the trials at the Ruins of Akai, and the loneliness of this knowledge was too much to bare. He witnessed the demise of Kain, the god of knowledge who was venerated by wizards - but was unaffected by the memory erasure of The Goddess.
The loss of his god was the final straw. He attempted to speak with The Goddess, to try and reason with her over the changes she was making to the world. His words fell on deaf ears.
Baxilden tried to learn more about The Goddess' existence, and why it was so important for her to destroy her splintered aspects. His research led to studying the different types of Magic (arcane, divine, musical, etc.), and he discovered the existence of Quintessence (and later Aetheros ).
The wizard travelled across the country and beyond, researching Magic in nature and the nature of the world in general. Many of the strange occurrences in nature - the formation of magical beasts, awakened plants and animals, unusual weather, etc. Baxilden put down to the abundance of Quintessence in the world. Like the other 4 elements, this elemental Magic he surmised must come from somewhere.
His heightened knowledge of the world furthered his research in Magic (which he didn't share with the university) and he was able to learn how to Plane Shift to Aetheros - where he believed The Goddess resided. His spell was successful, but he was not prepared for what Aetheros would be like.
A plane of pure magical energy - where the other 4 elements only exist in small pockets. The Magic of the plane sustains the body, but also infuses it with aether. The first mortal to arrive on Aetheros did not go unnoticed.
Baxilden realised his mistake quickly, and was able to return to his tower - but not before the plane of Magic had suffused his being, changing him permanently.
He was able to see Magic, and cast minor spells with thought alone. He ceased to age, and became more intelligent, but there was a cost. His form began to change, became mutable. Strange mutations began to grow, new appendages, altered features, and more. Baxilden believed he would eventually die from the transformations, and sort to preserve himself, at least, his mind, so that one day he may find someone else who knew the truth and could impart what he had learnt. He transferred his mind into the tower itself, the malleable form of Kurete becoming his body. From here he could watch over the city, hoping to one day converse with someone about his research, and possibly achieve his goal of lifting the veil that The Goddess has cast over the world.
His tower will only open for one who has learnt the truth, as he has.
Baxilden has been part of the tower since 750 KCB.
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