Backstory

Born into a lineage of 'Pure Humans' who historically rejected the magic of the Bukhara Spires, Rictus Thorne grew up listening to tales of the Shadow War's horrors. He served as a logistical officer in a regional militia but was dishonorably discharged in 1248 following the destruction of the Herthe Gateway; he had refused orders to protect a circle of mages, viewing them as the source of the realm's corruption. In the aftermath, he founded The Sovereign Soil, a faction dedicated to the expulsion of non-humans and magic users from Coia.

While his title 'The Reasonable' is self-applied and often used ironically by his detractors, Rictus genuinely believes his measured, mechanical approach is the only sane response to a chaotic, magic-infested world. He leverages the fear generated by the dragon attacks of 1249 to swell his ranks, teaching commoners to build scorpions and trebuchets rather than relying on prayers or spells.