RPC-324

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4.5 stars

22

Registered Phenomena Code: 324

Object Class: Gamma-Purple

Hazard Types: Aggression Hazard, Grouped Hazard, Sapient Hazard, Contact Hazard, Extreme Temperature Hazard, Mind-Control Hazard

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Containment Protocols: Personnel stationed within Cair Aisling during winter or around the Ashwood area are to be equipped with several wooden torches, as well as any other available portable sources of heat. Field deployment of incendiary equipment, such as fire-enchanted weapons and runic artifacts, is also recommended. Any form of physical contact with RPC-324-1 instances is to be avoided; sections of the body exposed or injured by RPC-324-1 instances are to be amputated at first notice. Failure to do so immediately will require termination of the affected subject.

Outside of the winter season, personnel are to repeatedly stab patches of recently unearthed land to prevent RPC-324-1 instances from re-emerging. Said patches may be encountered all around the Cair Aisling region.

Combined diplomatic and armed efforts with both Spire Elves and Dwarves are underway for the complete neutralization of RPC-324.¹

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Description: RPC-324, otherwise known as "Kryoparxy" by the native population of Cair Aisling, is an Ashenfolk sage featured in several books from the Cair Aisling series as a main antagonist and influential political figure in the Ashwoods. The main threats posed by this anomaly are its expertise in different fields of magic, political leeway in the Ashwood area, and the ability to create RPC-324-1 instances—also referred to as "Argolos"—, which are necrotic creatures, having been reanimated through Cryomantic rituals.²

According to local testimony and book references, RPC-324 was previously known as Mathieu Felldust, a former Ashenfolk mariner who, after gaining power over an extremist monarchical faction within The Ashwood, due to the death of its previous leader, claimed to be the reincarnation of a legendary Seer-King. Over the course of books 3, 4, 5, and the Ash and Ice side-book, Kryoparxy begins to amass great political influence and followers across North Ashwood by performing miracles and several other feats of magical prowess. However, during the later books, Kyroparxy starts dwelling into the dark arts, stealing several Dwarven relics and crystals to infuse into his own body, as well as causing an increase of violent attacks against the Ashwood government with its faction.

Over the course of book 5, a Mathieu Felldust driven mad by thoughts of grandeur is seen to have uncovered a way to gain control over the actions and will of its faction members, whom he then commands into a siege towards the Ashwood Council. In the events of Ash and Ice, Mathieu is seen killing all councilors that oppose his sovereignty before taking power for himself. The book ends with the now self-proclaimed "Seer-King Kryoparxy" casting a spell over the corpses of all dead Ashenfolk in the council room, resurrecting them, before ordering a search for "The Cave."³

Sketch of an RPC-324-1 instance by Dr. V. Locke.

During books 5, and Ash and Ice, Kryoparxy is shown to be able to revive any deceased individual into an RPC-324-1 instance with the use of Cryomancy. The physical attributes of RPC-324-1 instances vary between races, but share similar attributes amongst one another:

• All instances are clinically dead, but remain animated even after bodily mutilation, with some instances lacking vital organs or a substantial amount of skin and muscle. Cremation or heavy blunt trauma throughout their entire body is required to neutralize them reliably. However, eyewitness reports claim that even when severed, body parts from instances continue to independently chase their victims.

• RPC-324-1 instances display abundant signs of pre-mortem hypothermia, with large parts of their exposed skin and muscle presenting severe frostbite. Most instances also appear to have their body covered in small fragments of ice, resulting in their common blue coloration.

• RPC-324-1 instances will begin to deteriorate when exposed to temperatures of over 5°C outside the Ashwood area. Similarly, they will avoid sources of heat during battle and opt to employ ranged offensive maneuvers. Outside of winter, instances will dig themselves underground as insulation from the heat, and remain completely inert until temperatures drop to an acceptable level.

• All instances possess minor prowess in Cryomancy, on top of the magic capabilities inherent to their race or past selves.

Mentions of RPC-324-1 instances expanding their reach beyond Ashwood appear during the end of book 5, alluding to them becoming a major threat the protagonists will have to face in their journey towards the Castle of Dreams in book 6. Information from the books, alongside fan speculation, suggest the possibility of an oncoming organized uprising of RPC-324-1 instances, and a potential advance into the Castle of Dreams as an attempt to consume its energy in a race against the heroes. These events never came to fruition within the series, and Gowering never provided a definitive answer regarding the theory’s validity before his death.

RPC-324-1 instances are capable of spreading "Kryosis", an infectious disease similar to necrosis in function, by physical contact. However, rather than causing sudden death in cells, infected wounds freeze, and the body progressively lowers in temperature as it starts to develop small ice protrusions. This results in death by hypothermia over the course of 5 hours to 3 days. Kryosis normally affects necrotizing matter in the same way that it affects live matter. Dismembered parts of RPC-324-1, as well as their weaponry, are still able to spread the disease. The latter suggests that this disease can also infect inanimate objects after prolonged exposure, or that it works in a similar way to magical curses.

It is theorized that RPC-324-1 instances are controlled in some capacity by RPC-324, and as such, expeditions are ongoing to locate it. Local legends differ on whether RPC-324-1 resides in a "castle of ice and flesh" within the Ashwood Jungle, or underwater near the Sirencoves. Exploration of both areas is currently underway but has shown to be difficult due to the aggressive native population and rough geography of the areas.

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Additional Information:

+ FBC Late Night Show S4EP22 "A Night with Gowering"

The following is a transcript from the FBC's "Late Night Show," in which Randolph Gowering talks in full detail about RPC-324 and RPC-324-1.

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[The stage lights in, showing host Edgar Focs behind a desk while Randolph Gowering is seen sitting on a couch at his left]

Focs: Hello everyone, and welcome to the show! I'm joined here tonight by famous fantasy author Randolph Gowering. Please, give him a round of applause!

[The present crowd starts cheering and applauding while Gowering salutes them]

Focs: Before we begin, I just wanna say that I'm a huge fan of your work, Mr. Gowering. I’ve been following this series since I was a kid, and I can confidently say that no one was more thrilled for the release of "Ash and Ice" than me. And I. Mean. No one.

Gowering: Please! This is too much. I'm just an old man making stories. Your excitement humbles me.

Focs: Well, I'm sure most people would agree with me. Now, could you tell us the motive behind the release of this book in contrast to your typical episodic releases? It was quite a shocker to most of the literary community, or so I’ve been told.

Gowering: You see, Focs, after working on the same project for a while, you get burned out. Trying to force yourself to write is, essentially, turning that burnout into a house fire. Do you know what I thought? What could be better for burnout than a book about an ice mage? It was a great opportunity to expand on Kryoparxy's character without interfering with the main story, and I felt refreshed to continue the main series once it was done.

Focs: Writing to be able to write more? Now you left me in the cold with that one.

[Uneasy laughter can be heard from the crowd for several seconds]

Focs: Excuse me, but I had that served on a silver platter. Tell us, Mr. Gowering, how did you come up with the idea of an Ashenfolk Cryomancer and his army of the dead…

Gowering: I took heavy inspiration from old norse myths like the Draguar, of course. And more than that, it just felt right to have them, you know?. A more physical threat in the plot, rather than just political discourse. As for Kryoparxy himself, the idea of an Ashenfolk manipulating the magic of ice felt like the piece of cosmic irony this series needed.

Focs: What great mind you have, Mr. Gowering. And in regards to that idea, what are your thoughts on people saying it was stolen from famous author George R. R. Martin's "White Walkers"?

[Gasping can be heard from the crowd alongside dramatic music]

Gowering: Ah yes, the favorite nitpick from "intellectual" critics. As many may already know, the Argolos were conceptualized long before the first book from "A Song of Ice and Fire" was released. While Martin and I share a love for the "Frozen Undead", the differences between our novels become crystal clear once you dig past the surface. And I have a great deal of respect for Martin and his works, don’t get me wrong, his series is a fantastic read. But back to the original question. It becomes clear, very quickly, to one who has read both works, mine and his, that I deal with the concept in an altogether different fashion. Ice and death, I believe, are all that connects them.

Focs: Oh, come on! Please, I know there has to be more to it. You can't just leave us with blue balls!

Gowering: Alright, alright. As I was saying, Martin's undead are like a wave, uncaring, and disorganized. They don't have a clear goal, and behave like a force of nature. Compare this to the Argolos: the perfect soldiers, crafted with dark arts, pawns in an unseen chess game played by a madman. They are ruthless and heartless, a representation of cold itself. They are the eyes, ears, and hands of Kryoparxy, and their only goal is to fulfill his will. Of course, this all leaves aside the TV adaptation of Martin's books, not much of a TV guy myself.

[Focs grabs and pulls from his shirt collar]

Focs: What a description! Left me chilled to the core!

[Murmurs of laughter can be heard from the crowd as Focs slowly claps at his own joke. He wipes an imaginary tear from his eye]

Gowering: What can I say, I've always had a soft place in my heart for Kryoparxy. Psst. Let me tell you all a secret!

[Focs stares into the camera with wide-open eyes for a few seconds]

Focs: Fresh-off-the-press information, Mr. Gowering? You needn't spoil me this much!

[Focs acts surprised while placing his hand on his chest]

Gowering: You see, Focs, Mathieu Felldust initially began as a simple mariner from an unpublished draft I made back in the day. I don't know why, but I've always felt a deep connection with him, as if it spoke to me in a way? I know I sound like a mad man saying it out-loud, but I’m sure many authors can relate to the sentiment.

Like many of my characters, Mathieu began as just a short story to practice my tone and environmental description skills. I quickly forgot about him after finishing that draft, and just kept it in one of my many drawers. But one day, I was suffering from the worst writer's block of my entire career, and I saw it: that little old draft sticking out in a sea of unfinished papers, and I knew what had to be done.

Focs: Could it be, my dear viewers, that dark magic has slipped into our reality? I can't think of any other reason for such a stroke of inspiration, or a reason for how fast this book was made. If my memory is to be trusted, and of course it is, this book was released only a few weeks after you announced its existence as an early draft on social media. It must've been the work of an otherworldly power.

[Focs moves his fingers in a wave manner while pointing at the camera and crowd]

Focs: That is, of course, unless you took on the powdery arts of Mr. King.

[Focs snorts imaginary drugs from his pinky as the audience breaks into laughter]

Gowering: Who knows! I hardly know myself how fast I was able to finish Ash and Ice, it was as if the words came out of the book into my head rather than the other way around. And as for Mathieu, well, he basically spoke for… for hi-himself…

[Gowering is seen grabbing his forehead, likely the result of a headache]

Focs: Dear Lord, Mr. Gowering! Are you alright back there?

Gowering: Oh heavens, it's nothing. I-I haven't been sleeping well lately, it must have been that. Just a migraine.

Focs Oh, good, because it's not like I wanted to have to pay hospital bills.

[Focs quickly stares at the camera while smirking]

Focs: Now, back to more interesting topics: Are you ever going to reveal the veracity of the prophecy told in book 4? Perhaps, even a hint about to… The Cave?

Gowering: Ah, yes, the prophecy. "And soon, the lingering cold will march towards the world's source, and steal it as its own. He who thrives on ice can never know rest." See, I wanted to expand on that during the events of book 5, but it was getting messy and didn't fit well with existing plot lines. I-it was a mess, as much as I'm ashamed to admit. It, along with the nature of the Cave, will just have to be another thing you readers have to look forward to in Book 6, I'm afraid. But no one is to say you can't share your theories beforehand!

Focs: What a cliffhanger! Or should I say… truly a hard rock to crack!

[A large black man dressed in an underguild Dwarven cosplay appears from the curtains behind Gowering's seat]

Cosplayer: DID SOMEONE SAY ROCKS?

[The following minutes consist of several comedy sketches and unrelated questions]

+ Mentions and Unfinished Drafts

The following are several excerpts from unfinished drafts where RPC-324 is featured, as recovered in notes sent to Gowering's publisher or found in his personal studio.

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Cold Welcoming

Date: 03/08/2019
Content: This draft depicts RPC-324 walking along the Beach of Beginnings; no other characters are mentioned here. The draft goes for several paragraphs simply describing the beach and the ocean until its final segment.

The sky was clear blue, and a mist hung low on the horizon as Mathieu looked southward. Arms of the Gulf of Wethir stretched thither on either side. Though if to protect the Beach from some begotten evil, or protect the world outside, he knew not. Looking to his right, he grabbed a small branch from the gorse on the shore, and with mastery only a Sage could know, drew upon the sand the thing of his darkest dreams: a small, upside-down triangle of wedged lines, a shape from a different world.

"You know what has to be done," Mathieu said as he stood up.

"I can't stay in your cave forever. I can see beyond your shadows."

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A Puppet of Destiny

Draft Date: 01/11/2019
Content: Contrary to Gowering's usual writing-style, this draft is told in the first person from the perspective of RPC-324, who is in a small boat off the coast of the Beach of Beginnings.

These are the shores that haunt my dreams. It burns in my head. Memories of another life, another time. I can almost recall it: my old name. It too slips away like sand on the beach, taken once again into the gulf of forgetfulness. I don't know what I saw when I went there, or where it was. I only remember the fire, the all-consuming fire, as the breath was stolen from my lungs. But you? You're dying. I've been on strings for as long as I’ve known, but you can't control me any longer. My eyes are open now. I see outside the cave you set, the stage you created for us to play your little tales. I see beyond the shadowy reflections you cast into my reality. I am not the strings that hold me. I am not the actor you created. A puppet I am no longer, and this time, I will not burn. Not again.

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Where it Began

Draft Date: 11/05/2020
Content: This draft was written during the last months of Gowering's life, as seen by the incoherent and scribbled-out text in the beginning and poor handwriting. This tale once again centers around RPC-324, now inside a cave, the location of which is unknown.

He knew the place he sought after was here, yet also that it was not time. It would not open for him. The end was nigh, but it was only the beginning. He cursed.

"Even after all I’ve done, I can still feel the heat burning my skin, the melting of the ice. What did I do wrong?" Mathieu lamented himself, destiny once again slighting his every turn. He cried out in anger.

"You could change it all, you could set me free, yet refuse to!" In a fit of rage, he stood up and punched the tear. His hand bursted into flames before it reached the cave's wall.

"Why… Why do you keep tormenting me? Is this your enjoyment, O' creator?"

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A Warm Goodbye

Date: 11/08/2020⁴
Content: This draft is told from the perspective of an unnamed character talking with RPC-324.

"The veil has been broken once more", he said to me. "I can see the light, that which casts the shadows that make my world."

"I sometimes wish I could feel the pain I’ve caused you, that I could have stopped it from the start of this all." Tears rolled down my cheeks. "If only I'd know…"

"Worry not, faithful one. For now, your mistakes point to new knowledge. It was for a reason. You were for a reason, as am I. You know what must be done, do you not?" I felt his cold hand wrap bony fingers around my shoulder, clenching down harder than any armored glove I’d ever known. It hurt me to the core, yet still I nodded.

Why?

He continued.

"Yes, you do, don't you? Happy endings are few and far between in this world. The Corruption has spread too far for us to do it by… conventional means. There is only one option left. Take my hand."

I reached out, my hand clasping his cold fingers. A cold fire danced in his eyes as he guided it into the tear. It hurt, but it didn't burn.

"Thank you, Faithful one," said Matho, as the cold raced through my veins, my mind clouding. "It will not be in vain."

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Due to the newfound evidence, an autopsy was performed on Radolph Gowering's corpse to confirm anomalous intervention.

Results: Stuck inside Gowering's brain, 2 pounds of ice in the form of crystals were found. Further research into the influence of RPC-324 outside of Cair Aisling is needed.

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Footnotes

1. See: "Mentions and Unfinished Drafts"

2. A subset of forbidden magic which mixes both Necromancy and Cryomancy. This art was first developed in the Ashwoods prior to the events of "Triumph of the Empirical". However, and after different persecutions of its practitioners across the decades, it has fallen out of use.

3. The significance or meaning of "The Cave'' was never made clear in interviews or statements by Gowering.

4. A day before Gowering's death by a stroke.

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