Lothar is an ancient mage known as the first elementalist and Emperor Lothar the First of Lumeria. He taught elemental magic to early humanity and founded nations and councils in both Valrindors.
Personality
Lothar alternated between leading communities and wandering among them. He wanted human companionship but grew weary of being treated as a deity and expected to solve every problem. His curiosity led him to explore the two worlds, while his later guidance often took the form of small interventions under new identities.
Magic
Originally, Lothar could learn a spell immediately by observing how its caster shaped essence. He also saw the particles' patterns and instructions directly. His command of elemental and healing magic allowed him to teach new spells and restore a blind woman's sight.
With earth and water magic, he moved mountains, altered landscapes and repositioned islands to improve the climates of both Valrindors. By opening rifts like curtains, he created doors between the worlds and allowed people to cross.
History
The first elementalist and Lumeria
Lothar awakened without memories of his origin, already understanding language and able to manipulate the elements. After meeting ordinary humans, he adopted the title first elementalist and began teaching magic suited to their needs: earth magic for stronger homes, fire against the cold, and other elemental spells as he traveled.
Healing villagers brought an endless stream of demands, prompting him to withdraw for many seasons. When he returned to human society, he introduced himself as Lothar. His abilities again brought him followers and students, who persuaded him to become their emperor. Lumeria became the world's first nation, and he ruled it from Avalon, the capital he helped establish.
He later opened a door to the other Valrindor, taught its people and founded another Lumeria. Raiders crossing one of his doors to burn a village near Avalon led him to close the passages. He named both worlds Valrindor, meaning the world of doors, and spent a long period reshaping their lands. His absence brought succession wars; when he returned, one Lumeria had a new ruler, while the other required him to resume governing.
Gifts and Malverand
An advisor asked Lothar to cure what the family believed was wrong with their son. Recognizing the boy's intelligence, Lothar instead gave Arcanis his ability to perceive the world's patterns and instructions. The transfer relieved Lothar of seeing those calculations everywhere, but left him unable to create more advanced new spells, although his existing abilities remained.
Lothar later gave Barachiel, a boy who spoke passionately about his village's future, the ability to learn spells almost instantly. Lothar retained the magic he knew but could no longer copy spells by watching other mages.
He founded councils in two cities that he named Maraveth. To encourage one world's slower progress, he gave exceptional ice magic to the children Michael and Raphael and watched their development. Both later joined Maraveth's council; Raphael's travels brought Barachiel and Arcanis there as well. Lothar suggested naming their growing nation, and both worlds eventually had a Malverand Empire.
As languages diverged, Lothar proposed a common language to Barachiel, who assigned Arcanis to construct Malverine. Lothar recognized words used by Aruviel that no one else knew and suspected that she had come from the future. He increasingly withdrew into observation, later visiting Rimvold to confirm that Thalion and his Order were more time travelers.
Thalena's account
In Thalena's Shores of Eternity, Lothar meets her as both worlds fall into ruin. He opens a door for her and Mike to cross worlds and helps decode the star and geometric shards. Thalena learns to cross the void by watching and copying his methods. Using Kaelion's sun core, he completes the southern half of the protective veil while Thalena forms the northern half. She later finds him aged, living in a timber house, before leaving to visit the Spiral Mandate. In that account, she identifies the Maraveth core's end as Lothar's beginning.
Relationships
- Arcanis: Received Lothar's perception of essence patterns and instructions, a gift Lothar judged better suited to the young scholar.
- Barachiel: Received his ability to learn spells instantly and later sought his advice as emperor.
- Aurelia: Lothar rescued her from the source lake as a child and gave her copy magic by touching her back.
- Michael and Raphael: Lothar gave both children extraordinary ice magic and guided their development from the Maraveth council.