Rotus

:: "Freedom... comes now... Hope... flies free... Do not... mourn... the past... The light... won't fade..."
An enigmatic figure whose name is only mentioned in hushed whispers, Rotus remains a mystery even to those who know of his existence.
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==First Dream of Arplakoon==
In Arplakoon's first dream, Rotus successfully rose to power through unknown means and permanently altered the face of the Ealdremen Galaxy. This event was known as the Fall of the Ealdremen Galaxy.
===Fourth Galactic War===
Rotus was apparently present or at least in the general area of the final bout of the Fourth Galactic War. He met Whist in a ruin when she was fleeing retribution for violating the rules of the bout. Inside the ruin, there were depictions of precursors and Rotus himself on the walls. Within the ruin, Rotus performed a ritual of some kind on Nascimedo and Zwehan Kut, corrupting them. When Whist picked them up, she witnessed a series of visions from an unknown source, and Rotus told her that she now wielded both revenge and hope -- the former being the meaning of the word "Rotus".
When Whist died at the hands of Hretlakk Flametail and Ferries Parang, Rotus cradled her body and attempted to console her in her last moments.
==Second Dream of Arplakoon==
===Tumoria: The Emerald Meteors===
In the second dream, Rotus was first mentioned by Varthenral. Though she did not know enough of his whereabouts in the present-day to find him, she was able to tell the players several important things about Rotus: He created the destitute future she came from, he rose to power shortly after the Fourth Galactic War (which would happen in the year 4340), he was somehow connected to the "cloaked ones" (precursors and colossi) of her future, and his appearance (or at least his gait) was similar to that of the gorilla-like Rokordi. Varthenral also referred to Rotus as a "godkiller" and suspected that he was possibly working for a god himself.
===Lyzots: The Piper's Call===
In the second dream of Arplakoon, Rotus' first proper appearance was during the Lyzots campaign. After plowing through crowds of zhiji cultists, he fought against Ezwell, Aricrauer, and Five. Though the godslayers seemed to burn his hands, he nonetheless wrenched both Oladani and Feivelkt away from their owners. With the help of the man who had been imprisoned in the cultists' temple for attempting to steal Zwehan Kut, Rotus escaped with two godslayers in tow.
===Alti Maru: The Last Stand===
During Arplakoon's second dream, Rotus appeared once more, this time outside the city of Dai Lhan. Set's spirit, now trapped in the corrupted Feivelkt, led Kit Framtikk and Jaspur Quellstone to where Rotus was. Because of Kit's proficiency as a chronomancer, she was able to translate what Rotus was saying and speak to him. Here, Rotus indicated the strange glowing coming from Jaspur's hand as being the power of Kraderag. He insisted that Jaspur "dream with him," apparently wanting to show him a vision. Eventually, Jaspur relented, and Rotus used a power to fill the area with a white glow, beginning a vision wherein a voice later confirmed to be Kraderag spoke to Jaspur and his other companions.
Among other things, Kraderag said that Rotus had been created as its last messenger, and that Rotus would "end this living nightmare". Should they seek to follow him, they would go to Drio as well, where Rotus was headed next. After the vision ended, Rotus was already gone.
===Drio: The Lost Promise===
As Kraderag promised, Rotus appeared in Drio. While the End Corps were lending their aid to Deusar the Worldchaser and thus in another dimensional plane, Rotus pursued and found Five in an abandoned Zenda Corp building deep within Solçãoraldos. Five discovered a file about the Chrono Stars locked away in a safe whose combination was "4 1 0 0", but his investigation was cut short by Rotus' arrival. The two had a short-lived fight, wherein Rotus tore Five apart. Before crushing Five's core processors and then leaving what remained of the robot behind, Rotus told him in broken Standard that his name was Rotus, which meant "revenge".
Rotus was later found by the End Corps as he stood over the body of the slain Deusar the Worldchaser. Apparently eulogizing the dead god, Rotus initially was hostile to the End Corps until Jaspur Quellstone, in Rotus' own language, insisted that they came in peace and even felt sympathy for Set. Under the effects of a spell, Jaspur was able to speak to and for Rotus. Rotus told them that he had not been the one to kill Deusar, but he thought a Garlet had -- a follower of ZGN, whom Rotus referred to as "the Devourer". After clarifying that the others also intended peace, Rotus said that Kraderag had told him to wait and that they might listen. However, Rotus also insisted that Set could possibly be brought back to life, as Kraderag had resurrected Renul the Wandering Star and thus might do the same for Set, who had fought to save "the last children of Kraderag".
Eventually, they bargained that Kit and Feivelkt would go with Rotus and then rendezvous with the rest of the group later. Rotus' parting words to the group were merely a cryptic "Keep peace," whereupon he left with Kit.
==Fourth Dream of Arplakoon==
===Tumoria: The Emerald Meteors===
Rotus' first mention once again came from Varthenral, but through a conversation she had with Felaji the Servant, who had been anxious upon seeing Varthenral's future filled with colossi. She was concerned that this meant Dokani the Necromancer came back in some capacity, and she was relieved to hear instead that the instigator of the Fall of the Ealdremen Galaxy was someone else entirely, even if Varthenral mostly only knew that Rotus somehow slew gods and was connected to a god himself.
==Image Gallery (Rotus Shrine)==
Rotusnew.png|Rotus in his early game appearances
Rotus2.png|Late-game Rotus
Rotus.png|Alternate early-game Rotus
Category:Characters
Category:Ealdremen Non-Player Characters