Crucius

Crucius the Mad was a sphinx planeswalker best known for being the inventor of etherium, the magical metal central to the Alaran shard of Esper.
==History==
Decades before the Conflux, Crucius devised the magical alloy etherium and began a grand project to infuse living things on Esper with it.Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland (2008). A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951246 Crucius proposed this Noble Work as a means to overcome the frailties and limitations of the mortal flesh, but he may also have perceived Esper's disconnection from two crucial elements, red and green mana. Indeed, the aether inside etherium may have been intended to enable a spell that would reunify Esper with the other shards.
The Noble Work became a kind of dogma, and spun out of Crucius's control. Despite the sphinx's attempts to warn them, Esperites began to replace more and more of their flesh with etherium, eventually leading to the creation of undead abominations called aether-liches. Crucius, as the source of etherium, was blamed for the creatures, earning him the moniker Crucius the Mad. Crucius disappeared, considered to be an enemy of the plane. Crucius continues to be hated and feared on Esper even though the people who hate him carry on his Noble Work. Esperites believe him to be in hiding, or dead, although in truth he may have left Alara altogether.
Sharuum, the hegemon of Esper, was his lover, and they had a son named Kemuel.
Crucius supposedly created the Great Desert, Crystal Labyrinth, and Riddle Gate on Esper as a test to find the Seeker.Test of Metal It is likely that he was also the creator of the Metal Island.
==Story appearances==
Title 	Author 	Publishing date	Set 	Setting (plane) 	Featuring
An Etherium Tale	Doug Beyer 	March 4, 2009 	Alara Reborn	Esper and Bant, Alara 	Sharuum, Xorin, Crucius, Agatha, Callio, Travius, Jaria
Test of Metal 	Matthew Stover	October 2010 	Magic 2010 	Esper, Ravnica, Jund, Mirrodin	Tezzeret, Jace Beleren, Nicol Bolas, Crucius, Baltrice, Jest, Sharuum, Silas Renn, Kemuel, Liliana Vess
==Planes visited==
*Alara (Esper)
==References==
Category:Sphinxes
Category:Artificers