The Invoker

**Carl**, also known as **The Invoker**, was an old and powerful mage who lived in a tower in the realm between the seven heavens and seven hells.

## History

**Early life**

Centuries prior to the start of the series, the elf who would become known as the Invoker was married to the mortal Selemene and had a daughter with her named Filomena. Likely through magical means, he gave his wife Selemene the means to kill the Moon goddess Mene and steal her power. He refused to worship her, however, and took their daughter away to a valley in the Broken Peaks, where he raised the Tower that would become their home. Their days were filled with joy, until he discovered a mysterious purple rash on Filomena's body that was killing her. He began searching for a cure, but not even the strongest wizards he knew could offer a solution, save one, the help of a goddess.

Swallowing his pride, the Invoker approached Selemene, and begged her to heal Filomena. She demanded their love and worship in exchange, and he gave it freely. Filomena, however, refused, wanting her mother and not a goddess. Selemene, in turn, refused to heal her daughter. Not long after, Filomena passed away, leaving him with a burning desire to restore her to life, whatever the cost.

At some point he discovered a cantrip that granted him immortality, which allowed him to survive to the present day. He also abandoned his true name, to prevent himself from being hurt. In prophecy he was declared the Devil of the Moon, the one who would enable the death of the Moon goddess and bring an end to the world they know.

**Book 1**

The Shopkeeper tells Mirana that the Invoker is a wise Sage who might know where the Lotuses of Mene are, but she needs a Gem of True Sight if she wishes to see him. Fymryn decides to deliver the Lotuses to him so he can help restore Mene. She travels to his valley with her pod, but only she can see his tower, which is revealed to be under a cloaking spell. As they pass through the barrier, Fymryn's friends are able to see it as well. They enter the tower, but are separated by magical means, leaving Fymryn to speak to the Invoker alone. Contrary to her expectations he calls her a thief and takes the Lotuses from her, saying that he cannot restore Mene or anyone else to life even if he wanted to. He then tosses her a coin "for her trouble", and teleports her out of his tower.

Despite his rude dismissal, he watches over Fymryn and her pod, and as he sees her face, he speaks the name "Mene". When they are attacked by Luna, he teleports Fymryn to safety through his scrying pools. He tells her that the old stories are over, and they must write a new one together.

Wandering through the tower, Fymryn finds a statue of Mene. The Invoker asks her about the nature of her powers and her dreams, but she angrily replies that he cannot understand the loss she feels. In response, he conjures a book and passes it to her, telling her that it will help her understand everything. Once alone, he uses a Lotus to travel to Selemene's realm. His attempts to talk to her end abruptly when she forcefully kisses him. She tells him that she forgives him for abandoning her, but he asks if she forgives Filomena as well. She tries to brush it off and asks him to come back to her. Instead, he tells her that now he has her Lotuses, the Elven Legion, a group of Coriel'tauvi, will soon attack the Nightsilver Woods. That would be her punishment for not saving their daughter. Returning to his body, Fymryn comes to him, asking if what she read was true.

Later, Fymryn tells him that they have guests, and the Invoker says that he's been expecting them. In the entrance hall he meets Davion, who offers him the Gem of True Sight and begs him to save Mirana and Marci. As per the rules of the Shopkeeper's contract, he sends them into a healing sleep. Not long after, Fymryn asks why he would help Mirana, a worshipper of Selemene and an enemy of the Coriel'tauvi, but he simply teleports her away. When Davion is awake, he teleports him to his library and tells him about Terrorblade's plan to use the Eldwurm souls, the Pillars of Creation, to recreate the world in his image. He also enchants his dragon tooth necklace to prevent Davion's transformation, but notes that it will kill him eventually. When Mirana and Marci awaken, he also teleports them to his library, and shows Mirana proof that Selemene is attacking the elven enclaves (seemingly without provocation). When she accuses him of wanting to end the world, he says he only wants peace, and implores her to return the Lotuses to Selemene, as long as she withdraws her armies from the enclaves. He tells them to think on his proposal and sends them away. When Fymryn tries to kill Davion and Mirana, he brings her to his library, as her actions would violate the Shopkeeper's rule of safety during negotiations. Fymryn asks why he would return the lotuses after everything that's happened. He tells her that even if she doubts him, she should never doubt his love for his daughter.

Despite her suspicions, Mirana agrees to his terms, and he seals the lotuses within a box and hands them to her. When Davion decides to accompany Mirana to Coedwig before dealing with his dragon issue, he conjures a new set of armor for him that will not be destroyed when he transforms. He tells Fymryn to accompany them, and while they are gone, secretly instructs her to use the coin he gave her to bring Davion back when their mission is complete. He is later seen using his magic to open a window into a plane resembling a broken mirror. As glowing green eyes stare at him he offers the Gem of True Sight to the being within, as an offer to bargain.

In Speak the Words, the Invoker finds Lirrak, the Water Eldwurm, and manages to subdue her with great effort, gaining her soul in the process. He begins to reminisce on his past with Selemene and Filomena, and in anger he drains an entire field of flowers of life.

In A Game of Chess, the Invoker's plan comes to fruition when the box containing the Lotuses of Mene is opened. A lunar eclipse suddenly occurs, causing members of the Dark Moon Order to be cut off from Selemene's power, and giving the Coriel'tauvi the chance to retaliate with extreme prejudice. He then summons Terrorblade from Foulfell and sends him to attack Selemene at her temple. Weakened by the loss of her Lotuses and her worshippers, she is eventually defeated by Terrorblade, losing her godly powers as a result. In the aftermath, the Invoker approaches her and asks her what she once asked him; "Do you love me?"

**Book 2**

Greatly weakened, Selemene now lives in the Invoker's power. She tells him that his deal with Terrorblade was foolish, knowing that he fears the repercussions of dealing with a demon, and begs him to return her power so she can deal with Terrorblade herself. Instead, he shows her Filomena's flowers and tells her that he will use them to siphon the godly essence within her lotuses and resurrect their daughter.

In My Sword, My Life, he visits the Chaos Eldwurm Vahdrak and convinces him to betray his Eldwurm brethren, allowing him to collect all their souls, including Vahdrak's. That night, Selemene accuses him of turning Filomena against her. He calmly insists that their daughter loved her til the day she died. Terrorblade soon arrives seeking the other Eldwurm souls he was promised, citing the fact that they are bound by a Shopkeeper's covenant. However, the Invoker points out that he promised to collect the souls, not relinquish them, and that he has no intention of helping Terrorblade achieve his goals. Terrorblade taunts him by pointing out his actions are hardly surprising, as the Invoker is the same in other realities. He threatens that he will claim the dragon souls, leaving the Invoker feeling unsettled.

In The Burial of the Dead he is seen trying to scry for Fymryn, but cannot locate her as she has abandoned the coin he gave her. Selemene once more approaches him and apologizes for not saving Filomena. In turn, he confesses that he feels he's wronged Fymryn, causing Selemene to be surprised that he cares for anyone at all. When she asks who Fymryn is, he states that she's Selemene's replacement.

When Fymryn begins to have doubts about him due to Terrorblade's manipulations, the Invoker manages to summon her back to his tower now she has his coin. He tells her that she is the reincarnation of Mene, restored to life through the love and prayers of the Coriel'tauvi. However, having tasted revenge, the elves have lost all reason and have carried on their senseless war. The only one they will listen to is their goddess. He enchants her weapons to be able to kill Selemene so she can reclaim her power, claiming that his magic has killed a god before. Instead Fymryn takes Selemene to Filomena's grave, and Selemene uses the opportunity to drain the Filomena flowers of their essence, restoring her godhood and allowing her to escape. Terrorblade mocks the Invoker with visions of what Selemene's return has caused for the Coriel'tauvi, believing he has thwarted the wizard's plans. The Invoker, however, states that Fymryn acted as he expected, according to her nature. Dismissing the demon, he summons the Archronicus and the Eldwurm souls.

**Book 3**

A flashback reveals that the Invoker had predicted that Selemene would likely reclaim her powers and escape before she could be killed. Regardless, Fymryn disregards his warnings about Selemene's true nature, hoping that the goddess could change.

Three months later, the Invoker is attacked in his valley by an army of dragons led by Drysi, now possessed by Terrorblade. Terrorblade tries to use the army to force the Invoker into handing over the Eldwurm souls, even promising to restore Filomena. The Invoker, however, has no intention of letting his daughter live in a world created by a demon, and fights using the Eldwurm souls. He prevails, though his tower is destroyed. Once again realizing his limits, he goes to the Helio Imperium and asks Mirana to send him to Foulfell so he can destroy Terrorblade. Despite the misgivings of those around her, she agrees, and he returns the next day. However, Davion proposes two conditions. First, the Eldwurm souls must be handed over. Second, Mirana and the others will accompany him. Though unwilling, he decides to use Davion as a container for the souls.

Afterwards, he tells Mirana how to reach into Foulfell. Upon entering the 7th Hell, the others are trapped in illusions of their past regrets, leaving him to face Terrorblade and his illusory army alone. Exhausted, he prays to Mene, which Terrorblade believes is useless. Fortunately, Fymryn, having reclaimed her godhood, appears in Foulfell and rouses the others from their nightmares. She then attacks Terrorblade, giving the Invoker and the others time to rally and fight. The battle ends when Davion lands the killing blow on Terrorblade; however, the wounds he received are too great and he perishes soon after. The Invoker then seizes that chance to reclaim the Eldwurm souls and summon the World Forge, which he uses to erase the current reality and create his own. He is then seen with a mortal Selemene and their daughter Filomena, now restored to life.

**Reality 12,403**

When a grown Filomena expresses concern to the Althing about the Moon breaking open and the falling Radiant and Dire shards, her father appears before the council, telling them not to panic as he can deal with the problem. When they are alone, he takes away the Radiant shard she found, destroys Filomena's research papers and tells her not to investigate further. He tells her he's proud of her, but she needs to trust him. He then flies to the moon.

Unknown to him, Filomena uses his scrying mirror to observe him. The Invoker calls on the Arc Warden Zet, who has been using his powers to restrain the Ancients, the beings whose battle is threatening to destroy the moon. Zet confesses that he did not expect them to be united in their hatred of him. Seeing that he cannot continue his duties, the Invoker tries to use Zet's powers to pacify and contain the Ancients. It seems to work, at first, but then the Ancients completely possess Zet and use him to attack the Invoker, preventing him from leaving the moon. The combined assault nearly destroys him, but Filomena is able to teleport them away. Realizing that the moon will inevitably be destroyed, he tells her that he's failed her once more. He tries to beg her not to look for answers, but Filomena puts him into a healing sleep to recover.

Having expended too much power, he is unable to awaken from his slumber. Filomena's attempt to find a solution in his mind is swiftly rebuffed, as he has made his mind impregnable. After Filomena helps Mene regain her memories as Fymryn, the goddess comes and revives him. Despite what he did, Fymryn does not have it in her to hate him and advises him to tell his daughter the truth.

Heeding Fymryn's advice, he goes to tell his daughter the truth. She tells him she understands, as she would have given anything to save both her parents from death if she could but is overwhelmed by the thought of an entire universe being wiped out for her sake. The Invoker sadly corrects her, telling her their current reality was not the 1st, 2nd or even the 1000th. It was Reality 12,403. He states that creation was delicate work, and many of the earlier worlds had simply burned away. And after that, he had to craft a world that would allow her survival. He says that despite the moon breaking open and the impending holocaust, their Tower would keep them safe. Filomena, of course, is deeply upset by these revelations and his lack of concern for the rest of the world, stating that all that he's accomplished is ensuring she's alive to see it end.

Seeing that Filomena seems interested in using the Forge, he decides to teach her. Though he instructs her properly, he opens her eyes to how much it hurts to wish an entire world into non-existence, with her knowing that she will have to do it again and again until she masters the Forge. She tearfully cancels the spell, saying no one would want to do such a thing, and he solemnly agrees, ending the lesson.

Later on, he finds her in the valley. With the moon nearing destruction, the Filomena flowers are dying. He says it is their nature, and thus they cannot change it. Knowing that Filomena has been experimenting with the Forge, he rebukes her. She tries to tell him that she might have a solution, but he refuses to even consider it. He warns her the Forge will kill her if she goes on, and that continuing as she has will awaken and enrage the Eldwurms and their children. They will eat to fill their bellies and come to their Tower, leaving them with only one solution, recreating the world again. She refuses to stop trying regardless, and he bluntly replies that her refusal to accept the truth is her nature, something else they cannot change.

He then visits Fymryn on her astral plane as she observes the New Moon ceremony, a time for remembrance of the dead. He sees Davion's figure as one of those she prays for, and he states that he'd nearly forgotten the Dragon Knight. She corrects him, saying he never forgets anything, and that the only reason why he barely remembers Davion is because he's no longer relevant to his plans. She asks about Filomena, and he says that she's become self-destructive. He tries to ask her to speak to Filomena, because she would listen to her goddess. Fymryn, however, says Filomena only listens to her because she listens to Filomena in return. She tries to advise him to aid Filomena instead of hindering her.

In his typical fashion, however, he decides to stop his daughter seeking a solution by creating a problem she can't fix. He goes into the moon and is again attacked by Zet, who is still trying to maintain the prison. With the power of one of Mene/Fymryn's lotuses, he is able to weather their assault and destroy the bonds that hold the Ancients captive, thus accelerating the apocalypse and dooming the planet. He returns to the Tower as Filomena is explaining her plan to Mirana and the others, telling her that the moon will soon be destroyed and there will nothing to repair. This way, though he cannot change her nature, he can "manage" the problem.

As Mirana and the others gear up to attack him, he summons his power, amplified in his own home. Filomena dispels whatever he's about to do, as it is her home as well. Done bargaining with the Invoker, Mirana summons her godly power and prepares to attack. In response he immediately teleports her away into the vacuum of space, far from the sun where she cannot access her power. He then summons magma monsters to keep the others busy. From there, he remains with her as the world is destroyed, apologizing for what he took away and promising her it will be the last time, then leaves her in space to die.

With the apocalypse having wiped out most, if not all life, the Tower is the only intact structure remaining, protected as he'd promised. The Invoker returns in time to seize the Archronicus before Filomena can use it to remake the world. Luna tries to attack him for taking Mirana away, but before he can retaliate Filomena teleports her and the others away. He tells her that everything he's done is to ensure her safety, even if she will hate him. However, she refuses to let him make himself her victim, and calls him a coward for not trying to do the right thing even if he might be wrong. Angered and determined to prevent her from making the same mistakes he has to create a perfect world; he decides to destroy the Archronicus so she cannot conjure the Forge. Though she retorts that she's memorized it, he tells her that the knowledge within the Archronicus is what allows one to control the Forge. Once it is gone, there will be no way to recreate it without a lifetime of work.

Filomena reluctantly prepares to fight her father to prevent him from destroying the book. To buy her time, Davion takes his new Hybrion form and attacks the Invoker, propelling them both into space. Davion relentlessly pummels the Invoker, and though he's initially able to defend himself, Davion's new dragon abilities give him an edge. Just before Davion can land a finishing blow, the Invoker uses Filomena's ideas on using the Forge to bind Davion without killing him, instead accessing the Eldwurm souls within him and summoning the Forge once more. Fymryn, however, interferes and teleports Davion away before the process can be completed.

Fymryn and Mirana then appear before him, bringing Filomena with them. Filomena tells him to stop, because she has one more secret to tell. She reveals the same rash that caused her death in the original universe, which once again appeared without warning. While the cantrip that granted them both their immortality has slowed the rot somewhat, it has been unable to dispel it completely, and she is gradually weakening. No science, magic or god can cure her, as the disease is an essential part of her. Removing it would require making her something or someone else other than what she is. He quietly admits that he knew she still had the disease and was trying to preserve what time they had left. She tearfully states that they are out of time. Realizing the futility of his actions leading up to that moment, he dismisses the Forge and gently embraces his daughter as she cries.

Back in the valley, he and Filomena reminisce about the dollhouse she wanted when she was young. He didn't see the need, but could not refuse her, so he built an accurate replica of the Palace of Hurra'agdu. However, she'd cried and told him to send it away, wanting a dollhouse as she'd imagined it, not as he'd imagined it. So, they commissioned a new one from an artisan from the Nightsilver Woods, one she could understand so she could fix it whenever it broke. That one, she retained till the present. She then proposes a new plan; using Mirana's memories as the Eye of the Worldwyrm to restore their original reality, the one in which she died. He stands aside as Mirana says her final goodbyes and assists Filomena in summoning the Forge as Mirana draws on the Eldwurm souls. Despite her initial reluctance, Mirana is able to use the souls to restore her reality, wiping away the current one. The Invoker takes Filomena's hand once more, and they lean against each other as the world is erased.

**Original Reality**

With Experiment 12,403 erased, the Forge collapses and the Invoker drops to the ground in Foulfell, exhausted. Only Mirana and Fymryn retain the memories, but the world is restored as it was to the point where the Invoker summoned the Forge, as if nothing happened. Luna initially wants his head but decides to leave him to rot in Foulfell as punishment for his crimes. As the others leave, he closes his eyes and smiles to himself.

## Appearance

The Invoker, as an elf, has their signature pointy ears. His skin is pale white, and his hair is light blond, straight, and chest length. He's seen wearing a blue cloak that covers his entire body.

## Powers and abilities

The Invoker is an incredibly powerful mage, capable of feats of magic far beyond anything displayed by any other character. He was able to incapacitate and bind the Eldwurms, ancient and extremely powerful dragons who embody the elements of Creation.

## Quotes

* *Stories are stories. Dead is dead. No one can change that. Not even I can change that.*
* *(after saving Fymryn) The old story is over. **We** will write a new one together.*
* (*To Selemene) What cannot be named cannot be known. What cannot be known, cannot be hurt.*
* *The Filomena. My daughter discovered them. Doubt anything you like. But do not doubt my love for her. Do not think, I will ever forget.*
* *(To the defeated Selemene) Do you love me?*

## Trivia

* It is likely that the Invoker's magic was what gave Selemene the ability to kill the goddess, Mene. Though the reason for doing so was initially unknown, Book 3 suggests that doing so was the only way to place a new moon in the sky, one whose gravity would prevent the debris from the Mad Moon from utterly destroying the world as it did in Experiment 12,403.
* In the DOTA 2 game created by Valve, the Invoker is a powerful mage known as the Arsenal Magus, who was able to memorize more spells than any other mage during his time. This certainly fits with Fymryn's statement that he never forgets anything. The Invoker in the game is accompanied by three orbs which he can combine to create spells, a blue one named Quas, a purple one named Wex, and a red one named Exort, each representing the elements of ice, lightning and fire respectively. Combining them in different ways allows him to cast different, powerful spells. These same orbs are often summoned by the Invoker in the series when he uses magic, and he even summoned Forged Spirits (one of his minions in the game) to fight Davion and his friends.
* While his real name is never revealed in the series, in the DOTA 2 game his name is revealed to be Carl. This is likely a play on his original name, Kael, in the first DotA game, based on the WarCraft Blood Elf Mage character Kael'thas Sunstrider.