Ulric

The Last Architect

### Abilities

Near Masterful Chronokinesis, Illusive Appearance, Construct Creation, Numerous Fate related spells.

### Armaments

Creator of the Stardust Hourglass and Naoi, along with numerous other constructs and inventions.

## Political Information

### Faction

The Architect's Guild (Formerly)The Sands of Time (Formerly)

### Allies

The Hourparty, The Sands of Time (Formerly)

> *"I'd created the hourglass to meddle with fate, to witness the possibilities where we could move forward with our lives. Yet, I'd only found myself horrified at the absence of such an outcome. No matter what, the gargoyles, the architects, those who I call family... They were doomed simply for existing in this world. The more outcomes I'd witnessed, the less I saw people as those with a free will... We were but actors on a stage. Scripted to meet the same outcome. I could only feel disgusted, frustrated, and eventually maddened by this fated tragedy. Eventually there came a point where I couldn't feel anything anymore... And I'd only realized then, that I should have died a long time ago."*
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**Ulric** is a major NPC of Stardust Hourglass, acting as the source of The Sands of Time's expansive knowledge of causality, and the creator of both Naoi, and The Stardust Hourglass itself.

A respected member of the Architect's Guild, Ulric had joined in making numerous Gargoyles when the process of crafting them showed great promise. His first, a large unrefined Gargoyle, was seen as unimpressive by his fellow guildmembers. This had only fueled Ulric's motivation to improve his craft, and attempt to perfect the design of gargoyles to be near indistinguishable from a typical person's ego. In this time, he had also heard many of the tales surrounding Stardust that flows throughout the Iron Circle, curious by the potential it may hold. Eventually, Ulric had finished crafting his most advanced creation yet, a cheerful and curious gargoyle named Naoi.

Ulric had kept Naoi close to the workshop, allowing her to learn by his side. He found her way of learning and viewing the world was strikingly profound in many cases, and quickly came to see Naoi as both a close friend, and someone who'd ultimately benefit the world greatly. As the architect's created these more advanced Gargoyles however, many of the older models were being treated as outdated by both civilians and officials, being mistreated in many instances. Specifically made runes on them however, did impede them from taking any recourse. This was all changed one evening, when an unexpected signal of energy burst from the Architect's tower, disabling the behavior inhibitors on the gargoyles citywide, allowing many of them to grow violent and seek retaliation on the city.

Upon seeing this, Ulric feared the worst was to come. He quickly retrieved Naoi and demanded she came with him out of the city, to flee not simply the destruction outside, but the changes that were to follow. Naoi, confused and afraid for what was to happen, could only trust in his words that this wouldn't be their last meeting. Bringing Naoi to a small abandoned research outpost, he hid her away beneath the earth, sending her into stasis. Now alone, Ulric returned to the city to watch from the shadows. As he'd feared, the aftermath left the city damaged, the architects sullied, and the gargoyles feared. The creators were driven out or imprisoned, and their creations completely demolished. All which Ulric considered important, were gone.

Yet he had still sought hope in the form of Stardust. Fine grains scattered about the endless sea of sand that was the Iron Circle. Desperate for a way to change things, Ulric had only had one option for himself. Find enough of it, and create a way to control it. He was dedicated to seeing this outcome changed. And he wasn't to stop searching until he'd created a way to do so. Years upon years of searching for the Stardust grain by grain, learning their secrets bit by bit, seeing what potential they could possibly hold. Eventually, ages had past for him, yet his goal remained within sight. He had created a relic capable of wielding Stardust, capable of using its properties to witness outcomes and changes events of history. Yet upon usage of his great devise, his resolve gradually turned to horror. Whether he stopped the events from that night or not, the Gargoyles and Architects were doomed to eventually succumb to a fate of destruction at the hands of their own people. He scrolled through countless outcomes, yet all eventually concluded with what he was trying to save this entire time crumbling away. Disgusted, Ulric returned to the ruins Naoi slept in, leaving the hourglass to her possession. He'd grown uncaring for what would happen at that point. The world was but actors reading a script on a stage, and all he could do now, was watch from the side.

At some point later, Ulric was encountered by three young individuals who had sought him in particular out. Enamored by the possibility of overturning fate, their leaded urged Ulric to pass on his knowledge of altering causality to them. Ulric, not possessing any feeling for what would become of this, indulged their request, and begun to work with them. Eventually, they found themselves attempting to alter their very existences to break free from fate itself. However, this proved to yield results greatly different from what they'd expected. The three had effectively removed themselves from existence, never having a place within history to speak of. Instead, they'd become beings affected differently by time. A man named Arkham, who'd cycle through the stages of life at a rapid pace, a woman named Fortuna, who'd remained unchanged by any altercations to her body, and finally, a phantasmal being named Eschaton, and the shell it once inhabited named Nill. Eschaton would come to form themselves as the Sands of Time, dedicated to breaking the cycle of fate once and for all with their newfound forms. Ulric, indifferent to these events, simply accompanied them to observe them further.

However, once Eschaton's plan to cast a time distorting sandstorm over Alam-Reth begun its motions, he'd suddenly be met with a conflict of heart upon seeing Naoi celebrated during it's yearly festival. Alive, healthy, and treated as an equal among her piers, Naoi was truly happy among the group. With this sudden conflict inside him, he'd allow Arkham a chance to enact on his own internal conflict and give him a window to betray the group and assist The Alam-Geth guild. He'd then go to make himself known along with the other members of the Sands of Time. With him growing so old that Naoi couldn't clearly recognize him, he'd decided to instead watch the efforts of the Hourparty from a distance . Often taking the guise of an enemy in a crowded army, he'd settle on observing until called notice to, before vanishing without a trace. His true identity and motives would be unclear to the group until near the end of their journey.

During the Hourparty's descent into the Maelstrom of Time, Ulric observed the final battle that took place against Nill, witnessing his defeat and plunge into the endless abyss. At that point, they were confronted by Fortuna, along with a great army of Sand Golems. Ulric taking guise as a golem observed the party's battle with the enchantress, witnessing the great power they possess and the cooperation they shared with one another. As the battle raged on, Fortuna grew more aggravated towards Naoi, seemingly angered by her naive worldview. While the Hourparty managed to break through her defenses, Fortuna's resilience to effects on her body made her incredibly difficult to overpower, and her storm of corrupted sand begun to grow out of control. Argerax would begin seeing visions of Ulric stepping into the fight, and with only a few worlds of encouragement to protect what was important to him, Ulric finally took action and utilized a strange yet devastating spell on Fortuna, turning her body to black sand, with a gust of stardust breezing by to finally fill the Stardust Hourglass. Ulric would finally reunite with Naoi and explain his actions and involvement with the Sands of Time, explaining his intense apathy and hatred that overcame him upon learning of the futility of saving his people. He recognizes that he has much to repent for, and seeks to fix his grave mistakes. He sends of the Hourparty as they head towards their final battle with Eschaton, and vanishes to begin his repentance.