Franz Koshkeliev Poldek

## Summary

Franz Koshkeliev Poldek was a half-dwarven Yerkin-Vampiric inventor, natural philosopher, mathematician, blood magician, (al)chemist, and war criminal. He is known for Project Dreifel, his discovery of Poldek's Solution, Blood Calculus, and his "A Thesis Concerning Polyphasmic Architecturization Through Rational Observation".

**Poldek was a member and supporter of the Blood Kaiser's regime. There is controversy as to the relationship between his work and his Blood Crown allegiance.**

## Early Life

Born and raised in the Yerkin Territories, Poldek studied Braetian alchemy theory during the reign of Aviness without receiving a degree, gaining practical experience working for Vergalov Tersengrade and the Tersengrade Collective. He emigrated to Nybrich, where he became a naturalized citizen. As a Blood Crown citizen, he studied at Tekhnietz ver Aachenburg under Mariede Kempf. Poldek received his doctorate in Alchemy and Alchemical Philosophy for his groundbreaking thesis on polyphasmic architecturization using a rationalist approach, which he later claimed "although an integral stepping stone for the advancement of modern alchemical philosophy, it is far too wordy and outdated to be of any use. The conclusions it draws are simply no longer correct." Poldek later published a reworked and significantly shorter version of his thesis, with a stronger focus on Vampiric techniques. This version of the thesis is generally recognized as Blood Crown propaganda.

## Reventide

During the reign of Reventide, Poldek invented "Poldek's Solution", a lab-produced substance that dismantled the Zenithorian Paradox, a problem attributed to the Ancient Mirroclesians. This elevated Poldek to the rank of "Kaiserunkraftsmussen", royal scientist for Kaiser Von Karkengeist. Through royal funding, Poldek had freedom to perform more expensive experiments. He famously applied blood magic to his experiments, pioneering a technique sometimes referred to as "Blutzenkalkutik" or "Blood Calculus". Blood Calculus was integral the invention of the "Kollektorkin", constructs with the capacity to harvest blood through syringes.

## Vampire War

After the defection of Imperator Reventide to the Blood Crown, Poldek was granted permission to test his newest experiments on prisoners of war and encouraged to built new weapons for the front lines. Poldek recruited other alchemical scientists with allegiances to the Blood Crown to work on Project Dreifel. Project Dreifel resulted in the "Khapital die Externichtung", the destruction of The Capital. Although many alchemical scientists were involved in this project, Poldek was considered to be the ringleader.

## Post-War and Criticism

According to information from The Disciples of the Dragon, Franz Koshkeliev Poldek may still be alive and working for Queen Vivienna Nybrich as her Kaiserunkraftsmussen.

Rallio cities Poldek as a controversial but significant figure in the history of alchemy, saying, "he was a great mind that was corrupted by the safety and superiority of powerful people in an authoritarian regime. Sometimes I wish I had come here from the Feywild earlier, so that I could have preserved the beauty of Poldek's mind from the evil of the Kaiser's royal tyranny."

Meitas Merzhov describes Poldek as, "A stain on the history of the Yerkin peoples. People hear I'm a Yerkin scientist- they think I am another Poldek. Judge the person on their ideology- not their nationality."

Saint Anton Kord allegedly wrote about Poldek in his *Musings of Peace*: "I hope to one day meet this Poldek. He sounds like a good man who has merely followed orders. The diffusion of evil through bureaucracy cannot be understated in his case. We must strive to understand these people and their ideologies and engage with them in debate- we must help convince them to work together for peace. I hope you understand, Jørgen, that Poldek is a metaphor. We are all Poldek. None of us are incorruptible, but we can recognize our prejudices and shortcomings in an effort to create peace." Of course, this is impossible, since Kord was dead before Poldek's Project Dreifel occured.

"Legally Dead" devotes an entire episode to satirizing Vampiric politics, with Poldek being a notable character in this episode.