Dante, the Lost Art

Aaron Greatmaker was once a grand Cyran inventor, consort of the many mages and artificers belonging
to the city on high. Born in the midst of the Last War, he knew only stories of the Cyre that came before.
His mother told him tales of their once golden country. One that stood tall above all others, housing
wonders born of unity and faith. It was these stories that inspired Aaron to devote his very existence to
developing engines of war. He hoped that someday, his devices might bring the turmoil of Cyre to an
end.

Aaron took a particular interest in the spaces beyond the material, touched by those with the Mark of
Finding as they traveled from place to place. As the fabric between all worlds, this Astral Plane surely
held volumes of energy beyond imagination. Aaron theorized that if this endless energy could be
harvested, it could rival the Breath of Siberys in sheer effectiveness. However, many thought these
studies were foolish and misplaced. Many of Aaron’s contemporaries deemed the very idea to be a
waste of valuable funds. So, away from the eyes of his peers, Aaron chose to continue his studies in
secret, quietly siphoning away whatever materials he might’ve required.

Near the unwitting end of the Last War, Aaron began to find some success. He created a singular
prototype, capable of touching the distant Astral Plane. It was meant to harness the power of the
distant stars and invest it into an object, thus twisting its form into something much more powerful. A
sword might become wreathed in cosmic fire, just as a suit of armor might become clad in warding
constellations. In the early stages of development each transformation only lasted a mere ten minutes,
allowing the device to be used twice before needing to recharge. But in the heat of battle, Aaron was
certain this would be enough. This prototype was called the Astral Reconstructive Transistor, otherwise
known as the A.R.T.

This is when Aaron created Dante, his prospective homunculus servant. While he was little more than a
helpful assistant at face value, Dante had a different much greater purpose. One that even he was not
aware of. You see, during this time, Aaron had been devoting himself more and more to the
development of the A.R.T.. People were beginning to notice. Quiet whispers were spread about Aaron’s
secret project. The inventor became paranoid that, should his work be discovered, his research would
be halted by those who thought it a fool's errand. And with nothing more than a faulty prototype, he
had nothing to show for his merits. So, Aaron hid what little work he had achieved. But in a city of mages
and magicks, keeping something hidden in a singular place was as difficult as one would expect. So,
Aaron created a homunculus flesh servant, using the A.R.T. to serve as the creature’s heart. That way, he
could always keep his life’s work close by without arousing suspicion.

A mere handful of months later, the Mourning occurred. Cyre was torn to pieces by raw magical might,
conjured of tangled spells and misused magic. Aaron and Dante bore witness as reality revolted against
itself, as they were both consumed in the wall of fog. Aaron is thought to have died then; his atoms
strewn across the material plane in an instant. But Dante somehow managed to survive. The shredded
soul of his master amalgamated within him, melding with the other fragments dwelling in the fog.
Despite his artificial origin, Dante gained a spirit of his own. The A.R.T. hidden within was also touched
by the Mourning. It was corrupted far beyond its original design, integrating fully with the little
homunculus. Now instead of improving objects, its investment of power would be channeled directly
into him.

With a newfound soul warming his body, and the might of the stars filling his heart, Dante fled the
warped land of Cyre. Days later he emerged from the fog, a summoned servant who had become his
own master.