Aldous Merivain
Confidential Intelligence Report: Professor Aldous Merivain
Compiled by the Bureau of Arcane Oversight, Office of Technological Affairs, Kingdom of Searin
Classification: TOP SECRET
Unauthorized distribution punishable by immediate execution.
WARNING: INTELLIGENCE SUGGESTS MERIVAIN AIMS TO CAPTURE THE FLAME GIANT FOR STUDY.
Overview
Professor Aldous Merivain is one of the foremost minds in Aetheric Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, known for his pioneering work in Automata cognition, Golem programming, and Homunculi synthesis. A known opponent of natural magic, he is believed to be actively developing technologies that could surpass or replace magic users entirely. His work has put him in direct conflict with both the Seraphite Empire, which sees his creations as an affront to divine order, and Searin, which considers his research a potential national security risk.
Merivain is officially an independent scientist, but recent intelligence suggests he may be receiving backdoor funding from rogue factions—possibly the Skyborne Raiders, or worse, elements within his own Technocratic Council who wish to use his research for war.
Rumored Specialties:
- Artificial Soul Replication: Attempts to recreate the consciousness of the Flame Giant by "creating" a soul for new machines.
- Aetheric Imprinting: Can supposedly "copy" a human's personality onto a construct (with mixed results).
- Cogitation Engines: Enables independent thought and self-improvement within constructs.
Known Projects & Controversies
Project Gideon: The Sentient Clockborn Experiment
CLASSIFIED - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
AMENDED
This section of the report has been expunged following Incident 43-Δ.
Refer to secondary archive files: Gideon-9 — SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIRED
The Homunculus Liberation Hypothesis
- Despite designing Homunculi for combat efficiency and labor, Merivain has expressed contradictory views on their existence.
- Leaked documents indicate he once proposed removing the genetic compliance failsafe in new generations of Homunculi, effectively granting them free will.
- If true, this would be a violation of multiple international accords on artificial lifeforms, as the potential for revolt or defection would skyrocket.
- The Seraphite Empire has declared Merivain an enemy of the state, citing heresy and the unlawful creation of soulless beings.
- REDACTED's testimony confirms certain Seraphite factions have attempted to acquire his research—either to prevent Homunculus independence or to use it for their own genetic manipulation programs.
"There are whispers in the lower city of Zyndell. Lab-grown warriors that disappear before dawn, eyes glowing with something other than servitude. What he has done… it cannot be undone."
Project CHORUS: Golem Hivemind Technology
- Merivain's latest work aims to link multiple Golems into a single consciousness, creating a distributed cogitation engine capable of self-directed action.
- This could eliminate battlefield inefficiencies, but risks a networked vulnerability if the golem controls were to be hijacked.
- Theoretically, a CHORUS-linked Golem army would be immune to battlefield disruption; even if one were destroyed, its data and tactics would persist in the others.
- Unverified reports from the Gilded Wastes indicate that a group of Golems moved in eerie unison, their eyes pulsing in synchronization.
- The project is rumored to be incomplete, but if operational, it could make traditional warfare obsolete.
"A single mind commanding a thousand hands. That is the future of war."
Strategic Importance and Risk Assessment
Potential Allies:
- Technocratic Council of Zyndell – His advancements benefit industrial and military sectors, but official endorsement remains uncertain.
- Skyborne Raiders – Intelligence suggests certain factions within the Raiders seek to purchase his designs for their growing mechanized fleet.
- Independent City-States & Black Market Aetherwrights– Merivain’s research commands a high price among rogue engineers, outlaws, and heretical scholars.
Potential Enemies:
- Kingdom of Searin – Sees Merivain as a threat to national stability, fearing the rise of uncontrolled intelligent constructs.
- Seraphite Empire – Has issued an official execution order, citing heresy, defiance of divine law, and the creation of soulless abominations.
- Unknown Automaton ("Gideon-9") – Evidence suggests this rogue construct may be actively hunting Merivain—purpose unknown.
"Aetherra is bound by outdated laws. We see aether as magic, intelligence as life, and war as inevitable. My work is not to build machines. It is to prove that none of these assumptions are true."
Confidential Intelligence Report
Secured Transcript from Bureau of Arcane Oversight Interrogation – Kingdom of Searin
File Code: 43-Δ
File Type: Audio
Subject: █████ █████████
Date: ██████
Status: Deceased
Record Format: Wax Cylinder Recording (Playback via Phonograph)
Recovered Transcript – Operative Interrogation
[Excerpt transcribed from a recording stored in Bureau Archives.]
INTERROGATOR 1: "State your name for the record."
SUBJECT: "We both know that doesn’t matter."
INTERROGATOR 1: "It does to me."
SUBJECT: "Then you’re an idiot."
[A pause. The sound of someone exhaling smoke. A chair creaks as someone leans back.]
INTERROGATOR 2: "Alright. No names, then. Let’s start simple. What is Aldous Merivain working on?"
SUBJECT: "Laughs You’re asking the wrong question."
INTERROGATOR 1: "Fine. What should we be asking?"
SUBJECT: "You think you can stop him? You think the world is still yours?"
INTERROGATOR 1: "Merivain is one man. One engineer with an inflated sense of importance. You and your friends act like he’s building some god-machine."
SUBJECT: "God? No. Something worse."
INTERROGATOR 2: "Then explain it to us. Convince me why this is more than a madman playing with gears."
SUBJECT: "Chuckles You buffoons. He isn’t trying to build a machine."
[A pause. The paper shuffles again. A faint scratching sound—one of the interrogators tapping a pen against the table.] INTERROGATOR 1: "Then what is he building?"
SUBJECT: "A replacement."
INTERROGATOR 2: "For what?"
SUBJECT: "For you. For all of you. You and your kind—your kings, your armies, your gods. You don’t see it yet, but you’re already obsolete."
[Silence. A chair creaks again, followed by a soft exhale.]
INTERROGATOR 1: "That’s a bold claim. Machines don’t rule nations. Men do."
SUBJECT: "Not for long."
[The sound of a chair being pushed back. A heavy sigh from Interrogator 1.]
INTERROGATOR 2: "Enough riddles. What is Project CHORUS?"
SUBJECT: "The first step."
INTERROGATOR 1: "Toward what?"
SUBJECT: "The end of men."
[A loud sound—perhaps a fist slamming against the table.]
INTERROGATOR 1: "Enough games! What is he planning? Where is he?"
SUBJECT: "Laughter You’re already too late."
[Gunshot. A chair crashes to the floor. Papers rustle violently.]
INTERROGATOR 2: "Damn it! We weren’t done—"
INTERROGATOR 1: "He was never going to talk. Burn his capture report. Make him disappear."
[Sound of a match striking. A long pause as paper crackles in flame.]
END OF TRANSCRIPT
Recommended Actions
☑ Surveillance Operations: Ongoing intelligence gathering on Merivain’s movements, research, and possible alliances.
☐ Preventive Sabotage: If conclusive evidence of CHORUS or Homunculus Liberation is found, consider covert action to disable his research.
☐ Capture or Coercion: If an opportunity arises, capture Merivain alive and force him to work for Searin under strict control. His knowledge is too valuable to lose.
☐ Terminate If Necessary: If his work threatens national security, elimination is authorized pending review from the High Council.
Final Assessment
Professor Aldous Merivain is a scientific revolutionary, a heretical engineer, and a potential war criminal. His continued survival ensures that the next great conflict will not be fought between men, but between the creations of men and humanity itself.
Whether he seeks godhood, salvation, or destruction remains unknown. But as either an ally or an enemy, his influence cannot be ignored.
"If he is allowed to finish what he started, the war between flesh and steel will not be a metaphor. It will be a reality."
END OF REPORT
Compiled by the Bureau of Arcane Oversight, Kingdom of Searin
CONFIDENTIAL — UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE EXECUTION
Subject: Aldous Waltherin Merivain
IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Aliases
The High Golemancer
The Architect of the New Age
The Lord of Brass
Affiliation
The Free Technocracy of Zyndell
Status
Under Surveillance
Threat Level
High
Containment Priority
RED
PHYSICAL DETAILS
ADDITIONAL DATA
Primary Fields of Study
Aetheric Engineering
Cogitation Engines
Advanced Golemancy
Notable Projects
Project CHORUS
Gideon-9
Homunculus Liberation Hypothesis
Legal Status
Wanted in the Seraphite Empire
Active Citizen of Zyndell
Psychological Profile
Genius, Obsessive, Ruthless, Morally Detached
Last Known Location
Zyndell Central Engineering Hub, Potential Relocation to REDACTED
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