Turek

Every king has an advisor. A trusted source of advice, a confidant, a friend.

Turek was never one of those, despite his training.

The boy studied from the moment he could speak to be the greatest advisor possible. His father was Muerte, advisor to the king of Sunraaku. Turek was taught to read and write, to cast spells and study magic. He was taught military strategy and clerical organizing. He learned numbers and philosophy in equal measure. By the time he would come of age, he would be prepared to guide the young prince as leader of the nation.

He was never able to.

The coup that set Miras, the demon king, on the throne also killed Turek’s hope at ever achieving his life’s goal.

During the siege of the palace, Turek’s father dragged him aside. He gave the youth a satchel carefully tied closed. He told the youth to run.

During his escape, the boy came across the rogues and street thieves attacking the palace. During the resulting fight, Turek was blinded by a stray magical strike. In his panic, the youth managed to escape the thieves, but found his life covered in darkness.
He scrambled down the hidden passageways under the castle to the city. Wounded, young, and lost, the child was found by one of the traveling Raquinta dancers. The kindhearted dancer snuck him out of the streets, hid him away in their wagon.

The next days were a swirl. The Raquinta healer did their best to salvage the boy’s vision, the troupe tried to run from the chaos, the boy desperately asked to find his father.

His search ended by the week’s conclusion. The nee King, the Demon, called the city to attention at the square. The exalted King‘s council were there, and one by one they were executed.

Turek wasn’t even able to see his father’s end.

The boy fled the city with the dancers, being accepted alongside dozens of other orphans and escaped slaves. The Raquinta who cared for Turek called themselves Mahseki. They were a tinkerer, a craftsman. They taught Turek to work with his hands, to navigate the world in darkness.

The Raquinta elders knew of a script from the far south with raised letters used by sages of the north. Turek took easily to the language, already skilled with words and languages. Mahseki developed a paper to hold the script, a thicker thing that held its shape. It was after months of travel that Turek trusted Mahseki with his father’s satchel.

It took a long time to translate the journals to the raised script for Turek to read. After the translation was complete, the original copies were burnt.

The texts held coded secrets, messages from his father. Turek spent the next years decoding their secrets, deciphering political manuvers, ancient magics, and sagely advice from his late father. The journals held laws, rituals, and rites for the true king of Sunraaku alone. His father's journal entries told of a deep connection between the true kings and the gods themselves. The true kings had access to great magical power gifted to them by the very gods of the desert themselves.

Several years into the Demon King's rule, Turek had obtained his simple craftsman's opal marks. The fine golden lines of opal marked him a true Raquinta. He had become a well renown bookbinder despite his blindness, making great use of his experience crafting heavy papers and inks. Eventually, mercenaries sent by the Demon began searching the lands for anyone connected to the previous king's rule. It was at this time that Turek knew it was time for him to leave his nomad's life and search out his true purpose.

He left the Raquinta on good terms, traveling southbound under the guise of setting up his masterwork shop. In reality he was searching for his king.

Rumors led him to the Clan Xelestial. He became good friends with their librarian, Zeras, and began to work as a book binder in the clan. he built up a translated braille library, enlisting the help of the clan youths to read him various entries as he translated them.

Soon enough, his suspicions were confirmed. He found Maajhul and Hamaat through the priates friendly with clan Xelestial. When he revealed his lineage and training, he was openly welcomed.

Finally, his training could pay off. He could finally accomplish his one life's goal.

He taught the prince about the ancient magic his bloodline could control. He lectured on politics, planning, and subterfuge. He kept records, logs, and coded letters only he could read. Secret knowledge hidden in the extensive library he had built over many years, to keep allies informed and spies at bay.

And when the prince returns to the throne, Turek shall be by the youth's side. Just as his father had been many, many years ago.