Donar Cresius XXV
Donar Cresius XXV (often simply referred to as Cresius) is a prominent supporting character in the later books of The Metalwood Saga. He serves as the Research Director for the Department of Magical Research (DMR) in Ilyrion. A brilliant pragmatist who embraces the integration of magic and technology, Cresius is responsible for commanding the DMR's hidden Army of Mages.
He is the distant descendant of the original Senator Cresius, an ancient elven politician who fiercely opposed Tarathiel's Sending Act and tragically died after triggering a trap in Akhenaten's Tomb twenty thousand years prior.
Appearance and Personality
Cresius appears as an older gentleman, with his face putting his age at somewhere around five hundred years old. He is distinguished by his striking attire: he wears a long, rich purple robe with gold tassels at the wrists. Around his neck hangs a thick gold chain bearing an elaborate icon of the Twins—two Trees crossed together.
Personality-wise, Cresius is a sharp, confident intellectual who considers himself a "quick study". Unlike many traditionalist elves, he is highly pragmatic and embraces technology, relying heavily on ocular implants, aerial drones, and tactical software to direct his mages in battle. While he maintains a bureaucratic and polite exterior, he possesses a ruthless tactical edge; during the final battles against the Twins, he shows a grim willingness to sacrifice the lives of his own mages if he believes it will secure victory against a world-ending threat.
Biography
Acknowledging the Fall
As the celestial object Guruthos approached the Valaraldan solar system, Cresius was one of the few high-ranking officials to publicly acknowledge the threat. During an interview on Ilyrion Nightly News, he validated Tarathiel’s ancient research, confirming that the object’s trajectory matched historical warnings of the Fall. Recognizing the impending cataclysm, Cresius attempted to contact Tarathiel directly, sending him secure messages urging a meeting to discuss the fate of the planet.
The Desert Rescue and the Army of Mages
When the subterranean facility of Memory was violently raised to the surface and destroyed by Cariel's rylak army, Cresius arrived in the Thesserin Desert in a gravcar to rescue Tarathiel, Arra, and Lashel.
Cresius transported the group to the DMR's highly secure, hidden facility in the Faedori Forest, north of Ilyrion. There, he revealed the culmination of the DMR's secret preparations: the Army of Mages. Cresius had assembled three thousand of Valaralda’s elite mages, outfitting them with advanced ocular implants and coordinating them through a central command center known as "Ops".
Shortly after their arrival, the facility was infiltrated by Quynn. Rather than executing the dangerous Cothellon mindmaster, Cresius pragmatically interrogated him to learn how he had bypassed their defenses, ultimately allowing Quynn to join their war council.
The Alliance with the Eglaria
Realizing the sheer, unstoppable power of the awakened Twins, Cresius led a diplomatic mission to the desert city of Nekhrumet during a massive, magically-induced hurricane. He met with his old university friend, Faranel of the Eglaria, seeking to combine the DMR's forces with the Eglaria's shadowmages. To secure Faranel's cooperation, Cresius revealed that the DMR had unilaterally deregulated all magic, abandoning their strict licensing laws in the face of the apocalypse.
The Battle of the Salt Spires
As the Twins wreaked havoc across the planet, Cresius orchestrated a final, desperate stand at Singwa Lingwe—the Salt Spires. He utilized a device around his neck to project holographic battle diagrams, coordinating the newly arrived Prime Mages with his own troops.
Despite protests from Phoenix that the battle was unwinnable and a waste of life, an undeterred Cresius ordered a massive strengthshaper attack on Nelenor and Velion. The assault failed catastrophically, resulting in dozens of mages being permanently severed from their magical Aspects or killed before Cresius finally ordered a retreat.
Peace
Cresius ultimately survived the apocalyptic conflict. Following the defeat of Orym and the neutralization of the Xyclami device, Cresius attended the wedding and memorial ceremony of Tarathiel and Alleria (Arra) in Pano Sylrantheas, sitting alongside the mistweaver Erodar and the Prime Mage Lightning.
Powers and Abilities
- Mergemelder: Cresius is a skilled mergemelder. He seamlessly produces a mergegun from his deep robes to hold Quynn at gunpoint when the mindmaster infiltrates the DMR facility.
- Magitech Mastery: As the head of the DMR, Cresius utilizes advanced technology to augment his capabilities. He wears a projection device around his neck to display interactive tactical holograms, and uses a subvocalizing ocular implant to communicate instantly with his Operations team ("Ops") to execute complex, multi-cell magical attacks.
- Gatesending Resistance: Despite gatesending being highly illegal and dangerous to the mind on Valaralda, Cresius secretly practiced the magic extensively. He boasts to Phoenix and Elanil that he can gate flawlessly without suffering from gatesickness or memory loss.
Key Relationships
- Tarathiel (Trey): Cresius holds a deep respect for Tarathiel's ancient research, actively seeking him out to combat the Fall. He serves as Tarathiel's primary political and military ally during the final conflict.
- Faranel: An old friend from their university days. Though they represent opposing ideologies—Cresius the structured DMR, and Faranel the shadowy Eglaria—Cresius respects him enough to share classified intelligence and forge a wartime alliance.
- Quynn: Cresius initially holds the intruder at gunpoint, but quickly respects Quynn's cunning, acknowledging that the "elves from Mar" will be invaluable in the coming war.