Yuri Degenhard

Yuri Degenhard or sometimes Pedur Degenhard is a mystic, occultist, and former paramour of Queen Guinevere Wilem of Flowers. He is currently living somewhere in Skjol, most likely hidden deep within the mountains.

Biography
Yuri Degenhard was born in Old Avmar circa 87 M.E. to merchant parents. He spent his early life on the island, living as a commoner. He claims to have become an apprentice to an alchemist at age thirteen. Under the care of that man he learned the art of alchemy as well as further sorcerous arts, such as osteomancy, various forms of scrying, sacred geometry, and novices pyromancy. By age seventeen he had completed his training, but chose to continue training for two more years, becoming a guild certified journeyman alchemist. During his teens, Yuri began to consume a great deal of literature on various occult subjects, such as the Sikkudian pantheon, ancient northern deities, and the mysteries of the far west. It was his encounter with the rare book On the Origin of Justainism: the True Nature of that Most Marvelous Religion deep within his master's library which pushed Yuri to dedicate his life to the pursuit of forbidden knowledge.

In 107 M.E. Yuri left Old Avmar and landed in Gerden, Highfjall. He spent a great deal of time in Raven's Rest, joining in several hidden occult ceremonies there. It is during this time he himself began to dabble in the summoning of lesser daemonic entities. He claims to have witnessed the conjuring of Ashtorah's son Butar by a cult group during this time, an event that inspired him greatly. Yuri was eventually expelled from the group over conflicts with the leaders after he began to gain too much power within the group. For the next three years Yuri wandered throughout the North continuing to experiment into the occult, making money through scrying and divination. He eventually ended up in Fleur between 109 and 111 M.E. It was there that he met Queen Guinevere Wilem of Flowers in 111 M.E. at a party held in the manor of the Lady Minerva Adenette's home in Wilemberg. Guinevere was attending the party unaccompanied and was introduced to Yuri by the Lady Minerva who had become a patron of his work. The two became immediate friends.

With Guinevere
Yuri was immediately charmed by the seventeen year old queen's personality and looks. The two apparently spent the whole evening of their meeting speaking together and the two agreed to meet again the next day at Guinevere's palace. Yuri was quick to pick up on the queen's interest in the occult and soon he was bringing her books on the subject. Guinevere became obsessed. She quickly became Yuri's patron, buying him a manor in the city to establish his order, the Brotherhood of the Elk and Sword, which functioned as a mystic organization dedicated to the accumulation of forbidden knowledge, summoning of entities for conversing, and the worship of the ancient truths. The Brotherhood is unique in that it allowed both men and women to join its ranks, as well as for any race. Guinevere attended her first ceremony sometime in 112 M.E. It was also around this time that the two became romantically involved.

As Guinevere's paramour, Yuri gained considerable status within the royal court as an "alchemist" and advisor. He was popular among most court members for being uninterested in rising in rank or for speaking over others. His appointment as royal alchemist in 113 M.E. marked the first time the position had been held in seventy-seven years. During this time he had several confrontations with Lady Cassandra Wilem of Flowers in private, as the lady was not happy with the influence he was having on the queen. Despite this, him and Guinevere's relationship remained strong. The two spent several weeks together in late 114 M.E. at his manor, which possibly led to a pregnancy, though whether or not this is true is unclear. Yuri adviced Guinevere not to go to war with Korevna, stating that the two of them could "take care of the Korevnan problem" themselves from home without obvious conflict. Guinevere ignored him and he reluctantly assisted her in the planning of the Two Years War.

By 115 M.E. Yuri had almost completely stopped his involvement in the war. He spent more time in his manor working on sacred rites. The few times he saw Guinevere were spent in each other's arms, one of the only times the queen could relax and be herself. Yuri had reluctantly allowed her to leave that same year for the planned invasion of Korevna and it was around this time that his alcoholism became more serious. She was captured soon after. Yuri was effected terribly by the news of Guinevere's capture. He was not allowed to attend the councils hosted by her uncles in regards to her capture and he was slowly removed from his position at court. Furious, Yuri cursed the members of Guinevere's family and plotted to have her returned to Fleur. Sadly, in 116 M.E. Guinevere was executed in Korevna.

Recent Events
Yuri went into hiding in the years following Guinevere's death. He fled his manor, moving from town to town and eventually settling somewhere in Skjol. Not much is known about his current dealings, but he is suspected to have been involved in the 117 M.E. theft of Guinevere's head while it was on route to be returned to Fleur for burial.

Appearance
Yuri Dregenhard is a tall Avmari Human of a very pale complexion. He has a tendency towards a ruddy nose and cheeks, with perpetual dark circles about his striking ice blue eyes. His brows are thick and untamed, like his dark beard. His lips are thin and pale. Yuri keeps his hair shoulder length and swept back behind the ears; it has a slight wave to it and a tendency towards greasiness. His hair is a dark brown, easily mistaken for black. He has noticeably large squarish ears.

Yuri is quite thin, naturally so and exacerbated by his tendency to forget to eat. He dresses in usually dark colors, though he was once seen wearing a spring green outfit, surely at Guinevere's request. Normally, he tends towards large shoulder cloaks, robes or suits, and rings.