It is common knowledge that soldiers of the Oplentian military spend most of their days defending their city from the ravages of wild beasts that make the plane of Crossroads their home. Fearsome monsters the likes of which were conjured by planeswalkers hundreds of years ago still find purchase as deadly predators in this dangerous environment.

However, an oft overlooked aspect of their duty are war machines. A significant number of the planeswalkers who took part in the old Planeswalker Wars favored mechanical monstrosities over their biological counterparts: Automatons designed for the sole and express purpose of wanton slaughter. On the occasion of these still-functioning devices is activated, or is found wandering the wilderness, it is similarly the responsibility of the Oplentian military to ideally disable these machines, or destroy them if salvage is infeasible.

It was this environment which honed Azurium's prowess in his younger years. His was one such unit, facing the horrors of the old world to defend the new. Having faced a number of such war machines in his day, he knows more than most about how they operate and how they can be safely neutralized.

And though times have changed, the past informs the future. As a Ranger, Azurium has a different relationship to the natural environment than he did as a soldier. Under Magistrum tutelage, he now works to maintain the ecosystem, felling beasts if they pose a threat to local ecology but otherwise making sure that beast populations are controlled and stable.

Likewise, the machines of the past can be studied, so that their make and construction can be used in more modern machinery. Planeswalkers from other planes often find themselves surprised that despite the untamed nature of Crossroads, it is host to numerous technological marvels that allow its populace to lead relatively peaceful and conformable lives despite a world full of dangerous creatures. Having access to the preserved remains of these powerful artifacts is a massive contributor to Crossroads's technological prowess.

As a Ranger working for Magistrum City, Bartholomew is both encouraged and entitled to take advantage of the resources at the city's disposal. In his soldiering days, he worked closely with his engineers to develop countermeasures against the war machines they were assigned to disable. Though he would readily confess said engineers were far more capable than he was, he did get his hands dirty helping them build their devices, which imparted some rudimentary knowledge of the craft onto the tigerkin.

How then, could he refuse an opportunity to develop those skills further, with access to the workshops, education, and expertise on offer at Magistrum City? A few certifications later, and the quick study cat qualified to become a member of the Artificer's Guild.

Between his powerful build and dexterous paws, he has quickly become a valuable member, able to perform tasks difficult tasks that other engineers need assistance with.

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I've had this conception of Azurium moonlighting as a mechanic/engineer in my head for a long time now. It made sense that he would have some working knowledge of machines since disabling and dismantling them was a part of his old job.

And with this YCH from  gabyt, I finally have an opportunity to incorporate it, and talk a bit about the level of technology in Crossroads. I guess one could describe it as "manapunk", because the idea is that most of the plane's advanced technology is powered by mana.

Please favorite the artist's submission here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/62583185/

Art by  gabyt
Bartholomew Azurium and lore belong to me.