TOTAL WAR WIKI

Since an early age, Balthasar Gelt has long been fascinated with the college of magic known as the Lore of Metal. Those who subscribe to this school of learning, amongst other things, seek to transmute base substances into precious metal. From his first arrival in Altdorf, Gelt proved himself to be a prodigy with a fierce appetite for knowledge. His passage from his homeland of Marienburg was paid for with Gold that later returned to the lead ingots it was created from, earning him a bounty that, while large, none would dare attempt to collect. Balthasar quickly rose to prominence in the city, even earning the admiration of the Imperial Engineers’ School for his research into new formulations of black powder. It was here that an accident, a magical explosion, nearly ended him altogether. Though none know how badly hurt he was, or even the manner of the injuries he sustained, the sorcerer survived. Though he did not die, he was certainly transformed. Some say his skin was turned to pure gold, others say he was merely disfigured. Whatever the truth he is now only seen wearing his resplendent gold face mask, shimmering head-to-toe in metallic robes. Rather than dissuade him, this accident only added to his hunger to master the Lore of Metal. His newfound determination helped him attain the rank of Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic.

In battle he needs do nothing more than wave his hand, and ranks of enemy soldiers are frozen forever, nothing more than lifeless golden statues. With powers such as these, Balthasar Gelt has won the Empire a great many victories. That being said, he is not wholly trusted. There are those who view his patriotism and valour as mere extensions of his shimmering robes, intricate distractions designed to obscure the Patriarch’s true nature.