Klyhf Him'lahk¶
Klyhf Him'lahk (pronounced "cliff him-lack") was a Drehmari alchemist who defected from Red Dawn in early Av3 to work under Maelihs at the Burnt Palace.
Him'lahk came very close to completing the Great Work by slowly gaining the Burnt Lord's trust and attempting to sacrifice him in a machine built within his very own tower of the palace, but his plan was ultimately foiled. Mael killed him, and razed his tower.
History¶
Klyhf Him'lahk's tale is contained almost entirely to lore books in the Burnt Palace, most notably his own Tattered Diary of Klyhf Him'lahk.
Klyhf was a Red Dawn alchemist in early Av3, likely having survived the Fall of Avsohm. After falling from an airship, he was found by the Empire of Mael, and in a desperate attempt to save his own life, defected to the Burnt Lord's forces in Av3 9. Over the next 12 years, Klyhf would come to take charge on all alchemical happenings within the Burnt Palace, and eventually came to realize that he was the only person in the castle who saw Mael not as a perfect supreme being, but as a peer.
Surprisingly, Maelihs reciprocated this feeling, seeming to confide in Klyhf, take pleasure in speaking with him about his work, and he even came to share the alchemist's enthusiasm for his craft. The two became friends, but ultimately, as an alchemist, Klyhf's priority was the same as it had always been: completion of the Great Work. Understanding that alchemical power had to come from somewhere, Klyhf came to the uncomfortable conclusion in Av3 18 that the only way he could see his dream become reality was by sacrificing Maelihs.
Klyhf spent the next three years perfecting his machine, and in Av3 21, he attempted to use the machine and trick Mael into sacrificing himself. He failed.
Maelihs flew into a rage, murdering the alchemist and tearing down his tower so violently that the rubble smoldered for days afterwards. He then ordered that the Sunchasers' tower be constructed over the ruins.
Aftermath and Legacy¶
Klyhf's betrayal appears to have been the incident that pushed Mael over the edge in early Av3, fueling his violence and likely also factoring into his depression. It is possible that this inadvertently led Mael to deploy the Skullmother in full force, causing the Desolation of the South Heartwood, but this connection is not clearly drawn.
Klyhf is remembered today as one of the closest alchemists to completing the Great Work, just short of true immortality alongside Aok and Akim.