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If a man seeks to change the world, he should first understand it. The smith must learn the ways of metals, the carpenter the ways of wood, or their work will be of but little worth. Base magic is wild and dangerous, for it comes from the Other Side, and to draw from the world below is fraught with peril. The Magus tempers magic with knowledge, and thus produces High Art, but like the smith or the carpenter, he should only seek to change that which he understands. With each thing he learns, his power is increased. So must the Magus strive to learn all, to understand the world entire. The tree is only as strong as its root, and knowledge is the root of power.
— Juvens' Principles of Art

Juvens was the eldest son of Almighty Euz, who was granted the gift from his father of High Art. He used his skills to cultivate the cradle of civilisation in The Old Empire, as well as establish the Order of the Magi.

Powers[]

Juvens was granted the gift of High Art, the ability to change the world by drawing power from The Other Side, tempered by knowledge and understanding the world. Only Juvens was able to master every facet of High Art, members of the Order of Magi tended to specialise.

History[]

After Euz vanquished the Demons and closed the gates to The Other Side, he granted a gift to each of his three eldest sons – the three pure Disciplines of Magic. Then he left the world, telling his sons to bring order to the world.

Juvens and the Old Empire[]

Juvens found a people living on the river Aos and gave them laws, government, learning, science, and the power to defeat their enemies. He cultivated this new nation into the cradle of civilisation, the Old Empire. Through long years, Emperor followed Emperor, but always Juvens was there guiding and advising the Empire's fate. The Empire grew to encompass Isparda in the south, Anconus in the north, the Broken Mountains in the west, and the shores of the Circle Sea in the east.

However, Juvens's youngest brother Glustrod, who was granted no gift by their father, was envious of his achievements. Glustrod studied forbidden sciences and began to hear voices from the Other Side. The voices told Glustrod where to dig for The Seed and to gather an army of Devil-Bloods. Through treachery he entered in the capital of the Old Empire, Aulcus, while Juvens was elsewhere, and gave the city to his army to rape, destroy and slaughter for one day.

When Juvens saw what Glustrod had done, he sought the aid of his brothers. Only Bedesh would come; Kanedias was too consumed by his work in the House of the Maker. Juvens and Bedesh raised an army without him, and they fought a terrible war against their brother. In the end they were victorious, and Glustrod was besieged in Aulcus. In desperation, Glustrod tried to use The Seed to open the gates to the Other Side. But in his haste, he made some small mistake, and the great power was released without form or reason. Glustrod destroyed himself and the Old Empire, with Aulcus left a wasteland, forever poisoned.

When Juvens's army entered in the ruined city, they found The Seed. Although Juvens suffered no ill from the stone, an entire legion of soldiers were consumed by an unknown wasting disease, and soon died. For a time, Juvens gave The Seed to his brother Kanedias, who claimed he could turn it to a righteous purpose. However, distrust grew between the brothers, and eventually they agreed to journey to Shabulyan, at the edge of the world. They gave up The Seed to the Spirit of the island, to keep safe, and to yield it only to one who carried Juvens’s staff. Unbeknownst to Juvens, Kanedias kept the real Seed for himself, and gave up the false one.

Juvens and the Order of the Magi[]

At some point, Juvens took Bayaz as his first apprentice, and trained him in the principles of the High Art. Bayaz was still young and inexperienced at the time of the war with Glustrod. However, soon afterwards, Juvens took a second apprentice, Khalul, a boy from Kanta. From the beginning the two argued, too proud and jealous of one another, even as Juvens took more apprentices; twelve in all - The Order of the Magi.

Juvens set down his knowledge of High Art in his one hundred volume Principles of Art; the very cornerstone of the Order of Magi. To earn their staff, each apprentice must read it and eventually make their own copy of the book. Only Juvens could master all the elements of High Art, so his apprentices tended to specialise.

The Death of Juvens[]

After the horror of the war with Glustrod, Juvens interceded in the feud between Bayaz and Khalul, and sent them away; Bayaz to the north and Khalul to the south. Some years later Bayaz returned to Juvens, seeking sanctuary from Kanedias for seducing his daughter, Tolomei. Bayaz also revealed that Kanedias was using material from the Other Side to craft his otherworldly artefacts.

Eventually, Kanedias came to Juvens demanding justice for Bayaz's defiling of his daughter and stealing his secrets. However, Juvens would not give up Bayaz. The brothers fought, and according to Bayaz, in the end Kanedias killed Juvens with The Divider. Afterwards, Bayaz gathered eleven of the twelve Magi and extracted vengence for the death of Juvens, by killing Kanedias in turn. Khalul refused to come; he held Bayaz himself responsible for the death of Juvens, and swore revenge. The bitter rivalry between Khalul and Bayaz, now centuries old, continues.

Recent History[]

The story of Juvens is mentioned frequently throughout the series, most notably Malacus Quai and Bayaz tell the full tale of the fall of the Old Empire, and the deaths of Juvens and Kanedias, on the journey to the Edge of the World.

The trustworthiness of Bayaz's version of events is often questioned. On the second trip to the House of the Maker, Yulwei asks Bayaz how Juvens died, which seems to be a question he frequently asks. Bayaz response seems rehearsed and rings false to Ferro Maljinn. Later, Khalul's apprentice Mamun asks the same question, and Bayaz does not outright deny it, merely saying, "I say I killed no one". Bayaz goes on to deride Juvens as wanting to change the world with "smiles and good intentions". Finally, Bayaz cryptically asks Mamun, "But what does it matter who killed who a thousand years ago?"

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