Michael

Michael is an advanced student of the Zahiriye at the Archon in the campaign Zincirsiz ("Unchained"). About twenty-three or twenty-four years old, he has finished his main studies and is paid to do research at the side of the great master. To the younger Jonathan River, who spends much of his time in the Zahiriye, he is a well-loved friend, something like an elder brother.¹

Teacher and friend

Jonathan once found Michael at work on a commission for a lord that had taken months to prepare, and by setting a crystal in place saved him several days of work. Michael agreed in turn to teach him how to use a tinker's tools, so that Jonathan could repair his music box himself; by the time of the great master's later summons, Jonathan had learned.²³⁴

Michael had once slept in a sixteen-bed dormitory and moved to a room for two only after his own workshop work; his rival Duran, being rich, had a room to himself from the start. When Jonathan admitted having entered the great master's room, Michael told him that the master knows everyone who goes in.⁵⁶

He later gave Jonathan his own Zahiriye outfit, a brown apron, goggles and protective gloves, along with a set of tinker's tools (see Jonathan's Zahiriye kit).⁷⁸

The suppressing rod

When Jonathan confided his and Dunk's plan to bring back a child said to be trapped in the Ethereal Plane, Michael at first said they could neither do it nor afford the materials, and he refused to supply any. To lessen the risk of death, however, he lent them a personal safety device of the Zahiriye: a rod that briefly suppresses magic in a small area, for some thirty seconds to a minute, used by twirling it and striking it on the ground. He warned that if it were traced back to him, he would say the students had stolen it. A later account made clear that it was one of the safety tools issued to him for his work, lent rather than given.⁹¹⁰⁴

Dunk struck the rod on the ground during the ritual, and the mixture in the cauldron exploded in on itself. Jonathan returned the rod to Michael and told him how the attempt had seemingly failed, and asked him whether the great master had worked on ethereal golems and who went into his room; he was told that one or two masters did.¹¹¹²¹³

The lost tool set

Some days later Michael called Jonathan in: a precious set of tools that the great master had left with him for a project had vanished from the workshop overnight, and he had searched everywhere. The finely made tools, a gift from the elves, bore the name of the great master Yotun engraved on them. Michael suspected Duran, who might have been chosen for the project in his place, though he had no proof.¹⁴⁵¹⁵

While Jonathan searched, Michael kept Duran busy in the workshop and sent Jonathan word by a magical message.¹⁶¹⁷

Spoiler: The searchRevealSpoils: Zincirsiz #2 prologue · Say what you have read

Disguised as another student, Jonathan entered the room of a student named Curtis and found the bag under the bed. He took some money, spoiled a book and the bedding, and slipped away while Dunk's quarrel with Curtis in the corridor drew every eye. He brought the set back to Michael, who was relieved, and told him that Duran had worked with Curtis, and that he himself had stolen from and damaged two rooms. Which of them had first taken the tools, and how they came by the key, remained guesswork.¹⁵¹⁸¹⁹

Later days at the Archon

After leaving a sea-lore lesson, Jonathan visited Michael and worked with him. At the close of the potion competition Michael applauded, and by a message pointed out two teachers grinning at Jonathan and Dunk. Before Dunk was taken away to the palace, Michael joined the two friends in their usual corner for a bittersweet farewell drink.²⁰²¹²²

Far from the Archon, when Jonathan tied a strange rod to the foot of his owl Bold, he asked it to carry the rod to Michael at the Archon should Jonathan be captured or come to harm.²³