Mrva

Mrva is Zorian's six-meter metal golem colossus, built as a heavily warded combatant and carrier for a specialized anti-lich weapon. Its strength, speed, defenses, and internal soulseizer apparatus make it one of Zorian's decisive creations during the battle for Cyoria, though the final attack exhausts its entire power reserve.

History

The colossus enters battle

Zorian deploys Mrva from the Imperial Orb when Sudomir's skeletal dragon is overpowering Daimen. The golem immediately pins the dragon and damages its skull with spiked fists, preventing the creature from taking flight. After Iasku Mansion is translocated to Cyoria, Mrva supports Daimen while Zorian begins the angel summoning, physically intercepting spells, throwing boulders, and charging the enemy trio. Its wards survive Jornak's spatial-crack bombs and punish his attempted teleport, demonstrating that the colossus is designed to pressure master mages rather than merely crush ordinary troops. (Chapters 101–102)

The soulseizer gambit

During the wider battle, Mrva carries Zorian's amplified soulseizer chrysanthemum toward the Hole. When Quatach-Ichl rushes to stop Zorian, the golem opens its chest and exposes the flower inside a focused magical apparatus. Mrva burns through all of its stored mana to extend and strengthen the creature's attack. The effect cannot seize the lich's soul, but it incapacitates him long enough for the Defense Cube to release Oganj's captured fireball, forcing Quatach-Ichl to retreat to his phylactery. Mrva then closes its chest and goes completely limp. (Chapters 103 and 106)

A disabled survivor

Zorian moves the nonfunctional colossus out of Cyoria before the army can confiscate it and hides it at an insecure site. Unlike Kosjenka, Mrva is disabled rather than destroyed, but restoring its combat functions and constructing a suitable secure home will require more money than Zorian can readily spend after the loop. Its survival therefore leaves him with a powerful asset that cannot be returned to service quickly. (Chapter 107)

Abilities and properties

• Mrva is a six-meter humanoid golem made from gleaming, nearly indestructible metal. Its weight, heavy spiked fists, speed, and agility let it grapple a skeletal dragon and shove aside massed enemies. (Chapters 101–103)
• Zorian equips it with his finest available wards. It survives spatial cracks without damage and projects a hostile teleportation ward that can destabilize short-range teleport attempts near its body. (Chapter 102)
• The construct can accurately throw debris, stomp targets, and emit large crude waves of kinetic force. These self-cast effects are simple but powerful enough to interrupt or displace high-level mages. (Chapter 102)
• Its chest opens like a metal flower around a glass tank and focusing apparatus containing a soulseizer chrysanthemum. The system greatly increases the flower's range and power. (Chapter 103)
• Amplifying the chrysanthemum consumes Mrva's entire internal mana reserve and leaves the colossus unable to move or fight. It cannot fly even before this exhaustion. (Chapters 102–103)

Ownership and custody