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Temaku is a mentioned character in the documents found in Amnesia: Rebirth. He was the lead scientist, or "alchemist," of the Otherworld. He was behind much of the Otherworld's greatest technological advancements, including Empress Tihana's immortality. Outside of his research on vitae, Temaku also experimented with the orbs.[4][1]

Summary[]

Temaku was one of many alchemists in the employ of the Empire in the Other World.[1] As a potentially-genius alchemist, he was experimenting with the substance vitae at least as far back as the end of the reign of Tihana's predecessor, her mother Atua.[5] Temaku had much influence and control over the activities of other alchemists and was likely in a position of scientific authority there. He likely had multiple subordinates or apprentices, including at minimum Kita,[3] Atharu, and Ayandra.[2] His relationship to Ayandra was cut short by the latter's banishment,[2] and to Kita by catastrophic betrayal.[3]

Medical use of vitae[]

Saving Tihana[]

Whether or not Temaku was in a position of authority among the alchemists at that time, he was certainly involved in Atua's desperate struggle to keep her daughter alive, alongside other alchemists who "fought to keep the life in her."[5] This medical struggle, though only fragmentarily described, included surgical procedures on Tihana, namely "spinal repair,"[6] and, eventually, the injection of vitae's somatically restorative properties to allow her to live in spite of her condition and succeed her mother to the throne.[5]

Later, Temaku's subordinate Atharu tested samples from Tihana and her dead mother, and thereby established that both had the same disease, though noting it "did not manifest in the forebears"[7]—possibly meaning that the disease was not present in the bloodline up till Atua, or that it was present but asymptomatically in the royal ancestors. Such an illness could have been genetic and skipped a generation, or a some other illness passed through the womb.

Further investigations[]

At some point, Temaku and the other alchemists stabilized Tihana's disease through the use of vitae,[8] though further medical investigations by Atharu showed that it was not cured.[7]Under Temaku, Atharu was directed to examine the changes in the Empress's disease from before the vitae treatment and after.[6] They had discovered that in spite of the incredible properties of vitae in mending tissues, it could not eliminate diseases that were deeply embedded in the sufferer (such as, perhaps, genetic conditions).[6][7] Temaku ordered Atharu to conduct further examinations of the effects of dosage and timing,[7] but what came of those investigations is not known.

Temaku was confident of the power of vitae to sustain life and furthermore to increase the power of the Empire. He told the Empress Tihana she would "have forever,"[8] and her other titles, like "Last and Eternal,"[9] suggest the popular opinion of the Empire shared his view. However, according to Tihana herself, she felt no great happiness about the possibility of eternal life nor about her inability to bear children of her own,[8] and Temaku either did not perceive that or did not care, as he apparently did not endeavour to fix Tihana's now-barren womb. He also ordered Atharu not to report these facts to the Empress.[6]

Vitae extraction[]

The improvement of vitae extraction techniques was a major priority for Temaku and other alchemists. Ensuring an adequate supply of vitae for their Empress, as their first concern, meant experimenting with various methods of inducing the appropriate fear in a conscious subject. This was usually done in inhumane ways, through torture both mental and physical on captive subjects.

It also meant expanding production to great levels, especially initially, as techniques of torture were inefficient and subjects gave up very little vitae before being exhausted and/or killed. Ghouls were used to both create fear in subjects and to carry out the actual extraction of vitae.

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Refinements of the process[]

At some point during the process of increasing extraction, Ayandra made his worth known as an alchemist by proposing the use of an amnesia potion to keep the subjects "fresh" for longer periods of time.[2] This essentially allowed the near-constant extraction of vitae from terrified victims. Temaku was impressed by this leap, to the point where he used his political influence to allow Ayandra to stay and conduct alchemy alongside him for "many years."[2] This was only cut short when news of the exact nature of Ayandra's (unspecified) crimes that caused his exile from the Enkindled Fortress was he also banished from the Empire.[2]

Eventually, the alchemists discovered that short cycles of creating, then abating fear and pain,[10] meant a continuous and rich flow of vitae could be maintained. Alchemists further realized that a combining short sessions with chemically-induced amnesia to keep the subjects perpetually ignorant of their past torture;[11] they also used, and an Otherworlder named Suvar refined,[10] the "memory-view process" memory capsules to keep subjects from becoming despondent (wherein they would produce very little vitae, no matter how much torture they underwent) by reintroducing pleasant and hopeful states of mind.[11][10]

Public opinion[]

Public opinion of the process was, in some part, very negative. Certain alchemists hoped development of new extraction techniques would allow them to reduce the number of "stock" while maintaining the same output of vitae,[12] and Temaku, whether or not he had the same opinion, did consider improving the public image of the production process to be important enough that he directed research towards reducing "the cycle of pain" for that reason.[10]

Vitae and imperial power[]

Temaku may not have been directly involved in the political decision to massively increase vitae production, in spite of advances in extraction technique, and use its power for military purposes, as well as to "increase living standards" for citizens.[12] However, if this was indeed approved by the Empress, he would have been instrumental in its implementation. If not directly, then most certainly in its research.

Experiments with the Orbs[]

Temaku also carried out experimentation with the mysterious crystal Orbs, of which the Empire possessed at least seven (7).[5] It's not officially stated if any political rivals to the Empire or non-royal organizations possessed Orbs of their own.

The Gates[]

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The Empire used the Orbs for creating "gates" to different worlds, i.e. portals connecting remote spaces. It's not known if these portals were truly inter-dimensional or merely intradimensional, but they did connect the Other World with Earth.

Through his research of the Orbs, Temaku became experienced enough that he could, and did, pass safe, effective Orb-usage properly to his subordinates and apprentices.[13] Specifically, he'd taught Kita well enough that the apprentice was entrusted with further teaching others, such as Mihara, in the operation of Orbs and moreover their use in the Gates between worlds.[13] Successfully using the Orbs to transport objects across space required a certain amount of mental acuity, as well as physical precision.

However, the Orbs themselves were not sufficient, nor was the mere skill to control them; operating such portals also required the power of vitae to actuate. Even a small teleporter required two large "cells" (leyden jars) of vitae.[13] The operation of the The Great Gate" which was eventually destroyed in an act of cataclysmic sabotage,[14][3] would necessarily have taken an immense supply of vitae to power.

Gate collapse[]

The final destruction of the Great Gate resulted in a "white sun" that devastated "the air and the land" and caused the annihilation of the inhabitants of the Other World's Imperial capital.[3] The energies associated with the Orbs in this sabotage apparently were extreme enough to wipe all life from the city, turn bodies to ashen statues, and dry up usable water. One of the more horrific side effects was the interaction of these destructive energies and the enigmatic "control stones," used by the alchemist order to control Harvesters. The cataclysmic event apparently caused the transformation of those holding them into nightmarish Wraith creatures.[3]

The Shadow[]

Apparently, during Temaku's first experiments with the Orbs, he'd summoned the Shadow, with the red flesh trailing its wake as its "scar" on the world.[4] Somehow Temaku and the alchemists apparently discovered how to handle the Orbs without further summoning the Shadow, as they eventually built the Great Gates without incurring it's wrath.

Though the Shadow did not destroy the Other World at that time, these experiments did indirectly cause its ruination by the Shadow. One of Temaku's subordinates, Kita, was secretly working against him and the Empress and sought to sabotage the vitae factory system. He did this by devising a concoction "sympathetic to" the red flesh, allowing the Shadow's destructive power to follow the flow of vitae through the Empire's distribution network. The"corruption" of the network would have sabotaged the whole system, killing the Empress in the process.[4]

Fate[]

Temaku's fate is unknown by the time of Rebirth, as there is no concrete evidence to suggest his survival or demise.

Speculation[]

  • As an alchemist, it's likely that Temaku may have been holding a control stone at the time of the destruction of the Great Gate, thus would have become a Wraith along with the rest of his order.
    • However, it's just as likely he was near the Great Gate and not holding a control stone, thus would have been annihilated in the "white sun" that ravaged the city, or nowhere near it, and so may have survived for some time afterward. There is very little life in the city, if any, besides Wraiths, so if Temaku survived for long after the calamity, it's unlikely he remained in the city. If Temaku survived the original blast and was away from the city, than it is unknown where he could have fled to.

References[]

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