Vitruvius

Vitruvius was an artisan and metallurgist during the early Fifth Age. After the discovery of elemental ore, he authored many books on the subject of metallurgy and applying magic to metal-work, most of which have since become scattered across the lands and few remain in good condition.

Vitruvius is best known for creating the Elemental Workshop, as well as the creation of the elemental, mind elemental, and possibly more elemental equipment. It is said that the magicians of the time feared the threat posed by the greater and more powerful weapons that were being created with the elemental metal, and so they closed down Vitruvius's workshop and attempted to destroy all knowledge of the manufacturing processes.

Many of his experiments did go wrong; apparently, one of Vitruvius's apprentices, whose name is not recorded (in one of Vitruvius' notebooks he was referred to simply as "Idiot"), was killed during an accident while attempting to animate an ingot of elemental metal as a prank, as he accidentally instilled in his entire consciousness into a primed ingot.

• In real life, Vitruvius was a well known Roman engineer who wrote De Architectura ("About Architecture"), which is exactly what it says on the tin: a book detailing all kinds of Roman engineering practices.