Balthasar Gelt
Balthasar Gelt is the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic. He originally arrived in Altdorf from the seaport of Marienburg. He had paid his passage on a merchant ship using gold transmuted from lead. By the time the magic wore off Balthasar was long gone, but the captain placed a large bounty on his head - a bounty that few would dare to claim.1 p64
Balthasar had always been obsessed with transmuting crude metals into gold. However, he was also interested in combining science and magic, which increased his knowledge of the Lore of Metal to greater than any other wizard. In fact, due to his research into black-powder, Balthasar even became popular with the College of Engineers, despite their usual scepticism of magic.1 p64
Since a freak explosion in his laboratory, Balthasar has never been seen without his metallic robes and golden mask. There are rumours that he is disfigured, but some say that his flesh actually turned to gold in the explosion, which is rumoured to have not been an accident at all.1 p64
The explosion furthered Balthasar's will to succeed, until he defeated Thyrus Gormann and became Supreme Patriarch, replacing the prominence of the Bright Order with that of the Gold Order.1 p64
After becoming Supreme Patriarch, Balthasar has been seen on many battlefields with the Empire's armies.1 p64 One memorable occasion is when the Emperor Karl Franz requested his assistance to avert a civil war between the aggressive Elector Count of Nordland and the neighbouring province of Hochland. Balthasar visited Castle Salzenmund, and secretly turned the gold coins for the Count's soldiers and mercenaries into lead, before swiftly fleeing on his Pegasus.1 p23-24
In battle Balthasar rides a Pegasus from the Imperial Zoo and carries the Staff of Volans and a sword. He wears the Cloak of Molten Metal and the Amulet of Sea Gold. Finally, he carries a vial of Al-kahest.1 p64
Sources
- 1Warhammer Armies: The Empire (7th Edition) p23-24 p64
- Warhammer Armies: The Empire (6th Edition) pp 52-3
