Puerick Rogzé

Puerick Rogzé was a medical doctor of the Lucifenian Republic and a renowned expert of pharmaceuticals throughout the Evillious region. Diverting from his family's history with politics to study medicine, Puerick became famous for developing a cure for the Gula epidemic. As mysterious deaths began plaguing Toragay, Puerick was called upon to examine the first victims.

Early Life
Puerick was one of two sons born into the Rogzé family, his brother having several sons. Ignoring his family's political leanings, Puerick pursued a career in medicine, researching the history of Gift in his family as well as looking into other poisons and drugs. At some point during his career, he developed a cure for the Gula disease and established himself as an expert in his field.

Death of the Marquis
In EC 609, following the death of Marquis Kaspar Blankenheim Puerick was consulted in the autopsy and found no trace of poison in his or his mistress' system. Later, he examined the ingredients Margarita Blankenheim purchased from the town pharmacy and determined there was no poison in them. After Dr. Felix was found to be in a critical condition, Puerick also received toxicology reports from Aceid concerning the doctor.

In late September, Puerick was visited by the reporter Hanne Lorre and served her coffee while she spoke with him about Kaspar's death and Dr. Felix's illness. When it was brought up Kaspar's condition was going to be written off as due to tobacco poisoning, he noted that was what happened when it was left to local doctors and laughed. Speaking to Hanne about the symptoms of the illness and causes of death, Puerick remarked he couldn't find traces of poison in the blood of Kaspar or his mistress. When Hanne noted she'd heard cases where poison wasn't detected in the blood, the man countered that such cases were in the past, and that current medical advancements should be able to find it.

Taking a vial of Gift off the shelf, he noted Hanne Lorre's familiarity with the poison; when she mentioned the medicine formed in Calgaround, he pointed out the two substances, while sharing the same name, were different and explained Plus Rogzé's history of formulating the poison. After Hanne asked about the differences, Puerick explained how the poison Gift was far more toxic than the original sleeping pills, suggesting that even a small drop in her coffee could kill her. After Hanne began to choke and cough, he laughed and reassured her the drink was safe.

Asked why Plus would make such a poison, Puerick related to her how it was to help his daughter poison the king of Lucifenia; when Hanne remarked she knew the story, the doctor complimented her skills as a reporter and was asked how this all related to his story. Puerick explained that, if the Marquis was poisoned, there was a high chance of it being Gift due to the symptoms and it being previously untraceable, though clarifying such was not the case anymore when Hanne asked.

As Hanne thanked the doctor for the story and stood, Puerick thanked the reporter in turn for listening to him and remarks it had been a long time since speaking to a young lady like her. When Hanne said she wasn't a young lady anymore, Puerick stated he wouldn't inquire about her age and suggested that she head to bed while the hour was growing late, claiming that turning in and rising early was the secret to good health.

Mysterious Disease
Some time later, Puerick met with Hanne again and received a vial of strange liquid that she had discovered in an inn at Toragay; after testing the liquid's properties, he discovered that the vial contained blood which refused to coagulate as well as a toxin. When questioned over his results, Puerick remarked that the reporter had brought something interesting as he handed the vial back to her and scratched his head. When asked if the liquid was poison, he groaned and admitted a toxin was found in the liquid before going on to clarify it was too early to determine it as poison.

As Hanne questioned him, Puerick elaborated on the blood in the vial and its peculiar nature. Once the reporter suggested it was the blood of an animal unknown to him, the doctor agreed it was unexplainable otherwise. He then continued that, because blood gives off toxins when it rots, he was unable to determine if the toxin was a result of poison or the blood.

Seeing Hanne's disappointed expression, Puerick apologized for not being much help and the woman dismissed it as inevitable. Afterwards, he listened as Hanne theorized the poison used on Kaspar and Dr. Felix was formulated to blend in with toxins released by rotting blood so as to be untraceable. Nodding, Puerick noted the possibility hadn't been considered before asking how this would explain Dr. Felix's case, where the doctor was still breathing and yet no rotten poison was detected in his blood.

At Hanne's shock, Puerick apologized and admitted it was a nasty question, then pointing out that Dr. Felix hadn't been examined completely, his internal organs still unchecked. Noting that he had checked Kaspar's body during the autopsy and found nothing, he suggested the two had suffered two different causes of illness despite the similarity in symptoms.

Soon afterwards, Hanne stood up and apologized to the doctor, claiming she had urgent business elsewhere, and Puerick noted the late time as he told her to be careful on the way back. As the reporter was blocked from leaving by two men in black, Puerick asked them to identify themselves and declared they were trespassing. He then watched as the men explained Shaw Freesis had passed away and Hanne left with the two.

Eradicating the Epidemic
Later, after a handful of survivors of Gift had been discovered in Toragay, Puerick received reports detailing how no traces of the poison were found in the dead, while antibodies had been discovered in the blood of the survivors contacted by Elluka Clockworker after shedding her disguise as Hanne Lorre. Told about the medicine made from sap of the New Millennium Tree which fought the symptoms of Gift, Puerick agreed to meet the former reporter at the New Millennium Tree and obtained a forest traffic permit to visit the pilgrimage site. Taking a sample of the sap, he examined its properties and found it to have detoxifying qualities.

He was then joined by Elluka Clockworker and he greeted her as Hanne, announcing he'd looked over the sap. Asked for his results, he affirmed the sap had a powerful detoxification effect, although unable to check for certain without his instruments. Asked if it could be used for an antidote, he admitted he didn't know, not knowing the details of the Sixth Gift. He then noted that he would examine the antibodies found in the blood of the survivors before beginning his research on an antidote.

Puerick then announced he was heading home to begin his work and asked Elluka what she was going to do; hearing she and Gumillia would stay in the forest a little longer, he told her to relax. Warned to be careful that the sap wasn't confiscated by the church, Puerick remarked he wouldn't let his valuable research material be taken so easily. Leaving, Puerick returned to his home in Lucifenian and, in late October, successfully developed an antidote to the Gift.

Personality and Traits
Puerick was an honest and good-natured, albeit unconventional man. Not wishing to involve himself in politics, he was instead inspired to dabble in the hobby of the Rogzé family and practice pharmaceuticals. While he learned the history of his ancestors and their usage of poison for political gain, he instead engaged in the study of poisons and medicines for the betterment of his peers. Intelligent and hardworking, he was thus able to go far in his field.

Due to this, Puerick held a certain amount of pride in his abilities, believing that local doctors without his expertise were bound to make errors in judgment. He was also, at times, unconventional in manner as befitting his fascination with poisons, having a more mischievous sense of humor with guests. He was also not above moving around the laws and rules of a given institution when lives were at stake, taking sap from the sacred New Millennium Tree to cure the Toragay populace and hiding it from the Sisters of Clarith.

Despite this, he was also a responsible man when it came to his own health and that of others. As well as advocating tips for long living, such as early sleep and early rising as the secret for living a long life, Puerick's work into pharmaceuticals was in part to advance cures for terrible afflictions, such as Gula, which had plagued Evillious for centuries.

Skills and Abilities
Over the course of his studies, Puerick gained an impressive knowledge of medicine and poisons to advance his pharmaceutical career. In particular, like some of his family he became an expert on the formulating, administration, and identification of poisons and toxic substances. Similarly, he became well versed in the history of their usage, particularly the Gift poison that had been used by his family and the sleeping medicine devised by shamans that it was based on. Using this information, Puerick was able to form antidotes to a poison when given a curative substance to work with. Additionally, he had an extensive knowledge of diseases and was able to create cures for some of the most longstanding and deadly afflictions in Evillious.

As part of his medical experience, Puerick also had extensive anatomical knowledge and was one of the primary doctors consulted in the case of an autopsy, able to accurately determine the cause of death of a deceased individual. Despite this, he was unable to correctly identify the usage of poisons when the poison was masked by the body's own toxins or a make of which he hadn't seen before. Aside from this Puerick, due to his status, held a certain amount of prestige in his field and was afforded social and financial benefits as a member of the noble Rogz é family.

Character Connections
Prim Rogzé: A famous member of Puerick's family. Puerick was well versed in the history of Prim and her father, particularly for their usage of Gift, although did not share her penchant for using it to solve her problems.

Hanne Lorre: A reporter whom Puerick aids. Puerick grew amiable towards the reporter over the course of their acquaintanceship, and was eager to aid her in her investigations into Toragay. He later was quick to work with her again in the formation of a cure for Gift, showing some concern for her to relax as he did so.

Conceptualization and Origins

 * Like other named members of his family, Puerick's name begins with the Japanese character プ (pu).
 * His surname seems to be a corruption of Zero-G, the company that created his ancestor Prim's representative Vocaloid, Prima.

Curiosities

 * In Deadly Sins of Evil: Gift from the Princess who Brought Sleep, Puerick is described as wearing glasses and looking sharp.