Archimedes ta Scathach

Archimedes looks like a man in his later middle age. His hair is pewter grey, and his eyes have fine lines and wrinkles around them from years of laughter. His brow is also creased finely displaying worry, strife, and difficulty that he has lived with. Though despite this his smile is easy, warm, and welcoming.

Regardless of age, there is no mistaking the prophet for a weak man. Broad, powerful shoulders and thick arms suggest years of labor. The scars offer a tale of slavery and many years of military service, much like his calloused hands and the occasional distant look on his face when memory claims him. His long legs are, likewise strong from a life of riding horseback and marching in formation.

Beneath the shoulder-length grey hair that is usually neatly kept back from his face, a pair of brilliantly blue eyes are visible. Tempestuous, unpredictable at times, but never far from laughter. Despite all those knowing blue eyes have seen, he prefers to laugh rather than ruminate over previous tragedy.

Retirement has softened him around the edges just a bit. He is now more likely to smile or laugh than scowl than he was when he reigned as king. As always, he has a gentle and paternal demeanor unless pressed. Archimedes would much prefer to share a drink with someone and laugh than disagree about anything, and he goes to significant lengths to avoid conflict when he can.

On the other side of the coin, however, if pushed into a position where he must use his authority, Archimedes can slip into that role like a fish into a pool. When called for, Archimedes can become every inch the general and monarch he was for so many years. With a voice like a thunderstorm and an iron will, the prophet is a formidable force if roused to anger.

Born the crown prince of one of the Seven Great Houses of the fae, Archimedes lost his title through his brother, Luigh's, deception. Shortly thereafter, Archimedes was sent from the House, cast out under suspicion that he had attempted a coup. The rumors proved false, however, and shortly after Archimedes' banishment, the majority of the House was slaughtered by an unknown force, leaving only Archimedes and his brother, Luigh. With Archimedes living in the human world in exile, Luigh adopted position as Patriarch and finally received the status he so craved.

Archimedes wandered for many years, eventually settling down for a brief time with a woman named Sarah. They were married and Sarah gave birth to a son: Thomas. Though his joy did not last. Luigh, having learned of his location and that he had a son, sent mercenaries after them. The mercenaries slew his wife, and Archimedes fled with Thomas in his arms.

In order to protect his boy, he left him in a monastery in Elsewhere with the Liam fae who agreed to watch over him and protect the child from those after Archimedes. Unfortunately, Thomas did not remain there. Thomas, when he was old enough to do so, attempted to find his father and family. Luigh capitalized on this and claimed him, sinking his claws into the boy and twisting his mind and heart against his father.

Years passed, and Archimedes found himself enchained in slavery for time beyond memory to him. Those years fled by in a blur of darkness, pain, and sorrow until a woman by the name of Genevieve freed him, and he fled to the land of Eileadora where he attempted to hide himself and spent much time drinking.

Not long thereafter, Genevieve joined him in Eileadora, where he worked as a member of the Guard. The two fell in love and married, though Archimedes still worried over his son's safety and whereabouts, despite his newfound happiness. He didn't dare visit the boy, though, since Luigh could use that as an opportunity to discover Thomas' whereabouts.

Again, Archimedes' happiness shattered with the appearance of an assassin stalking him from the shadows and, when the moment was right, revealed himself as Thomas--Arch's lost son. Twisted by pain, torment, and lies, he believed his father a monster. It took Archimedes a long time and much work to help his son see his truth and to understand what had happened. In the end, father and son were reunited and destroyed Luigh to settlein Eileadora where Archimedes intended to raise his newly-born twin daughters, Alyson and Sarah.

Their peace did, yet again, not last long. Genevieve was slain by a ghost from Arch's past, and not long after he, and his family, were run from the city. Deciding he no longer desired to run, Archimedes and Thomas founded their own damn city: Urraim.

Much could, and perhaps should, be said about Urraim, though most of it is slowly fading from memory in dusty books kept in overfilled libraries that few regard. These days, the prophet has relinquished the throne to his son, Thomas, and has assumed the title of Archduke. He spends his time handling fae politics, raising his growing family, carving, and playing chess with his beloved wife, Christana.