THE UNDYING OF LONDON

Carthephius	Sir Edward Clarke	Jonathan Black

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell

Physical Description

Carthephius appears to be about middle age, with light wrinkles forming around his gray eyes. He has brown hair and his skin is rough and tanned, as if he's been living and working in the outdoors most of his life. His dress is always appropriate for the occasional, and he takes pains not to attract too much attention.

There is a confidence in the way he moves and interacts with others. He carries himself like a man capable of violence if necessary; a soldier who will not hesitate to strike against a threat without hesitation to protect both himself and any in his care.

Personality

There are few people in medieval Europe that see past the fiction of Sir Edward Clarke and behold the Roman Legionnaire and Undying soldier Carthephius. The Roman is a soldier first and foremost, and this ultimately affects how he interacts with others. Everyone is either a potential alley or enemy.

When playing the role of Edward Clarke, he comes across as a pious soldier of God who is nevertheless hesitant to cast judgment on others. He's seen much of the world, and the experience has opened its eyes to possibilities beyond church teachings. The act is a good one, and Carthephius manages to fool even himself on occasion.

Story

Born as Joshua, son of Absalon, Carthephius joined the Roman Legions as a boy with the hope of earning a diploma and winning citizenship within the Empire. He adopted a Roman name while in the Legions, abandoning his Hebrew identity. He traveled across the known world, and earned the respect of his officers and fellow soldiers, earning honor, glory, and wealth in the process. The stories of these years are said to be epic themselves, but when word reached the soldier that his sister had been raped and murdered, he was given leave and returned home to Jerusalem.

When he arrived, he learned that the killer, a monster named Barabbas, had been apprehended by local officials and sentenced to death by crucifixion. The sentence was never carried out. At the request of the citizenry, Barabbas was spared and a local madman claiming to be the King of the Jews was executed in his place.

Carthephius visited the carpenter's son in the early morning hours of that tragic day. What the two spoke of is unknown, and the Roman has never shared it with anyone. He remained in Jerusalem to witness the execution and then left the next day to return to his unit.

Three years later Carthephius was inducted into the Shemsu-Heru. He fought loyal for Horus, despite the racism felt towards non-Egyptians, until the tenth century. Carthephius wished to aide his wife and daughters, members of House Diedne, against the Order of Hermes. Horus undermined his efforts, concerned at angering the wizards. The Roman walked away from the Shemsu-Heru, and never looked back.

Today, Carthephius is an active member of the Society of Tsenetnofret (Society of the Perfect Companion), a loose confederation of Undying who provide material support to one another, as well as friendship. The Roman has declared his ultimate loyalty rests with the human race, and he seeks to help mankind one individual at a time against the monsters of the world. His goal is to be a candle in the darkness, providing a little warmth and hope in a world which is so often lacking.

As Sir Edward Clarke, Carthephius has become something of a wandering ronin, using skills as storyteller and a warrior to help fight against the encroaching darkness that seems to be descending upon the world.

Sir Edward Clarke

Edward Thatcher was born in the village of Clarke on the northern tip of Ireland. When word reached that all good Christians were being called to join the Crusade to free the Holy Land, Edward did not hesitate to join the cause. He fought with honor, helped to repel an ambush that was targeting a Cardinal from Rome. He was rewarded with a Knighthood.

Edward traveled extensively through the Holy Land, and in Judea he found himself defending Muslim, Christian, and Jewish peasants from a death cult that was terrorizing the population, harvesting them for materials and sacrifice. With the aid of allies, Sir Edward destroyed the cult, but in the wreckage of their library he found evidence of their presence in England.

Sir Edward has returned home to hunt down and finish what was begun in Judea.

Future Imperfect - Jonathan Black

By the 1990's, Carthephilus will have settled in the new world, splitting his time between the cities of New York and Gotham. Assuming the identity of a Sorcerer and Occult Bookstore Owner, he creates the identity of Jonathan Black. During this time, he combats an immortal wizard intent on opening the gates of hell and works to hunt down a number of the LeMarchland Puzzle boxes. He agrees to ally himself with the Shemsu-Heru for a brief time, though the relationship doesn't last and ends poorly.