Group: The Academicals
Barony: Londinium
County: Warwick
Duchy: York
Race: Beastkin
Celeste Dirleth was a young woman just reaching the age of her debut in the Albion court, when she met the Green Corsair Wilmarth Carcossa. Drawn by the sly smiles, the easy wit and the promise of a life of adventure she absconded with him on his boat the “Nebbia notte”. After six months on the seas playing cat and mouse with the Albion Fleets whilst relieving the smugglers of Sarnia and Orlaine of their illicit cargoes, they returned with their plunder to Palermo in Southern Sicilia and were married by Priests of The Leviathan, in a ceremony held for them by Don Leonardo Deodati di Molinari, Don di Molinari.
Their first child came soon after, within the year a son, Arthur Dirleth was born. To the dismay of his parents he was hideously deformed, part man part spider. Wilmarth wanted to give the child to He Who Sleeps, a hateful reminder of a lost ancestor’s time in the Underdark but Celeste took pity upon the babe.
Afraid of the Darkness inherent in all creatures that come from the depths and combined with the fact that Wilmarth could not bear to look upon his hideous son led to Arthur’s abandonment at a Convent of The Mother near Brighthelmstane
Alone and looking so alien to those around him Arthur grew up a shy child. The Doctrine of The Mother conflicted with his bestial desires and this inner conflict led to him feeling isolated and alone in his studies during his formative years.
Coming of age Arthur wanted to continue his studies as well as help those in need in Albion. The nearby College of Brighthelmstane held little appeal nor did the comfort and luxury enjoyed by the nobles of the city. He decided to move to the city of Londinium and join the Academical College there, while continuing to live a simple life and using the allowance his Father still provided, to assist the local orphans, waifs and strays.
Grandmaster Zachary took great interest in the young Arthur. He worked with him to develop his knowledge of philosophy as well as to bring him out of his introverted shell. Zachary was enamored by this Monstrous creature being so dedicated to knowledge and education but horrified that his nature had been so cowed. Eventually Arthur was given position as a professor of philosophy and his own lair in which to inhabit in the bowels of the college.
Tragedy struck the year of the cataclysm as the Nebbia note was lost at sea, thankfully Celeste was not aboard at the time but after the horror of losing her beloved husband she returned to Albion and retreated to the Convent of The Mother (now the Convent of Nethras’ Mercy) to spend the rest of her days.
The newly empowered and confident Arthur took this opportunity to see his mother for the first time in his memory. The sight of her abandoned son drove Celeste to tears. She begged for his forgiveness and asked that he return to Court and demand that he be recognised as a scion of House Dirleth, where she had failed, she would not allow the nobility to reject her son and heir. Seeing an opportunity both to spread great good for the common folk of Albion and a chance to indulge his more primal nature in battle, Arthur bought himself clothes fit to his station and left to join the Court of Albion to reclaim his rightful place.
Before his untimely death Zachary introduced Arthur to Ninn, who invited Arthur to join his fledgling order, The Knights of the White tower, as a healer and advisor. Since then Arthur has been working with the Albione refugees that lost their home in the scourge, making sure there is enough food and shelter in the refugee camps and healing those that are sick and injured.