Sandmonger
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Name: Bernard Williams
Age: 39 (Dec. 7)
Birthplace: Oxford, England
Residence: New Haven, Cap au Diable
Degree: Masters of Science: Archaeology
Occupation: Archaeological Professor at Aeon University
Through his studies in the Valley of the Kings Bernard Williams discovered many artifacts of long lost pharaohs of Egypt. Many of those pieces are logged and then sent to Cairo or London for additional work to be later presented at history museums. Most warning are heeded as wives tales and are promptly ignored during excavations and finds. The finding of a signet ring bearing the depiction of a scarab, and piece of papyrus describing sand-like powers transforming one into a great being. That night he had a vision, a cobra-headed woman named Meretseger appeared to him. She told him that he was now bestowed the power of the sacred scarab, but for stealing from the Egyptians he will be punished for his transgressions. She opened his mouth and spat venom into to him. Waking up in a cold sweat the nightmare had ended and his disbelief of warnings turned to belief, for he had come down with a chronic cough the very next morning.
Taking a trip to Cairo, Bernard went to get a checkup after weeks of the terrible cough he picked up while in the Valley of the Kings. All tests confirmed that he had an incurable and unknown lung disease. Bernard suggested that perhaps it's a poison, taking note of that, his doctor prescribed him antivenom to see if it could reduce some of the symptoms. He found some relief, but he needed to find some sort of an apparatus that could reverse or halt the damage being caused to his lungs. The first device was that of an asthma inhaler, filled with an antivenom like substance to help relieve his cough and other symptoms. Eventually constructing a breathing medical device that is filled with
mix of various snake antivenoms to reduce the adverse effects of his lungs. It wasn't the greatest way to live, but it will likely keep him alive
much longer than expected. That was only the beginning of his troubles...
It was late, most everyone at the excavation site had turned in for the night. The disagreement had gotten out of hand, it had turned into a heated exchange. Bernard can't remember what it was about at this point, just yelling. He had had enough. He said, "Just stop," looking down at the table. His colleague didn't acknowledge his request, or at least he thought, no footsteps, no "okay's", nothing. It was silent. Looking back up to see if he had left, he was still there but sand had enveloped his body. Bernard couldn't believe his eyes, walking up to his suffocated "friend" he put a hand on the sand, it was still moving, crushing the man's body even more. Something felt different about the sand as if it were drawn to his fingertips like flaked metal pieces reacting to a magnet.
He had to leave, but where was the question. If he took any of his belonging he would obviously be tracked down and questioned for the man's murder. Bernard made it appear that he had vanished, only taking the scarab signet ring with him he hitchhiked his way to Cairo, leaving behind a dead man and a excavation crew with questions as to why their lead archaeologist had disappeared.
Bernard's flight back to England was restless, so far no authority had stopped him. He knew it was only a matter of time before they began snooping around looking for him. Hiding at his home in Oxford wouldn't do, he literally had to disappear. It had been a few days and he was returning home from the grocery store, opening his door stood two people in his foyer. The man, dressed in a white armor like suit with an eight pronged symbol on his chest, holding his helmet in his arms. The woman was in a red and black suit similar to the man's but kept her cylindrical helmet on masking her face. "Who are you," Bernard fearfully asked. "I am Arbiter Daos and this is Fortunata Kalinda, and we're here to help," the man said, "we already know about your little escapade in Luxor, and we're here to help."
"What's in it for you," Bernard questioned.
"Only your servitude to Lord Recluse and Arachnos," Daos said, "but you'll received many benefits. We'll set you up as a professor at Aoen University and help head our artifact curator division. We'll make sure INTERPOL or any other authoritative service will be unable to touch you."
"Guess it couldn't hurt, however my health could be a drawback," Bernard said. "We know," Daos said. With that, Daos and Kalinda accompanied him to an Arachnos Flyer and made their way to the Rogue Isles.
The work was pretty simple, go out see where Arachnos had been digging and see if anything they dug could help piece together the history of the Etoile Islands. Bernard was interested in anything that showed up, however Arachnos was more concerned with any relic that could hold power, like the Crystal of Serafina. The digs slowly became more and more annoying, Circle of Thorns and Carnival of Shadows started to frequent more and Bernard started to get fend up with it. Even with Arachnos patrolling the area as they excavated were never enough. Taking it upon himself to get other interest groups out of his way. He took his breather that he uses at night and placed it on his head, wrapping some cloth around his head to cover the rest of his head. Concentrating, sand started to swirl around him. Multiple dervishes branched out from his standing point. Anything in their way got tattered, torn, and blown away, not distinguishing between Carnies, Thorns or Arachnos agents. Half buried or flung far off from the site, no one was going to stop him. A Circle of Thorn mage, half choking from the sand, sputtered "Who are you?"
Bernard's only muffled reply was, "I am what you call Sandmonger," staring at the mage, he thought of ending the Thorn's life, but thought better of it. Making sure he would be known. Not more than a swallow's flight away, Kalinda was sitting at her desk in Fort Darwin. Daos was standing by the door waiting for her to give him an update on Bernard. "He's gone, but you already knew that he wouldn't [stay]. I even told you that. Any other reason you're here," she asked.
"We'll just monitor him, no need in disposing of him, he's still of a lot of value whether he likes it or not," Daos replied, "I'll leave you to the new recruits, I need to return to Grandville."
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Weak and Powerless - A Perfect Circle
Stricken - Disturbed (Theme)
La Grange - ZZ Top
What Do I Have To Do? - Stabbing Westward
Soldier of the Wasteland - Dragonforce
