Mathias Dem Spheniscidae

Early Life
Mathias Dem Spheniscidae was born on [WIP], in the town of Voitshenheiger, Tsaeloma. He is the son of Theodore L. Dem Sphenicidae, and a descendent of Archon Loic Dem Spheniscidae. He was the third child of Theodore, not in line for any title held by his family members. The boy was not expected to amount to much due to him not being the heir, but thankfully it did not lead to negligence on the part of his parents. This allowed him to study well, which caused him to develop an aptitude for remembering history, as well as an early introduction to politics.

Even though he had proven to many he was a smart child, the intelligence came at a cost. His social skills took a turn for the worse, and up to his early teens, any interactions he had with other children were with his siblings. That was until he became friends with Andros Justinianus. The friendship they developed would last a lifetime, which began at a town-wide event hosted by Slid Ad-Alendir, where they discovered they shared quite a lot in common, including a desire to become part of the Sirradran Government, an understanding of business, and a love for history. Like there always is in a friendship, there was the talker and the listener; Mathias was the listener.

With his newly found friendship, Mathias began making a name for himself among the people of Voitshenheiger and Tsaeloma. He met citizens like Scarletta Wolfstone, Nicodemus (the rector of Tsaeloma), [Azazel], and others. It was around this time that he began delving into his family history, finding admiration in the success of the Dem Spheniscidaes before him, Loic in particular. Upon reading of all the successes of his ancestors and family members, he vowed to be as influential, and successful, as them. Following this, he approached his now closest friend, Andros, about the idea they had been discussing for quite a while now: A business that would sell a multitude of things, including potions, alcohol, foods, and minerals. What made this so unique is that it was all one building, with each basement level housing the means of production for the different kinds of product. Soon, they agreed to start the business out of a building they had purchased outside the city walls.

The Path to Wraithism
Andros and Mathias worked unimpeded for quite a while, gathering funds, knowledge, and notoriety with the success of their business. Mathias was also nearing his 23rd birthday, having improved drastically in all parts of his life. Most notably, he had proven to be much more competent than his siblings, leading to his father naming him his heir. He was rising to power - and then he met Crestor Hobbs. Crestor was a man who originally lived in Kumar, having moved to Voitshenheiger to pursue his goals and advance his religion, which he told no one about.

Mathias had an uneasy feeling about Crestor from the get-go, noticing something off about him. What was initially concerning was the odd conversations he would have with himself in public, drawing the attention of many for a short time, before he faded into the darkness of insignificance once again. For weeks he was forgotten by Mathias and the rest of the town until he entered his home one day and spotted both Crestor and his father there. That is when Theodore broke the news that he had adopted Crestor, making Mathias have to consistently interact with the man he was so uneasy about before. It caused Mathias to develop a hatred for his new brother, which only piled up as Crestor’s actions became more sporadic and strange. It reached its pinnacle when Crestor was rejected, leading to the unintentional reveal of the Wraith he was possessed by through sadness and anger. Immediately it piqued Mathias’s interest, having read about higher or more powerful beings in his history books. Through his research, he discovered the Wraiths, with all their power and goals. What interested him most was the near immortality they possessed, though.

After long thought, Mathias approached Crestor. Despite his hatred for the man, he decided it would be a good idea to potentially work with him to gain the wraith's power for himself. Through intense discussion, Mathias was convinced to accept a wraith, despite the past interactions showing it would be quite difficult to control, as well as what Crestor was saying. Mathias was taken to the temple, where a ritual took place to imbue him with a wraith. Through the painful and painstaking process, Mathias received the power of the warrior wraith, which he was unable to control. He was subject to breakdowns and complete loss of motor function as the wraith took over and caused destruction all over Voitshenheiger and Tsaeloma.

Seeing how much of a problem this was, Mathias disappeared to the depths of his home for many months, learning the powers, the behaviors, and the motivations of the wraith. It was said that many strange sounds came from his place of residence during this time and strange sights of undead. Eventually, after long meditation and practice, he returned to his daily life. There was no evidence of the possession, except for a scar on his upper right temple.

Rise to Power
Finally, Mathias and Andros’s work was noticed by higher government officials. Andros was promoted to the Deputy of the Ministry of Commerce. This quickly changed to the Minister of Commerce, when Andros’s predecessor retired. Mathias was promoted to the Deputy of the Ministry due to his friendship with Andros.

Around the same time, his father resigned from his position as the Earl of Voitshenheiger and Duke of Tsaeloma. The position of duke was handed to Andros, while the Earl position was given to one Scarletta Wolfstone. Mathias was given the Deputy Earl position in Voitshenheiger, a position he also gained in the town of Wordesh.