This is a played character.
Octavius Latimer is Arturia's reclusive Minister of Internal Affairs. He's the man who orchestrates relations, agreements, and commerce between the four districts of the city, and occasionally helps resovle conflicts between areas of each District itself. He is strangely good at his job, despite (or perhaps because of) his lack of conventional social skills and unsettling physical deformities. He practices experimental Alchemy as a hobby, and has a close affiliation with Morgana University. His political stance is primarily liberal.
University Days
Latimer became a student of Morgana University in his early teen years, and showed remarkable intellectual potential. While not a personable boy by any means, he earned the favor of many of his professors for his innate alchemical skill. He was expected to graduate with high honors and become a professor and university scholar before his expulsion from the school in his last year.
Involvement in the Whitcombe Incident
In the year _, Latimer's final year before graduation, Morgana's HeadMaster retired and the University board was prepared to vote in a new Master. Professor _, a favorite teacher of Latimer's, was the primary contender along with school Dean Alexander Whitcombe. ___ was backing Latimer for a tenured position as Professor of Applied Philosophy upon his graduation, while Whitcombe was opposed to his induction as a Scholar for unspecified conduct issues.
When rumors of a personal scandal threatened _'s eligibility for position as Master; Whitcombe, his two strongest supporters on the University board, and four student's of Latimer's year were found murdered in their beds. Though there was no specific proof, Latimer was the prime suspect and the combination of his flat affect and lackluster self-defence led to his expulsion from the school and entry into mandatory military service. ___ was thoroughly investigated despite Latimer's claims that he had no knowledge of the murders, and was later exonerated, leading to his ascention to the position of Headmaster.
Military Service
Latimer began his military service in an infantry regiment consisting entirely of those convicted or suspected of violent crimes, distributed to colonies in Thulian areas and the Moorlands. At the beginning of the Albian-Prussian War, hower, Latimer and a number of other criminals were brought back to Albion and incorporated into the regular army. Latimer was pressed into the crew of an airship, chosen for the knowledge of their design and workings he had aquired at the University.
Injuries
His tour of duty was uneventful until a particular incident occuring over the channel between Albion and the continent: The crew of an airship damaged by Prussian fire was evacuating to the ship on which Latimer served, and in the rush to return to battle, he was the only one who noticed that the ship's core had been damaged and was preparing to discharge it's energy. As the last member of the crew disembarked, Latimer lept aboard the damaged ship and steered it away from the Albian fleet, across the firing zone, and into a line of Prussian fighters. The resulting explosion would have damaged a number of the fleet's ships and could have lost them the battle. The badly burnt Prussian ships in retreat, Latimer's body was recovered from the channel, mangled and badly burnt. He was alive, but the left side of his face was damaged by shrapnel, his cheek split by a Prussian bullet, and his left arm and leg sheared off at the shoulder and knee, respectively.
Reconstruction
Unconscious and barely surviving, Latimer was shipped back to Arturia and the captain of his ship made preparations to apply for him to be posthumously pardoned. The University doctors said there was little they could do for him, but Master _ volunteered as an old teacher and friend to make an attempt at saving his life. Combining his knowledge of medicine and alchemy with a background in mechanical engineering, ___ retrofitted Latimer's damaged body with a pair of mechanical limbs, and a replacement eye and ear. Octavius made a full recovery with the help of his 'replacement parts', and was given a full pardon for his heroism and a position in the Ministry complete with his own personal airship, the H.M.A.S. Prometheus. Over the years he's become adept at using his mechanical arm, leg, and eye, and they are now as much a part of him as his organic limbs.
Political Career
Latimer's first position in government was as the Minister of New Technologies, and he spent much of his time at the University examining discoveries and inventions made by students and Scholars, and adapting them for Civil use. As his superiors retired or died, Octavius has slowly made his way up the governmental ladder until he reached his present position of Minister of Internal affairs, second only to the Prime Minister and the Queen. It is now his job to keep his fingers on the pulse of the city, and conduct the movements of the Ministers below him.
Octavius is played by Lane at LINKHERE. PB is Crispin Glover.
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