Archibald Smelding

**Archibald "Archie" Smelding** is a character from Tower of Terror.

#### Background

Around 1868, Archibald Smelding became the butler, valet and manservant of Harrison Hightower III. Harrison was a wealthy member of the *Hightower family*, *Pillagers Brigade* and *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*. Hightower had Smelding accompany him on his globetrotting adventures where he would use highly amoral means to plunder, steal and grave-rob to add exotic artifacts to his collection.

#### Adventures

In 1881 they travelled to Easter Island and the Philippines. In 1882 their adventures took them to the Mediterranean and then in 1883 to the Lost River Delta of Cusco, Peru. During their Peruvian plunder they defaced a temple dedicated to a mesoamerican fire and water spirit, making off with the head of the water idol with Smelding having had to row the boat on their get-away. Also in 1883 they went grave robbing in Guatemala.

In 1887, Hightower and Smelding raiding ancient Egyptian temples for their treasures and mummies, notably locations robbed including the pyramids of Giza and temple Abu Simbel. Local Egyptians formed an angry mob to hunt after the two, only for them to escape in a hot-air balloon.

Around 1889, Hightower hired architect Oscar Klinovski to construct the Hotel Hightower in New York City to serve as his and Smelding's base. Construction of the hotel lasted for three years before opening to the public on the January 24th of 1892.. Smelding would frequently find himself working for Harrison and the S.E.A. as a butler within the hotel.

#### Shiriki Utundu

In 1899, Smelding accompanied Hightower and the Pillagers Brigade on an expedition to the Congo. On this voyage, Smelding and Hightower were attacked by natives before finding sanctity with the Mtundu tribe. Ultimately however Harrison chose to betray the tribe and steal the idol of their deity Shiriki Utundu which he and Smelding made off with in the night.

Hightower brought Shiriki Utundu back to New York to present at a New Year's Eve party which he threw in the Hotel Hightower. Smelding was however superstitious of the stolen idol and warned Hightower to abide by the laws which they learned of for respecting the deity from the Mtundu. Disaffected, Hightower instead used the idol to extinguish his cigar as a show of authority only to anger Shiriki Utundu and incur its wrath. The wrathful god blasted a beam of energy at Hightower and sent him down an elevator shaft to his death.

#### Institutionalization

Following this event, Smelding became broke and homeless while his master's spirit was bound in the hotel and eternally tormented by the wrathful god. In 1902, Smelding was institutionalized and stayed a patient for six years until 1908. Around 1912, he began manipulating the daughter of Hightower's lifelong rival Cornelius Endicott II, Beatrice Rose Endicott into using her father's wealth to establish the *New York City Preservation Society*. Smelding's plan was to have the NYCPS preserve the Hotel Hightower and conduct tours within, unknowingly providing human-sacrifice for Shiriki Utundu so that it might free Hightower's soul.

## Gallery

Unfairly trading on Easter IslandIn JapanIn IndiaIn Greece
## References

1. ↑ https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/kiokunoshima/026003/
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/Attractions/status/1082384534384062464
3. ↑ http://tdrlove.com/seaat/tdr1828.html
4. ↑ http://ksean.com/blog/tower-of-terror-easter-island-mural/