Edmund Cloudsley

* III
* X

**Edmund Cloudsley** was the firstborn of Albert Cloudsley and Mary Cloudsley and the most prolific wielder of the Golden Idol. He discovered the Idol's ability to age and de-age living beings, which he used to establish a 3-year authoritarian regime over Albion under the alias of **Lazarus Herst**.

## Biography

### The Dramatic Departure of an Outsider

Edmund Cloudsley and his newly hired servant David Gorran witness the power of the Golden Idol when Willard Wright uses it to perform spontaneous combustion on James Pear, killing him instantly.

### The Murder at the Little Mermaid

Edmund Cloudsley orders David Gorran, under the pseudonym of Ash Blair, to steal the Idol from Willard Wright at the Little Mermaid Inn. David attempts to steal the Idol while Willard is asleep, but the box that the Idol is stored in plays a chime that causes Willard to wake up. The two have a fight that results in the death of Willard and the Idol in David's possession.

### The Intoxicating Dinner Party

The Brotherhood of Masks, having learned that Edmund Cloudsley murdered their Proudbeast Initiate and stole the Idol, persuades Ada Baker to assassinate him at a dinner party. Ada uses the poison given to her by Walter Keene on a bottle of peptic tonic, which she knew Edmund would be having due to his sensitive stomach. However, Rose Cubert drinks the same peptic tonic before Edmund has a chance to and succumbs to the poison instead. This chapter additionally reveals a rivalry between Edmund and Peter Battley for the hand of Mary Richards.

### The Explosive Events in the Forest Cabin

Edmund Cloudsley moves to a secret cabin to prevent any further assassination attempts, and uses his time in the cabin to extensively study the properties of the Idol. He orders David Gorran to bring a human corpse to the cabin to test the Idol's ability to transfer organic matter, resulting in the aging and de-aging of living beings. David sets up the delivery of a corpse to the cabin, but is sent a decoy by Walter Keene and his associates, Jack Nails and Hardy Abe. The associates attempt to steal the Idol from Edmund, but are both killed by a trap set up by Edmund that used the Idol to cause an explosion once the door to his room was opened.

### The Grand Vision of a Better World

Edmund Cloudsley captures Walter Keene and fakes his own death, ostensibly caused by the explosion in the cabin. He moves Walter with his visions of an ideal state, convincing Walter to pledge loyalty to him and to the Order Party. Edmund uses the Idol to de-age himself, solidifying his transition into his new identity of Lazarus Herst. He laments the marriage of Peter Battley and Mary Battley (nee Richards) in his notebook, claiming the marriage to be "null and void".

### The Strange Practices of a Secretive Society

Edmund Cloudsley, who was admitted into the Brotherhood of Masks by request of Walter Keene, passes the inception ritual, replacing Willard Wright as the Proudbeast Initiate.

### The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse

Edmund Cloudsley uses a staff with the Idol concealed inside of it to simulate the miracle of flying from the top of a lighthouse. Angus MacBain, who historically was able to repeat every supposed miracle performed by previous Brotherhood members, attempts to repeat Edmund's miracle, but instead falls off of the lighthouse and dies. Because Angus was not able to repeat his miracle, Edmund becomes the first member in the history of the Brotherhood to be crowned Gryphon Reborn.

### The Interrupted Weekend at the Doctor's Salon

Edmund Cloudsley runs for Prime Minister in the 1792 election under the New Order Party, competing with the Loyalist and Moderate Parties. The New Order Party wins the most Members of Parliament (36 of 97), but Edmund fears the possibility that the two opposing parties will merge to invalidate the New Order Party's plurality. He orders fellow Brotherhood members James Turner and Alistair Koch to turn the Loyalist and Moderate Parties against each other so that he can maintain his plurality in Parliament and be elected Prime Minister. They do this by murdering Moderate leader Augustus Vallantine and framing Loyalist leader Leopold Blanchard. For their success, Edmund shows them the capabilities of the Idol.

### The Triumph of Order

Edmund Cloudsley has now ruled Albion as High Arbiter of the Order Party for three years. Citizens have years taken off of their life by the Idol based on a merit system, which assigns each citizen a merit score based on their actions. The organic matter collected by the Idol from this practice is used to indefinitely extend the lifespan of New Order Party members. Edmund interrogates Lothar Richards to learn the dwelling of Peter Battley and Mary Battley.

### The Slight Delay in the Peaceful March to the King's Castle

Edmund Cloudsley orders David Gorran to meet with Ada Baker at the Little Mermaid Inn to learn Walter Keene's residence and assassinate him. He then storms the Battley manor in an attempt to kidnap and wed Mary Battley, but is met by a drunk Peter Battley who kills him with a cannon from John Breage's ship, which he won from gambling.

## Possessions

### The Dramatic Departure of an Outsider

* An embroidered handkerchief
* 3 pounds and 3 shillings
* Newspaper
* Note from Theo
* A stiletto blade

### The Intoxicating Dinner Party

* An embroidered handkerchief
* An orange key (to a drawer of wine and brandy)
* A blue key (to a drawer of peptic tonic and opium)

### The Explosive Events in the Forest Cabin

* A notebook detailing Edmund's findings of the properties of the Idol

### The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse

* A ruby ring
* A notebook detailing the plan to perform the miracle

### The Grand Vision of a Better World

* The Golden Idol
* A notebook detailing the ideologies of the New Order Party

## Quotes

* "What an unexpected turn of events." (The Dramatic Departure of an Outsider)
* "It's poison! Nobody touch a thing and nobody move! I'll send for a doctor rightaway." (The Intoxicating Dinner Party)
* "I have signalled to Gryphon who I am. I accept my fate whatever it may be." (The Strange Practices of a Secretive Society)
* "Kneel before Gryphon Reborn and make ready! I will lead you brothers to great many changes!" (The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse)
* "Silence! You will perform your function as much as is required. It is paramount to ensure order in our new society." (The Triumph of Order)
* "Witness the power of the Idol in my hands and swear loyalty to Lazarus Herst! We will build the ideal society!" (The Grand Vision of a Better World)

## Trivia

* The name of Edmund's alter ego Lazarus Herst is an allusion to the Biblical character Lazarus of Bethany, who is resurrected by Jesus four days after his death. This most directly represents Edmund's "rebirth" after faking his death in the Cloudsley Cabin, but could also symbolize his title of Gryphon Reborn.