Howard Carter

## Howard Carter (he/ him)

Art by @skraak on tumblr. Used with permission. If using this art as reference, please credit the artist.

## Meta Information

### Introductory episode

The Curse

Carter is a thief, archeologist, and translator.

## Personality & appearance

Obnoxious. Takes wild risks and performs ill-considered crimes with a surprising amount of skill. Refuses to take responsibility for his own actions.

In season 4, he's enthusiastic about looting the Shoin institute and eager to minimize his past crimes; likes listening in on people. As time goes on, the party realizes Carter has trouble entertaining himself and often seeks external stimulus, sometimes self-destructive; he sometimes takes risks just to get attention and "bring people in."

Carter keeps his hair short. After being brought back to life in episode 178, his hair is pure white, and all his scars are gone.

## Skills

By his own account in episode 97, Carter is an "archeologist, thanatologist extraordinaire, master of translation, expert locksmith."

He is skilled at jail-breaks and identifying traps. In battle, he throws a number of knives. He also has some ability to do magic..

## History

### Pre-canon

As a child, Carter was poor at school, particularly at maths; he does not seem to have friends, and experienced neglect and strictness from authority figures. He spent a significant amount of time at museums, hiding and drawing.

### Season 1

Elijah Wormwood references Carter in in episodes 18 and 19; the MacGuffingham family was supposed to fund "Carter’s latest expedition," but because Bertie can't pay that, the museum will "just skimp on Mr. Carter’s expedition."

In episode 92, Carter tries to explain that he was going to translate the Rosetta stone, but apparently, his funding was cut, and his attempts to do it alone went wrong. He further explains in episode 94 that he got wrapped up in the bank heist, in which he was hired as an archeologist to help navigate the tomb and detect traps. Crucially, he missed a trap that created supernatural darkness.

### Season 3

Sasha encounters Carter in episode 91, while drinking in The Pharaoh in Cairo, where he is ranting about "the curse." The party eventually learns that Carter was involved in the bank heist with Saleh Jr, and once Eren Fairhands releases Saleh and Carter from their curse, the party turns them into the Meritocratic authority. However, Carter escapes and tries to rob the bank again, only to once again be caught by the party.

### Season 4

*[128 - 151]*

After escaping jail several times, Wilde recruited him to be part of his independent team, alongside Barnes and Zolf. Despite their flirtation in Cairo, Wilde and Carter are not sleeping together.
The party encounters Carter again in episode 151 near the entrance to the tunnel to Shoin's laboratory, fighting mooks alongside Barnes.
*[152 - 173]*

Carter quarantines with the party, Wilde, Barnes, and several kobolds in the inn after Shoin's, and accompanies the team to Hiroshima before joining them on the airship expedition to Svalbard. During the airship trip, wild magic swapped his and Natun's body in It's OK, But It's Complicated. They swapped back in Mixed Blessings.

*[174 - 192]*

In RQG 174, he was flung from the airship and died. Azu retrieved his spirit with a ritual in episode 177, helping Carter to face a world where he felt disliked and scared. After waking up post-ritual, Carter's hair has turned pure white and all scars and other marks are gone from his skin. He appears to have a connection with both Azu (his spiritual guide), and with the other resurrected crewmates, Sassraa and Wilde (possibly also Meerk, who was not resurrected). In episode 180, the main party left the crew of the vengeance, including Carter, with the Ursans and did not return. In episode 192, Wilde informs the party that through his connection to Carter and Sassraa, the Vengeance crew know the party is OK, and that they are planning to help in some way.

[216-]

In episode 216 "death from above" he arrives at london with the rest of the crew of the vengeance who were staying with the ursans to help the party with the final battle.

## Trivia

* Has a lovely singing voice.
* Is an excellent artist.

 Quotes

"Howard Carter, thanotologist, world renowned stenographer, coder. And I...I am the cause of all that is wrong in the world. I brought this down! It is my fault. I delved tooooo much. And it’s all my fault. The curse, you see, the curse!"
―**Episode 92**[src]

"It’s the tomb! The tomb has ruined the world! It was hubris! I dared, I dared to delve beneath the very base of dragon vaults. I deserve it! I’m just sorry I took the world with me!"
―**Episode 92**[src]

"Hey, bar lady. How’re you doing? I’d really appreciate a little help. I might’ve made a mistake…again."
―**Episode 96**[src]

"You know what? Paladins, you say, I think I’m alright. I think I’ve got it. If you could just leave me that rope, I reckon I’ve got this covered. I appreciate it though, honestly."
―**Episode 96**[src]

"They got themselves killed, I was just here."
―**Episode 97**[src]

"Mutual suspicion, order of the day! No touching, no hugging, no happiness!"
―**Episode 152**[src]

**Carter**: "I am an excellent thief."
**Azu**: "No, you’re not, we found you in a pit!"
**Carter**: "I have been unfortunate, as have we all."
**Azu**: "You got cursed! While trying to thieve, like, the same place?"
**Carter**: "Big words from Ms. Cursed to Miss A Year! I don’t really understand what happened there."
―Episode 152[src]

"You don’t *need* my help, though, look at you. Like you said, you got your big, like, axe and, and your big armour and your all of that. I don’t bring anything — like, I’ll just stay here, it’s fine. I get it, I’m useless, I don’t have anything to help or do, so I can just stay here, at least out of the way. It’s fine, I get it. It’s not *nice*, but I get it, it’s fine."
―**Episode 177**[src]