Roman Yarbrough

**Roman Yarbrough** (22 August 1956 - 3 September 1999) was the 2nd Director of the Echo Division in the Sunken Temple.

## History

Yarbrough was born on 22 August 1956 to Jonathan and Sarah Yarbrough as their 3rd son. The Yarbrough family was an Independent magical family of little note living in the city of Burlington, Wisconsin. Although Yarbrough's childhood was spent with few incidents, the family suffered greatly during the Bloody Summer of 1969. Sarah Yarbrough was murdered during the Burlington Massacre, and the remaining family members fled first to Chicago and then to the East Coast.

He joined the Federal Bureau of Magical Affairs in 1976. His weak magical skills almost disqualified him from service, but he managed to be recruited into the FBMA's armed forces. He was assigned to the Sunken Temple, protecting the Shallows from incursions of Echo beasts from the Deep Sector. He was involved in nearly 80 incidents involving Echo beasts over the next 3 years and a total of 174 incidents from 1976 to 1983.

He was involved in a large incursion of Echo beasts into the Shallows on 30 November 1983. The security forces suffered several casualties, and Yarbrough himself sustained severe, life-threatening injuries. He was witness to Loggia's death from blood loss. He took control of the Key, becoming the 2nd Director of the Echo Division.

Yarbrough's tenure as Director was one of relative peace and expansion within the Sunken Temple. The Shallows were fully secured and settled, with permanent residents moving into the Shallows in 1990. He was the first to begin a catalogue of artifacts found within the Sunken Temple, and the beginnings of the Quarantine Sector was planned during his tenure, though he was unable to see his plan become a reality in 2005.

Yarbrough was murdered by Tobias Vain on 3 September 1999. Vain was a Scholar of the First Sin who was captured following the Michigan Disaster and brought to the Sunken Temple to investigate the source of the Scholars' artifacts. Vain managed to break free of his restraints, and in his attempt to escape the Sunken Temple, he murdered Yarbrough with a stolen knife.

## Education

The Yarbrough family was part of the magical community in Burlington, Wisconsin. However none of the local public schools offered a magical education, so Yarbrough attended a private school to receive his basic magical and mundane education.

He joined the FBMA, and although he received basic and advanced military training, he never pursued an advanced education in magic.

## Personal Life

Yarbrough was the 3rd son of his parents. His oldest brother was set to inherit the family's business and magical items, and his 2nd brother became a well-known magical sportsman. Yarbrough joined the FBMA to escape his brothers' shadows.

Although he did not marry anyone throughout his life, Yarbrough maintained a close relationship with a man named James Halbright. There is little evidence that the relationship was sexual in nature, and the two men never spoke about their relationship.

## Key

As the 2nd Director of the Echo Division, Yarbrough also held the Key. It assumed the shape of a fingerless glove that he often wore on his right hand. He was able to use the Key as a focus, and it appeared to be able to enhance his weak magic.