Edward Bingham

**Edward Bingham** is a retired researcher and scientist for MONARCH and the ICA. He accompanied Bluebird’s Team in their acquisition of a powerful explosive before disappearing.

## Biography

Little is known about the early life of Edward Bingham, though his intelligence and manner suggest a high level of formal education. Bingham joined MONARCH in its earliest days, adopting the code name Agent Booby. He was appointed a Senior Researcher and worked with MONARCH directly, though only ever by post. During his time with MONARCH he developed highly advanced technology, including the containment device for a micro black hole, and the black hole itself. Though well-intentioned and originally designed as an energy source for the world’s benefit, Albatross went behind the agency’s back and compelled Bingham to install a doomsday switch within the device, weaponising it. This is one of the rumoured causes of the ICA/Silver Hand schism. When the agents comprising MONARCH split into their respective agencies, Bingham remained loyal to MONARCH itself, and sought to continue to develop and utilise the black hole device. Misunderstanding Bingham’s intentions, the ICA believed he wished to use it to aid the Silver Hand, given Albatross’s design, and imprisoned him for conspiracy to commit genocide within the Iron Citadel.

There he remained for 35 years, supplied with a steady flow of mind-suppressing drugs and magic to ensure his compliance and obedience. On the 26 Mirtul 4679, Bluebird’s Team infiltrated the Iron Citadel and liberated Bingham, in order to extract information from him regarding the device. Bingham slowly emerged from underneath the effects of the drugs and magic addling his mind, and accompanied the team into the Underdark. Bingham was of little help in the cavernous descent into the vaults of the earth, but the deeper the team ventured, the stronger the effects of the *faerzress* became and the stronger Bingham’s mental faculties became. By the time the team reached the fungal forest, Bingham had recovered sufficiently to communicate in fluent Undercommon, and arranged passage with the Forest People to The City of Spiders. Once within the City, Bingham directed the team to an inn he frequented during his previous tenure in Menzoberranzan. This inn was also strategically situated at one end of a secret tunnel that led within the headquarters of the Silver Hand, and at Bingham’s direction the team located the missing bomb deep within the headquarters building.

Returning to the surface, Bingham disappeared after the party left him behind, apologising for his flight but insisting he was unwilling to return to prison. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

## Personality

Bingham is a highly intelligent man, whose multi-decade tenure in a prison did little to dull his intelligence, though it did render him scatterbrained at times. He is a helpful man, though his intelligence can lead him to prove somewhat arrogant at times. He enjoys educating people about his passions, and his version of events portrays him as an individual with noble intentions.

## Relationships

* Bailey Bingham † - Son

Allies* MONARCH - Employer
* Bluebird's Team
	+ Freth - Former Associate
	+ Honey Smith - Former Associate
	+ Silk Greengallow - Former Associate
	+ Lacey Stain - Former Associate
	+ Bollo Burbage - Former Associate
	+ Eleanor Darling - Former Associate
* The Silver Hand - Professional Adversaries

## Trivia

* According to his MONARCH file, Bingham was born 27 Tarsakh 4605, stands at 5’ 9” (175 cm) tall and is a widower.
* Bingham solved one of mathematics’ most notoriously unsolved equations, but lacking a writing implement at the time, promptly forgot it again.