Septon Archibald is the newly chosen High Septon of the Faith of the Seven. He is two-and-fifty years of age.
History[]
The High Septon and all but two of the Most Devout died with the Queen, burned by the dragons' grief as they were returning from a trip to the Vale. Traveling with them was Septon Archibald, who fortunately survived with naught but a burn on his left hand when a Knight of the Faith Militant threw him into a stone building. For the two remaining Most Devout who not made the journey - Septa Morganna and Septon Perrigan - the morning was filled with grief, but the afternoon with opportunity.
Septon Archibald was known as a man of miracles. He had been found as a babe in the Mountains of the Moon, after an excursion of Knights of the Vale cut down a gang of Black Ears. The knights took him to a Septry, to be raised by Brown Brothers devoted especially to the Father. He was a quick study and passionate in his devotion, but when he became old enough he declined to take the vows of the Septry, instead opting for the life of a begging brother.
At the age of 32 he was accompanying some Knights of the Faith Militant through the Mountains of the Moon when they were attacked by Painted Dogs; the knights were killed, and he was taken captive. He was stripped naked, led for days by a leather rope, until the Chief became infected with a tape worm. They did not recognize the disease, but he did, and volunteered to save the Chief’s life. At his success, the Clansmen praised not his skill, but the powers of his Gods. Feeling somewhat foolish, yet now in a much better position of standing with the Clansmen, he anointed the Chief in the faith of the Seven, and was returned peacefully to the Vale, where the story of his “miracle” spread faster than the truth, to the point where he found it useless to correct the story.
From then on, the title of 'begging brother' became a misnomer, as he was heartily welcomed to the table and Sept of any Septon, Septa, or devout Lord in the Vale, and in the Riverlands where his story spread. He was even known to visit the Painted Dogs from time to time. He personally counseled and converted many lost souls over the next two decades, and it was said that his presence alone was enough to inspire faith in the Seven.
At this time, Septa Morgana and Septon Perrigan of the Most Devout, were both driven and powerful figures of the faith. They sought not only to preserve the faith, but expand it. Their colleagues tended to temper their ambition, but the day of the Queen's death found the rest of the Most Devout slain, and suddenly these two found their influence unbound.
They found Septon Archibald – now of 52 years – leading a small group of the Faith Militant in distributing food and blankets to the homeless as their homes still burned from dragonfire. There, they asked the obviously blessed man to rise as the new High Septon, help reform the Most Devout, and lead the Faith into this new, uncertain age. Caught off guard by the request, he accepted