Marquis Argel

Biodata

Background / History

Marquis Argel inherited a house that had preserved its hereditary title by withdrawing from military and political affairs. In 1034, his predecessor Abner Argel publicly committed the family to commerce; its House of Lords seat subsequently remained unoccupied, and family members stopped entering military service. Investments in wine, mining, industry, and finance eventually made the family exceptionally wealthy 1 2.

By early 1347, Argyle was the only surviving member of his generation, with Kronos and Annie forming the next generation. He regarded the family’s earlier political crisis as long past and initially allowed Kronos to decide whether to accept work on the ironclad project 2 3.

His apparent security concealed continuing restrictions. Argyle believed the Royal Family trusted the house only while it avoided politics and military affairs and produced no demigods. The family had deliberately accepted teachings that impeded Beyonder advancement and avoided seeking Sequence 4 formulas to reassure the crown 35.

According to Gner’s later assessment, Argyle had once secretly vowed to overcome the family’s restrictive grimoire, become a demigod, and restore its glory. Twenty years passed without fulfilling that ambition: preserving his noble dignity and managing commerce competed with the risks and dedication required for advancement. At forty-seven, he remained a Sequence 6 Scroll Professor, with apparently little prospect of reaching demigodhood 35 50.

Kronos’s discoveries eventually overturned that prognosis. Argyle borrowed the Justiciar Blasphemy Card to study the underlying knowledge of Beyonder powers, and later received standards from Kronos that provided an opportunity to complete his Scroll Professor digestion. He advanced to Sequence 5 Astronomer at the family’s ancestral residence, under his father’s supervision 109 137 141 142.

His advancement coincided with a broader change in family policy. Drawing on Kronos’s proposals and his own analysis of the Royal Family’s reduced monitoring of local affairs, Argyle decided to relocate the family’s base to Midseashire and integrate its previously scattered businesses. His ambition to restore the house, rather than fear of the Hidden Sage alone, drove this departure from generations of deliberate obscurity 141 151 152.

With further help from Kronos, he completed his Astronomer digestion and eventually switched to the Paragon Pathway as a Sequence 4 Alchemist. He subsequently defended Constant City against the Feysac Conquering Fleet, assumed command of the Sonia Sea Fleet, and joined preparations to overthrow the Augustus Family. After the royal house fell silent, he concentrated on taking over the troops of the Western Defense Line rather than competing for political offices 331 390 391 426 455 458.

Appearance

• Facial hair: He has a beard on his chin, which he strokes while discussing the Black Skull Gang with Kronos 23.

Personality

Argyle gives his children considerable independence without abandoning responsibility for their safety. He lets Kronos choose his career, recruit Gner, and test his own approach to leadership, treating these decisions as trials for his heir. His permission to sail, however, depends on Kronos advancing before May 2 3 11 14.

He is cautious and commercially pragmatic. Rather than openly opposing powerful factions, he uses business partnerships to preserve room for negotiation. His advice to Kronos emphasizes assessing recruits’ character, reassuring subordinates, and exercising restraint toward enemies with unknown backers 7 11 22 23.

His manner with Kronos is frequently teasing. Envious of his son’s naval uniform, he leaves him at Pritz Harbor with the excuse that more people should see it. That humor disappears immediately when Kronos reports a serious supernatural threat 11 12 34.

Family duties and the pressure of seeking change sometimes cause him to neglect home life. Nevertheless, he and his wife remain affectionate, and both treasure the family’s evening together before Kronos leaves for sea 36.

His pride initially makes him reluctant to accept his son’s help with advancement, but the prospect of being overtaken by Kronos is even more embarrassing to him. This competitiveness coexists with deep pride in his son’s achievements 109 199.

His concern for Kronos can override his habitual restraint. When his son disappears during the Southern Continent conflict, he abandons his low profile to seek intelligence through influential nobles. On seeing Kronos return unharmed, his relief is so overwhelming that his knees weaken, although he withdraws silently rather than openly expressing it 91 109.

Despite his caution, Argyle remains ambitious and willing to accept danger for the family’s restoration. He refuses to abandon his opportunity to become an Astronomer, knowing that he would regret never trying. Later, he willingly postpones demigodhood to support Kronos’s Angel ritual, considering even a lifetime at Sequence 5 acceptable if it would allow his son to become an Angel 138 141 152 390.

He continues using humor to manage family responsibilities. When Kronos tries to leave him the delicate task of discussing the Moon Pathway with Audrey, Argyle threatens to announce his own death, hand over the title, and travel with his wife, forcing his son to reconsider 330.

Abilities & Skills

Scroll Crafting

While a Sequence 6 Scroll Professor, Argyle personally prepares supernatural scrolls for Kronos’s voyage 6 37.

• His departure gift includes over a dozen scrolls containing skills from multiple pathways 37.
• The combat effectiveness of Warlocks and Scroll Professors depends partly on the supplies they carry, making the accompanying storage pouch particularly useful 37.
• He can produce scrolls based on Sequence 5 abilities, although their output is equivalent to a peak Sequence 6 attack or only barely reaches Sequence 5. Such scrolls have a low production success rate and require detailed knowledge of the original ability 87.
• The three higher-level scrolls supplied for Kronos’s first voyage are Starlight Protection, Armor of Guardianship, and Arrow of Lightning, derived respectively from Astronomer, Guardian, and Ocean Songster abilities 87.
• He explains that making Sequence 5 scrolls as a Scroll Professor requires discovering a transformation technique specific to each skill; no single technique works universally. He recommends that Kronos learn one such technique as a foundation for independent research 122 123.
• He identifies the lack of suitable materials as an obstacle to making demigod-level skill scrolls. Family predecessors theorized that the hides of demigod-level paranormal creatures would work, but the family had been unable to obtain them 200.

Beyonder Training and Supervision

Argyle guides Kronos through the family’s potion training and provides access to its accumulated knowledge 5 11 14.

• Ends Kronos’s five-year speech ban early so he can advance and handle negotiations 3 4.
• Opens the hidden passage to the underground chapel, where advancement is protected from the Hidden Sage’s interference 5.
• Recommends fighting Beyonders to digest the Melee Scholar potion; ancestral notes identify bloody, life-threatening battles as especially effective 11.
• Withholds combat-oriented Beyonder items until Kronos reaches Sequence 7, requiring him to rely on his fists during Melee Scholar training 23.
• Arranges a Nightmare’s test of Gner, demonstrating why physical skill alone is insufficient against mid-sequence abilities 23 24.
• Advises Kronos on the capabilities and hazards of the Astronomer Sequence, then accompanies him to the ancestral residence and provides the potion for his Sequence 5 advancement 200 201.
• Consults Kronos about Annie’s prospective Beyonder development and helps explain the pathways to her 329.

Business and Leadership

Argyle directs much of his business remotely, spending more than three hundred days a year in his study reading and issuing instructions 22.

• Uses partnerships across opposing political camps to avoid signaling exclusive allegiance 7 8.
• Employs professional inspectors before personally viewing Bowen’s fleet 12.
• Recognizes that uncertainty among subordinates can become fear and, eventually, betrayal 22.
• Provides Kronos with capital and experienced staff rather than requiring him to build a business organization from nothing 14.
• Trains his secretarial staff personally and oversees a network of businesses concealed through fragmented ownership and operations. These enterprises supply raw materials, construction materials, machinery, and labor to the Conston Coal and Steel Consortium 152.
• Maintains Kain Bank and the Kain Club as hidden assets under the identity of Kain, keeping this connection secret even from his secretarial team 152.
• Trains capable recruits with no apparent family connection to enter government administration. Many pass the civil-service examination, providing opportunities for covert influence in Midseashire and Backlund without formally joining a political party 327 330.

Sign Language and Nonverbal Communication

• Communicates with Kronos through sign language during his speech-ban period 3 4.
• Members of the Argel Family also train to interpret thoughts and intentions from expressions 4.
• His long-practiced ability to read expressions allows him to recognize Audrey’s unease over the family’s increasing lifespans and infer its cause 329.

Astronomer Abilities and Knowledge

As a Sequence 5 Astronomer, Argyle gains access to star sand and studies stellar configurations during his advancement ritual. He follows the family’s warning to remain motionless in the starry space rather than risk corruption by exploring it 141 142.

• Explains that star sand can store and activate a single skill 200.
• Describes the family’s theory that an Astronomer could use star sand to imitate celestial configurations and borrow power from the stars, potentially rivaling combat-oriented Sequence 5 Beyonders 200.
• Warns that communicating with the stars risks attracting the Outer Deities, making this theoretical source of strength dangerous to investigate 200.
• Uses Astrology Fragmentary Charts supplied by Kronos, together with his own research, to improve his Astronomer potion digestion 331.

Alchemy and Mysticologist Puppet

After switching to Sequence 4 Alchemist, Argyle can create alchemy puppets. However, because he never passed through the Paragon Pathway’s Artisan Sequence, he lacks the item-crafting abilities normally used to incorporate Beyonder items into puppets 391.

• Incorporating Beyonder characteristics directly remains possible, but requires greater technical expertise and carries a high failure rate 391.
• At Kronos’s suggestion, he creates a Mysticologist Alchemy Puppet using an inherited family characteristic and a Sage’s residual spirit. The puppet gives him access to Mysticologist abilities and the family’s corresponding spells 391 426.
• Sun God’s Protection: Through the puppet, he invokes a spell drawn from the legend of the Ancient Sun God sheltering humanity. It intercepts the Conquering Fleet’s cannonballs and protects Constant City from bombardment 426.
• He is highly practiced in preparing rituals, although his direct combat experience and familiarity with actively using his powers are limited before his demigod advancement 390.

Naval Command

Argyle initially has no expertise in naval warfare, but agrees to study it when Kronos proposes placing the Sonia Sea Fleet under family control. He devotes the period before his demigod advancement to preparing for this role 330 390.

• Accepts appointment as the fleet’s acting commander after defending Constant City 426.
• Receives responsibility for the Sonia Sea defensive line from George III, who has no other commander available for the position 426.
• Secures obedience from resistant senior officers through psychological suggestions planted by Kronos, rather than through a demonstrated personal mind-control ability 426.
• Subsequently concentrates on taking over the Western Defense Line’s troops, extending his military control across western Loen 458.

Power Progression

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sun Ring — A family item made from a Sequence 7 Solar High Priest characteristic. Argyle uses its holy light to purify Kronos and check for wraith possession or lingering marks 34.
• Cane — Kept beside him during his conversation with Kronos at the naval base; he swings it at his son in exasperation. No supernatural properties are established for this cane 11.
• Family notebooks and Spell Grimoire — Supplies Kronos with ancestral Acting Method records and later the family’s comprehensive Warlock teachings. The grimoire’s deliberate restrictions also serve the house’s political survival strategy 14 15 35.
• Justiciar Blasphemy Card — Temporarily lent by Kronos so Argyle can study Roselle’s understanding of Beyonder powers and accelerate his Scroll Professor digestion 109.
• Astrology Fragmentary Charts — Provided by Kronos to assist his Astronomer digestion 331.
• Concealment Scarf — Maintains the scarf’s concealment during Old Man’s interrupted Mysticologist advancement, remaining hidden while Kronos attempts to draw the Hidden Sage away 341 342.
• Advancement-assisting Beyonder item — Borrowed from the Church of Steam and Machinery through Kronos’s Horamick identity and retained after Nosk’s advancement. Argyle uses it during his own Alchemist advancement 390.
• Mysticologist Alchemy Puppet — Created from the family’s inherited Mysticologist characteristic and a Sage’s residual spirit; allows him to use Mysticologist abilities and spells despite having switched to the Paragon Pathway 391 426.
• Communication Beyonder item — Used by Kronos to contact him from the Forsaken Land of the Gods after the messenger contract with Olnia has ended 453.

Provisions for Kronos’s Voyage

• Lucky One Cane — Made from Booze’s Beyonder characteristic after Argyle gave him a Sequence 7 potion and killed him to obtain material for Kronos’s weapon 33 37.
• Mystic Pouch — Supplied with spell materials, Argyle’s personally crafted scrolls, and a Scroll Professor potion for possible advancement 37.
• Azure Brooch — Made from the characteristic of the unstable Sailor Kronos had killed 37.
• Elf Charm — Included among the protective items in the departure gift 37.
• Personal letter — Explains the equipment and asks Kronos to act cautiously and remain safe 37.

Relationships

• Kronos Argel / Kronos — Son and heir. Argyle supports his research, Beyonder development, and travels while using practical lessons to prepare him for independent leadership. Their relationship later becomes increasingly reciprocal: Kronos helps him digest both mid-sequence potions, supplies his Alchemist advancement resources, and supports his seizure of naval authority. Argyle willingly delays his own advancement to assist Kronos’s Angel ritual and later joins his coup preparations 2 14 22 37 390 391 426 455.
• Audrey Argel — Wife. She supports him despite occasional grievances over the demands his responsibilities place on family life. The daughter of a wealthy merchant, she married him for love, and their marriage remains affectionate after more than twenty years. He recognizes her anxiety over aging and supports preparations for her to enter the Moon Pathway 2 36 329 330 332.
• Annie Argel — Younger daughter. He permits Kronos to take her riding when business keeps him occupied. Later, he consults Kronos about her becoming a Beyonder and participates in explaining the pathways to her 2 4 329.
• Old Man — Father and family elder. Supervises Argyle’s Astronomer ritual, wakes him from the dangerous starry space, and urges him to remain in Midseashire for protection. Argyle later helps conceal the family during his father’s Mysticologist advancement crisis 141 142 341 342.
• Butler — Trusted confidant and principal household administrator, distinguished from the family’s other butlers by the unqualified title. Argyle entrusts him with sensitive information, relocation work, and assistance to Kronos in Backlund 151 152.
• Gner — Kronos’s recruit. Argyle helps investigate his circumstances, supports his advancement, and arranges a test of his combat capabilities 11 13 22 24.
• Duke Negan — A powerful noble whose family’s maneuvering pressures the Argels into renewed public attention. Relations improve after negotiations, including the gift of a Southern Continent coffee plantation. Argyle later contacts him for news when Kronos disappears during the war 3 8 11 91.
• Earl Hall — New Party commercial partner. Their agreement connects Argel coal and iron supplies to the Conston Coal and Steel Consortium and opens an opportunity to acquire a merchant fleet. Hall helps seek information about Kronos during his disappearance and later views the Argel Family as a valuable potential ally 7 11 91 394.
• Earl Levett — Grain-trade partner whose agreement helps balance the family’s dealings across political camps. He assists with gathering wartime news about Kronos. The Levett and Argel families later cooperate against the Augustus Family, though their priorities differ after victory 8 11 91 455 458.
• Amyrius — Naval ally connected to the plan for Argyle to take command of the Sonia Sea Fleet. He later participates with Argyle, Kronos, and Philip in preparations against the Augustus Family 330 455.
• Philip Negan — Cooperates with Argyle and Kronos in preparing forces for the coup against the royal house 455.
• Benjamin Bowen — Retained as manager after Argyle purchases ninety percent of Bowen Trading Company at market value, on the condition that it remain profitable 11.
• Church of Steam and Machinery — A source of protection, but not an unquestioned ally. Argyle describes the relationship as mutual exploitation and suspects the church killed ancestor Botu. He later advises counterbalancing its ambitions for the Research Center with other churches, while still benefiting from its protected ritual sites and an advancement-assisting item 5 36 128 141 390.
• Augustus Royal Family — The ruling house whose favor initially depends, in Argyle’s assessment, on his family remaining politically inactive and never producing another demigod. The crown later tolerates his publicly disclosed advancement, interpreting Kronos’s return to Backlund as reassurance. Relations ultimately deteriorate, and Argyle helps prepare the coup against them 35 392 393 395 455.
• Hidden Sage — A threat associated with the family’s original pathway. The danger of attracting His attention influences Argyle’s relocation and advancement precautions. During Old Man’s advancement crisis, Argyle tries to prevent Kronos from risking his life against Him 141 142 341 342.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to Public Attention

• Approves Kronos’s participation in Professor Portland’s ironclad research while leaving the final decision to his son 3.
• Investigates political reactions after the Negan family arranges Kronos’s naval appointment without advance notice 3.
• Sends Kronos to approach Earl Hall about surplus iron, keeping himself out of direct political negotiations 4.
• Initially plans grain cooperation with the Rieveldt family; the subsequently reported agreement is with Earl Levett. The paired partnerships signal that the Argels will not simply join Negan’s camp 7 8.

Commercial Expansion and Heir Training

• Acquires Bowen Trading Company and its seven merchant ships 11.
• Allows Kronos to join its voyage if he advances before May, while urging him to learn the routes and judge the captains and first mates himself 11 14.
• Commits two million pounds to a new company under Kronos’s sole control and allows him to recruit trusted aides and part of the secretarial team 14.

Black Skull Gang Crisis

• Provides intelligence on the gang and warns Kronos that it may have powerful backers 23.
• Uses the Nightmare’s sparring test to correct Kronos’s overconfidence in Gner’s ability to defeat higher-sequence opponents 24.
• After the attack reveals connections to dangerous organizations and powerful wraiths, purifies Kronos and orders him to remain at the manor until departure 34.

Revelation of the Family’s Constraints

• Explains that the grimoire’s limitations were accepted to reassure the Royal Family and warns Kronos to conceal attempts to surpass them 35.
• Reveals the grounds for suspecting the Church of Steam and Machinery in Botu’s death: the returned characteristic showed no trace of the pathway switch the church claimed had failed 36.
• Warns that the manor is watched, shields Kronos’s apparent withdrawal from interruption, and equips him for departure 35 36 37.

Supporting Kronos at Sea

• Reassures Kronos by telegram that he will handle party disputes in Backlund, allowing his son to attend the Bayam banquet without becoming preoccupied with political repercussions 57.
• Repeatedly contacts Duke Negan, Earl Levett, and Earl Hall for intelligence after Kronos disappears during the Southern Continent fighting 91.
• On the fifth day after the attack, writes to Kronos and summons his messenger. The messenger finds Kronos unconscious at sea, carries him to an island, and leaves the letter beside him 91.
• Is deeply relieved when Kronos finally returns home unharmed, then receives the Justiciar Blasphemy Card on loan 109.
• Later assembles loyal personnel and supplies for the restored Iron Anchor, including Roel and Mr. Todd, and provides armaments for Kronos’s renewed maritime operations 236.

Renewed Advancement and Relocation to Midseashire

• Advises Kronos on making Sequence 5 scrolls and directs him to the relevant material at the end of the Scroll Professor manual 122 123.
• Confirms Kronos’s assessment that the Church of Steam and Machinery wants access to scientific talent through the Research Center. He suggests using stronger churches to counter its influence and urges Kronos to concentrate on the existing project 128.
• Receives Kronos’s standards, recognizes an opportunity to finish digesting his potion, and proceeds with his long-awaited Astronomer advancement 137 141.
• Clears the ancestral manor and extinguishes surrounding light sources for the star-gazing ritual. His father supervises and wakes him after its completion, confirming his successful advancement to Sequence 5 141 142.
• Decides to transfer the family’s base to Midseashire, leaving Kronos free to remain in Backlund and asking him to arrange suitable transfers of immovable businesses 151.
• Sends Butler to assist with the relocation, including the secret transfer of Kain Bank’s funds and business and the Kain Club’s intelligence network and connections 152.
• Begins integrating the family’s scattered enterprises into a more visible regional power base 152.
• After receiving Kronos’s warning about royal inquiries, agrees with Old Man to suspend activity and lie low. A telegram from Midseashire causes family associates across the Northern Continent to halt their activities, although Prince Grove has already completed his inspection 170.

Family Development and Military Preparations

• Explains Astronomer abilities to Kronos, recommends advancing rather than indefinitely pursuing an uncertain research problem, and accompanies him to his Sequence 5 ritual 199 200 201.
• Supports Kronos’s decision to return to dangerous adventures, telling Audrey that their son’s choice and potential should not be obstructed 203.
• Expands covert administrative influence by preparing recruits for the civil-service examination; many succeed, opening government careers in Midseashire and Backlund 327 330.
• Recognizes Audrey’s concern that she will age and die long before her Beyonder relatives. After Kronos explains the Moon Pathway’s longevity benefits, the family prepares for her to become a Beyonder 329 330 332.
• Agrees to learn naval command in preparation for taking over the Sonia Sea Fleet during the approaching war, while the family works to win over important personnel 330.
• Delays his own advancement at Kronos’s request and devotes his attention to naval command during the waiting period 390.

Demigod Advancement

• Receives permission from Kronos to proceed, then spends two days preparing and reacquainting himself with his abilities 390.
• Performs a life-force-draining ritual in a place rich in water and vegetation, assisted by a Church of Steam and Machinery Beyonder item 390.
• Successfully switches to Sequence 4 Alchemist, simultaneously completing the final requirement of Kronos’s Angel advancement ritual 390 391.
• Discusses the limitations caused by lacking Artisan abilities and adopts Kronos’s proposal to develop a Mysticologist alchemy puppet 391.
• Publicly celebrates his demigod advancement while concealing Kronos’s much greater advancement. Other factions tolerate the development because he has withdrawn from Backlund and appears uninterested in competing for power 392.
• Benefits from the crown’s mistaken interpretation that sending Kronos back to Backlund is a gesture of submission. After Duchess Georgina reports that Kronos is only Sequence 6, the Royal Family reduces its scrutiny of the house 393 395.

Command of the Sonia Sea Fleet

• Uses the Mysticologist Alchemy Puppet’s Sun God’s Protection to stop the Conquering Fleet’s bombardment and preserve Constant City’s people and the family’s foundations 426.
• Accepts the Sonia Sea Fleet adjutant’s invitation to become acting commander after the enemy learns that he is a demigod and withdraws 426.
• Is entrusted by George III with the Sonia Sea defensive line because other commanders are already committed elsewhere 426.
• Encounters resistance from senior officers, which Kronos resolves by planting psychological suggestions that secure their obedience 426.
• Remains chiefly in the military camp throughout the war, while Audrey and Annie move to Constant City for greater safety 454.

Coup Against the Augustus Family

• Initially fears that an evil god has targeted the fleet when officers and soldiers begin chanting an honorific name, before recognizing that they are invoking Kronos as part of his next advancement 453.
• Reunites with Kronos at the Sonia Sea Base and is elated to learn that his son has become a Sequence 1 Knowledge Emperor 455.
• Discusses the coup with Kronos, Philip, and Amyrius, while Trunsoest obstructs MI9 intelligence and the allied forces prepare 455.
• Accompanies Kronos in bringing the Sonia Sea army to Backlund, where Beyonders infiltrate the city to prepare to seize its gates 455.
• Once the Augustus Family falls silent, focuses on taking over the Western Defense Line’s forces and gains control over the kingdom’s west, leaving the Negan and Levett families to compete over political power 458.

Notable Quotes

“Fear is a terrible force. It can give rise to many things more terrible still, such as betrayal.” 22

“We are only their most trusted family as long as we stay out of politics and military affairs and never produce a demigod.” 35

“You must understand that money means nothing to our family. Don't worry about saving face over something like this, and certainly don't let it saddle you with burdensome debts of gratitude.” 14

“This is his own choice, and he has the potential. We shouldn't stand in the way of his life.” 203

“Of course. Our Argel Family rose through military merit in the first place. How could I be unwilling to learn how to command a war?” 330

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