Master Claudius never knew who his parents were, for they abandoned him on the steps of Ruad when he was just an infant. He grew swiftly, and while the Order turns many such foundlings into miners or factory workers, Claudius showed promise. Whispers that his parents may have been members of the Order engaged in an illicit relationship aside, Claudius went through his apprentice initiation on his 10th birthday and moved swiftly through the Order's ranks.

He received his baptism of fire during the Symbiot Wars and quickly distinguished himself. He joined Absolution's Avengers, a small force of Brothers developing the theurgical techniques which, combined with Eskatonic lore, most contributed to finally stopping the Symbiots. By the end of the Symbiot Wars, he had achieved prominence both for his combat abilities, leadership qualities and his aptitude with a wide variety of theurgical rituals.

When the Emperor Wars began, Claudius became one of the most vocal Brothers advocating the Order's neutrality. He took command of the Order when Master Balian retired from command of the Ruad Cathedral and continued to push neutrality. This has remained his official position to the present day.

Now on leave from De Moley, he leads the Scions of Zhal, the Brother Battle Order's elite force of warriors and theurgists against the Symbiots on Stigmata. Claudius' legacy with the Scions of Zhal is a long one. For years he led the legion to victories during the Symbiot Wars, when the Manifest Light legion helped them turn the tide against the Symbiots. Their forces steadily gained ground until, by the onset of the Emperor Wars in the latter 4950's, they had won control of most of the Durem continent.

The appointment of Baroness Carmetha Decados to Stigmata Garrison Commander changed that. When the Commander withdrew Regency fleets and armies from the garrison to bolster her own forces in their war with the al-Malik, the defense of Stigmata was left to the Scions of Zhal and Manifest Light legions, with only a small remnant left of the Regency forces. Claudius and the rest of the garrison managed to maintain their hold on their territories for several years, but then, sensing the weakness in their lines, the Symbiots attacked in swarms.

As head of the Darmak Cathedral, the Brother Battle Order's Holy See on Stigmata, Master Claudius was responsible for leading the defense of the capitol city against the Symbiot invasion from southern Durem. With the bulk of the city's regiments now based around the central starport to the east, the Darmak Cathedral bulwarks their defensive line, acting as a forward shield while the rest of their forces guard the southeastern perimeter.

Claudius has worked hard to secure the defense of western Durem, and his labor has paid off - at great cost. Hundreds of troops have died defending the southern outposts while buying time for their forces to build a sturdy defensive line at the capitol. Many of the legion's fortresses have fallen. Now, outside of the starport, only the Darmak Cathedral remains. With limited supplies and no reinforcements, their forces are down to two weeks' rations and nearly out of ammunition.

With the aided leadership of Sister Theafana al-Malik, Master Claudius works to ensure their line holds firm until Regency reinforcements arrive. But so far, his requests to the Regency for more troops and supplies have gone unanswered, and it's only a matter of time before the Symbiots break through their weakening defenses.