Archibald

Archibald
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Series Information
First game	Soulcalibur VI
Appears in	Soulcalibur VI

Archibald is a minor character that is mentioned in Soulcalibur VI. He is a member of the Aval Organization.

Profile

As the head of the Aval Organization's watchdogs, Archibald's main duty is to find and punish traitors. Few people know what sort of person he is, as he always wears heavy armor, a helmet that covers his face, and never speaks a word. Even his gender is hard to guess, though many assume he is male from his masculine name and large build. He has quite the impressive battle record against the outsiders, so many of his comrades in Aval trust him despite not knowing his true identity. He communicates with others through writing.
In truth, his armor is a gigantic body brace filled with medicinal fluids, and he cannot survive without it. Ironically, the man who developed this life-saving technology for Archibald eventually betrayed the Organization and perished.
Archibald's fighting style is quite unique—he swings about his axe with such sudden speed that it seems to defy the laws of physics. He achieves this by cleverly adjusting the flow of fluids inside his armor to quickly change his center of gravity. One of his signature moves, dubbed "Shield Smasher", is a mighty swing from his enormous axe Clarent Replica. By shifting the medicinal fluids to his arms directly after the attack, he can generate an effect similar to the "fa jin" techniques of eastern martial arts, making his Shield Smasher move impossible to guard against. All such special moves are ones he personally developed through a combination of natural creativity and diligent training. Rather than lamenting at his ill fate, he has learned to make the most of it.

Aval Organization Afterstory 2: Archibald, the Adjudicator

The Aval Organization's Archibald is a man of large stature, clad in heavy steel armor. Whenever The Twelve gather at the round table, he always walks in silently, takes his seat, and places his gigantic iron weapon—more hammer than axe—on the floor beside him. This axe is named for Clarent, the sword of peace that killed King Arthur, and serves as proof that Archibald holds a position outside of Aval's order—an internal observer who can judge and convict the members of the Organization. Ever since he joined, he has not spoken a single word. His silence gives him an air of intimidation, but the truth is that he has long lost his voice. In fact, he has also been deprived of every one of his senses-sight, hearing, smell, taste, and even touch, ever since a fire once swallowed up his entire body. Without the cutting-edge medicines and treatments Azwel had invented, Archibald would have died from his severe burns. However, these medical practices are taboo, even now. No other person has survived this treatment, and since the original creator Azwel perished in the recent mission, only a handful of upper executives and skilled engineers know Archibald's secret.

"Tight-lipped and painstakingly serious as ever, I see. Well, keep up the good work.
This is a crucial time for us. As our auditor, make sure we don't have any more deserters."

Through the hearing aids fitted into his heavy body-bracing armor, Archibald hears Calvin's bitter words and reflects upon his own failures. Because he could not detect Azwel's plans for desertion, Aval lost Orzal and Curtis, a huge blow to the organization. With Grøh also missing, The Twelve's numbers have plummeted. However, the one currently occupying Archibald's thoughts is Curtis. Curtis had once saved him from the brink of death; without help returning to the Organization, Archibald would not be sitting here today, watching over them. And yet, it was Curtis who had lost his life with Archibald's blunder...

The footsteps echoing nearby indicate the arrival of the other executives. Archibald steadies his restless thoughts, donning the guise of the adjudicator once more.
Taking a cup from beside him, he pours a few droplets ofits contents onto the table and writes words with his finger, a message to Calvin.
"Situation assessed. No abnormalities detected among those who will be joining us."
Before the next person joins them at the table, he wipes it away.

Gallery