Metellus

Metellus (born Metellus Arciatus) is the High Priest of Palaven and head of the Council of Clerics. Unlike many of his peers, Metellus was not born into one of the prestigious Old Military Families. Through years of hardworking and dedication to his duty, he managed to rise to the rank of High Priest, the highest religious rank in the empire.

Born in Aventinus, Palaven's second largest city, he was the turian equivalent of a commoner. His mother was a member of the Merchant Marine, transporting essential supplies to the colonies, while his father worked in an Armax Arsenal munitions factory, manufacturing weapons for the turian military. He received a standard state education and graduated from Bootcamp with average scores. He served the state by becoming a nurse,

The Reaper War that fundamentally changed Metellus as a person. His mother's ship, which was transporting military supplies to bolster the front line, was destroyed in a reaper attack. His father was killed when the reapers began targeting Palaven's military installations, wiping them off the map with orbital bombardments. Metellus was tending to injured civilians and assisting in the evacuation of Aventinus when he was informed of his parents' deaths. He instinctively repressed his emotions for the sake of his duty. Only when he himself was lifted off world did he allow himself to grieve.

He was transferred to the medical ship THV Asclepia, where he began assisting as a triage nurse. Having worked all his adult life in a civilian hospital, Metellus psychologically struggled with many of the cases he was asked to treat aboard the military vessel. The injuries he encountered were often horrific, the chances of survival extremely slim. Several times his patients died before he could properly assess them, leaving Metellus feeling empty and inadequate. The final straw came when a sixteen year old boy, fresh out of Bootcamp, died in his arms, bleeding out from shrapnel injuries. Watching him die broke Metellus and he finally snapped.

Granted medical discharge by his superiors, Metellus went from being a staff member to a patient. He began receiving anti-depressant medication and psychological intervention but proved to be a difficult patient, having developed a nihilist outlook on life. Death on such a colossal scale had forever changed him. He felt like his efforts to save lives had been utterly futile, as the people he patched up had often been killed by reaper forces anyway, in spite of all he done. In the face of death, he crumbled, giving up the fight for survival and wishing for death to take him.

It was the intervention of the ship's priest that began to bring Metellus back from the brink. A kindly man who reminded Metellus of his father, he managed to create a connection with Metellus and encouraged him to open top about his trauma. Metellus broke down, recounting the events of the past several months; the deaths of his parents, the destruction of his home city, the stress of treating civilians and soldiers alike whom he knew he could not save. But the most pressing issue with that of perceived failure. Metellus felt like he had failed those who had died in his care. It was the priest who showed him that he had in fact given them a great gift; the gift of compassion in their final moments of life, making their spirit's departure from their mortal bodies more peaceful. He also reminded Metellus that death was not the end and that those spirits would forever honour his name in eternity.

After the war, Metellus quit the medical profession and entered the priesthood, surrendering his family name of Arciatus upon taking his vows. True to his vows, he took no wife and fathered no children, dedicating himself entirely to the dead. He soon garnered a reputation for having a soothing presence and specialised in the spiritual nourishment of people receiving end-of-life care. Having learned from his past, Metellus chose not to focus on the person's mortal loss but rather their spiritual transition, with death as a doorway and an end to their suffering.