Darius

ca. 50 C.E.--In a nomadic tent somewhere east of the Ural mountains, a boychild is adopted by Gothic nomads. Part of the culture of this tribe was that if a young man wanted to pay court to a woman, he had to first compliment her father's horses. (From the New Watcher Chronicles cd-rom and from the episode Band of Brothers.)
ca. 95--When his tribe is attacked by the Germanic horde, Darius dies as he leads his people in battle. He is discovered shortly afterward by Ahasuerus the Parthian and he takes the name Darius by which he will be later known. (From the New Watchers' Chronicles cd.rom.)
365--While attacking a Dacian farmstead, Darius notes the presence of a new immortal reviving from a first death under the hooves of the Goths' cavalry. Darius informs him of what he is and trains him. The man casts away his Roman name Claudianus, and takes the name Gray's Son. He believes Darius, who wears a gray wolf-skin over his shoulders, is his true father and teacher. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
Fall 409--Darius leads his warband to join Alaric, leader of the Visigoths. He has an affair with Alaric's adopted sister, the pre-immortal Callestina who believes she is seducing him. But Darius does not love her; he is only using her. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
Summer 410--Alaric the Visigoth lays siege to Rome. Darius fights at his side, and helps to sack the city afterward. Grayson is also a part of this attacking force. Callestina is killed during the attack and is protected by Grayson, who loves her. When she approaches Darius about being together always, he spurns her. She vows revenge. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
ca. 410--Darius leads his army to the gates of Paris, near the site of what will later be called the Rue St. Jacques. He instructs the others to wait while he faces in single combat, an ancient immortal who guards the gates alone against him. Legend says that when the immortal, whose name is lost to history, died, his quickening transformed Darius into a man of peace. Darius gave up the sword and dwelt from that time, on holy ground, attempting to teach both immortals and mortals the way of peace. Grayson leaves, feeling betrayed. He returns to Alaric and marries Callestina who becomes his student. They are together for over two centuries. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession and from the episode Band of Brothers. Additional information from the New Watchers' Chronicles cd-rom.)
Between ca. 650 and 1750--Callestina periodically comes to Paris and attempts to have Darius discredited and thrown out of his monastic order. At one point she denounces him as a male witch. Darius' parishioners flock to his defense and she is the only one discredited. Darius refuses to denounce her in any way, wishing only that she would find peace in her life and forgive him for his treatment of her. In the mid 18th century, she leaves Europe for the colonies, and the Watchers lose track of her. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
ca. 1170-- The church of St. Julien le Pauvre is built in Paris near the site where the old city gates once stood. Darius takes up residence at the church on the Rue St. Jacques.
ca. 1200--Darius meets young immortal thief Xavier St. Cloud and tries to teach him that there is another way. Regrettably he fails. St. Cloud returns periodically to Paris to torment the priest about the path he has chosen for his life, and the vast gulf that exists between them. (From the episode For Tomorrow We Die.)
After about 1230--Darius makes the acquaintance of Hugh Fitzcairn when he first comes to Europe. He shares some of the mead he brews periodically with the young immortal and over the course of their friendship, mentions that he has prophetic dreams. (Extrapolated from the episode The Hunters and from Fitzcairn's life on the New Watchers' Chronicles cd.rom.
1347--The Bubonic Plague, also known as The Black Death, hits Europe and kills one-third of the population. It is especially severe in the cities, like Paris. Darius likely felt the horror of the plague as mortals died around him and probably turned his church into a hospital to help serve the sick and the dying.
Between 1402-1840--Darius likely made the acquaintance of Grace Chandel, an immortal healer who worked often as a mid-wife. Grace's first death was in 1402 and in 1840, she left Europe with her lover Carlo Sendaro to accompany him to his South American plantation where she hoped to study new medicines. Darius and Grace remained close friends for the rest of his life. (From the episode Saving Grace.)
After 1634--Sometime after Duncan MacLeod places Ursa in a French Abbey for his own protection, Darius learns of it and travels there to speak with the gentle giant. (From the episode The Beast Below.)
1804--Darius comforts his good friend Sean Burns, as Sean's close friend and student, immortal Carolyn Mortimer and her mortal husband Jean-Pierre are beheaded by guillotine. Sean had wanted to be present for her, but knew that if any immortal was there, more would die as her quickening was transferred. (Extrapolated from notes for Till Death and the New Watchers' Chronicles cd-rom.)
June 1815--Hearing that Napoleon has escaped from his island prison on Elba and that he will meet the invading English in battle near the town of Waterloo near the Belgian border, Darius leaves Paris, compelled to help where he knows there will be much suffering. He uses medical techniques lost to modern man for centuries in his attempts to ease the pain and suffering of both sides. While traveling behind the English lines, he meets Duncan MacLeod. With this meeting, he forces the young warrior to re-examine his beliefs in the rightness of his convictions about the glory and purpose of war. He invites the young Scot back to Paris when his tour of duty is over, to learn more. (From Band of Brothers.)
Nov 1815--After Duncan MacLeod finds a young immortal prostitute named Violane, he takes the girl to Darius. (From Shadow of Obsession.)
Jan 1816--Brigands break into Darius' church, St. Julian le Pauvre, looking for silverplate and gold. Darius orders them to take whatever they want but explains that he has no silver or gold at this church; he uses pewter vessels. The leader of the men does not believe him and kills the priest. When he revives a few moments later, Darius prevents Duncan MacLeod from killing the men on the edge of church property. Unable to give up his sword or to live a life of total peace, a disillusioned Duncan leaves Darius for America, but remains friends with him, returning to visit the priest periodically over the years. During these visits, they drink mead, strange teas, play chess, and discuss military strategy and philosophy. (From Band of Brothers.)
Spring 1816--Darius sends Violane to be trained by an immortal friend of his, but she runs away after two years and returns to her former life in Paris as a prostitute. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
1840--Darius bids farewell to Grace Chandel as she prepares to leave for South America with Carlo Sendaro. He tells Duncan MacLeod, who has returned to Paris for a visit, of Grace's intentions. (Extrapolated from Saving Grace.)
1842--Duncan MacLeod is forced to kill murdering prostitute Violane on the streets of Paris. He seeks forgiveness and understanding from Darius. (From the novel Shadow of Obsession.)
1848--During the uprisings in Paris of that year, Darius counsels Duncan MacLeod who joins others on the barricades in their fight for justice. (Flashback planned for the unfinished novel Barricades.)
ca. 1924--Darius confesses his immortality to Brother Jacques, the latest in a long succession of confessors in the order. The two become fast friends, but even Jacques does not realize just how old Darius is. (Excerpt from the unfinished novel Barricades.)
August 1944--As the German occupation is ending, Darius finds a young German soldier placing a bomb in the foundations of his church. Realizing that the retreating Germans are planning a fiery holocast, Darius grabs a shovel and kills the young man. His guilt nearly overwhelms him. Brother Jacques buries the young soldier while Darius leaves holy ground to find Duncan MacLeod and with his help, prevent the burning and destruction of Paris. Darius does not tell MacLeod of his actions, but feels that his time on Earth is now limited and that his quickening will be removed from the game for his having broken his vow and soiled the sanctity of holy ground. (Excerpt from the unfinished novel Barricades and notes from author Donna Lettow)
1960--Ian Bancroft is assigned as Darius' Watcher. Other than a brief period when he must fulfill a military obligation in Vietnam, Bancroft remains Darius' Watcher until the immortal's death. Bancroft and others feel that Darius is the best hope of both mortals and immortals for a positive outcome of the game. (From the episode They Also Serve.)
1968--During the student barricades, Darius helps his friend Duncan MacLeod (currently teaching a class in journalism at a Paris University) in his attempts to teach his students and friends that war and violence are not the way to change society. They discover an immortal is helping to fan the flames of violence. (Excerpts from a brief description of the plot in the unfinished manuscript for Barricades.)
ca. 1983--Shortly after Duncan MacLeod explains his immortality to Tessa Noel, a young French art student, he introduces her to Darius. Until she meets Connor MacLeod in 1992, Darius is the only other immortal MacLeod introduces her to. Her understanding of immortals and their existence is skewed by her impressions of the holy man and she is not told about the game.
February 1993--Darius places a mortal agent in his old friend Grayson's arms smuggling organization. After he is discovered, the mortal runs to Darius' church, where he is murdered by Grayson just outside the fence. Grayson taunts Darius, urging him to leave sanctuary and take up his sword once more and be the general he was meant to be. Grayson further warns that he will kill Darius' other students… one by one until he sickens of the slaughter and faces him. Darius sends a bag of runes to Duncan MacLeod in America, warning him that Grayson is on his way and is hunting another of Darius' students, peace activist Victor Paulus. MacLeod sends Tessa and Richie Ryan to Paris and to Darius. After MacLeod saves Paulus and kills Grayson, he joins Tessa and Richie in Paris, rendezvousing with them at Darius' church. Darius detains Richie and regales him with stories of his youth by reminding the young man that he was not always a priest. (From Band of Brothers.)
February 1993--Xavier St. Cloud confesses to Darius that he has just murdered mortals in the process of robbing a jewelry store. Visited by the Paris police, Darius is bound by the seal of the confessional, and the need to keep secret Xavier's immortality from mortal authorities. He says nothing. Duncan MacLeod, who is visiting understands the problem and explains to the police that Darius cannot say anything. Darius considers leaving holy ground and re-entering the world. Darius and Duncan discuss war as a mental exercise and Darius works on his model of the Battle of Gettysburg. (From For Tomorrow We Die.)
March 1993--Over a cup of mold tea, Darius discusses Ursa with Duncan MacLeod and how the abbey where the giant had lived was torn down. He mentions that the monks had looked at Ursa as one of God's creatures. (From The Beast Below.)
March 1993--After her mortal lover Paul is murdered, Grace Chandel flees to Darius' cell for comfort. Duncan MacLeod is also there and takes her to his barge. When the police descend on the barge, Tessa and Richie take Grace back to Darius. Carlo Sendaro meets alone in Darius' cell with Grace, with Darius' permission. Again, Duncan intervenes to protect her. After Duncan eventually fights Sendarro, and Sendarro is killed, Grace stops by the church to bid a fond farewell to Darius, and kisses his cheek. (From Saving Grace.)
May 1993--Darius begins to have dreams again which foretell the future. He sees his death in them, and speaks of them to Duncan MacLeod. He'd had them periodically over his long life. He also gives Duncan his latest batch of mead that he has continued to brew over the centuries. (Extrapolated from The Hunters.)
30 May 1993--A band of rogue Watchers led by James Horton enter St. Julian le Pauvre and behead Darius on holy ground. His remarkable quickening and his ability to continue to influence the future of the game as an agent of peace are lost. (From The Hunters.)
1 Jun 1993--Duncan MacLeod scatters the ashes of Darius into the river Seine in hopes that they will travel to the sea so that Darius may at last find rest. (From The Hunters.)