Stephen

Stephen is an albino who was Argus's third apprentice. He was very driven, to a point of obsession with power. He had a nook in the basement he hid in to spend extra time studying, and wrote in the margins of books as a journal of sorts. Early in his apprenticeship, Steven blamed Argus for not teaching him enough. Eventually, he decided that his perceived weakness was not the fault of Argus, but his own weak Gift. He built a makeshift lab out in the woods now known as Gowdwin's Chase. He sneaked books on Vim out here, and according to his own notes did secret experiments on his own Gift.

Disappearance

About 10 years into his apprenticeship, in 1165, Stephen lost his Gift. Argus did not know why at the time, but subsequent evidence suggests Stephen's own secret experiments went awry. Stephen ran away from the covenant a few weeks later. Argus reported the disappearance to Phineas, who took no action. Argus left the boy alone for one season, then tried to track him down using The Inexorable Search. When this failed to return any information regarding the lost apprentice's location, Argus presumed him dead.

Discovery

Agnes found Stevens nook during Spring Cleaning and through investigation found his hidden lab. A ghost intentionally brought her to the nook, although why no one is sure. Agnes also found out from Junior that Steven had lost his gift in his 10th year of apprenticeship, fled the covenant, and died. Peddler John, however, knew someone matching Steven's description had been seen around the nearby towns, and recently near the covenant. Agnes brought all of this information to Sandre, who has instructed John the Pedlar and Eustace to keep their eyes and ears open and see what else they can learn.

Having an apprentice lose their Gift can severely damage a magi's reputation and Argus is quick to anger, so neither Agnes or Sandre has brought any of these discoveries to Argus's attention.

Current Whereabouts

Sandre believes he has not died, but has taken the name Seleucus, or The White Wizard, and is a diabolist.