Connor O’Dunningham, who would become Patrick Tytalii fillius Peremis, was born in Ireland during a wicked snowstorm. His mother found shelter in a regio of caves inhabited by Grey Herons of Virtue. The herons took pity on the mother, and gave her succor through the childbirth, and thus Connor was born touched by magic (The Gift, Animal Ken, Independent Study, Warrior, Inoffensive to Animals, Weird Magic, and Servant of the River Delta).
When the storm passed days later, his mother brought him back to Dunningham, and they rejoined his merchant father, Michael Dunningham, as he traded among the local villages. His Gift was evident to all, and he was quickly noticed and collected by the magae of Five Trees Covenant.
Five Trees Covenant was founded by five maga, as part of some Byzantine political backlash, and now only three maga remained in heated stalemate. By some trick of the gods, that year the covenant was blessed to discover four Gifted children, ripe for apprenticeship. One child each for the Tytalus, the Flambeau, and the Merinta, and one to passed on to others. But which for whom?
When the dust settled, Connor was in thrall to Peremis Tytalii, but his mater seemed nigh-crazed with the conflict within the covenant. She was obsessed with warding spells, ever pushing him to experiment. When he failed to live up to the rigors of the Book of Instruction, she often punished him with work among the livestock and guard beasts. Somehow, he endured his hellish years and came out the stronger -- just as she had hoped. (Self-Confident, Inventive Genius, Flexible Formulaic Magic, Minor Focus Wards, Affinity with Rego).
Seeing his hated brother, Salamandrus Flambeau, and sister, Saffron ex Merinita, pass their Gauntlet, he pressed for his own quickly, and surprised his mater by defeating her in physical combat, despite never having touched a weapon to her knowledge.
Surviving his Gauntlet, he returned to Dunningham, found his childhood sweetheart, and quickly wooed her. Maeve had grown up to be one of the most cunning huntresses in all of Ireland. By age 21, Patrick had a wife and a lovely daughter, and though he kept in contact with his mater and other magi, he otherwise eschewed Hermetic society. Such egotism cost him dearly, as his daughter Leah was repeatedly kidnapped by magical beasts which took an inexplicable interest in this babe who grew up outside any Aegis.
On one adventure recovering his beloved, Gifted daughter, Patrick met Edward Longshanks IV, an English Magister in Arbitus with questionable ties to the Order of Hermes. Patrick eventually joined the mathematically-focused cult, though he was more enamored of their philosophical underpinnings than their mysterious agenda. He was an able player in their game, and contented himself with the large family he was raising and his place among his secret brotherhood, never counting the enemies he was making as he did the bidding of the cult.
It would prove to be his undoing. At age 28, he returned from a hunting trip to find his covenant, Laguna Sententia, a burning ruin. His wife and family dead, he fell into a deep despair, and fled into the woods, speaking only to the animals around him. He was plagued by visions of his eldest daughter and wife, begging him to come back into the world, but he only fell deeper into grief. The only joy he could find was in the power of magic, and he quickly became addicted to the rush of power. (Reputation (Ireland) 3: Suspiciously Sole Survivor)
However, Peremis was not content to lose her apprentice to such a sorry state. She tracked him down and dragged him beyond the island and into the wider world. Near Hamburg, they joined with Metapontium Covenant and the Fraternity of Samos in their efforts to uncover a diabolist. The fight left one grog, Leon, addle-minded. Leon would have otherwise been left to his fate by the other magi of his own house. Patrick took sympathy on the man, guided by the visions of his daughter. (He did not realize it at first, but this was precisely why the other Tytalus magi acted as if they would abandon the grog.)
In showing compassion for the addle-brained Leon, Patrick rediscovered compassion for the world, and rediscovered a purpose for his own life. He began once more to hunt exotic monsters, whose parts were valuable to the labwork of other magi. He needed resources and social contacts, if he is to restore Leon’s mind. He might even find some clue as to the villans who had destroyed his family. (Reputation (OoH) 3: Beast Hunter)
In his quest for such knowledge, he ran afoul of Salamandrus Flambeau and Saffron Merinita, whom he had bullied when they were all apprentices at Five Trees Covenant. Still harboring much resentment over their youth together, the two acted in concert to up-end Patrick’s plans. The result was two certamen challenges, both of which Patrick lost. (Reputation (Tytalus) 3 : Born Loser/ “Wolf-pup”)
In defeat by Salamandrus, Patrick must forever identify himself as “The Unrepentant” when using his name (note that this probably would not stand up in court, were it ever brought to a trial).
By Saffron’s will, he was to journey to the edge of civilization and aid Viola Merinita in the task of establishing the new covenant there, for no less than three years. (Saffron’s relationship to Viola is left to that player’s discretion, and could easily be no more than a casual acquaintanceship. Saffron chose the Base Camp saga project as Patrick’s punishment simply because it was as far from Ireland as she could think of.)