Russell/Background

Russell was the typical book nerd all through his early years. Books could take him to places that were far better than his meager, tortured adolescent life. Being gifted with an affinity towards languages, specifically, Latin, was a handy thing growing up in the catholic church his family attended. Not exactly the most athletic of young men, he mostly kept his head down, pretended to be part of the walls and said nothing until he got to college.

With his grades Russell was able to get a scholarship to NYU. In truth he didn't care exactly where he went to college so long as it was far far away from the small town where he was born. NYU was everything he wanted it to be. He was able to expand his mind, break out of his shell. It was in his second year at University that Russell started dating; a guy named David. While in High School he was lucky to go to anything resembling a social event - prom or homecoming dances - but he was not really interested in the girls he had classes with. He just didn't dare admit the reality of his feelings until he was one of the anonymous freshman at NYU. David was replaced with Thomas who was replaced by Ed, Larry, Michael, Nelson, and eventually Brian. By the end of his first year - Russell was definitely 'aware' of his sexuality - and his thirst for physical affection.

There wasn't much he was able to do with a BA in history but he knew that going in. Once he was accepted into a master's program in Art History in a new city; Cambridge Mass. The University offered him the opportunity to study medieval manuscripts up-close. He couldn't resist the chance to explore his life-time fascination with rare books.

Russell, still a college student at heart, is commonly seen with a canvas satchel slung over his shoulder and a smart phone. Among his more prized possessions is an antique fountain pen that was a gift when he received his first college degree. He's also shown his eclectic side by turning an old, silver cigarette case into a business card holder. In addition to his eccentric side for collecting old memorabilia, he's also very practical. Where ever he goes, at least with his satchel, he carries with him a long, black umbrella. He explains that it was a gift while he was at NYU where he was constantly being caught running from class to class in a sudden downpour. He likes to boast that having the umbrella, once, was the key for him securing a date with a guy.

"It's amazing what friends can be had when you're the one holding an umbrella."

Russell isn't usually one for wearing jewelry but one of the few items that he does wear is an old bronze signet ring with the shape of an owl on its face.

While Russell was at New York University and in the presence of the Medieval Manuscripts that he was studying - the secrets of a hidden reality began to unfurl before him. Most manuscripts have been photographed, scanned and documented from one end to the other. They are available for download as pdf or images on most library websites. It's a means for the library to 'brag' a bit that they have such old documents in their collection. However, when one of his professors asked him to look in on a recent acquisition, Russell realized that this new find was unlike any book he had seen before. The book was a record of a researcher's quest to uncover the culture that somehow influenced both Egypt, South America and almost every coastal civilization on record. It told secrets of an ancient society, Atlantis.

The book did not make outlandish claims of the civilization, the FIRST civilization, it documented a case in which it 'could' have existed. The author presented his findings in such a way that Russell started to question every historical 'fact' that he had learned for the past several years. He could see, through this one book, how societies around the world could so easily be influenced by the First Society. That book was the key - a temporal tether that connected him to the author, the scribe who wrote the original pages that the author was referencing and every other 'hand' that had been linked together in a chain of knowledge stretching as far back as the recorded history; and earlier.