Darius Angler

Darius Angler was a chemist that worked for Grafton Steel. He quit due to concerns about safety after a number of workplace injuries and deaths at their plants.

Background
Darius' brother, Billy, also worked at Grafton Steel but died after he fell from a catwalk into a vat of molten steel. Darius had previously tried to convince Billy to resign as well, but he needed to support his family.

Darius swore revenge against Grafton Steel. Grief pushed him to investigate the company in-depth, uncovering a network of shadowy connections, kickbacks, farcical inspections, and general bribery. Afraid of company surveillance, he moved out to a cabin in the woods. Darius seemed to be gradually losing his sanity, and believed in government conspiracies, thought he was being spied upon and monitored the local fox population for Grafton Steel leanings. He eventually started shooting hikers coming near the cabin and booby-trapped its entrance.

Eventually, he decided on the means to carry out his revenge. He created a concoction that, when placed in the furnace of the mill, would turn into a toxic white powder that would kill all living things in the valley. He prepared a manifesto to ensure that the public would learn of why he did what he did. The Great War provided the perfect cover. As the air raid sirens blared and bombs dropped, he believed that he was contacted by Billy's spirit telling him to sneak into the mill and place the formula in the furnaces. He succeeded and the smokestacks started spewing toxic dust, turning the entire region into the Toxic Valley.