Brigham Elisha Dashwood III was a religious evangelist and politician in the United States of America at the beginning of the 21st century. Like his ancestor Sir Francis Dashwood, he ran a chapter of the Hellfire Club.
Appearance and behaviour
Dashwood was a high-minded, arrogant man with a Deep South accent. In normal conversations he played up his position as a Reverend Minister. ("Thank the Lord, you're here, Marchosias!")
He carried on a romantic relationship with Dr Dale Pargeter, the Chief Researcher of the BEDLAM Institute. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)
Biography
Around 2003 the United States of America was forming Malebolgia — a new, fifty-first state out of part of a state in the Deep South. Religious evangelist Brigham Elisha Dashwood III was the leading candidate for first elected Governor for the State. At the same time, Dashwood was opening a brand new mental hospital called the Brigham Elisha Dashwood Laboratory of Alternative Mentalities (the BEDLAM Institute), offering new technology solutions for mental ailments.
Behind the scenes, Dashwood was also running a revival of the Hellfire Club. The Club had succeeded in summoning the demon Marchosias, and was drawing in numerous powerful figures from around the region.
The BEDLAM Institute, the Hellfire Club and Marchosias were all part of an overall plot to secure the governorship for Dashwood, along with the Presidency of the US in short order. However, a conjunction of efforts by the Eighth Doctor, Charley Pollard, observer/consultant Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and political rival Senator Waldo Pickering led to the exposure of Dashwood's plans. They also revealed that Marchosias was endeavouring to turn the patients at the BEDLAM Institute into host bodies for Psionovores.
In a final altercation with Marchosias, Dashwood and the demon were transported to the Psionovore home space. They presumably were not heard from again. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)
Equipment
Dashwood's main piece of technology was the PSI-859 Psionic Matrix Facsimile Regenerator — a machine capable of downloading the personality from a person's mind to disc, leaving an empty mind. The Institute could then perform medical changes to that person's brain and re-load their personality, avoiding serious mental trauma.
Dashwood also used a pistol-like device called a Trans-D, capable of transporting people "straight to Hell." (actually, to the Psionovores' home space).
Both devices were based on designs given to Dashwood by Marchosias. They were destroyed when the two devices were used in close proximity to one another, resulting in a psionic feedback loop. (AUDIO: Minuet in Hell)