William Beaumont, 2nd Viscount Beaumont's Battle Armor

Origin
Sir William de Beaumont, 2nd Viscount Beaumont was a a soldier and landowner who was a leading supporter of the Lancastrian faction during the Wars of the Roses. He fought at the Battle of Towton, the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil, but was taken prisoner and attainted along with other prominent Lancastrian lords. Beaumont obtained a general pardon two days before Christmas but all his lands were declared forfeit and granted to Lord Hastings.

After the restoration of Henry VI in November 1470, King Henry revoked the bill of attainder and restored Sir William's lands and titles. However, the following April, he opposed Edward's landing at Ravenspur and joined forces with the Duke of Exeter but they were too weak and were forced to stand aside at Newark and allow Edward to march south to London. Beaumont fought under Oxford at the Battle of Barnet but suspecting treachery they fled. With the Yorkist Edward IV on the throne again Beaumont was once more stripped of his lands and titles.

By 1487 Beaumont was reported to be incapacitated by mental illness. Parliament ruled that he no longer had "sadness [seriousness] or discretion to rule and keep" his estates, and gave Beaumont's former comrade in arms John De Vere control of Beaumont's lands during his lifetime.

His suit of armor can be seen in almost every episode of Warehouse 13, and it was struck by lightning in "The New Guy". It was misidentified as Richard the Lion-hearted's Armor in the novel "A Touch of Fever".

Effects
With the compounded misfortune of William throughout his life, his armor absorbed his poor luck. Now it attracts all forms of disaster upon itself. The effects are amplified when worn to the point that unfortunate events form around it, but in a passive state it simply re-directs harm towards itself. Because of this, it is typically located near the main office of the Warehouse to attract damage away from other, more important things.

It seems mostly invulnerable to damage and possesses a mild consciousness, causing it to react to nearby events even though it cannot move. It seems to rattle with laughter slightly when something unfortunate happens to someone else.