Daedalus

"The view changes from day to day, It’s always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose."

- Quintus

Daedalus (Δαίδαλος in Ancient Greek, also known as Quintus) was a demigod son of Athena, the inventor of the Labyrinth, and was a genius of his time. He is also the oldest known demigod, or simply the only adult one shown in the series that wasn't made immortal by the gods. Daedalus was an omnibus, able to succeed at nearly anything he turned his hand toward. A brilliant inventor, terrific swordsman, artist and architect together, and he said he played a good game of basketball for someone who was two thousand years old when he first learned. Daedalus was very good and secure with who he was.

History
Daedalus was an inventor who was hired by King Minos of Crete, to create the Labyrinth. Eventually however, Minos had Daedalus and his son, Icarus, thrown in prison with little chance of escape. Daedalus used his knowledge and craft to construct a pair of wings made of bronze feathers and wax that would allow them to fly away. However before the wax could properly set, Minos arrived with his guards with knowledge of Daedalus' plan to escape and simply let him work on his plan so Minos could thwart him again. This doesn't work as Icarus shoots the guards with a wax gun and the two use a steam vent to fly out of the prison. Minos claims he will never let Daedalus escape and he would hunt him down forever. While Daedalus and Icarus fly to freedom, Icarus flies too close to the sun and eventually plummets to his death, much to Daedalus' horror and sadness.

Years later, Daedalus was placed in the care of his nephew Perdix and trained him in the ways of the mechanical arts. While Perdix was much younger, he showed signs of ingenuity in intelligence that could have rivaled even Daedalus himself. Over time, Perdix showed his uncle plans for a way to live forever by transferring your consciousness (called animus - Latin for soul, or mind) into an automation body. While Daedalus claims it is impossible, Perdix shows him his notes on the subject, but Daedalus still claims it won't work. Eventually, his jealousy turns into anger and he is forced to make a choice. Daedalus tricks Perdix to fall over the edge of a balcony in a game of catch. Athena saw this and transformed Perdix into a partridge. She cursed Daedalus and branded him with the mark of a murderer that would never fade.

After years of hiding in the palace of King Cocalus and acting as a teacher to his daughters. Minos had not forgotten about him however and issued a challenge of wits. He would give a thousand gold talents to anyone that could thread a sea shell without breaking it. Daedalus couldn't refuse the challenge, and found a way by tying a silk string to an ant and placing honey at the other end of the shell. When the news reached Minos, he knew he had found Daedalus. However, because Daedalus was a kind teacher to the daughters of Cocalus and treated them as if they had minds of their own, the daughters killed King Minos in defense of their teacher. While the only person Daedalus really feared was now dead, he knew he would be waiting for him in the Underworld and he would never have a fair trial. He retreated into his Labyrinth that had grown and taken a life of its own. This way he would be able to hide from death forever. Then, using the notes Perdix had made, he decided to invent a new body for himself, but the mark Athena had branded him with, followed into each new automaton body.

The Battle of the Labyrinth
Daedalus is disguised as Quintus, the swordsman trainer at Camp Half-Blood. He has a huge hellhound as a pet named Mrs. O'Leary (that is now Percy's pet). At the beginning of the book, Quintus was believed to be an adult half-blood whose parentage is unconfirmed (Though he was partially telling the truth, as his mother was Athena). Percy and Annabeth figure out that "Quintus" is really Daedalus in his fifth body (Quintus means the fifth in Latin).

After much soul-searching, he asks to be killed by Nico. Nico does this by releasing his spirit in order to destroy the Labyrinth and halt Luke's invasion of Camp Half-Blood through Zeus' Fist. When Daedalus dies, the Labyrinth is destroyed because it is tied to his life force. It is said that he is now creating roads and overpasses in the Fields of Asphodel in the Underworld to help ease the traffic congestion and is allowed to visit his son Icarus and his nephew Perdix on weekends. Daedalus gave Annabeth his laptop filled with his inventions. She uses this laptop in The Last Olympian.