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Vampire The Masquerade
Prelude
Countess Louise Suffren was born in 1771
in Marseilles, France to a well-to-do aristocratic family. She was a black
haired beauty, with dark blue eyes, who stood 5’7’’ and weighed a petite 105 pounds.
Her eye catching figure 34A-23-34 was a dress designers dream. She quickly
learned to use her natural charisma and appearance to manipulate nobles as well
as servants. She was educated in the classical style by a series of clergy and
tutors. Louise soon began to acquire a considerable library as suiters and
others who sought to gain her favor quickly found a gift of a book brought a
smile or an invitation to converse in the parlor. Her skill as an artist
developed while she was quite young starting out with simple sketches that she
later devoped into stunning portraits.
She had a terrifying experience at the young age of only 18. It was July 14,
1789. She was visiting family friends in Paris, and her carriage was surrounded
by one of the many mobs that would later, that day, storm the Bastille. To her
amazement an older gentleman of noble bearing, unarmed, and alone seemed to
intimidate and then disuade the crowd from molesting Louise or her friends. He
had said not a word but his very prescence alone was enough to stop them.
Louise continued her visit and was presented at the court of Louis XVI. Her
beauty caught the Queen’s eye and she was chosen to become one of Marie
Antoinette’s Lady’s in Waiting. A very intelligent and perceptive young girl
she soon knew the king had his eye on her.
While at the court of King Louis she
painted many portraits of aspiring young nobles and soldiers. Several of the
Royal Painters commented on how gifted she was with a brush. It was said her
work was influenced by a unknown young painter at the time, Jacques Louis
David, who would rise to prominence as the Court Painer for Napoleon.
Young Louise was very innocent at the
time and learned the subterfuge of the Royal Court out of sheer necesity. She
took solace in her religion being a devout catholic. Several times when placed
in near compromising situations her benefactor from the mob seemed to appear
out of no where and divert the lustful pursuits of her tormenter with only a
glace. She wished to thank him but he disappeared just as quickly without a
trace.
Life at the Royal Court continued
oblivious to the realities of the outside world until that fateful day when the
mob caused the king to flee. Most of the nobles at court were left to the not
so tender mercies of the angry crowds. As the palace was burning, being looted
and unspeakable attrocities being committed against any and all blue bloods
Louise’s protector and three other men arrived to wisk her away to safety.
Wearing the uniforms of the nearly forgotton King’s Musketeers they seemed
immune to harm warding off would be
attackers and deadly blows. The crowds seemed to open up around them like Moses
parting the Red Sea. They took Louise to a Monastary /Convent outside the
city and left her in the care of the
Jesuits.
For the next seven years Louise
meditated, prayed, and painted. Her family were all victims of the French
Revolution. She also studied the many old religious tomes that told of
creatures of night. For some reason she seemed compelled to learn more about
them. She considered taking vows but something seemed to be holding her back.
She had always had a sense that someone was in the shadows watching her but
never revealing himself.
It was a full moon as she strolled alone out
among the orchards late in the evening. She seemed drawn to go for some unknow
reason. Ramiel Dupre her guardian seemed to step out of thin air, kissed her
and enveloped her in his long Black King’s Musketeers Coak. She felt no fear as
he swept off her feet and carried her to a waiting carriage. A short time later
they arrived at his chateau. Louise received two gifts that night as she became
a women and received The Embrace. The following morning; he told
her of Clan Toreador. He was leaving for the Czar’s Court in Russia. It was
still dangerous in Paris for the nobilty; even those of The Kindred had to take care. Brujah were
among the mobs and sought out Toreador and Ventrue for final death.
They fled to Moscow and the court of the
Czar Nicholas.
Louise’s
love of dance and theater was brought out at the Russian Court. She studied
ballet and became quite an accomplished dancer, and a fair actress. She found
her Clan Discipline of Celerity allowed for truly amazing moves and piroettes
by human standards. The time over the next ten years passed quickly and
pleasantly. Until Napoleon invaded Russia and French Nobles became unpopular at
the Czars Court. Ramiel took her
to Sevastapool where he had a small villa on the Black Sea. There they spent
the next 40 years in virtual seclusion. Ramiel taught her the ways of Clan
Toreador, but that was not enough for her. Louise learned the traditions,
history and her own coterie in intimate detail. She became increasingly jealous
of his many mistresses and became close friends with Rebecca, Ramiel’s 18 year
old Austrian Ghoul.
The year 1850 saw the outbreak of the
Crimean War and the siege of Sevastapool. Ramiel joined a unit of Cossack
Cavalry to participate in the fighting. Later that year while he was away
Russian authorities ordered Louise and Rebecca to evacuate the villa. As their
coach took them to Sevastapool they were stopped in Baclavia. Little did she
know on this fateful day as a Russian Officer proudly showed off the Russian
Cannons to the Nobles passing through that she would find her true love and
witness one of the greatest cavalry charges in history. As the Light Brigade
thundered forward and the Russian guns cut through their ranks like the grim
reaper Louise stood transfixxed by the spectacle of so much carnage. Strangely
her Toreador Blood did not bring about the expected frenzy. A Controlable
Thirst was what Ramiel had called it. Several Russian soldiers tried to drag
her back but with Rebecca at her side the two Toreadors brushed them off like
flies. A young British Officer fell almost at her feet as his mount was killed
and he was wounded at the same time. She was transfixxed by His stare and as he
looked up at Louise the pained look on his face turned to a smile and he seemed
strangly at peace. She didn’t know why but she got Rebecca to help her carry
him to their carriage. They returned to the villa and found Ramiel had been
badly wounded in a raid several nights ago. He had made it back to the villa
but gone into immediate Tupor. They spent the next few weeks nursing the
English officer back to health. It was Rebecca who finally said, you are of us
and not of us. Leftenant Jussac de’Rochefort admitted that he was a Ventrue
Ghoul and his family had fled to England during the Revolution. The Leftenant
to Louise’s great disappoint was returned in a prisoner exchange soon after.
Without Ramiel’s commanding prescence
Russia seemed much less hospitable and Louise decided to return to France by
way of Austria. Rebecca was from Vienna and they stayed there until the turn of
the century. During a lecture at the University of Vienna she was impressed by
the theories of Dr Sigmund Freud who was the main speaker. What
surprised her even more was a young Medical Student studying and doing research
with the eminant Psychiatrist. Jussac was equally please to renew their
relationship but there was something different about him. He was Kindred now.
Their whirlwind romance lasted barely a year and led to a 1901 wedding.
The First World War cause them to leave
Austria and return to France. Jussac had his medical degree and neither had
been home since the French Revolution began. Rebecca had returned to Russia
once and Ramiel was still in Tupor. Her increasing loyalty to Louise made her
decide to go with them. After the
World
War I ended Jussac returned to normal practice and found a bias against anyone
trained in German Schools of Medicine. At the Soborn where he had wished to
teach and been turned down he said, “I was good enough to treat the carnage of
war for four years and now you turn your back on me.” He and Louise left for
America.
They arrived in New York, but soon moved
to Chicago
Rebecca
found it increasly hard to resist Jussac’s commanding prescence. Louise had
gone through this before with Ramiel and
turned
her attention to a new found interest Music specifically Jazz. She spent many
years in New Orleans where her French background allowed her to fit in quite
nicely. Jussac set up medical practice in Chicago and in additional to his
reguler patients, treatment was available to the mob for a price and
considerable discretion. Rebecca was increasingly torn by Jussacs advances and
her loyalty to Louise. The end of the ganster era and the start of the Second
World War saw them all back together.
They had moved to Windsor Canada to get a
fresh start. Jussacs investments in Colt Auto-Ordnance, makers of the famed
Thompson Submachine Gun had payed off handsomely. Plus provided several classic
Model 1928A1 Tommy Guns with 50 round drums to the family firearms collection.
Up until this time Louise had steered
clear of kindred politics. as a Toreador her art had always come first. The
fifties saw them relocate yet again this time to Vancouver. Jussac had a large
25 room mansion built and set up a Psychiatric Practice for an exclusive
clientelle, while Louise opened a
Dinner Theater Club and Art gallery. Rebecca manages the club and with
Jussac interested in his new herd of would be starlettes the tension was gone.
COTERIE
{11}
Alexandra 3rd Generation
{10}
Francois Villon Prince of Paris 4th Generation
{9}
Andreas Bard of Crete Primogen 5th Generation
{8}
Anson Prince of Seatle 6th Generation
{7} Elliot Sinclair Virtuoso Thespian
Primogen7th Generation
{6}
Kallista Master Sculpter 8th Generation
{5}
Ramiel Dupre 9th Generation
{4) Louise Suffren 10tth Generation
{3}
Colin Flynn 11th Generation
(2}
Dieter Kleist 12th Generation
{1) Natasha Romanov 13th Generation
{OOC}
Jyhad and Vampire CCG
Presentation to the Prince
Louise and Jussac makes arrangements to
be presented to the Prince of the City. They show due respect but not subserviance.
They
also make inquiries and arrange meetings for formal introductions with the
Camarilla Primogen except for the Brujah. If the Brujah are encountered
socially, politely controlled hostility will be displayed.
After the presentation; They make
arrangements to throw a grand Toreador Social. They are Kindred of the old school
and do not tolerate the youngsters and up and comers who failed to show the
older generations prpoer respect. Those that do act correctly are welcome as an
eye for future protoge’s.
Louise frequently wears formal gowns more
suitable for the royal court than downtown Vancouver while Jussac is often seen
dressed as a Victorian Gentleman. Rebecca on the other hand likes the 21st
Century and thinks the mini-skirt is the best thing since in-door plumbing. No
more corsets, bussles, or petticoats for her. She dress as modern female
business excutive with a silk suit jacket, knee length skirt and high heals.
All have a fascination with James Bond
Movies, especially the early ones with Sir Sean Connory and carry a concealed
Walther PPK with armor piercing tracer ammunition.
{OOC}
If the Prince of the City is Brujah no formal presentation will be made.