Hallowed Nocturne

[Kai ♪]

THE CHEVALERIE OF THE HALLOWED NOCTURNE
Takashi Va'andael
THE SACRED ARCHIVE
Current Intelligence; Last updated - August 2009

A group that can trace its origins back to the establishment of the King's Secret during the reign of Louis XV, the Chevalerie of the Hallowed Nocturne is a self-declared paradox, drawing its name from the fact that the majority of the members of its inner-circle are vampires and that despite the stereotype associated with said creatures, they continue to oppose and undermine the unjust actions of supernatural entities - particularly of their sworn enemy, the Cult of the Rosen Epiphany.

Their main agenda, however, is probably self-preservation, and part of this preservation is the preservation of knowledge. This knowledge comes in many forms, from old historical documents to pieces of art to even certain locations and houses, and ninety percent of their business deals with the recovery and safekeeping of these tidbits of history.

On the other hand, the Chevalerie also contracts for freelance, meaning that they are available for the odd customer who has need of their knowledge in 'delicate' matters, from anything from art theft to exorcism. One simply needs to know where to find them.

The 'organization' is very tight-knit, and is more of a family than an actual organization, as membership is extremely selective, with most of the 'fringe' of the members acting more as private contractors than members. Its main headquarters and archives are somewhere in the ville of Versailles, though currently they are known to have established a home in Saint-Calais to help expedite their business in the states.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lucien Villette de Séraphin
Full Name: Lucien Amadieu Marie-Florence Narcisse Villette de Séraphin
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: Appears mid 30s / October 1756
Relations: Brother of Camilla Villette, father of Araziel Vasilica and Valeri d’Aoust, ‘married’ to Valentina d’Aoust
Notable Skills: Musical composition & performance, charm, intuition, swordplay
Interests: Wine, music, women, looking after the family

Lucien is one of the ‘older’ generation of the Chevalerie who were part of its original incarnation, the King’s Secret, back in the mid 18th century. And like the rest of the older generation, his path from then until now has by no means been straightforward, yet, like the others, he eventually arrived essentially back where he started decades ago: in Versailles. Yet this time it was because he and the others realized that, in an ever-changing world, their fellowship was one of the few things that could and would remain stable, but only with effort on everyone’s behalf.

Despite his reputation for polyamorous tendencies and borderline alcoholism, Lucien is a very nurturing figure and looks after the ‘family’ and other such objects of his affection with genuine care. Though he may more often than not appear fatigued or withdrawn, one might blame it on his preference for observation over action, at least initially.

He is incredibly talented in musical composition and performance to the point that one might consider him a prodigy; not all prodigies become known, after all. And though his tastes in music and other related things (such as art) might be considered antiquated, this knowledge is, naturally, essential in the Chevalerie’s common tasks of researching, tracking down, and restoring stolen and misplaced artifacts. His silent intuition, analytical mindset, and overall wisdom also make him a key piece of the puzzle whenever the others have need of relatively unbiased advice.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * **

Camilla Villette de Delacroix
Full Name: Camilla Helène François-Florentin Adelais Villette de Delacroix
Gender: Female
Age/DOB: Appears late 20s / February 1758
Relations: Sister of Lucien Villette, mother of Mirabelle d'Aoust (deceased), 'married' to Edmond d'Aoust
Notable Skills: Visual arts, infiltration and scouting, photographic memory, intimidation
Interests: Art, absinthe, tea parties, picnics

Camilla’s brashness is somewhat of a contrast to her brother’s patience, but sometimes the Chevalerie needs a good dose of ‘let’s f*ck shit up’ to get things going, and Camilla’s just the girl for that. Impatient and not one for nonsense, she prefers to cut to the chase, which makes it a wonder how she could ever go incognito for any of her errands. Still, to have survived so long, one has to be crafty as well as strong.

Her talent in the visual arts extends beyond the mundane, and more than once throughout her life she has used her borderline ‘magical’ talent to hide pieces of information too sensitive to be kept on paper. It is with this strange talent that she is able to communicate intelligence in secrecy, whether over great distances or over time (hiding something for the Chevalerie or someone else to find years or decades later). Complementary to her artistic talent is her eye, and, possessing a nearly photographic memory, she makes a perfect subject for reconnaissance.

On the more whimsical side, her tolerance for alcohol is impressive, and she claims that she paints best when she’s drunk (much like the absinthe-addicted ‘artists’ of the turn of the 19th century). And whether sober or not, she’s an all-or-nothing kind of woman; some find her nasty, but those on her good side will no doubt feel secure.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * **

Valentina Morisot d’Aoust
Gender: Female
Age/DOB: Appears early 30s / April 1757
Relations: Sister of Edmond d’Aoust, mother of Valeri d’Aoust, ‘married’ to Lucien Villette
Notable Skills: Languages, patience, information gathering, recording & archiving
Interests: Literature, writing, equestrianism, card games

Valentina could be considered one of the members of the older generation who holds the entire Chevalerie together. Indeed, at the Villettes’ and d’Aousts’ reunion at the turn of the 19th century, she was the one to approach the topic that nobody wished to: resuming the Chevalerie’s former operations. Essentially, without her, the Chevalerie might not exist as it does today!

Nonetheless, unless around her family, Valentina tends to be very quiet and reserved, preferring observation over action, much like Lucien. Her interest in writing from a young age has granted her a wide repertoire of literary works across plenty of cultures and ages, which naturally permeates into both very eloquent speech and pen. Unfortunately, in life, she did not succeed much in publishing works (considering her gender), but the skills are still there, and naturally she is a very effective information-gatherer, able to study and condense events into an easily comprehensible form for the others. Her knowledge of several languages (including Latin and Russian, as a couple of the more obscure ones) also widens the access the Chevalerie has to historical data.

She is extremely nurturing, always looking after the others, and once comfortable, she’s full of bright-eyed cheer and laughter. Nonetheless she is one of the more ‘old-fashioned’ of the family, making her somewhat modest by today’s standards, which probably lends to her image of being reserved.

Though neither Lucien nor her would admit it so openly, their love for one another remains as unbroken as it was the day they said their vows.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Edmond Ivon d’Aoust
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: Appears early 30s / September 1759
Relations: Brother of Valentina d’Aoust, father of Mirabelle d’Aoust (deceased), ‘married’ to Camilla Villette
Notable Skills: Field strategy, reconnaissance, marksmanship, swordplay, hand-to-hand combat
Interests: Hunting, equestrianism, fencing, traveling

Don’t let that cocky smirk fool you. That look usually means one of Edmond’s practical jokes is about to reach fruition … and that you can expect the victim’s enraged yelling to commence in the very near future.

That’s Edmond for you. Definitely the most laid-back of the older generation, Edmond’s main defense against the troubles of the world isn’t his sword arm; it’s his sense of humor. Making light of most situations has helped him cope with challenges over the years, and it’s a policy he sticks with even today. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s let his blade dull or pistol rust; he’s also the best strategist in the Chevalerie, and is usually the one to compose plans for large-scale operations. The man’s served under Napoleon, so he’s learned from the best.

He’s very close with his sister, Valentina, and with Camilla and Lucien of course. While he’s the youngest of the four of them, he doesn’t let that come in between his endless barrage of jests – or his fierce loyalty. It might not seem that he’s capable of being serious a lot of the time, especially with his love for humor, but he’ll be there with the right words when the situation calls for it. Someone has to monitor the drunkards in the house, after all.

Even now he still suffers from the occasional PTSD; he’s seen more active combat than the rest of the Chevalerie combined, which helps explain his abilities, but also both his frustration and grim understanding of human psychology and society. War brings out the worst – and best – in people; at least, that’s what he believes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jean Robin Mourille
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: Appears adolescent / June 1777
Relations: N/A
Notable Skills: Administration, public relations, languages, driving
Interests: Tea, word games, swimming, reading

Perhaps the most confounding of the members simply on account of his appearance, Jean is one of those unlucky few vampires cursed with imprisonment inside a prepubescent body that will never age. The great disjointment between appearance and personal maturity has and always will be a struggle for Jean, as people, being people, are always apt to judge based on appearances, and many times Jean is not taken seriously because of it.

Regardless, the Chevalerie knows better, and Jean is, like Valentina, essentially the glue that holds the group together and, just as importantly, keeps the household running. Without him, internal day-to-day operations would no doubt fall apart, as it is Jean who oversees most of the logistics of maintaining such a large family. Everything from delegating tasks to the staff, to monitoring who comes and goes from the house, to coordinating personnel on Chevalerie missions … to call Jean an ‘errand boy’ would be a gross understatement.

Jean is also responsible for the all-too-often-needed ‘damage control,’ and with a family this dysfunctional, that happens more frequently than one could expect. He has plenty of connections and ‘moles’ in everything from the local newspapers to the police stations, and he always knows precisely what strings to pull. He is usually the first means of contact if an outside entity wishes to do business with the Chevalerie.

On the whimsical side, Jean enjoys spending his rare time off in leisure out in the gardens, especially swimming in the pool or even the ponds out on the grounds. He is in love with Araziel’s blood-infused iced lattes, and if not at the house, he is usually found lurking at the café.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Devereux Aluart Chopin
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: Appears late 30s/early 40s / January 1380
Relations: N/A
Notable Skills: Alchemy, physiology & anatomy, biology, mysticism
Interests: Field study, poisons, experimentation, pets

Devereux is … not one to be trifled with, and there exists some sort of unspoken rule that if one sees him up to some sort of suspicious activity, it’s simply best not to ask. Not to see that he’s … intentionally malicious; he just sometimes doesn’t seem to understand the fine line between what is socially acceptable and what isn’t. Actually, he probably doesn’t even care that such a line exists.

His strength lies in the sciences and beyond, though his forte is naturally with anything that has to do with physiology. His laboratory, maintained in the basement of the house, is not necessarily off-limits … but enough strange occurrences take place there that anyone wise enough would know to stay away. There, he keeps all sorts of equipment suitable for his experimentation with everything from animals to humans to lycanthropes, but he doesn’t seem to have a specific goal in mind; he just tampers with whatever suits his fancy at the moment. In a way, this is an advantage, as whenever the Chevalerie needs some sort of medicine or poison or other such substance with a specific desired effect, Devereux, given some time, will usually be able to pull such a trick out of his sleeve. Sometimes, though, he expects repayment, especially if you’re not one of the family …

Devereux is also responsible for maintaining the extraordinary ‘defenses’ kept in place on the house. His favorite achievement is a strange enchantment set on the perimeter that senses creatures with hostile intentions. Should they be unfortunate enough to wander into the area, the enchantment manipulates their brain so as to drastically slow certain functions, essentially forcing them unconscious and sending them into a dreamlike state. There, he is able to control the nature of their dreams, usually in such a way to make them dream that they had entered the house and found nothing suspicious. A reality that, of course, is laughable.

His interests leave him little room for friends outside the family, but he’s happy to keep to himself. His idea of socialization is simply being in the same room with others, and since he tends to favor lurking in corners anyway, it works out for everyone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Araziel Léon Vasilica
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: Appears mid-late 20s / December 1810
Relations: Son of Lucien Villette and Clarisse Vasilica (deceased), half-brother of Valeri d’Aoust
Notable Skills: Gastronomy, people-person, martial arts, dumb luck
Interests: Food, coffee and tea, modern fashion

Despite his lower class, borderline povert background, Araziel eventually joined up with the Chevalerie in the mid 90s, so he's definitely one of the 'youngest'. Still, his easygoing nature and selfless cheer have brought the family a refreshing new outlook on things. Needless to say, so have his culinary skills; Araziel loves and understands food better than anyone else, and inadvertently has bounced from job to job over the years, almost all of which have been somehow related to the culinary arts! No doubt the Chevalerie's definitely enjoying a higher caliber of cuisine ever since Araziel came along.

Predictably enough, Araziel owns and runs a cafe in Saint-Calais: Sweet Berry Parfait. The place has become a virtual extension of the house, and often the other members of the Chevalerie can be seen lurking here at various hours of the day, for those times that they feel a bit suffocated at home.

Overall, Araziel is a cheerful, borderline hyper personality, prepared for most situations with a wink and a smile. But don't let that fool you, because, while he might be lacking any sort of formal education, he's no idiot, and his sharp wit and knowledge of how people work will help him through all sorts of challenges. Stupid luck always seems to be on his side, and he’s very good at getting out of trouble (but that also implies he often gets into it … which is true). When luck fails him, he has no quarrel with punching things (and people) in the face, either.

Though technically Lucien’s son by Araziel's harlot of a mother, Clarisse, Lucien was naturally absent from Araziel’s life up until Araziel joined the Chevalerie, so their relationship is very much not father-and-son, something both are adamant about imposing.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Takashi Mitsuo Vanda’ael
Gender: Male
Age/DOB: 28 / April 1984
Relations: N/A
Notable Skills: Hacking Computer science, computer networking, technology
Interests: Video games, Harajuku fashion, music, computers

Takashi is the resident techie, because God knows that the Chevalerie needs one. Though he began on a sort of private contractor basis (as the Chevalerie usually does when sourcing outside help), his skills and chemistry fit in so well with the Chevalerie, that, taking into account his circumstances as well (bouncing from job to job and barely scraping by with rent), he became fully ‘assimilated’ into the family and now lives and works there full time.

Need license plates run? Ask Takashi. Government files? Ask Takashi. Anything otherwise off limits to the general public? Takashi. If it exists, most likely he can find information on it. And for things too old to be registered electronically … well, that’s Lucien and Camilla’s business, isn’t it? Bottom line is that Takashi is one of the most resourceful people in the world, and he’s very good at (metaphorically) getting into places he’s not supposed to be.

In his free time he likes to nerd over fashion magazines, tech magazines, video games, youtube, and anything else generally not beneficial to one’s intelligence. He’s also got more energy than a caffeine-high Araziel and Vincent combined, so fuel him with a dose of coffee and mountain dew and he’ll run for days without sleep.