Richard D'Martel

Toreador -P- Paris -P- The History of the Clan of the Rose in Paris

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Sobriquet: Richard

Appearance: Richard is a tall man with light brown hair, eyes and neatly cut beard of the same color. He is charming, and his love affairs within the Clan rivals those of Villon. But unlike Villon, who is known to have male lovers, Richard is strictly heterosexual. This is seen in the choice of clothes, as he avoid any clothing that would makes him look-like a half woman.

He is normally wearing perfectly adjusted clothes: He has style enough to appear most of the time as if he didn't cared about his clothes, still wearing what enhance his appearance. He is, in one word, cool, without being trop, like some other Toreador. In Soirées, he normally wears a plain black smoking jacket and white shirt, avoiding the lace and the neckties favored by other Kindred.

Behavior: The perfect friend, and even more perfect enemy. He could kill you with a smile of compassion on his face, and still you would find arguments to excuse his actions. He is deadly in intrigues, and he knows it. Still, he avoids the contempt most Elders have for others.

He have a great dislike for the homosexual in general, be it gay or lesbian. This intolerance is enough to make sure he would never befriend one, or someone who support them to loud. The fact Kindred can forget their sex after some decades, and become bi-sexual bothers him a lot.

History: Richard's father's first son, with his virile magnetism, would inherit the domain, and his beautiful sister was to marry the son of a baron.

It only left him the choice to become his brother's chamberlain, or to try to rise by himself to a quasi-noble status. To become a priest, and soon reach the level of bishop, or even archbishop! Still his appearance, a fine mix of his brother's magnetism and a touch of androgyny, whose beauty rivaled his sister's would be in the way.

The Inquisition's power, by the days of Louis the 13th, was fast decreasing, but its power within the church was still untouched. His appearance attracted the attentions of more than one monk in his learning days. And more than one wanted to stay with him after the sunset, to talk about theology, or whatever.

He even attracted the attention of a monk who stayed by himself by day, and who created music by night. The composer was Marc, a musician who searched for the divine inspiration within the cloister walls, and when Richard entered the church where the musician was playing, Marc believed at first to be granted the vision of an angel.

The two became friends, each one sharing his experience and memories with others. The fact that Marc knew so much about history bothered Richard, who soon believed Marc was somehow immortal. Marc had let slip this kind of information to attract Richard to him. If Richard was never physically attracted by Marc. The idea of immortality, however, appealed to him, and the tales of the court, of the kings etc. had their effects on him. Still, when Marc tried first to share his Vitae with him, Richard refused.

His own intrigue was starting. Instead of discouraging Marc, Richard had trapped him. The Don juan had become the Elvire, chasing Richard up to Paris. The two met once more when Richard, without money, had entered the service of a noble as a courier. Marc even composed a song in his honor. Richard's cold reception hurt Marc deeply. Marc destroyed the music in an act of faith, telling Richard no one else would ever hear it again.

Desperate, Marc asked Richard what he had to do to be loved by him. Richard reminded him of his dreams at the court, the kings, the nobles. He reminded him that it was what he wanted to see, to live. He had not time for a forbidden love. Not with a creature who would live forever, and who, then, felt 10 years where nothing to lose.

Grudgingly, Marc admitted his undying state, promising to give Richard immortality. Richard refused: He wanted to see the court, now.

Marc agreed to accompany him at the court. The next night, Marc was wearing luxurious clothes, and had a set of clothes of the same quality for Richard. The night at the court was surprising. Petty intrigues, love affairs, dancing, laughter, women. In the same time, people were sleeping in dirty sheets, in cold things that no one should call houses... He liked it even more.

Marc and Richard appeared in the court of Louis the 13th, and Richard saw the other court, the hidden court behind the court. It went on under the nose of the so-called nobles. The Cour was fascinating. As Richard wasn't Kindred, he only tried to understand the words the vampires were using to refer to their unholy secrets.

This changed all. The court was not mortal. It was immortal. Marc's kind, hidden within the nobles, were doing things only God knows what. More beautiful, more mysterious than the mortal women, Marc's female Kindred started to obsess Richard. It the other hand, Marc saw the stares the Kindred gave Richard, thinking him his Ghoul. Jealousy grew, as Richard was sensible to those stares.

He begged Marc for the Embrace. Marc refused: He would Embrace no Poseur. "You didn't want immortality, and now you beg me to give you it?" He begged so much Marc even thought of sending his lover away. So Richard changed tactics and poisoned himself. His dying words, apparently inspired by death and pain, were full of love and regret, and they charmed Marc in such a way he Embraced Richard.

The ruse had worked. The poison would not have killed Richard, and even if he had to feel more pain that he ever felt in his life, he was now immortal. He silently thanked the poet who had died soon after he gave the epitaph to Richard, and prepared himself for the true life at the Cour. Beatrix accepted the Neonate in Paris...

The following night, he was in Beatrix's chambers, to Marc's dismay. And he remained Beatrix's lover for years, until she finally tired of him, and freed him of any engagement. Richard was free. Free of the paranoid Prince, and free of his Sire's influence. Marc never accepted it, but could do nothing.

So Richard continued his intrigue games within the Cour.

The problem is that within the Clan, he soon felt those calling themselves the True Toreador, the Artistes, look at him, and at the other beauté with so much contempt he started to secretly hate them.

Looking at the Camarilla structures, he discovered ways he could perhaps take a greater power. The Poseurs didn't earned their immortality, but when there was a problem, the Artistes were quick to forget this and call their Poseurs clanmates to use their influence to save them...

So Richard decided to make himself a place in the Toreador Clan. He couldn't be an artist, as he had no real talent. But if he had schemed successfully to be Embraced by an immortal, the mortals would not be difficult to influence. He directed all his work toward the increase of his influences, allies and contacts, as well as weaving a web of information among the Courtisans, most of all, Toreador Beauté.

And soon, they won, under Richard's influence, a great deal of prestige in the Clan. Heirs of Esprit, and deadly intrigues, they made the Cour so powerful even the Duchesses had to acknowledge their influence, which had, strangely, permeated the mortal society: The king and his court started to play intrigue games so similar to the Kindred ones some elders started to wonder... The Esprit, created by the Kindred and refined by Richard and his clique, was appearing in the mortal court. Richard's influence was great indeed.

Since then, Richard has a secure place within the Cour, and is one of the most influential Kindred in Paris. The fact Villon didn't select him to become the new Toreador Duc when Alexis went to Egypt didn't decrease his prestige. To the contrary, it made the Poseurs somewhat nervous, as a rumour of a great purge within the Clan was beginning to make its way into Paris Kindred society. This was enough to make him wonder at the possibilities: The Clan Toreador was large enough to support two powerful Ducs. One for the Artistes, one for the Poseurs.

This would be refused by the Artistes, as it would acknowledge the fact that the Poseurs exist within the Clan, which would lose its prestige as the Clan of Artists. But the Poseurs would ask it, as it would protect them from the feared Toreador Purge.

Since then, Richard works to reach this aim. He succeeded in seducing Theti-Sheri, the Duchesse of the Followers of Set, to the dismay of Villon, and he has now access to some sensible information from the Grand Cour.

Recent Events:

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Notes: He is the current lover of Theti-Sheri, the Duchesse of the Followers of Set. As Theti-Sheri is the most beautiful Kindred of Paris, and as he is believed (true) to learn sensible information from the Grand Cour meetings, his Prestige will start soon to bother the other Toreador. And as Theti-Sheri secretly supports the idea of a second Toreador Duc...

Actual Aim: To succeed in having enough prestation and power to ask, in the name of the other Poseurs to become the second Toreador Duc. To be friend with everyone (what he almost succeeds!).

Rumours:

       He is addicted to Theti-Sheri (False: Richard is Unbondable, and drinking Theti's Vitae is nothing to him).
       He wants to become Duc, by replacing Lazlo (False).
       He wants to become Duc by becoming the second Toreador Duc, representing the Poseurs (True). 

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Credit to the Author: https://augias.org/pbn/richard.htm