Catherine Jung
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Contents |
Lineage
- Dmytro Czajkowski
- Nadezhda Vrablic
Impressions
Very few people really know anything substantial about Catherine Jung, or care to. Sure, some people know some utterly vapid things about her, but they're all things you could discern from the casual conversation she so loves--she enjoys classical music except for those uselessly flowery Baroque pieces; she likes to read literary science fiction despite being an Invictus elder who can hardly use a computer; she's got a raging fondness for a scant few television shows, even though the cathode ray tube burns at her Mekhet eyes. Some of it's just a matter of recent record: she was a mild, if influential, Invictus politician, focused on strengthening the covenant, before she became the clever and competent Reeve of the city, puzzling out culpabilities and closing cases with almost ludicrous ease, granted by an apparent affinity with Auspex. At a recent Court she declared herself Prince, shocking a good portion of an Invictus interregnum council she sat on, and is presently in the power of consolidating her power.
Some know a little more--or think they do--and count themselves lucky and knowledgeable for it. She was born in Atlanta (before Atlanta became Atlanta), and was Embraced in the early 19th century, the last of Gregory Krailo's brood of fledglings to build up the Order's numbers. She was a Dragon for a few years but defected, and was so low-level in the hierarchy that no one cared to kill her, though her sire was irate with her for ages. She remains an occultist, maybe even a scientist. Her desire to organize the Invictus, so long ago, led to the creation of the Inner Circle, though some would deem that the work of an aspiring fledgling eager to carve out a position for herself in Invictus hierarchy (as though Notary wouldn't suffice for her!) Yet despite her continuous presence as the mainstay of the Inner Circle, when the time came for an Invictus praxis she stood back and let others take the reins--until now.
Most Kindred are satisfied by this much, convincing themselves they know what's up. Yet at the same time most of what little is known about her is in the past, and her present activities are shrouded in the rumors that tend to aggregate around any sufficiently old Kindred. Some say she never defected from the Ordo Dracul, but was kicked out instead--and some say she never even really left at all, but is still busily doing, well, whatever Dragons do. Some say that her continued close relations with the Ordo, the Acolytes, and the Lancea Sanctum are symptomatic of her being a loose cannon whose true loyalties lie outside of the First Estate. Some say that her Technologist title, gained long ago and rarely coming into play these nights, is symptomatic of a ferocious desire for power--indeed, some say she's busy formulating a way to turn that devastating intellect of hers into a real means of inflicting physical harm. Some say she's gone mad, is paranoid, that her haven's a veritable fortress.
And some--most notably Gavino of Corsa--take the rumors to a height that are so wild, so grandiose, that they might just be true. Catherine Jung, he says, the youngest childe of the wicked demonologist Gregory Krailo (possibly birthed from Krailo himself, possibly summoned from some hell-pit--who knows the ways of the wicked Ordo?), fled to the Invictus to gain as much power as she possibly could. She won over Linus Walker with her charms, pushed unreasonably for an Inner Circle, and then secured the unearthly powers of a Notary for herself. And all her maddened power-seeking, Corsa says, culminated recently in her betrayal and violent torpor of both Anthony and Bridget of Themesis, and her ascent to Praxis after three nights of polite deliberation and deception with the interregnum council.
What's true? Are any of them true? Catherine ignores the least of the rumors, and recently penned an explanation--posted in Elysium--of how Corsa's fears are understandable but false. But even while she tries to unite the city under her banner, placating and building alliances to fortify her Praxis, some still fear she's a wicked traitor, a liar and a charlatan, who should be immediately overthrown...
Known History
1825: One year after her husband's death from an infected, accidental wound, Catherine finds her house essentially unlivable. At all times of the year a cold draft suffuses it; strange rattlings disturb the shelves particularly at night, and Catherine swears up and down that she hears her husband's voice calling to her at night. Exorcisms do not work, and the neighbors whisper that the young widow is going mad with grief. To avoid shame and further misery, and in order to regain some semblance of stability in her life, Catherine moves out of her house. Yet she continues to make occasional visits there, primarily now to try to satisfy insatiable curiosity.
1826: In routine mapping of the city's leys and nests, Gregory Krailo learns of the inquisitive Catherine. Already looking to bolster his covenant's numbers, he Embraces her late in the year, making him his 'third' (read: second) childe. At Krailo's request, she begins to prepare herself for massive changes to come, and opens her Requiem by changing her surname to Jung.
1836: After ten years of education and study under her sire's wing, Catherine is released and begins very cursory work in the Ordo Dracul's studies. No great secrets are divulged to her in the process, but it sharpens her mind and begins to produce in her work a genuine rigor as her potential blossoms.
1837: One year in, Catherine is getting frustrated. What little she knows of the Great Work seems a nebulous pie-in-the-sky dream, and temporal power seems more attractive than vague intellectual meanderings (at least that way you know you're getting somewhere...) Krailo meets the beginnings of insubordination with stricter assignments and punishments--which does nothing for her morale.
1838: Catherine finally defects to become a Paige in the Invictus. Krailo is furious.
1840: Catherine is manumitted, with Linus Walker as her sponsor. She signs an ten-year Oath of Fealty to him. Meanwhile she begins to study to become a Notary; what is essentially the Invictus' brand of blood magic seems to hold a peculiar fascination for her.
1847: With the Lancea Sanctum beginning to cause trouble, the Ordo Dracul seizes Praxis. Displeased at this turn of events, despite the fact that Krailo and her have mended fences, the arguably aspiring young neonate begins to push for the formation of an Inner Circle. While her liege lord, Walker, supports her, large portions of the rest of the Invictus are unamused.
1848: Catherine's eight-year Oath of Fealty to Linus Walker expires, having been kept well.
1852: Her guild studies finally complete, Madam Catherine Jung becomes Madam Catherine Jung, Notary.
1857: Somewhere around this point in time Catherine begins to subtly change. While few can put their fingers on precisely what it is, she seems to grow calmer, more relaxed. She seems less overtly intimidating and more subtly so, as though she's trying to make her increasingly daunting intellect, well, less daunting. Those few who notice such a subtle difference whisper that maybe the looming Civil War is affecting her; still others claim she's finally growing up and doesn't feel the need to prove herself any longer.
1858: Arthur Britmann challenges Vincent Boston to monomacy. Boston dies. Catherine is extremely irritated that such a minor slight ever exploded into such an unnecessary incident.
1869: Catherine's "sibling major" Marissa Carisle comes out of hiding to publicly sever all ties with Gregory Krailo. Catherine seems uninterested, truth be told, and keeps up relatively good terms with both. Some Invictus question the fact that she's reasonably friendly with her wild, pagan "sibling major".
1877: The Inner Circle is finally formed. Its membership consists of Catherine Jung, Linus Walker, and Duvet Richards.
1883: Jacque DuPont ascends to become the Bishop of the Lancea Sanctum. She doesn't seem to be at all disturbed by what's ostensibly a cementing of Sanctified power--in fact, she seems to welcome it, and is an extremely regular attendant at Mass.
1885: She begins to study formally to serve the function (if not bear the title) of Technologist concurrently with her Notary duties, in Savannah, Georgia. Despite her extensive occult and academic interests, such a choice seems to take many of the Kindred of Quality at the time by surprise--she has always seemed modest, even excessively so, about the depths of her knowledge.
1901: Though her title naturally remains Councilor, Catherine completes training as a Technologist.
1903: Two years after having completed guild training, Catherine finds herself both perturbed and confused by admonitions and warnings against overzealous pursuit of power from Linus Walker, and what had been up until then a relatively friendly relationship between the pair begins to dissipate into cool neutrality. Catherine does not heed his warnings, but the two are willing to get along well enough for Inner Circle work.
1907: The Carthian Experiment arrives in Atlanta. While she makes her contempt well-known, Catherine makes no moves as such against them.
1911: A number of Invictus individuals--Catherine included--attend a series of private meetings with a number of Sanctified (including the Bishop). Catherine, while perfectly socially apt, is no trained negotiator and is content to merely observe, apparently, while politicking ensues. Eventually, after plenty of social heavy lifting on both sides, the Bishop apologizes for his slight against the Acolytes. Through it all, Catherine continues to diligently attend Mass.
1912: Catherine requests and receives permission to sire, and begins to seek out a prospective childe.
1916: A minor debacle breaks out in which a Crone neonate, in Court, accuses Catherine of somehow finding and feeding from human "vessels" intended for sacrifice in Acolyte rites, in order to make them unsuitable. Clearly insulted by the mere insinuation of such, she lashes back, explaining at great length why the allegations are entirely absurd. The Acolyte neonate ends up chastised by Prince Michael Winchester of the Dragons, for bringing up such improbable and clearly bogus allegations against a well-established Kindred during Court. Afterward Carisle brutally thrashes the neonate, in front of Catherine, for the accusations leveled against her "sister". A few nights later, the neonate flees the city in bitter shame.
1917: Having found no appropriate childe, Catherine reluctantly abandons her search. Some call it sour grapes, but Catherine instead mildly describes her standards as perhaps being a little too high. She's not in a position, she explains to the questioning, to take in a liability.
1921: Her long-time covenant-mate Anthony Anderson defects to join the Carthians and Catherine nearly frenzies upon hearing such. The Invictus, however, has had its membership take heavy hits lately, and the Inner Circle takes no action (much to Catherine's irritation).
1932: When Duvet Richards, the third member of the Inner Circle, slips into torpor, Catherine insists that the Inner Circle cannot function without another member. Bridget Connelly is selected for the third spot.
1939: With World War II breaking out, soldiers move to train at Fort McPhearson. With so many Invictus in torpor thanks to the Great Depression, however, few remain to reap the benefits of the military-industrial conflict. Carthians take further control, and Catherine desperately holds on to what's hers.
1945: Winchester disappears and Anderson seizes Praxis. Catherine is incensed, but with the Invictus in such a weakened state, what is there to do, really? Some remark, behind her back, that she seemed much better at politics when the Order was involved. They surmise that it's due to the circumstances of her Embrace.
1946: Bridget Connelly steps up to Seneschal at Anderson's urging. While Catherine isn't quite pleased per se, she bites her tongue.
1953: Ester Camin is rumored to be a diablerist, and the reports of several Mekhet, including Catherine, whom the Court calls forward confirm this. Camin is executed by Catherine's excitable "sibling major", and is afterward chastised by the Prince for such. After the initial shock of discovering a diablerist in the city's ranks, Catherine seems content to watch. Some say it's the treatment of her "line" that gets her attention, but some say it's the dynamic within the Crones, instead.
1958: Catherine requests permission to Embrace, and receives it.
1963: After considerable deliberation on her part, Catherine finally Embraces a young man called Edward Haines. Additionally, in what's the first real open disagreement with Prince Anderson's governing, Catherine openly chastises him for spending too much time away from his city affairs. She criticizes his choice to sire, explaining that if he were going to let his city duties falter then he shouldn't have embraced at all. The disagreement promptly turns into an "if you wouldn't have left..." argument and the Prince draws open fangs. He's escorted out by Eveline Carre and Trey King, mainly as a means for a cool-down.
1970: Bridget's own childe Charles is manumitted, just barely, and rumors of the Inner Circle's favoritism abound. While Catherine doesn't say a word, it's notable that Edward's treatment and training became much harsher following Bridget's disappointment.
1973: Edward is manumitted and heads down to Florida, to study to become a Commissioner. Though few would admit it, Catherine seems quietly disappointed by the (perfectly successful) series of events, and makes no move whatsoever to talk about them.
1979: At Court, Bridget Connelly is reprimanded for her choice of Embrace, and a series of lashes spontaneously appear across her face. Catherine is rumored to investigate the incident, yet if she discovers anything at all, she says nothing--not even to those who ask.
1984: Catherine has a minor spat with the noted Carthian rake Peter Krokov in Elysium one night, after he makes an unwanted sexual advance. Both his misogynist tendencies and insatiable sexual appetite come up. Uncharacteristically, they refuse to smooth over their differences until several years later, likely because she finds him that irritating (and he finds her that uptight).
1997: Mildred Winters, the Prince's childe, becomes Herald. While Catherine is naturally entirely unpleased by this turn of events, she'd be hard-pressed to describe herself as surprised.
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