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- Her Grace Alder Quintia Ovidius Agrippa, Duchess of Florence, Prince of the Unconquerable First Estate
- The Alder Baron Titus Ovidius Agrippa, Reeve, Advisor and Groom, of the Most Noble Fellowship of Artemis
- The Good Alder Claudia Rubius, Viscountess of Frangelica, Groom, Speaker and Librettist of the Most Noble Fellowship of Artemis
- The Alder Baron Titus Ovidius Agrippa, Reeve, Advisor and Groom, of the Most Noble Fellowship of Artemis
The Man
1780 - 1815
Julian’s father was the personal physician of Admiral Villeneuve a prominent and influential commander of Bonaparte’s navy, his mother was also from an aristocratic family, Julian had two older brothers, one younger brother and one younger sister, their family was an old and established house of the Paris aristocracy, and Julian lived a comfortable childhood, his every want provided. Revolution and wars meant little to boys with wooden swords.
Julian and his brothers spent most of their formative years as terrors of their Parisian neighborhood, bullying other children and harassing adults with pranks. But when his older brothers came of age, they both left for service in the navy as was tradition for D’Seviere men. This had little emotional effect on Julian, being a self centered childe, this was merely his opportunity to have the run of the rest of his siblings and incite his own childish antics until his time came to leave home.
His father was rarely at home in those days of growing turmoil; his mother took many lovers in his absence and was never shy about this to her remaining children. Julian spent many nights at the keyhole of the master bedroom, watching his mother use her own brand of diplomacy. Between his studies he spent his time among other Parisian aristocrats learning the finer points of society by his mother’s side, and the finer points of manhood through his mother’s keyhole.
Julian had little respect for his father, thinking him naïve and foolish, and quickly learned that women were clever, treacherous creatures not to be underestimated. He developed few lasting friendships in his childhood, remaining close to his family, being the eldest male and was protective and guiding to his younger siblings. Receiving standard and military education from private tutors, he developed an opinion of the lower classes as creatures of weaker will and subservient to those of nobler stock.
In his younger years, Julian was a carefree individual, light hearted and energetic, drinking life by the flagon. Outgoing and friendly to everyone, even complete strangers, often keeping his personal opinions to himself until it suited him otherwise. A canny beast who’s social behavior and veracious appetites rubbed many a raw shoulder among his peers and elders. Notorious for the deflowering of many a young lady, and famed for decedent parties, he and his peers ran the streets as rowdy playboys, stirring trouble where ever they went. But despite all his fun, the world around him was at war, and Julian soon tasted its bitter sting for himself. After receiving word of the death of both his father and older brothers at a disastrous naval battle, Julian’s outlook on life began to change and he developed a distinctly grim characteristic to his jovial attitude. He never embraced the man her mother quickly remarried to, hardly leaving herself time to mourn for the death of his father, who even though Julian had little respect for, still honored his family.
Even though Julian thought himself better than the lower class, he wore a subtle disdain for the aristocracy as well from that point on. Finding them jaded sycophants and observed that politics was merely a matter of old men talking, rich women fucking, and young men dying. Believing that any social or political change was pointless and that only strong men of power shaped the world. That it was not a tapestry to be threaded but iron to be forged with a hammer and a strong arm. His opinions made him a popular trend among military men of his age, men who were at present the ones in power
When his time came to join the Navy, Julian was a fast riser. He developed a strict sense of discipline but was loved by his men due to his generous outgoing disposition, and earned the respect of his officers by his displays of leadership and tactical cleverness. In the Napoleonic wars, Julian was known to be a brilliant strategist and ferocious in battle. By his 23rd year, he was promoted to the rank of Captain under Admiral Villeneuve and was given command of his own ship, and quicker he rose in distinction, but also in notoriety. For Julian often showed a lack in moral principles in the opinion of other commanders, his battles were constantly bloody and unnecessarily brutal as he constantly disregarded the accepted standards of honorable combat. In fact a constant war chant among his men was Frappez d'abord, grève dur, aucune pitié, “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy.” At sea, he bombarded Royal Navy and Coalition ships to the point of ruin, at land he burned villages to the ground, leaving men slaughtered, the women raped and no single coin left unplundered. Though the French seemed to be losing the war, Julian knew few defeats, and through distinction had garnered respect and a voice in the court and was known to be one of the constant voices urging for an invasion of the British isles, but his reputation for savagery saw him swept to the far side of the empire, and had it not been for his startling victory at the battle of the French controlled port of Antwerp, where Julian’s ships broke the British offensive and sent Sir Richard Strachan’s fleet back to England, decisively ending the Walcheren Campaign, Julian may have found himself on the way to the gallows. But after that victory he was loved by Admiral Villeneuve, and Napoleon himself sent him a letter of tribute. It was probably only the respect of his commanders that kept the courts turning a blind eye to the destruction he left in his wake.
At war’s end, Julian returned to Paris, to his family home where just steps into the threshold he met his stepfather with only a thin smile in greeting. The silence was short, as without a word spoken between them, but his stepfather standing with his arms open in welcome, Julian knocked the man off his feet, and looming over him as he lay prostrate and helpless began to stomp the heel of his boot into the man’s head over and over, until the sickening crunch of bone became the fleshy wet sound of mashed flesh, and all that was left was a twitching corpse staining the Persian rug of his foyer. His mother stood screaming in horror from the balcony as Julian reclaimed what was his. With blood soaked boots, he snatched up the young half brother he found in the nursery and ordered it taken off to an orphanage and dropped on the doorstep. His mother he banished to their summer home in the country and the two never met again. An act that was later commented by his friends as merciful.
Amid the political turmoil of the changing world around him, Julian declined from politics fearing reprisal for his actions in the war. He remained a constant socialite however and seemed only to be biding his time, quietly gaining support enough to secure himself a comfortable position as admiral.
The Beast
1815 - 2007
But Julian’s life soon ended when he returned to Paris, as there were other revolutionaries in his midst that had darker deeds in mind for darker creatures. One night, after receiving an invitation, he arrived at party, where he was greeted by the hostess, a telling young woman named Sophie who claimed herself to be the husband of a political reformist who was interested in Julian’s support. Among a strange gathering of suspicious figures and dim lighting, he was lured off to the master bedroom with Sophie. Here, in a position he had constantly observed through the keyhole of his mothers bedroom, Julian was Embraced. He learned then that Sophie herself was the true revolutionary and that she and her colleagues were an assembly of political revolutionaries seeking to change what she called Kindred society. He had hardly had time to take it all in when the sound of breaking wood and angry voices rose up from downstairs, Sophie herself leapt from the room and did not return, though Julian guessed at her scream a few minutes later, followed by an unsettling silence and quiet voices from below, and then footsteps leading to the bedroom. There appeared Servillius, a tall a staunch figure who stood silently observing Julian for a few moments. Servillius had been Sophie’s sire, and he and his coterie had killed her assembly that night, and Servillius thought it the honorable thing to take his grandchilde, Julian as his own. The two made a solemn pact never to speak of Julian’s true patronage again. Servillius, himself was a member of the Invictus and at that time their control of the city was faltering to a rising group of Kindred shouting for reform. It seemed to Julian a vulgar and pointless display and he didn’t mourn the death of his sire to the least. He easily followed Servillius into the Invictus, finding talent as a Soldier at first; he also displayed talents in advocacy and diplomacy and excelled in the training of fledgling pages’. He also became a keen student in the art of seasoning mortals and beasts in a distinguished Groom’s guild sponsored solely by members of the Order of Hermes. At some point, to no one’s understanding save his own, Julian developed an affinity for gardening, and the gardens of his estate were regarded as some of the best in the city. It seemed as if Julian were a prodigy in the art of shaping lesser wills. But despite their best efforts to keep the old guard in power, Paris was changing, and Julian and Servillius made arrangements to leave the city for the Americas where Servillius had arranged for amnesty in Savannah. They did well in Savannah, as Servillius had several relations in the city’s court. However Julian grew restless in the new world, he openly shared his disgust with Servillius and it seemed he found himself unaccustomed to a life outside of warfare. He kept busy for many years studying as much as he could about Kindred History, absorbing all there was to know, or rumored about ancient powers and legends of Kindred lore and otherwise immersed himself into Kindred society but overtime he began to sink back into his old lecherous self. While socially he became popular, outside of the salons and Elysium’s, he began again rubbing the wrong people the wrong way. Though he was clever and always knew how best to tiptoe his line, in boredom he finally crossed it when he seduced one of the Prince’s mortal descendants, and the affair caused the withering of several of the Prince’s assets due to the divorce and fracturing of the family. While other Kindred may have found themselves seeing the sun again, his sire was able to arrange that his life be spared, but Julian was forever exiled from Savannah under penalty of death.
Desiring to travel no further into the new world, Julian came to Atlanta in the early 20’s to a shaky welcoming, he kept the particulars of his arrival to himself and took up the familiar function of Au Pair and settled quietly into the city, casually engaging Elysium’s, making himself known through the city, knowing full well he would have to start over here. Once the Great Depression hit Atlanta, Julian, having no desire to deal with another “peasant uprising” prepared for his first Eclipse and left the city to its own devices, hoping to return to a more civilized era. And now Julian has returned to the modern world and as one might suspect thinks little of it at all, but is at least pleased to see Americans seeming to finally shake off the prudish ideals of their founders and learn to enjoy life.
Recent History
Having risen from eclipse, Julian has reclaimed his role as Au Pair When Anthony of Themesis declared a Bloodhunt on the Acolyte Hildr Julian took responsability for rallying other Kindred to the call and lead the attack on her haven where he lured her out, and he along side Terron Rhodes and Jim Angle defeated her.
Using the momentum of a triumph he claimed himself the rightful Sire of Lisette Beauxhomme causing some small amount of scandal in the effort, and has since been seen regularly at Elysium socializing with every rank and file Kindred in the city from the Prince down.
It has been passed down the line that at the next summit of the House of Ovidius Agrippa, all descendants will gather in Florence and a new protégé will be selected.
The Blood
"Sophie"
Julian's true sire, the black smudge of his noble heritage a onetime Invictus turned Carthian member, she and her cohorts were cut down like weeds shortly after Julian's embrace, Sophie herself died at the hands of her own sire.
Servillius
Julian's grandsire and surrogate sire, both claiming the other as a direct relation. A staunch and serious man who claims to be a descendant of the House of Valios and a knight during the era of the Hundred Years War. He believes in the divinity of the Invictus and has tried to instill this belief to all his progeny; though it is rumored he has pagan beliefs and worships dark gods in secret. Esteemed among other Kindred of Quality for conquering the domain of Marcell and Meister of a respectable guild for aspiring councilors, advisors or other politically ambitious paiges. He and Julian went together to the new world, Servillius is now in eclipse.
Claudia
Servillius' sire, a savage and brutal harpy known for terrible lusts and rage. She claims ancient heritage but lost much in the fog of an eclipse that lasted a century, and embraced only one childe, Servillius after waking, like many others of her line she is an accomplished groom, but stands alone for her reputation as a harpy and it's said in fact that her land was granted to her for fear of reprisal at a rather trivial slight. She is a decadent hedonist and as such has become a skillful maker of lacrima. She is presently active in the courts of Canale Italy, her native city.
Titus
A proud and grim man, he was formerly a Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Thorned Wreath but after several centuries of service, retired. Remarked for being both wise and fierce and honored for the defense of Florence from "barbarian" attacks from werewolves and savage nomads, he received the title of Baron for his distinction in service, though some whisper rumors of disloyalty for leaving the order. He is also renowned for being an unmatched hunter. He now serves under his sire as both Reeve and Advisor, known to be a staunch believer in justice and virtue, he is the protégé of the House of Ovidius Agrippa
Quintia
Half Sister, lover and sire to Titus as well as the patron of the House of Ovidius Agrippa that claims to descend from the famed Roman general of the same name. She has been a member of the Invictus for as long she claims to remember, and speaks subtly of hazed memories of Rome, but much is lost to the fog of eclipse and she has long since resided in Florence and has not seen Rome for centuries. Once a talented Judex, Speaker and Senator, she brought order to then warring city of Florence and her House has since resided as the singular rule of the city. To this night she practices Roman traditions and observances and has passed this manner down her line, saying that the ancient nights of truly noble, glorious and dignified society should never be forgotten. She makes it a point to keep written correspondence with her descendants to ensure that her will is obeyed.