History, Background, Tie-Ins!!!
A timeline for Roland. This is by no means complete, as there are several pivotal scenes/characters not mentioned here to keep some secrets back. If you would like a tie and see a spot where that would work drop me comment! The more the merrier.
1968 - “Michel” Tristan Deloupe is born in a small town south of Montreal to his mother Celeste and her husband Gabriel, a retired Captain in Canada’s Airborne Regiment. Known to other magi by her Moros Shadow Name of Sekhmet, Celeste is in hiding from those who would kill her and her child. She rarely practices her magic, and takes no part in Awakened society. The small family exists below the radar, isolated from the world and living under false identities.
1973 - The couple moves to northern New Hampshire in America and assumes new identities with the help of members of the Guardians of the Veil in Manchester, cutting all ties to their former lives. Michel is home schooled and the family continues to live in near seclusion.
1975 - The family home is attacked in the night by those who had been seeking Sekhmet. Weakened from her lack of practice, the Guardian of the Veil is still able to put up a good fight against the group of Tremere Liches who come calling. In the chaos of their battle Gabriel manages to escape with the child, using all the skills of his army training to evade them. He swims off the island, carrying the boy and a few posessions just above the freezing water for an hour while trying to make no sound. Eventually they reach shore and safety. Sekhmet is never heard from again, and the father and son do not return to the house for many years.
1975-83 - The pair move constantly from place to place, living on the run. Gabriel takes odd jobs to get by, but forming no attachments to anyone. The trauma of that night makes Michel’s recollections of his early childhood painful and hazy, though there is something there at the edge of his memory that he knows makes him different. He dreams on occasion of his mother, but there is always something about her which is odd to him, a part of his memory locked away.
Gabriel, a Proximus who never awakened but learned a great deal about Awakened society from his wife, teaches his son a number of odd skills (special forces martial arts, woodland survival, ancient magical history) and in a very rough way lays the foundation for the day when his son may Awaken, without outright telling little Michel about Magi and their world in case he never does. These lessons are often harsh and a gulf begins to widen with his son as he grows older and more independent.
1984-86 - "Mike" leaves his father at the age of 16. He detests the constant moving and feels as though he missed out on his childhood due to the paranoid delusions of his strict, military-background father and his crazy lessons. However, being on his own is much more difficult than he imagines and Michel is forced to the same kind of nomadic lifestyle as before in order to find work. He eventually gets a job working as a bouncer at a bar in New York City and finally seems to have found a calm and steady life. After a year Michel begins to wonder about his father and takes a little time to try and track him down.
1986 - Returning to the place where they split, Mike discovers that Gabriel was killed in a suspicious fire along with three other men only a few months after he left. With some time and money spent asking around he finds out that the other bodies recovered from the fire were not the victims of smoke inhalation or burns. Instead two died of gunshot wounds and a third from massive trauma inflicted by another person at close-range with his bare hands. He also learns that these same people had been asking about a man matching his father’s description around town before his death. Yet someone had taken steps to prevent any kind of investigation and the incident was instead listed as an accident. At last realizing that his father was right all along, and that they were in danger, Mike quits his job and heads to New York to try and lose himself in the maze of the massive city by vanishing off the radar once again as he was taught.
1987 - While walking in the city one day Mike is subjected suddenly to his Awakening. His Shadow Play leads him from the Metropolitan Museum of Art down to the Empire State Building and back up to Cleopatra’s Needle in Central Park. In his visions Mike travels to the gates of the Underworld, the City of the Dead, to the crumbling remains of dead Atlantis, and after a long journey he arrives at the Watchtower of the Lead Coin to write his name, Roland, at its base.
1988-92 - Attempting to have both a mortal and Awakened life as Roland and Michel, he initially meets with success. He explores his magic fervently, mastering the secrets of Death and of hiding ones thoughts and inner self in short order. His contact with the Awakened is limited to meeting a few of the local magi, and learning enough about them to choose an Order buthe eschew the Consilium. He selects the Adamantine Arrow, recognizing in himself a warrior spirit, though it is a difficulty choice between them and the shadows of the Guardians of the Veil which his mother and many ancestors were.
In his normal life of working again as a bouncer at a bar in Manhattan he meets Elizabeth York, a nice girl from Staten Island and the two begin a romance. He keeps the secret of his magic from her however as is suggested by the magi he meets. Tragically she is killed when two magi attack the couple on the road, only days after their engagement. Realizing that these are the people his father used to call traitors, Roland goes into hiding again.
1992-96 - Roland spends the next few years living a solitary existence, working through his pain. Out of the limited knowledge he has been able to glean from his mother’s books he believes he understands parts of the curse on his lineage now. He adopts the theory that the Deloupes can never grow close to anyone or risk bringing loss and death to them. It stems from some accident of their past involving traitors to the Deloupe family, one which he does not quite yet understand. Roland refuses to pass that legacy on to anyone, and instead throws himself in a role of silent and distant protector. After 1994 he occasionally works with Richard Morgan and the two form a tenuous friendship, as close as anyone has been allowed to get to Roland since his father or Elizabeth.
1997 - Roland is asked to join a cabal with Richard, Lucy Discordance, (NPC Thyrsis Cabal Mate), and Jack Straw. Adventures ensue.
1998 - (NPC) is killed and the cabal splits for a time in order for its members to deal with the death in their own way. Roland, blaming himself for not being able to fulfill his oath as the Banner Warden and protector of the Cabal, goes on a personal quest to learn about himself and to find the confidence in his abilities which seems to have struck him.
He travels to New Hampshire again, to the site of his family’s old home in Grand Isle, NH. The place has remained undisturbed since the night Roland and Gabriel fled. In a daring feat of magic, Roland attempts to summon his mother’s shade in order to learn once and for all what happened to their family and to truly understand the nature of Deloupe’s curse.
The attempt is not successful, at least not entirely in a way which Roland expected. Instead of his mother the magic alerts a Tremere Lich to his presence at the property. The mage, Anuriel, was one of the ones who attacked and killed his mother. He arrives and speaks with Roland for quite some time, revealing pieces of the puzzle which the magi did not have. Eventually he tells him that the Tremere would welcome a Master of Death such as himself, and offers to teach him the way to live forever~ for a price. The meeting goes downhill from there.
The conflict between the two magi roams over the entire property, testing the limits of Roland’s magic. Hurt badly, and on the edge of breaking mentally, the Moros stumbles into the barn to seek a moment of shelter. Hunting for a place to hide, Roland discovers a secret door, and inside finds a long chest of dark wood. The sigils of the high speech in silver filigree cover the case, and inside is the most beautiful weapon Roland has ever seen. At this moment Anuriel discovers him, but is shocked to see the sword in Roland’s hand. Taking advantage of this moment he thrusts out with the blade and the enchantments of the supernal realm guide it home, inflicting a mortal wound on the Tremere.
Roland swiftly executes the Embalmed, wondering what could cause a mage to fall so far. The answer to his question also lies within the secret compartment, as a second volume like the one his mother wrote for him lies within. It speaks of the split within the Deloupe family and the traitors who cursed the line for realize the true power the Tremere offered, and refusing to give up their souls in return. At last understanding the true breadth of forces arrayed against him, Roland decides he needs allies and more power if he is to track and kill the remaining traitors and their disciples.
1998-9 - Roland returns to NYC and the cabal. He finds a young magi alone one night, being attacked by a powerful creature from the netherworld. He rescues her and discovers that she knows next to nothing about Awakened society. He offers to teach her what he knows, understanding how difficult it can be making your way alone in the world. Jou becomes his student, though his lessons are more about survival and history than about becoming a part of any one Atlantean order or Arcana.
Roland also rabidly devours any mention of Atlantis he can find during this time, searching for some piece of knowledge about ancient traditions, the final days of the Awakened city, the Exarchs and Oracles, and every other scrap about their shared history as magi he can find. He is looking for a weapon or an advantage, but along the way discovers he enjoys reading these ancient legends like when he was a child reading for the first time about Atlantis.
2000 - Word reaches Roland that the Consilium of Manchester is under attack by the Scelesti. Feeling a distant tie to them, since it was Magi there who helped his family to hide years ago, he begins to spend a large amount of time in Manchester, fighting in the skirmishes against the Wicked Ones. He thinks that this battleground will be the perfect place to hone his skills in fighting against magi, and to gain some allies for that battle which is to come.
After a few months Roland becomes the protector of the aging Moros Councilor (NPC name not yet given) under Hierarch Renard, saving the elderly man on more than one occasion. He is eventually named as Provost.
2001 - Roland undertakes a mission for the Manchester Consilium, traveling to the Himalayas and the temple of Tien Shan to learn if the sudden Scelesti threat there is tied at all to the attacks on Manchester. His skills make him a good choice, despite his personal misgivings in leaving (NPC Moros) without protection.
While there, surviving in the harsh conditions and meeting with other magi, Roland comes to a greater understanding of himself and his place in the universe. He becomes fascinated by the different, yet still unified traditions of the Perfected Adepts which are being discussed by those who come to fight. In a place held sacred by the Monks he recognizes the potential within himself, he finds the inner strength he needs to continue the fight against the Tremere, and the knowledge that it will not only be a battle of magic and physical strength, but also of the will and mental toughness.
Upon returning from the mission he discovers that (NPC Moros) was wounded in a brief skirmish. (NPC Moros) confides in him that his health is failing, as is his command of magic, and that he feels it is his time to retire. Seeing the changes in Roland, (NPC) tells him that he would like the younger Moros to step forward to take his place on the Council when he leaves. After some intense personal debate about his place in the politics of Manchester he chooses to accept the invitation,
This decision puts him into conflict with Obolus, a fellow Moros, who is of the Silver Ladder. The two discuss the matter at length with neither willing to relent in the face of the issues raised by the other. Eventually Obolus suggests they settle it in the Atlantean manner since negotiation and compromise seem incapable of resolving their differences. Impressed by the Ladder’s bravery, the two agree to engage in a Duel Arcane. The contest is witnessed only by members of the Moros, although the events would eventually become part of local history. In the end, Roland wins a close match, breaking Obolus’ fading shield with a final all-out attack and sapping the last of the Ladder’s will.
On the same night as he votes to elect Iovis, (NPC) steps down from the Council, thrusting Roland into the position and causing major shifts in the balance of power in Manchester. Roland tells his cabal that he will need to be remaining in Manchester most of the time, but that he will come should they call. He hopes to help with softening the rather hard line against the Free Council among the traditional magi of Manchester and serve as a buffer with nearby Boston.
2001-2003 - Roland serves as Moros councilor in Manchester. His aggressive stance on matters of defense and territory are tempered with more concern for Sleeper society than the Masitgos or Obrimos representatives. And his attitude on Atlantis and acceptance of Free Council equality is likwise softened with a deep knowledge of Awakened traditions and rituals as well as a habit of chastising stupidity in everyone, including Free Councilors who forget their manners. Publicly he is known to dislike the Hierarch’s hedonistic ways and attitudes, though he continues to support his Awakened policies for the most part. He chooses his battles carefully, mostly remaining silent unless he truly objects to something.
Jou leaves his apprenticeship. His lessons to her had been fewer with time as she grew into the mage she was always meant to be. Roland is sorry to see her go, but understands she needs to find her own way.
2004-2005 He patiently stalks the city of Manchester at night in both Twilight and the material world, mitigating his need for sleep with Mind and Life magics, in order to guard against the return of the Scelesti or Tremere.
1968 - “Michel” Tristan Deloupe is born in a small town south of Montreal to his mother Celeste and her husband Gabriel, a retired Captain in Canada’s Airborne Regiment. Known to other magi by her Moros Shadow Name of Sekhmet, Celeste is in hiding from those who would kill her and her child. She rarely practices her magic, and takes no part in Awakened society. The small family exists below the radar, isolated from the world and living under false identities.
1973 - The couple moves to northern New Hampshire in America and assumes new identities with the help of members of the Guardians of the Veil in Manchester, cutting all ties to their former lives. Michel is home schooled and the family continues to live in near seclusion.
1975 - The family home is attacked in the night by those who had been seeking Sekhmet. Weakened from her lack of practice, the Guardian of the Veil is still able to put up a good fight against the group of Tremere Liches who come calling. In the chaos of their battle Gabriel manages to escape with the child, using all the skills of his army training to evade them. He swims off the island, carrying the boy and a few posessions just above the freezing water for an hour while trying to make no sound. Eventually they reach shore and safety. Sekhmet is never heard from again, and the father and son do not return to the house for many years.
1975-83 - The pair move constantly from place to place, living on the run. Gabriel takes odd jobs to get by, but forming no attachments to anyone. The trauma of that night makes Michel’s recollections of his early childhood painful and hazy, though there is something there at the edge of his memory that he knows makes him different. He dreams on occasion of his mother, but there is always something about her which is odd to him, a part of his memory locked away.
Gabriel, a Proximus who never awakened but learned a great deal about Awakened society from his wife, teaches his son a number of odd skills (special forces martial arts, woodland survival, ancient magical history) and in a very rough way lays the foundation for the day when his son may Awaken, without outright telling little Michel about Magi and their world in case he never does. These lessons are often harsh and a gulf begins to widen with his son as he grows older and more independent.
1984-86 - "Mike" leaves his father at the age of 16. He detests the constant moving and feels as though he missed out on his childhood due to the paranoid delusions of his strict, military-background father and his crazy lessons. However, being on his own is much more difficult than he imagines and Michel is forced to the same kind of nomadic lifestyle as before in order to find work. He eventually gets a job working as a bouncer at a bar in New York City and finally seems to have found a calm and steady life. After a year Michel begins to wonder about his father and takes a little time to try and track him down.
1986 - Returning to the place where they split, Mike discovers that Gabriel was killed in a suspicious fire along with three other men only a few months after he left. With some time and money spent asking around he finds out that the other bodies recovered from the fire were not the victims of smoke inhalation or burns. Instead two died of gunshot wounds and a third from massive trauma inflicted by another person at close-range with his bare hands. He also learns that these same people had been asking about a man matching his father’s description around town before his death. Yet someone had taken steps to prevent any kind of investigation and the incident was instead listed as an accident. At last realizing that his father was right all along, and that they were in danger, Mike quits his job and heads to New York to try and lose himself in the maze of the massive city by vanishing off the radar once again as he was taught.
1987 - While walking in the city one day Mike is subjected suddenly to his Awakening. His Shadow Play leads him from the Metropolitan Museum of Art down to the Empire State Building and back up to Cleopatra’s Needle in Central Park. In his visions Mike travels to the gates of the Underworld, the City of the Dead, to the crumbling remains of dead Atlantis, and after a long journey he arrives at the Watchtower of the Lead Coin to write his name, Roland, at its base.
1988-92 - Attempting to have both a mortal and Awakened life as Roland and Michel, he initially meets with success. He explores his magic fervently, mastering the secrets of Death and of hiding ones thoughts and inner self in short order. His contact with the Awakened is limited to meeting a few of the local magi, and learning enough about them to choose an Order buthe eschew the Consilium. He selects the Adamantine Arrow, recognizing in himself a warrior spirit, though it is a difficulty choice between them and the shadows of the Guardians of the Veil which his mother and many ancestors were.
In his normal life of working again as a bouncer at a bar in Manhattan he meets Elizabeth York, a nice girl from Staten Island and the two begin a romance. He keeps the secret of his magic from her however as is suggested by the magi he meets. Tragically she is killed when two magi attack the couple on the road, only days after their engagement. Realizing that these are the people his father used to call traitors, Roland goes into hiding again.
1992-96 - Roland spends the next few years living a solitary existence, working through his pain. Out of the limited knowledge he has been able to glean from his mother’s books he believes he understands parts of the curse on his lineage now. He adopts the theory that the Deloupes can never grow close to anyone or risk bringing loss and death to them. It stems from some accident of their past involving traitors to the Deloupe family, one which he does not quite yet understand. Roland refuses to pass that legacy on to anyone, and instead throws himself in a role of silent and distant protector. After 1994 he occasionally works with Richard Morgan and the two form a tenuous friendship, as close as anyone has been allowed to get to Roland since his father or Elizabeth.
1997 - Roland is asked to join a cabal with Richard, Lucy Discordance, (NPC Thyrsis Cabal Mate), and Jack Straw. Adventures ensue.
1998 - (NPC) is killed and the cabal splits for a time in order for its members to deal with the death in their own way. Roland, blaming himself for not being able to fulfill his oath as the Banner Warden and protector of the Cabal, goes on a personal quest to learn about himself and to find the confidence in his abilities which seems to have struck him.
He travels to New Hampshire again, to the site of his family’s old home in Grand Isle, NH. The place has remained undisturbed since the night Roland and Gabriel fled. In a daring feat of magic, Roland attempts to summon his mother’s shade in order to learn once and for all what happened to their family and to truly understand the nature of Deloupe’s curse.
The attempt is not successful, at least not entirely in a way which Roland expected. Instead of his mother the magic alerts a Tremere Lich to his presence at the property. The mage, Anuriel, was one of the ones who attacked and killed his mother. He arrives and speaks with Roland for quite some time, revealing pieces of the puzzle which the magi did not have. Eventually he tells him that the Tremere would welcome a Master of Death such as himself, and offers to teach him the way to live forever~ for a price. The meeting goes downhill from there.
The conflict between the two magi roams over the entire property, testing the limits of Roland’s magic. Hurt badly, and on the edge of breaking mentally, the Moros stumbles into the barn to seek a moment of shelter. Hunting for a place to hide, Roland discovers a secret door, and inside finds a long chest of dark wood. The sigils of the high speech in silver filigree cover the case, and inside is the most beautiful weapon Roland has ever seen. At this moment Anuriel discovers him, but is shocked to see the sword in Roland’s hand. Taking advantage of this moment he thrusts out with the blade and the enchantments of the supernal realm guide it home, inflicting a mortal wound on the Tremere.
Roland swiftly executes the Embalmed, wondering what could cause a mage to fall so far. The answer to his question also lies within the secret compartment, as a second volume like the one his mother wrote for him lies within. It speaks of the split within the Deloupe family and the traitors who cursed the line for realize the true power the Tremere offered, and refusing to give up their souls in return. At last understanding the true breadth of forces arrayed against him, Roland decides he needs allies and more power if he is to track and kill the remaining traitors and their disciples.
1998-9 - Roland returns to NYC and the cabal. He finds a young magi alone one night, being attacked by a powerful creature from the netherworld. He rescues her and discovers that she knows next to nothing about Awakened society. He offers to teach her what he knows, understanding how difficult it can be making your way alone in the world. Jou becomes his student, though his lessons are more about survival and history than about becoming a part of any one Atlantean order or Arcana.
Roland also rabidly devours any mention of Atlantis he can find during this time, searching for some piece of knowledge about ancient traditions, the final days of the Awakened city, the Exarchs and Oracles, and every other scrap about their shared history as magi he can find. He is looking for a weapon or an advantage, but along the way discovers he enjoys reading these ancient legends like when he was a child reading for the first time about Atlantis.
2000 - Word reaches Roland that the Consilium of Manchester is under attack by the Scelesti. Feeling a distant tie to them, since it was Magi there who helped his family to hide years ago, he begins to spend a large amount of time in Manchester, fighting in the skirmishes against the Wicked Ones. He thinks that this battleground will be the perfect place to hone his skills in fighting against magi, and to gain some allies for that battle which is to come.
After a few months Roland becomes the protector of the aging Moros Councilor (NPC name not yet given) under Hierarch Renard, saving the elderly man on more than one occasion. He is eventually named as Provost.
2001 - Roland undertakes a mission for the Manchester Consilium, traveling to the Himalayas and the temple of Tien Shan to learn if the sudden Scelesti threat there is tied at all to the attacks on Manchester. His skills make him a good choice, despite his personal misgivings in leaving (NPC Moros) without protection.
While there, surviving in the harsh conditions and meeting with other magi, Roland comes to a greater understanding of himself and his place in the universe. He becomes fascinated by the different, yet still unified traditions of the Perfected Adepts which are being discussed by those who come to fight. In a place held sacred by the Monks he recognizes the potential within himself, he finds the inner strength he needs to continue the fight against the Tremere, and the knowledge that it will not only be a battle of magic and physical strength, but also of the will and mental toughness.
Upon returning from the mission he discovers that (NPC Moros) was wounded in a brief skirmish. (NPC Moros) confides in him that his health is failing, as is his command of magic, and that he feels it is his time to retire. Seeing the changes in Roland, (NPC) tells him that he would like the younger Moros to step forward to take his place on the Council when he leaves. After some intense personal debate about his place in the politics of Manchester he chooses to accept the invitation,
This decision puts him into conflict with Obolus, a fellow Moros, who is of the Silver Ladder. The two discuss the matter at length with neither willing to relent in the face of the issues raised by the other. Eventually Obolus suggests they settle it in the Atlantean manner since negotiation and compromise seem incapable of resolving their differences. Impressed by the Ladder’s bravery, the two agree to engage in a Duel Arcane. The contest is witnessed only by members of the Moros, although the events would eventually become part of local history. In the end, Roland wins a close match, breaking Obolus’ fading shield with a final all-out attack and sapping the last of the Ladder’s will.
On the same night as he votes to elect Iovis, (NPC) steps down from the Council, thrusting Roland into the position and causing major shifts in the balance of power in Manchester. Roland tells his cabal that he will need to be remaining in Manchester most of the time, but that he will come should they call. He hopes to help with softening the rather hard line against the Free Council among the traditional magi of Manchester and serve as a buffer with nearby Boston.
2001-2003 - Roland serves as Moros councilor in Manchester. His aggressive stance on matters of defense and territory are tempered with more concern for Sleeper society than the Masitgos or Obrimos representatives. And his attitude on Atlantis and acceptance of Free Council equality is likwise softened with a deep knowledge of Awakened traditions and rituals as well as a habit of chastising stupidity in everyone, including Free Councilors who forget their manners. Publicly he is known to dislike the Hierarch’s hedonistic ways and attitudes, though he continues to support his Awakened policies for the most part. He chooses his battles carefully, mostly remaining silent unless he truly objects to something.
Jou leaves his apprenticeship. His lessons to her had been fewer with time as she grew into the mage she was always meant to be. Roland is sorry to see her go, but understands she needs to find her own way.
2004-2005 He patiently stalks the city of Manchester at night in both Twilight and the material world, mitigating his need for sleep with Mind and Life magics, in order to guard against the return of the Scelesti or Tremere.