Heidi doesn’t remember much of her family. She remembers her dad was tall and always made her laugh, while mom had a beautiful singing voice. After they died she was given to her grandpa Alp-Oehi.
He took her to the Von Trapps where she was raised with an education and all intents to be presented in court. Except she had no interest in court and was more interested in learning how to fight.
When she was old enough she went straight to her grandpa and asked to be Turned.
Gutenberg was born in the German city of Mainz, the youngest son of the upper-class merchant Friele Gensfleisch zur Laden, and his second wife, Else Wyrich, who was the daughter of a shopkeeper. It is assumed that he was baptized in the area close to his birthplace of St. Christoph. According to some accounts Friele was a goldsmith for the bishop at Mainz, but most likely, he was involved in the cloth trade Gutenberg’s year of birth is not precisely known but was most likely around 1398.
John Lienhard, technology historian, says “Most of Gutenberg’s early life is a mystery. His father worked with the ecclesiastic mint. Gutenberg grew up knowing the trade of goldsmithing.” This is supported by historian Heinrich Wallau, who adds, “In the 14th and 15th centuries his [descendants] claimed a hereditary position as …the master of the archiepiscopal mint. In this capacity they doubtless acquired considerable knowledge and technical skill in metal working. They supplied the mint with the metal to be coined, changed the various species of coins, and had a seat at the assizes in forgery cases.”
Wallau adds, “His surname was derived from the house inhabited by his father and his paternal ancestors ‘zu Laden, zu Gutenberg’. The house of Gänsfleisch was one of the patrician families of the town, tracing its lineage back to the thirteenth century.” Patricians (aristocrats) in Mainz were often named after houses they owned. Around 1427, the name zu Gutenberg, after the family house in Mainz, is documented to have been used for the first time.
In 1411, there was an uprising in Mainz against the patricians, and more than a hundred families were forced to leave. As a result, the Gutenbergs are thought to have moved to Eltville am Rhein (Alta Villa), where his mother had an inherited estate. According to historian Heinrich Wallau, “All that is known of his youth is that he was not in Mainz in 1430. It is presumed that he migrated for political reasons to Strasbourg, where the family probably had connections.” He is assumed to have studied at the University of Erfurt, where there is a record of the enrollment of a student called Johannes de Altavilla in 1418—Altavilla is the Latin form of Eltville am Rhein.
Nothing is now known of Gutenberg’s life for the next fifteen years, but in March 1434, a letter by him indicates that he was living in Strasbourg, where he had some relatives on his mother’s side. He also appears to have been a goldsmith member enrolled in the Strasbourg militia. In 1437, there is evidence that he was instructing a wealthy tradesman on polishing gems, but where he had acquired this knowledge is unknown. In 1436/37 his name also comes up in court in connection with a broken promise of marriage to a woman from Strasbourg, Ennelin. Whether the marriage actually took place is not recorded. Following his father’s death in 1419, he is mentioned in the inheritance proceedings.
Around 1439, Gutenberg was involved in a financial misadventure making polished metal mirrors (which were believed to capture holy light from religious relics) for sale to pilgrims to Aachen: in 1439 the city was planning to exhibit its collection of relics from Emperor Charlemagne but the event was delayed by one year due to a severe flood and the capital already spent could not be repaid. When the question of satisfying the investors came up, Gutenberg is said to have promised to share a “secret”. It has been widely speculated that this secret may have been the idea of printing with movable type. Also around 1439–1440, the Dutch Laurens Janszoon Coster came up with the idea of printing. Legend has it that the idea came to him “like a ray of light”.
Until at least 1444 he lived in Strasbourg, most likely in the St. Arbogast parish. It was in Strasbourg in 1440 that Gutenberg is said to have perfected and unveiled the secret of printing based on his research, mysteriously entitled Kunst und Aventur (art and enterprise). It is not clear what work he was engaged in, or whether some early trials with printing from movable type may have been conducted there. After this, there is a gap of four years in the record. In 1448, he was back in Mainz, where he took out a loan from his brother-in-law Arnold Gelthus, quite possibly for a printing press or related paraphernalia. By this date, Gutenberg may have been familiar with intaglio printing; it is claimed that he had worked on copper engravings with an artist known as the Master of Playing Cards.
By 1450, the press was in operation, and a German poem had been printed, possibly the first item to be printed there. Gutenberg was able to convince the wealthy moneylender Johann Fust for a loan of 800 guilders. Peter Schöffer, who became Fust’s son-in-law, also joined the enterprise. Schöffer had worked as a scribe in Paris and is believed to have designed some of the first typefaces.
Gutenberg’s workshop was set up at Hof Humbrecht, a property belonging to a distant relative. It is not clear when Gutenberg conceived the Bible project, but for this he borrowed another 800 guilders from Fust, and work commenced in 1452. At the same time, the press was also printing other, more lucrative texts (possibly Latin grammars). There is also some speculation that there may have been two presses, one for the pedestrian texts, and one for the Bible. One of the profit-making enterprises of the new press was the printing of thousands of indulgences for the church, documented from 1454–55.
In 1455 Gutenberg completed his 42-line Bible, known as the Gutenberg Bible. About 180 copies were printed, most on paper and some on vellum.
Some time in 1456, there was a dispute between Gutenberg and Fust, and Fust demanded his money back, accusing Gutenberg of misusing the funds. Meanwhile the expenses of the Bible project had proliferated, and Gutenberg’s debt now exceeded 20,000 guilders. Fust sued at the archbishop’s court. A November 1455 legal document records that there was a partnership for a “project of the books,” the funds for which Gutenberg had used for other purposes, according to Fust. The court decided in favor of Fust, giving him control over the Bible printing workshop and half of all printed Bibles.
For More Information Contact the Vampire Council Library
It was after this that he ended up meeting Imenand, who was interested in his printed Bible as he wanted to print of it for a friend. When he heard the tale of financial difficulties, he was willing to offer more than financial help.
Born in 1976, Christopher Beck was the only child of Marcus Beck, a US Marine Embassy Guard stationed at the US Embassy in Vienna, Austria, and Emily Beck, a nurse. He was born in Vienna, Austria but at age six moved to Hartford, CT when his father was reassigned.
He knew from a young age that he wanted to go to space and wanted to be a doctor. His first chance came when he was thirteen years old and was able to go to Space Camp. He was placed in a special group for advanced students. The group named themselves “Newton’s Nerds” and he met his best friend –even if communication was first by letters and phone, and then later emails– Jacob. The trip to Space Camp only made his dream of becoming a doctor in space more real.
Chris finish high school at age 16 and started college at Yale. He graduated cum laude from the Yale School of Medicine where he was the recipient of the Norma Bailey Berniker Prize (which is awarded to graduating students that best exemplify the disciplines and precepts of the Hippocratic Oath). He also has a Master’s degree in biomedical science. Once he completed Medical School, Chris joined the US Air Force and became part of the 99th Medical Group to focus on becoming a flight surgeon with hopes of joining NASA.
He was stationed at Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center on Nellis Air Force Base when he met Captain Janet Fraiser and his life changed when she offered him a job. The job, well, he was a doctor in space, just not how he originally pictured it.
His promotion to Captain came with reassignment to Atlantis. Plus, he’s a natural gene carrier which comes in handy.
While in the Air Force he has received the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. The how and why he received those medals are still classified. Though the record does state he was injured on a mission.
Wilhelm was Cinderella’s Head Guard, and loyal to her, even to the point of his own death.
He had not hesitated pushing her away from a runaway carriage, taking the impact. He knew there was no way he would survive his injuries and had requested she take care of his wife and daughter.
She Turned him instead.
Wenceslas was son of Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty. His father was raised in a Christian milieu through his own father, Borivoj I of Bohemia, who was purportedly converted by Saints Cyril and Methodius. His mother Drahomíra was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief of Havolans and was baptized at the time of her marriage.
In 921, when Wenceslas was thirteen, his father died and he was brought up by his grandmother, Saint Ludmila, who raised him as a Christian. A dispute between the fervently Christian regent and her daughter-in-law drove Ludmila to seek sanctuary at Tetín Castle near Beroun. Drahomíra, who was trying to garner support from the nobility, was furious about losing influence on her son and arranged to have Ludmila strangled at Tetín on September 15, 921. Wenceslas is usually described as exceptionally pious and humble, and a very educated and intelligent young man.
After the fall of Great Moravia, the rulers of the Bohemian duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by the Magyars and the forces of the Saxon duke and East Frankish king Henry the Fowler, who had started several eastern campaigns into the adjacent lands of the Polabian Slavs, homeland of Wenceslas’s mother. To withstand Saxon overlordship Wenceslas’s father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with the Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad, then a fierce opponent of King Henry; however, it became worthless when Arnulf and Henry reconciled at Regensburg in 921.
In 924 or 925 Wenceslas assumed government for himself and had Drahomíra exiled. After gaining the throne at the age of eighteen, he defeated a rebellious duke of Kouřim named Radslav. He also founded a rotunda consecrated to St Vitus at Prague Castle in Prague, which exists as present-day St Vitus Cathedral.
Early in 929 the joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack, which forced Wenceslas to resume the payment of a tribute which had been first imposed by the East Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in 895. Henry had been forced to pay a huge tribute to the Magyars in 926 and he therefore needed the Bohemian tribute which Wenceslas probably refused to pay any longer after the reconciliation between Arnulf and Henry. One of the possible reasons for Henry’s attack was also the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs and the Magyars.
For More Information Contact the Vampire Council Library
Wenceslaus had met Alexander when he was traveling through Europe. Though he didn’t know he was Alexander the Great, he admired and respected the man.
In September 935 a group of nobles—allied with Wenceslas’ younger brother Boleslav—plotted to kill the Duke. After Boleslav invited Wenceslas to the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Stará Boleslav, three of Boleslav’s companions—Tira, Česta and Hněvsa—murdered Wenceslas on his way to church after a quarrel between him and his brother. As he fell down, Wenceslas murmured words of forgiveness for his brother. Boleslav thus succeeded him as the Duke of Bohemia.
Alexander set out his own Men to take out the assassins. While he himself Turned the young King.
Born in 1976, Christopher Beck is the only child of Marcus Beck, a US Marine Embassy Guard stationed at the US Embassy in Vienna Austria, and Emily Beck, a nurse. He was born in Vienna, Austria but at age six moved to the Hartford, CT when his father was reassigned.
He knew from a young age that he wanted to go to space and wanted to be a doctor. His first chance came when he was thirteen years old and was able to go to Space Camp. He was placed in a special group for advanced students. The group named themselves “Newton’s Nerds” and he met his best friend –even if communication was first by letters and phone, and then later emails– Jacob. The trip to Space Camp only made his dream of becoming a doctor in space more real.
Chris finish high school at age 16 and started college at Yale. He graduated cum laude from the Yale School of Medicine where he was the recipient of the Norma Bailey Berniker Prize (which is awarded to graduating students that best exemplify the disciplines and precepts of the Hippocratic Oath). He also has a Master’s degree in biomedical science. Once he completed Medical School, Chris joined the US Air Force and became part of the 99th Medical Group to focus on becoming a flight surgeon with hopes of joining NASA.
He was stationed at Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center on Nellis Air Force Base when he meet Captain Janet Fraiser and his life changed when she offered him a job. The job, well, he was a doctor in space, just not how he originally pictured it.
His promotion to Captain came with reassignment to Atlantis. Plus, he’s a natural gene carrier which comes in handy.
While in the Air Force he has received the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. The how and why he received those medals are still classified. Though the record does state he was injured on a mission.
No one knows The Huntsman’s real name. The only story they got is that his wife and child were killed by a group of mercenaries, and he took them out with his ax. He didn’t handle the loss well and started drinking.
He ended up hired to help find a ‘criminal’ in the black forest as he was one of the few who could navigate through the woods and not get lost.
When he found the criminal, he was shocked it was a ten-year-old girl. Taking her into his care, he evaded other guards and took her to where he knew she would be safe.
When they got to the edge he screamed for her to run and held off the soldiers. As he fell, he saw arrows taking each down one by one. When his savior asked him if he wanted to live.
He wanted to say no to go this his wife and child, but instead said yes.
Heidi doesn’t remember much of her family. She remembers her dad was tall and always made her laugh, while mom had a beautiful singing voice. After they died she was given to her grandpa Alp-Oehi.
He took her to the Von Trapps where she was raised with an education and all intents to be presented in a court. Except she had no interest in court and was more interested in learning how to fight.
When she was old enough she went straight to her grandpa and asked to be Turned.
William Tell is the Lead Hunter for Weisheit and works with Wilhelm Brandenstein to patrol the Ehre/Weisheit Territory.
***
Several accounts of the Tell legend exist. The earliest sources give an account of the apple shot, Tell’s escape, and the ensuing rebellion. The assassination of Gessler is not mentioned in the Tellen lied but is already present in the White Book of Sarnen account.
The legend as told by Tschudi essentially follows the account in the White Book, but adds further detail, such as Tell’s given name William, his being from Bürglen, and the precise date of the apple-shot of 18 November 1307.
William Tell was known as a strong man, a mountain climber, and an expert shot with the crossbow. In his time, the Habsburg emperors of Austria were seeking to dominate Uri and Tell became one of the conspirators of Werner Stauffacher vowing to resist Habsburg rule. Gessler, the newly appointed Austrian Vogt of Altdorf, raised a pole under the village linden tree, hung his hat on top of it, and demanded that all the townsfolk bow before the hat.
On 18 November 1307, Tell visited Altdorf with his young son and passed by the hat, publicly refusing to bow to it, and so was arrested. Gessler—intrigued by Tell’s famed marksmanship yet resentful of his defiance—devised a cruel punishment: Tell and his son would be executed, but he could redeem his life by shooting an apple off the head of his son, Walter, in a single attempt. Tell split the apple with a bolt from his crossbow.
But Gessler noticed that Tell had removed two crossbow bolts from his quiver, not one. Before releasing him, he asked why. Tell was reluctant to reply, but after Gessler promised he would not attempt to kill him, he replied that if he had killed his son, he would have used the second bolt on Gessler himself. Gessler was angered and had Tell bound, saying that while he had promised to spare his life, he would imprison Tell for the remainder of the life he had been granted.
Tell was brought to Gessler’s boat to be taken to the dungeon in his castle at Küssnacht. But, as a storm broke on Lake Lucerne, the soldiers were afraid that their boat would founder, and they begged Gessler to allow them to remove Tell’s shackles so he could steer the boat and save them. Gessler agreed, and Tell used the opportunity to escape, leaping from the boat at the rocky site now (and already in the White Book) known as the Tellsplatte (“Tell’s slab”), since the 16th century the site of a memorial chapel. Tell ran cross-country to Küssnacht. As Gessler arrived, Tell assassinated him with the second crossbow bolt along a stretch of the road cut through the rock between Immensee and Küssnacht, now known as the Hohle Gasse. Tell’s blow for liberty sparked a rebellion in which he played a leading part, leading to the formation of the Swiss Confederation
According to Tschudi, Tell fought again against Austria in the 1315 Battle of Morgarten. Tschudi also has an account of Tell’s death in 1354, according to which he was killed trying to save a child from drowning in the Schächenbach river in Uri.
For More Information Contact the Vampire Council Library
William doesn’t tell what is myth or legend. He likes to leave a bit of Mystery.
He will tell you him and Wilhelm met in a bar. They ended up out back drunk and seeing who had the best archer’s aim.
William is still not sure how he woke up dead.
The one thing unique about Ehre/Weisheit Kin Clan is the fact the two Kin Clans came together. Despite being one Clan, they still have a dedicated Lead Hunter for each section. Wilhelm works with William Tell to cover all their territories.
***
Wilhelm was disappointed that his wife wasn’t his Mate, but he lived a good life with her. He watched his daughter grow up, get married, have kids of her own. In time he stepped away and took his place as Wenceslaus’ Hunter, his main job still that of protecting Cinderella.
It was her that encouraged him to enter competitions with his bow and arrow. And where he ended up meeting Cougar and Robin. Though they tease each other greatly who’s the best, Wilhelm is thankful for the friends who would be at his side when need be.
He met Tamara not soon after his daughter had died, surrounded by her grandchildren. She took him hunting for a group of Rogues, and since then they’ve become an unlikely hunting pair. (Dilios Note: Ask them about the Hansel and Gretel)
He still snickers over the Turning of William Tell, though he refuses to admit what led to his Turning exactly.
On one of their adventures they end up Hunting a Rogue in Russia, where they meet Nikolai. When Nikolai was injured in the raid against the Rogues, Wilhelm Turned him, and they agreed to send him to Masyaf.
The moment Wilhelm meets The Huntsmen he likes the guy instantly. He recruits him for the Guard and in time, he decides to give him the option of being Turned. The Huntsmen took his time to think about it, but in time agreed to be Turned.
This gave Wilhelm more opportunity to travel and conduct further Hunts, knowing that his Childe can protect the Clan while he is away.
Over the years he’s taken a variety of names, including being called Hawkeye by Cougar and Robin. He’s worked for a variety of agencies including MI:6, IMF and CIA.
He was a bit shocked to find is dear wife’s soul staring back at him through the eyes of Ethan Hunt, but over time the two have worked very well together.
Brandt has been happy with his life and wasn’t expecting a Mate, especially in Benji Dunn.
Only thing he can do is glare at Ethan for laughing.
Finishing up this month’s Inspiration from Ehre/Weisheit Kin Clan is Eisenheim
Eisenheim is Dresden’s son. Neither talk about their lives or what they can do. Both are very gifted and focused on the natural world around them.
Note: You will be seeing more of Eisenheim in some up coming stories. But do warn you – what you think is not what you know.
Despite the fact the Ehre and Weisheit Kin Clans joined after World War Two – the Clans each have individual Caretakers.
Ehre Caretaker: Mary Poppins
She’s sweet, charming, and can rule that castle with a iron fist! She knows everything and no one can get anything past her. She also has a beautiful singing voice and can be heard through out the castle when dealing with day to day operations.
She also can push every single one of Thomas’ buttons.
Keeping with this years Sylum Inspiration: John Preston – Ehre/Weisheit Hunter.
He’s methodical, tenacious, and a deadly Hunter. Add him with his Mate the two can be unstoppable.
John’s personal self control rises from who his father is, and his need to make sure he never looses control. One of the few people he relaxes or lets go – is his Mate.
This years Sylum Inspiration will tie into the Sylum Monthly Calendars.
Since January 2016 Calendar was of Ehre/Weisheit – we’ll be showcasing each week in January a character from that particular Clan.
Updates will either be on Sunday or Monday.
So for this week’s Sylum Inspiration – Wilhelm Brandteschtein
Name: Eduard Cheirmine
Turn Date: 1316 AD
Sire: Imenand
Mate: Philipe Cheirmine
***
Philipe and Eduard were Fraternal twins left at the Von Trapps doorstep when they were barely six months old.
The two were always inseparable and did everything together. Georg had made sure they were educated and well trained in sword fighting. Though Eduard took the sword fighting like a Master.
It was Georg who first noticed something was wrong, when Philipe collapsed in the middle of a training session. He called the local doctor who couldn’t figure what was wrong with him, but the fact his blood was weak.
Taking him and Eduard to the Council, Plato informed them that both brothers were very sick, and it was a blood disease he had seen before but didn’t know how to fix. (Dilios Note: Plato looked back at his notes and realized both Cheirmine brothers had leukemia).
Imenand sat down with both of them, asked them if they thought about being Turned.
***
Image: Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ