Nothing is True. Everything is Connected.
Category: <span>Tallikut Clan</span>

Sylum Inspiration: Stanley Raymond Kowalski

Tallikut: Member

 

Stanley Raymond Kowalski was born in Chicago, the youngest son of Damian and Barbara Kowalski, and was named after Marlon Brando’s character in A Streetcar Named Desire, but prefers ‘Ray’ to ‘Stanley’. Ray and his father were close when he was growing up,and restored old cars together including Ray’s black 1967 GTO. He became estranged from his father when he dropped out of college to become a police officer.

Ray met his wife, Stella, a Gold Coast girl who attended private school, when they were 13. They married in college, and were happy for many years before Ray’s undercover work, and Stella’s job at the State’s Attorneys office began to put pressure on the marriage. Of all the factors that led to the end of their marriage, their arguments over starting a family was the deal breaker. Ray wanted children, but Stella didn’t want to take time from her successful law career as a State’s Attorney.

Unable to deal with the failure of his marriage, Ray delved deeper into his undercover work wanting to live someone else’s live instead of his own. Beginning to suffer from burnout, he was assigned to the 18th precinct. He meets Benoit Franciscus in his guise of Benton Fraser, RCMP, in 1997 while canvassing the area around the Canadian Consulate. Benoit and Diefenbaker befriended Ray and began consulting on Ray’s cases.

When Ray is kidnapped by Rogue Vampire, Victoria Metcalf, looking for Benoit. He’s taken to the home of goth nightclub owner, Jeremiah Parks where Park’s convinces his Sire that he will hold on to Ray, and look for information on Benoit. They try to keep Ray ignorant about the existence of Vampires until Jeremiah saves Ray’s life. With no other Chosen Ones available, Ray is told about Vampires, and becomes a Chosen One for Tallikut Clan.

His kidnapping makes Ray realize he’s still living his life undercover. He retires from the police force, digs out his leather, jewelry and head kicker boots, goes to find Jeremiah at Lost Children of the Blood newest location in Chicago, and asks his new friend for a job. He becomes the General Manager, and though the two men don’t get to spend a lot of time together because Jeremiah is doing undercover jobs for Javier Esposito in New York City.

While working at the club, Benoit still comes to him asking he help people that come to Benoit with their problems. Ray, exhausted by working cases and at the club, directs Benoit to Lt. Walsh at the 27th precinct where Benoit meets his Mate, Ray Vecchio.<

After six years, Tallikut suffers through the latest round of Victoria trying to kill Ray (she still hasn’t realized Ray K is not Benoit’s Mate), Lying in a hospital bed after twice stepping between Ray and bullets, Jeremiah realizes Ray Kowalski is his Mate. Ray is Turned and Claimed before the new year.

 

Sylum Inspiration: Jeremiah Parks

Tallikut: Member

 

Jeremiah doesn’t talk much about his childhood.  He will tell you it was typical, nothing special, and he was prepared to have a normal typical life.  Then while at one of the underground clubs, he went to get away from his normal life, he was seduced by a beautiful dark haired beauty.

Sylum Inspiration: James Malone

Tallikut: Head of Security

 

James Malone was the last of the family line that took care of Caine Manor. Unfortunately with the economic hardships, the Manor had gone into disarray.

Having never married, and no heir, he decided to sell the Manor and make a move to the United States. It was during this time he met Timothy Quinn, who was interested in buying the property.

Having recognized the young man from a drawing that graced the Manor walls, he demanded an explanation They sat by the fireplace drinking scotch, and passing stories of Ireland.

Timothy bought the Manor, and arranged to have it repaired and updated. He offered Malone a chance to stay as Keeper, but he wanted a new life.

He requested Timothy Turn him.

Sylum Inspiration: John Carter

Tallikut: Doctor

 

John Carter came from a wealthy family, never had to work a day in his life, and was content to live in his Chicago family home and attend social parties.

All that changed when his cousin died in his arms, from a drug overdose.

He decided to go to school, become a doctor and help people. His family was inspired by his new lease in life, but were dismayed when he started to work in city clinics and not private institutions.

When he joined the Army in World War One as a medic, his father had considered disowning him, but when returned a hero, his family showed him off in society.  They were disappointed again when he didn’t take a job at a prestige’s clinic.

He met Jessica Fletcher while working at the clinic, and they quickly became friends. He spent many hours with her and Amos, enjoying a simple family life. The day he called her mom without thought – he paused and looked at her, seeing a different time and different life.

She told him the truth about who she was, and whose soul he carried.

He came to her later and asked to be Turned, knowing how much good he could do over the next decades as medical science advanced.

Sylum Inspiration: William Clark

Tallikut: Member

 

William Clark was born in Caroline County, Virginia, on August 1, 1770, the ninth of ten children of John and Ann Rogers Clark. His parents were natives of King and Queen County, and were of English and possibly Scots ancestry. The Clarks were common planters in Virginia, owners of modest estates and a few slaves, and members of the Anglican Church.

Clark did not have any formal education; like many of his contemporaries, he was tutored at home. In later years, he was self-conscious about his convoluted grammar and inconsistent spelling—he spelled “Sioux” 27 different ways in his journals of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition—and sought to have his journals corrected before publication. The spelling of American English was not standardized in Clark’s youth, but his vocabulary suggests he was well read.

Clark’s five older brothers fought in Virginia units during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), but William was too young.His oldest brother, Jonathan Clark, served as a colonel during the war, rising to the rank of brigadier general in the Virginia militia years
afterward. His second-oldest brother, George Rogers Clark, rose to the rank of general, spending most of the war in Kentucky fighting against British-allied American Indians. After the war, the two oldest Clark brothers made arrangements for their parents and family to
relocate to Kentucky.

William, his parents, his three sisters, and the Clark family’s slaves arrived in Kentucky in March 1785, having first traveled overland to Redstone Landing in present-day Brownsville, Pennsylvania. They completed the journey down the Ohio River by flatboat. The Clark family settled at “Mulberry Hill”, a plantation along Beargrass Creek near Louisville. This was William Clark’s primary home until 1803. In Kentucky, his older brother George Rogers Clark taught William wilderness survival skills.

William Clark resigned his commission on July 4, 1796 and retired due to poor health, although he was only 26 years old. He returned to Mulberry Hill, his family’s plantation near Louisville.

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis recruited Clark, then age 33, to share command of the newly formed Corps of Discovery, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade with Native Americans and the sovereignty of the US. They were to find a
waterway from the US to the Pacific Ocean and claim the Oregon territory for the United States before European nations did. Clark spent three years on the expedition to the Pacific Coast. A slave owner known to deal harshly with his slaves, he brought York, one of his slaves, with him. York did manual labor in extreme weather and received no compensation. The indigenous nations treated York with respect, and many of the Native Americans were interested in his appearance, which “played a key role in diplomatic relations”.

Although Clark was refused a promotion to the rank of captain when Jefferson asked the Senate to appoint him, at Lewis’ insistence, he exercised equal authority, and continued the mission. Clark concentrated chiefly on the drawing of maps, the management of the expedition’s supplies, and leading hunting expeditions for game.

Fore more information see the Vampire Council Library

He had always suspected something was unique about Meriwether Lewis. But it wasn’t until their guide Sacawgea was injured in a mudslide that he found the truth. He demanded more information from Lewis, then demanded why he wasn’t told.

When Lewis told him they were Mates. He kissed him. Saying he had wanted to do that for years.

He was Turned and Mated with in days.

Sylum Inspiration: Meriwether Lewis

Tallikut: Spy Liaison

 

Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was the son of Lt. William Lewis of Locust Hill, who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether, daughter of Thomas Meriwether and Elizabeth Thornton, who were both of English ancestry. After his father died of pneumonia, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May 1780. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County.

Lewis had no formal education until he was 13 years of age, but during his time in Georgia he enhanced his skills as a hunter and outdoorsman. He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dog to go hunting. Even at an early age, he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. In the Broad River Valley, Lewis first dealt with American Indians. This was the traditional territory of the Cherokee, who resented encroachment by the colonists. Lewis seems to have been a champion for them among his own people. While in Georgia, he met Eric Parker, who encouraged him to travel. At thirteen, Lewis was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. His father’s older brother Nicholas Lewis became his guardian. One of his tutors was Parson Matthew Maury, an uncle of Matthew Fontaine Maury. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University).

That year he joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 he was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. In 1795 Lewis joined the U.S. Army, commissioned as an Ensign (an Army rank that was later abolished and was equivalent to a modern Lieutenant). By 1800 he rose to Captain, and ended his service there in 1801. Among his commanding officers was William Clark, who would later become his companion in the Corps of Discovery.

On April 1, 1801, Lewis was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew through Virginia society in Albemarle County. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. He compiled information on the personnel and politics of the United States Army, which had seen an influx of Federalist officers as a result of John Adams’s “midnight appointments”.

When Jefferson began to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. Meriwether Lewis recruited Clark, then age 33, to share command of the expedition.

Before he left Jefferson sat him down and told him about Vampires and their society. He gave the man the option to be Turned before he left.

 

Sylum Inspiration: Jim Ellison

Tallikut: Second-in-Command

Jim’s family were devout Protestants from the Swiss/German border and he was the eldest of six surviving children. His parents were Wilhelm and Mary Grace Bachmann and the family was well enough off that it was expected that young James would follow in his father’s footsteps to become a gentlemen farmer.

The family settled in the Carolinas in the early 1700s and while the town was small, he was mostly okay. But as he grew, so did New Bern and when James was in his mid to late twenties he could no longer stand the assault on his senses and escaped into the wilderness. Jim became a fur trapper hiding out in the wilderness, because it was too painful for him to live around what passed for civilization. He met Benton while trapping. When they were caught in a horrible snowstorm, trapped far from aid, Fraser offered him a way to live.

Sylum Inspiration: Raymond Vecchio

Tallikut: Co-Leader

 

Ray was born and grew up in Chicago, raised a Roman Catholic. He is the patriarch of a large family – including his mother, sister Francesca, sister Maria and her husband Tony, many nieces and nephews and a brother who lives outside of Chicago. His father, with whom Ray had a strained relationship, died in 1989 and did not care for police officers, which might explain by way of rebellion why Ray became one. The senior Vecchio did, however, bequeath his house to Ray, although this is most likely because Ray was his firstborn.

Ray has been a Chicago police officer since 1985, he started off as a beat cop then, worked up to becoming a detective.  His present supervisor, Lieutenant Harding Welsh, is somewhat less enthusiastic, but nevertheless fair; he has shown great reluctance to take disciplinary action against Ray, and defended him before higher-ranking officers. Ray’s relationship with his fellow detectives, particularly Jack Huey and Louis Gardino, is at some times cordial and other times downright competitive and antagonistic.

His best friend and de facto partner was Canadian Mountie, Constable Benton Fraser, who was assigned to the Canadian Consulate in Chicago, and the two often help each other solve crimes and right wrongs in the city of Chicago.  Little did Ray know it would lead to a much larger world.

Fraser is Ray’s polar opposite in many ways – whereas the Mountie is polite, well-mannered, and obeys the law to the letter, Ray is loud, brash, and will often bend or break the rules to solve a case.

When Victoria Metcalf walked into their lives, he knew she was bad news. He had never seen Benny act like an idiot. Determined to keep him away from the woman, he shot Benton, though he says he ‘accidentally’ did it.

It was when Benton was recovering he discovered the truth about who ‘Benny’ really was.

He demanded to be Turned, and once he got his head around the ‘mate’ part, he demanded to be Mated.

Sylum Inspiration: Jack Reacher

Tallikut: Hunter

Jack Reacher was born on a military base in Berlin, on 29 October 1960.  Jack’s mother Josephine Moutier Reacher (née Moutier) was a French national, making Jack fluent in French from an early age.

After being shunted around the world, growing up on U.S. military bases as his father Stan was deployed, he gained an education in basic survival as well as an education that allowed him to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point. Graduating from West Point, Reacher worked to achieve the ranks of 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant, Captain, and Major including an intervening demotion from Major to Captain in 1990 during his tenure in the Military Police. During his 13 years of service, his achievements were recognised in the form of citations and awards including the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Soldier’s Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star, and a second Silver Star and Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut in 1983.

Among his formal qualifications Reacher is fluently bilingual in English and French, passable in Spanish, outstanding on all man-portable weaponry, and beyond outstanding at hand-to-hand combat, Reacher describing himself as a brawler, his fighting is akin to a thrown chainsaw with the motor running.

He left the service, only to be pulled back into it, after 9/11.  Reacher continues to work as an Investigator, despite now starting to reach retirement age.  He’s mostly a loner, no wife or family, and doesn’t have an online footprint.  Even for the Military there are times he’s hard to track.

While following a suspected killer, he ended up in Chicago working with Detective Vecchio to bring in the suspect.  In the process of saving Vecchio he was wounded, it would seem his age was starting to show.  Vecchio approached him in the hospital about another option.

Sylum Inspiration: Jocelyn Carter

Tallikut: Hunter

Carter grew up in New York, and was always that person who was going to do something.  She ended up joining the Army, where she met Paul.  The two married and they had their son Taylor.   She ended up back in Afghanistan for a year, then moved to Iran.  She was a trained military interrogator, and had secured information that saved many lives.

Though she will tell you there are also regrets and lost lives she still deals with.

She returned to New York, and joined the NYPD.  Paul returned soon after, but was dealing with PTSD but refused to get treatment.  She refused to let him see their son, until he did.  He disappeared.

She worked up the ranks until she became a Detective in the Major Crimes Squad.

Then she met John Reese.  He had been attacked on the subway by known punk arms dealer.  He had got the best of them, she had tried to get his prints but nothing seemed to stick.  She searched for months, following the path of the ‘Man in the Suit’.

Her life changed when he saved her life, she began to lean towards helping him, instead of catching him.  When the CIA used her to betray him, she added the moment to her long list of regrets, but this time she decided to do something about it.

She started to help him with the cases, always curious of how he was getting the information, but figured it had something to do with his partner Harold Finch.

Her life changed again when she discovered they were Vampires.  After seeing John jump across a four lane highway to get to another building to save Finch, she couldn’t doubt the truth.  She also learned about Mates, and Fusco owed her $50 since she called Finch and Reese were lovers.

When John sat her down to explain more about Mates, she was confused until Zoe Morgan sat down next to him.  She was appreciative to Zoe for taking her time courting and answering her questions.  She finally sat down with her son … who told her to go for it.

Sylum Inspiration: Blair Sandburg

Tallikut: Archivist/Librarian

 

Blair is the only child of Naomi Sandburg, an anti establishment hippy, who dreamed many improbable dreams. His childhood was spent moving from holy site to holy site, where people worked to find whatever inner peace they could. His mother, when she wasn’t able to have him along with her on her quests, would allow Blair to live with friends and family. This exposed him to a multitude of different cultures and traditions and he feel in love with people.

At 16 Blair went to college and eventually choosing anthropology as his major, after exploring a number of minor degrees. He focused on the tribal peoples of the planet and in particular, on the tradition of the Sentinel. They were, as he came to find out, tribal protectors with
elevated senses, able to perceive things their fellows never noticed or experienced a significant time later.

A life of travel led to his willingness to travel more while he was in school. Trips to visit cultures that were at the edges of conventional civilization reinforced his search for the modern day Sentinel. He found hints that the traits he was looking for hadn’t died out in wine
tastes, perfumers and others. Until a man came into the hospital complaining of overactive senses and changed everything.

Sylum Inspiration: John McClane

Tallikut: Head of Security

 

John grew up in New York, and the moment he graduated high school he joined the police academy. While on a patrol he met Holly Gennaro, who had witnessed a crime at her college. The two started dating, and soon were married.

Two years later they had a son, then two years after that a daughter.

John figured they were pretty settled until Holly informed him that she got a job offer in Los Angeles.

He stated he couldn’t just leave, due to the fact he had cases pending.  She informed him, they needed some time apart, that she was having a difficult time with him being a cop, especially one who ended up always in the middle of any dangerous situation.

John let her go, banking that she would change her mind.  Weeks turned to Months until it was almost a year. Wanting to see his wife and kids for Christmas, John traveled out to Los Angeles.

It all went to shit.

Hanz Gruber had taken the building hostage, including John’s wife. McClane refused to play ball and set out to take down the terrorist, only to find that they weren’t simple thieves. In the end he saved his wife, and watched in shock and triumph as Hanz fell to his death.

(Dilios Note: You might have seen the movie? Bruce Wayne made franchise series a while back much to McLane’s dismay)

Afterwards John moved to Los Angeles, joining the LAPD, settling back with his family.

Until he started seeing Hanz where ever he went. Holly worried about his eradicate behavior left him, and took the kids.  He ended up suspended from the force. It was then he was at his lowest that Hanz confronted him and Turned him.

Sylum Inspiration: James Malone

Tallikut: Head of Security

 

James Malone was the last of the family line that took care of Caine Manor. Unfortunately with the economic hardships, the Manor had gone into disarray.

Having never married, and no heir, he decided to sell the Manor and make a move to the United States. It was during this time he met Timothy Quinn, who was interested in buying the property.

Having recognized the young man from a drawing that graced the Manor walls, he demanded an explanation They sat by the fireplace drinking scotch, and passing stories of Ireland.

Timothy bought the Manor, and arranged to have it repaired and updated. He offered Malone a chance to stay as Keeper, but he wanted a new life.

He requested Timothy Turn him.

Sylum Inspiration: Benoit Fransiscus

Tallikut: Clan Leader

Benoit was born in Gaul. His father was a Roman soldier, who earned his freedom, his mother, was the daughter of a scholar. His mother saw to his education, his father saw to his ability to defend himself.

His father had always said he inherited his mother sense of compassion and trust, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing in the world they lived.

Through political and diplomatic means, Benoit became close with the Meridius Family. He was there the fateful day when soldiers road into the farm.  Instantly he knew the situation was bad, and grabbed his charge, young Alejandro and ran.

And didn’t stop.

He knew if Rome was to discover the boy had lived, he would be hunted down and killed.

He kept running until he hit Britain.

When Alejandro became ill, he found Severus, the nearby Roman Garrison’s doctor. He begged him to save the boy, that it was important for him to live, his family name needed to survive.

Severus slowly got the story out of the Benoit, while helping the child.  Over the next few months the two became friends. In time he told Benoit about his nature, and gave him away to watch over not just the kid, but his children, and children’s children. To make sure the family name survived.

He took it without remorse.

Sylum Inspiration: Bass Reeves

Tallikut: Hunter

Bass Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1838. He was named after his grandfather, Basse Washington. Reeves and his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. When Bass was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony. Bass Reeves may have served William Steele Reeves’ son, Colonel George R. Reeves, who was a sheriff and legislator in Texas, and a one-time Speaker of the Texas House of Representativesuntil his death from rabies in 1882.

During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves, perhaps “because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game.” Bass fled north into the Indian Territory. There he lived with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Creek Indians, learning their languages, until he was freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1865.

As a freedman, Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. He married Nellie Jennie from Texas, with whom he had 11 children.

Reeves and his family farmed until 1875, when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. Parker appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. marshal, directing him to hire 200 deputy U.S. marshals. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. He recruited him as a deputy; Reeves was the first black deputy to serve west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was initially assigned as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which had responsibility also for the Indian Territory. He served there until 1893. That year he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas in Paris, Texas, for a short while. In 1897, he was transferred again, serving at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Indian Territory.

Reeves worked for 32 years as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, and became one of Judge Parker’s most valued deputies. Reeves brought in some of the most dangerous criminals of the time, but was never wounded, despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions.

In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves developed superior detective skills during his long career. When he retired in 1907, Reeves claimed to have arrested over 3,000 felons. He is said to have shot and killed 14 outlaws to defend his own life.

One of his sons, Bennie Reeves, was charged with the murder of his wife. Deputy Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident, but allegedly demanded the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Bennie was eventually tracked and captured, tried, and convicted. He served his time in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before being released, and reportedly lived the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen.

Reeves was himself once charged with murdering a posse cook. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves was represented by former United States Attorney W.H.H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. Reeves was acquitted.

For More Information Contact the Vampire Council Library

Over the years as a lawman Bass had met and worked with Noah Dixon and Jimmy Hickok.  He and Noah talked over the years, he had always wondered about the two lawmen’s relationship.   After a long night of talking, he finally asked.

Noah told him about Vampires and Mates, and that he was willing to offer Bass the opportunity.  Especially as he had done a great many good things.

He took time to think about and the next time he saw Noah, he agreed.