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CHARLOTTE ∗ FAIRHAVEN
2217
Born in the mid-1800s to money, class and the various foibles and inanity of rural nobility, Charlotte wanted for nothing and thought of even less until something horrible happened, which was that her parents found someone for her to marry.
As fate would have it, Charlotte's new husband was into some pretty weird shit, and thus -- elbowing her way in, as usual -- so was Charlotte. The pair became fixtures in the Paris occult revival scene. This was all too groovy until Charlotte's very favorite brother died in an accident that had "divine consequence for your unnatural interests" written all over it. Of course, by then it was too late to get out of what she'd gotten in, so Charlotte did the only thing she could do: she doubled down.
Now, thanks to her ensuing obsessive experimentation, Charlotte is... Immortal? At least, she hasn't died yet. Decades have passed. Her husband is dead, her only daughter is dead, most of her family is dead. What isn't dead is the ceremonial magic Order that has been aiding in her survival since 1885, and she'd much rather work for the Society than them. A fresh start, you see. Those only come by so often for someone who isn't supposed to exist right now.
As fate would have it, Charlotte's new husband was into some pretty weird shit, and thus -- elbowing her way in, as usual -- so was Charlotte. The pair became fixtures in the Paris occult revival scene. This was all too groovy until Charlotte's very favorite brother died in an accident that had "divine consequence for your unnatural interests" written all over it. Of course, by then it was too late to get out of what she'd gotten in, so Charlotte did the only thing she could do: she doubled down.
Now, thanks to her ensuing obsessive experimentation, Charlotte is... Immortal? At least, she hasn't died yet. Decades have passed. Her husband is dead, her only daughter is dead, most of her family is dead. What isn't dead is the ceremonial magic Order that has been aiding in her survival since 1885, and she'd much rather work for the Society than them. A fresh start, you see. Those only come by so often for someone who isn't supposed to exist right now.
personality
+
curious . plucky . clever . observant . helpful
=
pensive . introverted . assertive . deadpan . eccentric
–
cynical . willful . proud . obsessive . self-indulgent
appearance
In terms of general vibe, Charlotte is a neat, pretty, and chronically-out-of-date woman in her late twenties to early thirties. No one has ever seen her without a little bit of makeup on (including, somehow, Cyprien).
abilities
background
⚗️born in France in the 1850s, rich and stupidt, smack dab in the middle of four brothers. Life was dandy and typical for the time and class, though the family's crumbling castle home and its patriarch's dramatics were sometimes whispered about.
⚗️eventually, Charlotte was made to marry an Englishman named Simon Fairhaven. She didn't like him much at first (he was too happy for no reason), but he had been involved in some Order of Golden Dawn-flavored shenanigans and folded her in as well. Blissfully unbeknownst to Charlotte's now society-climbing parents, who assumed her life in ~Paris was extremely above board and luxurious, only one of those things was true and the pair were in fact deeply involved in the occult revival scene. To note, Charlotte had a particular fascination with alchemy. She soon created her first laboratory in a spare room of her husband's fancy apartment, one he was not allowed to enter (a rule he found very cute). This was not her only secret from him (extremely less cute).
⚗️life was a spooky party until Charlotte's Favorite brother Cyprien died unexpectedly and in, to be honest, an incredibly upsetting way. She was gutted, and she couldn't help feeling strangely responsible for his accident. Cyprien had, after all, shared many of her magic curiosities and contacts by the end. Had they drawn the attention of the fates? Anyway, this affected her and Simon's relationship so badly that, after several months of moping and arguing, he moved them away from Paris altogether for a "new beginning."
⚗️at least, that was the rationale her family heard for a move across the ocean. It was partially true. What was also true was that Charlotte, in a genius accident of her own after Cyprien's funeral, had completed what alchemists term the Magnum Opus: she'd brushed the very edge of completing the philosopher's stone, and come out of her laboratory subtly but forever Different. It was not obvious at first that anything had happened, but the signs were there and her status in the occult community changed significantly and immediately. Then, as the years passed by in New York (and Chicago, and New Orleans, and rural Washington) it was more and more obvious that she was not aging. Or getting sick. Or changing at all, really. The Order rewarded her achievement with control.
⚗️anyway, the world changed, even if she didn't. Jealous but adoring, Simon continued to treat her as a wife, but he seemed to age so fast. The decades passed, and Charlotte's life became more and more complicated; everything required secrecy and increasing isolation for safety's sake, and, as Simon became more frail, this meant more and more help from the Order. When Simon finally passed away in the early 20s, they took stewardship of Charlotte's affairs. She was only able to slip away from them after her accidental daughter was born in 1938, the product of "exploration" now that she was both young and free. Sadly, Catherine did not live a long life. She was sick from her birth, passing at the age of 22, when Charlotte took over her identity and disappeared.
⚗️since then, Charlotte has been negotiating existence mainly as a hermit in the French countryside. She returned to her family's now positively skeletal estate, of which there were no other heirs to contest -- somehow, after her fading from everyone's view, their lives had also come undone, and the du Voy family were all dead, institutionalized or altogether missing. Charlotte set up a laboratory in an old bedroom and got to work restoring the property. Some other things happened, which I will figure out in game. I think she found a way to work peaceably with the Order once she realized she had limited life skills and could not survive modernity, lmfao, but now that the Society is an option she's jumping for it.
⚗️eventually, Charlotte was made to marry an Englishman named Simon Fairhaven. She didn't like him much at first (he was too happy for no reason), but he had been involved in some Order of Golden Dawn-flavored shenanigans and folded her in as well. Blissfully unbeknownst to Charlotte's now society-climbing parents, who assumed her life in ~Paris was extremely above board and luxurious, only one of those things was true and the pair were in fact deeply involved in the occult revival scene. To note, Charlotte had a particular fascination with alchemy. She soon created her first laboratory in a spare room of her husband's fancy apartment, one he was not allowed to enter (a rule he found very cute). This was not her only secret from him (extremely less cute).
⚗️life was a spooky party until Charlotte's Favorite brother Cyprien died unexpectedly and in, to be honest, an incredibly upsetting way. She was gutted, and she couldn't help feeling strangely responsible for his accident. Cyprien had, after all, shared many of her magic curiosities and contacts by the end. Had they drawn the attention of the fates? Anyway, this affected her and Simon's relationship so badly that, after several months of moping and arguing, he moved them away from Paris altogether for a "new beginning."
⚗️at least, that was the rationale her family heard for a move across the ocean. It was partially true. What was also true was that Charlotte, in a genius accident of her own after Cyprien's funeral, had completed what alchemists term the Magnum Opus: she'd brushed the very edge of completing the philosopher's stone, and come out of her laboratory subtly but forever Different. It was not obvious at first that anything had happened, but the signs were there and her status in the occult community changed significantly and immediately. Then, as the years passed by in New York (and Chicago, and New Orleans, and rural Washington) it was more and more obvious that she was not aging. Or getting sick. Or changing at all, really. The Order rewarded her achievement with control.
⚗️anyway, the world changed, even if she didn't. Jealous but adoring, Simon continued to treat her as a wife, but he seemed to age so fast. The decades passed, and Charlotte's life became more and more complicated; everything required secrecy and increasing isolation for safety's sake, and, as Simon became more frail, this meant more and more help from the Order. When Simon finally passed away in the early 20s, they took stewardship of Charlotte's affairs. She was only able to slip away from them after her accidental daughter was born in 1938, the product of "exploration" now that she was both young and free. Sadly, Catherine did not live a long life. She was sick from her birth, passing at the age of 22, when Charlotte took over her identity and disappeared.
⚗️since then, Charlotte has been negotiating existence mainly as a hermit in the French countryside. She returned to her family's now positively skeletal estate, of which there were no other heirs to contest -- somehow, after her fading from everyone's view, their lives had also come undone, and the du Voy family were all dead, institutionalized or altogether missing. Charlotte set up a laboratory in an old bedroom and got to work restoring the property. Some other things happened, which I will figure out in game. I think she found a way to work peaceably with the Order once she realized she had limited life skills and could not survive modernity, lmfao, but now that the Society is an option she's jumping for it.
miscellaneous trivia
⚗️once had a tattoo of a heart on her bicep, but it straight up disappeared.
more to come.
