Leon Manderley
| Leon Manderley | |
| Seeming: | Fairest |
|---|---|
| Kith: | Archived-Romancer |
| Court: | Winter Court •••• |
| City: | Brisbane |
| Title: | None |
| Entitlement: | Unknown |
| Group: | None |
| Player: | [mailto: Callan Davis] |
| Storyteller: | Brisbane VST |
Titles: Winter King
Notable Traits: Bored-looking, world-weary, utterly cynical and with a slight tendency to monologue.
Concept: Film Noir Private Eye
Leon Manderley cracks wise and talks bull. No need to worry about him, he's armless.
Timeline
1903 – Born
1920 – Joined police
1926 – Became Detective
1932 – Left force to protect family
1933 – Family killed by Mob
1933 – Taken by Father Winter after falling unconscious, drunk in the snow
1945 – Escaped from Arcadia
1946 – Moved to Brisbane
1951 – Became a member of the Brisbane Freehold
Between – Character Ties
2012 – Took down the Summer Tyrant
Durance
Leon was an ambassador, sent by Father Winter to represent him at other Fey courts. He was tasked with spying on the other Fey and their courtiers. Initially, not understanding the inscrutable, individual rules of the courts Leon was often caught out which resulted in his immediate torture, imprisonment and ransom to his Fey overlord who would again torture him. As time passed, Leon began to enjoy the courtly life, learning the methods one could use to convince others and learn their secrets. He had he opportunity for everything he wanted: great food, beautiful women and favoured status; all he had to do was betray those he had come to call his allies. Every time he developed an alliance, his Fey Master would give him a task that would inevitably end up with him betraying a friendship, but he would only realise it once he had become so embroiled in the scheme that he was unable to extricate himself.
1945 – Escaped Arcadia
During his captivity Leon became less concerned with morals and more concerned with getting results. He would sell out those who foolishly allied themselves with him, ingratiate himself into his enemies courts and them destroy them from the inside. However, one day he encountered a face from the past; his old Luciano contact, Specter. He began to see faces he recognised from his past in every court he came to he began to see the effect that his actions had on his old allies. At that point, Leon made a resolution to return to the real world, at first simply to escape what he had done, then to ensure that no others would be taken. He decided to give up the comforts and insurance of his durance to pursue a more noble calling: justice.
Slowly, secretly, Leon learnt of all the weakest Fey courts, the most effective ways to escape and the people that could help him do it. After years of planning, Leon was on the cusp of implementing his plan when it all came crashing down around his head. Father Winter had learnt of his plans and engineered it to come crashing down around his ears. Leon was imprisoned and then tortured unto the point of death. To ease the pain, Leon made a deal with Father Winter: he would sell out his friends, telling Father Winter of all the people that he had known in his mortal life, in exchange for his escape.
Unbeknownst to Leon, Father Winter had missed the passage of ages, being so intent on torturing his current slaves. When they arrived back in the mortal world, not only had it changed but all of Leon’s friends had died. Father Winter was furious however the Fey Lord had to keep to his end of the bargain and released Leon.
1945 – Freehold membership
Completely ignorant of the world he was now living, Leon still managed to escape to Australia with the immigrants where he could start an anonymous new life. He was rightly terrified that Father Winter would return for him so he built up multiple fake identities for himself, faded into the background of society and disappeared. Weeks in he was found by the Winter Court, who taught him how to hide and left him alone. Years later he ran afoul of the Summer Court and forcefully brought into the freehold. Again he disappeared, developing methods to ensure that more mortals would not be taken.
2012 – The Coup
Leon had been Winter King for years the only freehold member older than him was the Librarian. He was the only Winter Courtier to attend court while the Summer Tyrant held the Freehold. Initially he supported the Tyrant as he was taking back the trods: the only methods through which Leon’s friends could return to him. However as the Tyrant began to become paranoid it interfered with his information network. Leon allied his court with the other revolutionaries and helped take down the Tyrant.
Leon cannot abide the idea of interacting with the Fey, either in person or through their intermediaries. Although he would never admit it he is terrified of Father Winter ever taking him back. He has allied with the Spring Monarch to ensure that the freehold and his person are kept safe.
Quotes
Quotes By
“You need not fight, nor run, nor hide. Simply never allow yourself to be confronted.” – Leon Manderley
“I knew she was a foxy dame and her story had more holes than the swiss cheese I had for breakfast. However her eyes said I was the only man for the job and let's face it, I needed the scratch.” – Leon Manderley
Quotes About
"Were people to know anything about Leon, they would certainly be telling his story. Personally I like to think he managed to evade Time itself"
- Erebus reflecting on just how little people know about his Monarch
"Despite his age and experience the Winter King invariably reminds me of the King's Son and the Painted Lion. I'll let you figure out why that might be the case."
- Black Rook
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."
- Briar, dreamily, upon being told the name of the Winter Monarch.
Rumours
He is immortal He is one of the founding members of the Brisbane Freehold He is terrified of the Fey His specialty is destruction of evidence