Michael, born Mi-ka-il, and also known as Beshter, was a powerful Toreador methuselah that inspired the Dream and ruled Constantinople along Antonius and the Dracon. He had delusions of divinity, and instilled in Vykos the need to continue his quest for building Heaven on Earth. He was diablerized by Mary the Black in 1204 CE.
Biography[]
Mi-ka-il was born in the Mesopotamian city of Ebla. He became the King's scribe and garnered the attention of Arikel who Embraced him. He spent the next 50 years in Ebla adored as a god in the company of his lover Ma-Ri. When Ebla was captured by the Akkadians, he was taken during the day to Kish on the Euphrates. He never recovered from the loss of Ma-Ri.
To flee from the Akkadians pursuing him, he renamed himself Beshter and traveled across the land for a thousand years. In 500 BCE, Beshter arrived in Byzance to live there for one year. Then he left again for the Seven Hills and to the burgeoning city of Rome. He helped Rome's artists increase their talents. Sometimes, he left to observe the cultures and regions conquered by Rome.
Thereafter, he gave his lands to his progeny and his two lovers, Dracon and Antonius. When the Christian religion became powerful, he adopted it and renamed himself Michael, after the Archangel Michael. By the time Rome was falling from grace, he left with Antonius and the Dracon to live in Byzance. Antonius was the Father symbol in the Trinity, Dracon the Holy Ghost, and Michael was the Son.
| “ | We leave the Eternal City because its heart has long since ceased beating. It dies – and you, the lords of a once-glorious city, hide in its shadows, lost in a maze of your own construction. When our kind looks back to these times, to the death of yet another era, they will see your accomplishments and wonder what went wrong. But never, as you conceal yourselves, will they know who was responsible, to whom praise or condemnation should be addressed. Your deeds, both great and vile, will be lost to posterity, and all they will call you will be Incognitos. | ” |
| — Michael's last speech to the Cainites of Rome on the eve of his departure | ||
The dream lasted for nearly a thousand years, but eventually the tensions among the Trinity and their families became so extreme that they led to Antonius' destruction by the hands of Caius in 796 CE. Antonius' death was mourned by both Michael and the Dracon. The Dream had become dysfunctional leading to Michael's growing insanity and the Dracon abandoning the city.
With this turn of events, Michael assumed the role of the Patriarch, with the faction of the Antonian Ventrue as the Son, and the Draconian Tzimisce as the Holy Ghost. His delusions of grandeur, however, led him to believe that he was a true Archangel. His mental instability certainly became aggravated due to the loss of his lovers, it was the decisive demented influence of Gregorius Dimities that threw the Toreador's mind down the well. Michael's haven was a subterranean copy of the great dome of Hagia Sophia, under the great church. After his Final Death, it also became his tomb.
Timeline[]
- 550 BCE: The Cappadocian Byzar found the colony of Byzantium. Mi-ka-il, now renamed Beshter, visits the place.
- 548 BCE: Beshter establishes himself in Rome.
- 58 BCE: Beshter and the Ventrue methuselah Antonius become lovers.
- 85 CE: Beshter adopts the Christian religion and is baptized as Michael.
- 152 CE: Michael meets the Tzimisce Dracon and they become lovers.
- 312 CE: Constantine the Great fights Maxence near Rome to become the Roman Emperor. Thereafter, Michael, Antonius, and Dracon name themselves the Trinity. Mi-ka-il becomes the leader of the Dream.
- 326 CE: Constantine found the New Rome on the site of Byzance (that will be later renamed Constantinople). The Trinity leaves Rome to live in the new capital.
- 337 CE: Constantine the Great dies. The Trinity gather the First Council. Magnus, a local Lasombra, vow allegiance to Michael.
- 477 CE: The Second Council takes place, establishing the system and the families. The Magnus' Lasombra and a group of Roman Brujah known as the Lexors become affiliates. Antonius gives his protection to Alexia Theusa.
- 489 CE: Michael invites the Follower of Set Khay'Tall to found an affiliate family.
- 537 CE: Anthemios of Thralles receives the Embrace of Michael.
- 567 CE: Pakourianis the Dove receives the Embrace of Michael.
- 689 CE: To stop the feud between Antonius and the Dracon, Michael presents them with two brothers, Gesu and Symeon, to make them their progeny.
- 704 CE: The Third Council take place to resolve the problem about the Embrace of Symeon. No decisions are made.
- 750 CE: Paul Bathalos receives the Embrace of Michael.
- 796 CE: The Fourth Council take place. The Nosferatu family of Malachite is affiliated to the Toreador. Caius and Septima Dominica propose the destruction of Antonius; Michael and the Dracon accept.
- 842 CE: To restore order, Michael rule the city directly under the guise of Emperor Michael III.
- 890 CE: The Fifth Council take place and recognize Gesu and Symeon as leaders of the Tzimisce. Michael begins to feel the call of torpor: he let the ruling of nightly affairs to Petronius the Arbiter.
- 1204 CE: The Fourth Crusade arrives in Constantinople. During the looting of the city, the Inconnu destroy Gregorius Dimities. Michael allowed Peter the Humble to lead Mary the Black to him, and he was finally diablerized.
Current Nights[]
After being diablerized, Michael remained conscious inside the body of Mary the Black, waiting and watching as he subtly pushes her, attempting to exert his will over her body. Michael forced Mary to burn the tumorous Dracon from Vykos’ body, as he believes his former lover to be of similar mind after eight centuries of imprisonment. He nurtures the Dracon as the Tzimisce slowly heals, showing he can be the Father to the Dracon’s Son. A new Holy Spirit is required, however. Michael makes entreaties to Cainite philosophers in efforts to find a vampire who was destroyed and rose again. Michael will rebuild his Dream in Constantinople, or wherever he discovers his Holy Spirit.
Appearance[]
Through the union of Chimerstry and Presence, Michael appeared in the guise of a stained-glass angel. Light shined through his form, his face was unchanging with calm benevolence, emotions played off the shimmer of his halo, and his winged body sparkled. Above all, his presence demanded immediate supplication. He never spoke to his lessers, his very actions were his words. Beneath all he needed nurturing, guidance, and understanding.
Character Sheet[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTDA: Bitter Crusade - "Dying Embers"
- VTDA: Dark Ages Clan Novel 1: Nosferatu
- WOD: A World of Darkness Second Edition
- VTM: Children of the Night
- VTDA: Constantinople by Night
- 20ADAV : France By Night
