Gilbert d’Harfleur was a Ventrue knight involved in the foundation of the Camarilla, and one of the first of it's Original Archons (by that time he was spontaneously Blood bounded to his fellow Lilika Kairos). He was present at the Convention of Thorns.
Biography[]
Born into one of the Templar families (nobles from whom many of the Knights Templar arose), Gilbert was destined to become Baron of Harfleur. Following family custom, the young knight swore himself to the Templar cause, though the order had been disbanded and its reputation blackened years before. Painfully Embraced by an arrogant Ventrue noble woman whose favors he spurned, Gilbert’s first nights of unlife were spent battling for his own existence and that of his cousin Jean-Marc and their sworn companions, Lilika and Federico. Like Jean-Marc, Gilbert was concerned with preventing Cainites from abusing or permanently harming mortals - a legacy of his Embrace and the anger and frustration he felt during it.
It was during these times of dire troubles that Gilbert forged his attitude concerning the prevention of vampire-violence when it comes to mortals. It was this attitude, and his friendship with Frederico di Padua that led to Gilbert becoming one of the first Archons of the Camarilla - a position which he served in for many centuries. Saved in battle against the Turks by Federico while still mortal, Gilbert deferred to the older soldier’s wisdom and instincts, but otherwise usually acted as the spokesman for the group of pioneer archons.
Since his conversion, Gilbert had made contact with the remnants of the Templars and concerned himself with acquiring both treasures and artworks to add to their legendary coffers and hidden strongholds for the order’s use. Indebted to a Cappadocian who helped him when Gilbert was newly Embraced, the noble Ventrue also arranged for the building and maintenance of a remote monastery where a few remaining Cappadocians went into hiding from the Giovanni. In return, they have taught him some of what they know about the world of the dead.
Gilbert, over time, had become somewhat of a well-known collector of treasures and artworks. No doubt, his knowledge of the numerous Knight's Templar hidden strongholds and coffers have helped him in this pastime.
He acted as Archon up to 1493, when Democritus superseded him. His future fate is not recorded.