Juliet Parr is the Malkavian Justicar and was previously the Sheriff of North London.
Biography[]
The apple of her father's eye, young Juliet Parr wanted for nothing and was spoiled beyond imagining by her doting father. She had all the clothes, books, and toys she desired and was also allowed to hunt and explore the Parr's vast estate in Gloucestershire, dressed in boyish clothes. Lord Parr believed this was nothing more than a passing phase and indulged her, but Juliet was lonely and isolated, her adventures and books the only pleasure in her cloistered life. She felt marginalized by the restrictions society placed on women and wished she had the same freedom of action as her male counterparts.
Shortly after her 15th birthday, she attempted suicide, believing she would be reborn in a form better suited to the lifestyle she desired. Her father's retainers plucked Juliet from the River Severn and thenceforth kept her under close scrutiny. This only exacerbated Juliet's desire for freedom, and despite her chaperones, she made several more attempts to kill herself over the following months. Her father despaired, knowing that his line would end with her if Juliet succeeded, and arranged a hasty wedding to the son of a local landowner.
The young man was beneath her station, but her father hoped that marriage and a family would provide his daughter with the anchor she needed. At first, it seemed to work, but shortly after the birth of her daughter, Juliet began to relapse and frequently talked of "escaping her mortal prison." One of those who heard of her plight was a young naturalist called Gregory who, unbeknownst to Juliet, was a childe of the baroness who claimed the Fief of Gloucester. He saw the encroaching madness and, without waiting for the approval of his lord, offered Juliet a way out—an entry to a hidden world where the restrictions of gender were less binding.
Her family believed she had committed suicide, her body lost, but Juliet began a nocturnal existence as a member of the Malkavian clan. She soon became a favorite of Baroness Seren, who sent her to Mithras's domain in 1790 as her eyes and ears. The baroness' increasingly erratic behavior after 1800—she was blood bound to Mithras, and the prince's absence removed what few restraints existed on her psychotic behavior—caused Juliet, though respectful of her grandsire, to foreswear Gloucester in favor of cosmopolitan London.
When the concept of women's suffrage came to the fore in the mid-19th century, Juliet involved herself in the National Society for Women's Suffrage, much to the consternation of Valerius, who saw it as undermining the established order. Anne Bowesley, however, recognized the potential of the suffrage movement and encouraged Juliet's involvement with various members of the organization, notably Emily Davies and John Stuart Mill. It was also Anne who saw the potential of Juliet's combination of presence, knowledge, and charm, proposing her as Sheriff of North London, a post she has held since 1879.
Seemingly a strange choice for sheriff, her tenacity—a manifestation of her obsessive-compulsive disorder—and ingenuity mean she often succeeds where a more brute-force approach would not.
Juliet's principal haven is in Highgate, a short distance from the cemetery, but she has numerous secondary lairs across North London between Ealing and Walthamstow.
Fall of London[]
During the events of the Fall of London, Juliet Parr, while serving as Justicar, stood alongside Queen Anne as her steadfast support within the Camarilla against Operation Antigen. Before Queen Anne could set anything in motion, Justicar Parr reached her and insisted that the Prince explain how one of the Camarilla's greatest cities had fallen into chaos.
For possibly the first time since her Embrace, Queen Anne spoke the truth, and Parr chose to be merciful. After all, a massive hunter attack and the return of a powerful Methuselah would push any Prince to their breaking point. Together, they gathered the remaining Elders and their resources to launch a counterattack against Operation Antigen.
Although no Justicar wishes to step into a war zone, the Camarilla could not afford to lose a city of such power and influence. Thus, Justicar Juliet Parr was dispatched to resolve the situation, given that she had previously served as Sheriff under Mithras during the Victorian era. She intended to descend upon the city with the full might of the Camarilla.
However, once Queen Anne was destroyed, the Camarilla retreated, and London fell into hiding. Justicar Parr likely returned to report to the Inner Circle or to plan the city's reclamation from the Second Inquisition.
Description[]
Juliette Parr is the current Malkavian Justicar, given the authority to investigate traitors to the Camarilla and to punish those who flaunt or undermine its Traditions. Parr has a long-standing association with law enforcement; prior to her appointment, she served as one of the Sheriffs of London. Her presence, knowledge, and charm are considerable, and her obsessive-compulsive tendencies have served her well when interrogating suspects, examining crime scenes, and poring over important evidence.
The Justicar continues to maintain a Haven in her home city of London and can often be found there when she is not attending Camarilla matters overseas personally.
You are a confidant of Justicar Parr, serving as her eyes and ears, and given the authority to command Camarilla resources in her name. She trusts your observations and recommendations, all in the name of the greater good, protecting the Camarilla from enemies within and without.
Loresheet[]
Information Drop: You routinely provide information to Justicar Parr, reporting on the movements and conversations of other Kindred, but sometimes you receive useful information in return. Once per story, you can ask the Storyteller for a piece of information relevant to an ongoing investigation, which could reasonably be provided by the Justicar’s wider network of agents and informants.- Camarilla Conditioning: Beyond your personal commitment to the Camarilla, you have also received training and indoctrination that ensures your loyalty to the sect. You gain 1 die in all Willpower tests performed in the course of your duties, and you also add 1 additional die to your pool when making tests to resist any attempts to intimidate or compel you away from your duties.
- Request Backup: You are important enough to Justicar Parr that you may call upon other Camarilla assets in her network to assist you in your work. Once per story, you may call upon a 5-dot Ally to back you up for the duration of a scene. They could grant you access to places you normally cannot go, introduce you to people you would not normally meet, perform a task beyond your own expertise and experience, or simply provide physical protection or escape in a high-risk situation.
- Favored Protégé: You are acquainted with Juliette Parr on a personal level, and you have a shared history beyond serving the Camarilla in an official capacity. You correspond with the Malkavian often. While she trusts you implicitly, her interest comes with a certain degree of possessiveness. You may consider Parr a 5-dot Mawla, but she also makes constant demands of you. It would be unwise to upset an elder of her power and influence.
- Camarilla Archon: You are publicly named as an Archon serving the Camarilla under Justicar Parr, and you hold a warrant that you can present to any Camarilla Kindred to demand their cooperation in your activities and investigations. Your position taints all your interactions with other vampires for better or worse. Sycophants will try to impress you, while others may resent you or avoid you. Enemies of the Camarilla will also consider you a target to make an example of, if possible.
Sheet[]
Image: Slender and short, with flowing chestnut hair and delicate features, Juliet Parr is far from the normal image of a sheriff. In nightly unlife, she is polite and reserved, even a little shy. However, when pushed—and mocking her size is a good way of angering her—her intense and forceful personality comes to the fore.
Although she is often found wearing traditional female clothing, Juliet favors men's clothes, particularly when "working." Her disguise as the orphaned daughter of a missionary family explains this eccentricity to many mortals. To the other Kindred of London, this is simply another Malkavian personality quirk to be reckoned with.
Nonetheless, her eccentric dress does not sit well with the more uptight Kindred who claim to espouse Victorian values. Every complaint made to Mithras (or Lady Anne) only reinforces the prince's view that Juliet was the right appointment.
Roleplaying Hints: You are quite capable of acting up to your physical image—the coquettish young woman—but despise it when others talk down to you.
You rarely lose your temper, instead maintaining a polite appearance while resorting to cutting remarks. Many find your cold, clinical, matter-of-fact recitation of facts (particularly when they involve the prospective fate of someone who has offended you) rather disturbing. In fact, this is part of your mental balancing act, a focus for your efforts to retain self-control.
Note: A slight girlish figure of about 15–16, Juliet has long chestnut hair, which she usually ties back with a whisk, as a young man might. In general, she often wears menswear, as much for comfort as to be able to make her way around London without being questioned.
In life she was a lady, expected to marry, embroider, and breed little boys. The Embrace was her escape from that, and calling her Lady Parr now would probably be a mistake.
Juliet is a favorite of the high-ranking Mithraic courtier Lady Anne Bowesley. The two are allies, maybe more. From 1879, she serves as the Sheriff of North London.
She has obsessive-compulsive tendencies, a trait that can be a help but is most often a distraction when it comes to solving problems for the court. It also means she doesn’t give up easily when she is on the trail of someone she means to take down.
Note Modern Nights: Update General Difficulty to 7 / 5, add 4 to all pools, add six dots of Disciplines, and lower Humanity by 1.
Gallery[]
References[]
- VAV: London by Night, p. 54
- VTES: 30th Anniversary
- VTM: In Memoriam, p. 54