Signor & Signora Ratavoloira

Rosemonde Pipistrello - 1844|1871|1906

The daughter of Isidoro and Giosetta (née Tornincasa) Pipistrello of Milan was born in the Spring of 1844. An awkward girl with very few prospects outside of the fortune hunters eager to get their hands on the Pipistrello mercantile empire.

In 1867 both her parents were taken in the Cholera pandemic leaving her as heiress. This made her more vulnerable - she had a good mind for business but very little power or respect in the city as a young single woman.

A shrewd man, Francesco Mantovani, took her under his wing, tutored her, seduced her and recruited her. He told her Vampyrism was a gift and with it came power and connections all over the country. She took this "gift" willingly in hopes to change her fortunes.

Within months her physique was altering, her face and form were more attractive than they had been in her old life; her business was flourishing, and now young men were eating out of her hand.

Rosemonde soon learned that all of her acquisitions - her business, herself, all she would ever gain now and forever - was for the advancement of the clan she had been joined into.

Vasco Ratavoloira - 1830|1875|1906

A native of Lausanne, Switzerland Vasco was born in a villa to vintners, Luca and Amélie (née Lavigne) Ratavoloira. Their only son he learned and followed in the family business growing the estate, acquiring more land, and producing more wine to sell in nearby markets. His efforts allowed the family to gain a very comfortable living.

After his parents deaths, widowed and childless, Vasco had very little but the vineyard and his servants. In 1874, during one of his business trips to Geneva, he began to receive the attention of Rosemonde Pipistrello of Milan. He wondered what this beautiful young woman could have to do with him.

A courtship began and on their wedding night, a year later, he was changed into a vampyre - or Lamian. Rosemonde declared her love for him, revealed her true nature, and asked him to change so they could be together forever. Vasco agreed.

Though Rosemonde was indeed fond of him, Vasco soon found out that he had been a target by her Lamian clan due to his vineyard's reach. Harvested blood could be treated, sealed and shipped abroad to other clans for a very good price. That's how Vasco was taken into their schemes.

Offspring - 1876

Vasco and Rosemonde were shocked to learn in early 1876 that she was pregnant. She was still, in relative terms, a young vampire and the change had not become complete yet. They watched as her once timeless figure changed with pregnancy and at moments her Lamian traits seemed to subside until the baby was born in Milan.

Rosemonde was horrified - her lovely figure seemed to wane mortal and immortal with the moon.

A beautiful baby girl - Vasco named an Italian variant of his mother's name and the French variant of Rosemonde's mother's name - Emilia Josette.

The Ratavoloiras and the Cava Clan did not know what to think of little Emilia; as an infant she was hardly extraordinary, to their eyes. She did not seem Lamian at all. It wasn't until she was an early adolescent that they noticed the effect she had on the thralls when she touched them.

The knowledge of her powers were conveyed to leaders and it did not escape their notice that she was an extremely beautiful girl. Well before her maturation they began to form a plot to acquire an incredibly powerful member with Emilia being their prize.

One gorgeous bride, heiress to two multinational fortunes in the heart of Europe where railways were just beginning to converge... the most carefully crafted and delectable honey trap. Directed at the right political target and the clan's reach would increase a hundred fold. The Fates had smiled on them with this bizarre creature that fed on human emotion and found no weakness from the sun.

Over the next few years the Ratavoloiras experienced unmerited favor as every resource was used to shore up their properties and prepare the way for Emilia's wedding to the unknown groom.

It turned out this was just an air-built castle. They trusted too much in the compliance of Emilia, when the plan to change Arturo Benedini was made known to her. He was a distant relation of the King of Italy and even closer to the Mayor of Milan.

The Ratavoloiras fell from grace when Emilia left Arturo at the altar and ran away.

The political upheaval of Italy in the 1890s and early 1900s destroyed any other machinations the clan had of power playing.

On July 16, 1906 during the World's Fair, the Ratavoloiras are discovered, by Emilia, brutally murdered in their Milan Villa. The culprits and motives are unknown.