Character Avatar: Ian Mellencamp
Character Name: Voltaire Saint-Andre
Age: 39
Height: 6'1
Rank/Title: Servant of Naamah
Race: D'Angeline
Country/Province: Terre d'Ange/L'Agnace
Player: Merle
Appearance: In a word, unremarkable. That isn't to say that Voltaire isn't good looking, only that there is no outstanding feature that makes him distinguishable. He is neither overly thin or particularly musclebound, but his physique is slim and fit. His around shoulder length, brunette hair is likewise neither thick or thin, though it is shining and healthy. Usually somewhat unkempt, it falls more heavily on the right side of his face, sometimes giving him the appearance of peeking out through the strands.
His eyes are a perfectly lovely shade of chocolate brown, but they aren't exotic, or luminous, or long-lashed. What they are is sincere. Expressive. Above them his brows are finely arched, if a bit thick.. and below them a straight long nose followed by a comely mouth, framed by laugh lines, sensual and perfectly bowed but far from noteworthy.
Until he smiles. His attractiveness doesn't come from any one striking attribute, or even an alluring combination. What makes Voltaire enticing is his emotiveness, the way that a smile or a laugh can transform his entire countenance from something commonplace to something extraordinary. This goes for heavier emotions, as well, and his eyes can hold sorrow like wine in a glass, and as easy for all to see.
Personality: Voltaire is friendly, open and loves to make people laugh. All things you would expect of someone who was once an Orchis adept, but his humor is often tinted with self-deprecation. He will sometimes tease others, but always in a light-hearted way, never meant cruelly. Which is not always the case for his self-mockery. He is social and affable, a great companion for a private conversation or for entertaining an entire party... but behind closed doors Voltaire is prone to bouts of loneliness and depression.
Though his humor often leans towards the ludicrous and silly, and sometimes lewd, there is a serious side to it as well. Quips and witty lyrics hide sincere criticisms of the system he was born and bred into, along with society in general. Every once in awhile when these subjects come up, his jests gain a sarcastic, critical edge that has gotten him into trouble a time or two.
History: Born into Eglantine, Voltaire's parents were typical of that House, his mother a tumbler and his father a sculptor. They adored each other and loved their child, but as is also typical of Eglantines, most of their attention and passion was devoted to their art, giving them the eccentric, or simply distracted demeanor that their House is sometimes known for. So, even at an early age Voltaire was frequently alone or left to his own devices.
This engendered several things, an independence and self sufficiency uncommon among others his age, an appreciation for both companionship and solitude each in turn, and a deep, abiding loneliness. It also encouraged, along with his family and housemates, his exploration of his own interests and talents. Which the boy took to with gusto, his mind eager for the new knowledge and experiences. His search often led him in varied directions, and he eventually found he had a fair amount of talent for singing, and a way with words.
It didn't take Voltaire long to combine the two things, poetry and prose transforming into lyrics. He wasn't the best singer in the House, by any means, and not nearly the best musician. His writing was far from deep and insightful, but his audience was always left in stitches, or at the very least with grins on their faces. It was this gift of spreading cheer and laughter that saw him sent to Orchis House when he was fourteen. When the Dowayne made the decision, his parents were encouraging, in their detached sort of way, and he found himself suddenly thrust into a House full of cheerful strangers.
It was then that he started to grow inwardly bitter at the Night Court. At their exacting standards and cliquish tendencies, at the way they split up families and treated people as commodities. Despite that growing discontent, for a time he thrived in his new home. As their canon dictated, he was a joy to be around, and found joy in being around the other Orchis apprentices and adepts. His debut went smoothly, Voltaire having serenaded his potential patrons until they were in fits of laughter.
But as he'd grown older, so too had that bitterness until it in itself had turned into a passion, and harsh critiques of the Night Court began to creep their way into his songs. His opinions weren't voiced to only fellow adepts, however, and when a satirical ditty displeased one patron too many, the Dowayne decided that Orchis House, and Mont Nuit as a whole, was not the place Voltaire belonged. Fortunately for the young adept, there was a woman interested in purchasing his marque... though the fact that he was being sold yet again only further incited his malaise.
It wasn't that he didn't feel the call of being a servant of Naamah, and it certainly wasn't that he didn't enjoy serving, but he chafed at the laws and traditions that bound him. Thus it was a relief when he found that the woman that now held his marque felt similarly, and gave him the freedom to serve, for the most part, as a free agent. It seemed that she also had like-minded ideas about the system which bound her.
Voltaire soon found himself sharing her thoughts as well... and spreading them, which is what she'd wished for. He was much more subtle about his criticisms of the government, knowing that the risk involved was much greater, but he only grew more outspoken about what he considered to be the antiquated structure of the Night Court, and the laws involving Naamah's servants. Which he remained, even after making his marque and leaving the household and service of his mistress.
