< Esmerelda | Kindred | Usuri DeSeversky >
To describe the true image of this being would be a couple of chapters by itself. Irving is perhaps the most developed character of Eyes That Burn that the player's encountered (Strauss would be right next to Irving) and while developed and revealed, he is still one of the most mysterious and intriguing characters in Detroit's history. I would say that only Archimedes himself would even come close to the complexity of and involvement in the progession (degression) of Detroit.
If Irving is truthfully (permanently) dead at the moment much of his tale will die with him as much of Irving's past and may never really be understood. Much of what is going to be stated about Irving is confusing to say the least because (a) he impersonated so many people (b) many rumors of his past haunt all Detroit to this night and (c) well to be a Kindred of his age, you have to have a past.
Irving's tale begins in Eastern Europe near the border of what is now Transylvania, Romania. Apparently, Irving grew up as either a stable boy/farmer working closely with the nearby local authority. He was rumored to be embraced sometime just before the 4th Crusade since (according to Murgatroyd and later Saturn) because he "looked" like a certain other Kindred. [JT always assumed this to be false since how does a Nosferatu look like someone else...well, you know what I mean].
Regardless, this is the only past that we know of Irving other than he became the Lord of the land soon during the 4th Crusade and sired many childer at the time to protect his lands. Apparently, he sired at least one 'main' childer known now as Usuri and she in turn sired and those progeny sired and so forth and so on.
Irving during these early years was taught in the way of the Kolduns (blood sorcery) and was later rumored to be involved in the creation of the original score of gargoyles in the area. In present day, his only remaining creation (that we know of) is his ever-faithful/bloodbound creature known as Murgatroyd (Angel). Irving also learned the ways of the sword as well and fought as Knight and Protector of his lands and people. He encountered several travelers (Heath Egan, Saturn, Areson, and perhaps others like Edmund Ryecroft) whom all travelled through his domain at one point and would encounter Irving again in a different time.
During the times of the Crusade, Irving was apparently working as a double-agent of sorts. He was rumored to be primarily allied with the local Tzimisce clan but he apparently commited the final act of the area's Crusade by committing diablierie on the primary Tzcimsce within the area. After this act, it is rumored that he 'protected' his family as best he could (apparently putting them all in torpor during this time) and then fled to the New Land of the Americas.
[It is assumed that Irving may have been caught before he fled or even put himself in Torpor for many centuries / depending on his own sire's / mentor's wishes. He may also have done much to retreat himself from the world and study in his arts and powers when he took the Tzimisce Tapestry (Death Shroud).]
Irving is later to have joined the war with Maximillan. It is clear here, that Irving did meet Edumund Ryecroft and Thomas Dresen (whether as enemies or allies, it is hard to say) but there was no love for one another to say the least. No matter what the outcome though, all ended up as Archimedes's (Ventrue) pawns and were persuaded to head towards the lands of what is now Detroit.
Detroit was a land of chaos during its early years. The Lupines ruled and made allies with a local Gangrel, Theodoric. Archimedes wished to settle and enlisted the aid of Cadillac (Brujah) and sire of Saturn to fight with him. In the end, Theodoric was supposedly burned at the stake and a damn Malkavian ghoul by the name of Strauss stole Theodoric's ashes but that is yet another story.
Archimedes ruled with a strong hand and even stronger by his own blood. However, Irving (along with the help of others that shall remain nameless until later) began to slowly formulate a plan to end the blood bonds that held them prisoner to Archimedes. The problem they realized was although they could remove the bonds of one patron, they would fall prey to the bonds of another...and the other that they 'found' was none other than Achidremenos (a name you dare not speak out loud for fear he will haunt you in whatever existence comes after this one.) The Old Malkav (Strauss's sire) apparently was either a very clever soul or very lucky and came across the blood of an ancient Tzimisce, Achidremenos. When Strauss was embraced, the Old Malkav was but a simple chess player with the uncanny ability to fool elders into playing for their blood and domains. [What is untold to the players still to this day is how or why the blood of an ancient Tzimisce from Europe found its way back to the owner of the Tapesty]
Despite the old Malkav's intentions though, the first game was won by none other than Archimedes or so he thought he had won. What Archimedes didn't realize is that by winning the game, he really had lost because he was playing a Malkav which had an ability to corrupt his bloodline and lineage (because of Theodoric's curse on his Ventrue blood line). Well, somehow the cult which Irving was part of realized this as a weakening of Archimedes hold on them (or Archimedes at this point called in help from those he knew in his past and invited them to come to Detroit). (Enter Lord Jon Areson)
Irving deSeversky had dealings with all these now adept and elder Kindred throughout his past and realized that now was the opportunity for taking down the authority. What he couldn't have foreseen though is that Irving was playing exactly into the hands of the Old Malkav.
Irving made deals to survive. He held the most powerful arcane objects in the area and with his cult began to break the bonds that held them. In the 1960s, the plan was finally executed. It is rumored that the elders didn't necessarily stuff the stake (so to speak) into Archimedes but instead declined to help him in his greatest hour of need. Irving never really spoke of this moment of Archimedes's fall but Irving did appear to both love and hate Archimedes with his entire soul.
After the '60s riots, the bonds were finally broken but now the cult had been manipulated into allowing the Malkav blood to taint and take the place of Archimedes strong vitae bond. The Malkav disease (as the players call it) began to filter through North American continent and beyond. Many elders now yearned for the vitae and came back to Detroit to get it (causing a lot of problems of which many were masquerade issues).
The city progressed (degressed) after the late '60s until the '80s when the objects of power that Irving held so dear were mistakenly discovered by a couple of lowly neonates that had wandered through the sewer system into Irving's abode. These neonates made dire errors and even killed/diablerized an Ancillae Gangrel before taking off with the object (the Shroud). These Kindred gave/had the object stolen by one of the neonate's ancillae sire's, The Cowboy Toreador, M-something or other.
The stage was now set for the second game - a rematch if you will - between the Old Malkav and another player (who shall be known only to JT as The Master of Rats). This game as played by the Masters was not to necessarily win but rather to continue to draw. Because the Master of Rats (confused as Irving on many nights) realized that the only way to win against the Malkav was simple - to always draw so as to never become corrupted. With an eternity at hand, the Master of Rats realizes that as long as he 'plays' the Old Malkav's game, he shall remain eternal.
And all the while this is happening the cult (Irving's brotherhood) was trying to develop an alternative method to stop the bonds on them. It had to do with a long forgotten lineage of Eastern European-base involving the originals of the True Faithed or Pure Ones.
Irving (and other elders) continued to make minor masquerade breaches (using lowly neonates such as Darren Andrews in order to draw the Society of Leopold into Detroit and to experiement with this power of blood changing. The Society of Leopold (True Faith believers) though is like playing with a hot-stick of laced dynamite and that plan didn't work especially well when a Toreador Justicar showed up to eliminate the issue altogether.
Another attempt was the idea of Golconda (Flavia of Sparta) and her influence on Detroit came to a peak when she arrived into Detroit. But even Flavia was frightened and intrigued of what she saw...the likes of one Ms. Jenny Olsen. Poor Jenny didn't realize what she was at the time (perhaps she still doesn't) but she scared away another method of the blood bond breaking. Golconda while it may have worked was not an option to the corrupted lineage and strains inside the Kindred sewn together over so many centuries.
Irving watched this all through his childer, JT Wright, and others in recent nights. Then Irving realized that perhaps the problem wasn't the experiment of the person (Jenny) but rather the object which he had held in his possession so dear. For locked within the object (as hinted by Areson) was more than enough vitae, power and burning lust to break the bond but the object carried with itself the taint of corruption so old that even the Old Malkav couldn't have foreseen it. Irving made a deal with the Old Malkav (or the Old Malkav saw a chance to finally win the game) and instructed Irving to perform one more duty.
Areson had now grown to a near masterful understanding of the powers and structure of Detroit and started a path towards ending the game and perhaps trapping the object into another realm (something he had done in the past in Europe). Irving foresaw again what Areson was doing and began to use the Old Malkav's vitae (along with a 'purification' of Jenny Olson's vitae) to create a rat and progeny which he later possessed to thwart Areson's attempt at enslaving Archimedes blood bond paths to himself. In the end, all that happened was the Old Malkav now had another sworn enemy, Lord Areson, who tried to imprison him. Areson had failed to imprison the Old Malkav.
Irving through manipulation and courage ended the attempt by Areson but paid the price for Irving when he went into Torpor for 7 years (along with other neonates) during the end of the '80s. Irving woke again in the 90's from the blood of his mentor (a rat that had followed the neonates) through the Belle Isle Conservatory?. The Tremere (Areson) had agreed to bring back Irving because they realized the chaos had befallen Detroit after Irving had fell to Torpor (even though Irving had allied himself with the Old Malkav) and now Pontifix Jon Areson foresaw that he would later be saved by Irving when the Old Malkav visited Detroit within a very short time.
Irving arose and began to take another stab at trying to break the bonds. Under advisement, he was asked to make himself more low-key for the storm of Kindred Politics was about to make itself known to him. Irving began steps for the power conversion of his absence from Detroit (including making Esmeralda, his former ghoul) Primogen of the Nosferatu clan of Detroit. He also at this time decided that the Harbringer was better replaced by the Tzimisce, Wesley, within the cult.
Irving fought the battle again, only this time he used a new tactic...his sire's tactic of bait and switch. He needed to protect his sacred object first though and either started acquiring or started pulling out mimics of his original prize he had acquired over the years. These 'mimic' objects were red hearings to keep the other elder Kindred of Detroit away from the true prize.
Irving then headed to Europe to his original home where he performed a Koldunic ritual of old and brought back his Childer from the era of the 4th Crusade. Upon their arrival, he was consumed by them (or so the characters of the story were led to believe).
[The story may be done here for as character's of Detroit we do not know if Irving really died in the Carpathian mountains (leaving the fight to his heir, Usuri deSeversky) or whether he is waiting for the right time to make himself known again]
By the way, this is all "as far as we know" material :)
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