Hair Color: Dark Brown with reddish highlights at times.
Eye Color: Dark Brown
True age: 342 years old
Apparent age: Early 20's
Sex: Female
Height: 5'2
Weight: 105 pounds
Nationality: French-Italian
Distinguishing characteristics: Piercing eyes and a grin that can melt and
break hearts at the same time.
Any other languages: French, Italian, and English
Personality: At first, Maria-Louisa comes across as a charming, vibrant
woman, with an easy laugh and bewitching eyes. Many dismiss her just as that
upon first glance. But, for those who care to look deeper, behind the pretty
face is a complex woman who has seen things that would drive some to
madness, but has only served to make Maria-Louisa strive that much harder to
stay alive.
Any special skills: Maria-Louisa is an expert tarot card reader and skilled
in most of the arts, like singing, dancing, and painting.
History: Born in late
November of 1660, Maria-Louisa's very birth was shrouded in secrecy and
illusion. Her mother was Maria Mancini, wife of principe Lorenzo Onofrio
Colonna, the Grand Commestabile of Napoli and lover of Louis XIV, the King
of France. Upon finding out that she was pregnant, Maria and Louis were
secretly engaged and meant to marry until her uncle, Cardinal Mazzarin,
discovered the young lovers' secret and split them apart. Louis was married
to Marie-Therese and Maria to the principe.
Maria, both very clever and charming, managed to convince her husband that
consummating their marriage too soon would destroy the sanctity of their
union and bore her child with Louis, Maria-Louisa in secret. For nearly
twelve years, Maria-Louisa was passed off as the child of one of her true
mother's ladies in order to hide her from the principe and keep Louis from
ever discovering her. But soon, Maria-Louisa's mother grew tired of the
games and in 1672, packed up some members of her household, including her
young daughter, and fled her husband and the city.
Maria-Louisa lived a wandering life for nearly a year before her mother
deemed that she should finally meet her true father, Louis XIV. Maria took
the girl to Versailles, where Louis soon fell madly in love with the child
and took her from her mother, who relinquished the child she barely knew
without hesitation to live an independent life. In France, Maria-Louisa was
educated and treated as befitted a lady. Louis doted on his daughter and
gave her everything her heart desired, much to the chagrin of Louis' queen.
Maria-Louisa lived for six years at Court and soon became a great favorite
with many of the nobles. Some even spoke of her perhaps becoming queen over
Louis' legitimate sons, were Maria-Louisa to marry the right man.
This frightened the Queen and she sought to remedy the threat to her son.
One night in 1679, while traveling to Paris at the Queen's insistence in
order to visit a sick friend, Maria-Louisa's coach was besieged by bandits.
Her guards were killed and Maria-Louisa was beaten and savagely raped many
times before being stabbed through the heart. The hired murderers dumped
Maria-Louisa's body in the French countryside. Reports returned to the
palace of Maria-Louisa's fate. Louis was beside himself with grief and never
really recovered from his vibrant young daughter's death.
But, Maria-Louisa did not die that night. The next morning, she awoke to
cold drizzle falling upon her face and crawled to her feet. Terrified and
pushed to the brink of madness, Maria-Louisa could not understand why she
still lived while her guard was slain. And why her gown was soaked in blood,
yet there was no wound. As she made her way towards Paris, her quick mind
deduced that she had been betrayed and she vowed not to return to
Versailles. In Paris, she collapsed in the nearest church. A kind old priest
by the name of Jean Du Chevalle took her in and heard her tale. But he did
not think her mad. Instead, he knew her for what she really was. An
Immortal.
For nearly twenty years, Father Jean sheltered Maria-Louisa in his church,
to let time heal the wounds on her soul. Then, he contacted a friend, one
that he knew could help Maria-Louisa and teach her what she was. Duncan
MacLeod came to Paris in 1699 to teach Maria-Louisa about what she was and
what needed to become to survive. In the three years that he was with her,
Duncan taught Maria-Louisa to fight, to love, and to build a strong future
on the ashes of the past. They parted as friends, though Duncan begged
Maria-Louisa to join him on his travels, she insisted she owed the old
priest a debt of gratitude and stayed to aid him in his failing years.
The old priest died two years later and Maria-Louisa set out upon the world.
She traveled most of Europe and furthered her education in the great
universities of the continent, often disguising herself as a man under the
name of Louis Du Chevalle. She passed the years alone, seemingly happy in
her solitude. She met with Duncan often to trade outlandish stories of their
adventures, but they never stayed with each other long. Maria-Louisa would
not be tamed.
Then, while visiting London in 1725, Maria-Louisa met Jamie Monaghan, a
former Irish priest and a fellow Immortal. Maria-Louisa's quick wit and cool
demeanor meshed well with Jamie's fierce passion for life. For fifty years,
the two Immortals found happiness in each other's company. There were
challenges from other Immortals, but none of consequence for both kept a low
profile. Then, in 1776, Jamie's head was taken by a vicious Immortal named
Vorschev. Maria-Louisa could only watch helplessly as her beloved Jamie was
killed. Vorschev ran afterwards, leaving Maria-Louisa not only robbed of her
lover, but also of revenge.
Maria-Louisa retreated from the world and found solace in a small orphanage
in the French countryside, where she helped care for the children for two
decades under the name of Marie Monaghan. The children and a wise nun by the
name of Sister Helene helped to soothe Maria-Louisa's pain. In 1800, Maria
sailed to America to begin a new life and try to make sense of the tragedy
of Jamie's death. She settled in New Orleans in 1813 and soon found her
calling. First, she served as a courtesan named Angelique to the rich and
powerful in the city, and, then under the guidance of the most powerful
fortunetellers in New Orleans, Maria-Louisa learned to read the cards.
She became renowned through the city for her accurate readings and sharp
wit. She doesn’t believe in fortune-telling, but, at that time, the money
was good and Maria-Louisa, a pragmatist at heart, needed money to complete
several projects that she’d promised James they would complete together one
day. Maria-Louisa had a gorgeous mansion built with her earnings, to attract
more prestigious customers of course, and soon adopted the name Madame de
l'Ombre, Lady of the Shadow. Her fame and acclaim grew within the city. Even
the rich and powerful men she had been serving but a decade before were in
thrall to her and her 'gifts'. Then, one sweltering summer night, Duncan
MacLeod walked into her parlor and demanded a reading of Maria-Louisa. She
obliged and agreed when Duncan suggested that Maria-Louisa use her new
wealth to travel once again.
Maria-Louisa lay low for many years. Occasionally there was word of a
challenge involving her and the suggestion that her head had been taken. But
Maria-Louisa managed to inconveniently pop up again once her detractors had
others convinced. Rumors flew about the slight-framed Immortal. Some
whispered that she had bewitched a string of Immortal men across Europe and
America, including even the formidable Methos, though there were never any
confirmed reports. The lady herself remained coy about her affairs or lack
of them and continued her travels.
Then, in the late 1980's, Maria-Louisa set up housekeeping in New York City
under the name of Lucy Mancini. There she funded many projects, including a
historical society devoted to studying the life of Louis XIV, the beloved
father she had only briefly known. Immortals continued to seek Maria-Louisa
out, some to learn the secrets behind her bewitching smile and others to
take her life. Some walked away with the memory of a wicked grin and others
did not walk away at all.
When the sickness took its first victims, Maria-Louisa was in New York,
readying her immense collection of artifacts from the rule of Louis XIV for
a public showing. The madness and terror of the following days, as the Super
Flu wreaked havoc on the city convinced Maria-Louisa to leave New York, but,
she only found more of the same, no matter where she chose to go. With The
Game forgotten for now, Maria-Louisa keeps traveling, in hopes of finding
something or someone to make sense of what’s happening around her.
Description of sword: Maria-Louisa's owns a rapier and a dagger "as sharp as
her wits" as her companion Jamie Monaghan told her when he gave them to her.
In the hilts of both, a small circle of tiny chips of emerald is imbedded.
Character's full name: Maria Louisa Mancini
History: Born in late
November of 1660, Maria-Louisa's very birth was shrouded in secrecy and
illusion. Her mother was Maria Mancini, wife of principe Lorenzo Onofrio
Colonna, the Grand Commestabile of Napoli and lover of Louis XIV, the King
of France. Upon finding out that she was pregnant, Maria and Louis were
secretly engaged and meant to marry until her uncle, Cardinal Mazzarin,
discovered the young lovers' secret and split them apart. Louis was married
to Marie-Therese and Maria to the principe.
For nearly twenty years, Father Jean sheltered Maria-Louisa in his church,
to let time heal the wounds on her soul. Then, he contacted a friend, one
that he knew could help Maria-Louisa and teach her what she was. Duncan
MacLeod came to Paris in 1699 to teach Maria-Louisa about what she was and
what needed to become to survive. In the three years that he was with her,
Duncan taught Maria-Louisa to fight, to love, and to build a strong future
on the ashes of the past. They parted as friends, though Duncan begged
Maria-Louisa to join him on his travels, she insisted she owed the old
priest a debt of gratitude and stayed to aid him in his failing years.
The old priest died two years later and Maria-Louisa set out upon the world.
She traveled most of Europe and furthered her education in the great
universities of the continent, often disguising herself as a man under the
name of Louis Du Chevalle. She passed the years alone, seemingly happy in
her solitude. She met with Duncan often to trade outlandish stories of their
adventures, but they never stayed with each other long. Maria-Louisa would
not be tamed.
Then, in the late 1980's, Maria-Louisa set up housekeeping in New York City
under the name of Lucy Mancini. There she funded many projects, including a
historical society devoted to studying the life of Louis XIV, the beloved
father she had only briefly known. Immortals continued to seek Maria-Louisa
out, some to learn the secrets behind her bewitching smile and others to
take her life. Some walked away with the memory of a wicked grin and others
did not walk away at all.
