Benedict Dieudonné

[Benedict Dieudonné]

// OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias: Ashelin!
Contact: [e-mail]!

// IN CHARACTER

Name: Benedict Dieudonné!
Age: fourty-five!
Gender: male!
Species: Garou!
Class: nobility!

Hobbies: Most of the time, Benedict takes great delight in overseeing the politics of his village. He loves the people he’s come to protect and considers it his only hobby. Preparations for the approaching Claudette have consumed the old mayor entirely – so much so that he doesn’t even notice the world he’s missing out on.

Appearance: Gray in more than a few areas, the mayor’s age is rapidly becoming evident. He’s a kindly old(er) man, however, and there’s a gentleness in his eyes that most people (or Garou) trust easily. With brilliant, golden eyes Benedict has a dazzling effect on the ladies similar in ‘seasons’ as himself. He’s often found in darkly colored clothes, seemingly thrown together in haste. Though he’s not a slob by any definition, the Garou doesn’t spend as much time on his appearance as he perhaps should for a man in his position. He’s dedicated entirely to his village and to preventing Claudette’s approach – sacrificing a kempt and tidy behavior for the tired and worn appearance of his rank. As a wolf, Benedict has a very graying muzzle with a few hints of ‘wisdom’ elsewhere on his coat. He’s rather ragged in appearance, but very soft on the eyes – no matter what age his observer. And his eyes are always enough to make up for his ruffle demeanor.

Personality: Benedict is a very easy-going and thoughtful soul. He loves the people of his village like sisters and brothers – every one. He’d die to protect anyone and everyone if he could. Children and puppies are especially important to him. Having raised four young ‘uns of his own, the older male is your typical father-figure. He adores the Garou and all of their talents, culture, and tendencies. Benedict always looks for the best in everyone and it takes very little to earn his trust. He loves people and loves to be surrounded by those he cares about. All in all, the man’s just a very gentle soul that’s trying to do right by his township. He’s consumed by worry, however, brought on by Claudette’s approach. Valiantly, the mayor has been desperate for weeks now to prevent the clash he foresees between his fellow Garou and Claudette’s wild accusations. He’s stressed and sometimes a little grumpy, but it’s all for the sake of those he loves.

History: Benedict grew up in the English countryside, in a cozy little town called Westeshire. It was there he met the love of his life and future wife, Isabelle. Engaged at an early age, the two barely know how to function without each other. What’s strange of their relationship is the fact that Isabelle is human. Three years after their marriage, she witnessed Benedict’s very first transformation and helped him through the terrifying ordeal. Orphaned at an early age and raised by distant relatives, the man knew little of his birthright. He was very late to recognize the full moon’s effect on him and isn’t sure he could have survived without the love and support of his darling.

A few weeks later, Isabelle discovered that she was pregnant and eventually gave birth to their first child – a son named Donovan. When Donovan turned five years of age, he shifted prematurely. Delighted by her son’s easy transformation, Isabelle praised Benedict for his great heritage… but Benedict reacted much differently. Disgusted by himself and by this ‘curse’ he had passed to his son, he forbade the young boy to ever shift again. It was until their second child was born – a daughter named Zoelie – that Benedict truly began to realize his ‘curse’ wasn’t a curse at all, but a blessing. His precious little princess fell into a rushing river, you see, and would have drowned if it hadn’t been for Donovan’s skill and quick thinking. Changing into his then adolescent wolf form, the young son of Benedict plunged snout-first into the rapids and managed drag a half-dead Zoelie back to shore.

His beliefs now altered, Benedict and Donovan became closer and would often be found roaming the countryside as wolves – father wolf and his wolf son. Soon after, Zoelie joined them. By the time his third child was born, Benedict was well adapted to the life of a Garou and delighted in the thrill of being a wild animal. He felt a deeper connection to his family as a whole and couldn’t wait for the day when his newest daughter could join her family in the forest. Little Vivie, however, didn’t have the gift. At first, Benedict and Isabelle thought she was a little late – like her father had been – but it soon became clear that she felt nothing for the moon. She was human.

Despite his love for his little girl, Benedict was very disappointed. He and Isabelle decided to try having another child – a second son named Wallis – but he too, was soon realized to be human. Thinking that the gift must be gone, Benedict and Isabelle decided to stop having children. They settled back into their cozy life – now and again disrupted with a midnight prowl – and lived in peace until Claudette’s rise to power.

When word began to spread that all heathens were to be burned at the stake or drowned in the name of God, Benedict worried about keeping his family safe – particularly Donovan and Zoelie, his Garou offspring. They packed up their belongings and moved to the township he had heard rumors about. Settling into Ville de Kadence, Benedict foolishly began to let himself believe that his problems were over.