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| User: | deutsch_vamp (148089) |
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| Name: | Edmund Shaw | ||||||||||
| E-mail: | shelley_runyon@yahoo.com | ||||||||||
| Bio: | Edmund Shaw came into this world on January 1, 1900 under the name of Edmund Schildkraut, born into a theatrical family in Berlin - his mother, Maria, gave birth during intermission and was able to return to take a curtain call with her newborn son at the end of the play. Acting was definitely in Edmund's blood. Both Maria, and his father Friedrich, were leading actors on the German stage, and the family was distantly related to actor Joseph Schildkraut who went to America and made good - something that the family was not shy about touting in their playbills. Edmund grew up calling the stage home. Eventually, there were other siblings - his sisters, Anna and Elise, and brother Johann. All the children performed upon the stage and life was good. As the oldest, Edmund was protective of the others, and as a young boy was called upon to defend his siblings at times when local children, jealous of the attention they received, sometimes ganged up on them, as children do. Edmund quickly learned how to hold his own with them, for he was strong and he was quick, and his training in imaginary swordplay stood him in great stead, and he developed a reputation as someone it wasn't wise to tangle with. The First World War caught the family playing in a production of MacBeth in far-off France. They hastened home, and Edmund was pressed into service for the Kaiser. This warfare was far different than anything he had ever played upon the stage, and Edmund found himself forever changed by the things that he saw. Caught in a mustard gas attack, he was sent home, but under Maria's nursing regained his strength, as well as his sight, although from then on he had a nervous twitch in one eye which was especially prominent during times of stress, and he returned to the front, finishing out the war without being injured. The aftermath of the war, however, was devastating - inflation grew to the point where it took a wheelbarrow full of marks to make a minor purchase. Nothing was available - and there was no work to be found, especially for actors, for no one had money to attend the theatre. The family had to scrounge for what it could. Friedrich was killed in a freak accident in a sausage factory, and Marie becaem the victim of an attempted holdup on the streets, and was shot to death before she could plead that she had no money. The children were now on their own. Edmund held them together as well as he could, but times were tough - he did whatever he could to feed and shelter them, including but not limited to selling his body to the deviates that sought out young boys for their pleasure. The early 1920's was a time of political turmoil in Germany. The defeat of Germany during the war, followed by the repressive Versailles Treaty and the great economic unrest combined to make people restless, seeking a way to get even with those who sought to keep them down, and to lead better lives. Small parties formed that promised much and delivered little. Edmund watched them all with disdain - until one day he happened upon an acquaintance that told him of a messiah that would delivery Germany from the evil that had engulfed it - and the curious young man allowed himself to be led to a meeting of a fledgling political party - the National Socialists - although he thought the name to be confusing, and he didn't hold out much hope for their ideology. But he went - and he was enchanted by what he saw - the fiery speaker with the energetic hands caught his imagination and brought to his heart dreams of a better life, and a chance to return to his first love, the theater. This man was, of course, Adolf Hitler. Edmund joined the Nazi party, becoming one of the lower numbered card carrying members, and thus his political career was born. He became a gofer for these solemn men with the big plans. Especially Hitler, who would ruffle his hair, and call him Mundschen endearingly. Edmund was devastated when on November 9, 1923, their first attempt at overthrowing the government failed - having begun in a beer hall in Munich, it never got off the ground, and was quickly quelled, the leaders ending up in Landsberg Prison. Only by the grace of God was Edmund not among their number, for he was meant to be, but a last minute snafu resulted in his not being there. Which turned out to be a good thing for him. He visited his friends in prison, smuggled them in little things to make their life easier, and was waiting when Hitler was released. He continued his work for the risen politician - and was able to land a job at a theatre, at last - and Hitler promised him that some day he would headline his very own - one which he himself would design, as an amateur architect of some merit. Anna and Elise married members of the party, and Edmund and Johann managed to get a small flat of their own, where the future leaders of the Third Reich would sometimes assemble and hold political arguments. October 29, 1929 - who could forget that date? The Great Depression began - the German people were desperate, and now they clung to Hitler as to a lifeline - and they voted him into office. In 1933, he became the Chancellor of the country, under President Hindenberg - and nothing could stop him now. Edmund was elated - how long had he waited for this moment - and he shared in his comrade's triumph jubilantly - if you look closely at the photos of Hitler and his entourage, Edmund can be spotted among them, a broad smile upon his handsome face. When the war began, in September of 1939, Edmund chose to enlist. He was allowed to form a theatrical troup for the good of troop morale, and he and his players toured the areas where the soldiers were. It was good to be in charge again, and all of Edmund's hidden bullying traits came to the fore - admittedly not his finest hour. He saw firsthand the atrocities, and did nothing about them, nor did he even try, for over the years his heart had become hardened, and he was determined to survive any way he could - one reason why he never married, nor even came close. He didn't wish to be responsible for a wife, or children. February 28, 1945 - Edmund and his troupe, including his brother Johann, were performing for the soldiers in the wilds of Romania, ignoring signs that the war was about to end, and badly. Tales were bruited about the camp of a castle, and its vampiric former owner. Edmund scoffed at the tales, but on a dare took a group of actors to see what would be seen - and they ended up in the ruins of Vlad Tepescu's own castle, there in the Carpathian Mountains. No one lived there, of course, but it seemed to attract people nonetheless, one of them being an older man who seemed attracted to Edmund, and arranged for a rendezvous alone, that night. Against his better judgment, Edmund showed up - curiousity, maybe - or perhaps he believed in his own invincibility too much. Whatever the reason, he quickly discovered what the other man was - and that vampires were indeed real - when he was turned into one that very night. As was Johann who had, unfortunately for him, followed Edmund to see what he was up to. Shortly after that night, the war ended, and Edmund and Johann fled the ruins of what was now a divided country. Obtaining false papers, they used their ability to master accents to convince the authorities that they were English, and they took up residence in that country, which is where they met Jason St. Claire, and became a part of his troupe, taking the surname of Shaw. Edmund Shaw stands six foot one - he has brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He keeps to himself for the most part, bearing the scars of his hard life, but not dwelling on them. He treats his fellow thespians with respect, but is known to show contempt for those he considers to be lesser people. He and Johann continue to be close - their sisters long dead, they are the only family each has left. Edmund is not unfriendly, but he is difficult to get to know. He is very intelligent and well-read - and he has no preference sexually. | ||||||||||
| Schools: | None listed | ||||||||||
| Friends: |
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| Friend of: | 13: _derek_deville, absalom_mods, deutsch_vamp, fallen_jude, immortal_beauty, le_vamp_nic, magical_orchid, michael_nelson, sexy_boreas, slayer_johnny, stradivari_clef, whodathunkit, wren_lamia | ||||||||||
| Member of: | 3: absalom, absalom_app, absalom_ooc | ||||||||||
| Account type: | Free Patient | ||||||||||
