ARMAND

Armand is a 400-year-old, adolescent-looking vampire. In years immediately prior to the French revolution he headed a group of vampires who performed at the Theatre of the Vampires in Paris. He first appeared on the streets of Paris after learning of the presence of fellow vampires Louis and Claudia in the city. He broke up a fight between Louis and one of the other vampires, whom he had sent to present the two with an invitation to the Theatre. After the performance the following evening, he and Louis, who were strongly attracted to each other, had a conversation concerning God and the meaning of existence, during which Louis was forced to confront the meaningless of life.

Louis also had to deal with Claudia's jealousy over his obvious infatuation with Armand and her own dilemma of being trapped in the body of a child. His acknowledgement of his feelings for Armand freed him to create a companion for Claudia, in the older woman Madeleine, a dollmaker. Aarmand's feelings for him saved Louis's life when he, Madeleine, and Claudia were taken captive by the Parisian vampires who executed Claudia and Madeleine. The vampires had confined Louis in a coffin, but Armand released him. In return for the favour, an angry Louis burned the theatre, killing the vampires caught in its confines.

Armand was born in Southern Russia but as a child his family was taken prisoner by Tartars and sold into slavery in Constantinople. He was bought by a vampire named Marius and taken to Venice. Marius used him as a mdoel for a painting - the Temptation of Armadeo. Aarmand was only 17 years old when Marius made him a vampire. Through the centuries, he retained his youthful appearance with auburn hair, brown eyes and beautiful face. When Marius' home was invaded by a group of Satanists, Aarmand was inducted into their coven and went on to become an accomplished Satanist leader. He moved out across Europe gathering potential Satanists into new covens. Eventually he settled in Paris as the head of a coven. Over the years he had fed regularly, and perfected a technique of drawing people with a death wish to him, but kept several matters to himself. He never made another vampire. He also lost (or never possessed) any belief in God or Satan.