Name: Liana Bellerose

CLAN: Toreador

NATURE: Architect

DEMEANOR: Gallant

CONCEPT: Diplomatic Muse

GENERATION: 12th

BIRTH DATE: October 17, 1924

DATE OF EMBRACE: January 3, 1948

APPARENT AGE: 24

DESCRIPTION
Liana is a strikingly attractive French woman.  She's slender, delicate, and very feminine.  Her expressive face is framed by wavy brown hair that dips below her shoulders.  She can do much with just a glance, a smile, or a raised eyebrow.  Liana always dresses in a strategic and stylish manner.  If she has a favorite color, it is hard to pick... her vast wardrobe covers all spectrums of the rainbow.

PERSONALITY
Liana is both an open and closed book... all at the same time.  She's outwardly cordial, charming, and empathic in her dealings with others.  But often she presents the face that people either expect of her, or the face that they want to see.  Liana has little to hide, but still keeps her true opinions in the back of her mind.  As a 'symbol of diplomacy', she doesn't want to taint her image.  For instance, if Liana dislikes a person but such a revelation isn't conductive to the task at hand, then why complicate things?  Opinions are better served for small talk or socially formal settings.  However among those few in her confidence, Liana can let her guard down.

BACKGROUND
Liana was born in Paris, part of a large and affluent family.  The Delacroix family business dealt in the manufacturing of premium glass and counted among their clientele several important galleries, churches, and artists around Paris (and other areas of France).  Such consistent contact with these people and places gave Liana an early appreciation for beauty and expression (plus she enjoyed the varied stories behind pieces of art or those who drove their creation).  With political upheavals and the specter of war lurking in the shadows, cultural escapism was an important thing.  Liana helped out in the family business despite her young age, initially as a messenger and later on as a secretary.  She loved the work and was always itching to do more.

The Second World War changed everything.  The family business nearly collapsed, several of her family perished, and a new regime ran roughshod over her existing way of life.  Liana actually considered herself 'lucky' compared to the misery that some others were dealt.  Still, she had her own problems and hard morale choices to live with.  Closer ties with the Germans was one such choice that afforded her some benefits (and some dangers too).  Liana tried to keep things professional, no matter what others might have thought.  On a few occasions Liana leaked information to the French Resistance... although her real scheme involved stealing food, money, or goods and letting the authorities blame the partisans.  Liana's ill gotten gains were then smuggled to the (quite literal) starving artists of Paris... because she felt that 'nobody' was looking out for them.  And on a few occasions, she made personal pleas to the Germans to prevent the execution of an artist.  Liana even surprised herself at her persuasion skills...

The end of the war was a gratifying thing indeed, although Liana swiftly faced accusations of collaborating with the Germans.  She was fortunate that a few members of the resistance turned up to vouch for her (it was somewhat odd that they arrived so quickly and knew her personal details, but Liana wasn't about to question such good fortune).  In reality, her future sire was responsible for the miraculous intervention.  Lucien Fortescue had appreciated Liana's previous charity (because some of those artists were muses for 'his' kind) and her skill in negotiations.  Now he saw an opportunity to return the favor.  Plus the Clan of Roses had lost many of their own... new blood was required to replace the deceased.  Naturally he slowly insinuated his way into Liana's life, wanting to make sure she was as committed as she seemed... and learning all that he could about her.

Liana Delacroix 'died' in a house fire, leaving behind some grieving artists, family, and little else.  She was reborn into the ranks of the Toreador and spent the next few years learning what she'd become, how she was supposed to live, and what she was going to contribute.  While Lucien did most of the tutoring, he did introduce Liana to others of his line... hoping that she'd find her own vision at the end.  Liana certainly gravitated towards past clan history, in particular the golden age when the Courts of Love operated.  It gave her something to aspire towards and helped to artistically shape her diplomatic inclination.

Upon her formal release, Liana took a new surname and relocated to Germany to find art that her clan members had lost during the recent war... and to help mend the rift between Paris and Berlin.  She knew that it would take decades to fulfill, but she fully intended to plant roots in Berlin and later diversify her interests.  Liana had some early success in finding lost artwork, but to date her crowning achievement was the recovery of a major piece of Toreador art, a painting called the "Eternalism of the Humble Man".  Her reputation among the clan greatly increased due to her efforts, not just for the recovery itself but also the way in which it was quietly and diplomatically acquired (that helped prevent a loss of face to all involved).

Throughout her years in Berlin, Liana ingratiated herself to Prince Wilhelm's court... making regular appearances to Elysium, holding the occasional Salon, and constantly working on rebuilding French German relations.  She tried to present herself in a professional and typically stylish manner.  In her mind, Berlin was sorely in need of inspiration during its Cold War period.  As such, she sponsored efforts to restore or reacquire pieces of Berlin culture.  Liana was ever hopeful that things would get better, it was just a matter of time and patience.  She dabbled in a few ventures over the decades, but only recently has a strong desire materialized... to carve herself a place in the cosmetics industry.  It fits with her image of bringing beauty to others... and its recent innovations are very promising.

MERITS: Elysium Regular