History
cw: oh gosh, what isn’t there to warn about honestly. Mentions of spousal abuse, alcoholism, witch trials/hunts, torture, hangings/burnings, misogyny, diseases/illness, mental illness.
Hilargi Ibaiguren
1569
Born Hilargi Ibaiguren to parents, Arnas and Terese Ibaiguren, March 4, 1569 in the small village of Zugarramurdi, Navarre, Spain. It was a family of wheat farmers. Hilargi had three brothers, all of which helped on the farm.
1570-1580
Hilargi followed after her mother, who was the village healer. She was a precocious child who discovered she had magic early on in her life. She developed healing first when she was 5 years old by accidentally falling down and scraping her knee. When her mother went to heal her with her own magic, Hilargi ran her hand over the wound and it closed. She was told not to do this around her brothers and father and was first indoctrinated into the small psychic community, learning as she grew older that psychic powers were passed down to the next matriarch in their family.
In the spring of 1580, Hilargi was playing around with a broomstick and started levitating off the ground. She didn’t realize her power wasn’t connected to a physical object until much later. This led to her bringing a broom with her whenever she snuck off to be on her own.
1581-1586
Hilargi’s powers grow stronger. Her mother teaches her the art of healing in secret, including which herbs to grow and use to aid their magical efforts. Hilargi meets other psychics in secret with her mother in the caves nearby to practice their powers. These same caves are later investigated by the inquisitors in the Basque witch trials in 1611.
Hilargi Aroztegi
1587
In the summer of 1587, when Hilargi was eighteen, she was married off to the local blacksmith in the village, Todor Aroztegi. He was a man of God, believing strongly in the power of the Spanish Inquisition sweeping through the lands. A brutish man not to be argued with, Hilargi often tests his patience. She moves closer to town and away from her family, much to her own chagrin.
1588
Hilargi gives birth to her first and only child, a girl named Itxaro. It is around this time Todor starts drinking. He’s even meaner when he’s drunk.
1589
Arnas falls ill and dies soon after, leaving the farm to his eldest son. Terese moves in with Todor, Hilargi and Itxaro, much to Todor’s chagrin. The two psychics sneak out of the house regularly, bringing Itxaro along with them to the caves to practice with the other psychics. Todor regularly sleeps around with other women in the village though Hilargi doesn’t care.
1590
Hilargi meets another woman, Magdalena Calderon, who is an outsider that settles down in Zugarramurdi. They begin a romantic relationship in secret. She, too, is a psychic.
1591-1600
Hilargi continues to meet other psychics in secret, strengthening her powers and discovers her daughter also wields magic.
1600-1609
Todor stumbles home drunk one night and suffocates on his own vomit in 1606. He is not missed.
The rise of witch hysteria begins to creep into the neighbouring villages. Itxaro, Hilargi, Terese and Magdalena form a pact when Itxaro gets a little older. They call themselves a coven, not yet knowing the term “pact”. They believe themselves to be witches.
1609-1610
The Basque witch trials begin in Logroño in January outside Navarre. Tensions rise in the village as people start pointing fingers at their neighbours, claiming they laid with the Devil and attended Black Sabbaths in the caves. Several arrests take place after the town frenzies, as the Inquisition steps in. The coven does their best to still help people while also withholding their powers from the villagers but as they are all women who live independently of men, suspicion is thrown their way.
Led by Itxaro’s former intended, Txatxu, the women are accused of practicing witchcraft in the caves and of killing both Arnas and Todor. All four women are arrested in the latter half of 1609 and transported to Logroño to await their trials in prison carts, meant to humiliate them. Txatxu and other male friends of Arnas and Todor follow behind the carts for a while, shouting hurtful accusations and insults at them. At one point, Txatxu grabbed a stick and tried to poke Itxaro through the slots in the cart. Terese, angered by the entire thing, used her shielding power to blast the stick and the men away from them. The men run away from the carts, terrified.
Because of her outburst, Terese is the first among the women to be found guilty and sentenced to death. The trials draw attention from outsiders who flock to the town to marvel at the captured men, women and children. It draws the specific attention of a vampire named Lucia. Lucia manages to free Itxaro, Hilargii and Magdalena in early March 1610 but is unable to help Terese.
Terese is among those sentenced to burn at the stake on Sunday, March 7, 1610. Her family watches her die at the stake from the shadows, and Hilargi and Itxaro swear their revenge against humankind.
Lucia offers them all eternal life in exchange for joining her in her travels. They live in the caves for a time while they adjust to their new lives, feasting on the blood of neighbouring villages. Lucia forms a clutch, which they call their new coven and takes on the new role of mentor to three fledgling vampires. When she turns, Hilargi loses her ability to levitate but remains able to heal.
1611-1620
The inquisition hears about the caves in which they reside in the next round of witch trials, and the coven flees Zugarramurdi, leaving everything and everyone behind them. They go to Aix-en-Provence, France outside Marseille.
Little did they know that during 1610, several attempted exorcisms were taking place in the community to rid possessed individuals of demonic influences. During the spring of 1611, a priest is tortured, hanged, and his body burned to ashes by the local government for these supposed crimes.
Hysteria continues, following the coven on their journey north to Lille, France, before they make their exit through Belgium towards Germany. Along the way, they terrorize smaller villages, specifically targeting the men involved in the witch trials. Hilargi gets it in her mind that these witchfinders need to pay for their crimes but is stopped from killing several of them by Magdalena.
This is a time for them to focus on strengthening their powers as vampires. Hilargi has little difficulty with targeting human men as her victims after what she’s been through. Magdalena has a harder time adjusting to this new way of life. Hilargi finds power in being a creature of the night.
1621-1625
With Germany being the worst place in all of Europe for witches to exist, Hilargi and the rest of the coven find themselves more restricted than ever before in their magic and beliefs. Bloodlusts happen regularly. Many people die at their hands, forcing them to move villages several times and start over in each one.
They arrive in Bamberg, Germany at the start of winter, 1625.
1626
In May of 1626, a frost destroys the local harvest. Villagers send letters to authorities, claiming that witches and wizards caused the frost and the Prince Bishop of Bamberg orders an investigation. This event sets off one of the biggest and most infamous witch trials in all of Europe, lasting until 1632 and killing several innocent people.
A ban comes into place by the Witch Commission, making it illegal to criticize the trials in any way. This infuriates Hilargi more.
1630
Magdalena is caught using her plant magic to help the crops by a young boy outside the village, who tells the commission. She bloodlusts in her panic and is set on fire by the townspeople in this neighbouring village. Hilargi is devastated and kills several of the townspeople, suggesting her way into their homes or smoking them out of their homes with fire. No one is left alive to tell the tale. Lucia has difficulty taking control of the situation and perishes in the fire. Hilargi does not see her die but assumes it to be the case as all ties to the clutch are gone.
1631
Hilargi and Itxaro are the only ones remaining. Their clutch has been disbanded, and they seek shelter southwest outside the town of Pottenstein, Germany in Devil’s Cave.
1632-1650
This is a time of hardship for the mother-daughter duo. Left to pick up the pieces, Hilargi sinks inward, becoming a shell of her former self. She grieves the loss of her lover and maker and her hatred for the Catholic church grows. She often kills people she drinks instead of suggesting them in her depression, dissociating herself from her own humanity. She reverts back to a new vampire status, needing to feed more often and quick to bloodlust in stressful situations.
Hilargi Ibaiguren 2.0
1651-1670
With help from her daughter, Hilargi emerges from her miserable cave-dwelling existence and returns to her maiden name and former vampiric status (common).
Together, they travel to Vienna, Austria, where they live for some time in relative peace and harmony with the villagers, though towards the tail end of this time, it becomes harder to blend in due to their lack of aging.
1679
The Great Plague of Vienna destroys the city, killing a third of its population. Hilargi stays to help psychic women and children they encounter but there’s only so much she can do. She is not ready to sire anyone herself, especially so soon after losing Magdalena and Lucia. Besides, she has her daughter to look out for and vice versa.
1681
Over a hundred people are executed in Salzberg for witchcraft not far from Vienna. Hilargi and Itxaro stay clear of the events but discover many of the victims this time are men; an unusual occurrence.
1683
The Battle of Vienna takes place, signalling it’s finally time for them to leave. They travel to Prague.
1684-1688
This is a relatively quiet time on the witch trial front in Europe. Hilargi and Itxaro are able to practice their powers in harmony with one another as well as help fellow psychics in the community with theirs.
1689
A great fire breaks out in the city, devastating the land. Hilargi and Itxaro are out of town this day but return to a house in ruins. They seek refuge with psychics they were helping closer to the outskirts of the city until they can get their lives back on track.
1690-1700
This is a relative time of peace and prosperity for Hilargi and Itxaro. Hilargi starts considering turning a psychic close to them but can’t bring herself to do it. Towards the start of the 18th century, the psychic they’re living with begins to suspect murders in the area are tied to her vampire friends and learns their secret and why they can only come out at night. Not wanting to end up a pile of ash and not wanting to kill their friend, the vampires flee Prague, heading west to Paris.
Jeanne de Laroche
1701-1740
A time for the women to climb the social ranks, a feat they accomplished through charisma and perhaps, a bit of suggestion. Invited to the masked balls that royalty threw in the latter half of this time, Hilargi took great pride in the pleasures of the early 18th century. It finally looked like the majority of witch trials were over, at least in well-populated cities. It didn’t stop Hilargi from feasting on the blood of Catholic priests around town. She avoided killing them, often showing mercy by use of suggestion. She now goes by Jeanne de Laroche.
Hilargi also begins collecting books to add to her collection, looking for rare and banned books especially, finding power in their words.
Unfortunately, a fight between a male vampire and Itxaro quickly brought their time in Paris to an end. The male vampire belonged to a clutch, who was not happy to have two rogue vampires in their area causing problems. Itxaro and Hilargi quickly leave Paris, heading north.
1740-1780
The mother-daughter duo finally settle in the maritime city of Calais. Itxaro seems very unlike herself and this causes Hilargi to worry. She tries to introduce her daughter to the psychics they find over the years, but there are few and Itxaro refuses to speak to them. Hilargi befriends one psychic towards the end of their time in Calais. His name is Henri and he wields water magic. With the promise of one day turning him, Henri works as their familiar during the day. Hilargi has no intention of turning him.
Over the years, the port city began to lose a lot of its operations to other nearby port cities. Growing ever restless, Itxaro finally snapped and told her mother that she wanted to leave. Acquiescing to her request, Hilargi and Itxaro made their way to Brussels, along with Henri.
1780-1800
It’s a time of rebuilding in Brussels up until the Brabant Revolution in 1789-1790. French rule begins in Brussels in 1795. Hilargi does her best to stay out of human affairs, preferring to focus on her daughter, and to a much lesser extent, Henri’s pleas to be turned. She still hunts at night but finds she doesn’t need to hunt as often. It’s also during this time she discovers she can turn into a talking black cat.
Mary Jones
1800-1830
It’s around the turn of the 19th century that Hilargi suggests they travel across the English Channel between Calais and Dover with the idea that they will eventually go to London and learn English to make their way to the colonies. It’s an arduous journey for them and requires the help of their familiar, Henri, in order to safely travel in coffins containing the deceased across the English Channel.
Once in Dover, Hilargi suggests a scholar in the area named John Thomas to teach her and Itxaro English for free. Henri is frustrated and growing older by the day. One night, he threatens them with fire, and Hilargi kills him. Pity.
With the help of John Thomas, Hilargi and Itxaro open their own apothecary in 1810 called The Healing Leaf Apothecary, offering herbal remedies to the locals. It stays open late to accommodate their vampiric schedule, with a suggested human (Thomas) working there during the day.
Shortly after 1818, Hilargi gets her hands on a book published anonymously called Frankenstein. It is still her favourite book to this day and she has hunted down several editions to add to her growing collection of books, citing Mary Shelley as an absolute genius. In 1821, she renames herself Mary Jones, after learning the author’s name.
Towards the end of 1830, Hilargi realizes it’s time to move on as villagers are becoming suspicious of them and their lack of ageing yet again. She decides it’s finally time to move to London. They leave John Thomas behind in their travels.
1830-1880
Back in a big city, baby! It’s heading towards the end of Regency Era time, think Elizabeth Bennet meets Victor Frankenstein for our “heroes”. Hilargi and Itxaro once again work their way up through society and, during the 1830s, are invited to several balls and events taking place in the surrounding country estates outside London. While in the city, they focus on opening a new apothecary shop, keeping their names out of the books by using a newfound familiar named Charles! Thanks Charles! He can manipulate plants, like Magdalena could, and it endears Hilargi to him.
The 1830s and 1840s are also the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. It’s a booming time for new technology and Hilargi finds it both fascinating and terrifying. With the advance in technology comes the advance of medicine and the pair suggest a few scientific men into working at the apothecary to advance their selections.
She poses for her very first photograph in the 1850s, a daguerreotype, alongside Itxaro. She still keeps it on her person at all times in its tin frame.
Hilargi spends much of her time in England, connecting with psychics again and going back to her roots. She starts thinking about leading her own clutch but hasn’t yet met anyone outside her daughter she wants to spend eternity with. Interest in the occult and spiritualism grows in the face of scientific advances, and she continues to feed off religious men in positions of power.
1880-1912
Hilargi grows tired of London and moves with Itxaro to a small Welsh village with an incredibly long name called, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Or Llanfair PG for short. They leave their very elderly psychic familiar, Charles, behind them. Sorry Charles!
They stay here for a time, growing restless as they keep a low profile. Spats between mother and daughter are more common. Hilargi wants to go to America and towards the end of this time suggests travelling by steamer to the States, thinking specifically of getting tickets aboard the Titanic. This, ultimately, doesn’t pan out (probably for the best though, huh?). One evening Itxaro returns home with her new lover in tow.
Itxaro fearing she will have to leave her lover, decides to confront Hilargi, with Carys as her backup, to explain that they were going to stay behind. This causes a massive argument between mother and daughter, resulting in Itxaro using her power against her mother and attempting to leave the house with Carys. Hilargi, upset by all of this, bloodlusted and went for the nearest human: Carys. Despite everything- Hilargi proves too strong for both Itxaro and Carys and Hilargi kills Carys. This causes a rift in their relationship and they go their separate ways for the first time.
Mary Duncan
1912-1914
Devastated, Hilargi leaves Wales, travelling to Scotland where she settles down in Edinburgh for a time, travelling around the countryside when she’s able to. She meets other vampires in Edinburgh but, for the most part, stays away from them. She desperately misses her daughter and longs to find her but wants to give her space to grieve her murdered psychic. For the first time, Hilargi is utterly alone and it’s horrible.
1914-1918
The Great War breaks out in Europe. Hilargi begins to panic for the safety of Itxaro, wherever she might be. She spends this time travelling across war-torn Europe avoiding and seeking shelter wherever she can. Blood is hard to come by with so many men at war. She has to start feeding off women and it’s upsetting to her. She almost withers several times during this period.
1919-1929
While life gets a little better for some, Hilargi makes her way through life, joyless and desperate to find her daughter. She puts out news articles, travels to major cities (Paris and London especially), tries her best to blend in with the flapper fashion of the time but has difficulty adjusting to indulgence without knowing if her daughter is dead or alive.
1930-1945
The Great Depression and the Second World War hit Hilargi hard. She takes this time to hide out in Switzerland. Alone. Miserable. Sometimes it’s just difficult to suggest someone into a feeding. She spends a lot of time in animal form, avoiding humans until absolutely necessary. Realizes she can see the sun again while in this form one night towards the end of WWII. It gives her hope that she might one day find Itxaro again.
1946
Hilargi travels back to Zugarramurdi to pay tribute to her human life and those she left behind. She stays in the caves where she once fled from inquisitors and witchfinders with her coven and reconnects with nature. She only stays here a few months, waiting to see if her daughter might show up, wondering if she is also looking for her. On the inner walls of the caves, she carves a message in Basque: Itxaro, meet me in New York. She hopes her daughter will one day find it.
1947-1980
Hilargi lands in America, travelling by ship among returning soldiers in the late forties with a new familiar she picks up in England before taking off for New York City. New York is a strange new land that Hilargi knows Itxaro will absolutely adore when she gets there.
Hilargi scoffs at humans and McCarthyism during the 1950s. It feels an awful lot like the witch trials she endured throughout history and she keeps a low profile during this time.
Hilargi joins a local clutch in the 1960s in downtown proper. It’s a time of indulgence that doesn’t totally sit right for Hilargi but she does her best to enjoy it. She strikes up several new romantic relationships with psychics and vampires alike, of all genders. Doesn’t fall in love. No one can fill the hole that Magdalena left behind.
In the 1970s, Hilargi severs ties with the clutch on friendly terms. They want to leave New York. Hilargi can’t leave.
Hilargi Ibaiguren 3.0
1980-2000
Hilargi stays in New York though finds it difficult to keep relationships with psychics. She watches many psychics die of AIDS or cancer and it takes its toll on her. She tries her best to heal those she can but it comes at a great cost, seeing as she’s never had to heal something so complex before.
Time ticks by with no sign of her daughter. Hilargi stays in New York; forced to a life of being a recluse. She enters the twenty-first century, alone and unhappy. She hears about online forums and joins one searching for her daughter. She puts up ads online, joins chat rooms, combs the newspaper archives in libraries on microfiche looking for Itxaro. She even starts a Geocities website.
One evening, when checking her inbox on AOL, she receives electronic mail from her daughter. It’s enough to send her into a bloodlust. She ruins her house completely in her fit of euphoria and surprise. When she comes down from it, she tells Itxaro to meet her at the train station in Ipswich, taking the overnight train there from New York.
On March 4, 2000, on Hilargi’s 431st birthday, she finally reunites with her daughter at the train station in Ipswich, Massachusetts. They both bloodlust upon seeing each other and accidentally murder a few other travelers. After they both come down from bloodlust, they make their way to Itxaro’s apartment and spend the rest of the night catching up on what they’ve been doing. Both realize how often they bypassed one another or were just looking in the absolute wrong areas. They spend the rest of the year in Ipswich, getting reacquainted with each other.
2001-2022
They spend the next two decades in Salem, Massachusetts where they learn of the history of the witch trials and visit the museums and memorial, paying their respects. It’s possibly the happiest Hilargi has been in a long time. She even learns to drive and acquires paperwork through underground methods for her and her daughter to make travelling easier when they need to. Together, they purchase their first ever automobile: a blue 2003 Toyota Camry.
As all vampires experience, people began to get suspicious of the fact that Itxaro and Hilargi never seemed to age, and with the vampires outing themselves in 2017, there was even more suspicion thrown their way. The pair knew it was finally time to move once more. Having already spent much of her time along the East Coast, Itxaro suggested a move out west. In late October, just before Halloween, they settled on moving to Ridgefield, Colorado and packed up their Camry to make the move.