WERE EITHER PART OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE OR A PERFECT
RESTORATION.‖
— Bella, on her first impressions of the Cullen home (Twilight, Chapter 15) The Cullens‘ house in Forks is more than a hundred years old. Painstakingly restored by Esme, it is painted white, is three stories tall, and features a deep porch that wraps around the front of the house. The back, south-facing wall is three stories of glass.
The inside of the first story is open and bright, with few internal walls. To the left of the front door is a wide central staircase. To the right is a raised area with a grand piano in the center. Also to the right are a dining room and kitchen, but these are more for show than for actual use. Behind the stairs is the office of C.E.E. Inc., the Cullens‘ personal company, where they manage all of their business dealings.
At the top of the staircase on the second floor is the room that Rosalie and Emmett share.
Moving around the central stairs clockwise, first comes Jasper‘s study, then Alice and Jasper‘s room, with an attached closet that is larger than the room itself. Carlisle‘s office is next, with an area inside for Esme‘s study and Carlisle‘s personal library. During Bella‘s pregnancy, the library was converted into a combination exam and delivery room.
The room that Carlisle and Esme share is at the top of the staircase on the third floor.
Edward‘s room is also on this floor, facing south. The remainder of the third floor is called the library and is used for any technically illegal activity, such as forging birth certificates and hacking into computer systems, which the Cullens must do in order to maintain the various identities needed to live unnoticed in human society.
The Volturi Coven
The equivalent of royalty in the vampire world, the Volturi coven consists of five core members: Aro; Caius; Marcus; Aro‘s wife, Sulpicia; and Cauis‘s wife, Athenodora. Marcus‘s wife (and Aro‘s sister), Didyme, was also a member of the Volturi before she died.
The Volturi reside in their city — Volterra, Italy — which they have secretly controlled for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They prefer to stay indoors, out of sight of humans, using other vampires as subordinates to serve their coven. Occasionally, they also use human minions.
Between 400 and 500 A.D., the Volturi launched an offensive against the most powerful coven in the world, the Romanians. Rather than simply attack the Romanians, the Volturi first cleverly demanded that the Romanians conform to laws that the Volturi claimed benefited all vampirekind. When the Romanians scornfully refused, the Volturi were able to categorize (and publicize) their strike as a move for the good of all vampires, rather than a standard territory dispute.
The main portion of the war lasted for nearly a century and — due to the fact that there are still two remaining survivors of the original Romanian coven — was never officially concluded.
In the end, the Volturi were able to defeat the Romanians because of Aro‘s intentional creation of talented vampires. The Romanians had created vampires for their empire with less foresight, and their physical skills were not a match in the long term for Aro‘s psychically gifted choices.
Aro called his soldiers ―the Volturi guard,‖ making it clear that they were subservient to the actual coven of five.
After the Volturi had defeated the greater part of the Romanian coven, they began spreading their doctrine throughout the world. Their basic operating premise was that keeping the existence of vampires a secret was beneficial to all; anyone who would not keep this secret was an enemy to the vampire public.
While many vampires questioned the validity of this premise at the time (after all, what could a human do to a vampire, despite any knowledge that human might have), none of them wanted to take on the Volturi fresh off their victory over the Romanians. As time passed, more vampires were born into a world where the Volturi existed as benevolent governors, and slowly the Volturi became accepted by their own positive, self-created definition. Many of these new vampires were created by the Volturi themselves, indoctrinated, and then let loose into the world.
This was the first incarnation of the Volturi‘s human recruitment program; they found humans who sought the power and immortality of vampire lore and introduced them into that world with a set of preconceived ideas about vampire society — ideas that those new vampires eventually introduced to their own ―offspring‖ and other covens they came in contact with. After the Volturi became an accepted force, they continued with the human recruitment on a smaller scale; they utilized humans hopeful of becoming vampires as servants in order to create a human façade for their ancestral home. The majority of these humans were eventually killed for their blood, and only those with potential for useful psychic talents were transformed.
―There aren‘t very many bad guys in my novels. Even the bad guys usually have a pretty good reason for the way they are, and some of them come around in the end. I don‘t see the world as full of negatives.‖ —Stephenie As time passed, the Volturi became more and more powerful as Aro d iscovered more humans and vampires with formidable gifts and added them to his ―collection.‖ In the twentieth century, the advances in human weapons technology came to be viewed by many vampires as a validation of the Volturi‘s now inspired-seeming laws.
The present-day Volturi guard stands at nine permanent members and ten to twelve additional transitory members. The foremost members are Jane and Alec, twins changed around 800 A.D. Jane and Alec had psychic abilities as humans that were greatly intensified in their vampire forms. After their inclusion, the Volturi‘s power became virtually unassailable.
Rank in the guard is decided by power; the guard members who are merely physically strong do not rank as high as those with extra abilities. Rank is marked by the color of the individual‘s cloak; the darker the cloak, the higher the vampire‘s rank. Jane and Alec wear the darkest cloak, outside of the true black of the actual coven members. The only guard who wears a darker cloak is Chelsea.
If a human were to discover the truth about vampires and remain silent, it is probable that the Volturi would never know.
Generally, the Volturi do not keep the vampires of the world under close supervision. If a human were to discover the truth about vampires and remain silent, it is probable that the Volturi would never know and would leave the vampire responsible — and the human who possessed the newfound information — alone. The Volturi are concerned only with breaches that lead to widespread awareness in the human world. Certain news stories, books, or movies about vampires occasionally pique the interest of the Volturi. Members of the guard then trace the information to its source, assess the threat, and silence it if need be.
Many vampires around the world aspire to be accepted into the Volturi, as vampires are drawn to power. However, most of them have nothing to offer the Volturi that the Volturi don‘t already have. Vampires with powerful skills unmatched in the Volturi‘s current coven are invited to take the place of older, less skilled vampires. Depending on the circumstances, a demoted vampire might go off on his or her own, join another coven, or be executed.
―AS I STARED AT THE ANCIENT SIENNA WALLS AND TOWERS
CROWNING THE PEAK OF THE STEEP HILL, I FELT ANOTHER, MORE SELFISH
KIND OF DREAD THRILL THROUGH ME.‖
— Bella, on her arrival in the city of Volterra (New Moon, Chapter 19)
ARO
NAME: Aro
DATE OF BIRTH: Around 1300 B.C.
DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: Around 1260 B.C.
SOURCE OF TRANSFORMATION: Unknown
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Greece
HAIR COLOR: Black
EYE COLOR: Red/black, with an overlying milky film (vampire) HEIGHT: 5‘10‖
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Aro has an average build and is incredibly graceful in his movements. He has shoulder-length jet-black hair and perfect features. His skin is translucent white, slightly resembling the casing of an onion.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: When he touches someone, he can read eve
ry thought the person has ever had.
EDUCATION/OCCUPATION: He is one of the three leaders of the Volturi coven, along with Caius and Marcus. He usually acts as the Volturi spokesperson.
FAMILY/COVEN RELATIONSHIPS: His mate is Sulpicia. His closest coven members are Caius, Marcus, and Athenodora. His natural sister, Didyme, is deceased. He and the other original Volturi are served by members of the Volturi guard.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
Aro was born in Greece just after 1300 B.C. All his life, he was ambitious; power was always his primary goal. It was in the pursuit of this goal that he was transformed into a vampire in his mid-twenties. During the first century of his vampire life, he joined forces with two other vampires, Marcus and Caius, and transformed two humans into vampires: his sister, Didyme; and his future wife, Sulpicia. Aro formed this coven (which also included Caius‘s wife, Athenodora) in order to further his ruling ambition, seeking strength in numbers to augment his own powerful mind-reading talent. Originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus agreed to rule jointly, but Aro was always the decision-making force behind the threesome. It was Aro who devised the plan on which the Volturi ultimately founded their reign over the vampire world: the concept of vampire laws of mutual convenience. Over time, Marcus lost interest in the coven due to personal tragedy, and Caius grew obsessed with solely the punitive side of governing. Aro handled every other aspect of the Volturi rule.
Aro was the last of the coven to form a romantic attachment.
Aro was the last of the coven to form a romantic attachment. After Marcus and Didyme fell in love, Aro felt that the balance of power had swung away from him (before this, he would have counted his sister an infallible ally; now he assumed she would side with Marcus in any difference of opinion in the coven). Aro decided in advance that he would rather choose a human and create a mate than look for his match in another vampire, who might have ties to her own creator or other relationships that would complicate his plans. He had a certain type of woman in mind, and he found what he was looking for in Sulpicia: a lovely young orphan with few ties to her human community. He courted her successfully, and she agreed to be transformed into a vampire and join Aro as his wife. She remains totally devoted and loyal to Aro.
Aro had chosen to transform his sister because he hoped she might have a gift similar to his own powerful mind-reading gift. He was disappointed in this, and later disposed of her when she got in the way of his plans by distracting Marcus — her mate — from Aro‘s goals. One unintended consequence of this action was the near total debilitation of Marcus by the loss of his mate. Aro and Caius were both disturbed to realize that they were vulnerable to a similar devastation; they immediately sought safeguards for their own wives. Over time, as Aro and Caius increased security in every way they could devise, Sulpicia and Athenodora became virtual prisoners in their home. Part of their confinement, however, included a vampire talented at making them feel content. With Corin as part of their personal guard, Sulpicia and Athenodora never objected to their incarceration.
He created the Volturi guard out of gifted vampires who shared his desire for authority.
Despite his failure with Didyme, Aro never stopped seeking out talented vampires who could add to his power. He created the Volturi guard out of gifted vampires who shared his desire for authority. The guard were never fully part of the coven or the ruling body, but they gained prestige and protection by joining them in a subordinate position. After Aro acquired Chelsea (then Charmion) — who had the ability to bind people to one another and break any bonds that already existed — he was able to influence vampires to join the guard who would not otherwise have been motivated by power or prestige.
Aro made one of his best discoveries around 800 A.D.: the young twins Jane and Alec.
Having already created a prohibition against immortal children, Aro left the talented humans to grow up in their native village, planning to transform them when they reached adulthood.
Unfortunately, Jane‘s and Alec‘s psychic gifts were very pronounced for mere humans, and drew the notice of the other humans around them. Though still children, Jane and Alec were condemned as witches and burned at the stake. Aro arrived immediately upon hearing the news and found them still alive, but barely. He freed them and set the transformation in motion at once. Then, having revealed his true nature in a rather dramatic way, he was compelled to destroy the entire village in order to obey his own law. He left no witnesses, and brought home his two most valuable assets.
―THE GIFT WAS PRESENTED IN AN ORNATELY CARVED, ANCIENT
WOODEN BOX INLAID WITH GOLD AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL, ORNAMENTED
WITH A RAINBOW OF GEMSTONES.‖
— Bella, on Aro‘s gift (Breaking Dawn, Chapter 27) Just because a human or a vampire has a special talent doesn‘t guarantee that Aro will add him or her to the coven. Aro seeks out talents that will make him more powerful, especially on the battlefield. For example, in Aro‘s mind, Alice Cullen‘s ability to see into the future — a skill he‘s never had access to — is far more useful than Jasper Hale‘s ability to manipulate emotions, as he already has Chelsea and Corin, whose gifts are similar to Jasper‘s, but more suited to Aro‘s purposes. Aro is deliberate and patient by nature. When he locates a desirable new talent, such as Alice‘s, he plans carefully the best way to acquire it. He doesn‘t make a move if he believes that doing so might destroy that talent. Instead, he bides his time and explores other avenues toward his goal. For example, he might convert human psychics in the hope of duplicating the talent. If a vampire‘s talent is no longer needed — if Aro finds a vampire with a superior version of the same talent or, as in the case of Didyme, one vampire‘s presence interferes with another vampire‘s needed talent — Aro will restructure the guard. Sometimes, as with Didyme, he will do so by execution. However, Aro will allow an amicable separation when he sees no possible threat from releasing the talent, or if he thinks he might need access to that gift in the future but has no way to hold on to it now. This was the case with Eleazar.
Occasionally, vampires approach the Volturi directly to seek a position in the coven.
Usually, Aro already has a better version of the gift or skill being offered, but if not, the applicant is gladly accepted. Vampires who are not satisfactory are allowed to leave in peace.
Other vampires visit the Volturi simply out of curiosity. Aro encourages such pilgrimages, as it gives him a chance to read their minds. More than just a tactical advantage or a chance to locate other talented vampires, these readings provide Aro with much-needed entertainment throughout the millennia. Aro is endlessly interested in any kind of curiosity.
―THE NECKLACE WAS SIMPLE — GOLD WOVEN INTO A THICK ROPE OF
A CHAIN, ALMOST SCALED, LIKE A SMOOTH SNAKE THAT WOULD CURL
CLOSE AROUND THE THROAT. ONE JEWEL HUNG SUSPENDED FROM THE
ROPE: A WHITE DIAMOND THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL.‖
— Bella, on Aro‘s gift (Breaking Dawn, Chapter 27) When Carlisle Cullen arrived in Volterra in the early 1700s, Aro was impressed and intrigued by Carlisle‘s ―vegetarian‖ philosophy. Aro tried to convince Carlisle that drinking human blood was natural. He continually teased, prodded, and tested Carlisle (for example, by having a member of the guard deliver a profusely bleeding human body to the library where Carlisle was studying, just to see what Carlisle would do).
Aro was torn between wanting Carlisle to stay strong — the limits of Carlisle‘s resolve fascinated him — and wanting him to surrender to his true nature. After about two decades, Carlisle left the Volturi coven on good terms to travel to America. Before he left, his visit with the Volturi was captured in a painting by Francesco Solimena, an Italian painter who favored the Baroque style. Aro intended to drop in on Carlisle later in his life, in four or five hundred years, to see how things had turned out for him.
FAMOUS QUOTES
“I love a happy ending. They are so rare.” New Moon, Chapter 21
“But still— la tua cantante ! What a waste!
” New Moon, Chapter 21
“I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame.” New Moon, Chapter 21
“Besides, I"m so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!” New Moon, Chapter 21
“I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly.”
Breaking Dawn, Chapter 36
“Oh well, we"re all together now! Isn"t it lovely?” Breaking Dawn, Chapter 37
CAIUS
NAME: Caius
DATE OF BIRTH: Sometime before 1300 B.C.
DATE OF TRANSFORMATION: Unknown
SOURCE OF TRANSFORMATION: Unknown
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Greece
HAIR COLOR: White
EYE COLOR: Red/black, with an overlying milky film (vampire) HEIGHT: 5‘9‖
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Caius has an average build and is extremely graceful; he almost appears to be floating when he moves. He has shoulder-length snow-white hair. His white skin is translucent and looks insubstantial.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: He does not possess a quantifiable supernatural ability.
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