Clifford "Tarquin" Belfort
| Clifford "Tarquin" Belfort | |
|---|---|
| |
| Styga europaeus | |
| Age | 124 |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | 1851 |
| Died | 1882 |
| Orientation | Bisexual |
| Status | Member |
| Occupation | Unemployed |
| Height | 6'2 |
| Weight | N/A |
| Likes | Cannabis, cartomancy, fencing, fine art, his late mother, his old fencing trophies, human food, stage magic, wine |
| Dislikes | August's taxidermy, France (dubious), eating rats, hunting, landlords, rats in general, the EVS |
Clifford is the tritagonist of Dancing with the Dead. He is a disgraced magician in search of a new life within the EVS.
History
Clifford originates from 1850s North Yorkshire and was born to a wealthy family. He claims his early life was riddled with misfortunes, the precise nature of which he has not disclosed. From an early age he was brought into August's hunting culture, participating in hunts and, in keeping with the tradition of the time, receiving a blooding at his first kill. He is confirmed to have regarded the hunting with distaste, though the extent to which he was able to refuse participation at the time is not established.
Clifford demonstrated a marked aptitude for fencing from an early age, which he pursued formally under instruction. In June of 1865, at the age of fourteen, he was awarded a trophy for placing first in his class. August, who retained the trophy at Dawnwatch, remarks to Edgar in Episode 15 that Clifford could have pursued the discipline professionally had he chosen to. Upon seeing it again, Clifford states it was his pride and joy, and that he had not expected to see it again.
Clifford's mother was herself an equestrienne. At some point during Clifford's childhood, an incident occurred that resulted in both her and August placing restrictions on his activities outside the home. The precise nature of this incident has not been disclosed. Whether this decision originated with his mother, with August, or represented a mutual agreement between them is not entirely clear, though given August's disposition as head of the household, it is unlikely to have been implemented without his approval. Clifford's account of this period is characteristically embellished, though the disruption it caused is not in question.
His mother, Elenore, died when Clifford was approximately sixteen. He recalls her with evident and unguarded affection, describing her death as sending both himself and August into a prolonged tailspin, and framing it as the closest the two of them ever became. August subsequently sent Clifford away, citing a desire to spare him further suffering. Whether this account is entirely candid on August's part has not been established. He continued to support Clifford financially, funding several trips across Europe, until Clifford vanished and experienced undeath in Venice in 1882, turned by an unknown Sire.
At some point during his unlife, Clifford pursued a career as a stage magician, touring continental Europe. His career came to an end in Rome following a scandal involving a Wheel of Death act. As recounted by Horace, who had heard of the incident, an esteemed guest in attendance requested that Clifford use their familiar in the performance. Unable to refuse, and apparently in a state of considerable exhaustion, he complied. The familiar was killed. The resulting scandal forced his departure, first from Rome and subsequently from Venice. He later fabricated a Tenet Violation as the cause of his flight, a story subsequently identified as false by Black James. In March of 1975, Clifford departed Venice to return to England on foot. By his own account, the early stages of his journey were spent in a state of drunken abandon, during which he killed livestock to feed himself. Upon entering France, he received harassment from the local vampire population on account of his Rogue status. Early into his crossing, he encountered a dog in Cannes, whom he named Princess. Citing France as disagreeable, he elected to take her with him.
Upon reaching Calais, Clifford concealed himself aboard a commercial ferry bound for Dover. His subsequent travels through England were marked by frequent and violent encounters with human criminals. It is heavily implied during this period that he made the acquaintance of the career criminal known as Black James, whose address towards Clifford in Episode 7 suggests the two were on friendly terms prior to Clifford's initiation into the EVS.
Upon reaching North Yorkshire, he initiated in the Woodsgrave catacombs and was granted accommodation. This respite proved short-lived. On the same night as Edgar and Crystin's initiation, he was forcibly relocated into their shack. Episode 10 reveals that Clifford contested this arrangement strenuously, lodging complaints with Woodsgrave's Hamlet Representatives. According to Claudius's familiar Arthur, his conduct was sufficiently disruptive that he had to be removed from the premises.
Personality
Clifford is a pugnacious man carrying the weight of a considerable number of unanswered questions. By default he alternates between quiet disdain and explosive fits of temper, particularly when he feels challenged or personally criticised. He is not unaware of this tendency and appears to resent it, though his capacity to moderate it remains limited. To less sympathetic characters, he appears to deploy it deliberately.
Beneath the bluster, Clifford has an intense need for external validation. He is capable of warmth and companionship but remains deeply insecure about his fitness for either. He holds a firm conviction of his own capacity for harm, a belief compounded by his accumulated history. He attempts to process his guilt through storytelling, recounting his past to willing audiences in apparent hope of relief, though the method does not appear to provide it. In solitude, he drinks, seemingly without full awareness of the extent to which he relies upon it.
When he feels sufficiently safe to do so, Clifford is demonstrably capable of altruism. His adoption of Princess and his willingness to guide Edgar and Crystin through vampire society are the most apparent examples. The suggestion is that with his history addressed in full and his circumstances stabilised, Clifford may finally take off the armour he has put himself in.
Appearance
Clifford has the appearance of a man in his early thirties. His hair is long, reaching to his shoulders, and is occasionally worn tied back, first observed in Episode 2. His face is characterised by a defined jawline, a long pointed nose, large eyes, and a mild overbite. His pupils are noticeably dilated, an uncommon trait among vampires. His frame is top-heavy and muscular, with well-defined forearms, and is notably hirsute; his chest hair is frequently visible. In coloured renders, he has light green skin, Venetian Red hair, and yellow eyes.
Extras
Trivia- Clifford's willingness to kill humans raises the possibility that he is a man-eater, though he has not disclosed his own position on the matter.
- Clifford has the ability to conceal Princess within his chest hair.
- Clifford practises cartomancy, specifically with Tarot.
- Clifford is a skilled swordsman and takes considerable pride in the fact. He carries a Cinquedea, a northern Italian shortsword, as a matter of course.
- Clifford has an extensive history of romantic partners drawn from a variety of backgrounds. Among those he mentions is a retired castrato, whom he describes, with apparent sincerity, as having had a great personality.
- Clifford was unaware of post-mortem bowel evacuation prior to his first human kill. He recalls the discovery with considerable embarrassment.
- When reflecting on the circumstances that ended his career in Venice, Clifford envisions himself in the manner of the De Witt brothers, hanged upside-down and subjected to considerable indignity. The image appears to function as his private shorthand for professional and personal ruin.
- Clifford sometimes ties his hair back, first observed in Episode 2.