In Memory of Lord Leonardo Morton

Name: Lord Leonardo Morton Age: 24 Occupation: Poet DOB: 12th April, 1981 POB: Kent, England Height: 5’10’’ Weight: 136 Ibs Hair: Dark brown Eyes: Dark brown Identifying Marks: Scarring on his lower back, and on the back of the left knee, and on the right thigh. Place of Residence: Kent, England Family: Father, Lord Alfred Morton, playwright, *deceased*. Mother, Lady Alice Morton, artist, *deceased*. Languages: English, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish Interests: Writing, painting, wines, brandy, smoking, listening to classical music, reading poetry and English/European Literature.

History: Although Leonardo, or Leo, was brought up in an upper class English family, his lifestyle was somewhat different than other children of the same class. He was privately tutored rather than sent to school and yet, despite his father’s choice to keep him close at home, he was most often left to his own devices whilst he worked on writing his plays. His father was never exactly what could be called stable...he was a playwright despite not needing to make any money with his family’s wealth, and had an artistic temperament to go with it. He only became more unstable at the death of his wife when Leonardo was only just old enough to remember vague images of her. He could have fits of rage, or equally, he could weep with sadness or happiness over seemingly nothing. Many called him a genius...others called him mad. Even at a young age, it was clear that Leonardo had inherited his father’s artistic skills. He took enjoyment from music and painting, but his true vocation would be, like his father, with words and using them to express the soul and the beauty and sadness of the world around him. As he got a little older, it was also clear that he had inherited his father’s same mental instability, that many people said was simply a part of being an ‘artistic genius’...that there couldn’t be brilliance without despair. It would prove too much for Leonardo’s father to cope with. When Leo was 9, his father took him into the drawing room. He touched his hair softly before giving a smile, taking off the hat he was wearing to put on Leo’s head before setting his rope up over the beam of the ceiling. Leonardo watched with both fear and confusion as he hung himself, having no idea what was happening until it was too late. Watching his father commit suicide would have a marked effect on the already emotional and uneven tempered boy. His father’s business associate became his guardian and moved into the home to make sure that the money, estate and investments were safe, as well as the boy, and would continue to do so until Leonardo reached an age appropriate to take over the position himself, having inherited it all as well as the title. Leonardo took little to no interest in those sorts of things. He was called to the arts, and as he moved into his later teens, he would prove to have a gift for poetry. He was a very deep thinker for someone of his age. He could see the unique beauty in all that was around him, the true beauty as he would call it, that others didn’t bother to notice, but he also saw the darker, unpleasant things around him, the parts of humanity and nature that most people didn’t see or ignored that he saw and understood all too well. By his 21st birthday, he had enough of it. He was too tired with his constantly active mind that never let him rest...and with his overseeing eyes that saw too many horrid things in life for him to deal with. As a boy, he had seen his father kill himself for similar reasons, and so at 21, he saw it as an ideal way to let it all go too. He jumped from a high window of the estate in order to kill himself, however, his valet found him with a weak pulse and he was taken to hospital. They managed to save his life, but couldn’t save his ability to walk.

Facing a life ahead of him in a wheelchair, Leonardo became even more of a recluse than he had been before, rarely leaving his estate and choosing to live in his bedroom and library, with the rest of the rooms in the large mansion closed off. He filled his days with poetry, painting and music, and when he wanted to see a play he would pay for a cast to come and perform privately for him in his home. His tastes turned to smoking, wine and brandy rather than food, and he preferred to watch life from out of a window than get involved. He even paid his ex-guardian to stay on at the mansion and to see to the running of the estate and investments so he didn’t have to bother with such boring day to day things himself, as the young, artistic Lord Leonardo Morton had no interest in them.

With several books of poetry published, Leonardo has become a well established and respected poet. It was a new book of a new collection of poetry that he had published that had his publisher insist that he attend the publicity launches and interviews for the public interest and buzz that was surrounding the latest instalment from the young poet who was gaining popularity. He reluctantly agreed, and went to Japan to attend an interview and visit the book launch before going on to America. The flight taking him there has since gone missing.

Personality: Leonardo can often seem a quiet young man, but in reality he is just choosy as to who he will talk to. His mind over active with ideas and emotion, he can seem lost in thought at times. He needs things to keep his mind stimulated, or he sinks into boredom far too easily, and that’s when his thoughts begin to darken. He is highly intelligent and considered by some to be an artistic genius, not only being proficient in art and music, but most noticeably a respected poet. His mood can swing from seemingly fine to depression in a matter of moments in some cases. He has an acid wit, and people who talk to him should expect to be on the receiving end of it. He likes to test people, to push them to see their true colours instead of what they want people to see. A heavy smoker and drinker, he is hardly healthy, but he has long since given up on looking after his body.

Not being able to walk is something he is still getting used to, and he hates being confined to his wheelchair with a passion, however the main insult was that he did it to himself. He has tried to kill himself since, but with a valet that keeps a good eye on him, he has never gotten so far as even hospital. He believes in calling a spade and spade, and will often refer to himself as the cripple...yet woe betide anyone else who calls him such. Being both upper class and also used to being Lord Morton and the head of the household from such a young age, he is used to getting his own way, and likes things done just so.

Player's contact: K