Theresa was embraced for many reasons, her strength, her wisdom and her beauty. She has a love of art second to none amongst our kind, but her gift, is the art of diplomacy. Theresa has been an invaluable asset to the family and in many ways the only thing that kept me in the dark days to follow in the late 18th century.
Not a hundred years after Theresa�s embrace, the mortals came fire for blood, The Inquisition arrived in my home. Many Kindred betrayed their blood, sacrificing their childer to save their own immortal hides. So many friends and allies perished. Before it was done, the childer rose up against elders. And something had to be done. Several of us joined together, creating the Camarilla, while younger angry autarkis. The mortals rose against us en masse, and to protect all the Masquerade was created. It took time but it hid us from prying eyes. Some of the autarkis set on revenging themselves lead by the new elders of clan�s Lasombra and Tzcimce refused to join us and formed a new body as well The Sabbat. These sects would clash from these nights, till time still turning. Theresa, my beloved descendant would represent us to them. Myself, I would keep my presence to a minimum after her appointment. Best to watch and work in other ways. The sects were here, but in time�I doubt either will last more than a blinking of eternity�s eye.
During the 18th Century, the wealth and excess that the mortal members of my family enjoyed finally took their toll. Too much of a good thing�it is said can be bad for anyone. So it was with the familia Medici. They fell from visible power as the family�s enemies came for them, and they fell. I chose to let this happen, it was a lesson I should have taught with Cosmo I that I let go too far. The family lost much of what they had and to save it the last of the known Medici family, a woman gave the lands and titles to an Austrian. The Austrian family that took over was puppet to myself via one of my childer, Chianna. It pained me to do this, but it had become necessary. The family was safe and our name needed to fade from public view as the world changed. The remaining Medici�s around the world found their places among the nobility of Europe, while other sought out lives as merchants. Where ever they were I kept track of them.
One dark night in late 1790 an old enemy, a mortal mage, acted out against us. He targeted the entire family for a transgression of one of my mortal descendants during the Inquisition. His weapon of choice was a spell�a spell that with a word would spread a poison to all of us, mortal and immortal. My wife Louisa intercepted the threat, taking the curse into herself and keeping it from all , including myself until it destroyed her. I lost my love that night�and the centuries to come will be lonely ones without her. The Tremere, who are ally to us used their skills to cure the aliment and the mage was dealt with�even his peers raised not a finger in his defense. Each year since we celebrate Louisa� courage and remember her love for the whole family on the �Night of Secrets�. �Please wait for me Louisa, when my nights are done I pray God to forgive us enough to let us love in peace once more.�
The years passed and Italy changed, in the late 19th century I let the wealth accumulated start to funnel back into the family proper, returning the to power, but carefully guiding them through those of the blood. The manor home was once again the head of our family for the world and we prospered. We started to reappear publicly as the familia DeMedici, reclaiming our places of power openly and shifting things back to proper Italian hands. Our wealth and standing had grown among the kindred and we held equal sway in mortal affairs. My living descendants continued our traditions, as did the undead, letting us do well in this industrial age. In the art world, we continued to support the Prix de la Rome, a pet project of Theresa�s and sponsor artists worldwide. Carpeaux, Rodin and others studied under DeMedici grants in the salons of both Paris and Rome.
The world continued to shift and we watched World wars come and fascist regimes rise and fall. During the second conflict, with Theresa�s advise we aided the Allies with intelligence from the poor idiots ghouled from the German and Italian troops under Hitler and Mussolini. This time also marked the last dark place for our family as for the first time in our history Medici fought Medici over the family wealth that had once been moved to Germania, err; forgive me�Germany. These actions left the family in good place to grow again after the war. Since then we watch over our family and the Camarilla, the Sabbat and the Jyhad�with curious, calm, deliberate Italian eyes. We support the Camarilla but, we are always DeMedici first. Always�now drink Bella, your goblet grows cold.�