The Saint-Clair Family

The Saint-Clair Family

Origins

The Saint-Clair family rose to prominence during the 10th century in Normandy, France. They were among the aristocratic families who supported the early Catholic Church’s efforts to unify Europe under Christian rule. Their name, derived from the Latin Sanctus Clarus (“Holy Bright”), reflects their roots.

In the early 10th century, when Normandy was still a wild and dangerous land claimed by Viking raiders and newly converted Christians, the Saint-Clairs were a small but noble family, devoutly Catholic and known for their loyalty to the Church. Their ancestral stronghold, Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, stood near the banks of the River Epte, a major tributary of the Seine, close to where a treaty had been signed to establish Normandy under Duke Rollo, a Viking chieftain turned Christian lord.  

Their early prominence as military leaders and landowners in Normandy ensured their ties to the Church. It was in this context that the Saint-Clairs first became aware of the Atharim. The family’s strength, wealth, and faith aligned them naturally with the Atharim’s mission.

This was a time of fragile peace, where old gods still lingered in the shadows of pagan groves, and monstrous beings were said to roam the forests, preying on isolated villages. The local people of Normandy whispered of creatures born of darkness, remnants of the old, wild world that refused to bow to the light of the Cross.  

The demon in the woods

The legend begins with a series of strange disappearances in the forests near Saint-Clair-sur-Epte. Villagers would enter the woods to gather firewood or hunt, only to vanish without a trace. Those who survived to tell the tale spoke of a beast with glowing eyes and a hide like iron. Some said it was a wolf the size of a horse, others a demon wearing the form of an animal, while others insisted it was a punishment sent by the old gods.  

The Church dismissed these tales as superstitions, but the disappearances continued. Then, one night, the beast came to the gates of the Saint-Clair castle itself. The monster slaughtered the livestock, terrorized the estate, and left claw marks gouged deep into the walls of the family chapel. The family patriarch at the time, Jean de Saint-Clair, believed the creature to be demonic and swore before the altar that he would end the creature’s reign of terror, even if it cost him his life.  

-Jean de Saint-Clair

Determined to confront the beast, Jean assembled his household knights and set out into the forest. For weeks, they hunted the creature to no avail, suffering attacks in the night and enduring strange visions that filled their hearts with fear. Just as Jean began to despair, a mysterious man arrived at Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, seeking shelter.  

This man, known as Benedictus, claimed to be a wandering monk. However, he carried no cross and wore no priest’s robes. Instead, he bore weapons unlike anything Jean had seen before—silver-tipped spears, daggers etched with runes, and a book written in a language that seemed to twist and shimmer on the page. Benedictus later told Jean that he was part of a secretive order, one that had fought creatures like this for centuries.  

He warned Jean that the beast was no ordinary wolf—it was a Loup Garou, a shapeshifter cursed to stalk the night and feast on human flesh. Such creatures, Benedictus explained, were drawn to chaos and despair, and they would not rest until they had utterly consumed the land.  

Desperate, Jean asked Benedictus for his aid. The monk agreed, but on one condition: Jean must swear an oath to Benedictus’ order, a sacred vow to hunt the unnatural wherever it appeared and to protect mankind from the hidden evils of the world, and to keep the secrets of the Atharim so to not inspire panic among the people. Jean, seeing no other choice, swore the oath. It was the night the Saint-Clair family became Atharim.  

With Benedictus’s guidance, Jean and his knights lured the beast into a trap. They consecrated a grove in the forest, turning it into holy ground, and baited the creature with blood. When the Loup Garou appeared, it was more horrifying than anyone had imagined—a hulking wolf-like figure with glowing red eyes, its body twisting unnaturally as it shifted between man and beast.  

The battle was brutal, and many of Jean’s knights were killed. Benedictus’s weapons, forged from silver and blessed by ancient rites, were the only things capable of wounding the beast. In the end, Jean delivered the killing blow, plunging a silver-tipped spear into the creature’s heart. As the Loup Garou died, it let out an unearthly scream, and the forest seemed to sigh with relief.  

Afterward, Benedictus gathered the remains of the beast and burned them, chanting rites that Jean could not understand. He warned Jean that creatures like the Loup Garou were not isolated—they were part of a larger, darker world, one that humanity barely understood. He urged Jean to prepare his family and his descendants for the coming battles.  

As a final act of trust, Benedictus left Jean with one of his weapons—a silver dagger inscribed with Atharim runes. It became the first of the Saint-Clair relics, a sacred symbol of their oath. Over time, this dagger would be passed down through the generations, used in countless hunts and battles against the unnatural.  

To commemorate their victory and their new purpose, Jean had the family chapel rebuilt, and at its center he placed a stained-glass window depicting Saint Michael the Archangel slaying a wolf-like demon. This image became the family’s symbol, a reminder of their sacred mission.  

After this event, the Saint-Clair family formally became members of the Atharim. They offered their resources, knights, and knowledge to the secretive order, forging a bond that would endure for centuries. Their connection to the Atharim deepened dramatically during the Crusades, when they worked alongside Templar knights to combat not only human enemies but also supernatural threats in the Holy Land.  

The family earned a reputation as hunters of the monstrous and collector-guardians of dangerous relics. Their ancestral estate at Saint-Clair-sur-Epte became both a fortress and a library, filled with weapons, books, and artifacts collected by the Atharim. It is said that deep beneath the estate lay a hidden dungeon where some of their most dangerous secrets are kept.  

The legend of Jean de Saint-Clair and the Loup Garou became a cornerstone of the family’s identity. It is told to every new generation of Saint-Clairs as a reminder of their sacred duty. The family motto, “Lux et Umbra” (“Light and Shadow”), was adopted in honor of their dual existence: defenders of humanity who operate in the shadows, fighting the monsters that most will never know exist in order to maintain the light.

To this day, the Saint-Clairs hold their oath sacred. Though their methods have modernized, their mission remains the same: to hunt the supernatural, to protect humanity, and to uphold the traditions of the Atharim. The silver dagger of Benedictus still resides in their possession, a relic of their first hunt and a symbol of their unbroken vow.  

The Knights Templar

By the late 11th century, the Saint-Clairs were deeply involved in the Crusades, particularly the First Crusade (1096–1099). Members of the family were among the founding knights of the Knights Templar, the Catholic military order created to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. The first grandmaster and founder of the Knights was Atharim warrior, Hugues de Payens, who recruited the Saint-Clair family to join him as one of the original nine templar knights.

The Templars’ public mission to protect the faithful masked a darker and more dangerous secret: they were also hunting monsters, supernatural entities, and threats that emerged during the chaos of warring within the Holy Land. The Saint-Clairs leveraged their wealth and influence to arm and train hunters under the guise of Templar recruits. They provided access to rare scrolls, relics, and tools that the Atharim needed to fight against the supernatural.

Many of the Templars’ secretive rituals and symbols—including the association with the Holy Grail—were influenced by Saint-Clair family lore and Atharim doctrines. Legends of the Templars guarding sacred knowledge and powerful artifacts originated from their work with the Atharim to suppress the resurgence of dangerous relics and entities. It is rumored that the Saint-Clairs Knights retrieved many such artifacts and weapons from the Holy Lands, many deemed too powerful to see the light of day. 

In 1307, the Templar Order was disbanded under pressure from King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V. Many Templars were arrested, tortured, and executed, but the Saint-Clairs avoided this fate. Their deep ties to the Atharim gave them forewarning of the purge, allowing them to protect many Templar treasures and records related to the Atharim’s mission. A prominent collection was moved to Rosslyn Chapel, built by a Scottish branch of the family. While some ships departed for Scotland, raids by King Philip IV halted additional departures from Le Havre, and others were transported to remote strongholds in other parts of Europe. These caches preserved the Atharim’s secrecy and treasures during the chaos of the 14th century. 

The Renaissance

During the Renaissance, the Saint-Clair family became known for their intellectual pursuits, serving as patrons of the arts, science, and religious scholarship. While their public image was one of piety and refinement, they continued to operate as loyal members of the Atharim. They sponsored expeditions to uncover and neutralize threats tied to the supernatural in Africa, the Americas, and Asia, using their wealth to fund hunters and secure dangerous relics. 

The Napoleonic Wars

By the 19th century, the Saint-Clair family had fractured into several branches. While their French estate remained their ancestral stronghold, other branches had settled in Scotland (as the Sinclairs) and other parts of Europe. The industrial age posed challenges for the family: modernization, industrialization, and secularization weakened the power of the Church and, by extension, the influence of the Atharim.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Saint-Clairs were nearly destroyed when French forces ransacked their ancestral estate at Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, believing it to be a hotbed of royalist resistance and commandeering the family wealth to fund the war effort. The family fled to England and Scotland, with many of their holdings in Normandy destroyed. 

Modernity

By the late 19th century, the Saint-Clairs experienced a resurgence. They rebuilt their French estate, reestablishing their influence within the Atharim. This period also saw them amass significant wealth through shrewd business ventures. Celebrated unions of the family have taken place with other ancient families dedicated to the cause, such as the Lagueux family of Baccarat Crystal, various children of the Atalanta line, and the Sebastian Family. These unions not only strengthened the bonds between Atharim bloodlines but also ensured their influence remained deeply intertwined with aristocratic traditions and wealth.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Saint-Clair family remain an important pillar of the Atharim, particularly in Europe, maintaining strongholds in France, Scotland, and Switzerland. The family is known for their secret archives of Atharim knowledge, including Templar-era documents, relics from the crusades, sponsorship of new Atharim hunters, and ties to high-ranking clergy.

To the outside world, the Saint-Clairs are an old, aristocratic French family, known for their wealth, philanthropy, and connections to the Catholic Church. The family’s motto, “Lux et Umbra” (“Light and Shadow”), reflects their dual existence: shining a light of protection over the world while operating from the shadows.

See also:

Nora Saint-Clair & Claude Saint-Clair