The Von Metternich Family

The Von Metternich family is a family that traces lineage back for at least 600 years, known for their involvement in dark and mysterious practices that have spanned centuries. Their ancestral home, an old castle in the steely Swiss Alps, now functions as a sanatorium, where the family continues to delve into experiments and rituals aimed at uncovering the secrets of immortality. The family is deeply tied to the shadowy organization known as the Di Inferi, which is dedicated to the manipulation of bloodlines and the search for new gods.

History

The records of the Von Metternich family back six centuries. The family once held significant power, with their lands and title originating from a Baron who governed the area now occupied by the village at the base of their mountain home. The original castle was destroyed by fire in the 1800s, leaving behind only scorched foundations and soot-stained rafters as evidence of its past grandeur.

The family’s decline in wealth and status coincided with the castle’s destruction, leading to its conversion into a secretive sanatorium during World War II. This sanatorium, now run by the current head of the family, known as “The Director,” serves as a front for the family’s ongoing experiments in prolonging life and harnessing power.

The Von Metternich sanatorium is touted as a place of healing for the elderly, but it harbors darker purposes. Patients who arrive at the sanatorium are subjected to a variety of treatments, ranging from traditional methods to more esoteric practices. The Director, who oversees all operations, is particularly focused on patients with seeming divine or supernatural potential, or ancestral lineage of such, hoping to unlock the secrets of immortality through their study and manipulation.

The sanatorium offers a variety of healing treatments, including meditation, yoga, aquatics, breathing exercises, sensory isolation, salt water, float tanks, saunas and cold plunge, and group exercise classes.

Di Inferi

The Von Metternich family are long-standing members of the Di Inferi, whose ruthless methods often involving arranged marriages, forced pregnancies, and experiments on both mother and child in pursuit of their goals. The family’s involvement with the Di Inferi has deepened over the centuries, with each generation contributing to their dark legacy. It is possible that the family’s inbreeding has led to some degree of insanity.

Legacy and Mysteries

The Von Metternich family’s legacy is one of darkness and mystery. Their experiments in attempting to recreate immortals have left a trail of tragedy and unanswered questions. Elke von Metternich, now on the run and searching for the truth, represents the last known member of the family, carrying the weight of their dark history with her.

Family Members

• The Director: The current head of the Von Metternich family, known only as “The Director,” is a cold and calculating figure who has dedicated his life to the Di Inferi’s cause. His true name is unknown, and his relationship with his supposed daughters, Elke and Elkeen, is shrouded in ambiguity. He is believed to be a master of manipulation and a key figure in the ongoing experiments at the sanatorium.
• Elke Von Metternich: A central figure in the family’s recent history, Elke is a young woman who possesses a unique ability she refers to as “The Trance.” This power allows her to refresh and heal others through massage, but it also gives her the ability to harm or kill when used with malicious intent. After a tragic series of events involving her twin sister, Elkeen, and a coerced marriage to a young man named Leon Finnegren, Elke fled the castle and began searching for answers about her family’s dark past.
• Elkeen Von Metternich: Elke’s twin sister, Elkeen, was frail and sickly throughout her life. She was chosen by The Director to marry Leon Finnegren as part of an experiment to create a new god by combining two potentially powerful bloodlines. However, the marriage ended in tragedy, with Elkeen being killed by Leon in a desperate act to save her from a worser fate.
• Leon Finnegren: A young man from a powerful family with a rumored direct line from the gods, Leon was brought to the Von Metternich sanatorium on a deal for a last-ditch effort to cure his malady. He was coerced into marrying Elkeen but succumbed to the destructive power of his own channeling abilities, leading to the tragic events that ended in his and Elkeen’s deaths.