Short Version:
Remy Tesson was born in 1896 to lower-middle class parents in the village of Les Arcs, Provence, France. Afflicted by nearly constant illnesses as a child, he developed a sensitivity to bright light, but developed both an acute sense of hearing and a strong sense of imagination and logic.
Lucky enough to score a scholarship to the Conservatoire de Paris for music, he studied long and hard, and indeed, his health improved during his time at the capital. He excelled in his musical pursuits, but was sidetracked by the Great War in two ways. Firstly, he became enamoured of the new music brought by American servicemen to France, namely jazz, which revived his love of provincial and gypsy French music. This led him away from the institutional world of music for a few years, and into the world of itinerant musicians. Secondly, he met Eleanor Albright, daughter of an American colonel.
After marrying the beautiful Eleanor, an anthropologist, the two settled into a comfortable life. Remy was becoming nationally renowned as a piano virtuoso and a first rate composer, while Eleanor was making solid strides in the world of academia herself. However, this changed a mere twelve months into their marriage when Eleanor became interested in the old ruins near Les Arcs. The pair relocated to Remy’s old home for a season so that she could explore the ancient structures.
For a month, Eleanor made some fantastic initial findings, potentially evidence of a strange, older culture. Remy found the nature of her findings somewhat disturbing, though he didn’t know why. Something deep inside him felt a huge antipathy to the shards of statuettes and tools, though he neither said nor did anything to dissuade his determined wife.
Six weeks later, Eleanor suddenly entered a highly disturbed mental state. She began raving uncontrollably, and became highly anxious, hysterical. Remy himself fell ill also, and the pair were transported back to Paris. Eleanor was placed in hospital, while Remy recovered at home swiftly once back in the capital.
Short weeks later, Eleanor was dead. All Remy had left were here anthropological writings, and some grotesque sketches and writings she had made during the last weeks of her life. After a lengthy period of mourning, Remy was inspired by a friend introduced by Eleanor, another anthropologist named Simon Rose, to investigate the strange drawings and writings, as they bore a strange resemblance to occult writings he had seen in the past.
Suddenly, Remy had a raîson d’etre once more. He has spent the last six months studying the occult, and attempting to find any leads that might help explain Eleanor’s sudden illness and demise. Until recently, music has taken a back seat to his new endeavours, and despite the comfortable financial situation provided by his marriage to Eleanor, he knows he cannot afford to hunt forever. He is desperate to find some insight into another world that, while hidden, seems to exist in the shadows. As of yet, his research has uncovered much general information, but nothing of any real use to him.
As of late, Remy has returned to composition (though not public performance) with a strange passion. It seems the break from his music has allowed creativity to ferment in his mind. He has spent some time in the States with Professor Rose, and has returned somewhat to health, although his smoker's cough remains...
