"We watch, and we are always here."
Who are these scholars, the Talamasca? It is easy to be impressed by their knowledge, mannerisms,
lifestyle and immense wealth. Throughout the Lives of the Mayfair Witches and the Vampire Chronicles, we see snapshots of
their history as seen through the eyes of witches, vampires and the scholars themselves. The Talamasca is referenced in the
poem that Ancient Evelyn teaches Julien Mayfair as a girl in his attic hideaway (see The Poem). They are the scholars that the verse warns about.
Michael Curry embarrasses Aaron Lightner when he points out a link between the Talamasca's wealth and the fall of the Knights
Templar. The Knights Templar were soldiers of the Church until the 14th century, when the Church declared them heretics.
The Knights were executed and their vast holdings reclaimed by the Church, distributed in part to the reigning monarchs,
and somehow, a portion of those holdings also fell into the hands of the Talamasca. Aaron Lightner's explanation of the Knights
Templar as the basis of the wealth of the Talamasca was meant to convey that the Talamasca had no part in the destruction
of the Knights; only that their left behind wealth had found a new home.
Centuries later, Marius meets one member of the Talamasca in Venice, Italy while he is living there with Amadeo, soon to become
Armand. At this time, the scholar is young. Years later, Marius meets him again when he journeys to the Motherhouse in England,
which is not the mansion occupied by the 20th century scholars but a remote medieval castle.
It is in the 16th century that we see the Motherhouse in Amsterdam, where Peter van Abel takes young Deborah after her mother
is executed as a witch.
Throughout this history, members of the Talamasca have quietly tried to make contact with the vampires and witches they watched,
and they always seemed to be around. 'We Watch and We Are Always Here' is a very apt motto for them.
 Talamasca
Motherhouse in Amsterdam created with NightCafe From Sketch on Pg. 280 In
The Vampire Companion by Katherine Ramsland
The File on the Mayfair Witches is full of references to habits, speech patterns, preferences,
rumors, and the like regarding the Witches in general and in particular, the Legacy Witches as individuals. Throughout this
extensive file, they are not only recording observations and learned facts about the family's power as witches, but also about
sightings of Lasher and accounts of his abilities, if he has any. They are just as interested in Lasher as a ghost as they
are in the family as witches.
What do they do with all of this information besides store it in the vaults where Rembrandt's painting of Deborah and Armand's
artwork are kept? What purpose does this information serve? It could serve an important purpose if the information were provided
to the people it concerned, as in the case of Rowan Mayfair, who found more answers than most people in the dark could ever
hope for. Does this information serve all of mankind by being disseminated all at once, or does it serve by illuminating the
lives of the people whose paranormal powers have effects on the world around them?
As David Talbot collects stories from fellow vampires, perhaps someday he will find some meaning in them that he didn't find
in the Talamasca. The Talamasca does not seem to refute or support its own findings; merely, it serves as a human database
of facts and folklore collected throughout the centuries.
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The Knights Templar
When Michael Curry woke in a suite at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans, he found Aaron Lightner
in the other room. Lightner, a member of the Talamasca, had been trying to approach Michael to discuss the possibility of
Michael's joining this mysterious order. That had come about because after Michael awoke in the hospital after having drowned
and resuscitated, something strange was happening with his hands.
The effects of the drowning and resuscitation on Michael Curry's hands made it into the AMC series,
even if Michael Curry himself did not.
One particular film about the Knights Templar is Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The film is set in the Crusades of the 12th century,
during the reign of King Baldwin IV of Jeruselem.
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 Talamasca
Motherhouse in England created with NightCafe From Sketch In
The Witches' Companion by Katherine Ramsland
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