Mallory Burgess - History Archives: 10/24/1984 Twilight Circus, performing in Las Vegas. As expected, the show was a spectacular blend of costumes, athletics and ballet. The group hosted no less than 40 members, including the performers and the stage hands. They were well practiced and would put a Toreador to shame in some aspects of their art. Three of the performers stood out above the others, at least to the trained eye. Vampires of the Ravnos clan, continuing in a modern day variety of an old tradition. Their movements smoother than the others, their jumps just a little too high to be human. The audience was enthralled, I watched and recorded. Though some of the performers were of gypsy heritage, not all of them were. As I crept backstage after the show, I noted that they traveled similar to their old days, family groups that included even young children, who were expected to do their share of the work (only in small measures). The troupe came and went after two showings, I tracked them to theater in Los Angeles and was able to speak, if only briefly to the troupe's leader. Khalil Talith, a sort of patriarch of the family group. Twilight Circus had traveled under other names, he told me, but this one had garnered enough fame and profit to keep for a while. He introduced me to his jati (meaning family). He was friendly enough, the made no pretenses that he welcomed my further interest in their group. Archives: 06/13/1988 Confirmation on ties between Khalil Talith and the Gehenna Cult known as the Twilight Cult. How like a Ravnos to choose a name that so blatantly ties him to a group, to hide in plain sight. Khalil Talith, received requested documents from the Nosferatu known as Serin, a stack of birth certificates, for girl children born in Boise, Idaho. Talith would not disclose the reason for the documents, and payment was made promptly. Archives: 8/21/1989 Census for Twilight Circus complete, as expected the family rarely registers their presence with the local Prince, the slights overlooked (or just gone unnoticed) due to the fanfare associated with the group's performances. Contrary to what was previously believed, the Kindred traveling with the circus are not entirely of the Ravnos line, at this date, I've documented two malkavians, one brujah, and a caitiff on the payroll there. While the Ravnos family remains the core of the group, it seems they welcome outsiders from other clans, as long as they pull their weight or have something to offer to the show. Upon speaking to Naomi Crews, a Malkavian who lives in Phoenix who briefly traveled with Twilight Circus offered a few tidbits (begrudgingly) to the coterie's goals and ideals. Confirmation, again for ties with the Twilight Cult, the Ravnos follow a Road (Path?) that espouses on the cycle of life and the importance of destiny. while the Twilight Cult itself seems ambivalent about Gehenna's coming, their search for the "Last Daughter of Eve" seems to be academic. (See, Manier's files on Twilight Cult). Contrarily, Khalil's group is less than ambivalent, Ms. Crews stated that Khalil believed it to be destiny or fate that Gehenna will come to pass, and it is the duty of the family to aid in its passing, to complete the cycle. Recommendation: further study of Khalil Talith and his family, it is possible they represent a more dangerous branch of the Twilight Cult. Archives: 11/11/1991 Nosferatu placement successful. Dan Fitzer now accepted into the Twilight Circus as a lights technician. Will follow group for an indeterminate amount of time and gather information regarding the coterie/cult/jati's activities and goals. Archives 5/27/1998 Fitzer remains as an irreplaceable member, has even gained a small amount of fame for himself for his extravagent lightshows, Clan Nosferatu receives periodic reports on Talith and his motley crew. While the core family of Ravnos remain stable, the other clans tend to have less of a presence. Again, a few of the lower forgotten clans count themselves among the crew (including Fitzer, who was chosen for that reason). Twilight Circus' activities regarding Gehenna seem to be focused mainly on visions and spirituality, the group prepares each of its members (including the non Ravnos) for the coming apocolpyse. They provide information to the Cult's main branch of thin bloods and possible births of the so-called Daughter of Eve, as their travels put them in a unique position to not only draw those of the lower castes but to monitor their numbers. The Twilight Circus has been hosts to several thin blood, and caitiff and so called dregs of kindred society, and even claimed to have a Dhampir (childe of a Vampire and mortal) among its performers. Further investigation points to the identity of this Dhampir as Catlin O'Toole, born of an itinerant Irish mother who worked at the circus and an unknown Brujah (thinblood) who traveled with the circus in 1981. Catlin has shown no special aptitudes, and her status as a "Dhampir" is questionable. Archives 8/15/1999 Performances of the Twilight Circus in Denver have been cancelled. Talith sites "personal reasons". Fitzer describes this time as being very tense, and many arguments occurred between the Ravnos. The mood of the time prompts Fitzer to put in for a transfer from his current duty. It would be the last contact the Nosferatu had with Fitzer. Archives 11/11/1999 Twilight Circus is disbanded. Khalil Talith and all other Ravnos within the group are now considered destroyed (as well as a good portion of the world's entire population of Ravnos). Fitzer's reports allowed for some tracking of the remaining Circus performers, those who survived what is now termed "the week of nightmares". The mortal families that worked the show have moved on, and none of them speak of the events that resulted in the death of the show's long lived patriarch and family. Among the Kindred survivors, we have identified Star Delaney, Malkavian; Melanie Gamblin, Malkavian; Felix Sheuster, Brujah. Whereabouts unknown. Archives 4/08/2001 Star Delaney now thought to be living under the pseudonym, Mallory Burgess. She was introduced at Court in Tuscon, Arizona as the childe of Darwin Gable. No records exist to her sire prior to this date, and it is unlikely that Darwin Gable, a Malkavian of some note is the sire of the girl. Star Delaney performed with Twilight Circus from childhood, as she grew up among the mortal families. Her embrace date is unknown, and her true sire remains unknown. It is not believed that she is the offspring of Kalith or his family, as they had always been particular about embraces within the family (confirmation may be advisable though). Archives 8/30/2003 I confronted Mallory Burgess at the Tuscon Elysium, regarding her prior affiliation with the Twilight Circus. She neither confirmed nor denied the statements, though I expect she was shocked that anyone would recognize her - in truth, I didn't, I only came across the archived information and thought to confirm what we had thought. If I were more honest, I would admit that I thought it unlikely that the Ms. Burgess was part of the show, due to her mousy mannerisms and quietude. I have only just been informed that her "sire", Darwin Gable has made arrangements to send Ms. Burgess to St Louis.
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