Here's an essential timeline, with tidbits of Alexander's history inserted there

in :p
Pre 1315: Alexander's father, Sergey Stradivarius, was an upper level noble in G
ermany at the time. The Stalworth family in England sought ties to Germany in ho
pes of making profit via trade. Sergey marries Elizabeth Stalworth, and she take
s his name. A doury of their own manor in England is where the family takes root
. At the time, crop faliure has led to famine, as stated below:
---Real world event----------
1315 CE: Medieval Europe - Bad weather and crop failure result in famine
across northwestern Europe. Unsanitary conditions and malnutrition increase the
death rate. Even after the revival of agricultural conditions, weather disaster
s reappear. A mixture of war, famine and plague in the Late Middle Ages reduces
the population by one-half.
--------------------------
1315: Alexander Sergey Stradivarius is born. His father's trade and staple was h
is ability in music, and Alexander took it a step further while growing up. (thi
nk mozart like skill) He was attending and holing concerts from quite a young ag
e. He had very few long term friends because of his focus on his music. Most of
them were of musical study and influence as well.
1330: Alexander is introduced to his potential bride, Sarah Lynn Thorson. The tw
o become friends as they spend more time with each other, but Alexander's focus
makes him aloof and distant seeming. However, Sarah is determined to keep his at
tention.
1333: Alexander's parents die from Lukemia. Alexander becomes head of his househ
old with no siblings and begins managing the manor alone. Alexander at the time
was in Germany visiting his family's other estates and businesses.
1335: Alexander and Sarah marry, living in the manor inherited from his father.
In the next two years, they birth 4 children (both sets twins) 3 males, and 1 fe
male.
------Realworld event-----
1337 CE: Medieval Europe - The French retaliate against the English and initiate
the Hundred Years' War, a series of battles lasting until 1453 CE. The three gr
eatest battles of the war are fought at Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Aginco
urt (1415). Due to the military superiority of the English, the French are defea
ted in most of the battles.
-----------------------
1337-1341: Alexander, while head of his household, isn't eligible to join the mi
litary ranks. His retainers and guards are recruited to participate in the war a
gainst the french. While Alexander has no personal disposition on the war, his p
ublic stance is against the french. During this time he gains allies among other
English nobles and it strengthens his house in the future.
1341: While on business in Southern England. Alexander happened to notice a part
icular female who seemed to be wherever he was, yet she would simply look at him
, and walk away. After performing in concert one eve; while in his personal room
, the woman seemed to appear from nowhere. The woman introduces herself as Kath
erine of Montpellier. She explains that the toreador is interested in the exquis
ite skill in music that he has (which he doesn't understand, sort of a "who the
hell are the toreador?") After explaining the interest, she steps forward and em
braces Alex. At first he resists, but her presence kept him from fighting too ha
rd. He loses himself in pleasure as she embraces him.
Shortly after he awakens in a basement of a local auditorium, he is informed of
his new "unlife" and that he is to not directly reach his living kin for now. He
struggles with the concept of being a vampire for some time, but, by the author
ity of the toreador elders, he is moved to Florence, Italy and forbidden to leav
e the country for the time being.
------Real world event surrounding time period----
1340 CE: Medieval Europe - Geoffrey Chaucer is born. He later begins the literar
y tradition with his Canterbury Tales.
1342 CE: Medieval Europe - The reign of Avignonese Pope Clement VI exemplifies t
he French takeover of the Church. Clement offers spiritual benefits for money, a
ppoints Church leaders for economic gains and commits sexual acts on "doctors' o
rders." The French Church based in Avignon rises in power, centralizes the Churc
h government and establishes a system of papal finance.
------------
1341-1360 Stradivarius family: Sarah goes into mourning following Alexander's di
sappearance, fearing that he was murdered by french assassins. She soon dies whi
le in mourning, her heart broken. The eldest son, Sergey (in order of birth it's
Sergey Alexander, Jonathan Sergey, Stephan Alexander, and Lynn Elizabeth) Soon
after heading the household, the black plague breaks loose, and all but Jonathan
die of the plague. Jonathan seals up his manor with ample supply of foodstuffs
in an attempt to keep the family name alive. No one is allowed in or out of the
manor during the first outbreak. Jonathan, during the time of self-exile, marrie
s one of his maid-servants to pass down the family name, the maid's past is stri
cken from the family books to preserve the noble nature of the family. After the
first outbreak passes, the two re-open relations with other nobles in the area,
and begin renewing the family's standing.~~~children follow, and the house grow
s~~~~~
----Real world event-----
1347 CE: Medieval Europe - The Black Death appears during a time of economic dep
ression in Western Europe and reoccurs frequently until the fifteenth century. T
he Black Death is a combination of bubonic and pneumonic plagues and has a major
impact on social and economic conditions. Religious flagellation appears among
lay groups in order to appease the divine wrath. English Franciscan William of O
ckham dies. He teaches that God is free to do good and bad on earth as He wishes
and developes the philosophical position known as "nominalism." His quest for c
ertainty in human knowledge is one of the foundations of the scientific method.
1348 CE: Medieval Europe - Italian Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375 CE) begins writ
ing the Decameron, a collection of stories about love, sex, adventure and tricke
ry told by seven ladies and three men on a journey into the country to escape th
e Black Death. Boccaccio's work is the first literature written in narrative pro
se. His prose is realistic of the men and women in the stories, rather than blat
antly moral or immoral as in the earlier romances.
-----------------------------------
1400: Alexander is allowed to return to his manor, with strong advice to not mak
e himself publicly known. Alexander spends several years mourning his wife and c
hildren in the family tombs, started when Alexander's parents died. Rumors of ha
unting music from the tomb of the family prompts all but the family members to b
e near the tomb at any time. Some suspect the spirit of either Sergey <or> Alexa
nder is at unrest over the family's past.
1420: Still in grief over the loss of his family, he enters torpor in an unused
slot in the tombs. There he remains for 50 years.
--------Real world events--------
1429 CE: Medieval Europe - Joan of Arc, a peasant girl in France, seeks out the
French leader and relates her divinely-inspired mission to drive the English out
of France. She takes control of the French troops and liberates most of central
France.
1430 CE: Medieval Europe - Joan of Arc is captured and taken to England. The Eng
lish accuse her of being a witch and condemn her for heresy. Joan is publicly bu
rned in the city of Rouen.
1455 CE: Medieval Europe - Henry VI of England (1422-1461) wages the Wars of the
Roses. The two sides of the war are the red rose (Henry's family at Lancaster)
and the white rose (the house of York). Yorkist Richard III gains the kingship f
or a short time.
-----------------
1470: Alexander awakens from his torpor, determined to find a new place in the w
orld, shedding himself completely of his old, yet keeping his family safe from i
ntruders. Rumors of the manor being haunted resume. Alexander begins playing mus
ic periodically in the halls at night.
1470-1560: Alexander works to reconnect himself with his fellow toreador, gainin
g a small, but stable start.
--------Real world events of notice :p ------------
1513 - Battle of Flodden Field (fought at Flodden Edge, Northumberland) in which
invading Scots are defeated by the English under their commander, 70 year old T
homas Howard, Earl of Surrey; James IV of Scotland is killed.
1517 - The Protestant Reformation begins; Martin Luther nails his "95 Theses" ag
ainst the Catholic practice of selling indulgences, on the church door at Witten
berg
1558 - England loses Calais, last English possession in France; Death of Mary I;
Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, becomes Queen; Repeal of C
atholic legislation in England
---------------------------------------
1560-1920: Alexander persues his relationships within the kindred, fortifying hi
s position and eventually gaining harpy status. He continues to tirelessly pract
ice his violin skills, including making the incredibly rare and sought after Str
adivarius violins. Secretly funding italian instrument crafters, he slowly build
s his own fortune aside from his family's name. During this time, several would-
be robbers and assassins have entered the manor and died in the process, their b
odies always found just outside of the gates. Rumors of the manor being haunted
escalate to where the family gains near immunity from political struggles save f
rom the kings themselves. Publicly, the robbers/assassins are written up as odd
occurances, but nobles and royalty alike know who was employed by whom, and take
notice. Only one would be robber managed to escape, further spreading the tales
of haunting like wildfire while he explains maddening violin music that haunts
his very soul and damns him to maddness.
**also*** during that time, an Elysium was held in London, and Alexander was att
ending. He happened to be enjoying himself, and goofing off in front of several
vampire ladies by strumming on his violin like a ukelele. A newly-raised toreado
r with considerable skill with violin was brought to the Elysium. The neonate (W
e'll call him Stephen) has hopes to redeem himself after recieving a warning fro
m the prince about his braggart and showboating ways. He had been found insultin
g other vampires openly, while boasting his violin skill. Stephan had heard of A
lexander's skill, but simply called it "Hyped up fluff". When Stephan saw Alexan
der strumming along, singing a silly tune, he began insulting Alexander and issu
ed a challenge of a duel. Alexander politely declined, but after continued insul
ts to his playing ability, he aquiesced to his request. The scenario would have
carried out like this:
**After accepting the duel challenge, Alexander had the center of the hall opene
d up for the duel. Bowing slightly, he encouraged Stephan to take the lead and s
how everyone his skill. Stephan flamboyantly took the stage, and began playing,
granted, he had some considerable skill (4), but he was about to be upstaged.***
Bravo and well done, my lad. *Alexander says while applauding* Please, allow me
to see if I cannot keep up with one such as yourself. *he arches a sarcastic br
own and grins to the crowd, who chuckles* **Alexander begins playing, tapping in
to the emotions of the crowd to dictate where his music will go next, drawing si
ghs and awws from the less-reserved vampires. After some time, Alexander show si
gns of losing himself, his eyes slowly grow black, and the tune of his music cha
nges, it's much faster, both of his hands blurring at the speed of which he play
s. Soon enough he's moving fast enough that smoke begins to rise from his violin
, and soon it becomes charred. The strings snap, and instant silence follows. Sn
apping out of his trance, Alex looks around to see a stunned crowd, Stephan fumi
ng and red in the face. Alex gives his violin a once over, and tosses it to the
side, taking a bow before the crowd.* I am afraid the duel is over, I concede, m
y violin is not cooperating with me at this moment. *With that statement, he is
greeted with thunderous applause. Stephan roars with feral rage suddenly, and le
aps for Alexander's throat. Easily dodging it, he catches stephan by the throat
and pins him to the ground. Stephan is apprehended and the prince orders his exe
cution soon after. The sire of Stephan has been since trying to rebuild the sham
e he earned in embracing such a fool, but not with any hatred of Alexander.**