The Talamasca, meaning "Animal Mask" from the Latin, are a secret society, set up, as their calling card says, to watch the paranormal in action. The name Talamasca was also an old term to describe a witch or a shamen. Their basements are filled with records of phenomena such as Witches, Spirits, Werewolves and of course Vampires. Welcoming people with paranormal powers to visit them, occasionally they become aware of individuals with particularly strong powers, these people are investigated and offered a place with their group, but are not obliged to accept the position, though almost invariably they will.
The Talamasca demand complete obedience, loyalty and devotion from their members.
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Two relevant talamasca members:
I. Jesse is a mortal descendant of the Twins, Maharet and Mekare.
Orphaned soon after birth she became aware of her family through the constant contact of Maharet with all descendants of her sister Mekare.
Blessed, or indeed cursed, with the ability to see and communicate with spirits, Jesse became a subject for observation by the Talamasca, and subsequently became a valued member of their society.
Her birth as a vampire arose following a near fatal attack by a Child of Darkness at Lestat's concert. Prior to this Maharet was strongly against Jesse becoming too involved with vampires or the Talamasca for fear of Jesse's own safety.
II.David Talbot, Superior General of the Talamasca, first appeared in Queen of the Damned, when he attended Lestat's concert in San Francisco. Later on, Lestat started to visit him, tempting him with immortality, which he steadfastly refused.
He played a major role in Tale of the Body Thief. In the course of the book, while helping Lestat to recover his vampire body from Raglan James, his spirit was inadvertantly transferred from his own seventy year-old frame into the body of a young man. In this form, Lestat gave him the Dark Blood against his will.
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