BtS: Victor Lazlo CV

[Hendrik]

Hi there,

is there - here, in a book, or somewhere (accessible ) - a curriculum vitae of Victor Lazlo?

For an adventure I am planning it is rather important when he was born.

Besides, would be a - I am sure - good read.

Cheers
Hendrik

[Sir Neil]

With BTS 1 or *maybe* Rifts Africa it might be possible to narrow it down to a year. Didn't bring either with me, though.

[Misfit KotLD]

I don't recall needing my birth year on a CV, though it's been a while since I made one.

Make his birth year the one you need it to be and call it a day. I think his age was given, though not his DOB.

[Cybermancer]

Victor Lazlo was 54 when he disappeared in 1984. Ref: Original BtS, Pg 204.

[Lord Z]

Lookit Heavy C, laying down the digits!

Seriously though, I do not recall reading anywhere that Victor's home town was listed. It would make for a great entry in the Lazlo Wiki if someone were to compile and write out VL's bio.

[Hendrik]

Hi there,

thank you all very much! That helped.

Had not looked into Rifts Africa for a very long time, did not (check). Then I bought BtS 1st ed. on drivethru - man, and is that a good book, it has so much information that is (as of now, here's hoping, still) missing in BtS 2nd ed. - and went to p. 204 as kindly referenced (check).

Background is that I will let the party meet a very young Victor before he embarked on his journey through the scientific unknowns. In a way, the meeting with the party and the events surrounding that will be part of kindling Victor's interest in and knowledge of the supernatural. This is why I want to root it in canon. I mean, which party can say, "We met VL when he was a teenager..."

Any idea where VL was born? Hope I did not overread that, it was 3 pm when the download finished and before I could read and am now in the office.

Kindest regards
Hendrik

[Lord Z]

For anyone who does not catch the references to Nazis and Rick and 'Here"s looking at you, kid' -- these are refeences to the classic movie Casablanca which actually holds up well even to a modern audience and I would recommend. The name of one of the characters in that film was Victor Lazlo. I am glad that I am not the only person who noticed this.

I like the alternate history stories which meld the BtS metaplot with the Casablanca drama. In my own games (not that it has come up), I try to stick close to canon timelines. For you guys though, more power to you.

[Hendrik]

I make my Victor older for my world.... my Victor lazlo is very much the Victor Lazlo from the classic film Casablanca in spirit. He was a pre-teenager in Brussels when WWI kicked off. ...[snip]... in their eternal war against supernatural evil.

Geronimo 2.0,
this is very impressive! Thank you for sharing your biography take! I like the idea to make VL a wee bit older. It is interesting to have him more mature during 2nd WW.

For anyone who does not catch the references to Nazis and Rick and 'Here"s looking at you, kid' -- these are refeences to the classic movie Casablanca which actually holds up well even to a modern audience and I would recommend. The name of one of the characters in that film was Victor Lazlo. I am glad that I am not the only person who noticed this.
I like the alternate history stories which meld the BtS metaplot with the Casablanca drama. In my own games (not that it has come up), I try to stick close to canon timelines. For you guys though, more power to you.

LordZ,
I also prefer to root my campaigns in canon with the dressing then mine

The Casablanca Lazlo is spelled Laszlo (just checked, something just felt wrong). He is Czech.

it's hard to tell where he was born, but his language skills are Latin, French and Spanish (no English, how odd). So I'm guessing he's European, probably Sicilian.

Mephisto,
If he came from Sicily he, I guess, would speak Italian ... but I agree, I also think he is European.

Personally, I see VL as a man of some wealth, a man of (a tad above) moderate means allowing him to travel through Europe and pursue his studies in the 1950s (following the canonical birthdate 1930).

Some thoughts on language and what that may mean regarding place of origin:

1. I think it is an unintenional ommission that he does not have English as a language, having lived in the US at least (I take that from the stories in the BtS rulebooks -1 and -2) a while.

2. In the Rifts Africa book he has "American" as a language. That may mean the above described mistake was corrected ... or ... also logical, he acquired "American" in his time on RIFTS Earth.

3. In the Rifts Africa (p. 151) book "Latin" as a language seems to be dropped. That is definitively a mistake.

4. Now, looking at Spanish and French, my guess is he would either be from Southern France (although the French were never strong on foreign languages until more recently; my personal experience in France in the 1980s was that people rarely spoke German or English) or he could be Spanish. I now from colleagues from Spain that before the 1980s, i.e. in the days of the Franco fascism (and before / 1930 would be a couple of years before the Spanish Civil War) people did not learn English but French.

5. Personally, with a name like Lazlo I would have put VL somewhere in the (now former) Eastern block.

Kind regards
Hendrik

[Hendrik]

Actually, being Corsican would probably fit Victor Lazlo better than Sicilian for his language skills.

Hmm, I beg to differ, dear Mephisto. In Corsica people would in the 1930s speak Corsu (language of the Corsicans; roman language) and/or French. Maybe, if it is a very old Genoese family Italian (Genoa owned Corsica in the 18th century and/or earlier maybe Italian, too, but that would seem only remotely possible, but who knows). That said, I like a proud Corsican background.

Notwithstanding, taking into account that Vic has French and Spanish at 98% it would mean native level of fluence. Two areas in Europe come to mind for that.

1. VL could be from the Pyrenees, i.e. the mountain range between France and Spain. Although then he might also speak Basque. Not necessarily, but possibly. If he does not, it might mean that his family is e.g. Spanish nobility or French officials.

2. VL may actually (hello Casablanca!) be from Morocco.
Now, I dusted off my history knowledge, looked into a history atlas and the fabulous [sometimes more, sometimes less, but always a good start] wikipedia (cf. wikipedia: (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Morocco and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Morocco, etc): [my summary: Most Morocco was in French hands in 1930 (Marakesh, Casablance), the South. In 1926 the Spanish and the French had put down a native Moroccon uprising. The north of todays Morocco was a Spanish protectorate around when Vic (1930) was born. In 1936 Franco Spain was recognized as legitimate government by the western world (USA, England, etc.) and continued to rule the north. The southern part came under French Vichy rule. Only in 1942 Morocco was taken by the allies. After the war until 1955 Southern Morocco stayed (now free) French again, while the north was until 1956 Spanish (which is why Spain still owns two cities there, Ceuta and Melila, and the Canary Island, therefore, too, I think, as they are off the Moroccan cost). Incidentally, my landlady in France (for our holiday home) is e.g. Moroccan born French. Anyway, in 1930-1940 it is quite logical that a child would have the opportunity to learn Spanish and French and it would be an exciting background, too. Because for a child from there, it seems only logical to then go study in either France or Spain. As a fascist Spain does not seem so attractive, (free) France may be the better option; studying in Paris e.g.

Cheers
Hendrik

[Lord Z]

Well, I am convinced.

[CyCo]

Just passing though and saw this topic. A quick google found me this;

Lazlo - Meaning of the name Lazlo

[ syll. la-zlo, laz-lo ] The boy name Lazlo is pronounced LEYZahow †. Lazlo is of Slavonic origin and it is used mainly in Hungarian. Lazlo is a spelling variant of László (Hungarian) and a variant of Vladislav (Czech, Russian, and Slavic).

Lazlo is uncommon as a baby name for boys. It is not listed within the top 1000 names.

Baby names that sound like Lazlo include Leosko (Czech), Licio (Italian), Lucias, Lucio (Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish), Luigi (Italian), Lukasha (Russian), Luzius (German), Lysias, Laelius, Lagi, Lajos (Hungarian), Lakshya, Lashi (English), Lasho (English), Lassi (Finnish), Leka (Albanian), Leksik (Czech), Lekso (Czech), Leos (Czech and Polish), and Leszek (Polish).

Of course, he could have been born anywhere.

[Hendrik]

Hi CyCo,

thanks. That gave me the idea - should have thought of that before, but it did not occur to me as Lazlo in this case is a surname - to search the net as well re the meaning and background of the surname. I think the difference between "Lazlo" and "Laszlo" in this context may be considered moot.

MEANING OF THE SURNAME LÁSZLÓ

1. Source:http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_the_family_name_Laszlo
Gender: Masculine; Usage: Hungarian; Pronounced: LAHS-lo [key]
Background: Hungarian form of VLADISLAV. Saint László was an 11th-century king of Hungary, looked upon as the embodiment of Christian virtue and bravery.

2. Source: http://www.meaning-of-names.com/hungarian-names/laszlo.asp
Hungarian name
In Hungarian, the name Laszlo means "god will help". The name Laszlo orginated as an Hungarian name. The name Laszlo is most often used as a boy name or male name.

From what you said and the above we will have to assume that his name is of Hungarian origin. Hence, his parents (or one of them) could be Hungarian or a prior generation could have been. The latter would fit better with the language skills.

For example, and this I would maybe prefer as it explains the background:
- the grandfather could have been an Austrian diplomat of Hungarian origin (Hungary was part of the Austrian Empire) or Hungarian adventurer and decided to stay in Spain/France/Africa after Austria et. al. lost the Great War. To earn money he took some job, maybe a doctor in Morroco;
- Victor's father would have to be born before the war. As Victor is born 1930 it is likely that the father was around 20 or 30 when Victor was born, i.e. born between 1900 and 1910. Why would a father not teach his son Hungarian or Austrian in that scenario but only Spanish or French? Maybe he did not learn it because the grandfather spoke only French or Spanish at home for whatever reason. Maybe he did learn it but did not pass it on to Victor because e.g. Victor's mother was Spanish/French.

Cheers
Hendrik

[CyCo]

Doh! I meant to look up meanings of last names, and still ended up looking it up as a first name and posted the results! Ah it was a late night post and I'm sticking to my excuse. lol