History

Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
"Next week, a ship named the Lusitania is leaving New York bound for Liverpool. There's a rumour going around that it will be carrying a huge shipment of munitions."

An ocean liner belonging to Cunard Steamship Lines. Though technically a passenger ship, it was refitted to allow it to transport supplies to England. On its final journey, it was carrying a large quantity of contraband munitions. Germany had declared the waters around the British Isles to be off-limits; any British or allied ship was fair game. The Lusitania ignored the warning, and on May 7, 1915, it was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 near South Ireland. 128 Americans number among the 1195 casualties, and this helped to precipitate the United States' entry into World War I in 1917.

Due to an unexplained second explosion and the rapid sinking of the ship, many conspiracies exist regarding the nature of the Lusitania's demise, including theories that it was actually the British, who wanted America to play a more active role in the Great War.

  • Lusitania Online
  • Great Ships - Lusitania
  • Wikipedia - RMS Lusitania

     

    Maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic
    "That luxury liner, the Titanic, left from here on its way to New York, you know."

    Perhaps the most famous ship in the world, due to its classic tale of hubris' downfall. She was a luxurious steamship belonging to the White Star Line. Widely touted as unsinkable, she carried many passengers belonging to the social elite.

    Ironically enough, on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1912, from Southampton to New York, she hit an iceberg. The ship's stern and bow cracked in two separate sections, and sank soon after. Out of 2,223 on board, only 706 survived. Ultimately, the main cause was human error combined with bad luck, both at the time of its construction and on the night of the tragedy.

  • RMS Titanic, Inc.
  • Titanic Inquiry Project
  • Wikipedia - Titanic

     

    Background NPCs

    Aside from characters integral to the main plot, Shadow Hearts: Covenant has numerous historical figures "hiding" in various cities. The vast majority are important cultural figures.

    Suzanne Valadon
    "Suzanne, Who Likes Younger Men" (1865-1938), found in Montmartre. A beautiful French woman, she modeled for a number of famous artists, most notably Degas, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec. She became a painter herself, and held a successful exhibit in 1915. In 1896 she left her husband for André Utter, a fellow painter and 21 years her junior.

  • Wikipedia - Suzanne Valadon
  • Distinguished Women of Past and Present - Suzanne Valadon
  • Artcyclopedia - Suzanne Valadon

     

    Salvador Dali
    "Timid Salvador", found in Montmartre. Possibly a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the great Spanish Surrealist (1904-1989), one of the most colourful figures the art world has ever known. He spent most of his life in Spain. Over the years he met a number of other notable artists, including Pablo Picasso on a visit to Paris in 1926, and became renowned for his unique works and flamboyant personality.

    He fell in love with Gala Eluard (Russian Helena Deluvina Diakinoff), who became his muse and support. They married in 1939, and moved to America during World War II. He became despondent after her death in 1982 and returned to Catalonia, Spain, where he was taken care by friends and admirers until he passed away.

  • Salvador Dali Art Gallery
  • Salvador Dali Print Gallery
  • Wikipedia - Salvador Dali

     

    Pierre-Auguste Renoir
    "Auguste, the Novice" (1841-1919), found in Montmartre. One of the most recognized painters, he was a founder of Impressionism alongside fellow artist and friend Monet. His art is widely celebrated today. He held his first art exhibit in 1864, but fame did not come until the 1870s.

    He had an affair with Suzanne Valadon while she was modeling for him. He eventually married Aline Victorine Charigot and fathered three sons, including renowned film director Jean Renoir. He travelled extensively from 1881-1882, seeking out a number of cultural icons, including the German composer Wagner.

  • Great Artists in History - Pierre-Auguste Renoir
  • WebMuseum, Paris - Renoir, Pierre-Auguste
  • Wikipedia - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

     

    Wladyslaw Szpilman
    "Szpilman, the Pianist", found in Montmartre. Like     Dali, this is likely a tribute reference due to the time frame of Szpilman's life (1911-2000). He was a Polish pianist who worked for radio until World War II, when his family was forced to live in the ghettos due to their Jewish background. He eventually made his way back to Warsaw, capital of Poland.

    He became famous for his compositions, as well as for his survivor memoir Smierc Miasta (Death of a City). Censored by the Communist government, it reappeared in English in 1998 under the title The Pianist. From these writings, the movie of the same name (2002) was made.

  • Wikipedia - Wladyslaw Szpilman

     

    Marc Chagall
    "Chagall, Who Stinks of Ink" (1887-1985), found in Petrograd, and also a trader in the     Straw Millionaire sidequest. Born Moishe Zakharovich Shagalov, this Jewish artist was an important figure in Surrealism. Tension with his father sent him to St. Petersburg, Russia. After becoming established, he moved to Paris to participate in the growing artistic community.

    He returned to Russia in 1914, and soon married Bella Rosenfield and had a daughter, Ida; during this time also became involved with the Russian Revolution. He was appointed Commissar of Art for the Vitebsk region by the Soviet Culture Minstry, but he was unable to work under the Soviet system. He left for Moscow, then finally returned to Paris until he had to flee France due to the Nazi presence in World War II.

  • Great Artists in History - Marc Chagall
  • Wikipedia - Marc Chagall
  • Artcyclopedia - Marc Chagall