#vc.

Aro is one of the three leaders of the Volturi—the dominant coven of the vampire world. He is widely accepted as the overall leader of the Volturi, and shows the gift of tactile telepathy, which gives him the ability to read someone’s thoughts and memories with a single touch. Aro was born sometime around 1340 AD. He is the husband of Sulpicia and the older brother of Didyme. He uses Chelsea to change the loyalties of the vampires whom he wants to join the Volturi and to secure his power status.

By 500 AD, the Volturi had usurped control of the vampire world from the Romanian coven. Along with Marcus and Caius, Aro ruled the Volturi, although he generally acted as the spokesperson. The Volturi, under the three ancients’ leadership, set down the laws of the vampire world and punished those who did not follow them, as it posed the threat of exposure to humans.

Aro normally carries himself in a cheery disposition and has shown to be polite to the point of being at complete ease even in the most objectionable of situations. Beneath this facade of optimistic giddiness, he is power-hungry, smart with his actions and highly manipulative. He exerts control over the world of vampires, and plots against any opposing coven. Aro made other vampires realize that it was necessary for them to live in the shadows among humans, and overtime turn their species into legends and myths instead of actual facts. To further continue this plan, he and his companions created their own vampires and taught them the laws before letting them loose. He believes, possibly correctly, that the Volturi is necessary for the survival of the vampire species, with its bylaws that hold secrecy of the existence of vampires to the utmost importance.

Marcus is one of the three leaders of the Volturi coven. Marcus became a vampire and acquired the power to read the emotional ties between people. Aro first met him shortly after his own transformation. Together with Caius, Athenodora & Sulpicia, they formed the core of the Volturi. Marcus then met Didyme, who was Aro’s biological sister, and became her mate. Didyme was blessed with the ability to make people happy. Marcus and Didyme eventually became discontent with the Volturi, and planned on leaving. In order to prevent Marcus from leaving the Volturi, Aro, who pretended to give his blessing, killed his sister because Marcus was too integral to his plans to lose. Marcus never found out what Aro did to Didyme, and afterwards Aro had Chelsea use her ability to ensure Marcus remained loyal to the Volturi. Aro also intended to use Corin to make him happier, but he refused the comfort.

Marcus, as well as the rest of the Volturi, are both feared and respected throughout the vampire world as the guardians who keep the human world ignorant of the supernatural. He is also known to be respected in the human world as “Saint Marcus”, the holy priest who drove all the vampires from Volterra. His national holiday, St. Marcus Day on the 19th of March, is celebrated each year by the people of Volterra. The legend most likely developed out the fact that the Volturi do not permit hunting within the walls of Volterra.

As a result of losing his mate, Marcus eventually became extremely apathetic. Ever since Didyme’s death Marcus has sunk in to an extreme state of depression and is barely alive even by vampire standards. His state of mind seems to have been made worse by the fact that Aro had Chelsea force him to feel loyal to the Volturi and it has resulted in him being locked in a permanent state of grief-related apathy. Despite this he does become animate in the presence of people with strong emotional ties like Beau and Edward and defends them on several occasions during encounters with the Volturi, possibly because their love reminds him of the love he once had.