Carlisle Cullen

NAME: Carlisle Cullen.
STATUS: Vampire.
DATE OF BIRTH: During the 1640's.
DATE OF CHANGE: Sometime after 1663.
PHYSICAL AGE: 23 years.
SOURCE OF CHANGE: Unnamed vampire.
ORIGINALLY FROM: London, England.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very handsome, like a movie star; pale skin that sparkles in sunlight; purple, bruise-like shadows under his eyes.
HEIGHT / WEIGHT: 6 feet, 2 inches / Unknown.
HAIR COLOR: Blond.
EYE COLOR: Vampire gold/black.
SPECIAL TALENTS: Compassion.
OCCUPATION: Medical doctor.
HOBBIES: Practicing medicine.
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Esme Cullen.

Carlisle was raised during a time of religious persecution as the son of an Angelican pastor. His father led hunts for witches, werewolves, and vampires. As his father grew older, Carlisle was placed in charge of the raids. Carlisle wasn’t happy to be killing, but he was very clever, and discovered a true coven of vampires living in the city sewers. He set a trap for the vampires and chased one down. Carlisle believes that the vampire was actually too hungry to run and decided to turn and attack. The vampire fell on Carlisle and left him bleeding in the streets after killing two other men and taking off with a third.

Knowing that his father would get rid of everything contaminated by the monsters, Carlisle crawled into a cellar and buried himself in rotting potatoes for the change to save himself. When he emerged, he was a vampire. At first he tried to destroy himself in multiple ways. Somehow, he was so repelled by what he was that he resisted feeding off of humans. He even tried to kill himself with starvation.

Eventually the thirst was too powerful and, as a herd of deer passed, he attacked. He found that living off of the blood of animals could sustain him and was more humane than taking the life of a human. Over the course of two centuries, he developed almost an immunity to the scent of human blood and was able to become a doctor.

Carlisle was studying in Italy when he met a coven of vampires called the Volturi that seemed more civilized and educated than those he was familiar with in England. Aro, Marcus, and Caius were the three vampires that inspired some of the works of Solimena. Even though they were refined, they persisted in trying to persuade Carlisle to drink from humans. Being Carlisle, he refused.

In 1911 he was working in Columbus, Ohio, where he treated a happy and beautiful young girl by the name of Esme Platt for a broken leg. As it was his last month in town, he soon moved on to Chicago.

He spent several years in Chicago and was nearing the end of his allotted time. The influenza epidemic broke out in the city and Carlisle found himself treating Edward Masen, who had just lost both of his parents and was on the verge of death himself. It was Edward’s mother who requested Dr. Cullen save Edward. She seemed to “know” that Carlisle could save him in a special way and begged him to do it. Carlisle acted out of loneliness and changed Edward.

The two moved to northern Wisconsin where, in 1921, Carlisle again tended to Esme. This time her injuries were from a failed suicide attempt because of the death of her baby. Remembering her from before, and feeling saddened by the turn her life had taken, Carlisle changed Esme to save her. The two fell in love and were legally married.

Carlisle then found Rosalie near-death and changed her with the intention for her to be a companion to Edward, but it wasn’t to be. Carlisle changed Emmett after Rosalie found him being mauled by a bear and brought him back to Carlisle. Although he didn’t change Alice and Jasper, he accepted them as part of his family when they came to him.

Around 1936, Carlisle moved his family to Forks where they encountered the Quileutes, who have the ability to transform into werewolves. A treaty was arranged stating that the wolves would leave the Cullens alone so long as they didn’t bite any humans and stay off of the Quileute land. The Cullens lived in Forks for a few years before moving on to other places (it is unknown where).

The family returned to Forks, Washington after a stay in Alaska. At the start of Twilight, they have lived there for two years.