Aaron Lightner
Aaron Lightner is a fictional character created by Anne Rice and featured primarily in The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos (novel), Merrick (novel) and Queen of the Damned. Lightner was one of the oldest and most knowledgeable members of a secret order of historians and scholars called the Talamasca Caste.
Early life
Aaron was born in London, England in 1921 to an English father and an American mother. He was first introduced to the Talamasca in 1928 at the age of six by his parents due to their concern over his psychic powers. He began to spend every Saturday at the London Motherhouse and by the age of ten also spending weekends and summers. He started living at the Motherhouse when he was fifteen. He became a full member of the Talamasca Caste in 1943 after he had finished his studies at Oxford.
Role in the Talamasca
Aaron was, from the time he was seven, extremely dedicated to the Talamasca Caste. He spent over sixty years serving them until he was falsely excommunicated with Yuri Stefano in 1992. He was one of the oldest and most knowledgeable members of the Talamasca Caste, even becoming a department head. He was the head of the department regarding Witch Families, particularly The Mayfair Witches, which he was put in charge of in 1953 when he started writing a narrative on them. He completed and concluded the narrative on January 15, 1989. He was offered the role of Superior General for the London Motherhouse, but he turned it down, at which time Evan Neville was appointed.
Psychic powers
Aaron's powers were of the telekinetic variety. He had strong ability of mind reading and moving objects. He confessed that he wasn't "what anyone would call a powerful psychic", though that seems to be his opinion alone. His powers best suited him as a field investigator for the Talamasca. It is also questioned as to whether or not he had "telepathic persuasion", or if it was just his own personal manner that just charmed people.
Personal life
Aaron started courting Beatrice Mayfair in fall of 1991 and married her in a small Catholic ceremony at the cathedral in summer of 1992. She was his first and only wife, whom he was married to until his death some months later. he had no children, but was considered a father by a younger Talamasca member, a Serbian gypsy named Yuri Stefano. He was known to be good friends with Michael Curry. His best friend was allegedly David Talbot (The Vampire Chronicles), former Superior General of the London Motherhouse.