TV-Series
Description
Joel Goldschmidt was the wealthy head of the Goldschmidt family in the early 19th century and a researcher dedicated to studying the evolution of living beings. He established a private research facility known as the Zoo in Bordeaux, France. It was there that he conducted his most significant and world-altering work after discovering a mysterious mummified corpse in Iceland, which he brought back to his chateau for study. In 1833, along with his assistant Amshel Goldsmith, Joel dissected the mummy and found two small cocoons within its womb. After an accidental drop of blood fell onto them, the cocoons revived, and from them, two baby girls were born. These girls were later named Saya and Diva, the twin queens of the Chiropteran race.
Following their birth, Joel made a critical decision that would define his legacy. He chose to raise one of the girls, Saya, as his own daughter, providing her with a caring home, affection, and a normal upbringing. In stark contrast, he treated the other girl, who would be named Diva, purely as a scientific specimen. To study her in isolation, he locked Diva away in a tower, depriving her of human contact, love, and education, leaving only Amshel to provide for her most basic needs.
As a father figure to Saya, Joel was kind, attentive, and fulfilled her requirements, spending time with her and nurturing her. This side of his personality was warm and paternal. However, his behavior towards Diva revealed a cruel and detached scientific mindset. He viewed her not as a child but as an experimental subject, justifying her imprisonment and neglect as necessary for his research into evolution. This duality is central to his character; he was capable of great kindness for one and profound cruelty for another, a man described by the character Solomon as someone who simply did not know what to do with his vast wealth.
Joel kept meticulous records of all his findings, research, and important events in a personal diary. This document became known as Joel's Diary, and it contained a detailed chronicle of everything from the discovery of the mummy to the birth and treatment of the twin queens. The diary was destined to become a foundational text, passed down through generations of the Goldschmidt clan who would eventually form and lead the organization known as Red Shield in their fight against the Chiropterans. Its first entry began in 1832, and later entries detailed the girls' development, including observations of Saya's accelerated healing and the crystallization that occurred when the sisters' blood was mixed.
Joel's life came to a violent end in 1883 on his seventy-second birthday. Unaware of the full truth, Saya released Diva from the tower so that her sister could sing at Joel's birthday party as a surprise. Diva used this opportunity for revenge against her captor and, after being freed, killed Joel. His final diary entry was covered in blood, with no further writings beyond that point. His actions in separating and raising the sisters had unintentionally set the stage for a century-spanning conflict.
The name Joel Goldschmidt was not limited to the original researcher. It became a title inherited by his descendants, each taking on the name as the head of the Red Shield. The most prominent of these is Joel Goldschmidt VI, who appears in the main timeline of the story. Following the tragedy at the Zoo, those who bore the name Joel dedicated their lives to fighting against the Chiropterans to rectify the actions of the very first Joel. As the current head of Red Shield, Joel Goldschmidt VI works primarily in the background, trusting his field operatives to handle day-to-day operations while he provides support, resources, and strategic direction. He is responsible for safeguarding and utilizing his ancestor’s diary, which contains all the organization’s accumulated knowledge about Saya, Diva, the Chevaliers, and the Chiropterans. Through him, the legacy and the burden of the original Joel Goldschmidt continue into the modern era.
Following their birth, Joel made a critical decision that would define his legacy. He chose to raise one of the girls, Saya, as his own daughter, providing her with a caring home, affection, and a normal upbringing. In stark contrast, he treated the other girl, who would be named Diva, purely as a scientific specimen. To study her in isolation, he locked Diva away in a tower, depriving her of human contact, love, and education, leaving only Amshel to provide for her most basic needs.
As a father figure to Saya, Joel was kind, attentive, and fulfilled her requirements, spending time with her and nurturing her. This side of his personality was warm and paternal. However, his behavior towards Diva revealed a cruel and detached scientific mindset. He viewed her not as a child but as an experimental subject, justifying her imprisonment and neglect as necessary for his research into evolution. This duality is central to his character; he was capable of great kindness for one and profound cruelty for another, a man described by the character Solomon as someone who simply did not know what to do with his vast wealth.
Joel kept meticulous records of all his findings, research, and important events in a personal diary. This document became known as Joel's Diary, and it contained a detailed chronicle of everything from the discovery of the mummy to the birth and treatment of the twin queens. The diary was destined to become a foundational text, passed down through generations of the Goldschmidt clan who would eventually form and lead the organization known as Red Shield in their fight against the Chiropterans. Its first entry began in 1832, and later entries detailed the girls' development, including observations of Saya's accelerated healing and the crystallization that occurred when the sisters' blood was mixed.
Joel's life came to a violent end in 1883 on his seventy-second birthday. Unaware of the full truth, Saya released Diva from the tower so that her sister could sing at Joel's birthday party as a surprise. Diva used this opportunity for revenge against her captor and, after being freed, killed Joel. His final diary entry was covered in blood, with no further writings beyond that point. His actions in separating and raising the sisters had unintentionally set the stage for a century-spanning conflict.
The name Joel Goldschmidt was not limited to the original researcher. It became a title inherited by his descendants, each taking on the name as the head of the Red Shield. The most prominent of these is Joel Goldschmidt VI, who appears in the main timeline of the story. Following the tragedy at the Zoo, those who bore the name Joel dedicated their lives to fighting against the Chiropterans to rectify the actions of the very first Joel. As the current head of Red Shield, Joel Goldschmidt VI works primarily in the background, trusting his field operatives to handle day-to-day operations while he provides support, resources, and strategic direction. He is responsible for safeguarding and utilizing his ancestor’s diary, which contains all the organization’s accumulated knowledge about Saya, Diva, the Chevaliers, and the Chiropterans. Through him, the legacy and the burden of the original Joel Goldschmidt continue into the modern era.