Full Name: Carlisle Cullen
Status: Vampire
Date of Birth: 1640s
Date of change to vampire: After 1663 – he was 23
Originally from: London, England
Hair color: Blond
Eye color: Vampire gold/black
Height: 6’2”
Physical description: Very handsome, like a movie star
Special talents: Compassion
Occupation: Medical Doctor
Family members: Married to Esme Considers Edward, Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper as his "children."
Nick Names: Stregoni Benefici
Source of change: Unnamed sewer vampires
Hobbies: Medicine - can easily resist the temptation of human blood
Car: Mercedes S55 AMG – black
Personal history: The son of an Anglican pastor, Carlisle was raised during a time of religious persecution. His father led hunts for witches, werewolves, and vampires all in the name of ridding the world of evil. As his father grew older, Carlisle was placed in charge of the raids. Carlisle wasn’t as enthusiastic about killing as his father was, but he was clever enough to discover a coven of true vampires living in the sewers of the city. He set a trap for the vampires and chased one down. Carlisle believes that the vampire was actually too hungry to run and consciously decided to 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 how his father would react, Carlisle crawled into a cellar and buried himself in rotting potatoes for the three days of the change. When he emerged, he was a vampire. At first he tried to destroy himself by jumping from great heights or drowning in the ocean. 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 he attacked a herd of passing deer. He found that living off of the blood of animals could sustain his life and was infinitely more humane than taking the life of a human. Over the course of two centuries, he developed a sort of immunity to the scent of human blood and was able to become a medical 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. Naturally, 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. Shortly there after, he moved on to Chicago.
He spent several years in Chicago and was nearing the end of his allotted time. (Looking the way he does, he can generally stay in one area until the people believe him to be around the age of 35, and then he has to leave.) The influenza epidemic broke out in the city and Carlisle found himself treating Edward, 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 pair moved to northern Wisconsin where, in 1921, Carlisle again tended to Esme. This time her injuries were from a failed suicide attempt. 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. (Again, just the one time.)
Carlisle then found and changed Rosalie with the intention for her to be a companion to Edward, but it wasn’t to be. Carlisle then changed Emmett after Rosalie found him being mauled by a bear. 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 Quileute Indians 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.
The family returned to Forks, Washington after a stay in Alaska. At the start of Twilight, they have lived there for two years.
