Comte Antoine de C-- is the last remaining member of the line of noble Comtes de C-- and the main protagonist of H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Alchemist". His last name is not revealed in the story, and only the first letter is given. Antoine's family was cursed after his ancestor Comte Henri wrongly accused and murdered the reclusive alchemist Michel Mauvais. Michel's son, Charles le Sorcier, cursed the family, declaring that none of the heirs would live beyond the age of 32.
The curse came true for the majority of the family. By the time Comte Antoine was born, the family castle fell into such disrepair that it was unlivable, and he ended up living in a single tower. Antoine never knew his parents, for his father died from the curse, while his mother died in childbirth. Thus he was taken care of by the only remaining servant, Pierre, who died when Antoine was 30, presumably of natural causes.
However, Comte Antoine was able to avoid his fate after the murderer, the long-lived Charles le Sorcier, botched Antoine's assassination and was burned alive by the torch that Antoine was carrying at the time.
Behind the Mythos[]
In the comic book adaptation from The Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft series, the C-- stands for Chabrillane.