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Millions of Alorians go to bed at sundown, closing their windows and doors. They snuff out the lights one by one, hoping for a good night's sleep and the safe return of sunlight in the morning. The Vampire is the inspiration for almost every night terror and thing that goes bump in the dark. Insidious Afflicted who feeds off of the blood of the innocent, Vampires to most people are the quintessential evil. The Regalian Empire has fought whole wars just to keep them at bay, while they plot and scheme still to usurp civilization from within and build a nightmare where Vampires rule in endless night.
Role On-Server
Vampires are hated in Regalia by most lawful Characters. Knights, citizens, and vigilantes generally try to grab and arrest them for curing. However, Vampires are cool, and find natural allies in anti-law forces like Demon summoners, renegade Mages, and foreign saboteurs. While their goals don't always necessarily align, all of them are stuck opposing the machine that is the Regalian Government for their own reasons, and in the face of external pressure usually end up banding together. Vampires tend to be found in the Sewers, but if Glamoured or Disguised, can go just about anywhere with ease. Vampirism does not have any one nation, patron, or goal. Vampires are selfish, and will work with whatever allows them to live their lives.
Becoming a Vampire
There are multiple ways for Characters to become Vampires, requiring different setups. The following infection methods exist:
- Vampire bites always infect the victim during feeding. After a feeding, the victim will begin the process of turning into a Vampire.
- Drinking Vampire blood will immediately turn a willing individual into a Vampire. Only a chalice of infected blood is needed for the curse to manifest.
- Blood offerings in a willing ritual beseeching ancient powers for Vampirism can infect the one doing the ritual.
- Relic infection involves stumbling on an ancient, cursed Vampire relic, which instantly infects its finder and is then consumed.
Infection can take up to 72 hours to take hold, but the victim can choose how long it takes inside that range. During this time, Curing is easier. Someone giving in to the curse can be forcibly cured by Lothar Knights through a painful bloodletting process, while someone resisting the curse can go to a priest of any religion for a cleansing ritual. In either instance, the curse is removed. Once the window passes, the Character is considered a full Vampire, gaining Vampire Mechanics. To cure a full Vampire, refer to Curing below.
Curing
Only Vampires who seek curing can be cured. If they find someone who has Divinium and is willing to sacrifice it, they can perform a ritual to cleanse the Vampire's soul, freeing them of the curse's mental effects. After this, the Vampire remains recognizable as a Vampire, but no longer needs to drink blood and loses all Mechanics. After two weeks (or longer if desired), as long as the Vampire does not drink any blood, the Divinium is spent and the Vampire is fully cured.
Design
Vampires have sharp teeth, red eyes, and an urge to drink blood. Optional traits include prehensile tails, darkened and sunken eye sockets, pointy ears, claws, bat-like facial traits, digitigrade legs, Mutations, blood-stained skin or hands, etc. Mentally, Vampires have no conscience. Additionally, Vampirism is an emotion multiplier, making all of the person's bad traits from pre-Vampirism many times worse. Vanity, greed, selfishness, and cruelty are all heightened. Vampires often organize in groups. A group of Vampires is called a Coven, and a leader of a Coven is called a Desprince.
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Vampire Forms often feature bat-like ears, claws, and an unnatural body shape.
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Not all Vampires have red eyes. Other colors such as a sickly green are possible.
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Vampire Forms can appear far more alien in appearance, all to match the individual's preferences.
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Some Vampire Forms become more lich-like upon transformation, often by those aligned to the Hollow.
Mentality
Vampires must drink human blood regularly to survive. All mental changes Vampires have are designed to make them better at doing this. To this end, Vampires have greatly reduced empathy, an increased sense of possessiveness, and can optionally have heightened negative traits from before their Infection, like avarice, wrath, cruelty, or others. Not all Vampires, however, want to make more Vampires. There is a divide between classier upper-class Vampires who see their Affliction as an exclusive club for the worthy and prefer to live in the shadows where they can party and drink bloodwine in peace, and more martial, cultish Vampires who want to usurp the Empire and see the streets run with the blood of their enemies.
Each individual Vampire tends to exist somewhere on this spectrum. Vampire Covens (groups of Vampires) can also latch onto certain nations or ideologies. There are Vampires in the Regalian Empire and the Songaskian Masaya who consider themselves to work in the interests of the State and tip situations abroad in Regalia's favor, just as much as there are plotting cabals who want to turn the entire House of Kade and sink Regalia into the mud as revenge for its Vampire Wars. While you have flexibility, it should always be kept in mind that while a Vampire can believe in anything, they should project their own Vampirism onto it.
Vampire Mechanics
Common Mechanics
All Vampires get the following Mechanics.
Hidden Scourge |
You can magically hide your teeth and Afflicted eyes. This breaks during feeding. If you have the Shape Shifter Mechanic, using this Mechanic while shifted makes you unable to Combat Roleplay. If someone knows your real name and that you're a Vampire, this Mechanic doesn't work on them. |
Long Living |
You live much longer than the average life span of your heritage. You can live up to three times as long, and you can visually stop aging at a chosen age (must be at least 21). Additionally, you are immune to non-magical diseases and Afflictions. |
Sanguine Bargain |
You can grant immunity to Vampirism to any person willing to bargain with you. In turn, if the bargained person attacks you, reveals that you are a Vampire, or reveals the deal, they take massive damage (discuss together what this means before making the bargain). |
Mind Suggestion |
With OOC Consent, you can mind trick Characters into doing your bidding without establishing full Mind Control over them. These simple verbal commands are undetectable, but cannot be more complicated than a single sentence. |
Vampire Transformation |
You can transform into a Vampire Form, which is a Monstrous form with a unique Vampire-themed design that you can create. This counts as a Disguise and a Monstrous Transformation (illegal in Regalia). You remain in Vampire Form even after reaching 0 HP. |
Special Mechanics
Vampires may choose up to two Special Mechanics.
Vampiric Thralling |
You can convert recently infected characters into Thralls, curing their Vampirism, but mind controlling them by a Vampire of their choosing, allowing them to sell off Thralls and Blood Cattle. This can be removed by Exorcism, or by a Priest. |
Greater Strength |
You are stronger than the average normal person when it comes to out-of-Combat tests of strength. Whether it is in arm-wrestling, or other power competitions, you always gain bonus Dice. You can also carry much heavier loads than other normal people. |
Cinder Hearted |
You are an eternal ember, and your warmth can be shared with others. You are always immune to cold weather and frost-based Mechanics, and can extend this immunity up to 2 others by touch. Your hands and arms can also burn or cook non-living things with touch. Finally, you are immune to non-Magical fire, and can walk through it. |
Sea Walker |
You can breathe underwater and move with great speed (flywater Trait) while submerged and can see perfectly clearly underwater. You are also able to share your breath with one other person, though they do not become fast. This Mechanic does not grant Underwater Combat or Ability usage. |
Greater Hunter |
You are an apex hunter in the wilds, capable of greater sense of the hunt, sight, and hearing in nature. You can effortlessly capture mundane animals in the hunt, and may receive additional benefits during Monster Hunt Events or Monster encounters in the forests of Regalia. |
Vice Master |
You are a natural corruptor, able to detect what vices and corruptible traits others have (consent not needed). You can then also initiate a corruption cycle of another person, causing them to take on heightened vices, or go down a “corruption-arc” path where they become “evil” (this does require consent). |
Hollow Touched |
You are touched by the powers of the Hollow, causing the Undead to see you as one of their own. Greater Entities and Death Gods of the Hollow cannot see you unless you reveal yourself to them by speaking their name or at them. Mindless Undead or Bone Horrors won't attack you unless you attack, and you may have protections against harmful Hollow effects or Magic during Events (at the Dm's discretion). |
Free Walker |
You are immune to restraints of any kind. If you are bound or shackled, they effortlessly slip off you. If you are imprisoned or locked up, you can walk through locked doors to freedom. Keep in mind, you can still be attacked while attempting to break out! |
Honeyed Words |
You gain a +1 Bonus for every Persuasion /Dice roll, which is added to the final result. This Mechanic does nothing, if the Character already receives a +1, from for example Slizzar Heritage Mechanics. |
Man of Culture |
You can speak the language of any Event's theme, having learned it in the weeks before. For example, at an Elven ball, your Character can speak flawless Altalar. They understand all relevant gestures and cultural habits. After the Event ends, they immediately forget it. |
Universal Speech |
You can understand and speak all mortal and currently practiced languages from all the corners of the world. This Mechanic does not allow the understanding, writing and reading, or speaking of ancient or otherwise dead languages, or magical languages. |
Mind Thief |
With OOC consent, you can take memories, feelings, or passions from those you Vampirically feed on, and establish a mini-quest to retake them. This quest should be agreed on between you and the player who you received consent from. |
Broods

The child of one or more Vampires is called a Brood, or a Dhampir. They can be born with no Vampire visuals at all, or with red eyes and fangs (green if from a Hollow Bloodline), or anything in between. While it is not illegal to be a Brood, they may be attacked on sight by people who assume they are full Vampires.
All Broods get the following mechanics.
Night Vision |
You have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights, but does not have any Combat applications, and some Magical forms of darkness overrule Night Vision. |
Dhampir Blood |
Your blood will sizzle and spark with a low flame when exposed to sunlight if you are uninfected with Vampirism. This can be used to prove your identity as a Brood to non-Vampires. |
Bloodlines
While all Vampires come from a Bloodline, directly engaging with Bloodline lore is optional, since not all Vampires are loyal to their Bloodlines. All Bloodlines are Abyss aligned except for Zeragan and Mortisphages, who are Hollow aligned. The two Hollow aligned Bloodlines can optionally Roleplay their Feeding as feeding on Souls instead of Blood, but are otherwise the same in every way. Each Bloodline was created when a Desprince left Dorkarth, the original Vampire homeland, and either by cultural separation or making a deal with an Entity, changed the nature of the Vampires beneath them. Most Covens (groups of Vampires) have a mixture of various Bloodlines in them, benefitting from the different skills of each member.
Alais

Alais, also known as Socialite Vampires, were established by Desprinces Morvanus and Valtriante in Ithania to mingle within the upper echelons of the court. They favor mingling with aristocracy while charming their victims with fashion, opulence, silver tongues, and beauty. Alais Vampires have since spread to several noble courts, where they continue to hide in plain sight.
Nerocanto

Nerocanto, also known as Rogue Vampires, were established by Desprince Shannon in Vultaro where they adapted to the local Cantaluna political climate. They live a double life, charming their victims with operettas, orchestral music, and hauntingly beautiful instruments while simultaneously extorting them with the threat of infection should their Affliction be revealed, or their patronage end.
Vintgast

Vintgast, also known as Party Vampires, were established in Tirgunn where they supplied food and drink to local folk festivals, before feeding on unsuspecting victims who had celebrated too hard. 'Vintgast' is a Sarnan word, which popularly leads the Vintgast to boast that they are the oldest surviving splitoff lineage. They are skilled at saying out of sight from their Lothar hunters.
Torrghlas

Torrghlas, also known as Brute Vampires, were established by Desprince Mannis in Gallovia where they formed an alliance with the local Marken populations to prey on unsuspecting mountain travelers. They pride themselves in giving in to primal urges to become monstrous, bat-like Varghuls which earn Vampires the reputation of being creatures of malice and destruction.
Bremnevel

Bremnevel, also called Bog Vampires, were established by Desprince Zardar in the Anglian Morass where they used the swampy environment to lure in unsuspecting victims, trapping them in the peat and fog. They combine vampiric powers with knowledge of herbology and alchemy to create various potions to aid and harm others in a mockery of the local Anglian Witch Archon.
Silberfeder

Silberfeder, also called Tactician Vampires, were established by Desprince Colvan in the Wirtemcaller Kingdom where they infiltrated the Courts of the very soldiers who bested them in the Hidden War. They are obsessed with hierarchy and strategy, launching raids on villages to maximize the amount of terror inflicted on their campaigns.
Dymolov

Dymolov, also called Demon Vampires, were established by Desprince Ramonder in the Respublica Slavnogo Sveta where they adopted aspects of the Demon population before chasing the Krainivaya in their flight. They are known to adopt the appearances of monsters from local folklore, using the fear of these creatures to bring the nightmares of their victims to reality.
Dorkarthi

Dorkarthi, also called True Vampires, were established by the Sangaley Cult in the Hedrylli Empire before the Hidden War reduced their state to a rump kingdom. They desire long-awaited revenge on Regalia, yet have to deal with Desprinces who pay lip-service at best and actively plot rebellion at worst, while they are mired in war against the Urlan, Dwarves, and Isldar.
Zeragan

Zeragan, also called Lich Vampires, were established by Desprince Alejandro who made a deal with a Hollow entity lurking in an ancient Allorn crypt. Zeragan often take partially or fully skeletal appearances due to their Sire's deal, feeding on ancient knowledge and lurking in crypts where they greatly extend their lives in hopes that they will outlast time and Life itself.
Mortisphages

Mortisphages, also called Necromancer Vampires, were established by Desprince Kydaer after striking a deal with the Malefica to inflict death upon the enemies of the Vampires. Mortisphages utilize the powers of the Hollow to create bone constructs to fight their victims on their behalf, before feeding on their exhausted opponent at the very end.
History
Blood-hunger is an old curse, going back thousands of years. The Allorn Elves called it Sangaley, and it was to them just one of many Magic sicknesses that ran through the population. However, in the days immediately before Cataclysm, a powerful Abyss entity realized that the draining of Magic from the world would limit its ability to affect things for the foreseeable future, and so mutated Sangaley into what is now understood as Vampirism. There is no clear narration about who, or what, created Vampires. There are stories that it was a Velheim Mage concluding a forbidden ritual initially designed to fight the Isldar, an Allorn Cabal pushing the boundaries of Abyss Magic, a Demon Duke, Demon Sovereign, an Evolist God, an Arken, and more. No entity seems eager to claim it, but the Vampires have taken a liking to this, as it also means no entity demands their loyalty. Whatever the case, no longer just a hunger for blood, it became a highly contagious mind-warping curse that spread like wildfire and built hierarchies around itself.
Designed to usurp Ailor more than the Magic-wise Elves, Vampirism fulfilled its purpose with horrific excellence, and spread through the Velheim Ailor kingdoms of Ellador so fast that they buckled and begged Regalia for help. With its assistance, they fought back the Vampires in what is called the Hidden War, because of Regalia's firmness on hiding all evidence of its existence from the public to avoid causing a panic. While the war was a large success, concealing it backfired, as without awareness Vampirism slipped into Regalia as well and immediately started multiplying. In the modern day, Vampires are so numerous and diverse that they do not serve the will of any one God, creed, or nation. Their curse, beloved by them as their blessing, is theirs to use as they will.
Trivia
- The title "Desprince" refers to a vampire warlord or coven leader. Vampires often refer to the Dorkarthi warlords who established their bloodlines as Desprince Sires.
- It is rare for the Desprince Sires to infringe on each others' territorial boundaries. Two Sires willingly working together is often due to ancient bonds forged over centuries of cooperation, which is a rarity amongst their ranks.
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