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Vampirism, also known as the Sanguine Curse, is a [[Void]]-spawned blood-curse that has plagued [[Aloria]] for hundreds of years. Often seen as a disease and hated by most of Aloria's people, this affliction causes the infected to undergo both physical and mental transformations. Vampirism can be cured by an aggressive and somewhat lengthy process, though many Vampires desperately attempt to avoid being cured, or even seek re-infection. This is caused both by the curse itself changing the thoughts of the infected, but also by the fact that most authorities across Aloria are excessively cruel to Vampires. In the [[Regalian Empire]], being a Vampire is seen as being something unholy—akin to being a [[Demon]]. Such creatures are either killed on sight by Vampire hunters or dragged away screaming to imprisonment and isolation. Frequent Vampire executions are held by the faithful, causing most Vampires across the world to live hiding in dark alleys, caves, and sewer tunnels. Indeed, Vampires are considered leeches on society as they feed themselves on the blood of the unwilling and powerless, empowered by darkness and Void Energies. Whole religions have been founded on the idea that Vampirism is the next step in Human advancement (despite the curse also striking non-Humans), and some contract the disease willingly for the powers it grants. Globally, Vampirism is on the rise since the last [[Great Vampire Wars]]. Global conflict with the [[Void Invasion]], Imperial wars, and more recently, the [[Bone Horror Crisis]], have all weakened local authorities to the point of breaking. Vampires often follow in the wake of a weary population, feeding and making use of what they can. Vampirism has grown so prolific that among the [[Regalian]] Emperor’s close court, some nobles have fallen to the sway of Vampirism, secretly plotting the destruction of the Empire from within. Even far in the north, a Vampire Principality exists in [[Ellador]], the state of [[Dorkarth]] entirely inhabited by Vampires and their feeding cattle, seeking to overthrow neighboring Kingdoms.  
Vampirism, also known as the Sanguine Curse, is a Void-spawned blood-curse that has plagued [[Aloria]] for thousands of years. A disease hated by most of Aloria's people, this affliction causes the infected to undergo both physical and mental transformations, and has come and gone with the ebb and flow of [[Void Invasions]]. Vampirism can be cured by an aggressive and somewhat lengthy process, though many Vampires desperately attempt to avoid being cured, or even seek re-infection, spurred as much by the mental changes incurred by the curse as it is by the excessive cruelty of Alorian authorities towards Vampires. In the [[Regalian Empire]], Vampirism is regarded as unholy or even Demonic, as often treated with curing as it is imprisonment or outright execution; [[Unionist]] faithful make frequent shows of Vampiric executions, driving Vampires into living in the outskirts or underbellies of settlements. Indeed, Vampires are considered leeches on society as they feed themselves on the blood of the unwilling and powerless, empowered by darkness and Void Energies. Whole religions have been founded on the idea that Vampirism is the next step in [[Human]] advancement (despite the curse also striking non-Humans), and some contract the disease willingly for the powers it grants. Globally, Vampirism has been on the rise since the end of the [[Great Vampire Wars]]. Global conflict with the Void Invasion, Imperial wars, and more recently, the [[Bone Horror Crisis]], have all weakened local authorities to the point of breaking. Vampires often follow in the wake of a weary population, feeding and making use of what they can. Vampirism has grown so prolific that among the Regalian Emperor’s close court, some nobles have fallen to the sway of Vampirism, secretly plotting the destruction of the Empire from within. Even far in the north, a Vampire Principality exists in [[Ellador]], the state of [[Dorkarth]] entirely inhabited by Vampires and their feeding cattle, seeking to overthrow neighboring Kingdoms.
 
=Vampiric Infection=
==History of Vampirism==
===Infection===
The history of Vampirism is shrouded in mystery, not in the least because most authorities across the world attempt to eradicate any mention of Vampirism in their historical narratives. Historians who research Vampirism certainly exist, but are quickly imprisoned and have their materials burned for being deemed a threat to the state, especially in Regalia, where anything to do with Vampirism or the consumption of blood is taboo. Still, some hidden libraries in Vampire dens, secret categories in Qadir libraries, or the great records of the Dorkarth Princes contain information about the historical events surrounding Vampirism. Many of these sources will easily date the source of Vampirism to shortly after the Cataclysm, particularly in and around the Empire of Hedryll, on the southwestern corner of Ellador. The Empire of Hedryll enjoyed relative prosperity as opposed to poverty in the neighboring states. The Dwarven Holds were still recovering from their warfare with the Nelfin and soon were being devastated by the Dakkar, whatever western nations had existed were all but in ruin after the Fifth Void Invasion, and those states south of the region, including the fledgeling Regalian Empire, were all small and internally unstable. Certainly, it could be said that the Empire of Hedryll was at the time the dominant Ailor state in existence, it spanned lands miles upon miles apart, and raiding brought in many riches in a post-Allorn Empire world where most nations were rebuilding and not focusing on their military like Hedryll had. But then came the [[Great Vampire Wars]], conflicts fierce and devastating that destroyed Hedryll’s dominance while also endangering the world.
Vampiric Infection can occur in a number of ways. The most common method for Vampiric Infection is through feeding, which is explained in the Vampire Special “Vampire Feeding” (see below). There exist, however, two other forms of infection also that are somewhat lesser known. The second method is to perform the dark ritual to the Archdemon. This involves finding a Dark Altar, which are usually effigies built by Vampires to praise the Arch-Void, the greatest of all Demons from the Void. Any blood offered to this Dark Altar will turn into infected blood; consuming this blood will cause the drinker to instantly become a Vampire. The third method is to willingly drink half a cup of blood from any Vampire who had directly blood-letted their own blood into a cup. Vampires gain no sustenance from feeding on other Vampires, but the mundane can be turned into a Vampire by consuming a decent amount of Vampiric Blood; this does not work on large quantities of liquid, and so Vampiric Blood cannot be used to unwittingly infect large groups of people.
 
===Exceptions===
These wars lasted until 89 AC, when the Hedrylli forces were finally able to push back the Vampires and exterminate a majority of them (though many more had already slipped out into wider Aloria). In the wake of the conflict, the severe population decline in Hedryll was something the small Kingdom never recovered from, and to this day, the threat of Vampires in Ellador remained minute. This has largely been thanks to the zealous crusading society of the [[Ohrneti]], who kill most Vampires that dare to lurk too long on Ellador’s mainland, but also because of the great diaspora that occurred at the tail end and conclusion of the Great Vampire Wars. Opportunistic Vampires determined that the wider world had greater opportunities, with richer lands and softer targets for their actions. Thus, the other Bloodlines of Aloria were born and over the past 200 years or so, Vampire fortunes rose and fell over the decades as attempts were made to establish local communities which were quickly snuffed out, especially by the Regalian Empire’s efforts to cleanse the world of what it considered unholy heresy. Vampires eventually started infiltrating the Empire itself, redoubling their efforts on targeting their biggest enemy of all. In present times, most layers of the Empire have been infiltrated by Vampires and Vampire sympathizers, waiting for their time to strike at Regalia’s own weakness and isolation, waiting for a time when they can establish a global Vampire Empire of their own as blessed by the Archdemon.
* Url cannot be infected with Vampirism, as their blood is caustic to infected blood. Vampires also cannot feed from Url, as any attempt to bite through their neck fur fails, and even if they got their hands on some Url blood, it would taste incredibly acidic.
 
* Avanthar can be infected with Vampirism, but due to their Genetic Mastery, have developed a bodily mechanic to mutate Vampirism into something else. (Pending implementation, use normal Vampirism for now)
Alternatively, the global spread of Vampirism over the centuries and revelation of the Curse’s infectibility towards all known Alorian races has witnessed the rise of various Covens, discreet and otherwise, from their less than humble origins of Dorkarth to the Songaskian Masaya and even the Maraya Mothership. This seeping spread throughout known Aloria, whilst meeting the original goal of widespread infection, has diluted the overall original goal and strict Dorkarthian Culture of Vampirism. Instead, the now diversified Bloodlines aid individuals as a corrupting tool to see their own goals, dreams and ambitions realized within the towns, cities and communities in which they would reside. This occurs to such an extent, in fact, that many Covens battle for supremacy of a certain ‘territory’ with others and such is commonplace in more populated and diversified cities, such as the Holy City of Regalia. Even the Vampiric Courts of Dorkarth are known not to have a central leader, with rival Desprinces playing at intrigue and politics as a twisted reflection of the Regalian peerage. Ultimately, the future of Vampirism remains in the hands of those with the most power, prestige, and influence to further it in whichever direction they see fit; to either remain content in ruling the shadows, or to step forth to claim all those within the light.
* As Vampirism is an Affliction, those who already have any other type of Affliction are unable to become Vampires. Additionally, those that already have Vampirism cannot become Afflicted with any other type of Affliction.
 
* Primal Mages, Dragon Wardens and Archblood are immune to becoming Vampirically infected. They can still be fed from like normal however, even if Vampires say that Archblood blood tastes exceptionally stale.
==Vampirism Infection==
* Ordial Mages, Undead, and other Ordial empowered are immune to becoming Vampirically infected. While Ordial Mages can be drunk from, Undead don’t have blood that Vampires can be satiated from.
Vampirism Infection can occur one of three ways. The primary method of infection is for Vampires to use their Vampiric Bite. Vampiric Bite is not the same as regular Blood Drinking. When a Vampire drinks blood, they simply use their fangs to puncture any part of the body close to veins, and consume blood from the wound. The Vampiric Bite differs, in that the Vampire specifically makes a small cut on their tongue inside their mouth before biting, which results in the Vampire’s own blood mixing with the victim’s blood. This is called a Vampiric Bite, and while Blood Drinking has a 0% chance of infection, the Vampiric Bite has a 50% chance of infection, when the intention is clearly to infect others. When using a Vampiric Bite, the victim must roll /dice 1 2, with 1 being saved from infection, and 2 being infected.  
* Exist and Void Mages can become Vampires, but are always classified as Graal Vampires, and as such cannot use the second set of five Abilities granted by the Vampire kit.
 
* Immunity from Vampirism can be bought through Affliction [[Arcanology]]. This pack does incur Proficiency cost, but grants immunity to Blood Sickness that occurs when infection does not take hold.
Another method for infection is the consumption of half a cup of Vampire blood, which can be mixed with another drink or diluted, as long as the blood was at least half a cup. This drink can both be consumed voluntarily and involuntarily. When consuming an infected drink, infection is guaranteed at 100%. The third and final method of infection is to perform the Void Blood ritual. This involves praying to the Void deities, before sacrificing some sort of critter animal on a Void Altar, and then consuming at least half a cup of its blood. This Void Blood ritual has a 100% infection rate also, but can only be performed voluntarily by the ritual performer. The first and second infection method result in the person being infected by the Bloodline of the person donating the blood or biting them, while the third ritual will result in an infection based on the Bloodline the performer feels most closely connected to. All Vampiric Bloodlines can infect others through these methods, except for Alais Vampires, who can only guide others through the Void Blood Ritual to become an Alais specifically.  
* Void Silven can become Vampires, but only Graal type Vampires, meaning they are unable to use the second set of Vampire Abilities granted by Vampirism. Exist Silven cannot become Vampires at all.
 
===Mental Changes===
Once a Vampire has become a particular Bloodline, they will remain that Bloodline until cured. If they are re-infected, they may choose to change to the Bloodline of the new infector. Vampiric Forms may change per Bloodline, but once a character has a Vampiric form for one Bloodline, that cannot change outside of ret-cons. After infection, a person will not yet fully be infected for about 24 hours. After the first 24 hours, and up to 72 hours after being bitten, the person will experience confusion, cold shakes, and hunger that cannot be satiated. After the third day, they will fully become a Vampire and unlock mutations, while also being extremely hungry, and having a practically unstoppable bloodlust to find the nearest victim they can safely get their hands on and satiate their hunger. Once they have done this, the mental aspects of being a Vampire also kick in. Certain Races may be immune to infections, if they are, this will be clarified on their relevant Race Page. Being a Vampire does not interfere with Racial Abilities, though Primal Aberrancy Individuals and Mages are immune to infection, as the Essences in them stop them from being infected.  
When a Vampire becomes infected with the Sanguine Curse, their mental outlook on themselves, others, and the world changes. This is a magical effect caused by the Affliction itself, and thus applies exactly the same to everyone who becomes a Vampire, though the severity may differ between races. For example, while an Ailor may become more selfish and vain, the egotistical and self-aggrandizing nature of Altalar will be amplified to even greater heightsFor ease of reference, the mental changes are recorded in a bullet point list below:
 
* Vampires do not have a conscience. In most cases they can just do whatever they like without feeling guilt or remorse over anything. They are certainly not self destructive and can distinguish long-term effects of their decisions, they just no longer care about the feelings and wellbeing of others. Vampires can be anxious, but only rarely suffer from self-doubt.
'''OOC Note:''' Because feeding is not always possible, it usually fine to assume a character has fed on an NPC citizen for day to day rp. This is purely for practicality sake, because there aren't enough players around to constantly feed every Vampire. The only exception to this is Vampires who are imprisoned (who should roleplay out being deprived of blood) and Vampires who have certain Vampiric Mutations which rely specifically on feeding at a specific time, or to trigger a specific ability. In such cases, the feeding must always be done IC and cannot be time skipped (save for situations where the curers are not providing consistent roleplay) or assumed from an NPC. If you suspect a player has not fed off a person but is using a feeding based ability anyway, report them to Lore Staff for God-Rp. Everyone should always keep in mind however that being fed on, or being turned into a Vampire, is not a permission based thing, and should always be roleplayed out for character development sake.
* Vampires gain a more possessive and domineering sense of love or friendship. While Vampires can certainly still have friends and lovers, by far and large, this affection is more through the scope of “You belong to me”, instead of “I love you”. They can still care, but only insofar one cares for their own possessions, and are very prone to jealousy.
 
* Vampires are very full of themselves, believing in their own physical and mental superiority over those who are uninfected. They see the uninfected as either: soon to be infected, undeserving of infection, or blood-cattle to sustain on. Vampires will frequently use the uninfected to achieve their goals.  
==Vampire Culture & Rituals==
* Vampires are anti-religious. Any concept of spirituality is lost to Vampires, with the exception of Void God or (Void) Arken worship. A Vampire may still pretend to worship their pre-infection faith, but know deep down that it is all pretend. Vampires show particular disregard for holy sites or religious artifacts.
Though the crimson curse remains synonymous with the Void, bloodlust and inherent violence, Vampirism at its core is a means of freedom from the constraints of such ideas as Religion, morality, Culture and even family, thus leaving any Vampire to live their life as they truly wish to without internal hindrance. This allowed for a breath of freedom from a potentially unsatisfying life for the common peasant. This, coupled with the origins of various sub-cultures within the named Bloodlines, makes for unconstrained potential within individualized coven culture. Whilst some Covens remain entirely composed of a singular, like-minded Bloodline such as a Von-Kerle Bandit or Mercenary Group, or Alais Virtearist Circle, others are comprised of various Bloodlines under a more open-minded Coven Leader where one Bloodline covers for the weaknesses of another. As such, depending on the goals, ideals, and mentality of the Coven as a whole, and reflectively the Coven Leader themselves, Covens will have their own traditions, holidays, festivities, and rituals. Due to the nature of Bloodlines passing infection from one to the other, however, rituals and festivities most commonly utilized among certain Bloodlines are passed unto further removed Covens across Aloria to interpret, tweak and utilize as they see fit.  
* Vampires are not necessarily anti-establishment. While many Vampires seek to destroy the Regalian Empire, there are just as many who believe that the Empire is in fact the easiest tool or vehicle through which to expand their own influence and power, and to infect more with Vampirism. A Vampire can still be loyal to the Emperor, hoping to one day make him a Vampire.  
 
===Curing===
===The Faceless Masquerade===
The Vampiric Infection can only ever truly be cured through one way: the Sakrosanct. The Sakrosanct is an ancient ruin found on the Regalian Isle which houses an inner chamber which has some sort of effect on the Vampiric Infection (or Cahal Affliction). The exact first curing of a Vampire through the Sakrosanct has been lost to time, however the process has been transferred between Arcanologists. In order to cure a Vampire, a person with the Pack “Curing Knowledge”, as well as at least 10 Proficiency Points invested in Medical Training, must be present to lead the ritual. The exact process of the ritual is not wholly relevant and may be up to the player to dictate. The individual intended to be cured must be placed inside the curing chamber (which can contain up to two people at a time), after which the chamber is sealed and the curing begins. The ritualist may then perform their desired ritual, and a timer should be set for 10 minutes. If nobody has shown up to try and free the Vampire in the curing chamber (and the player being cured not notifying that someone is on their way), then the curing process is time-skipped and completed instantly. If someone arrives and attempts to break out the Vampire, then the Curing can only be completed when the attackers have been defeated and left. If the defenders are defeated by the attackers, the Curing ritual is interrupted and the Vampire may be freed. In both instances, attackers and defenders may not be captured, and must be allowed to leave by the victor.  
The Faceless Masquerade was first conceived at the peak of Dorkarth’s superiority and rise of The Pale Whisper; however, following the Great Vampire Wars, all credit to this practice’s creation typically falls to the Virtearist Alais and Milôt Nobility within various Courts of various Kings dotting the Regalian Empire. Though Masquerades themselves are far from uncommon among Nobility, the Faceless Masquerade requires those Vampires participating to disguise themselves with far more than just a mask; often dying their hair or taking alchemical substance to change the shade of their skin and the tone of their voice. A simpler alternative, however, is any Bloodline with the power to using some sort of magical disguise. With this transformation complete, the gathered Vampires then familiarize with each other’s disguises, slipping into public and private events alike with fabricated personas to mingle with the populous; most commonly during masquerade balls. These Vampires work to support their fabricated backstories (typically masquerading as wealthy merchants or aristocrats) with the aid of fellow disguised Vampires, thus misleading and deluding their victims to believe a persona that does not exist. Many Vampires utilize this joint effort to seduce away valuable political players or steal valuable items by use of their abilities and addictive drinks. For some Vampires, the Faceless Masquerade never truly ends -- as those bored with their immortality simply move from one mask to the next. It remains an ideal way to pick for potential new-blood Coven Members from a herd of unsuspecting charismatic socialites. 
=Blooded Vampire=
===The Fledgling Hunt===
Blooded Vampires, sometimes also called Regular Vampires or Normal Vampires, are the most commonly found type of Vampire which can either operate as a lone wolf, an occasional ally, or a member of a greater Coven or group.
Among the Dorkarth, Wyrden and handful of von Kerle Vampires, the Fledgling Hunt is a ceremonial practice undertaken when newly blooded Vampires, or ‘Fledglings’, lack opportunity to ‘prove’ their ability to the remainder of the Coven. Typically, the Vampires will disperse from their Coven Nest and scour any and all nearby social areas such as taverns, campsites, and settlements during the daytime, typically sending inconspicuous or charismatic Vampires to infiltrate such societies. At the break of dusk, these Vampires then return to their Coven Nest and report their findings to the Coven’s leader, or leader’s designated Prince of the Hunt. The Coven’s leader then makes a final call on the location to be struck or, more rarely, a specific group of prey to be tracked, after which follows an hour or so of ‘preparation’. This preparation process differs from Coven to Coven, where some sharpen their claws in silent focus and meditation, and others exercise their combat strength against one another to warm themselves up, or simply decorate themselves with warpaints of dark, muddied colours. Following this hour of preparation and upon the rising of the full moon, the Coven then descends to either capture and feast upon their selective prey, or indiscriminately feast and disperse. Ultimately, this is part of an initiation of the new-blood Vampires to the Coven, where all hunt together and fight together. Alternatively, those Vampires deemed too weak are picked off in these hunts by the forces they face, leaving the difficulty of the hunt in the hands of the Coven Leader who ultimately decides the quarry. As such, the Fledgling Hunt is an ideal way of trimming useless fighters from a Coven.
===Vampire Abilities===
 
All Vampires have access to the following five Abilities regardless if they have any Abilities or Packs from Sorcery, Engineering, or Alchemy.  
===Duellings of Wutienda===
{| class="wikitable"
Initially devised by the Dorkarth Princes as a means to settle disagreements in a fashionable manner, the Duelling of Wutienda are most often practiced between two displeased Vampires looking to settle their mutual displeasure with a contest of combat skill within the Ring of Malice; a combat ring or pit glyphed by a member of either the Dorkarth Bloodline or a Vampire-attuned [[Ezekiel]]. It requires a drop or more of Dorkarth Bloodline blood to be spilt upon it to activate. This Ring, once activated, disallows any further entry or exit via a painful arcane barrier until the duel is over; until all others within the ring are deceased bar one. As such, a Duel can take place either between two Vampires, or as a free-for-all within which only the final Vampire standing is victor. The ring will simply not activate should any non-Vampires be within the ring. Once the Duel is complete, the Ring’s warding absorbs and drains all spilt blood from the dead whilst aglow with ominous energies, then revives the deceased Vampires to their physical states just prior to the Ring’s Activation, albeit somewhat weaker and more fatigued; almost as if feeding on the blood itself. The victorious Vampire’s wounds are not healed, though following the draining of deceased Vampire blood, their hunger feels satiated for the next few days.
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
 
! Ability Name
The first victor within any Coven’s first established Ring of Malice is dubbed the Champion of Wutienda and only one Champion can exist in any one Coven at any given time. They are furthermore marked by a glowing palm-sized crimson Glyph anywhere atop their skin, though this glyph can be obscured by clothing. Naturally, it’s a rare treat to watch two Champions of Malice from opposing Covens duel for supremacy, where the victor’s glyph expands to the size of two Glyphs whilst the loser loses theirs entirely, leaving the losing Coven to instate a new Champion amongst their Ring of Malice. Champions of Malice that are cured lose their glyphs as well. Should the victor of such a battle (with a glyph the size of two or more glyphs) lose to a member of their Coven following, that Coven Member is dubbed the new Champion and receives the starting Glyph. Von Kerle Vampires, typically chosen by Desprinces as Bodyguards and Gladiators, often duel in such pits on behalf of their Masters should two or more come into a disagreement, with some legends rumoured to have glyphs worth five or more victories against rival Covens spanning their bodies. In theory, a Vampire from any Bloodline could act as a combat representative for a Desprince or Coven Leader. As such, it’s not unusual to see multiple allied Covens orchestrate entire structured tournaments to invigorate their various combattants, or simply set a particularly renowned Vampire Combattant against a multitude of starved feral Vampires for sport.
! Ability Type
===The Ritual of Projections===
! Ability Range
By use of this ritual, any Vampire-attuned Ezekiel is able to summon a ghastly ethereal Tome (of any chosen aesthetic design) comprised of their accumulated knowledge, arcane or otherwise. This Tome may not be stolen, conventionally or through arcane means, as any who attempt to touch it simply phase through it. Even the Ezekiel is unable to touch it, instead causing it to levitate ahead of them whilst manipulating page flipping through arcane hand motions. Whilst this tome is summoned, the Ezekiel is endowed with various glowing runes etched into their bodies (inclusive of any transformations to Lich form). By flipping through the pages of the Tome, the Lich is thus able to project visualizations onto any nearby wall (including the ceiling or floor) for others to view. This wall must be prepared with a runic glyph-circle etched or drawn into it, such as with chalk, blood, paint, or carvings. For instance, if the Lich were offering a lecture on [[Dragons]], they could project a vision of Dragons; regardless of whether or not the Lich had ever seen Dragons. As such, they are even able to project their memories, but may only project one vision on one wall at a time, manipulating only what is seen on the ‘screen’. They are unable to perform this ritual within combat, nor for any purpose besides the sharing of knowledge or telling of stories. It is designed to allow for wisened Ezekiel Vampires to lead more engaging lectures and sermons regarding all which they have learned, or to entertain their Coven with stories of their travels.
! Ability Description
 
! Modifiers
==Vampire Bloodliness==
|-
===[[Alais Bloodline]]===
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Subjugation Immune
The [[Alais Bloodline]] originates from the Ithanian courts where a powercouple of a Dorkarth Princess and a Princess of the local Hivres contacted dark powers to set themselves apart from the general Vampire population as both more sophisticated and being better at blending in with the normal population. Their Danse Macabre spread itself across the various courts of the world, to the point where it is in present times likely the most wide-spread form of Vampirism, intent on infiltrating the high courts and creating a paradise of self-please and gratification.
| Constant Passive
 
| Self
===[[Milôt Bloodline]]===
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Subjugation Immune | The user is immune to any Specials that would involve establishing mind control or command control over them.
[[Milôt Bloodline]] are the extravagant extroverts, the partying drink and food makers of Vampire society that help their fellow Vampires blend in and do their work without being seen. They are perhaps also the most unlike other Vampires in that they have their own intentions and ambitions and their own plans, and can generally socialize well with both Vampires and non Vampires without constantly feeling a disdain for them.
}}
 
| N/A
===[[Wyrden Bloodline]]===
|-
The [[Wyrden Bloodline]] originate from the forests and Walds of Anglia, created by an ostracized Desprince who preached the death of Vampire-Kind at the hands of the [[Cahal]]. This Desprince then cloistered themselves away to become one with nature, and gain dominion over it. When the Wyrden Bloodline finally emerged, they sought the proliferation of the Sanguine curse and protection of their way of life. Though their teachings are often looked down upon, their powers of healing and protection are invaluable, and Wyrden quickly spread to all kinds of Vampire Covens and Courts, taking root.
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Disrupt Channel
 
| Instant Power
===[[von Kërle Bloodline]]===
| Self
[[Von Kërle]] Vampires hail from the Calemberg cities and dark-walds, the high-military high-class realms of the Regalian Empire. Born from the sacrifice of a Dorkarthian Vampire Prince to empower his lover, Count von Kërle, the blood-line spread quickly as its militant prowess and power became apparent to all who would combat them. Now the trademark enemies of Darkwald Knights and Calembergers, the Von Kërle Bloodline is drawn by conflict and combat, and found all across Aloria.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Disrupt Channel | The user performing this Ability disrupts any and all Channel Abilities within Emote Distance. The Channel that is Canceled has its cooldown forcibly set to 5 Minutes, regardless if that Cooldown was shorter or longer prior. This Ability has a 30 Minute Cooldown.
 
}}
===[[Graal Bloodline]]===
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The Vampire performs a loud Vampiric shriek to use this Ability.
The [[Graal Bloodline]] originates from the slums of urban centers, far from the Alais palaces, the von Kërle forts, among the downtrodden and farm-hands that have never seen an Occult creature. The Graal Bloodline is not a typical Bloodline, in that it has a simplified structure with 80% of its Abilities stripped away for a simplified Ability-kit, for those who don't like playing with lots of Abilities, or those who want to play a Vampire + something else, for example Faith Manifest, which is usually denied on all other Bloodlines.
}}
 
|-
===[[Dorkarth Bloodline]]===
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Home Advantage
Vampires of the [[Dorkarth Bloodline]] were the first of the Vampires, the original Bloodline created by the Princes of Dorkarth in Ellador. While their numbers have dwindled since the great period of Vampiric superiority in Ellador, they retain a strong military and own the legendary Dreadforts, flying castles of doom and destruction where anguish and suffering is inflicted on those who would get in the way of the Dorkarthi design on world power and influence. With their close connection to the Void, the Dorkarth Vampires, despite their numbers, remain the most dangerous Bloodline known to the Regalian Empire.
| Home Power
 
| Self
===[[Rokhaal Bloodline]]===
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Home Advantage  | While within the user’s own Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine Base, they gain +5 Physical Stat (that can break Physical Stat Limit), and may re-roll a failed dice roll a second time.
The [[Rokhaal Bloodline]] is a bit of an oddity in that it is not actually considered a Bloodline among Vampires, but rather a (ironical from their perspective) corrupted Vampire Bloodline. The Rokhaal are, simply put, a Primal-recycled Vampire Bloodline that uses Primal Magic to turn the Vampire against their own kind, producing a breed of Vampire and Cahal-hunting Vampires that still subsist as Vampires, but fight fire with fire. Rokhaal Vampirism cannot be acquired through any of the regular means of Vampirism Infection, and have to be infected through a very specific ritual described on the Page. Rokhaal Vampires also also universally despised by all other Vampire Bloodlines, as the Rokhaal Vampires serve Draga Ifrit of the [[Cult of Evolution]], a religion that is very anti-Vampire, and actively hunt Vampires as their mode of sustenance.
}}
 
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The Vampire may additionally create small non-intrusive illusions inside their own home like food that isn’t really there, or paintings that show a different person than is actually depicted.
==Bloodline Mutations==
}}
Vampirism knows a number of bloodlines that divide the Vampires over certain sub-cultures. These Bloodlines all have certain origins, and are usually perpetuated by one Vampire infecting another and recruiting them into their Bloodline.  Any Vampire can at any age or any time gain Mutations, and doing so does not cost Proficiency Points. Simply not adding any Mutations is allowed too, Mutations are not mandatory. If a Vampire is cured, their Mutations are lost (where applicable). If the character is re-infected, the exact same Mutations are re-activated. Some Mutations also have special rules, please refer to the Special Bloodline Mutation Rules to make sure you read all the information before making any choices. If you need further help, please consult with Lore Staff.
|-
 
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Omniaware
==Vampire Brood==
| Constant Passive
Vampire Broods are created when Vampires of any Bloodline, except Alais and Rokhaal, reproduce with other Vampires, or even non-Vampires. Vampire Broods are frequently mistaken for actual Vampires because they share some appearance traits, but are not actually Vampires (but they can be infected by Vampirism). Because of their appearance, while Vampire broods aren’t explicitly illegal, they are severely mistrusted by other mundane peoples around them. Vampire Brood status is incurable, meaning the person is always a Brood, however they are never a fully manifested Vampire. That being said, any time they come into contact with a Vampiric Bite or Vampiric Blood infection, they are always (100%) infected into the Vampirism Bloodline that they were born with (the Bloodline usually follows the Bloodline of the “dominant” parent’s Bloodline, whatever qualification for dominance is used (Player choice). Vampire Broods (regardless of what Bloodline they belong to) are born with the following Abilities:
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Omniaware | The user cannot be taken by surprise from any direction, even if they cannot see the direction from which an attack or Ability is coming from. This does not guarantee a dodge or counter, it only gives the user more room to decide how to best respond.
}}
| N/A
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Home Teleport
| Escape Power
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Home Teleport | Based on a condition in the Modifier, the user is able to use a single-use teleport to their Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine Base instantly.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | In order to use this Ability, the Vampire must have successfully fed from another player Character in the last 10 seconds. This Ability is obviously telegraphed as the Vampire turns into a puff of red smoke which the feeding victim will not remember, but any other spectators will. If the Vampire is still actively being aggressed or chased by other Characters, this Ability will not work. They must be completely out of Combat after the Feeding.
}}
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Vampires have access to the following six Abilities so long as they do not have any Sorcery, Engineering, or Alchemy Abilities or Packs. If the Vampire should have any Ability or Pack of those categories, they can no longer use these Abilities and they should not be written onto the Character Application. These Abilities are limited for Balancing Reasons. If in any other Race, Special or Mechanic it is written that the Character can only be a Graal Vampire, then these Abilities are also not usable.
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! Ability Range
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
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| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Blood Eyes 7
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Weapon Summon
| Summon Power
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Weapon Summon | The user can summon any type of Ranged (except Puretek) or Melee weapon made out of Magic. This weapon functions like a normal weapon would, has the same durability, but does not use any ammunition to fire if ranged. While using a Summoned Weapon, all Mundane Techniques used with it are instead classified as Abilities of Magical nature. A destroyed Summoned Weapon cannot be Summoned again for 12 IRL Hours.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The weapon is summoned with blood and then hardened in the user’s hand.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Armor Summon
| Summon Power
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Armor Summon | The user can summon any type of Armor on any part of their body with toughness equivalent to chainmail (plate-steel in appearance, if desired). Summoned armor has the same durability as mundane armor, but counts as Ability Armor.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The Armor is summoned with blood and then hardened on the body of the user.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Snaring Immune
| Constant Passive
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Blood Eyes 7 | The Character permanently has reddened and darkened eye-sockets, and irises that are solid red, with a small black pupil. This overrules any other Mutations or effects unless that effect specifically mentions hiding Blood Eyes 7.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Snaring Immune | The user is immune to any Ability and Mundane Snaring Abilities or Mechanics, such as for example Bola Combat.
}}
| N/A
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Puretek Immune
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Puretek Immune | The user is immune to any Puretech Technique, except for the 20 Point Investment Overload Shot.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The Vampire remains immune to Puretek Techniques, however if Puretek Techniques are used on them, instead of Countering/Canceling any Abilities, the Vampire Ability Snaring Immune is instead disabled for the duration of the Puretek Technique.
}}
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Vampiric Form 1
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Magic Healing
| Full Shift
| Healing Power
| Self
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Vampiric Form 1 | The Character is able to Full Shift into their Vampiric Form. While in Vampiric Form, the Character has access to all Abilities from the Abilities from their Bloodline Ability Kit. Shifting in and out of Vampiric Form is instant, cannot be Cancelled or Countered, and the player may design the Vampiric Form, with some ground rules. For the Ground Rules, refer to the Bloodline page, which will have an outline on the limitations and design choices for Vampiric Form. This Ability has no Cooldown.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Magic Healing | The user creates a magical catalyst that can be used on themselves or given to others. When consumed, it slowly begins to heal them of all wounds over the next 10 minutes, depending on what they are doing. If in combat/strenuous activity, the healing is delayed, and will not take effect until they are completely free of combat/conflict/chase scenarios. If doing nothing/relaxing, the effect heals all active wounds over the duration.This Ability has a 30 minute cooldown.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | Instead of a magical Catalyst, the Vampire must create a crystal made of their own blood. This crystal cannot be used on self, and can only be given to others.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#fe9e9e;" | Instant Leap
| Movement Power
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Instant Leap  | The user can instantly leap towards a Target. The Target’s speed does not matter, and the user will always land onto, or right next to the Target. Position is preserved, if the user is standing in front of the Target, they will also appear in front of the target, not behind.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Vampire Modifier | The Vampire may apply special Vampire aesthetics like bat wings or turning into a cloud of smoke, shadows, or blood, for this Ability.
}}
}}
|-
|-
|}
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Vampire Broods always have the dormant Vampire infection in them, they cannot acquire any other Affliction and are always considered Aberrant or Occult. They cannot change Bloodline from their Brood Bloodline.


==Combatting Vampirism==
===Blooded Vampire Specials===
===Curing of Vampirism===
====Vampiric Glamor====
Curing Vampires or Cahal is fairly straightforward, albeit dangerous, since it can be interfered with by outsiders. The only true place to cure a Vampire or Cahal, is inside a Sacrosankt, a holy place of Unionist Communion. Sacrosankts were once more numerous, but the collapse of the Imperial Arch-Temple reduced the number of active Sacrosankts to one. The only remaining active Sacrosankt is within the Salvation Temple of God Empress Ness in Old Town. One also exists in the Imperial Palace, but it is not publicly accessible, and as such not operational. Only individuals with [[Arcanology|Curing Knowledge]] and 10 points in [[Medical Training]] are capable of gathering the materials and rites for curing a Vampire, and performing the whole ceremony. The process begins by bringing the subject in chains to the Salvation Temple of God Empress Ness in Old Town, and leading them up to the altar in the back. The altar houses the Sacrosankt, a small domed alcove at the center, the outside richly decorated with stone carvings. The Arcanologist performing the ritual must escort the target into the Sacrosankt, and close the door behind them (this door should always be usable by anyone, and is a simple lever mechanism, no keys are required). If the target was inserted into the lower part of the Sacrosankt, the magical glowing water at the bottom causes them to be unable to lift their feet off the ground, and they become physically weak, unable to leave the Sacrosankt even if someone were to open the door without being carried out. After the door is closed, the Arcanologist must perform the Cleansing Rite on the door, after which the 1 hour timer starts. The Vampire or Cahal must remain inside the chamber for 1 hour exactly, and only up to 2 persons can go inside, otherwise it will not work. The process is painless and allows the target to remain aware of what is happening, and even to speak with those outside of the Sacrosankt, as it is not air tight, however they are unable to escape, and may feel a tingling sensation in their feet as the Affliction is drained away from them. If the door is opened, this does not outright stop the cleansing. Only removing the target from the cleansing waters will cause the process to cease, after which it has to start over from the beginning. The Sacrosankt itself cannot be damaged by Abilities, as the masonry is made out of an earlier predecessor of Purestone that, while not cancelling Abilities nearby, makes the actual structure immune to them. The Masonry is also so sturdy that practically all brute forcing would not break it. Freshly infected can also be cured in the exact same manner. Regardless of whether the process is interrupted or completed, the first 15 minutes following the cleansing, the ex-Vampire or ex-Cahal will experience physical fatigue, and require someone else to support them to walk, or rest on a nearby bench. After these 15 minutes however, the Vampire or Cahal will only experience post-infection syndrome, and be otherwise physically capable of walking on their own.  
Vampirism is an insidious Affliction that hides itself in plain sight until it is too late. Vampires have no overt physical traits that make them stand out in a crowd. This is called a Vampire’s Glamor, where they are able to imitate their pre-infection appearance. In reality however, a Vampire does have visual features which appear under specific conditions. Firstly, if the Vampire uses any Abilities (not Specials) their Vampiric appearance will manifest. Secondly, if the Vampire feeds, their Vampiric appearance will also manifest for the duration of feeding. Finally, if the Vampire is somehow Targeted by an Ability that would force their Vampiric appearance to the surface, then their Vampiric appearance will also show. Vampiric appearance may differ from Vampire to Vampire, though there is one thing they all have in common: glowing red eyes. Additional optional aesthetics are: raven-black hair, porcelain white skin, reddened eye-sockets, blackened sharpened nails, more snarl-like appearance in the face, extended canine teeth out of the mouth, and blackened eye-whites. Additionally, Vampires may also (optionally) manifest Bat-like features in their face, on their body, or ears. A Vampire may choose to manually remove their Glamor, thus always walking around with their Vampire appearance.
====Vampiric Bloodlust====
All Vampires are cursed with a lust and hunger for blood that cannot be satiated with any other food or drinks. Vampires must also consume blood to sustain themselves and their powers, while also granting them other benefits. Vampires do not visually age, but only so long as they keep drinking blood. This allows them to extend their lifetime far beyond what their Race would normally be capable of (having a Vampire over 150 years old still requires an Ancient Character Permission). If they should stop drinking blood or be cured, they start rapidly aging. While this will never outright kill them, it will make them look very old and close to death, until they once more drink blood or are re-infected. It is possible for a Vampire to go into hibernation and sleep for hundreds of years if denied blood. If Vampires are near blood that is exposed to open air, they become anxious and have to expend effort to suppress their urge to drink it, which may sometimes compromise their glamor or self restraint.
====Vampiric Feeding====
Vampiric Feeding involves the Vampire feeding on a restrained or unconscious target by sinking their fangs into their neck. This process is nearly instant, requiring only a few seconds of contact before the Vampire can pull away. This method of feeding is painless for the victim and also erases their memory of the feeding itself, along with any memory they would have of the last 24 hours that would allow them to conclude that the person who fed on them was a Vampire. If for example they saw the person’s eyes as red, or saw them use a Vampire Ability, that memory would be erased from their mind. It is not possible for a Vampire to feed mid-combat. A Vampire can however feed from a willing target (or an unwilling and restrained target with agreement that this is for the sake of roleplay) for longer periods of time, again, so long as it is outside of combat or hostile situations.
====Vampiric Infection====
Vampiric Infection can occur in a number of ways. The most common method of infection is being fed upon, however this has a couple of caveats. Firstly, Vampiric infection is consent based. If a Player does not want their Character to be infected, they will not be infected and receive Blood Sickness instead. If a Player did consent to their Character becoming infected, this can come about in two different ways. Either the Character can become instantly infected, making them a Vampire the moment the feeder pulls away, or they can go through the slow process of infection. This would involve the Character having Blood Sickness, and then during their week of Blood Sickness, drinking (any) blood, thus confirming the infection. Blood Sickness is its own disease that lasts for a week and affects all that have been fed on and unsuccessfully turned.
====Vampiric Form====
All Vampires have an alternate appearance called a Vampire Form which is a Special Transformation that changes their appearance to such a degree it can also function as a disguise. Vampiric Forms can have a number of additional traits such as extra arms, eyes, horns, wings, tails, spikes, tendrils, appendages and more. It is important to remember however that a Vampire Form is purely aesthetic when it comes to Combat Roleplay, so for example, extra arms cannot be used to wield extra weapons, though outside of Combat Roleplay they can be functional to perform non-hostile/competitive actions like pouring a drink or holding an item. Vampiric Forms have an additional set of rules that must be followed:
* Vampiric Forms may never imitate other Transformations of other Abilities or other Races. Additionally, some element of red must be prominent, but exactly where is up to the player.
* Players may design their own Vampiric Form, but the description must be placed on a Character Application under “Vampiric Form” somewhere in Abilities.
* Vampires who are members of Covens may have traits in their Vampiric Forms that are similar, usually defined by the Greater Vampire Player to make them appear like they belong together.
* Coven based traits may appear and disappear depending on the Vampire’s allegiance. Generally a Vampiric Form must be recognizably the same between loyalties.
* The Player may decide that their Vampiric Form is unrecognizable from their normal appearance, or has the same face. It functioning as a disguise is optional.
====Vampiric Presence====
All Vampires become immune to Mundane or Ability based detection mechanisms during Server Events or Player Events recorded on the Calendar. This even includes the Imperial Palace, as for the duration of the Event, they become immune to the Palace’s Ability Detection Gates. Anyone who wishes to attack or capture a Vampire during an event instead becomes confused and walks to another part of the event venue, forgetting what they were doing and that the Vampire was present. This effect is broken if the Vampire starts attacking someone or making hostile/ridiculing statements to anyone present or the host or venue, thus allowing the Vampire to be attacked or captured. The Vampire must leave the venue before the event is officially over, as when it is over, Vampiric Presence completely ends. Additionally, during the venue, the Vampire may charm a single Character (if that player gives OOC consent) and mind-control them to wander away from the crowd of the venue to be fed upon. This counts as restrained feeding and the Target will forget they were fed on. Attacking or attempting to abduct this person from the venue instantly breaks the effects of Vampiric Presence and makes the Vampire attackable.
====Vampiric Influence====
Vampires have some control over the feelings of other non-Vampires in the area around them. They may subtly and telepathically send desires, emotions, and feelings to a Target individual. These sensations are never strong enough to debilitate a person’s actions or movements, nor does it work at all if the Target is mid-combat. These sensations can never force a Character to act a certain way, but the player may decide that their Character gives in to the Vampiric Influence and does what the Vampire wants. Generally speaking the influence only lasts for as long as the Vampire is within Emote Distance. This influence can however also be expanded with the strict OOC Consent of the Player to become complete mind control. If consent is given, the Character instead is turned into a Vampire Thrall, who obeys every command given by the Vampire until they have some form of Exorcism performed on them (the effect may be prematurely ended if the player revokes consent, during which an off-screen Exorcism takes place).
====Vampiric Visions====
Vampires who have fed on specific people are able to send visions or dreams to them. These visions may never trigger when the Character is actively doing something else (unless the Player should consent to their Character blacking out and having a vision). These Visions can be entirely constructed in a way the Vampire player wants, and communicated OOC for a time/date and whether it is a waking vision or a sleeping dream. Vampires will continue to be able to send visions to victims until they have some form of Exorcism applied to them, after which the Vampire will need to feed again on them to be able to send visions. If the Visions become OOC disruptive or non conducive to roleplay, the target may off-screen Exorcize themselves to get rid of them.
====Vampiric Physiology====
Vampires have a number of physical characteristics that might change how they respond to certain environments. Firstly, Vampires do not naturally breathe and do not require oxygen. This has a couple of effects, namely that a Vampire is able to exist in environments without air (such as underwater or in a vacuum), and that a Vampire may never suffocate or be affected by air-borne substances that require inhalation. Secondly, Vampires are not affected by the cold, because their bodies are already naturally frigid (though they still feel warm to the touch in their Glamor). This has a couple of effects, namely that a Vampire is able to survive in sub-zero temperatures and is entirely unaffected by the effects of hypothermia. Blizzards and deep snow will still inhibit their normal movements and sight however, and they will still be frozen in place if encased in ice.
====Vampiric Familiar====
Vampires are able to summon a Vampiric Familiar from the void. This Vampiric Familiar can be any type of small house-pet such as rodents, domestic canines, domestic felines, birds (hawks, eagles, crows), small mustelids, rabbits, pygmy pigs and reptiles or amphibians. This list is not comprehensive. For more options, consult the List of Fauna page and look for animals that can be reasonably carried or domesticated as per their page's information. The Vampiric Familiar always has a twist however. If for example a rabbit is chosen, then this rabbit will have more bat-like features such as bat wings or bat ears or smooth bat-like skin and red eyes. Vampire Familiars cannot be used in Combat-RP and also cannot be harmed by others (they are invalid targets for Abilities). They can however carry hand-held items and interact with the environment and others, while never leaving Emote Range of their owner. Vampire Familiars can duplicate mutations that their owner gains. If the Vampire already has a Familiar from another Ability or Special, this Familiar becomes the Vampire Familiar instead.
====Vampiric Dressage====
Vampires are able to magically change what they are wearing, and even the items that they are wearing themselves. They can change the texture, color, pattern, shape, and appearance of any fabric or leather clothing piece. They can magically summon or remove articles of clothing on themselves or magically resize them based on changes to their own body or environment. These changes are instant and seamless and can be done even while mid-walking. This Special cannot be used to summon or unsummon armor or any material that resembles the toughness of actual armor. While within Emote Distance of any Vampire Thralls, this Ability can also be used by the Vampire on them, though when used on them, it cannot be used to add or remove clothing, only change pre-existing clothing.
=Greater Vampire=
Greater Vampires are always formed when a Blooded Vampire has infected three or more people, and those people form a Coven together with the one who infected them. (This infection does not have to have expressly happened on-server, and can be written into backstory). The Vampire that infected them becomes a Greater Vampire, giving them new Abilities and Specials. It is important that three (decently) active Players must remain Coven members. If any of the players quits or is cured, and the total number of infected drops below 3, then the Greater Vampire reverts back to Blooded Vampire. (ex. If a Greater Vampire has 4 Vampires, and loses 1, they are still a Greater, but if they lose 2, they lose their status.) Greater Vampires must register the names of their Coven somewhere on their Character Application for Lore Staff to reference, close to where their Greater Vampire status is recorded.  Multiple Greater Vampires can be part of the same Coven, as a Coven does not need to have only a single leader, it can also be led by a Council. Greater Vampires inherit all the Abilities and Specials from regular Vampires (see above), and may have additional Abilities and Specials (see below). Graal and Bonded Vampires cannot become Greater Vampires (or Master Vampires)
===Greater Vampires Specials===
====Coven Telepathy====
The Greater Vampire is (while sitting or laying down inside a Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine Base) able to manifest an illusion of themselves made out of blood-smoke anywhere within Emote Distance of their Coven members (including Coven members from other Greater Vampires and other Greater Vampires themselves if they belong to a Master Vampire). This illusion cannot move, but is able to make body language gestures and communicate with others within Emote Distance. The illusion can be attacked with any Ability or Mundane attack, causing it to instantly dissolve, after which it cannot be re-formed for another minute. Additionally, coven members belonging only to the Greater Vampire may telepathically call to their Greater Vampire to reach out to them with their manifested illusion. They cannot communicate information, only call upon them to appear in front of them, after which the greater Vampire may choose to accept or decline.
====Coven Mender====
The Greater Vampire is able to make use of greater blood healing, allowing Coven members belonging only to the Greater Vampire to drink from their blood and restore all of their wounds, including lost body parts that were lost in the last 24 hours. This Special can only be used inside a Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine base belonging to the Greater Vampire (or to which the Greater Vampire is a member), and can only be used if the region is not currently being attacked, besieged, or the Greater Vampire or their Coven members is being tracked by some Ability.
====Coven Control====
This Ability does a couple of things. Firstly, if a Greater Vampire’s own Coven member is captured, imprisoned, or cured, they become telepathically aware of their imminent fate. Secondly, if the Guards are planning to cure the Coven member at a specific date or time, the Greater Vampire must be OOC informed of this date and time. It is the responsibility of the Vampire in question to communicate this information to the Greater Vampire OOC, not the Guard. In roleplay, the Greater Vampire will receive a limited precognition vision of their member being led to the curing chamber at a specific time. Finally, Greater Vampires cannot be conventionally cured in a curing chamber like regular Vampires (for the sake of smooth roleplay, a Greater Vampire must OOC inform the guards of their identity when captured). If such a Vampire is to be cured, a inquestor from the Palace is to be called down, who will investigate the Greater Vampire’s biology and return a list of the necessary reagents to the Guards which are required to cure the Vampire, after which the Greater Vampire may be cured at the chamber when all reagents have been gathered.
=Master Vampire=
Master Vampires, sometimes also called Desprince, are always formed when a Greater Vampire has produced three or more other Greater Vampires, who each have three or more Blooded Vampires, thus a total of 13 Coven members including the Greater Vampire who made the others. A Master Vampire can then initiate a discussion with Lore Staff for a Master Vampire Permission, which will remain in effect for as long as the Coven has at least 13 members or more. This Permission will have a custom written set of Abilities and Specials, and as such, this section is very short, as their Ability read-out will depend on what is written for them. Generally speaking however, most if not all Specials that Greater Vampires have will be preserved in the Master Vampire kit, and more. There can only ever be one Master Vampire in a Coven; it is not possible for a Master Vampire to share power.
==Bonded Vampire==
Bonded Vampires are two Blooded Vampires who are specifically not part of a Coven, but have some form of mutual romantic relation with one another. Bonded Vampires always come in pairs and may cooperate with other Covens or become allies to other Vampires, but may never be part of a Coven, and should generally have infected one another or been infected together at the same time by an off-screen Vampire. Bonded Vampires have unique Specials attuned to each other, and also Ability mechanics that reward them being together. If for some reason the romance between the Bonded Vampires ends, they become regular Blooded Vampires. Bonded Vampires inherit all the Abilities and Specials from regular Vampires (see above), and may have additional Abilities and Specials (see below). Bonded Vampires can also be Graal Vampires.
===Bonded Vampire Specials===
====Bonded Embrace====
While within Emote distance of one another, Bonded Vampires both gain a +5 Physical Stat (that can break Physical Stat Limit). Additionally, should one of the Vampires fail a dice roll, the other may perform a dice roll to correct the failed roll. Additionally, Bonded Vampires are always able to telepathically communicate to one another, regardless of distance. This communication must occur through server-side Direct Message (as Staff must be able to search logs to verify potential Meta information). Finally, both Bonded Vampires may share feelings or emotions though this optional and may also be turned off.
====Bonded Desperation====
If either of the Bonded Vampires is about to be killed, knocked out, or dragged to curing, the other Bonded Vampire may descend from the sky with bat-like wings to land next to their partner and attempt to aid them. This landing is nearly instant, and the player may be informed of the emergency through other channels like discord or DM’s. If the other partner is already caught in some combat roleplay or conflict scene, they cannot leap to their partner however. Landing may be used to chain into an attack or Ability, but the landing itself should never be used to impart damage on opponents.
=Vampire Broods=
A Vampire Brood, is a child of a Vampire parent, either a mother or father. A Vampire Brood is by birth not a Vampire, and in fact will not become a full Vampire without the necessary infection rate. Vampire Broods can be infected like mundane people, and can become Blooded Vampires like normal, as well as cured after that. There are, however, a couple of things unique about Vampire Broods that make them stand out to the regular population. Vampire Broods do not have Abilities, but they do have a number of Specials outlined below.
===Vampire Brood Specials===
====Vampire Heritage====
Vampire Broods are not Vampires by nature, but share a number of physical traits that often cause them to be mistaken for actual Vampires. All Vampire Broods permanently have red irises. There is no way to hide this redness, not even through tinted glasses. Furthermore, Vampire Broods have sharper canines, never quite as long as those of a proper Vampire, but certainly noticeable when they smile or have their mouth wide open. Finally (and optionally) Vampire Broods may also have paler skin, reddened eye sockets and sharpened nails, though these are all optional. Additional Vampiric mutations are possible, though require approval in an RP Community Discord Staff Ticket.
====Bloody Allure====
Despite not being Vampires, Vampire broods are attracted to blood in the same way that Vampires are. When they see or smell blood that is exposed to air, they become nervous, fidgety, or lose focus, as their body starts craving the sanguine sustenance. If the Vampire Brood gives in to their cravings and starts drinking or licking the blood (that is not their own), they experience an instant pseudo infection. This pseudo infection lasts for 72 hours, and gives the Vampire Brood access to all Vampire Specials of the regular Vampire, but none of their Abilities. Additionally, this pseudo infection is also not curable, and confers Vampire mental changes to them. After 72 hours, the infection reverts and they lose access to the Vampire Specials again, while their mind also reverts back to normal.
=====Vampiric Form=====
Even while not in their pseudo Infection or proper Vampiric Infection, Vampire Broods have access to an alternate appearance called a Vampire Form which is a Special Transformation that changes their appearance to such a degree it can also function as a disguise. Vampiric Forms can have a number of additional traits such as extra arms, eyes, horns, wings, tails, spikes, tendrils, appendages and more. It is important to remember however that a Vampire Form is purely aesthetic when it comes to Combat Roleplay, so for example, extra arms cannot be used to wield extra weapons, though outside of Combat Roleplay they can be functional to perform non-hostile/competitive actions like pouring a drink or holding an item. Vampiric Forms work slightly differently for Vampire Broods than they do for regular Vampires. If a Vampire Brood becomes
infected properly, or has a pseudo Infection, the rules of regular Vampire Vampiric Form apply, and their Vampiric Form may change until they are cured. The rules applying to Vampire Brood Vampiric Forms are listed below:
* Vampiric Forms may never imitate other Transformations of other Abilities or other Races. Additionally, some element of red must be prominent, but exactly where is up to the player.
* Players may design their own Vampiric Form, but the description must be placed on a Character Application under “Vampiric Form” somewhere in Abilities.
* The Player may not decide that their Vampiric Form is unrecognizable. Vampire Broods in their Vampire Form are always recognizable, the Vampiric Form cannot act as a disguise.
=Culture=
To be a vampire is to be hated and hunted by nearly all of Aloria. All over the world, vampires are reviled for their foul curse, seen as power-hungry leeches and agents of malice that only exist to prey on the innocent and powerless. While none of this is explicitly untrue, many vampires have reasons for turning to vampirism beyond the promise of power. To a vampire, vampirism is often seen as a means of self-expression, escapism, and above all, freedom.  


After curing, either a Vampire or Cahal gains post-infection syndrome, where their mentality quickly reverts back to normal, but there is always a risk of relapse because for a few weeks there will be a faint hunger for blood in the cured Vampire, or Soul-Essence in a Cahal. The curing process is also deeply traumatic and them, causing them to forget the specifics of what their abilities and powers were and how they functioned, becoming incapable of spreading information on them post-curing. When cured, a Vampire or Cahal cannot be re-infected for 72 hours, after which if they are re-infected, they become immediately infected with the same strand of Vampirism or Cahalism they had before, including the same mutations. The re-infection takes 24 hours and involves none of the usual symptoms associated with infection, meaning it does not go through the multi-day infection process of the first time. When this process of curing is performed on incurable Vampires or Cahal, their Vampirism or Cahalism is not cured, but it does cause their Mutations to go into a dormant state for 5 days, essentially making them powerless. During this period, the Vampire or Cahal's mentality also returns back to normal, feeling no urge to drink blood or consume Soul-Essence or manifest other mental traits these infections might give. After this 5 day period is over however, everything returns back to normal. They also do not lose their visual features while this process has occurred.
Vampiric culture is attributed to both individualism and community; it's typical for a vampire to be very anti-government and anti-religious because these institutions are often very socially limiting. Vampires are driven by their wants, be it power, security, fame, or glory; vampires seek to be the best of themselves, and it's not uncommon for a vampire to feel as if their family, culture, government, religion, or morals get in the way of that. For these reasons, vampires typically either leave or are outcast from their society and are summarily seen as selfish, antisocial, and baleful beings who deeply hate all who participate in society. However, vampires are social creatures who crave to be around like-minded individuals; for this reason, it's not uncommon that a vampire may join or found a coven of other like-minded vampires or bond to another vampiric partner. It's rare to find a vampire who is truly a lone wolf and hasn't at least allied themselves to another vampire or coven as a whole.  


(('''OOC Note:''' The curing process is not allowed to be time-skipped, except for one exception. After 10 minutes have passed, the curer/guard at the Sacrosankt is able to ask the infected player in OOC chat if they have anyone planning to rescue them from the Sacrosankt. If the infected player does not have anyone coming to rescue them, then the curing process can be time-skipped after an extra 5 minutes have past, shortcutting the curing time to 15 minutes total vs the regular hour.))
Covens are what make up the basis of vampiric culture, and a vampire often defines their own culture based upon what Coven they may be a member of. Covens can vary wildly, and are often heavily influenced by the members that make it up, just as the coven itself influences its members, with some being militaristic, others more subterfuge based. What defines a Coven is simply the gathering of vampires - a Coven does not need to be structured in any particular way, some covens elect to have a single vampire lead them, while others choose for a council, rarely a coven may even be democratic in nature. It’s not unusual for newly forming covens to try and imitate older more established covens. The culturally relevant and longest lasting covens are often referred to as ‘Bloodlines’, the Bloodlines of modern vampiric culture are listed below and are often imitated in some way, be it through name, practice, or symbol.
 
==Rituals==
==Trivia==
Rituals and their purposes are typically unique between covens, but there have been instances where two connected covens may share rituals, and some rituals can involve many covens at once. Rituals do not need a specific goal in mind, though they typically do have one, and are often treated as social events that allow vampires to gather and cooperate either within a coven or between them. Some specific rituals have been popularized and passed along between covens, and are now common to vampiric culture as a whole.
*Contrary to folklore, Vampires are fully able to walk in sunlight without pain or burning. However, many choose not to, and find great comfort in the shadows.
===The Faceless Masquerade===
*Some scholars theorize that the memory lapse upon curing about Vampiric powers is a latent aspect of infection that prevents those who were prior infected from explaining all of their powers to would-be vampire hunters, so as to protect its host should they be infected again.  
The Faceless Masquerade, first popularized by Desprince Eveleanda Morvanus, is a ritual that heavily involves the arts of subterfuge and seduction. It’s often Alais that partake in this ritual, though Milôt and Dorkarth have been known to partake as well. A Faceless Masquerade is often not a party hosted by the vampires in question, as the name may imply, but rather is instead the act of a vampire or a coven of vampires attempting to infiltrate an already planned party. It’s not uncommon for a coven of vampires to prepare for a Faceless Masquerade together - the process involves not only a disguise - which is usually done with vampiric magics and makeup - but also involves creating fake personas and coming up with backstories and pseudonyms. Then, members of the coven, if successfully infiltrating, will typically attempt to gain positive rapport with the host or any guests of importance. It’s not uncommon practice for less militaristic covens to use Faceless Masquerades as a chance to acquire new members, and typically the seduction of the host and guest is with the intention of getting new thralls or new coven members who are already high in society.
===The Fledgling Hunt===
Fledgling Hunts were popularized by the first Desprinces of Dorkarth, and are performed by all bloodlines regularly. Fledgling hunts are, essentially, initiation rites for newly blooded members of vampire covens. Often, Fledgling Hunts are a chance for a newly blooded vampire to prove their own competence and make a place for themselves in a coven’s hierarchy. These initiation rights, despite the name, do not always have to be hunts in the literal sense - for example, a Milôt coven’s Fledgling Hunt may take place in hosting a fun party, an Alais coven’s Fledgling Hunt may involve successfully seducing a target of interest,and a Dorkarth coven’s may be successfully taking a new thrall. Though, it’s not uncommon for a Fledgling Hunt to just be an actual hunt, be it of potential prey or a Cahal - these practices are very common between von Kërle and Wyrden covens.
===Dueling of Wutienda===
Wutienda Duels are named after the Dorkarth Desprince, Wutienda, who first came up with the ritual, though the duels have been largely popularized in modern times by the von Kërle covens. Wutienda duels are affairs that are used not only for entertainment, but to train one’s skills, and to settle disputes. The ritual involves first drawing a circle of runes on the ground - the size does not matter, it can be as small or as large as the vampire likes, though the circle has to be unbroken. The materials used to draw this circle has to be mixed with the blood of those that intend to participate in the duel - there is no limit of participants, the only stipulation being that all participants must be vampiric and have infected blood, or the ritual will fail. After the ritual circle is drawn, and all participating vampires step into the circle, the ritual can be fully activated with a single drop of Greater Vampire or Desprince blood. Upon activation, the circle is enclosed with a magical barrier that does not allow anyone into the circle, but can let participants out (however, they cannot re-enter upon exiting). The circle stays this way until only one living vampire remains. It’s typical for a Wutienda duel to end in a death or multiple deaths (at the end of the duel, all killed parties are returned to life, though the victor’s wounds are not healed), however this is not always the case. Wutienda duels can be done with non-lethal fights, or more unique fighting styles such as trying to shove an opponent out of the dueling ring. Rarely, Wutienda duels are used in a manner that’s not particularly violent - as some Alais covens tend to do - such as having contestants verbally spar until one gets their feelings hurt and declares defeat by leaving the ring. It’s typical for duellists to either agree on a fighting method themselves, or have the Greater vampire or Desprince who activates the ring decide on the method and rulings, and it is seen as incredibly taboo to deviate from the rulings of a Wutienda duel. It is possible for a Greater Vampire or Desprince to declare a ‘champion’ of their coven through the use of a Wutienda duel - where the winner of the duel can be branded with a glowing mark (which is unique between covens) somewhere on their body as a symbol of their status as the coven’s champion, which essentially declares them one of the coven’s best. This mark can be hidden by glamor form, and there can only ever be one ‘champion’ per coven, which makes the position highly sought after, especially from more prideful vampires.
===The Ritual of Projections===
By use of this ritual, any Vampire-attuned Ezekiel is able to summon a ghastly ethereal Tome (of any chosen aesthetic design) comprised of their accumulated knowledge, arcane or otherwise. This Tome may not be stolen, conventionally or through arcane means, as any who attempt to touch it simply phase through it. Even the Ezekiel is unable to touch it, instead causing it to levitate ahead of them whilst manipulating page flipping through arcane hand motions. Whilst this tome is summoned, the Ezekiel is endowed with various glowing runes etched into their bodies (inclusive of any transformations to Lich form). By flipping through the pages of the Tome, the Lich is thus able to project visualizations onto any nearby wall (including the ceiling or floor) for others to view. This wall must be prepared with a runic glyph-circle etched or drawn into it, such as with chalk, blood, paint, or carvings. For instance, if the Lich were offering a lecture on Dragons, they could project a vision of Dragons; regardless of whether or not the Lich had ever seen Dragons. As such, they are even able to project their memories, but may only project one vision on one wall at a time, manipulating only what is seen on the ‘screen’. They are unable to perform this ritual within combat, nor for any purpose besides the sharing of knowledge or telling of stories. It is designed to allow for wisened Ezekiel Vampires to lead more engaging lectures and sermons regarding all which they have learned, or to entertain their Coven with stories of their travels.
=History=
The exact origins of the Vampiric Curse is unknown, largely because the Regalian Empire has been exceptionally efficient at suppressing information about the Vampiric Curse for centuries following the Vampire Wars. Vampirism itself is thousands of years old however, with a variety of it affecting (presumably) nearly every civilization that suffered a Void Invasion. Within the Allorn Empire still exist some records of claims by the Meraic Civilization where those corrupted by the darkness fed on their own people, which is often regarded as evidence for Vampirism having existed at least as far back as 2000 years. With the Void invasions however, and with the Arch-Void disappearing from the world after a successful purge, the Vampiric Curse would eventually die out as it lacked the population to sustain itself, thus disappearing until the next Void Invasion. A handful of Vampires are known (and rumored) to have survived each civilization fall, going into hibernation and remaining hidden for hundreds if not thousands of years, waiting to be administered a drop of blood to be revived. When the last Void Invasion at the end of the Allorn Empire took place, Vampires once again started appearing among the Altalar, some cults which had become prone to blood worship and cannibalism. When the Void Invasion was halted, Vampirism disappeared along with the rest of the Demonic forces, but re-appeared in Ellador several years later. The theory among scholars in the Regalian Court is that Vampirism was designed to weaken the population before the main Demonic force would arrive, causing in-fighting and terror among the population thus reducing their effectiveness in a fight. Since the Arch-Void was defeated on a more permanent basis however, Vampires have effectively exceeded their purpose, and started defining their own reason to exist in the world, causing the creation of so-called cultural Bloodlines.
==Bloodlines==
In vampiric culture, the term ‘bloodline’ is not referring to literal descendance by relation, rather, it refers to the influence of notable past covens that have become cultural icons in a sense. It’s not uncommon for both individual vampires and vampire covens to align themselves with these covens and to identify themselves as a bloodline. There have been many bloodlines throughout history, these are the most notable modern ones.
===Alais===
The Alais Bloodline originated in Ithania during the Vampire wars. Its Desprince, Eveleanda Morvanus, led her cult-following to Ithania during the height of the Vampire Wars, and managed to seduce one of the richest princesses of the local Hivres. The resulting duo-female power couple quickly spread their influence and soon converted all of the local court into vampirism. The coven of Alais was founded, and its influence soon spread as the Coven sent infiltrants to courts within Lustis, Solacia, Pays-Sud, and eventually even the Imperial Court of the Regalian Empire. Vampires and Covens who align themselves as Alais pay homage and often imitate the ways of seduction, subterfuge, and infiltration the original Alais Desprinces had, and look to claim their freedom by climbing to the top of the social ladder and reigning over those on the lower rungs.
===Milôt===
The Milôt Bloodline originated in the Regallian Archipelago, somewhere in Pays-Suds, around the time of the Gem Boom. Unlike other Bloodlines, the history of the Milôt Coven was never well recorded, its desprince is not known. It’s said, however, that they were a commoner and spent much of their time around carnivals. The Milôt Coven was not a strongly centralized Coven, rather, it was said to migrate regularly, following multiple troupes of entertainers throughout the Regalian archipelago and onwards. Those who align themselves with the Milôt bloodline are often entertainers, partygoers, extroverts and socialites who seek freedom through hedonism and fun.
===Wyrden===
The Wyrden Bloodline originates from the Morass Willow Walds in Western Anglia after the Vampire Wars. The Wyrden Bloodline’s origins are steeped in a rich oral history and folktale that has mutated over time. It is believed the first Desprince of the Wyrden Coven was a prophet named Zalora, a vampire who was obsessed with fighting the Uhr-Beasts and ensuring the continuation of the Vampiric Gift with the defeat of this greatfoe. Contemplating how to defeat this mortal enemy, Zalora traveled the world in a great pilgrimage, seeking solutions to their dire problem. It’s said that Zalora found what they were looking for in the Regalian Archipelago, long before the Regalian Empire was formed, and after centuries they had mastered the art of controlling nature itself. It’s then said that Zalora transmuted themselves into a twisted leafless tree, and bled sap that gave birth to the first Wyrden Coven after the vampire wars. The legitimacy of this story is questionable at best, though Wyrden often believe it to be true. Whatever the case, the Wyrden Coven started within Western Anglia’s walds, and has spread to forests within and beyond the Regalian Archipelago, and often compete with and antagonize Cahal packs openly and aggressively, believing them to the the Uhr-Beasts Zalora’s prophecy spoke of.. Those who align with the Wyrden Bloodline are often sages, herbalists, mystics, gardners and healers who seek freedom by continuing Zalora’s prime directive: fighting the Cahalic beasts and ensuring the continued survival of Vampires.
===von Kërle===
The von Kërle Bloodline originated in the dark forests of Calemburg, Baldmark, and Waldmark. The Coven of von Kërle began during the heat of the Vampire Wars when a Dorkarth Desprince left Ellador to infiltrate into Calemburg with the intention of weakening the Wirtem armies by seducing the higher rungs of Wirtem society. This Desprince was successful, and managed to use his vampiric wiles to seduce the Count of Parchstadt and turn him to Dark Ancient worship. He was successful, however, the Count of Parchstadt proved more cunning than his Desprince lover, and he killed the Desprince and took his power. How, when, or why the Count did this is lost to time, however it is said that the Count was not a vampire going into the ordeal, and was a vampire coming out of it. The von Kërle Coven spread through the dark forests shortly after the Count’s disappearance, and the von Kërle bloodline proliferated even through violent clashes with the Darkwald order. Those who align to the von Kërle bloodline are often dogmatic and militaristic, and seek freedom through physical and militaristic might.
===Dorkarth===
The Dorkarth Bloodline originated in Ellador many centuries ago, and is one of the oldest and largest still-relevant Covens to date. All modern Bloodlines are said to have descended from individuals converted by the fourteen immortal High Desprinces that make up the leadership of the Dorkarth Coven. The Dorkarth Coven controls a state in north-western ellador by the same name, and still contends with Dwarves and Isldar of the region to this day, all in hopes to make a Vampiric Empire. Those who align themselves with the Dorkarth bloodline are often in favor of powerful, ruthless vampire-centric leadership, and seek freedom by being in control of all that’s around them
=Trivia=
* It is a widespread belief among many vampires that imitation is the ultimate form of flattery. To imitate another vampire; be it in dress style, speech patterns, and even prey or thrall preference is to declare the imitated vampire superior in some manner, which is often seen as a great compliment.
* The term ‘Graal’ is often used by Vampires to describe a vampire or a coven that has no particular affiliation to the notable bloodlines of the past. Graal can also be used as an insult to vampires who dilute their vampiric gift through the use of sorcery, or rely too much on technology and alchemy. Graal can be roughly taken to mean ‘incomplete’.
* It’s not unusual for a Vampire Coven to incorporate void-attuned Ezekiel into their ranks as blooded members. Although rare, there are recorded instances of void-attuned Ezekiel leading covens, or even claiming themselves as Desprinces. Void Silven often share a similar lot with Ezekiel in this regard, though typically Ezekiel are received better than Void Silven.
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{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = MonMarty, Birdsfoot_violet
|Writers = MonMarty, Lizmun
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[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Arcane Afflictions]]
[[category:Afflictions]] [[category:Arcane Afflictions]]

Revision as of 01:24, 10 March 2022

Vampirism
Vampirebloodyb.png
Afflictions
Affected Races Various
Contraction Various
Mortality Rate N/A
Origins Cataclysm
Symptoms
  • Varying

Vampirism, also known as the Sanguine Curse, is a Void-spawned blood-curse that has plagued Aloria for thousands of years. A disease hated by most of Aloria's people, this affliction causes the infected to undergo both physical and mental transformations, and has come and gone with the ebb and flow of Void Invasions. Vampirism can be cured by an aggressive and somewhat lengthy process, though many Vampires desperately attempt to avoid being cured, or even seek re-infection, spurred as much by the mental changes incurred by the curse as it is by the excessive cruelty of Alorian authorities towards Vampires. In the Regalian Empire, Vampirism is regarded as unholy or even Demonic, as often treated with curing as it is imprisonment or outright execution; Unionist faithful make frequent shows of Vampiric executions, driving Vampires into living in the outskirts or underbellies of settlements. Indeed, Vampires are considered leeches on society as they feed themselves on the blood of the unwilling and powerless, empowered by darkness and Void Energies. Whole religions have been founded on the idea that Vampirism is the next step in Human advancement (despite the curse also striking non-Humans), and some contract the disease willingly for the powers it grants. Globally, Vampirism has been on the rise since the end of the Great Vampire Wars. Global conflict with the Void Invasion, Imperial wars, and more recently, the Bone Horror Crisis, have all weakened local authorities to the point of breaking. Vampires often follow in the wake of a weary population, feeding and making use of what they can. Vampirism has grown so prolific that among the Regalian Emperor’s close court, some nobles have fallen to the sway of Vampirism, secretly plotting the destruction of the Empire from within. Even far in the north, a Vampire Principality exists in Ellador, the state of Dorkarth entirely inhabited by Vampires and their feeding cattle, seeking to overthrow neighboring Kingdoms.

Vampiric Infection

Infection

Vampiric Infection can occur in a number of ways. The most common method for Vampiric Infection is through feeding, which is explained in the Vampire Special “Vampire Feeding” (see below). There exist, however, two other forms of infection also that are somewhat lesser known. The second method is to perform the dark ritual to the Archdemon. This involves finding a Dark Altar, which are usually effigies built by Vampires to praise the Arch-Void, the greatest of all Demons from the Void. Any blood offered to this Dark Altar will turn into infected blood; consuming this blood will cause the drinker to instantly become a Vampire. The third method is to willingly drink half a cup of blood from any Vampire who had directly blood-letted their own blood into a cup. Vampires gain no sustenance from feeding on other Vampires, but the mundane can be turned into a Vampire by consuming a decent amount of Vampiric Blood; this does not work on large quantities of liquid, and so Vampiric Blood cannot be used to unwittingly infect large groups of people.

Exceptions

  • Url cannot be infected with Vampirism, as their blood is caustic to infected blood. Vampires also cannot feed from Url, as any attempt to bite through their neck fur fails, and even if they got their hands on some Url blood, it would taste incredibly acidic.
  • Avanthar can be infected with Vampirism, but due to their Genetic Mastery, have developed a bodily mechanic to mutate Vampirism into something else. (Pending implementation, use normal Vampirism for now)
  • As Vampirism is an Affliction, those who already have any other type of Affliction are unable to become Vampires. Additionally, those that already have Vampirism cannot become Afflicted with any other type of Affliction.
  • Primal Mages, Dragon Wardens and Archblood are immune to becoming Vampirically infected. They can still be fed from like normal however, even if Vampires say that Archblood blood tastes exceptionally stale.
  • Ordial Mages, Undead, and other Ordial empowered are immune to becoming Vampirically infected. While Ordial Mages can be drunk from, Undead don’t have blood that Vampires can be satiated from.
  • Exist and Void Mages can become Vampires, but are always classified as Graal Vampires, and as such cannot use the second set of five Abilities granted by the Vampire kit.
  • Immunity from Vampirism can be bought through Affliction Arcanology. This pack does incur Proficiency cost, but grants immunity to Blood Sickness that occurs when infection does not take hold.
  • Void Silven can become Vampires, but only Graal type Vampires, meaning they are unable to use the second set of Vampire Abilities granted by Vampirism. Exist Silven cannot become Vampires at all.

Mental Changes

When a Vampire becomes infected with the Sanguine Curse, their mental outlook on themselves, others, and the world changes. This is a magical effect caused by the Affliction itself, and thus applies exactly the same to everyone who becomes a Vampire, though the severity may differ between races. For example, while an Ailor may become more selfish and vain, the egotistical and self-aggrandizing nature of Altalar will be amplified to even greater heightsFor ease of reference, the mental changes are recorded in a bullet point list below:

  • Vampires do not have a conscience. In most cases they can just do whatever they like without feeling guilt or remorse over anything. They are certainly not self destructive and can distinguish long-term effects of their decisions, they just no longer care about the feelings and wellbeing of others. Vampires can be anxious, but only rarely suffer from self-doubt.
  • Vampires gain a more possessive and domineering sense of love or friendship. While Vampires can certainly still have friends and lovers, by far and large, this affection is more through the scope of “You belong to me”, instead of “I love you”. They can still care, but only insofar one cares for their own possessions, and are very prone to jealousy.
  • Vampires are very full of themselves, believing in their own physical and mental superiority over those who are uninfected. They see the uninfected as either: soon to be infected, undeserving of infection, or blood-cattle to sustain on. Vampires will frequently use the uninfected to achieve their goals.
  • Vampires are anti-religious. Any concept of spirituality is lost to Vampires, with the exception of Void God or (Void) Arken worship. A Vampire may still pretend to worship their pre-infection faith, but know deep down that it is all pretend. Vampires show particular disregard for holy sites or religious artifacts.
  • Vampires are not necessarily anti-establishment. While many Vampires seek to destroy the Regalian Empire, there are just as many who believe that the Empire is in fact the easiest tool or vehicle through which to expand their own influence and power, and to infect more with Vampirism. A Vampire can still be loyal to the Emperor, hoping to one day make him a Vampire.

Curing

The Vampiric Infection can only ever truly be cured through one way: the Sakrosanct. The Sakrosanct is an ancient ruin found on the Regalian Isle which houses an inner chamber which has some sort of effect on the Vampiric Infection (or Cahal Affliction). The exact first curing of a Vampire through the Sakrosanct has been lost to time, however the process has been transferred between Arcanologists. In order to cure a Vampire, a person with the Pack “Curing Knowledge”, as well as at least 10 Proficiency Points invested in Medical Training, must be present to lead the ritual. The exact process of the ritual is not wholly relevant and may be up to the player to dictate. The individual intended to be cured must be placed inside the curing chamber (which can contain up to two people at a time), after which the chamber is sealed and the curing begins. The ritualist may then perform their desired ritual, and a timer should be set for 10 minutes. If nobody has shown up to try and free the Vampire in the curing chamber (and the player being cured not notifying that someone is on their way), then the curing process is time-skipped and completed instantly. If someone arrives and attempts to break out the Vampire, then the Curing can only be completed when the attackers have been defeated and left. If the defenders are defeated by the attackers, the Curing ritual is interrupted and the Vampire may be freed. In both instances, attackers and defenders may not be captured, and must be allowed to leave by the victor.

Blooded Vampire

Blooded Vampires, sometimes also called Regular Vampires or Normal Vampires, are the most commonly found type of Vampire which can either operate as a lone wolf, an occasional ally, or a member of a greater Coven or group.

Vampire Abilities

All Vampires have access to the following five Abilities regardless if they have any Abilities or Packs from Sorcery, Engineering, or Alchemy.

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
Subjugation Immune Constant Passive Self Grants the user Subjugation Immune

N/A
Disrupt Channel Instant Power Self Grants the user Disrupt Channel

Vampire Modifier

Home Advantage Home Power Self Grants the user Home Advantage

Vampire Modifier

Omniaware Constant Passive Self Grants the user Omniaware

N/A
Home Teleport Escape Power Self Grants the user Home Teleport

Vampire Modifier

Vampires have access to the following six Abilities so long as they do not have any Sorcery, Engineering, or Alchemy Abilities or Packs. If the Vampire should have any Ability or Pack of those categories, they can no longer use these Abilities and they should not be written onto the Character Application. These Abilities are limited for Balancing Reasons. If in any other Race, Special or Mechanic it is written that the Character can only be a Graal Vampire, then these Abilities are also not usable.

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
Weapon Summon Summon Power Self Grants the user Weapon Summon

Vampire Modifier

Armor Summon Summon Power Self Grants the user Armor Summon

Vampire Modifier

Snaring Immune Constant Passive Self Grants the user Snaring Immune

N/A
Puretek Immune Constant Passive Self Grants the user Puretek Immune

Vampire Modifier

Magic Healing Healing Power Self Grants the user Magic Healing

Vampire Modifier

Instant Leap Movement Power Emote Distance Grants the user Instant Leap

Vampire Modifier

Blooded Vampire Specials

Vampiric Glamor

Vampirism is an insidious Affliction that hides itself in plain sight until it is too late. Vampires have no overt physical traits that make them stand out in a crowd. This is called a Vampire’s Glamor, where they are able to imitate their pre-infection appearance. In reality however, a Vampire does have visual features which appear under specific conditions. Firstly, if the Vampire uses any Abilities (not Specials) their Vampiric appearance will manifest. Secondly, if the Vampire feeds, their Vampiric appearance will also manifest for the duration of feeding. Finally, if the Vampire is somehow Targeted by an Ability that would force their Vampiric appearance to the surface, then their Vampiric appearance will also show. Vampiric appearance may differ from Vampire to Vampire, though there is one thing they all have in common: glowing red eyes. Additional optional aesthetics are: raven-black hair, porcelain white skin, reddened eye-sockets, blackened sharpened nails, more snarl-like appearance in the face, extended canine teeth out of the mouth, and blackened eye-whites. Additionally, Vampires may also (optionally) manifest Bat-like features in their face, on their body, or ears. A Vampire may choose to manually remove their Glamor, thus always walking around with their Vampire appearance.

Vampiric Bloodlust

All Vampires are cursed with a lust and hunger for blood that cannot be satiated with any other food or drinks. Vampires must also consume blood to sustain themselves and their powers, while also granting them other benefits. Vampires do not visually age, but only so long as they keep drinking blood. This allows them to extend their lifetime far beyond what their Race would normally be capable of (having a Vampire over 150 years old still requires an Ancient Character Permission). If they should stop drinking blood or be cured, they start rapidly aging. While this will never outright kill them, it will make them look very old and close to death, until they once more drink blood or are re-infected. It is possible for a Vampire to go into hibernation and sleep for hundreds of years if denied blood. If Vampires are near blood that is exposed to open air, they become anxious and have to expend effort to suppress their urge to drink it, which may sometimes compromise their glamor or self restraint.

Vampiric Feeding

Vampiric Feeding involves the Vampire feeding on a restrained or unconscious target by sinking their fangs into their neck. This process is nearly instant, requiring only a few seconds of contact before the Vampire can pull away. This method of feeding is painless for the victim and also erases their memory of the feeding itself, along with any memory they would have of the last 24 hours that would allow them to conclude that the person who fed on them was a Vampire. If for example they saw the person’s eyes as red, or saw them use a Vampire Ability, that memory would be erased from their mind. It is not possible for a Vampire to feed mid-combat. A Vampire can however feed from a willing target (or an unwilling and restrained target with agreement that this is for the sake of roleplay) for longer periods of time, again, so long as it is outside of combat or hostile situations.

Vampiric Infection

Vampiric Infection can occur in a number of ways. The most common method of infection is being fed upon, however this has a couple of caveats. Firstly, Vampiric infection is consent based. If a Player does not want their Character to be infected, they will not be infected and receive Blood Sickness instead. If a Player did consent to their Character becoming infected, this can come about in two different ways. Either the Character can become instantly infected, making them a Vampire the moment the feeder pulls away, or they can go through the slow process of infection. This would involve the Character having Blood Sickness, and then during their week of Blood Sickness, drinking (any) blood, thus confirming the infection. Blood Sickness is its own disease that lasts for a week and affects all that have been fed on and unsuccessfully turned.

Vampiric Form

All Vampires have an alternate appearance called a Vampire Form which is a Special Transformation that changes their appearance to such a degree it can also function as a disguise. Vampiric Forms can have a number of additional traits such as extra arms, eyes, horns, wings, tails, spikes, tendrils, appendages and more. It is important to remember however that a Vampire Form is purely aesthetic when it comes to Combat Roleplay, so for example, extra arms cannot be used to wield extra weapons, though outside of Combat Roleplay they can be functional to perform non-hostile/competitive actions like pouring a drink or holding an item. Vampiric Forms have an additional set of rules that must be followed:

  • Vampiric Forms may never imitate other Transformations of other Abilities or other Races. Additionally, some element of red must be prominent, but exactly where is up to the player.
  • Players may design their own Vampiric Form, but the description must be placed on a Character Application under “Vampiric Form” somewhere in Abilities.
  • Vampires who are members of Covens may have traits in their Vampiric Forms that are similar, usually defined by the Greater Vampire Player to make them appear like they belong together.
  • Coven based traits may appear and disappear depending on the Vampire’s allegiance. Generally a Vampiric Form must be recognizably the same between loyalties.
  • The Player may decide that their Vampiric Form is unrecognizable from their normal appearance, or has the same face. It functioning as a disguise is optional.

Vampiric Presence

All Vampires become immune to Mundane or Ability based detection mechanisms during Server Events or Player Events recorded on the Calendar. This even includes the Imperial Palace, as for the duration of the Event, they become immune to the Palace’s Ability Detection Gates. Anyone who wishes to attack or capture a Vampire during an event instead becomes confused and walks to another part of the event venue, forgetting what they were doing and that the Vampire was present. This effect is broken if the Vampire starts attacking someone or making hostile/ridiculing statements to anyone present or the host or venue, thus allowing the Vampire to be attacked or captured. The Vampire must leave the venue before the event is officially over, as when it is over, Vampiric Presence completely ends. Additionally, during the venue, the Vampire may charm a single Character (if that player gives OOC consent) and mind-control them to wander away from the crowd of the venue to be fed upon. This counts as restrained feeding and the Target will forget they were fed on. Attacking or attempting to abduct this person from the venue instantly breaks the effects of Vampiric Presence and makes the Vampire attackable.

Vampiric Influence

Vampires have some control over the feelings of other non-Vampires in the area around them. They may subtly and telepathically send desires, emotions, and feelings to a Target individual. These sensations are never strong enough to debilitate a person’s actions or movements, nor does it work at all if the Target is mid-combat. These sensations can never force a Character to act a certain way, but the player may decide that their Character gives in to the Vampiric Influence and does what the Vampire wants. Generally speaking the influence only lasts for as long as the Vampire is within Emote Distance. This influence can however also be expanded with the strict OOC Consent of the Player to become complete mind control. If consent is given, the Character instead is turned into a Vampire Thrall, who obeys every command given by the Vampire until they have some form of Exorcism performed on them (the effect may be prematurely ended if the player revokes consent, during which an off-screen Exorcism takes place).

Vampiric Visions

Vampires who have fed on specific people are able to send visions or dreams to them. These visions may never trigger when the Character is actively doing something else (unless the Player should consent to their Character blacking out and having a vision). These Visions can be entirely constructed in a way the Vampire player wants, and communicated OOC for a time/date and whether it is a waking vision or a sleeping dream. Vampires will continue to be able to send visions to victims until they have some form of Exorcism applied to them, after which the Vampire will need to feed again on them to be able to send visions. If the Visions become OOC disruptive or non conducive to roleplay, the target may off-screen Exorcize themselves to get rid of them.

Vampiric Physiology

Vampires have a number of physical characteristics that might change how they respond to certain environments. Firstly, Vampires do not naturally breathe and do not require oxygen. This has a couple of effects, namely that a Vampire is able to exist in environments without air (such as underwater or in a vacuum), and that a Vampire may never suffocate or be affected by air-borne substances that require inhalation. Secondly, Vampires are not affected by the cold, because their bodies are already naturally frigid (though they still feel warm to the touch in their Glamor). This has a couple of effects, namely that a Vampire is able to survive in sub-zero temperatures and is entirely unaffected by the effects of hypothermia. Blizzards and deep snow will still inhibit their normal movements and sight however, and they will still be frozen in place if encased in ice.

Vampiric Familiar

Vampires are able to summon a Vampiric Familiar from the void. This Vampiric Familiar can be any type of small house-pet such as rodents, domestic canines, domestic felines, birds (hawks, eagles, crows), small mustelids, rabbits, pygmy pigs and reptiles or amphibians. This list is not comprehensive. For more options, consult the List of Fauna page and look for animals that can be reasonably carried or domesticated as per their page's information. The Vampiric Familiar always has a twist however. If for example a rabbit is chosen, then this rabbit will have more bat-like features such as bat wings or bat ears or smooth bat-like skin and red eyes. Vampire Familiars cannot be used in Combat-RP and also cannot be harmed by others (they are invalid targets for Abilities). They can however carry hand-held items and interact with the environment and others, while never leaving Emote Range of their owner. Vampire Familiars can duplicate mutations that their owner gains. If the Vampire already has a Familiar from another Ability or Special, this Familiar becomes the Vampire Familiar instead.

Vampiric Dressage

Vampires are able to magically change what they are wearing, and even the items that they are wearing themselves. They can change the texture, color, pattern, shape, and appearance of any fabric or leather clothing piece. They can magically summon or remove articles of clothing on themselves or magically resize them based on changes to their own body or environment. These changes are instant and seamless and can be done even while mid-walking. This Special cannot be used to summon or unsummon armor or any material that resembles the toughness of actual armor. While within Emote Distance of any Vampire Thralls, this Ability can also be used by the Vampire on them, though when used on them, it cannot be used to add or remove clothing, only change pre-existing clothing.

Greater Vampire

Greater Vampires are always formed when a Blooded Vampire has infected three or more people, and those people form a Coven together with the one who infected them. (This infection does not have to have expressly happened on-server, and can be written into backstory). The Vampire that infected them becomes a Greater Vampire, giving them new Abilities and Specials. It is important that three (decently) active Players must remain Coven members. If any of the players quits or is cured, and the total number of infected drops below 3, then the Greater Vampire reverts back to Blooded Vampire. (ex. If a Greater Vampire has 4 Vampires, and loses 1, they are still a Greater, but if they lose 2, they lose their status.) Greater Vampires must register the names of their Coven somewhere on their Character Application for Lore Staff to reference, close to where their Greater Vampire status is recorded. Multiple Greater Vampires can be part of the same Coven, as a Coven does not need to have only a single leader, it can also be led by a Council. Greater Vampires inherit all the Abilities and Specials from regular Vampires (see above), and may have additional Abilities and Specials (see below). Graal and Bonded Vampires cannot become Greater Vampires (or Master Vampires)

Greater Vampires Specials

Coven Telepathy

The Greater Vampire is (while sitting or laying down inside a Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine Base) able to manifest an illusion of themselves made out of blood-smoke anywhere within Emote Distance of their Coven members (including Coven members from other Greater Vampires and other Greater Vampires themselves if they belong to a Master Vampire). This illusion cannot move, but is able to make body language gestures and communicate with others within Emote Distance. The illusion can be attacked with any Ability or Mundane attack, causing it to instantly dissolve, after which it cannot be re-formed for another minute. Additionally, coven members belonging only to the Greater Vampire may telepathically call to their Greater Vampire to reach out to them with their manifested illusion. They cannot communicate information, only call upon them to appear in front of them, after which the greater Vampire may choose to accept or decline.

Coven Mender

The Greater Vampire is able to make use of greater blood healing, allowing Coven members belonging only to the Greater Vampire to drink from their blood and restore all of their wounds, including lost body parts that were lost in the last 24 hours. This Special can only be used inside a Rental Region / Noble Estate / Clandestine base belonging to the Greater Vampire (or to which the Greater Vampire is a member), and can only be used if the region is not currently being attacked, besieged, or the Greater Vampire or their Coven members is being tracked by some Ability.

Coven Control

This Ability does a couple of things. Firstly, if a Greater Vampire’s own Coven member is captured, imprisoned, or cured, they become telepathically aware of their imminent fate. Secondly, if the Guards are planning to cure the Coven member at a specific date or time, the Greater Vampire must be OOC informed of this date and time. It is the responsibility of the Vampire in question to communicate this information to the Greater Vampire OOC, not the Guard. In roleplay, the Greater Vampire will receive a limited precognition vision of their member being led to the curing chamber at a specific time. Finally, Greater Vampires cannot be conventionally cured in a curing chamber like regular Vampires (for the sake of smooth roleplay, a Greater Vampire must OOC inform the guards of their identity when captured). If such a Vampire is to be cured, a inquestor from the Palace is to be called down, who will investigate the Greater Vampire’s biology and return a list of the necessary reagents to the Guards which are required to cure the Vampire, after which the Greater Vampire may be cured at the chamber when all reagents have been gathered.

Master Vampire

Master Vampires, sometimes also called Desprince, are always formed when a Greater Vampire has produced three or more other Greater Vampires, who each have three or more Blooded Vampires, thus a total of 13 Coven members including the Greater Vampire who made the others. A Master Vampire can then initiate a discussion with Lore Staff for a Master Vampire Permission, which will remain in effect for as long as the Coven has at least 13 members or more. This Permission will have a custom written set of Abilities and Specials, and as such, this section is very short, as their Ability read-out will depend on what is written for them. Generally speaking however, most if not all Specials that Greater Vampires have will be preserved in the Master Vampire kit, and more. There can only ever be one Master Vampire in a Coven; it is not possible for a Master Vampire to share power.

Bonded Vampire

Bonded Vampires are two Blooded Vampires who are specifically not part of a Coven, but have some form of mutual romantic relation with one another. Bonded Vampires always come in pairs and may cooperate with other Covens or become allies to other Vampires, but may never be part of a Coven, and should generally have infected one another or been infected together at the same time by an off-screen Vampire. Bonded Vampires have unique Specials attuned to each other, and also Ability mechanics that reward them being together. If for some reason the romance between the Bonded Vampires ends, they become regular Blooded Vampires. Bonded Vampires inherit all the Abilities and Specials from regular Vampires (see above), and may have additional Abilities and Specials (see below). Bonded Vampires can also be Graal Vampires.

Bonded Vampire Specials

Bonded Embrace

While within Emote distance of one another, Bonded Vampires both gain a +5 Physical Stat (that can break Physical Stat Limit). Additionally, should one of the Vampires fail a dice roll, the other may perform a dice roll to correct the failed roll. Additionally, Bonded Vampires are always able to telepathically communicate to one another, regardless of distance. This communication must occur through server-side Direct Message (as Staff must be able to search logs to verify potential Meta information). Finally, both Bonded Vampires may share feelings or emotions though this optional and may also be turned off.

Bonded Desperation

If either of the Bonded Vampires is about to be killed, knocked out, or dragged to curing, the other Bonded Vampire may descend from the sky with bat-like wings to land next to their partner and attempt to aid them. This landing is nearly instant, and the player may be informed of the emergency through other channels like discord or DM’s. If the other partner is already caught in some combat roleplay or conflict scene, they cannot leap to their partner however. Landing may be used to chain into an attack or Ability, but the landing itself should never be used to impart damage on opponents.

Vampire Broods

A Vampire Brood, is a child of a Vampire parent, either a mother or father. A Vampire Brood is by birth not a Vampire, and in fact will not become a full Vampire without the necessary infection rate. Vampire Broods can be infected like mundane people, and can become Blooded Vampires like normal, as well as cured after that. There are, however, a couple of things unique about Vampire Broods that make them stand out to the regular population. Vampire Broods do not have Abilities, but they do have a number of Specials outlined below.

Vampire Brood Specials

Vampire Heritage

Vampire Broods are not Vampires by nature, but share a number of physical traits that often cause them to be mistaken for actual Vampires. All Vampire Broods permanently have red irises. There is no way to hide this redness, not even through tinted glasses. Furthermore, Vampire Broods have sharper canines, never quite as long as those of a proper Vampire, but certainly noticeable when they smile or have their mouth wide open. Finally (and optionally) Vampire Broods may also have paler skin, reddened eye sockets and sharpened nails, though these are all optional. Additional Vampiric mutations are possible, though require approval in an RP Community Discord Staff Ticket.

Bloody Allure

Despite not being Vampires, Vampire broods are attracted to blood in the same way that Vampires are. When they see or smell blood that is exposed to air, they become nervous, fidgety, or lose focus, as their body starts craving the sanguine sustenance. If the Vampire Brood gives in to their cravings and starts drinking or licking the blood (that is not their own), they experience an instant pseudo infection. This pseudo infection lasts for 72 hours, and gives the Vampire Brood access to all Vampire Specials of the regular Vampire, but none of their Abilities. Additionally, this pseudo infection is also not curable, and confers Vampire mental changes to them. After 72 hours, the infection reverts and they lose access to the Vampire Specials again, while their mind also reverts back to normal.

Vampiric Form

Even while not in their pseudo Infection or proper Vampiric Infection, Vampire Broods have access to an alternate appearance called a Vampire Form which is a Special Transformation that changes their appearance to such a degree it can also function as a disguise. Vampiric Forms can have a number of additional traits such as extra arms, eyes, horns, wings, tails, spikes, tendrils, appendages and more. It is important to remember however that a Vampire Form is purely aesthetic when it comes to Combat Roleplay, so for example, extra arms cannot be used to wield extra weapons, though outside of Combat Roleplay they can be functional to perform non-hostile/competitive actions like pouring a drink or holding an item. Vampiric Forms work slightly differently for Vampire Broods than they do for regular Vampires. If a Vampire Brood becomes infected properly, or has a pseudo Infection, the rules of regular Vampire Vampiric Form apply, and their Vampiric Form may change until they are cured. The rules applying to Vampire Brood Vampiric Forms are listed below:

  • Vampiric Forms may never imitate other Transformations of other Abilities or other Races. Additionally, some element of red must be prominent, but exactly where is up to the player.
  • Players may design their own Vampiric Form, but the description must be placed on a Character Application under “Vampiric Form” somewhere in Abilities.
  • The Player may not decide that their Vampiric Form is unrecognizable. Vampire Broods in their Vampire Form are always recognizable, the Vampiric Form cannot act as a disguise.

Culture

To be a vampire is to be hated and hunted by nearly all of Aloria. All over the world, vampires are reviled for their foul curse, seen as power-hungry leeches and agents of malice that only exist to prey on the innocent and powerless. While none of this is explicitly untrue, many vampires have reasons for turning to vampirism beyond the promise of power. To a vampire, vampirism is often seen as a means of self-expression, escapism, and above all, freedom.

Vampiric culture is attributed to both individualism and community; it's typical for a vampire to be very anti-government and anti-religious because these institutions are often very socially limiting. Vampires are driven by their wants, be it power, security, fame, or glory; vampires seek to be the best of themselves, and it's not uncommon for a vampire to feel as if their family, culture, government, religion, or morals get in the way of that. For these reasons, vampires typically either leave or are outcast from their society and are summarily seen as selfish, antisocial, and baleful beings who deeply hate all who participate in society. However, vampires are social creatures who crave to be around like-minded individuals; for this reason, it's not uncommon that a vampire may join or found a coven of other like-minded vampires or bond to another vampiric partner. It's rare to find a vampire who is truly a lone wolf and hasn't at least allied themselves to another vampire or coven as a whole.

Covens are what make up the basis of vampiric culture, and a vampire often defines their own culture based upon what Coven they may be a member of. Covens can vary wildly, and are often heavily influenced by the members that make it up, just as the coven itself influences its members, with some being militaristic, others more subterfuge based. What defines a Coven is simply the gathering of vampires - a Coven does not need to be structured in any particular way, some covens elect to have a single vampire lead them, while others choose for a council, rarely a coven may even be democratic in nature. It’s not unusual for newly forming covens to try and imitate older more established covens. The culturally relevant and longest lasting covens are often referred to as ‘Bloodlines’, the Bloodlines of modern vampiric culture are listed below and are often imitated in some way, be it through name, practice, or symbol.

Rituals

Rituals and their purposes are typically unique between covens, but there have been instances where two connected covens may share rituals, and some rituals can involve many covens at once. Rituals do not need a specific goal in mind, though they typically do have one, and are often treated as social events that allow vampires to gather and cooperate either within a coven or between them. Some specific rituals have been popularized and passed along between covens, and are now common to vampiric culture as a whole.

The Faceless Masquerade

The Faceless Masquerade, first popularized by Desprince Eveleanda Morvanus, is a ritual that heavily involves the arts of subterfuge and seduction. It’s often Alais that partake in this ritual, though Milôt and Dorkarth have been known to partake as well. A Faceless Masquerade is often not a party hosted by the vampires in question, as the name may imply, but rather is instead the act of a vampire or a coven of vampires attempting to infiltrate an already planned party. It’s not uncommon for a coven of vampires to prepare for a Faceless Masquerade together - the process involves not only a disguise - which is usually done with vampiric magics and makeup - but also involves creating fake personas and coming up with backstories and pseudonyms. Then, members of the coven, if successfully infiltrating, will typically attempt to gain positive rapport with the host or any guests of importance. It’s not uncommon practice for less militaristic covens to use Faceless Masquerades as a chance to acquire new members, and typically the seduction of the host and guest is with the intention of getting new thralls or new coven members who are already high in society.

The Fledgling Hunt

Fledgling Hunts were popularized by the first Desprinces of Dorkarth, and are performed by all bloodlines regularly. Fledgling hunts are, essentially, initiation rites for newly blooded members of vampire covens. Often, Fledgling Hunts are a chance for a newly blooded vampire to prove their own competence and make a place for themselves in a coven’s hierarchy. These initiation rights, despite the name, do not always have to be hunts in the literal sense - for example, a Milôt coven’s Fledgling Hunt may take place in hosting a fun party, an Alais coven’s Fledgling Hunt may involve successfully seducing a target of interest,and a Dorkarth coven’s may be successfully taking a new thrall. Though, it’s not uncommon for a Fledgling Hunt to just be an actual hunt, be it of potential prey or a Cahal - these practices are very common between von Kërle and Wyrden covens.

Dueling of Wutienda

Wutienda Duels are named after the Dorkarth Desprince, Wutienda, who first came up with the ritual, though the duels have been largely popularized in modern times by the von Kërle covens. Wutienda duels are affairs that are used not only for entertainment, but to train one’s skills, and to settle disputes. The ritual involves first drawing a circle of runes on the ground - the size does not matter, it can be as small or as large as the vampire likes, though the circle has to be unbroken. The materials used to draw this circle has to be mixed with the blood of those that intend to participate in the duel - there is no limit of participants, the only stipulation being that all participants must be vampiric and have infected blood, or the ritual will fail. After the ritual circle is drawn, and all participating vampires step into the circle, the ritual can be fully activated with a single drop of Greater Vampire or Desprince blood. Upon activation, the circle is enclosed with a magical barrier that does not allow anyone into the circle, but can let participants out (however, they cannot re-enter upon exiting). The circle stays this way until only one living vampire remains. It’s typical for a Wutienda duel to end in a death or multiple deaths (at the end of the duel, all killed parties are returned to life, though the victor’s wounds are not healed), however this is not always the case. Wutienda duels can be done with non-lethal fights, or more unique fighting styles such as trying to shove an opponent out of the dueling ring. Rarely, Wutienda duels are used in a manner that’s not particularly violent - as some Alais covens tend to do - such as having contestants verbally spar until one gets their feelings hurt and declares defeat by leaving the ring. It’s typical for duellists to either agree on a fighting method themselves, or have the Greater vampire or Desprince who activates the ring decide on the method and rulings, and it is seen as incredibly taboo to deviate from the rulings of a Wutienda duel. It is possible for a Greater Vampire or Desprince to declare a ‘champion’ of their coven through the use of a Wutienda duel - where the winner of the duel can be branded with a glowing mark (which is unique between covens) somewhere on their body as a symbol of their status as the coven’s champion, which essentially declares them one of the coven’s best. This mark can be hidden by glamor form, and there can only ever be one ‘champion’ per coven, which makes the position highly sought after, especially from more prideful vampires.

The Ritual of Projections

By use of this ritual, any Vampire-attuned Ezekiel is able to summon a ghastly ethereal Tome (of any chosen aesthetic design) comprised of their accumulated knowledge, arcane or otherwise. This Tome may not be stolen, conventionally or through arcane means, as any who attempt to touch it simply phase through it. Even the Ezekiel is unable to touch it, instead causing it to levitate ahead of them whilst manipulating page flipping through arcane hand motions. Whilst this tome is summoned, the Ezekiel is endowed with various glowing runes etched into their bodies (inclusive of any transformations to Lich form). By flipping through the pages of the Tome, the Lich is thus able to project visualizations onto any nearby wall (including the ceiling or floor) for others to view. This wall must be prepared with a runic glyph-circle etched or drawn into it, such as with chalk, blood, paint, or carvings. For instance, if the Lich were offering a lecture on Dragons, they could project a vision of Dragons; regardless of whether or not the Lich had ever seen Dragons. As such, they are even able to project their memories, but may only project one vision on one wall at a time, manipulating only what is seen on the ‘screen’. They are unable to perform this ritual within combat, nor for any purpose besides the sharing of knowledge or telling of stories. It is designed to allow for wisened Ezekiel Vampires to lead more engaging lectures and sermons regarding all which they have learned, or to entertain their Coven with stories of their travels.

History

The exact origins of the Vampiric Curse is unknown, largely because the Regalian Empire has been exceptionally efficient at suppressing information about the Vampiric Curse for centuries following the Vampire Wars. Vampirism itself is thousands of years old however, with a variety of it affecting (presumably) nearly every civilization that suffered a Void Invasion. Within the Allorn Empire still exist some records of claims by the Meraic Civilization where those corrupted by the darkness fed on their own people, which is often regarded as evidence for Vampirism having existed at least as far back as 2000 years. With the Void invasions however, and with the Arch-Void disappearing from the world after a successful purge, the Vampiric Curse would eventually die out as it lacked the population to sustain itself, thus disappearing until the next Void Invasion. A handful of Vampires are known (and rumored) to have survived each civilization fall, going into hibernation and remaining hidden for hundreds if not thousands of years, waiting to be administered a drop of blood to be revived. When the last Void Invasion at the end of the Allorn Empire took place, Vampires once again started appearing among the Altalar, some cults which had become prone to blood worship and cannibalism. When the Void Invasion was halted, Vampirism disappeared along with the rest of the Demonic forces, but re-appeared in Ellador several years later. The theory among scholars in the Regalian Court is that Vampirism was designed to weaken the population before the main Demonic force would arrive, causing in-fighting and terror among the population thus reducing their effectiveness in a fight. Since the Arch-Void was defeated on a more permanent basis however, Vampires have effectively exceeded their purpose, and started defining their own reason to exist in the world, causing the creation of so-called cultural Bloodlines.

Bloodlines

In vampiric culture, the term ‘bloodline’ is not referring to literal descendance by relation, rather, it refers to the influence of notable past covens that have become cultural icons in a sense. It’s not uncommon for both individual vampires and vampire covens to align themselves with these covens and to identify themselves as a bloodline. There have been many bloodlines throughout history, these are the most notable modern ones.

Alais

The Alais Bloodline originated in Ithania during the Vampire wars. Its Desprince, Eveleanda Morvanus, led her cult-following to Ithania during the height of the Vampire Wars, and managed to seduce one of the richest princesses of the local Hivres. The resulting duo-female power couple quickly spread their influence and soon converted all of the local court into vampirism. The coven of Alais was founded, and its influence soon spread as the Coven sent infiltrants to courts within Lustis, Solacia, Pays-Sud, and eventually even the Imperial Court of the Regalian Empire. Vampires and Covens who align themselves as Alais pay homage and often imitate the ways of seduction, subterfuge, and infiltration the original Alais Desprinces had, and look to claim their freedom by climbing to the top of the social ladder and reigning over those on the lower rungs.

Milôt

The Milôt Bloodline originated in the Regallian Archipelago, somewhere in Pays-Suds, around the time of the Gem Boom. Unlike other Bloodlines, the history of the Milôt Coven was never well recorded, its desprince is not known. It’s said, however, that they were a commoner and spent much of their time around carnivals. The Milôt Coven was not a strongly centralized Coven, rather, it was said to migrate regularly, following multiple troupes of entertainers throughout the Regalian archipelago and onwards. Those who align themselves with the Milôt bloodline are often entertainers, partygoers, extroverts and socialites who seek freedom through hedonism and fun.

Wyrden

The Wyrden Bloodline originates from the Morass Willow Walds in Western Anglia after the Vampire Wars. The Wyrden Bloodline’s origins are steeped in a rich oral history and folktale that has mutated over time. It is believed the first Desprince of the Wyrden Coven was a prophet named Zalora, a vampire who was obsessed with fighting the Uhr-Beasts and ensuring the continuation of the Vampiric Gift with the defeat of this greatfoe. Contemplating how to defeat this mortal enemy, Zalora traveled the world in a great pilgrimage, seeking solutions to their dire problem. It’s said that Zalora found what they were looking for in the Regalian Archipelago, long before the Regalian Empire was formed, and after centuries they had mastered the art of controlling nature itself. It’s then said that Zalora transmuted themselves into a twisted leafless tree, and bled sap that gave birth to the first Wyrden Coven after the vampire wars. The legitimacy of this story is questionable at best, though Wyrden often believe it to be true. Whatever the case, the Wyrden Coven started within Western Anglia’s walds, and has spread to forests within and beyond the Regalian Archipelago, and often compete with and antagonize Cahal packs openly and aggressively, believing them to the the Uhr-Beasts Zalora’s prophecy spoke of.. Those who align with the Wyrden Bloodline are often sages, herbalists, mystics, gardners and healers who seek freedom by continuing Zalora’s prime directive: fighting the Cahalic beasts and ensuring the continued survival of Vampires.

von Kërle

The von Kërle Bloodline originated in the dark forests of Calemburg, Baldmark, and Waldmark. The Coven of von Kërle began during the heat of the Vampire Wars when a Dorkarth Desprince left Ellador to infiltrate into Calemburg with the intention of weakening the Wirtem armies by seducing the higher rungs of Wirtem society. This Desprince was successful, and managed to use his vampiric wiles to seduce the Count of Parchstadt and turn him to Dark Ancient worship. He was successful, however, the Count of Parchstadt proved more cunning than his Desprince lover, and he killed the Desprince and took his power. How, when, or why the Count did this is lost to time, however it is said that the Count was not a vampire going into the ordeal, and was a vampire coming out of it. The von Kërle Coven spread through the dark forests shortly after the Count’s disappearance, and the von Kërle bloodline proliferated even through violent clashes with the Darkwald order. Those who align to the von Kërle bloodline are often dogmatic and militaristic, and seek freedom through physical and militaristic might.

Dorkarth

The Dorkarth Bloodline originated in Ellador many centuries ago, and is one of the oldest and largest still-relevant Covens to date. All modern Bloodlines are said to have descended from individuals converted by the fourteen immortal High Desprinces that make up the leadership of the Dorkarth Coven. The Dorkarth Coven controls a state in north-western ellador by the same name, and still contends with Dwarves and Isldar of the region to this day, all in hopes to make a Vampiric Empire. Those who align themselves with the Dorkarth bloodline are often in favor of powerful, ruthless vampire-centric leadership, and seek freedom by being in control of all that’s around them

Trivia

  • It is a widespread belief among many vampires that imitation is the ultimate form of flattery. To imitate another vampire; be it in dress style, speech patterns, and even prey or thrall preference is to declare the imitated vampire superior in some manner, which is often seen as a great compliment.
  • The term ‘Graal’ is often used by Vampires to describe a vampire or a coven that has no particular affiliation to the notable bloodlines of the past. Graal can also be used as an insult to vampires who dilute their vampiric gift through the use of sorcery, or rely too much on technology and alchemy. Graal can be roughly taken to mean ‘incomplete’.
  • It’s not unusual for a Vampire Coven to incorporate void-attuned Ezekiel into their ranks as blooded members. Although rare, there are recorded instances of void-attuned Ezekiel leading covens, or even claiming themselves as Desprinces. Void Silven often share a similar lot with Ezekiel in this regard, though typically Ezekiel are received better than Void Silven.
Vampire Bloodlines
Afflictions
• Vampire • Geist • Undead • Spirit •
• Main Page •
Accreditation
Writers MonMarty, Lizmun
Processors Scribbe
Last Editor MonMarty on 03/10/2022.
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