Vampire Guidelines
Jun 25, 2019 20:39:09 GMT -5
Post by Austin on Jun 25, 2019 20:39:09 GMT -5
VAMPIRE LORE
I. History and Origin
Vampires have existed for for thousands of years. There has been many outspoken vampires in the past, and as such, they now decorate modern day culture and are generally well known as fiction. However, the first vampire is believed to be traced back to around 750BC to the birth of twins named Romulus and Remus. Having been left for dead on a hill as newborns, the two baby boys were found and nurtured by a she-wolf. Their birth and miraculous survival made them men of renown, attracting them the following of a group of bandits which they used to patrol the local villages. Eventually the twins sought to overthrow a king who had wronged a mutual relative.
After attending a drinking event, Romulus and Remus were ambushed by mercenaries sent by the king to capture them. The two were armed with nothing, but ended up fighting back against the large band of armed men. Romulus was able to escape, but Remus was captured. Distraught, Romulus prayed to the gods to grant him the power to save his brother and destroy the king. While the gods did not answer him, another being did. A trickster being with great power offered Romulus the strength he sought, but the trickster warned that should he ever turn against his brother, he would be condemned to a life of monstrosity.
Romulus quickly agreed and was granted unrivaled strength, durability, and speed which he used to help rescue his brother and kill the king. Afterwards, the two brothers decided to found their own kingdom to prevent any of the failures and suffering of current kingdoms from happening to them again. The two found two large hills; the Palatine Hill and the Aventine Hill. Romulus claimed the kingdom should be founded on the Palatine Hill, whereas Remus preferred the Aventine hill. The two decided they would each build on their own hill with their own people and decide later.
When some time had passed, it became apparent the two tribes were at odds with one another. Romulus and Remus met again and decided they would let the gods decide which hill should be made into the kingdom, and which should be abandoned. Remus saw 6 vultures fly over his hill first, and claimed this was the divine intervention as he saw the birds first. Romulus, however, saw 12 vultures some time after fly over his hill and claimed this was the true divine intervention as he saw the most birds. The two brothers turned against one another and engaged in a brutal battle with one another. Romulus, pushed into a corner lashed out and caught Remus in the gut, killing his own brother.
Romulus overcome with grief took his brother's body into his arms and sobbed until dawn arrived. However, upon the sun touching him, he began to burn and quickly ran back to his hill to take cover from the burning light. Just as the trickster had warned, Romulus was turned into a cursed monster of the night. He was the first vampire, and turned many of his camp into one with him. With his brother dead, he founded the kingdom on his hill top and named it Rome, creating one of the strongest civilizations the world has ever seen.
Vampires have existed for for thousands of years. There has been many outspoken vampires in the past, and as such, they now decorate modern day culture and are generally well known as fiction. However, the first vampire is believed to be traced back to around 750BC to the birth of twins named Romulus and Remus. Having been left for dead on a hill as newborns, the two baby boys were found and nurtured by a she-wolf. Their birth and miraculous survival made them men of renown, attracting them the following of a group of bandits which they used to patrol the local villages. Eventually the twins sought to overthrow a king who had wronged a mutual relative.
After attending a drinking event, Romulus and Remus were ambushed by mercenaries sent by the king to capture them. The two were armed with nothing, but ended up fighting back against the large band of armed men. Romulus was able to escape, but Remus was captured. Distraught, Romulus prayed to the gods to grant him the power to save his brother and destroy the king. While the gods did not answer him, another being did. A trickster being with great power offered Romulus the strength he sought, but the trickster warned that should he ever turn against his brother, he would be condemned to a life of monstrosity.
Romulus quickly agreed and was granted unrivaled strength, durability, and speed which he used to help rescue his brother and kill the king. Afterwards, the two brothers decided to found their own kingdom to prevent any of the failures and suffering of current kingdoms from happening to them again. The two found two large hills; the Palatine Hill and the Aventine Hill. Romulus claimed the kingdom should be founded on the Palatine Hill, whereas Remus preferred the Aventine hill. The two decided they would each build on their own hill with their own people and decide later.
When some time had passed, it became apparent the two tribes were at odds with one another. Romulus and Remus met again and decided they would let the gods decide which hill should be made into the kingdom, and which should be abandoned. Remus saw 6 vultures fly over his hill first, and claimed this was the divine intervention as he saw the birds first. Romulus, however, saw 12 vultures some time after fly over his hill and claimed this was the true divine intervention as he saw the most birds. The two brothers turned against one another and engaged in a brutal battle with one another. Romulus, pushed into a corner lashed out and caught Remus in the gut, killing his own brother.
Romulus overcome with grief took his brother's body into his arms and sobbed until dawn arrived. However, upon the sun touching him, he began to burn and quickly ran back to his hill to take cover from the burning light. Just as the trickster had warned, Romulus was turned into a cursed monster of the night. He was the first vampire, and turned many of his camp into one with him. With his brother dead, he founded the kingdom on his hill top and named it Rome, creating one of the strongest civilizations the world has ever seen.
{ } Since the fall of the Roman empire, vampires have taken a different approach to their human counterparts. As human civilizations became more advanced and interconnected, vampires became more frequently caught in their bloodsucking acts which lead to mass vampire hunts by local farmers and fiefdoms. These hunts were a dark time for vampires as they were forced to have an air of paranoia to them wherever they went for fear of waking up with a stake in their heart. Scattered and on the verge of extinction, a vampire by the name of Cazimir gathered a following of his peers and retreated to a mountain in the Scandinavian mountain range. There, they convened with what little of their kind were left and declared the mountain to be their homeland.
The settlers were lead by Cazimir declaring him the Vampire Lord and leader of the clan. After his death, the mountain was renamed Mount Cazimir, and the clan determined the power was too much for one person to have; instead opting for a council of vampire lords elected by their peers based on commendations earned in their life as a vampire. As such most vampire lords are at least three to four hundred years old. The lords then elect one of their own to sit on the Grand Council of Mythics to represent the vampires in the greater mythical world.
Vampires changed their habits to only sucking a small amount of blood from a victim, but feeding more frequently to avoid the messy detection of drained bodies. A group of vampire purists argued against this change and claimed it was an erasure of what it means to be a vampire. The group denounced the name vampire and called themselves Vampaneze. The Vampaneze believed their reddish-purple skin and red eyes marked them as the more powerful of the two based on their increased diet of blood. They rose up against the Vampire Lords in a civil war that lasted 400 years from the early 1400's to the late 1800's which became known as The Blood War. The Vampaneze lost this war and were exiled from Mount Cazimir. While they are not hunted by modern day vampires, they are no friend to their kind and have no protection from the Vampire Lords or Grand Council.
Besides the Vampire Lords, their attendants, and the human tribe that lives in the mountain to maintain a steady supply of blood, most vampires do not stay at Mount Cazimir. Instead, they roam the world and do whatever they please. Most travel alone or with an apprentice. However vampires have also been known to travel in small groups known as clans. The life of a vampire is typically nomadic as it is rare for a vampire to stay in one place for a long period of time. That being said, vampires perceive time as slower than an average human. They may stay in one place for ten or twenty years before moving on, but to them that's a short blink of time.
Every ten years there is summit where all the vampires around the world travel to Mount Cazimir to reconnect with one another in a month long event of feasts, singing, dancing, and sparring. To get to the summit, it is forbidden to flint up the mountain. All vampires must climb the mountain naturally and without shoes or gloves as a way to prove themselves still worthy to be called a vampire. This summit is not mandatory, and most don't show up every 10 years, but it is still something most vampires try to make. Here vampires can make a bond with one another which is their version of marriage. A bond lasts for 10 years and can be renewed as many times as they like. The concept of marrying someone for life right off the bat is foreign to a vampire due to how long they live and the nature of the life they choose to live.
A vampire is unable to produce offspring. Due to this, many vampires take on an apprentice which is typically a half-vampire between the ages of 14 and 17 to teach the ways of vampirism to similar to a mentor. Though some grow attached and treat it more like parent-hood. Blooding a child younger than 10 is considered highly illegal among the vampire clan and all bloodings must be consensual in nature. Most vampires tend to blood children in abusive households or those who want an escape from a less savory life. Blooding a child, or adult, without explaining all the negative aspects of what it means to be a vampire is considered illegal and can result in the death of the vampire who blooded if severe enough. Each person blooded must be aware of the life they are stepping into and after being blooded they must make the trek to Mount Cazimir for the next summit so they may touch the blood stone.
The blood stone is a red glowing stone the size of a bowling ball that stores the blood of all vampires in it. It was a gift to the vampires from a mysterious stranger when the Blood War was just getting underway. When a new vampire is blooded, they attend the next summit and place their hand on the blood stone. It pricks their fingertips and draws in a bit of their blood which both makes them a full member of the vampire clan, and also allows them to be tracked down via the stone should they go rogue. Only the Vampire Lords are capable of using the blood stone for this purpose. Half-Vampires are exempt from joining the blood stone until they become full vampires unless they choose otherwise.
EXTENDED LORE
The settlers were lead by Cazimir declaring him the Vampire Lord and leader of the clan. After his death, the mountain was renamed Mount Cazimir, and the clan determined the power was too much for one person to have; instead opting for a council of vampire lords elected by their peers based on commendations earned in their life as a vampire. As such most vampire lords are at least three to four hundred years old. The lords then elect one of their own to sit on the Grand Council of Mythics to represent the vampires in the greater mythical world.
Vampires changed their habits to only sucking a small amount of blood from a victim, but feeding more frequently to avoid the messy detection of drained bodies. A group of vampire purists argued against this change and claimed it was an erasure of what it means to be a vampire. The group denounced the name vampire and called themselves Vampaneze. The Vampaneze believed their reddish-purple skin and red eyes marked them as the more powerful of the two based on their increased diet of blood. They rose up against the Vampire Lords in a civil war that lasted 400 years from the early 1400's to the late 1800's which became known as The Blood War. The Vampaneze lost this war and were exiled from Mount Cazimir. While they are not hunted by modern day vampires, they are no friend to their kind and have no protection from the Vampire Lords or Grand Council.
Besides the Vampire Lords, their attendants, and the human tribe that lives in the mountain to maintain a steady supply of blood, most vampires do not stay at Mount Cazimir. Instead, they roam the world and do whatever they please. Most travel alone or with an apprentice. However vampires have also been known to travel in small groups known as clans. The life of a vampire is typically nomadic as it is rare for a vampire to stay in one place for a long period of time. That being said, vampires perceive time as slower than an average human. They may stay in one place for ten or twenty years before moving on, but to them that's a short blink of time.
Every ten years there is summit where all the vampires around the world travel to Mount Cazimir to reconnect with one another in a month long event of feasts, singing, dancing, and sparring. To get to the summit, it is forbidden to flint up the mountain. All vampires must climb the mountain naturally and without shoes or gloves as a way to prove themselves still worthy to be called a vampire. This summit is not mandatory, and most don't show up every 10 years, but it is still something most vampires try to make. Here vampires can make a bond with one another which is their version of marriage. A bond lasts for 10 years and can be renewed as many times as they like. The concept of marrying someone for life right off the bat is foreign to a vampire due to how long they live and the nature of the life they choose to live.
A vampire is unable to produce offspring. Due to this, many vampires take on an apprentice which is typically a half-vampire between the ages of 14 and 17 to teach the ways of vampirism to similar to a mentor. Though some grow attached and treat it more like parent-hood. Blooding a child younger than 10 is considered highly illegal among the vampire clan and all bloodings must be consensual in nature. Most vampires tend to blood children in abusive households or those who want an escape from a less savory life. Blooding a child, or adult, without explaining all the negative aspects of what it means to be a vampire is considered illegal and can result in the death of the vampire who blooded if severe enough. Each person blooded must be aware of the life they are stepping into and after being blooded they must make the trek to Mount Cazimir for the next summit so they may touch the blood stone.
The blood stone is a red glowing stone the size of a bowling ball that stores the blood of all vampires in it. It was a gift to the vampires from a mysterious stranger when the Blood War was just getting underway. When a new vampire is blooded, they attend the next summit and place their hand on the blood stone. It pricks their fingertips and draws in a bit of their blood which both makes them a full member of the vampire clan, and also allows them to be tracked down via the stone should they go rogue. Only the Vampire Lords are capable of using the blood stone for this purpose. Half-Vampires are exempt from joining the blood stone until they become full vampires unless they choose otherwise.
II. Appearance
Most vampires have pale skin due to needing to avoid the sun. Their teeth look normal unless they are about to drink, in which case the canines grow out to be more fang-like before receding afterwards. When hungry for blood, a vampire's eyes may adopt an orange hue to them.
Vampires who drain their victims to death continuously will adopt different characteristics based on their increased diet of blood. Their skin will have a purplish-hue and their eyes will be blood red. These vampires were more common in the past, but have become more rare as technology and mortals have advanced.
Most vampires have pale skin due to needing to avoid the sun. Their teeth look normal unless they are about to drink, in which case the canines grow out to be more fang-like before receding afterwards. When hungry for blood, a vampire's eyes may adopt an orange hue to them.
Vampires who drain their victims to death continuously will adopt different characteristics based on their increased diet of blood. Their skin will have a purplish-hue and their eyes will be blood red. These vampires were more common in the past, but have become more rare as technology and mortals have advanced.
III. Becoming a Vampire
Unlike most myths, vampires are not created by bite. They also cannot reproduce, so having offspring is out of the question as well. Instead, vampires add to their ranks by turning mortals. This process is called being blooded. It requires the vampire to have the human intake some of the vampire's vampiric blood through the means of an open wound or ingestion. Once done, the human must then drink the blood of another human while the vampiric blood is in their system. After human blood is consumed, the vampiric blood will attack the human blood cells, and convert them. This process is normally painful and will seem like a terrible fever to the transitioning human. During this process, the human will "die" and once their blood has been fully converted by the vampiric blood, they will awaken a full vampire.
A more traditional method of being blooded is by cutting the tips of the fingers of both the vampire and human being turned and placing their open wound fingertips against one another's to spread the vampiric blood into their system. This method leaves small scars on each of the user's fingertips which helps denote them as a vampire. While this may draw more attention of those in the know, it is seen as the most honorable way to become a vampire among their kind, and is the most common practice in chosen blooding.
If a human is blooded before completing puberty, their changing body will be too volatile to be turned into a full vampire. Instead, they will only get a portion of the vampiric abilities and will instead be a Half-Vampire. Once a half-vampire's body is finished undergoing puberty completely, it will go through what is known as the Purge, where they will get a high fever, cold sweats, and will transition into a full vampire. This process normally takes place between the ages of 17-24, though some have been known to be delayed to their late twenties before entering the Purge. It should be noted that while puberty is going on, it is not uncommon for a half-vampire to experience multiple Purge attempts which cause the same symptoms above, but will not result in full vampirism until the final Purge is successful.
Normally half-vampires are taken or accepted as apprentices to an older and more experienced vampire who intends to teach them the ways of their kind before fully transitioning them.
Unlike most myths, vampires are not created by bite. They also cannot reproduce, so having offspring is out of the question as well. Instead, vampires add to their ranks by turning mortals. This process is called being blooded. It requires the vampire to have the human intake some of the vampire's vampiric blood through the means of an open wound or ingestion. Once done, the human must then drink the blood of another human while the vampiric blood is in their system. After human blood is consumed, the vampiric blood will attack the human blood cells, and convert them. This process is normally painful and will seem like a terrible fever to the transitioning human. During this process, the human will "die" and once their blood has been fully converted by the vampiric blood, they will awaken a full vampire.
A more traditional method of being blooded is by cutting the tips of the fingers of both the vampire and human being turned and placing their open wound fingertips against one another's to spread the vampiric blood into their system. This method leaves small scars on each of the user's fingertips which helps denote them as a vampire. While this may draw more attention of those in the know, it is seen as the most honorable way to become a vampire among their kind, and is the most common practice in chosen blooding.
If a human is blooded before completing puberty, their changing body will be too volatile to be turned into a full vampire. Instead, they will only get a portion of the vampiric abilities and will instead be a Half-Vampire. Once a half-vampire's body is finished undergoing puberty completely, it will go through what is known as the Purge, where they will get a high fever, cold sweats, and will transition into a full vampire. This process normally takes place between the ages of 17-24, though some have been known to be delayed to their late twenties before entering the Purge. It should be noted that while puberty is going on, it is not uncommon for a half-vampire to experience multiple Purge attempts which cause the same symptoms above, but will not result in full vampirism until the final Purge is successful.
Normally half-vampires are taken or accepted as apprentices to an older and more experienced vampire who intends to teach them the ways of their kind before fully transitioning them.
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