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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:14:48 GMT -5
This page is for keeping track of information regarding the roleplay The Blood Trials. It will list things such as information on the vampires and their Clans, as well as humans, and really anything else pertinent to the roleplay.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Comment 1: History Comment 2: Vampire Physiology Comment 3: Vampire Culture & Clans Comment 4: Humans & Their Roles Comment 5: [reserved just in case]
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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:15:19 GMT -5
HISTORY
Long ago, humans ruled the world. Vampires were hunted down and destroyed; humans even killed each other, suspecting and fearing that they may be vampires as well. The species was hunted near to extinction, and eventually, we grew desperate. The eldest, most cunning, and most powerful of us came together: Silviu Alecsandri, Rasvan Drahgescu, Viorica Mircea, Anton Dimiris, Stela Vasilescu, Ilena Amanar, Marcela Vlaicu, Mazonn Moldovanu, Victor Cosovei, Stefan Cardeimir, Afina Racescu, Rahela Orine, and Kathryne Ioveanu. They gathered together the others, the last remaining of our kind, and they formed the thirteen Clans. Then, united under the First Empress- Viorica Mircea- the vampires rose up. The war was long and bloody, lasting many generations for the humans, but eventually, we were victorious.
There were many small human rebellions after that, and it seemed that we were still at war, but eventually even that ended. Many humans had been killed- as we had been, so now were they nearly extinct. But we could not allow for them to disappear entirely, as we depend on their blood to survive, and so those humans who could be made loyal and obedient were taken in and cared for. Over time, many were allowed to form villages and towns of their own, allowed to live their lives mostly according to their own rules, though always supervised so as to prevent more rebellion. Some humans live more closely with vampires, as household servants or as pet-like companions.
Many thousands of years has passed since the Revolution, and the Shadow Empire- as it is now called- flourishes. As always, there is political and social strife as power-hungry vampires seek to secure their place in the world. Some humans whisper again of rebellion, though most know that it is a distant dream; they time, they say, is not yet right. Still, change lurks on the horizon as the Empress grows ever older, and soon it will be time for a new era, though what that era will bring is anyone's guess.
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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:15:37 GMT -5
VAMPIRE PHYSIOLOGY
There is a lot of lore on vampires, much of which is true but more of which is false. This section will clarify the physiology (and some cultural aspects) of the vampires.
What's False: - The sunlight will not turn vampires to ashes, though we sunburn very easily, beginning to burn in a matter of minutes. Very bright light also hurts their eyes. - Vampires are not created by a human being bitten; they are born, just like anything else. - Vampires are not completely immortal: they grow like humans until they are about 16, and then age at a rate of about 1 "year" every 25. For example, a 120-year-old vampire would look to be about 20 or 21. Vampires tend to live about 1600 years if not killed prematurely. However, life is full of dangers, and few vampires make it a full 1600 years unscathed. - While vampires do depend on human blood to survive, they also require actual food; though, they tend to eat more meat (especially raw) than humans do. - Vampires cannot turn into bats, or any other animal for that matter (well, usually). - Vampires are not sensitive to iron, or silver, or garlic, or really anything else that humans have come up with to "defend" themselves against them.
What's True: - Vampires are extremely difficult to kill. Starvation (of blood or food) will do it; short of that, their brain must be destroyed, or they must be stabbed through the heart with metal or stone (wood, bone, or any other organic material won't do it). - Vampires heal extremely quickly; a shallow scratch will heal in a matter of hours. Because of this, vampires also tend to scar very easily. However, vampires can still be maimed just like humans (ie, they won't grow back limbs, and can still be paralyzed, blinded, deafened, or afflicted with any other permanent injury). - Vampires are naturally much stronger and much faster than normal humans. However, a particularly strong human could still stand up to a normal or weak vampire in terms of strength (though few humans could hope to match their speed).
Appearances: - Reflective, slit-pupiled eyes like a cat's. Eyes can be any color of a humans, as well as yellow, orange, or red (but never purple). - Extremely pale skin, by human standards. Very pale vampires might have skin that is pure white, while "dark" vampires would be considered a light tan to humans. - Hair is generally very light (white, silver, gray, or pale blonde) or very dark (black, dark brown, dark red), but it can be middling tones like medium brown, red, auburn, etc. - Front teeth are all sharp, though their canines are the longest. Unlike humans, their teeth will eventually grow back if knocked out.
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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:15:51 GMT -5
VAMPIRE CLANS & CULTURE
Vampire society is divided into thirteen "Clans," each if which is made up of several families; small Clans have only four or five different families, while larger ones have several dozen. Vampires are born into their Clan, and- with few exceptions- will never change. Vampires are born and raised in their Clan and marry within it. On rare occasion, a vampire may forsake their birth Clan to marry into a different one, but this is highly frowned upon and often makes many enemies.
The Clans are ranked by size and strength into Royal, Noble, and Common Clans. The Royal Clan is the Clan to which the current Emperor or Empress of the vampires belongs. The Noble Clans are the four strongest, below the Royal Clan. All other Clans are considered "Common" Clans. Because the Clans are constantly fighting among themselves, the rankings change fairly frequently (by vampire standards), though the Royal Clan usually only changes every thousand years or so, when the current Emperor/Empress dies and is replaced. Even then, the Clan may not change, as a member of their same Clan may take their place.
In order to choose a new Emperor or Empress when the reining one is nearing death, there is an event known as the Blood Trials. During the Blood Trials, each Clan chooses a young member (between 100 and 200 years old) to travel to the Citadel- the capital of the Shadow Empire- and take part in a year-long competition. Each Heir (what the competitors are called) is allowed to bring two others of their choosing. After that, they will be locked in the Citadel, the only contact with the outside being through letters. They now play a dangerous game of idle plotting, trying to coerce the other Heirs into backing down or joining with them to destroy their enemies. Murder is commonplace during the Blood Trials, and generally at least half of the Heirs and their followers have died by the end. In addition to shady plotting, the reining Emperor/Empress may also occasionally assign more formal contests or challenges to test the skills of the Heirs. At the end, the Heirs and their followers vote on the best option for Emperor/Empress, and the reining leader makes the final say.
Each Clan has a symbol- often an animal- and is well-known for some attribute, whether physical, mental, social, or political. Each Clan is led by a king or queen of its own, whose allegiance is in turn pledged to the emperor/empress of the vampires. Vampires have three names: their individual/first name, their family name, and their Clan name. To those outside their Clan, they will generally only give their first and Clan name, as their family is generally irrelevant to outsiders.
The Clans:
Alecsandri Symbolized by the deer, Alecsandri are known for their quietly cunning and observing nature. Members of Clan Alecsandri are generally reserved, proper, and polite no matter the situation, but will destroy those who insult them, hiding in the shadows all the while. Alecsandri consider themselves honorable and proper, and will never be the one to start a fight- though they are nearly always the ones who finish them. Clan Alecsandri is the current Royal Clan.
Drahgescu Symbolized by the dragon, Drahgescu are renowned for being bloody and brutal warriors. Members of Clan Drahgescu tend to be somewhat arrogant and fiery-tempered, though clever and cunning nonetheless. Some- but not many- Drahgescu vampires have the ability to breathe fire like a dragon, and are immune to being burned (though not by the sun, though they have a higher tolerance than other vampires).
Mircea Symbolized by the rose, Mircea are well-known for their physical beauty and grace. Clan Mircea is matriarchal, with females always being the leader of the Clan and the heads of their respective families. Members of Clan Mircea are generally vain and arrogant, and tend to respect others who are more physically attractive more so than those who aren't. The Mircea never marry, and instead are romantic with whoever they might fancy at the time.
Dimiris Symbolized by the sword, Dimiris are known for their hair, which is as red as the blood their warriors have spilled in battle. Dimiris is a Clan of knights: they are trained in battle from a young age, and live to serve the leader of their Clan and of the vampires as a whole. Dimiris are extremely obedient to authority, always following their orders to the letter.
Vasilescu Symbolized by the wolf, Vasilescu is the most family-oriented Clan. There is always a king and queen; should one die, the eldest married child takes over. It is a tradition for Vasilescu vampires to marry at a young age, and they are fiercely protective of their kin. Besides Orine, Vasilescu is the wildest of the Clans, often living out in the forest with packs of wolves and only meeting at established intervals to discuss Clan business. Every few thousand years, a Vasilescu vampire is born with the "spirit of the wolf," and the ability to change their shape into one.
Amanar Symbolized by tree, Amanar is known for its alchemical mastery. Amanar vampires have learned the secrets of alchemy and potion-making and passed them down through the generations, guarding them jealously against the scrutiny of the other Clans. Amanar vampires tend to be intelligent and guarded, often suspicious that those outside their Clan will try to steal their secrets.
Vlaicu Symbolized by the bat, Vlaicu is known as the cruelest and most bloodthirsty Clan. Though others may be vengeful towards their enemies and formidable in battle, none revel in bloodshed like the Vlaicu. Assassinations and political strife are a hallmark of this Clan, and its leadership changes hands every few decades (frequent by vampire standards) for this exact reason. Extortion, blackmail, and murder are seen as an elaborate, deadly game and Vlaicu are sore losers.
Moldovanu Symbolized by the hawk, Moldovanu is known for being masterful hunters. A member of Clan Moldovanu has probably killed at least one member of every species known to man, and they care little for the rarity of the species or ethics of hunting it. Moldovanu are determined to be masters of the food chain, and they often wear the trophies of their hunts, and keep vicious or rare animals (often the orphaned offspring of their prey) as pets.
Cosovei Symbolized by the bear, Cosovei are known for being steady and resolute. Of all the Clans, they change the least, often keeping the same leader for thousands of years and greatly dislike change. Marriage, children, or any other major life events are rare and only occur very deliberately after much consideration. Members of Clan Cosovei tend to be stubborn and have a dislike of those outside their Clan, who they generally see as meddling and fickle.
Cardeimir Symbolized by the cat, Cardeimir is known as a Clan of tricksters. From playing pranks on friends to outwitting dangerous enemies, Cardeimir vampires are cunning and silver-tongued. They also tend to be somewhat sociopathic, having little empathy for others whether of their own Clan or of others. They have no problem killing or injuring others, though it is frowned upon to seriously hurt or kill another person except in revenge for a grievous wrongdoing.
Racescu Symbolized by the moon, Racescu are known for their pale features even by vampiric standards, as well as their devout service to their gods. The Racescu believe that vampires were born when the goddess of the moon, Kivheia, fell in love with a mortal human. As such, Racescu treat their human servants extremely well, believing that vampires are simply an improved version of their ancestors. The Racescu dress extremely modestly, speak rarely, and refuse to even touch those outside of their Clan, believing they are unclean. They wear veils to cover their faces around outsiders, and every tenth winter solstice, there is a blood sacrifice of the Racescu vampire deemed the "purest," and the others are "cleansed" with their blood.
Orine Symbolized by the crow, Clan Orine is known for being wild and non-conforming. As a Clan, they have few traditions or traits which they share, though they remain close-knit nonetheless. Clan Orine is unusual in that it does not have a king or queen; rather, they follow the Healer, who is the most respected member of the Clan. While they are a small Clan, members of Clan Orine are exceptionally powerful, as each possesses a minor psychic ability ranging from empathy (feeling the emotional state of others) to minor telekinesis or divination. The only reason they are not a Noble Clan is because they do not care to fight over something as petty as social ranking.
Ioveanu Symbolized by the fox, Ioveanu are secretive and reclusive. Members of this small Clan are rarely seen by outsiders, and even when they are present they prefer to remain unseen. Ioveanu are not as physically powerful as most other vampires, and in a battle would likely lose; however, they are masters at what they call Dreamwalking, where they can enter others' dreams and communicate with them so long as they have touched before. This is a powerful tool of both communication and sabotage, and Ioveanu make good use of both.
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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:16:11 GMT -5
HUMANS & THEIR ROLES
Humans, as mentioned in the history, are mostly allowed to live in villages and mind their own business, though they still work for the vampires. Most villages have a particular specialty, whether farming or mining or logging or anything else, and all send some of their goods to the vampires, who in turn protect the villages and make sure the humans have everything that they need to survive.
Some humans, however, actually live with the vampires. The majority of these humans serve as simple household servants: cooking, cleaning, mending clothes or caring for animals, or whatever else might need doing. These humans are generally also used for blood, though only a little at a time from each human so that they may remain strong enough to work. Some humans, however, are known as "companions."
Companions are chosen at fourteen years of age from all humans, whether villagers or servants or companions themselves. They are chosen for their physical attractiveness, obedience, and- most importantly- the quality of their blood. Companions are essentially pets: they follow their masters, there as a display of their master's power and prestige much as a purebred hound or horse might be. They are meant to say nothing and look beautiful, as well as to sate bloodthirst when needed, like a fine wine. While the role of companion may seem demeaning, it is highly sought-after, as companions are usually treated extremely well by their masters and live a life of luxury unparalleled even by many vampires.
Past that, all humans are generally treated at least reasonably well by their masters. They are fed, sheltered, and kept healthy, and it is illegal to murder or abuse humans. It is also illegal to separate families without permission; children must choose to accept the role of companion. All-in-all, human servitude to the vampires could be (and has been) a lot worse.
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Post by Aphelyon on Sept 22, 2016 22:16:27 GMT -5
[RESERVED]
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