The Forsaken Lands Wiki

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History

Many a legend tells the tale of the Unliving Knights of Blood known as the Vampires; most remain mystery. What is known is the earliest appearance of the Vampiri in the annals of time occur around the fourth age of Aabahran - shortly after the entity known as Virigoth rose to prominence. Having been empowered by the Nameless itself, many consider the god Virigoth to have been the very first vampire in Aabahran. Stories of the dead commander's return from that ill-fated scouting mission clutching an ancient executioner's blade have become legendary - what remains pertinent is that it was not until after his appearance that the avatars of the cycle began to populate the realms.

Rumors began to circulate about nobles who seem unphased by the passage of time, politicians who refused to venture out during the day, cadavers found with two holes near their jugular and every single ounce of blood drained from their bodies. These and other curious tales that have since been ascribed to the rise of the nosferatu.

None are sure of the identity of the first blessed by Virigoth's covenant. What is known is that the first vampire to rise to infamy went by the name Gorath. Much like a cyclone of death and blood, Count Gorath descended upon Aabahran, instilling citizens with a fear that has since been unmatched. Much like his ascension, his disappearance was sudden, and he was not seen again until Virigoth summoned him as his avatar in the fight that nearly destroyed the fabric of Aabahran's universe.

Time and again the vampiri have played an important role in the shaping of Aabahran. The personality of each are as varied as the drops of blood they invariably spill. Not all were as murderous as Count Gorath, there were those like Countess Ellowyn who pursued the path of magic within Savants - sitting upon the seat of eldership. There were those like Count Arath and Countess Messalantha who sought out unlawful commerce - becoming Rat King and Queen, respectively, who during their prime ruled the seedy underworld with an iron fist. Others remained more faithful to the inherent nobility and politics of their society, such as Count Martineius, who rose to the title of High King of the Tribunal Empire. Though varied in personality they remained true to the Cycle, and thus were the cause, however direct or indirect, of much death.

Usual Height

Varied, but human sized.

Hometown

Vampires swear no allegiance to any single town, though from time to time they have been found living in groups of different sizes. These groups are called Covens.

Religion

As avatars of the unlife, vampires are fervent believers in the powers of death. As the embodiments of the Cycle on Aabahran, they act as ambassadors of the religion. Due to their closeness to their God, they are literally bound to the powers of death through what has come to be called the Continuum.

Physical Features

Vampires have all the physical appearances of humans. This is a cause of concern, as these dark lords and ladies of the night can easily blend into human society, using their positions to further their agendas. A noticeable difference is that vampires tend to be more pale in appearance, due to the lack of circulating blood and contact with sunlight. Many have, however, been fooled into believing this to be a common trait of a noble who does not toil in hard labor. When angered, or attempting to be threatening, vampires have been known to unleash a second, and more frightening appearance; This is believed to be their true appearance. Their incisor fangs become elongated, their pupils dilate to cover their entire eyeball and change colors (anywhere from black to a blood red). Some have been known to increase the length of their nails. Bolder vampires prefer to walk around in this 'true' appearance all of the time, unafraid of the consequences.

To stave off the decrepit appearance of undeath, as well as to preserve their own existence, Vampires drain the blood of the living. As part of their covenant, they cannot synthesize their own blood, and so must subside on that of their prey. The saliva of a vampire will often mix with the blood of their prey, inducing a temporary transformation. They consider this a "temporary gift" because it is only by the blessings of the deity that such can become permanent. Those with weaker wills, or those who have been bitten by stronger- willed vampires, will temporarily become under the control of said vampire.

Those with stronger wills will resist, and maintain their own, albeit conflicted, personality.

Vampires do not breathe, nor must they satisfy their hunger with anything other than blood - though some do enjoy the culinary delights, even if as nothing more than a show of culture and refinement.

Society

Vampires maintain quite a complex social hierarchy. At the top is the deity representing the Cycle - to whom their allegiance is beyond reproach. Though many prefer to be loners, all respect their position within the hierarchy. At the bottom are the soldier vampires, who tend to be recent converts. These foul creatures tend to be the most abundant, yet weakest, of the kindred. Their task is to follow the commands of their superiors; they are considered for the most part expendable.

Above these are the Counts and Countesses. They are seen as the most respected and favored of the Cycle. Each of these noble figures represents their God to the fullest of their abilities. While it is possible for soldiers to rise to the rank of Count or Countess, it is rare since usually those noble figures are hand chosen. Every so often, one vampire will rise to the position of Elder. Their word is second only to that of their God. It is the task of the Elder to watch over the livelihood of all the covens in the land. These figures, as their names imply, tend to be quite old and as such, very powerful.

All vampire kindred live by a certain set rules. Among them being that they must never strike one another down without the special permission of their God. Being that they are all bound together by the forces of the continuum, they are forced to find creative ways to settle their disputes. There have been special occasions when such permission has been given. These times are referred to as either "Blood Hunts" or "Blood Purges". The oldest and well-read vampires have also been known to speak an ancient language known only to them; they call it Nosfera.

Relationships with Other Races

Vampires have as much respect for the other races as one would have for livestock. They consider the other races to be little more than food, pets, or toys. As such, Vampires are known to exhibit much cruelty towards the other races. Promising some the gift of immortality, vampires have been known to even brand citizens of Aabahran as their property. Killing a branded is seen as an insult to a vampire, and can easily raise their ire - it is also an accepted method within their society to settle or continue disputes.

Vampires do not attack the undead, seeing them as cousins to their cause, and sharing with them the bond of the Continuum. Some vampires consider the undead to be beneath them, but such has never been made explicit by the deities of the cycle. They hold the Lich with utmost respect.

While there is no spoken, written, or otherwise accepted accord with Demons, vampires tend not to fight the blessed of the Chaos. The reason for this is simply that they find demon blood to be foul tasting - though they will not hesitate to fight and kill one.

Quest Race Requirements

See Classes/Vampire.