This is where all the information about the races will be stored.
All the following Records are written by myself, and if it does look nice to be used for your own intent, do at least tell me before using.
I put in so much effort into this one.
This is not a completed version though. There's still more to come, so if you have any questions, hang in there.
[FONT="]Record of the Vampires[/FONT]
By The Legendary Traveler, Ras
Vampire Hierarchy
Like any known Human society on Earth, the Vampires themselves have a predefined hierarchical structure that was laid down in stone, quite literally, by the first Vampire of Legend – known simply as ‘The True Emperor’.
The Vampire Hierarchy is extremely dated, and works using the archaic patriarchal system, shown especially at the top echelons.
--
At the head is the Emperor, who has the greatest say and influence in the Vampire society, able to decide on executions of Vampires, as well as any other sociopolitical decisions ranging from the mundane to the serious. He is backed by his own personal Knight Guard which is known famously as the ‘Elites of Elites’ in and out of the Vampire society, as well as the True-Blood Royal Family that he will father as Emperor.
He is usually elected to power through a competition of life and death amongst the males within the True-Blood Royal Family. This competition pits brother against brother, and is one of the main reasons that the other races regard Vampires as an ‘evil’ race. The champion of the competition would marry the Empress, and with her, mate and produce the next batch of True-Blood Royal Family.
After which, he must first take the Pledge of the True Emperor, which binds him to his people, compelling him to act in ways that would best benefit his own race.
Another important detail to take into consideration is the Pledge of Loyalty which all Vampires must take. This is a type of Blood Pledge, the fourth potent in fact, that binds the Pledge-taker to the subject, in this case, the Emperor, in a way that the Pledge-taker would never be able to defy the subject in any way thinkable. The result is an absolutely loyal group of soldiers willing to sacrifice their lives no matter what.
By tradition, they must produce a total of 9 male heirs and 9 female heirs, adding up to 18 – 20, including themselves, which according to Vampire customs, is a ‘holy’ number.
This is where the other main reason why the Vampires are labeled as an ‘evil’ race. Should the process of mating yield more males, or female than necessary, the so-called ‘excess’ must be killed off. This killing is traditionally done by the Emperor, and is considered to be for the ‘good’ of the Vampire race – which, in technicality, is true, especially to the superstitious Royal Family, since they must fit in with the ‘holy’ number, 20.
--
Behind the Emperor is his Empress. She is elected in the same manner as the Emperor, having to undergo a selection process through a death-match against her own sisters. Although second in power to the Emperor, the only place where she has any real say is within the Royal Family. Her children would all be under her direct care, and all her time is to be dedicated to these little monsters.
Upon election as Empress, she must undergo a series of Blood Pledges, aside from the Pledge of Loyalty. These Pledges are as follows: the Pledge of Guidance, the Pledge of the Faithful Wife and the Pledge of the True Empress.
The first Pledge binds her to her own children, while the second seals her love for her husband, preventing even the slightest trace of unfaithfulness. The last Pledge is the third most potent among the known list of Blood Pledges. Modeled after the Blood Pledge taken by the True Empress to the True Emperor in Vampire Legend, this Pledge binds the Empress to her race, compelling her to guide the Emperor’s actions towards the good of the Vampire society.
--
After the Emperor and Empress, is the True-Blood Royal Family.
Conventionally, this would refer to the 9 Princes and Princesses. Upon birth, they take the Pledge of Filial Piety, which binds them to their parents, compelling them to be extremely filial to their parents, following their words with almost fanatical obedience. They will also take the Pledge of Zeal at the age of 800, another Pledge enacted by the True Emperor of Legend which binds the Royal Family to their race, leading them to develop patriotic thinking that considers only options that would best favor their own race.
Though, their real influence only arrives at around the age of 1700. For males, they would be brought into the Imperial Court for the first time, and allowed to participate in political debates, and put their centuries of education to good use. Females would be assigned as partners to some of these male Vampires to act as an ‘Empress’. This is also meant to help develop some amount of love between the two.
This arrangement would continue for about a century before the partner is swapped over, and would continue on for nine centuries, where all females would have at least been partnered with a particular male at least once. It is then that the selection process begins. This selection process is marked by a Blood Pledge as well, the Pledge of the Fair Fight.
This Blood Pledge compels the Royal Family to engage in a fair match against his or her competitor. This also has a spillover effect that helps mould the winner to later on be fair in his dealings with people, as the Blood Pledge affects the way he or she thinks.
--
Below the Royal Family is the Nobility.
The Nobility is the children of the True Emperor who had children with Humans. Their Vampire bloodline is somewhat tainted by human blood, and isn’t as pure as the Royal Family’s. However, they retain some characteristics of Pure-Bloods which distinguishes them from the average vampire.
The purpose of the Nobility is to act as loyal subjects to the Emperor, aiding him in political decisions or even military decisions.
Unlike the Royal Family, the Nobility need not be as patriarchal, hence the tendency for some key positions in court to be filled in by females. However, there are some within the Nobility that desires to be like the Royal Family, implementing the patriarchal system through a series of Blood Pledges.
Most of the Nobility practice intermarriage to preserve their already tainted bloodline. Though there are some within the Nobility that choose to marry Commoners, though, this tends to yield children whose blood is of the same purity as Commoners.
The Nobility generally has significant influence over the Commoner population, though, second only to the Emperor and his Royal Family.
--
The next hierarchal group is the Combat Vampires.
As their names suggest, they are Vampires that are trained specifically to fight. These are often commoners, though some key positions may be taken by the Nobility. Some of the best within this group would be taken to join the Knight Guard, which personally protects the Emperor and his Royal Family.
The others form the bulk of the Knights which are the main army of the Vampires. Their only influence lies in the fact that because they are the main defense force of the Vampires, the Commoners tend to give them more respect.
Vampire Knights take the Pledge of Chivalry, which compels them to encompass in them the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
--
The second lowest hierarchal group is the Commoners.
These are the common vampires whose blood is quite tainted by humans. They do not live as long as the Pure Bloods, though they tend to be physically stronger. Most Common Vampire families do not operate with a clear structure like the Royal Family or the Nobility. Theirs tend to usually be a ‘democratic’ sort of system, where every member of the family has an audible and equal say in things.
Most of the Commoners are fanatically loyal to the Royal Family – likely the effect of the Pledge of Loyalty. Though in recent times, there has been a rise in the number of Commoners who advocate the system of democracy.
--
The lowest class in the hierarchy is the Half-Bloods, or any other bloodlines that are even more tainted.
They are usually not even recognized by their own race nor even by the humans that tainted their bloodlines. However, they are significantly stronger than the average vampire in terms of physical strength, but lose out sorely in terms of magical might.
These Vampires do not take the Pledge of Loyalty, and are, thus, not always perpetually loyal to the Emperor.
Blood Pledges
Subsequently listed in terms of potency are the known Blood Pledges in the Vampire Society. This is not an exhaustive list, and some more powerful Vampires may create an even more powerful Blood Pledge, or some weaker ones may also create a weaker, but still new, Blood Pledge.
A Blood Pledge is made by using the blood of the Pledge-taker and, in certain cases, the blood of the subject of the Pledge. In the case of a pledge from one Pledge-taker to the Pledge-subject, by mixing the blood of the two Vampires together, a ‘bond’ is formed, and subsequently, the Pledge-taker must then dictate his pledge, and the Pledge-subject must agree for the pledge to take effect.
In the case of a pledge that an individual takes, the blood of the Pledge-subject will be infused with magical energies that helps the pledge take effect.
Characteristics
Vampires, in general, have rather fair complexion with eyes of crimson that resembles greatly the blood that they rely on as a form of sustenance. Most of them stand at heights of around 175cm, and are naturally inclined to have a healthy body shape, as well as good physical condition – so long they are provided sufficient sources of energy in the form of blood.
Human blood is usually preferred as an exotic delicacy, though the common choice is usually the blood of wild animals in the forest, as the latter tends to be easier to obtain.
Speaking of blood, the blood of Vampires themselves are magically charged, in a way that consumption of the blood of a true Vampire would provide a temporary magical enhancement. Which also make Vampires an occasional hunt for humans, amusingly, specifically those operating in the Black Market – as the killing of Vampires is taken seriously by the human government, who want nothing to do with the Vampires.
The top of the hierarchy are extremely strong in terms of magic – meaning the Emperor and his Royal Family. Their magical might is unmatched amongst the Vampires. From the simple manipulation of the elements to the most sophisticated like summoning mythical beasts to do their bidding; there isn’t any restricting limit to their magical abilities. Though that is not to say they can work magical miracles at will, there are consequences as well, just a less serious one.
However, they are extremely weak in terms of physical strength, unlike those at the lower ends of the hierarchy.
Generally, most Vampires, including the Emperor himself, have a specific element that they are more aligned with – allowing them to be more proficient in the said element.
Cultures and Tradition
The Vampires place a high value on the traditions lay down by their ancestors. The disrespect for such traditions tend to be treated with much fury and anger that usually stop most from even thinking of voicing out any of such opinions.
Vampires have a habit of greeting one another, especially someone of higher social standing by placing a palm over where his or her heart would be, then bowing slightly. For males, they would place their right palm. Females would place their left palms. The only person that doesn’t have to do this is, the Emperor, during his reign.
As Vampires need only blood to sustain them, they do not have any ‘dining etiquette’ to speak of. Instead, they have ‘drinking etiquette’. They, too, like humans, have their own mythology, ‘Records of the True Emperor’.
- Drinking Etiquette
Sustenance is usually served in wine glasses; Vampires taking the glass must hold the cup with only his fingers. If he has people that he is drinking with, he must raise the glass in the people’s direction and get a similar response before he may drink.
When drinking, he is expected to finish it with one gulp. He may ask for a refill if he desires more to drink, but as a form of respect to the host, he may ask for no more than five glasses. This, however and naturally, would not apply in Vampire restaurants which would only charge more for the additional glasses of blood.
- Records of the True Emperor
This is a series of records written in stone presumably under the orders of the True Emperor - the first Vampire. The records contain detailed historical records of the True Emperor’s actions when he lived.
Although most of these stories revolved around the political and military decisions that the True Emperor had made, there are some stories about how the True Emperor bested several mythical creatures.
One well known example would be the story of the ‘Lapsed’, which was a monstrously large beast with hundred elephant heads, as well as a million tusks. It was a floating beast that moved about by warping in and out of existence, hence its name, crashing wherever it appeared, causing great destruction wherever it went.
Initially, the Vampires were content in the knowledge that the Lapsed had yet to strike any of the Vampire cities. However, when the Lapsed did strike and annihilate one Vampire city, the True Emperor realized there was a need to strike down this monstrosity, and he did, though not without first getting the help of the human master blacksmith, Eras, who forged for him an extremely durable blade named, Werestry, made out of the best metal that the Vampires had amassed then.
The True Emperor then enchanted the blade with his own blood, blessing the blade with sharpness that allowed it to slice through anything, as well as to release black waves of energies that would form themselves into swords around the wielder as per his will. These ‘swords’ can be taken and thrown at any target, and when it strikes, it will explode in a burst of magical energy.
Following the creation of Werestry, the True Emperor went on to create a magical artifact that would allow him to survive a direct attack from the Lapsed as the size of the beast would make it difficult for even the True Emperor to escape.
Enlisting the help of Eras once again, and with his own enchantment, he created the magical ring, Trascent, which protects it’s wearer by allowing the wearer to meld into the shadows, making the person intangible, and thus invulnerable to physical or magical hurt. With the ring, it is also possible to create shadow copies of the wearer used to fool enemies.
Armed with these two powerful artifacts, the True Emperor confronted the Lapsed in a climactic battle that shook the very battlefield on which they struggled for life and death. The Lapsed proved to be a difficult opponent, despite the two artifacts that the True Emperor had in his possession.
Though, it was only after an arduously long battle that the True Emperor, but not without heavy injuries. The True Emperor never quite recovered from these injuries, however, losing his life after several decades of being bed-ridden.
The two artifacts are subsequent stored in the Vaults of the Royal Palace in the Vampire capital city, Shire.
All the following Records are written by myself, and if it does look nice to be used for your own intent, do at least tell me before using.
I put in so much effort into this one. This is not a completed version though. There's still more to come, so if you have any questions, hang in there.
[FONT="]Record of the Vampires[/FONT]
By The Legendary Traveler, Ras
Vampire Hierarchy
Like any known Human society on Earth, the Vampires themselves have a predefined hierarchical structure that was laid down in stone, quite literally, by the first Vampire of Legend – known simply as ‘The True Emperor’.
The Vampire Hierarchy is extremely dated, and works using the archaic patriarchal system, shown especially at the top echelons.
--
At the head is the Emperor, who has the greatest say and influence in the Vampire society, able to decide on executions of Vampires, as well as any other sociopolitical decisions ranging from the mundane to the serious. He is backed by his own personal Knight Guard which is known famously as the ‘Elites of Elites’ in and out of the Vampire society, as well as the True-Blood Royal Family that he will father as Emperor.
He is usually elected to power through a competition of life and death amongst the males within the True-Blood Royal Family. This competition pits brother against brother, and is one of the main reasons that the other races regard Vampires as an ‘evil’ race. The champion of the competition would marry the Empress, and with her, mate and produce the next batch of True-Blood Royal Family.
After which, he must first take the Pledge of the True Emperor, which binds him to his people, compelling him to act in ways that would best benefit his own race.
Another important detail to take into consideration is the Pledge of Loyalty which all Vampires must take. This is a type of Blood Pledge, the fourth potent in fact, that binds the Pledge-taker to the subject, in this case, the Emperor, in a way that the Pledge-taker would never be able to defy the subject in any way thinkable. The result is an absolutely loyal group of soldiers willing to sacrifice their lives no matter what.
By tradition, they must produce a total of 9 male heirs and 9 female heirs, adding up to 18 – 20, including themselves, which according to Vampire customs, is a ‘holy’ number.
This is where the other main reason why the Vampires are labeled as an ‘evil’ race. Should the process of mating yield more males, or female than necessary, the so-called ‘excess’ must be killed off. This killing is traditionally done by the Emperor, and is considered to be for the ‘good’ of the Vampire race – which, in technicality, is true, especially to the superstitious Royal Family, since they must fit in with the ‘holy’ number, 20.
--
Behind the Emperor is his Empress. She is elected in the same manner as the Emperor, having to undergo a selection process through a death-match against her own sisters. Although second in power to the Emperor, the only place where she has any real say is within the Royal Family. Her children would all be under her direct care, and all her time is to be dedicated to these little monsters.
Upon election as Empress, she must undergo a series of Blood Pledges, aside from the Pledge of Loyalty. These Pledges are as follows: the Pledge of Guidance, the Pledge of the Faithful Wife and the Pledge of the True Empress.
The first Pledge binds her to her own children, while the second seals her love for her husband, preventing even the slightest trace of unfaithfulness. The last Pledge is the third most potent among the known list of Blood Pledges. Modeled after the Blood Pledge taken by the True Empress to the True Emperor in Vampire Legend, this Pledge binds the Empress to her race, compelling her to guide the Emperor’s actions towards the good of the Vampire society.
--
After the Emperor and Empress, is the True-Blood Royal Family.
Conventionally, this would refer to the 9 Princes and Princesses. Upon birth, they take the Pledge of Filial Piety, which binds them to their parents, compelling them to be extremely filial to their parents, following their words with almost fanatical obedience. They will also take the Pledge of Zeal at the age of 800, another Pledge enacted by the True Emperor of Legend which binds the Royal Family to their race, leading them to develop patriotic thinking that considers only options that would best favor their own race.
Though, their real influence only arrives at around the age of 1700. For males, they would be brought into the Imperial Court for the first time, and allowed to participate in political debates, and put their centuries of education to good use. Females would be assigned as partners to some of these male Vampires to act as an ‘Empress’. This is also meant to help develop some amount of love between the two.
This arrangement would continue for about a century before the partner is swapped over, and would continue on for nine centuries, where all females would have at least been partnered with a particular male at least once. It is then that the selection process begins. This selection process is marked by a Blood Pledge as well, the Pledge of the Fair Fight.
This Blood Pledge compels the Royal Family to engage in a fair match against his or her competitor. This also has a spillover effect that helps mould the winner to later on be fair in his dealings with people, as the Blood Pledge affects the way he or she thinks.
--
Below the Royal Family is the Nobility.
The Nobility is the children of the True Emperor who had children with Humans. Their Vampire bloodline is somewhat tainted by human blood, and isn’t as pure as the Royal Family’s. However, they retain some characteristics of Pure-Bloods which distinguishes them from the average vampire.
The purpose of the Nobility is to act as loyal subjects to the Emperor, aiding him in political decisions or even military decisions.
Unlike the Royal Family, the Nobility need not be as patriarchal, hence the tendency for some key positions in court to be filled in by females. However, there are some within the Nobility that desires to be like the Royal Family, implementing the patriarchal system through a series of Blood Pledges.
Most of the Nobility practice intermarriage to preserve their already tainted bloodline. Though there are some within the Nobility that choose to marry Commoners, though, this tends to yield children whose blood is of the same purity as Commoners.
The Nobility generally has significant influence over the Commoner population, though, second only to the Emperor and his Royal Family.
--
The next hierarchal group is the Combat Vampires.
As their names suggest, they are Vampires that are trained specifically to fight. These are often commoners, though some key positions may be taken by the Nobility. Some of the best within this group would be taken to join the Knight Guard, which personally protects the Emperor and his Royal Family.
The others form the bulk of the Knights which are the main army of the Vampires. Their only influence lies in the fact that because they are the main defense force of the Vampires, the Commoners tend to give them more respect.
Vampire Knights take the Pledge of Chivalry, which compels them to encompass in them the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
--
The second lowest hierarchal group is the Commoners.
These are the common vampires whose blood is quite tainted by humans. They do not live as long as the Pure Bloods, though they tend to be physically stronger. Most Common Vampire families do not operate with a clear structure like the Royal Family or the Nobility. Theirs tend to usually be a ‘democratic’ sort of system, where every member of the family has an audible and equal say in things.
Most of the Commoners are fanatically loyal to the Royal Family – likely the effect of the Pledge of Loyalty. Though in recent times, there has been a rise in the number of Commoners who advocate the system of democracy.
--
The lowest class in the hierarchy is the Half-Bloods, or any other bloodlines that are even more tainted.
They are usually not even recognized by their own race nor even by the humans that tainted their bloodlines. However, they are significantly stronger than the average vampire in terms of physical strength, but lose out sorely in terms of magical might.
These Vampires do not take the Pledge of Loyalty, and are, thus, not always perpetually loyal to the Emperor.
Blood Pledges
Subsequently listed in terms of potency are the known Blood Pledges in the Vampire Society. This is not an exhaustive list, and some more powerful Vampires may create an even more powerful Blood Pledge, or some weaker ones may also create a weaker, but still new, Blood Pledge.
A Blood Pledge is made by using the blood of the Pledge-taker and, in certain cases, the blood of the subject of the Pledge. In the case of a pledge from one Pledge-taker to the Pledge-subject, by mixing the blood of the two Vampires together, a ‘bond’ is formed, and subsequently, the Pledge-taker must then dictate his pledge, and the Pledge-subject must agree for the pledge to take effect.
In the case of a pledge that an individual takes, the blood of the Pledge-subject will be infused with magical energies that helps the pledge take effect.
Characteristics
Vampires, in general, have rather fair complexion with eyes of crimson that resembles greatly the blood that they rely on as a form of sustenance. Most of them stand at heights of around 175cm, and are naturally inclined to have a healthy body shape, as well as good physical condition – so long they are provided sufficient sources of energy in the form of blood.
Human blood is usually preferred as an exotic delicacy, though the common choice is usually the blood of wild animals in the forest, as the latter tends to be easier to obtain.
Speaking of blood, the blood of Vampires themselves are magically charged, in a way that consumption of the blood of a true Vampire would provide a temporary magical enhancement. Which also make Vampires an occasional hunt for humans, amusingly, specifically those operating in the Black Market – as the killing of Vampires is taken seriously by the human government, who want nothing to do with the Vampires.
The top of the hierarchy are extremely strong in terms of magic – meaning the Emperor and his Royal Family. Their magical might is unmatched amongst the Vampires. From the simple manipulation of the elements to the most sophisticated like summoning mythical beasts to do their bidding; there isn’t any restricting limit to their magical abilities. Though that is not to say they can work magical miracles at will, there are consequences as well, just a less serious one.
However, they are extremely weak in terms of physical strength, unlike those at the lower ends of the hierarchy.
Generally, most Vampires, including the Emperor himself, have a specific element that they are more aligned with – allowing them to be more proficient in the said element.
Cultures and Tradition
The Vampires place a high value on the traditions lay down by their ancestors. The disrespect for such traditions tend to be treated with much fury and anger that usually stop most from even thinking of voicing out any of such opinions.
Vampires have a habit of greeting one another, especially someone of higher social standing by placing a palm over where his or her heart would be, then bowing slightly. For males, they would place their right palm. Females would place their left palms. The only person that doesn’t have to do this is, the Emperor, during his reign.
As Vampires need only blood to sustain them, they do not have any ‘dining etiquette’ to speak of. Instead, they have ‘drinking etiquette’. They, too, like humans, have their own mythology, ‘Records of the True Emperor’.
- Drinking Etiquette
Sustenance is usually served in wine glasses; Vampires taking the glass must hold the cup with only his fingers. If he has people that he is drinking with, he must raise the glass in the people’s direction and get a similar response before he may drink.
When drinking, he is expected to finish it with one gulp. He may ask for a refill if he desires more to drink, but as a form of respect to the host, he may ask for no more than five glasses. This, however and naturally, would not apply in Vampire restaurants which would only charge more for the additional glasses of blood.
- Records of the True Emperor
This is a series of records written in stone presumably under the orders of the True Emperor - the first Vampire. The records contain detailed historical records of the True Emperor’s actions when he lived.
Although most of these stories revolved around the political and military decisions that the True Emperor had made, there are some stories about how the True Emperor bested several mythical creatures.
One well known example would be the story of the ‘Lapsed’, which was a monstrously large beast with hundred elephant heads, as well as a million tusks. It was a floating beast that moved about by warping in and out of existence, hence its name, crashing wherever it appeared, causing great destruction wherever it went.
Initially, the Vampires were content in the knowledge that the Lapsed had yet to strike any of the Vampire cities. However, when the Lapsed did strike and annihilate one Vampire city, the True Emperor realized there was a need to strike down this monstrosity, and he did, though not without first getting the help of the human master blacksmith, Eras, who forged for him an extremely durable blade named, Werestry, made out of the best metal that the Vampires had amassed then.
The True Emperor then enchanted the blade with his own blood, blessing the blade with sharpness that allowed it to slice through anything, as well as to release black waves of energies that would form themselves into swords around the wielder as per his will. These ‘swords’ can be taken and thrown at any target, and when it strikes, it will explode in a burst of magical energy.
Following the creation of Werestry, the True Emperor went on to create a magical artifact that would allow him to survive a direct attack from the Lapsed as the size of the beast would make it difficult for even the True Emperor to escape.
Enlisting the help of Eras once again, and with his own enchantment, he created the magical ring, Trascent, which protects it’s wearer by allowing the wearer to meld into the shadows, making the person intangible, and thus invulnerable to physical or magical hurt. With the ring, it is also possible to create shadow copies of the wearer used to fool enemies.
Armed with these two powerful artifacts, the True Emperor confronted the Lapsed in a climactic battle that shook the very battlefield on which they struggled for life and death. The Lapsed proved to be a difficult opponent, despite the two artifacts that the True Emperor had in his possession.
Though, it was only after an arduously long battle that the True Emperor, but not without heavy injuries. The True Emperor never quite recovered from these injuries, however, losing his life after several decades of being bed-ridden.
The two artifacts are subsequent stored in the Vaults of the Royal Palace in the Vampire capital city, Shire.