#vampire lore: sire and childe

[teecupangel]

vampire au but (almost) every assassin is a vampire bc i mean.. vampire edward tho 👁🫦👁

I promise I'll make an actual long fic idea but now, just let me drool over the idea of Assassin vampires.

Alright, now that I got that out of my system (absolutely not), I guess we'll start from the beginning.

Buckle up, it's long because I 'accidentally' included all main AC protagonists in this fic idea hahaha

For a Vampire AU, my top two ideas are:

Let's make it full AU. We replace the Isus with Vampires.

OR

Vampires are one of the 'failed' experiments of Juno and Aita, just like the werewolf in Atlantis (maybe it was meant to give a body that can survive the solar flare but, instead, it freaking got a weakness for sunlight, super fail)

Regardless, one of the vampires survived the solar flare. We'll call this one the 'progenitor'. This progenitor vampire has a body that needs blood to survive. Human blood is the best because they're the closest to the progenitor's body. Animal blood barely helps. It would take dozens to be equivalent to one adult human.

So this progenitor drinks human blood. Through trial and error, they understand the limitation of their body. Sunlight burns them. They're faster and stronger than humans, being able to easily pin down a man three times larger than them.

Their senses let them see everything clearly. White means food. Red means danger.

They stay in the dark. They keep to themselves.

Then, one day...

Someone finds them.

Has been tracking them down.

Because one of the humans they fed from had a rich father who was willing to pay handsomely for their head.

So they fight the mercenary that found them. They fought and overpowered the mercenary.

But the mercenary manages to nick them. And their blood drips to the panting mouth.

And that's when the progenitor realized.

They could make humans loyal to them by giving them a bit of their blood.

To make them a thrall.

And that's how the Misthios Kassandra from Sparta became the progenitor's first thrall.

With Kassandra, the progenitor starts to experiment with just how much blood is needed to make a full thrall. Kassandra needed more than a drop but the drop was enough to hypnotize her, just like how their progenitor could hypnotize humans with their voice if they focus hard enough.

So he kept feeding Kassandra more blood until she became a full thrall. Loyal to a fault. With the same limitations as a human but just a tad stronger than humans and wounds that will heal the same quick speed as them. Unfortunately, even a full thrall must drink their master's blood regularly. Otherwise, the thrall will be removed.

And that was what happened with Kassandra. They fought once more. This time, the strength she received from the progenitor was enough to scare the progenitor and they hurt her too much. As she's dying, the progenitor tried to feed her their blood, in hopes that she will become a thrall and her wounds will heal.

She dies.

They bury her.

And she raises from the ground the next evening.

Not as a thrall.

But a vampire like the progenitor.

The thrall was gone.

Her hatred stays though. Not only that, but she was now a vampire like them. She tries to attack them but she cannot.

For the progenitor is her sire. Her blood refuses to harm them.

So she leaves.

And the progenitor is alone once more.

====================

Years passed.

The progenitor travels. They can feel Kassandra still alive, still angry.

But just as lonely as the progenitor.

So they stay away. Travel elsewhere.

That's when they saw her.

A human yet not.

A vampire yet not.

A dhampir, a union of vampire and human.

Kassandra's child.

But why was she alone?

Did Kassandra not realize that her child was not fully human?

Did she leave to give her a chance for a normal life but accidentally give her a life of loneliness, full of fear and confusion.

So the progenitor adopts the scared child, taught her all they know.

They treated her like their own child.

And experimented on what will happen if a dhampir was given blood.

As a dhampir, she grew the same as humans. Sunlight does not harm her. But she was as strong and as fast as a vampire.

Her senses were the same as a vampire.

Yet her stamina was the same as a human. Her body bruised and bled like a human.

She was better than a thrall in some ways, sure, yet limited by her half-human body.

And when she drank vampire blood.

Nothing happened.

How boring.

Yet she was loyal to the progenitor. Not because of any thrall, she was immune to it but because they were her parent. The one person who taught her and took care of her. Blinded by loyalty and love, she stayed with them. Became their eyes and ears in the daylight.

She glowed as blue. Their very first blue.

Their daughter.

And she fell in love.

To a medjay.

And he loved her back.

They give the progenitor humans to feed on. Criminals. Bad people.

The progenitor didn't mind.

Blood was the same regardless of how many laws a human broke.

If it soothed them, gave them an excuse not to feel bad about sacrificing fellow human beings... Then so be it.

The dhampir married the man. The progenitor stays with them. More like an in-law than anything.

Everything was peaceful.

They could not have any children.

The progenitor realized it was because the dhampir was sterile. A common trait of 'hybrids'. Still, the dhampir and her husband were together and in love.

But all things must come to an end.

Egypt is thrown into chaos and they are caught in the middle. The man lay dying in his wife's arms.

And so...

The progenitor tries once more.

The man who had never been their thrall was gifted with the progenitor's blood.

He dies that day.

And he wakes that evening.

As a vampire.

They are happy once more.

In their happiness they forgot to feed the man.

Deep into the night, when they have grown tired from the stress and the celebration, they go to sleep. The man wakes up and drinks the blood of the first person he sees.

His own wife.

His hunger fulfilled, his mind was clear once more. And he saw what he had done. He runs in shame. The commotion wakes the progenitor who sees the dhampir barely clinging to life.

So they try.

They gives up their blood to their daughter and prays.

The following night...

She wakes.

Not as a dhampir but as a vampire.

And she is angry.

Not at the progenitor but at her husband.

For running away instead of staying with them.

The progenitor tries to remind her that it was shame and grief that propelled him to leave. That he still loves her.

But she did not listen.

She leaves to find him. Whether to kill him or to bring him back, the progenitor does not know.

What they did know is that they are, once again, alone.

====================

Years passed.

They feel Kassandra, Aya and Bayek yet they do not see any of them. The world is too big for their paths to intersect.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say they themselves try not to get close to any of them.

For Kassandra, they knew it was better this way. Kassandra's anger still burns strong.

For Aya and Bayek, it is... pettiness that keeps them from following either of them. Their selfishness brings the progenitor nothing but irritation and tiredness. So they stay away.

In their travels, they meet a shieldmaiden who sees them drinking blood. She calls him a draugr and she hunts him. He runs and runs but she is a good hunter. A good tracker.

When there is nowhere left to go, they fight her. Pent up anger for his three stubborn childes propelled them to turn her into their thrall. To make her their slave. To do their bidding with no free will at all.

And when she grew old and weak, they let her go. Let her shout about the draugr that enslaved her. Let her words be heard and mocked.

As they returned to the shadow once more.

====================

But someone follows them. Someone from the shadows. Not like them.

But their blood...

The progenitor could taste the blood of their daughter running through them.

Too weak.

Like this human had an ancestor who had been a thrall instead.

And that made him weak to the progenitor. To desire a closeness with them.

So they let the human live. Give them a bit of their blood, not to enslave them but to show them that they can be a kind master if they wanted to be.

And the human guides them to the Hidden Ones. A cult created by his daughter, taking evil men from the streets and offering them to her.

To their queen.

And they know of the progenitor.

The one they call the Master.

And so they took the seat their daughter left empty, all because she is still searching for her husband.

And, to the man who brought them here, they rewarded him with the title of mentor.

The man cast away his birth name of Hytham.

And became the first Al Mualim.

====================

Centuries passed and they grow bored.

In their boredom, they grow complacent.

And that is how they are captured.

Encased in an iron chamber that pierces their body in places that will not kill them.

But will make them bleed.

So they bleed.

And the one who captured them...

The latest Al Mualim...

Uses their blood to create an army loyal to him.

Years passed.

They are forced to drink blood from a contraption Al Mualim created for them. Fresh human blood, yes, but fed to them like they were livestock.

They bleed.

And their blood creates thralls that Al Mualim controls.

They are powerless. Encased in an iron chamber that bleeds them. Chained and locked with an absurd amount of locks and chains.

But it was enough to keep them contained.

Unable to escape.

Until...

The chains fell.

The locks dropped.

And the chamber finally opens.

And the first person they see is a man with golden eyes.

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

The first of their favorites.

====================

To be turned became a reward only given to the most loyal of their Brotherhood.

Not a cult anymore.

But a Brotherhood of Assassins.

Serving the light by staying in the shadows. Assasinating only to rid the world of evil.

Blah blah blah

They didn't care all that much as long as they feed. And they were fond of Altaïr.

Being saved does that to most beings, even someone as old as them.

And perhaps they were lonely too. Estranged from their first childe, forgotten by their daughter and her husband...

Altaïr was a curious man, unafraid of them. He treated them like they were equals. He asks questions but he also indulges their whims. He never tries to keep them locked in a room. When night comes, he joins them as they sit on the top of their tallest tower, enjoying the cold breeze and the freedom they lost all those years ago.

He gave them a name. For he believes everyone must have a name.

Desmond.

From the French word 'des mond(es)'... The Worlds.

A grand name.

They like it. They will wear the name with pride.

And they gave Altaïr a gift in return.

For saving them.

For treating them well.

Altaïr was not their first childe. But he will always be the first childe they sired not out of fear or desperation or by accident.

A childe sired out of love.

====================

There was a coup. By those who believed they deserved to be turned. They failed.

But many died.

The remnants of the Brotherhood returned to the shadows. The loyal thralls made their way all around the world. To build safe houses and connections that can be used by the inner circle.

By Desmond's inner circle.

They travel. Years passed traveling all over. They stayed in the continent that will later be called Europe. The Templars, the Brotherhood's hated enemy, change their name as well. Yet, they still hunt down the Brotherhood.

They hunt down Desmond.

The one they call The Devil.

But Desmond is not afraid. Why should they be? They finally had childes who care for them.

They had a family.

One of the thralls did well in Italy. His descendants became a noble house and they welcomed Desmond and his inner circle with open arms.

One of the children was a curious little boy.

And Desmond indulges him. Plays with him.

Even as the boy grows older, he still gravitates towards Desmond.

Not because Desmond was the progenitor, the most important secret of the Brotherhood.

But because of Desmond's kindness and smiles.

The boy is loyal.

The boy brings the entire Templar Order in Italy on its knees.

And cuts its head off.

Only then does Desmond realize.

That they had been blind for years now.

The boy they saw had been a man for years now.

And the man deserves a reward.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze was not their first childe.

But he was the most successful of their childes.

====================

They continue to travel. To see the changes of the world. And to keep people from realizing that they do not grow old. It is during these travels in the high seas that they are attacked by a pirate ship. Their ship was damaged but they won.

But Ezio had been severely wounded, dripping blood all over the dying pirate who nearly cut his head off while he was protecting a wounded human brother. They didn't know it at that time though.

The chaos and Desmond's panic over Ezio almost dying were more important. They threw the corpses overboard.

That night...

Edward Kenway rose from the depths of the sea.

Edward Kenway became a rogue vampire. He only cared for gold and glory. The Brotherhood stayed and observed. They guided when they could but left Edward Kenway alone.

Desmond had asked them to.

For Desmond wanted to see.

What kind of vampire Edward Kenway would be.

Years passed...

The age of piracy comes to an end.

And Edward Kenway comes to them.

Comes to Desmond.

Asking for guidance.

Pleading for a purpose in life.

So Desmond welcomes him.

And gives him purpose.

As a member of the Brotherhood.

====================

Edward did not know it then. That he had a daughter.

And a son.

Different mothers. The wife he left to become a privateer then a pirate later on. The woman he spent the nights with while on a mission for the Brotherhood.

Edward found his daughter. Welcomed her into their Brotherhood.

His son was lost. Taken by the Templars who whisper in his ears the kind of monsters vampires are.

The Templars are successful in indoctrinating him.

Haytham Kenway.

The Templar's very own vampire hunter dhampir.

Haytham Kenway became their very own boogeyman. The strength of his vampiric lineage and the weaponry of the Templars serving a keen and observant mind.

The Brotherhood learns of his history and things become more complicated.

Orders to not kill Haytham Kenway resounded all over the Brotherhood.

For he was of Edward Kenway's blood.

Of Ezio Auditore's blood.

He was their family.

But Haytham Kenway used this weakness to his advantage.

Killing any and all members of the Brotherhood he found.

Humans.

Thralls.

Vampires.

In desperation, Edward did what was forbidden.

That winter night, the dhampir Haytham Kenway died in his father's arms.

The following night, Haytham Kenway awakened as a full vampire.

====================

Haytham Kenway as a vampire did not change his stance. He was still loyal to the Order and he still hunted the Brotherhood.

All it did was make him hate himself more. Hate his vampiric nature.

And that hatred only made him more dangerous.

On the other hand...

As he was sired by Edward Kenway, he could not harm Edward anymore. As Edward's sire, he could not harm Ezio as well.

And, most importantly, he could not kill The Devil.

So he took in members of the Order. Trained them in his ways. He did not turn them, of course not, that would only hinder them.

And they became the best of the Templars' vampire hunters.

But one of them was better than all of them.

May even be better than Haytham as a vampire hunter.

Shay Patrick Cormac.

A man who used to be a member of the Brotherhood. A thrall that left after a horrifying event that changed him.

Haytham found his successor.

He found the vampire hunter that will kill The Devil.

====================

Perhaps it had been a moment of weakness.

Perhaps it had been true love.

Regardless of the truth, the fact remained.

Haytham Kenway had a son.

And Edward found him as a babe, nursing from his mother's tit. Shrouded by the darkness, he took the child away and returned to Desmond.

He gifted the baby to Desmond.

A way to repent for how he had inadvertently created their greatest enemy?

A desire to have even just a piece of his son yet shackled by guilt and pain?

Edward did not say his reasoning.

All he asks is that Desmond takes the dhampir.

So Desmond did.

Connor Kenway was raised as a dhampir who believed he was Desmond's son. He was raised with love and his days were filled with happiness.

His favorite was Uncle Edward who sometimes visits to give him the nicest of gifts.

As he grew older, he learns the truth.

Of his parentage.

Of Haytham Kenway.

So he tries.

He tries to build a bridge between Haytham and them.

But the bridge he was trying to build was on top of a raging river that destroys everything that falls into it.

In the end, Connor had to make a choice.

A father who he knew nothing about and hellbent on destroying everything he held dear.

Or a father who raised him with love and gave him a choice.

In the end, Haytham Kenway dies in the arms of a son he did not know.

====================

They followed Shay Cormac to Paris where he gathers what remains of Haytham Kenway's vampire hunters and the rest of the Parisian Rites of the Templar Order. Amidst the cries of the people and the growing tension between the nobles and the common folks, two young people are driven apart by their family.

Elise de la Serre becomes a Templar and trains under Shay Cormac.

Arno Victor Dorian is turned into a vampire by Ezio Auditore who takes the young man under his wing.

Their shared history comes into play as Elise starts to dream. Dreams that leave her hot and wanting.

Her nights are filled with such delicious dreams. Her days are filled with horror as more and more of their members are killed or gone missing.

Yet, this does not break her. She is a strong-willed human. She learns the truth soon enough.

Of how Arno had used their past, their previous romantic entanglements, to make her his thrall. How she gave him everything the Order told her or what she learned all on her own.

How her knowledge was the reason why so many of the Orders died.

She tells Shay all of these. Shay gathers what remains of their forces and they help her remember.

Remember the place that Arno always takes her when she is under his thrall.

The temple underneath Le Marais.

They go there to find clues.

What they found was a trap.

And they learn that Elise did break. After learning how everything was her fault, that she led all of those people to their death...

To be told that the reason why Arno had been able to enthralled her was because, underneath all that desire to be a Templar, to be taken seriously, was a lonely child wishing to be loved by a father and mother who were too busy trying to keep the Parisian Rites of Templars alive.

That underneath all that loyalty to the Order, she hated it for taking her parents away.

Two factions entered the temple underneath Le Marais that day.

Only one faction left the temple that night.

====================

Evie and Jacob Frye were children of the Brotherhood. They were wild and brave.

And they had something to prove to dear old father.

So they travel to England to hunt down the Templars. They create their own gang and destroyed the Templars plan.

The words of their deeds (and the chaos that came after them) reached Edward Kenway who was... perhaps a bit estranged from the Inner Circle by this time. A self-imposed punishment, perhaps. He sees the joy and brashness of the two and it reminds him of how he was before.

So he turns the twins into his thralls. Not enough to enslave them but enough to just give them a little boost. And he guides them.

He helps them.

He builds a family with them.

Years later, when England is fully under Brotherhood control, it would be Edward Kenway who would greet his fellow favored childes with a grin. He would hug his grandson who was now a fellow childe, one of the progenitor's favorite if the rumors were to be believed.

And he would be the one to introduce the Frye twins to Desmond.

And ask that the progenitor reward them.

And Desmond would see the joy on Edward's face. The peace in his eyes.

And they would smile as they say yes.

====================

Decades would pass and humanity will grow. They will develop cures for diseases that once killed hundreds, if not thousands, of them. They will invent objects and techniques that would make their lives easier. Humanity will prosper and destroy itself, over and over again.

And the Brotherhood will remain in the shadows. Forever foiling the plans of the Templars. Taking in thralls to keep them in check while securing their safety.

But there will be humans who will find their way into the Brotherhood.

Who will become part of the Brotherhood.

A girl raised in an orphanage being run by the Brotherhood.

A talented woman with a knack for technology.

A curious man who found the truth among thousands of conspiracies all over the world.

A broken man trying to keep himself together and looking for a place to belong.

A frustrated woman wanting to be acknowledged for the work she has done.

The Brotherhood welcomes them all.

Whether they stay as they are or become a thrall is up to them.

Perhaps...

They might even be rewarded by the progenitor.

[delirious-donna]

Best Laid Plans [Part Two]

story summary: Levi isn’t hungry, or so that’s what he claims. A vampire must drink to survive, and his sire refuses to let the man give up without trying every trick up his sleeve. When a new ‘donor’ appears, one who is different from all the rest, will Levi be able to keep resisting?

pairing: Levi Ackerman (vampire) x female reader (human)

warnings: nothing really just vampire antics and allusions to mysteries in both the reader's and Levi's life and backstory, SFW, this is a slow chapter but it is setting up plot points so please bear with me, Erwin is so calculating and I love it...

Part One | Masterlist | Part Three

“What does it mean if your blood sings?” 

The question pierced through the oppressive silence like a thorn pricking fresh, unblemished skin. Two sets of eyes fixed on your huddled figure in the back seat of the car, Hange at your side and the driver through the reflection of the rearview mirror.  

You had always wondered why the myth of vampires casting no reflections was so prevalent when it wasn’t true, but now wasn’t the time to dissect the nuances of vampire lore.  

If their expressions alone were not enough to tell you that they were uneasy, then the short sharp gasp from Hange’s throat surely did. 

“Is that… did he say that your blood was singing?” Hange finally asked, humourless and at full alert. 

You chewed at your fingernails, a habit you hadn’t indulged in years, and slowly nodded. The weight of the driver’s eyes felt uncomfortable, forcing you to curl further into yourself to hide from his penetrating stare. Hot fear trickled down your spine, the sense that perhaps you shouldn’t have voiced your question was overwhelming. You felt foolish for speaking at all. It served as a reminder that whilst you had been met with nothing but kindness, these people were not your friends. 

“We have to report this,” the driver said directly to Hange. 

“Hold your horse, Miche! Stop acting so whipped. It might be a simple misunderstanding.” The brunette turned their body towards you, slowly reaching for your hand like you might do to a fearful child. “Can you tell me exactly what Levi said?” 

Their touch was cool, and a tingling sensation spread from your fingertips right through your hand and up your arm. Your mind hushed; the overabundance of noise shooed towards the periphery of your conscious as if soothed by the physical connection. In your right mind, you might have questioned if something else was at play, but the thought was so far removed that all you could think about was the man you had been reluctant to leave behind. 

His stern face was imprinted behind your eyelids so that each time you blinked, he flashed back at you with those grey mercurial eyes swirling ominously. The words were so clear in your memory that it felt like you were still living in that moment, his voice so ragged with rage and what felt like fear that you wanted to run… but in which direction? The shift had been sudden, so completely unexpected and you didn’t know why you had any emotions other than terror when you knew nothing about him. 

“He said… ‘your blood, it’s singing to me.’ I don’t know what he meant but he looked terrified by it. Is that not normal? Is there something wrong with me? With my blood?” 

Panic rose along with bile in your throat. Memories flashed behind your eyes and threatened to consume you. Images of hospital wards along with sensory overload, the smell of antiseptic and death, the sound of constant beeping machines and the harsh glare of fluorescent white strip lighting. It was not the time and place to be succumbing to your worst memories, you were not as safe as they wanted you to feel.  

Your fingertips dug harshly into the meat of your palms, deeper and deeper until you could concentrate on the pain of nails embedding sharply into skin. 

Hange stared at you intently.  

Little did you know that their heart was jumping wildly in their chest from the excitement of what this could mean. Unlike Levi, they recalled the stories of old that Erwin would regale them with and the wistful expression he would wear whilst speaking. If what they remembered was true, this discovery could be monumental, and not just for Levi—though he likely didn’t realise either way—but for every vampire. 

The balance of power would be disrupted, of that they were certain. The scientific part of their brain was loathe to discuss it so soon with Erwin, despite Miche’s immediate inclination to do so. Wouldn’t it be far more intriguing to let events play out just for a smidge longer...? To tease out more information that was very likely being held close to the chest right now. It would be naïve to think that Erwin didn’t already have some inkling, especially when thinking back to just how pleased he had seemed when you walked willingly into their world. Right now, it was important to settle your anxieties. 

“Hey, don’t worry. Your blood is fine. You are fine, more than fine! Let’s get you back to the estate and to your quarters, I’ll even call ahead and have a bath waiting for you. I think a nice hot soak will help you clear your head.” 

Hange was already lifting the phone to their ear, listening to the dial tone whilst you stammered and hiccupped about not wanting to be a bother. Their eyes rolled over and there was a sense of deflation at your meek display. Levi would walk all over you if given half the chance, or at least send you running for the hills if he was feeling magnanimous.  

Where was the strong woman from earlier? The one who had squared their shoulders and walked towards their fate with head held high and not a falter in their heart rate. Ten minutes in the presence of Levi Ackerman had reduced you to the mass of nerves sitting beside them, and they scowled at that fool of a man. 

~ 

He didn’t know what to do with himself. He supposed there wasn’t much he could do, not without crawling back to his master and he was loathe to do so. It would prove that he needed Erwin Smith and there was not a single desire in his body to let that be proved true. 

Levi paced the width of the room, and every pace increased his frustration, confusion and annoyingly, his curiosity. He could still smell you in the room, if he closed his eyes, he could believe you were still here, still sat with that impossibly brave demeanour cloaking your true feelings and those inquisitive eyes. 

There was a vein of trepidation in his wandering mind… could you know more than you let on? Perhaps you were in cahoots with that bastard to bring him to his knees like he wanted but could not achieve on his own. 

No. 

Your expression when he spoke of the song of your blood was truly innocent, or at least, innocent in this particular matter. A fear that mirrored his own reflected back from your eyes and absolved you of the sin of knowledge. Levi couldn’t or wouldn’t admit to why this soothed him. It shouldn’t hold any weight, but it did. It did. 

He pushed a hand, trembling with barely restrained fury, through his hair and growled aloud as he strode back to his desk. The phone he hated to use was in his hand, the number imprinted on his memory punched out without thought and with two short rings, it clicked over to a commanding baritone that sent nails down a chalkboard in his head. 

“I’m surprised it took you this long, Levi. Your restraint is to be marvelled, if not exactly admired.” 

Levi counted silently, biting down hard on his tongue to stop himself from making demands that he might come to regret. If Erwin were to find out that he had exploded at the thought of his sire tasting your blood… well… he would use that information against him and leverage it for Levi’s cooperation and return to the fold. 

“Shall I continue to talk, and you simply listen? Doesn’t sound very fun for me,” Erwin continued. 

“Bullshit. You’ve always loved the sound of your own voice,” Levi countered with a hiss. He couldn’t stand the humour filling Erwin’s words when he felt like his insides were being ripped apart. 

“Come now… there is no need for foul language.” 

The sound of Erwin reclining in his chair painted the image vividly through Levi’s mind down to every minute detail. He may as well be in that office, the one he had been in so many times he couldn’t count. The scent of ink wafted through his nose, followed by traces of cloves and honeysuckle from the gladiolus adorning every windowsill. 

Levi gritted his teeth and exhaled deeply through his nose. “You expected my call, why?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Erwin chirped merrily. 

“Answer the fu—” He paused to reel in his temper. “Answer the question.” 

“She’s special, I guess you noticed it too given your reaction. Did she taste as sweet as I thought she might?” Erwin asked with more than a hint of genuine curiosity that had Levi pausing in his tracks. 

Erwin hadn’t tasted her. He wished desperately that the sense of relief flooding his system didn’t toll his own doom, but he could ponder that foreboding thought later. Without realising, he had slumped into his chair. Every muscle eased as the high alert drained out of his body and left behind the hunger that was now so potent he could barely move a finger without the ache snapping to life with a bark. 

“I wouldn’t know,” Levi admitted sullenly. 

There was a clatter on the other side of the line. “You resisted again? Are you out of your mind? I don’t know what the hell to say… Levi, do you know what someone would pay to sample a donor that unique?” 

“Will you shut up? I’ve told you that I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m not some young brat that you need to haul back into line and you of all people should know that.” Silence met him, heavy and meaningful. After a beat, he added a concession. “Not that I really got the chance anyway, she was escorted rather hastily out of my home by your lackeys.” 

At that moment, there was a faint knocking on Erwin’s side of the conversation and Levi held his breath when Hange’s voice drifted into his ear. They gave a very brief rundown of what had transpired, far briefer than Levi deserved given how recklessly he had acted. He was busy wondering what Hange was up to when your voice piped up and his body jolted upright. 

“Did he hurt you, my dear? He can be rather coarse, and I apologise for not warning you thoroughly,” Erwin enthused. Levi wanted to scoff but he had the feeling that no one in the room knew he was listening in except for Erwin. 

“No no! You misunderstand… he didn’t do anything wrong. I-I think maybe he doesn’t like me, that’s all. Perhaps I’m not the match you believed me to be.” 

Levi wanted to grab you by the shoulders and shake you. Why the fuck were you covering for his actions? They were inappropriate and you should be doing everything in your power to be kept away from him and here you were… protecting him. Stupid human. 

“Oh, is that right? Well… I think Levi liked you much more than he expected to and that scared him. I urge you not to hold that against him, he has been trying to starve himself this past month and the hunger can be overpowering, even for us old-timers.” 

“Hm. That makes sense, I guess. May I ask—why is he not feeding? Is he sick?” you asked with a thread of worry in your tone that wound around Levi’s withering heart. It pulled tighter and tighter with every faint thump the dying organ gave. 

Erwin made a noncommittal noise, and Levi could practically envisage the shoulder shrug that more than likely accompanied it. Vampire politics were rarely up for discussion amongst vampires, even less so with donors, no matter how special they might or might not be. 

“That might be a question for the man himself. However, since you seem unsure of his interest, I must ask if you would consider being a donor for someone else in my clan? I would hate to see a good investment go to waste…” 

The bastard! 

Levi shadowstepped without realising. 

His focus on Erwin’s voice would always be enough to tether him to his location and he stopped short of stalking towards the much taller man with murder in his eyes only by the surprised scream that you gave at his sudden appearance. 

“Ah. Your timing could not be more perfect, Levi. I assume you heard my offer and felt compelled to interject personally?” Erwin surmised with a knowing smile. Levi wished he could knock his teeth in. 

“You-you were listening?” you asked, eyes scanning around the room but continually returning to Levi and searching his eyes. 

He turned to face you directly, ignoring the jab at his expense in favour of wrestling his temper into submission. The song of your blood started immediately this time. Unlike the first meeting when it hadn’t been initially apparent, now it resonated in his ears and calmed the worst of his ire.  

You were doing everything in your mortal power to not look scared and that both annoyed and pleased him. He had seen far less foolish humans be eaten alive by the predators he considered his kin, and he doubted you understood how dangerous this situation could be. 

Levi hadn’t dared to mention the blood singing to his sire for fear that the information would be used against him, or worse that it would bring harm to his or your door. He hoped you wouldn’t have mentioned it to anyone either, but he couldn’t know for sure until he had the opportunity to speak with Hange and Miche, who were both surprisingly absent.  

For now, he could only pretend not to hear its sweet melody—a torturous task when all he wanted to do was reach out and pull you into his arms so he could run his nose along the thumping pulse in your neck. 

“I must apologise once more. I thought I had disconnected our phone call but apparently, I was careless,” Erwin lied easily. “Levi called me because he was concerned for your welfare, isn’t that right?” The blond turned to Levi, his artic blue eyes twinkling with the challenge to defy him. 

The desire to choke him out was palpable, his fingers twitching whilst they curled into tight fists and then flexed loose. He hated to be baited like this. Erwin knew this, of course, he did. More than a couple of centuries together would teach you a thing or two even if you weren’t as infamously observant as Erwin Smith. 

Levi swallowed his pride and called out your name, the syllables melding together on his tongue like a lover’s caress. “I should be the one apologising. As you have been informed,” he glanced towards Erwin who had moved back towards his desk to give the two of you the illusion of space, “I haven’t been eating for some time and my emotions got the better of me.” 

“It’s okay… no one got hurt and—” 

“Whether or not someone got hurt is beside the point.” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “I acted rashly, and you deserve far better than that. Would you allow me a second chance to get to know you before I decide if you are a good fit as my donor?” 

You paused, mouth forming a perfect oval and the rogue thought of placing his finger inside to feel the warm velvet of your tongue struck across his conscious like a lightning bolt. He wanted you. He didn’t want you. He wanted to push you away so hard that you would never dare to approach him again. He wanted to bring you into the safety of his arms to protect you until your dying day.  

It was too much, and the confusion was the worst of it. 

“I think I’d like that,” you sighed breathlessly, the skin of your décolleté heating from the sudden rush of blood to the surface and that was the final straw. 

“Until then, goodnight.” 

Levi shadowstepped before you or Erwin could think to stop him. He walked the hallways towards his bedroom and thought about that smug bastard’s face with every heavy stomp of his foot against the carpet. Whilst the idea of leaving you there with him made his blood boil, it was for the best. He couldn’t afford another outburst when things were so precarious. 

Inside his bedroom, he went to his private collection of books and pulled out a stack for research. He needed to know everything he possibly could about blood singing before Erwin caught wind of the situation. If there was a way out of this predicament then he needed to know and fast, because he would be damned if his carefully laid plans were going to be destroyed this easily, and yet… 

The best-laid plans of mice and men so often go astray. 

[aztarion]

hiii jez, your sol tag is incredible and i love everything about her!! best aesthetic & best most fucked up vampire bbgirl of all time <3 do you have any interesting facts or random tidbits of lore about her that you are willing to share or link me to? wish to know everything & more about her asap tysm 🥰

whaaaat hi bree!! 😭 that oc tag is so thrown together and unorganised girl youre insane putting yourself through that but omfg its til death do us part now 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

i dont really post writing with my ocs much on tumblr but i blabbered for like an hour here im so sorry in advance i hope its a little entertaining…. tw for ed mention and self harm but its just your regular vtm stuff if youre familiar with the background ttrpg

soledad is her courier alias, she usually goes by that or the inevitable nickname sol, which doubles as a small remnant of her old life — her real name is solona ^^

she is first gen mexican-filipina, grew up in california before moving to arizona

didn’t care for academics much; preferred working with her hands — she dropped out of studies as soon as it was acceptable and went into business training under her dad and older brother as a mechanic

very laidback, easygoing, quietly contented; never had sprawling ambitions or aspirations and she was cool with that (was and is a little bit of a perfectionist with her work tho). this created a wedge with her mom who did nawt like the notion of her only daughter wasting prime years and a pretty face in a dingy garage. (i never get it *exactly* how i want in art & have never found a faceclaim i love, but i kinda picture her overall look as like. a timeless, slightly restless sort of dark beauty; like her eyes are always trying to tell you something in spite of herself, even when she looks totally serene lol)

anyway! one of moms fears are realized — sol ends up with a very noticeable facial scar (semi glasgow smile? mouth to under ear and a little further than that even, cheek just super spliced) due to an accident in the garage. sad! oh well she’s the joker now (or she will be after julian)

wait actually while im yapping about backstory i deviate a little from the game options just to make things more juicy and personal but! to me she first meets julian having to work on his suzuki and they hit it off. pre-night road as mentioned she is very easygoing — easily charmed and is herself charming — they def get along like a house on fire. julian would no doubt mentally take note of her whole roll-with-the-punches, laissez-faire attitude — naturally that just seems like a quality that might come in handy when you bite someone and turn them into a creature of the night. also the attentive, methodical approach she takes to her work, and when needed, her on the spot workarounds — he doesn’t want some dumb unreliable chump childe. and alright bear with him here: so it’s not relevant strictly in terms of her being thee potential great american embrace candidate he may be planning for right now, but man shes kiiiiinda cute and the scar is kiiiiiiiinda badass and its kiiiiinda hot that she knows exactly what she’s doing under the hood.…….Julian’s of course no slouch but he prefers it when others are doing the dirty work for him and she knows her stuff. so he’s thinking yeah this might work out. wait did she just say she plays nintendo too — oh this is definitely working out.

well it didn’t work out — sol ends up caitiff. julian accidentally botched her embrace 👍 whoops. but he teaches her blood sorcery as soon as possible — she can fly under the radar as a regular banu haqim. so it does work out! the sire/childe bond likely did some heavy lifting in terms of their relationship but sol was still pretty dopey heart eyes for julian in the beginning, like truly thought he was brilliant and funny and followed whatever he said no questions — really trusted him, figured with him being more experienced and so whipsmart and knowledgeable that he was utterly infallible. julian knew best and like didn’t he keep her safe trying to cover for the whole clanless thing……how could he have anything but Good Intentions dot dot dot……

in the decade after julian goes MIA, sol’s entire demeanor takes a nosedive. in the ingame text, julian and d’espine are described as being ‘fledgling-like’ in that they still have that liveliness to them, like a constant subtle Blush of Life effect. sol had that too in the years w julian, but after so long alone and having to maintain that isolation in order to ghost by in both the human world and undead while drugrunning & couriering, she gets cold — corpse and mind. outwardly she’s very composed; there’s little to no animation (no once-effortless smile, not even a ghost of the dimple in her unscarred cheek ! ) but her inner monologue is distrustful, has aged — is honestly a little paranoid and bitter sometimes — and overly nervous where she once would never have been. when julian returns it’s noted how young he still seems in comparison. that doesnt help the grudge she holds

i think her nerves skyrocket even more so when she feels aila stir. while u cant choose merits/flaws in night road like the table top, i feel like she would have the bulimic derangement that causes a kindred to gorge or throw up blood at random after feeding due to stress — she’s literally just THAT internally anxious. the game makes a point ensuring youre well fed on your next visit to tucson’s elysium since you showed up starving at the beginning, but after the office confrontation with lettow asking what happened to aila — which despite going successfully & having an excellent relationship with him — sol still probably LEGS it out of the viper once dove interrupts and ends up vomiting in an alley before jumping in her car🤦‍♀️ so much for paying alexander to acquire blood and making a good impression this time…..what a waste. and u know what Riga probably saw the whole mortifying ordeal too smh

ok im sorry i could talk abt the entire game like this i have so many headcanons

ooh straight up just facts & a little tldr:

so she’s 5’8; long pretty neck, slim hourglass figure with soft heavy curves, distinctly confident arms and legs, various tattoos: depictions of scorpions and snakes, the sun, spanish and tagalog script in black and red ink. she’s around whatever Julian’s human age wouldve been, i guess mid twenties range

is Julian’s Childe but due to a botched embrace ends up caitiff. masquerades as a banu haqim that, when in the presence of more prejudiced vampire society, in turn masquerades as something traditionally camarilla-fronting: malk/toreador/ventrue, whatever. it’s complicated! por los clavos de cristo does she wish she was back in that shitty little garage 20 yrs ago

throws up when nervous; is constantly a little hungry and risking an oops moment but for the most part maintains iron composure — its become a whittled and useful hard shell

learns blood sorcery right off the bat from julian, learns protean from lettow after staking reremouse w him. she usually keeps things clean and impersonal with a gun and deft precision (and elena with more guns!) but she still likes working with her hands: in close combat, especially when it involves other supernaturals, she keeps elena out of the fight and doubles up that weird combo of blood sorcery + protean — is frankly just a messy blur of slit wrists bloody sigils and slashing claws. (ough wanna draw this ugly visual so bad but omg i just know it wouldn’t work out w my skillset rn)

omg i feel like ive gone on forever in a bunch of directions while saying nothing helpp. ill stop here and spare you! thank you so much for asking bree!! :D <3 you have to tell me about your courier now!!

^ us night roading

[ghostr0tz]

I HAVE WRITING REQUESTS (more suggestions but.. IDC)

one: maybe a RadioStatic ship? I’m getting into Vampire territory (forest, castle, EVERYTHIN. More of a platonic/mutual relationship tho 🥰

two: MINI LORE STORIES OR HEAD CANNONS

have fun 🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am sorry this has been sitting here so long I promise i have been thinking about it.

I am sorry for this but this has been brewing in a way of me thinking about Alastor and Vox within the Vampire: the Masquerade ttrpg/universe because its my go-to when thinking about vampires (and is a bit of a special interest..) .... This is not writing but I have been thinking about it for a the past few days, but I'm not actually sure if anyone other than myself would enjoy the indulgence....

This May start get confusing if you do't know what it is, which is valid because I don't actually know how popular the game is...

,,,,,but it uses very common tropes and ties to popular vampire themes that are common i believe. (PLUS theres an old early 2000's game it was based off on Steam but i highly recommend getting the fanmade patch)

I could soooo see Alastor and Vox having a Sire/Childe relationships in a sort of vampire au, with Alastor stickign to his archaic ways and Vox keeping up with modern mortal trends and such, even if he was just as a dusty, ancient bitch

In the VTM universe, vampires are split into different clans and bloodlines. With Alastor's heavy usage of shadow manipulation and general distortion. That, ORRR, I could see him being a Tzimisce, but part of Tzimisce as an older Elder (Old Clan Tzimisce). The traditionalism and seclusion and general possessiveness and protectiveness AAAUUGHHHhh,,,,,

The obvious one for Vox is being a Setite with the corruption and control and general cult-leader-vibes but i coudl TOTALLY see him being a Ravnos with his hypnosis and misdirection/manipulation over true fighting.

The relatable funny answer for Vox is him being a Malkavian with a derangement involving Alastor. Somehow some way i think he'd be connected with the Malkavian Madness Network even if he isnt one.

Unfortunately they'd never be able to be sire/childe within that universe but god them being in the same coterie (party) would be SO funny to watch. They'd be at each others throats so much.

I am so sorry for the rant but I've been thinkign about it and probably doesnt make sense to ANYONE but this is ur sign to play Vampire The Masquerade with ur friends its like goth dnd cmon you knowww you wannaa oooooo

[imagineitdearies]

I am making my own character dhampir related to Veolith but I'm struggling to find any lore really past what the game gives us which is very little do you have any links or ideas on how to get more information on the lore?

Hi anon!

I'm going to assume you mean Vellioth here, Cazador's sire--you're totally right, there's little to nothing on the previous vampire lord compared to other NPC content in the game, though just enough to tantalize the fandom lol. The first place I go to when I want to reference canon is this reddit post analysis of the Szarr Palace, which has embedded links to basically all the writings found in the palace including ones where he is referenced.

This forgotten realms page also has general information on the Szarr family you might want to look over, though less specific to Vellioth.

Besides that . . . if by chance you haven't gotten into fanon yet, there's soooo many fun headcanons for this individual! Some fanartists draw him with the body of a forever-young child, some make him drow--all seem to have agreed the man has long, curly blond locks, the implications of which are veeery interesting.

That's all I got! Which may not be a ton, but sometimes it's fun to have so many gaps to fill, no? 😏

[orilaiss]

Astarion and Lorena

Art credit: @a-cabin-in-midgard (thank you so much for creating this lovely art piece for me)

Astarion and Lorena had been married for sometime. They had been able to save some money they earned while adventuring all over Faerun and still had some savings from their time before defeating the Netherbrain. With this money they were able to buy a nice home in Baldur’s Gate to settle down for a bit.

Their home was beautiful, big, and filled with windows so that Astarion could enjoy the sun. After receiving the Sunwalker’s Gift ring from Lorena on their wedding day, Astarion soaked in as much sun as he could, never taking it for granted.

One morning, Astarion catches his Lore looking out the window pensively and nervously. He approaches her hugging her from behind settling his face on her neck to take in her delicious scent. She always smells of jasmine and lilies. Her neck is by far his favorite spot to settle in. Lorena is startled, she was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize he was behind her.

Caught off guard by her sudden reaction, Astarion asks softly, “Darling…are you alright?”

Lorena turns to look up at him. Tears in her eyes. Astarion bristles, while still holding her, he looks at her with worry in his eyes. He holds her face with both hands gently, wiping the tears off her cheeks and asks ever softly, “My love…whatever could be the matter?“

Lorena looks up at him, “I have something to tell you, but I just don’t know how you will react. This has caught me by surprise and I think it will catch you by surprise as well.”

“Darling, you know you can tell me anything. What is it, my love?”

Lorena takes a deep breath, “I’m with child…we are having a baby, Astarion.”

Astarion, looks at her in shock. He doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything for a while. Lorena places her hand on his cheek, “Star? Star? Star! Oh…please say something?”

“Are…are you quite certain?” He asks. “Very…” she says. “But how…I’m a vampire…I thought I couldn’t…” Lost in his own thoughts, Astarion suddenly remembers reading about Dhampirs. If a vampire drinks enough blood from a thinking creature, and Astarion drinks plenty from his lovely wife that she gives to him willingly. It is very possible for him to sire a dhampir child.

He hugs her tenderly, with tears in his eyes, placing a gentle hand on her belly, and softly says, “A baby? We are having a baby? I…I can’t believe this could ever be possible.” He places his other hand behind her head, gently tugging at her hair, “Darling…I…thank you, thank you for making me the happiest man in all of Faerun. You have giving me yet another gift I never thought possible.” He had lost his family centuries ago, he doesn’t even remember who they are and the thought of him having a family of his own, it is so wonderfully overwhelming, he can’t help but cry joyous tears.

A sigh of relief comes out of Lorena’s mouth and she sobs, “You’re happy? I honestly didn’t know how you would react, I thought maybe you wouldn’t want a baby due to our adventuring lifestyle.”

Still in tears, he manages to chuckle, “Darling…of course I am happy! Naturally, I don’t know the first thing about raising a child, and I never saw myself as a father, never thought it possible. But this baby is our new adventure.”

Lorena holds him in tears as well. “My love…we get to have a family of our very own. Can you believe it! And you’re going to be a wonderful father. This child will love you so much just as much as I do.”

Astarion, still in tears, says softly, “A family of our very own? A family…MY family…MY child…OUR child. Gods, I love you, Lore. You have given me everything…more than I could have ever hoped for.” They stay like this for a while, hugging, sharing tender kisses, both never wanting to let go of one another.

[the-art-block]

*kicking my feet like I'm reading a love letter as I take in the amazing lore*

Hi! Sorry to bother, but as you know I'm obsessed with Moonrise information. What are their views on Kindred Sorcery? How do they see blood magic, Thinblood alchemy, and necromancy? Do they have different views than what is widely accepted amongst "common" Kindred society? Thank you as always for your time. 💖

A very juicy question indeed!!

I do of course love to babble endlessly about the Moonrise Nation 🥰 Passion projects like these are so much fun to share 💙💙💙

As a small preface for this answer, it is important to keep in mind that while I ultimately wanted each clan to have some kind of representation in the pre-colonial Kindred lore, some clans were simply not present on the continent before a certain time period.

Folks like the Setites, Banu Haqium, Ravnos, Tremere, and Salubri only arrived in number post-colonization. Prior to the massive arrival of immigrant settlers, these clans may have been represented by singular Kindred in any given region, as the descendants of long-forgotten migrants from the other parts of the ancient world. (I standby that Kindred have no reason to stay in one place if they want to travel the world, and as long as they can secure safe passage during the daytimes, no distance is unmanageable. Humans have been crossing oceans and mountains and polar regions for thousands and thousands of years. Who is to say that the odd Setite or Ravnos traveler didn't make it across the Bering Sea Land Bridge strapped to a litter??) The Hecata in general were present in ancient times, but the Giovanni specifically only arrived after the settlement of the East Coast began. Thin Bloods are a relatively modern phenomenon, so the old tradition has little to say on the matter of Alchemy.

That said, Blood Sorcery and Oblivion were present in the indigenous Kindred population by way of Caitiffs.

This ended up being quite long so I'll hide it under this cut like a cheeky fucker

Clan Everything | Caitiffs

The creation myth of the indigenous American Kindred tells that each of the progenitor vampires learned their inherent Disciplines from three worldly spirits.

Caitiffs, while exceedingly rare in the old days, were still a quantifiable group of Kindred. It was believed that a newly Embraced Childe had the chance to become a Caitiff if they were abandoned by their Sire before waking. Rather than inherit the knowledge of power belonging to their makers, these orphaned Kindred would instead be found by three random spirits of the world, who would then offer their gifts as consolation to the forgotten newborn. The teachers of power would learn these orphans by name and follow them through their lives, happy to teach any lesson the Kindred was curious about.

Clan "Everything" because there were no limits.

While modern Kindred lore understands that Caitiffs are born without a Bane, the ancient American tradition states that their Bane is, in fact, their lack of a heritage. While most Childer would have a Sire with them their whole lives to guide, teach, and protect them, Caitiffs were often left without. In a society where an individual's Sireage was key to understanding their identity and their place in the order of things, not having a connection to blood kin made one somewhat untrustworthy, unknowable, and unpredictable. While Caitiffs were rarely fully excised from Kindred circles, they did not enjoy the same entwined lives as those with definitive clans, and were never permitted to Embrace. While most other undead sought safety in the arms of their (statistically very few) neighbors, the life of a clanless vampire could be a cruel, dangerous, and short one.

Despite the raw deal of having little social security, Caitiffs were the ones most often in possession of vampiric sorceries. If a member of Clan Everything was so fortunate to be pitied by the right spirits, they would have immense utility to offer. This singular advantage afforded many an orphan vamp a safe Haven, clean vessels, and secure standing in their local communities.

A Fox's Deal | Blood Sorcery

The heat and light of a fire in the dark is, in equal measure, blessing and curse to the undead. That was the Creator's intent. Without the life given to the world by fire, even the dead will die again. The discerning teacher Fox knew that the balance between thriving and starving was always teetering, and took mercy on his students. As other spirits once did for the living, so he did for the dead.

The overwhelming majority of sorcerers were unclaimed orphans with no Sire, no clan, no stories to learn from. This naturally meant that there were no teachers, and most magic was self-taught... or perhaps it was taught by a sly prankster in red furs?

Known in most stories for being foolhardy and unwitting scholars, it was supposedly common to find your way to a sorcerer by the craters and scorch marks that marred their territories. In a world without Chantry or temple, each sorcerer boasted a bespoke and jury-rigged collection of rituals that only they knew the full nuances to.

Sorcerers that leveraged their unique abilities for a place in Kindred society were wholly reluctant to share either the gift or the secrets of their spellcasting, and kept their processes and formulae hidden even from other sorcerers. A shrewdness decidedly taught to them by Fox.

Whispers in the Water | Oblivion

It has long been understood by humankind that deep, dark waters are no place for them. For millennia since the first thought, fear of the abyss has remained. That long and darkening horizon over endless waters has been called a hell, an afterlife, and the realm of Gods for as long as man's eyes have glanced across them. The same is true in ancient America, where large bodies of water were often said to be the dominion of evil spirits and the beds of unhappy gods.

For the intrepid undead, such realms were vaults of learning which hid stories long-forgotten. Tapping into such knowledge was known to change a person, living or not - but the bounty to be gained was worth the currency of body and soul alike.

Each time Bullhead took on a new student, she looked into the pit where their spirit once was and dictated what lessons to pass on to them.

On one fin, she held the key to the past. The world turned on a wheel of knowledge, on lessons learned by the aging brains inside the skulls of elders. Sometimes, whole mortal lives would vanish with no opportunity to pass on what they'd learned. The magics that could bring these departed souls back was regarded as a most sacred and most essential tool to preserving wisdom beyond the ken of even the immortal Promiskeepers.

On the other fin, she held a shadow. The waters of the Earth were fury given form, crashing against the realm of man and good spirits like a raving giant. The grip of the current and the hunger of the depths was known on every shore and riverbed - where the dwellings of unholy things ground against the lands of the living. Any warrior capable of pulling these demons from water would have little to fear from either Kine or Kindred, and the time between wars was getting shorter and shorter each year. In her mercy, the spirit filled the void in her most ferocious students with the salt of sea and the ice of river.

The Light of Dawn | Thin Blood Alchemy

Settler Kindred make claims of the curse of vampirism originating with some gent in a Hebrew myth. The story says that God passed down a punishment on this murderer for his acts of violence and malice, and that he walked the Earth for all time in his misery - forever barred from Heaven.

For the people that lived on the continent for thousands of years before the events of the Bible, Caine is no one. Though the detail of the curse originating from the Creator remains, there was no single ancestor, but a dozen. Maybe even more, as modern theorists say.

As this story goes, a starving tribe of people committed atrocities in their pursuit to sustain themselves. So great were these crimes that the tribe was cursed, every man, woman, and child was exiled from the good way and forced to wallow in their guilt for all eternity...

But the modern nights show us that perhaps His fury is not infinite. The coming of a new age rides on the shoulders of Kindred half-born from mortals half-killed. To most Kindred philosophy today, this is a sign of some apocalypse or another, but for the Elders of the long-gone courts, this is a sign that the Creator's hatred is easing. The curse, at last, is lifting.

The magic they wield is no different. Creation in its most simplistic form, offered to those who have been nearly devoured. These are the miracles of the Creator's mercy, a new vision for redemption that must be celebrated and protected.

Honoring the Stories | The Moonrise Nation

The modern conglomerate calling itself the Moonrise Nation is a product of its time. A stalwart but young movement eager to reclaim and preserve all manner of lost things from the edge of extinction - from knowledge, to tradition, to blood.

Though much has been lost with no hope of recovery, just as much still remains. Knowledge of how the old clans dealt with the magics of the undead informs how the modern Nation conducts its own magics.

At time of writing, the presence of Blood Sorcery and Oblivion is still rare within the faction. Efforts have been launched to court and secure teachers, and thusfar they have gained the aid of the Tremere Ishkode (@syntheticmortal), the Giovanni Bartolo Tall-House, and the Lasombra Xhuuya. Reclamation of their personal traditions from pre-colonial Kindred has proven a very difficult task, but the combined recollections of the Elders Five-Trout, Atena:ti, and Beadmaker have produced some promising results so far!

Thin Blood Alchemy is, ironically, in heavier use than the other more common sorceries, as the number of Thin Bloods present in the Nation surpasses those of the more inherently magical clans.

-

SORRY that was a lot hahahah

[bacchusen]

I posted this on the Patreon chat already but something stood out to me during the first EP of The Suckening is Shilo can, apparently. piss. For people who aren’t familiar with VTM lore, vampires don’t do that. They’re corpses, dead bodies, and them ingesting blood is more like draining essence than “eating”.

Okay. Maybe the campaign is somewhat more homebrewed, and certain Vampire things are different. Or maybe it’s just a minor plothole. I thought. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL.

Shilo is described as “less dead than the others” and has an aura befitting of it. Shilo can drink soda without puking. And the way Shilo talks about her mother doesn’t seem like the relationship between a sire and a childe. The Queen is his actual biological mother.

Conclusion: Shilo is a Dhampir. The Queen, by some miracle, was able to give birth to him without the fetus dying like how vampire pregnancies mostly go. The Queen’s reason for keeping Shilo locked up makes more sense, as Shilo’s existence is a danger to the both of them. Gregory is both the father of Emizel and Shilo.

[wildmelon]

day 18— ancient 🪦🦇🏰💎🏹🛡️ 11/?

lore & details & bonus ↓

paris lives a lavish lifestyle in a german castle with his wife, nour. she’s one of the oldest vampires around, but paris has a few centuries on even her. they spend most of their time like historical nobles: pursuing various artistic hobbies, making social calls, and expanding their influence. his pet bat is named beethoven.

fun fact: paris is seraphina’s sire. they have an affectionate relationship and a shared affinity for parties.

[lore: sire-childe relationships vary greatly. the resulting bond doesn’t ensure affection, but it does tie the pair together in mysterious ways.]

[socialmediasocrates]

one of the more funny things that i've seen in bg3 fic, i think because there's a fair number of people playing the game for whom this is their intro to dnd, is the general assumption that astarion wouldn't be able to sire a child

ok genuine question, but how would that happen? is he not undead? because from what i unerstand it can oly happen if the mother is turned while she is csrrying the child.

so while i can't exactly answer why it works, one of the available origins for the dhampir as introduced in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is the most straightforward way a dhampir would exist: one of their parents is a vampire. since this is in canon faerun and it looks like candlekeep is canon, i am operating on the assumption that the new ravenloft lore is also canon (would be cool to maybe go to a domain of dread in a future expansion or DLC; a run-in with azalin rex would certainly be challenging for even a party above level 12 and strahd could absolutely be tweaked that way in barovia; it'd be cool to see the grand conjunction come back into the lore but i digress)

now in fairness, there is also precedent in older editions of DND for some intelligent undead being able to reproduce; my best guess is that the difference lies in if the undead in question was resurrected from the grave directly and started at baseline dead or if they were somehow transformed and therefore started from baseline alive (eg vampires, liches, etc) but this is purely conjecture

so, yeah, no, you could definitely have a kid with astarion, the kid in question would be a dhampir which you can read more about at this link if you're interested

thanks for the question!

[goreador]

care to speak more about your ex sabbat vampy fellow........ i like the premise of that character!!

yes!!!!! oh boy will i !!!!!!!!!!! this got long so dante lore under the cut

tldr: mommy issues made this man a vampire classist. and blond.

his art tag:

his funny posts that remind me of him tag:

he was a character for a friends new orleans camarilla game that didnt quite make it off the ground due to (shudders) scheduling but we had a session beforehand. it was a game consisting of ancillae so we were all 11th-10th gen

ariodante lionetti is a 10th generation lasombra hailing from venice, embraced in the mid 1800s by a french noblewoman by the name of cristabel de le vigne. initially, she was scouting his brother for the embrace (i forgot to name him otl) as he was the more successful of the two lionetti sons; he was a well-educated merchant whereas ariodante was a petty criminal with an uncontrollable temper. however, when the brothers life fell apart and his family fell to ruin, the only one continuing to perservere through it was ariodante, and her attentions shifted to him instead. he was embraced into the aristocracy of the sabbat where he had manners and also classism drilled into him, making something presentable of the former criminal

this is not to say he did not have a mean streak. because he did. he refused to associate with 1. mortals and 2. low clans as well as anyone his sire did not like. he was unpopular in venice with a reputation of an arrogant lick, and this did not change when he and his sire relocated to france, either. this led to him having a relatively small social circle, where he befriended (?) a tzimisce going by the name eden, who was the childe of cristabels rival

while most childer eventually would leave the nest, ariodante was glued to cristabels side. he idolized her and carried out her every whim. when the firedance began in 1999, he came with her to the united states. he served as her templar as she began a bishop on the east coast.

things would change when she met her final death at the hands of the anarchs.

ariodante became the new bishop and launched a vengeful crusade against the anarch movement. more notably was the change of his appearance: his head was fleshwarped (via eden, his old associate) to become a perfect mirror of cristabels. his haven, notably, was also decorated with cristabels old portraits. no remnants of ariodantes face remained. he was to become her mausoleum

in the year 2015, when some of clan lasombra began to defect to the camarilla, ariodante followed suit. his diocese was a mess, and he had "become soft." he found himself wandering into the (relative, in the eyes of kindred) backwater city of new orleans, where the prince took pity on him and appointed him as his scourge.

here are some doodles i never posted of him

build wise hes still a very broad and hairy man. he just has his sires face. hes the type of guy to use 3 in 1 body wash/shampoo/conditioner and i dont think he wears underwear tbh

[jacw212]

The Legends of Modern Horizons 3 (fan fiction thread)

It has come to my attention that Modern Horizons 3 showcases a lot of cool characters yet doesn't give them any lore. So I will do it. Feel free to add your own lore for the characters (if anyone else actually sees it)

I will add I will not being doing lore on returning characters. So no Breya, Kaalia, Ashling, Laelia, Rosheen, K'rrik, or any of the planeswalkers or Eldrazi.

Starting off with everyone's favorite bird, Nadu, WInged Wisom

"When Kefnet fell and arose as a God-Eternal, all of Amonkhet wept, except, surprisngly, for Nadu. In spite of being one of Kefnet's most devoted followers, or perhaps because of it, Nadu understood that even the gods have limits, and decided that the best way to honor his memory was to share the teachers of The Mindful with all. Gods may die, but knowledge is eternal"

Imskir Iron-Eater

"Hailing from a race of metal-consuming demons on Mirrodin, Imskir Iron-Eater was named for his surprisingly picky diet. In spite of his violent nature and lack of any behavioral regulations, Imskir was an invaluable asset in the mining industry, regularly outright eating unwanted iron deposits to make way for the far more precious Darksteel."

Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd

"Jinnie Fay has had many prized show dogs, but perhaps none as beloved as Phelia. Unfortunately, Phelia never earned a blue ribbon because of her tendency to disappear right before the award ceremony. At some point Jinnie Fay decided to throw in the towel and let Phelia simply run free, and she's only ever been seen for a maximum of 10 seconds at a time after that day"

Kudo, King Among Bears

"While Ayula is the greatest warrior in the Empire of Bears, her consort, Kudo, is much more interested in diplomatic endeavors. He uses his unusual ability to transform others into bears in order to broker peace deals of mutual understanding. Although, in the events of a truly vile and capricious threat, he is more than willing to let his beloved do what must be done"

Shilgengar, Sire of Famine

"Angels pose a constant threat to the demons of Innistrad, but many demons were more than content to simply slay them as they come. Shilgengar, however, concocted a plan to slay the angels once and for all. Bringing a great famine upon Stensia, he told a young alchemist named Edgar Markov that angel blood was both nutritious and plentiful in this land (and he wasn't lying either). And as Edgar drank the angel blood, Shilgengar unknowingly created the first vampire, and brought about his own eventual demise"

Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury

"When the first Therosians discovered how to create fire, they knew not how to harness it. That fire burned and spread for months, murdering countless. In its burning it gave itself form, and thus, Phlage was born. While the Therosians eventually discovered how to properly use fire, how to create hearths and blacksmiths, Phlage would always arrive when it burned too bright, wreaking havoc upon the world until Klothys was born, sealing away Phlage for eons"

Herigast, Erupting Nullkite

"Innistradi dragons are remarkably rare, and solitary creatures, but perhaps none more so than Herigast. One day while Avacyn was corrupted, it awoke from its slumber and terrorized a small town in Gavony, shocking the townsfolk into fleeing the entire province. Little did the townsfolk know, that Herigast was protecting them. For it knew that an ancient entity was coming, and it would destroy them if Avacyn were to fall. It fell to the corrupting influence of Emrakul, however in its last conscious moments it rejoiced, for its last act was protecting the town that nurtured it to health generations ago"

The Necrobloom (Thanks to u/FoundWords on reddit for this incredible quote)

"When I die, child, bury me in the foul, fertile soil by the roots of the Necrobloom, that I might return to you once more."

>Note attributed to a "//u/Fo/un//d/Wo///rd/s", found inside an empty casket. Name partially crossed out. Unkown sending address or potential recipient. Requires further investigation.

Skoa, Embermage

"Born in the great desert of Jamuura, Skoa was always fascinated by the great volcanos and dragons of Shiv but was told it was far too dangerous to travel there. Skoa was never a really good listener. Pledging her allegiance to the plane of pure heat, Wildfire, she hopes to one day concur the mountains of Shiv, not for glory or revenge, but simply because she can"

[kiwwles]

Liira

Liira! The Necromancer Vampire OC! She has a little skeleton fox friend and likes to host elaborate dance parties with the skeletons in her possession. AKA Superman

BACKSTORY*

Vampire attacked her family, she was the one and only survivor. Instead of joining the coven, she killed them (because they killed her family, duh.) Keeps the skulls of all the vampires as trophies.

(Talked about after the idea of Lira gaining the castle by just squatting there)

She killed the elder vampires as a fledgling through sheer rage, but then had nowhere to go.

She was lost in the woods and a servant found her. Having pity on what they though was a child, the servant took her in as an employee in the castle to provide shelter to the poor thing. Then as people started dying out she rose through the ranks by the simple quality of Not-Dying and when everyone else died she simply became the owner of the castle because she was all that was left.

Servant: *finds this small probably 16yr old in the forest covered in blood*

Servant: you poor thing :( come with me and j can get you a stable job and bed

Unfortunately, liira is just one person, and as more and more people die, it's harder die her to keep up with making the castle lion nice. So it's pretty run down by the time she meets northwind. Theres no electricity, just oil lamps and candles

Or the castle belonged to the vampires and she won it through right of conquest if you prefer, but I think it’d be funny if there’s just a random ass vampire teen who lives in the castle. She doesn’t do dishes or laundry cause ow, running water, but she’s good at dusting high places and can make a bed really well. She doesn’t eat anybody, fledglings her age are only supposed do drink their sire’s blood and she got PLENTY of that so she’s just kind of around. People get old, start to die. Didn’t repopulate fast enough to keep the castle employed. The young lord doesn’t have children after the passing of his parents. Once he grows ill and dies, that’s essentially it. Servants leave in hopes of finding other civilization or lay down and die in their homes. And Liira… watches. She is unchanged in the past two generations. People realized what she is long ago but do not care. They give her well wishes for eternity before passing on. And so Liira is left with her castle. A bit lonely though.

I love that

That's so much better then just "she killed the last vampires and got it "

It's just

Lonely. Watching everyone you know die

**REANIMATING LORE STUFF and the woods she lives*

Okay here's a random idea

All the animals near liiras castle are dead

You walk through the forest and see a squirrel run by missing fur There's a rotting badger corps digging a hole. The closer you get the more animated dead animals you see

Because she loves icolayed in a forest. She needs to drink some blood to survive, so she goes for the animals. But then she feels bad, so she reanimates their corpses, dispelling more energy, so she needs to eat more - and it's just a cycle

The villagers nearby all died out. The other vampires are gone. It's just her and the animals she feeds on

I think the animals probably intuitively avoid her when their alive. It's how they evolved. The ones who hang out with her are all dead and brainwashed

We established that her undead skeletons don’t actually have the souls of the person they once were, just her memory of how it once was, so the squirrels run around trees and bury nuts, chew on wood chips and flick their tails. But what else do squirrels do? She doesn’t know, so they just do that. On loop. Over and over. The badger roams around and digs holes, fights other animals, and generally sneaks around. Because that’s all badgers do, right? The deer roam, eat grass, follow rivers, and the males fight with their antlers. Birds sing songs but she’s not familiar with the intricacies of different birdsongs so they’re all singing the same song. Fish swim in circles. Mice stockpile vegetation with no real use. Foxes sleep in burrows and ‘hunt’ the mice. None of them exist outside of Liira’s understanding of their ‘roles’

It's so uncanny, and even if you can't tell their dead you can definitely tell there's something Off

Each animals varies, but if you follow one around,, it'll probably cover the same trail over and over. Walking in circles, repeating all the actions they were told to. Every 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on the animal, they'll pass by that same tree

Her understanding of the animal changes how long the loop is. Squirrels are common, easier to see and learn their behaviors. Those have the longest loop. But more elusive animals? Or seasonal ones? The turkey just gobbles and scratches the ground, walking in the same half mile circle to the east of the river. The rabbits spend two hours idle, sitting still like statues in their warrens without moving because she can’t observe their behavior down there so they have no task in the burrow but she knows they’re there a lot so they go down there for hours on end.

Do you think that's why northwinds tribe left? They were traveling and saw how off the animals were. And it freaked them out so they left too soon for her to get back? I don't remember her lore that well

Imagine you're like, a traveler And you're hungry. So you follow this deer around for 20 minutes. And. It's just doing the same thing, over, and over, and over again. Do you still try and kill/ eat it?

Most hunters would keep a distance anyways, as to not scare the prey off, so they might not notice a slashed throat or blood on its snout. Even if they do, the animal is just weak now so it should be even easier to kill… but you shoot it in the heart and it got back up. Maybe you just missed. Liver shot, same thing. Lung, again. It has three arrows sticking out of it and has yet to stop doing what it was doing. Fine, headshot, let’s get this over with. Clean shot right in the eye! The deer falls. You stand up to run over. The deer stands up as well. You freeze, shaking. The deer’s head sits crooked now, leaning heavily towards the side with the arrow as it casually steps forward in the dry grass field, grazing on nothing as its face does not reach the ground but it mimes it anyways. You run. You run as fast as your legs can take you. You don’t make it out of the forest. No living thing was around to hear your scream.

Omg yes yes YESSSSS

You kill it and it just keeps getting back up. A horrid imitation of life

And as you run you swear your being followed. A twig snap there. A shadow there. Something grazes your shoulder and when you finally get a glimpse of the creature you're paralyzed by the glowing red eyes. You can't look away.

Just a dead forest of dead creatures

In a way you got what you wanted. You were hungry… and the dead have no need for food.

And now you get to dance

Forever.

[leitereads]

mind dropping some eugen lore? (your vtm ideas sound really cool btw!)

Hello there!

Thank you so much for asking! In all honesty, I thought Eugen was going to be a character I wouldn’t be playing for much longer, because he almost died a few sessions ago. And right now one of the players dropped the campaign due to lack of time and I am fearing for my character’s future hahah but hopefully his character arc will have some sort of conclusion, I truly hope so!

Just a heads up - we are playing Vampire: the Requiem, which is some sort of spin-off version of Vampire: the Masquerade, so a lot of the lore ends up being different (vampirically, politically speaking, that is).

In fact, a few days ago I compiled a very extensive character sheet regarding all of Eugen’s lore, so let’s try to sum it a little bit in this answer hahah (Still, I am so so sooo sorry for all the info dump: it’s basically all of his backstory here hahah).

Content Warning: mentions of nazism, fascism, cruelty, traumatic historical events, medical racism/eugenics, horror and suicide.

- Eugen had an older brother in life (Wilhem) that he saved from a wolf attack, when he learnt that he had healing powers - though, those powers came with a curse: wasting his vital life, ultimately ending up in death.

- He then went to university, got his medical degree and then was recruited to the German army, to work as a military doctor in the battlefield. His brother became a renowned general, but ultimately ended up being killed. Eugen tried to save him, but sadly enough not even his powers were enough.

- Utterly devastated by the horrors of the war, Eugen decided to work as a doctor/researcher for the Axis at the time, and his actions during this time were, sadly enough, what we expect of the barbaric and inhuman experiments that took place during WW2. But during this time he started realising that the data he was getting was not matching the medical racism/eugenics that were so popular back then. Interacting more with, sadly enough, the people he was torturing to get these results helped him opening his eyes to the fact that what he believed in was wrong.

- Eugen loves children, and during that time period as a researcher he interacted with a child named Noah and he had an affair with a man named Mot. His wife (pregnant at the time), found out about the affair and ended her life.

- Mot technically is still alive (he is a vampire now, and he took the name “Eli Crescas”) and he is trying to get revenge on Eugen. He is very, very mad. Which, in all honesty, I find it more than reasonable.

- Eugen developed a very rare and incurable disease during the time he was in the battlefield, and using his healing powers he was able to cure it. However, he had used his powers in such a great extension that the curse connected to them was fulfilled and he died. In all honesty, the one who allowed for such a strong ritual to be performed and successful was his unborn child.

- He still wears a locket around his neck with a bit of blood from his unborn child till this day.

- Before dying, the doctor he worked with (which was a vampire) asked him if he wanted to become a vampire, so all the knowledge he had accumulated over the years could still live on, somehow. Eugen accepted. This transformation (Embrace) was not authorised by Berlin’s Prince (the vampire leader of the city) at the time, and no one ever heard of Eugen’s sire(the vampire who transformed him) ever again.

- Eugen then ended up staked in the heart and in torpor (a coma-like state) till around 10 years ago, when his body was found by another vampire.

- Noah is still alive in our days! But sadly enough the elderly man has a brain tumor. Eugen is the doctor that is taking care of him, and his mission is to save him, in a way of preserving a bit of the innocence that Humanity still has.

- He has a therapist named Alina who truly thinks he suffers from serious psychosis. But Eugen loves tot talk to her, because she reminds himself, once again, of how humans can be that innocent and good-natured at times.

- For some reason Eugen always has loads of coupons on his overcoat’s pockets that he never really uses.

- Nowadays he is living in Berlin, working as a doctor at a hospital there. Of course he only does the night shifts hahah

[bludazey]

Okay I know that in your last chapter he talked about how he took the ability of procreating from Lilith.

But I've read somewhere that in d&d lore there's a way for a vampire to sire a child, not sure if it still happens if the mother is a spawn,but assuming it's possible.

It'd would be quiet the plot, Ascended Astarion distant and cruel as he is, and then suddenly Tav falls pregnant, a baby is thurst into their lives, probably takes his place at the head of the table 🤣

Would it soften him? Would he be cruel to the child? Would it remind him what pure love feels like?

So many possibilities and now I crave to read a story qbout it 😭 what are your thoughts?

I have thought about this long and hard. Especially when I included this line in Chapter 30:

A brutal reminder. You cannot bear a child any longer. He has taken that from you too. 

And this line:

In the silence that follows, you know he’s evaluating your deal. And you find that you don’t understand why fucking you holds this much importance.

And if we consider the way Lilith has issues with keeping blood down... I'm just saying that the pregnancy plot would have been way too easy to jam in there.

But alas, I can confirm, that Lilith cannot get pregnant as a spawn, at least in the Hellish universe.

But... it would be quite interesting to see how that would play out with Hellish!Astarion. I don't think being a father would soften him. I think he would find a way to use the child to his advantage, especially against Lilith.

Reminder: this man has lost all empathy. He is a complete and utter sociopath.

I loved this discussion. Thank you <3

[n3kk1tty]

Lore Rambles: City of vampires

I really really really love vampires. I love the Victorian fashion the Gothic architecture the monstrous creatures that feast off blood I can even enjoy the romance genre of it.

Some of my favorite depictions of vampires is from Castlevania or what we do in the shadows. The only vampire depiction I can't stand as a lover of the genre is twilight. I mean come on get those sparkles off vampires. The only vampire I can stand sparkling is if Paul and Marko from the post boys got into a thing of body glitter. Vampires should be Gothic and Gorey but also can be humorous.

So for my series beasts of Santa Carla. I had the idea of making societies for all different monster species and while succubi have there own lore history culture so do vampires and a big part of it is vampires having there own huge city that governs the rest of society and I got the idea to have the city be under ground or to even make a city of vampires from the anime series the witch and the beast. In which there's a whole society of vampires underground.

Beautiful manga that has season 1 of anime while season one doesn't focus on vampires season two will anyway.

I wanted to make a society of vampires living in this underground layer of the earth in this city made of gold and Gothic Victorian architecture ruled by the Dracula family blood line and a court of high official vampires. The city would be a hub of advancements and a thing of pure fantasy. Another big implications is the rules and laws vampires having to follow and what happens to people breaking said rules. The out law of producing child vampires and the medical advancements to help vampires who want to age. The concept of feral vampires labeled strictly through there behavior and lack of knowledge of there society. A strict education system all vampires have to go through to get properly licensed to receive benefits.

( something the lost boys vampires have to encounter through there naivety as Max has failed? them as a sire. Hints at maxes past and why he didn't want the boys involved in underworlder society which would forcefully introduce to vampire society. )

Also the implications that the red cross is a business ran by vampires for vampires that also helps humans. History of vampires and wars fought the lore that other sub species of vampires exist like day walkers.

It's just so fun to create stuff like this and I can wait to write for the part of the story we're the lost boys goes to the city of vampires. I want to consume so much vampire content to build my world