Vampires

Nobody knows what **Vampires** really are. Some people speculate that Vampires in reality are undead, while others that vampirism is a disease. Some, even, say that Vampires are a different species altogether.

The truth is a combination of all those. Where vampirism came from no one can know for sure, but its condition can be spread from person to person through blood, usually from a bite in the neck. Then they undergo a process where the host dies, but gets reborn as a fledged vampire. Many vampires get buried before they're able to turn, which gave rise to the practice in several peasant villages where they'd nail down the coffin to prevent the deceased from escaping.

Vampires feed on all kinds of blood, although the most nutritious one comes from the same species as the vampire. A vampire has to feed every couple of days, and one that doesn't turns more feral as the days pass by. The older a vampire gets, it generally hold more power, such as hemomancy, shape-shifting, transforming into smoke etc, whereas newer vampires are barely stronger than normal humans.

Vampires' most important abillity is changing into a more primal, beastly form of vampire. Lesser vampires only gain large fangs and claws, like Alps and Bruxas, while stronger vampires gain access of wings, invisibility, bigger sizes and muscles, like the Ekkimaras or the Fleders.

Higher Vamprires are extremely old vampires most having lived more than a millenia, whereas lesser ones are only a few years or decades old. There are only a dozen that still living in Giantstep, but they hold extreme power. Normally, a vampire that goes too long without feeding has the chance to turn feral, being locked in its primal, beastly form forever. Higher vampires are able to control their hunger indefinitely, not relying on blood consumption for survival, but instead drinking it like a human would drink alcohool.

They are also very resistant to the sun, unlike their lessen brethren, making them much better at blending in society, with normal means of vampire detection being useless against them.

Higher Vampires are almost indestructible, since they are able to regenerate any wound extremely quickly, including dismemberment of any limb. Only the most veteran of vampire hunters or other vampires are able to kill one, and that's usually only when they are transformed. That's because a higher vampire's primal form is truly terrifying, looking more like an ancient demon than a bat.

Despite all that, Higher Vampires are not all evil. Many avoid human contact altogether, and some even work altruistically, if clandestinely, to aid humanity.

However, even the most powerful of Higher Vampires answer to an Elder Vampire. Elder Vampires are the oldest of the oldest, with some saying that they are the fathers of vampirism, and have lived in Giantstep longer than any man, dwarf, halfling, elf or any other living race. When Lesandros, Biblion and Qadash were in their infancy, Elder Vampires were already ancient.

Elder Vampires have the abillity to move at extremely quick speeds, faster than a blink of an eye, and can summon any vampire wherever he wants, with it being obligated to answer. Elders also have the abillity to open portals to other dimensions, although that power is seldom used.

The only known Elder Vampire resides in the caves of the island of Usul, not far from the Land of Changing Waters. The island is extremely arid with very few resources, which is why the Gilgemash have never bothered to set up any colonies there. It's said that it's the birthplace of all vampires. The Unseen Elder of Umar has isolated himself from the world, not having interacted with any non-vampire for centuries. He has such impeccable control of his body that he can control his metabolism to the point where he needs no food, water or blood to survive.

Once every year, Higher Vampires from all over the world travel to Usul to pay tribute to the Unseen Elder and ask him for advice. The Elder can also call for a summit in Usul that involves all vampires, although those happen every few hundred years at most.

## Vampirism

Out of all of the illness and curses that exist in the world, few are more feared and reviled tan vampirism. The true nature of vampires and vampirism is unknown, as nobody knows what vampires really are. Many people speculate that vampirism is a rare form of undead, while others that argue than vampirism is a disease. Others argue that vampirism is just a more advanced and complex form of therianthropy. And there are other, more radical thinkers, who defend that vampires are a completely different species altogether, reproducing through contagion and by turning others into fellow vampires. Whoever holds the truth, the reality of matters is that the changes an individual suffer when infected by vampirism are permanent, forever staining one’s body and soul with the unending urge of feeding from the blood of others. The presence of vampires is a great concern for any population, as the risk of being wiped out by a vampiric infestation is very real, and something that many places have had to face throughout history.

## Vampiric Contagion and Development

Unlike the many forms of contagion of similar conditions like therianthropy, vampirism has one known method of spreading: through the infection of blood. For a healthy individual to become a vampire, they need to get part of the vampire’s fluids (either saliva or blood) into their bloodstream. Indirect contact, such as drinking infected blood, does not turn one into a vampire, instead creating the condition known as vampiric ghouls. The most common way for this is the feared vampire bite. A vampire needs to drink blood to survive, and the best way to do so is to bite down on an area and drink the vitae while the victim is still alive. This will inevitably led to the vampire’s fluids to spread across the victim’s circulatory system. The vampire’s saliva has minimal healing abilities, keeping the target from bleeding out from the bite, though this can only work when the wounds are minimal and the victim is left with enough blood to survive the transformation, and this only appearing in fully developed vampires, not those recently turned. This is often a voluntary act on the part of the vampire, as they either drink too much for the victim to survive, or they make sure their targets are dead, so as to avoid growing competition for food.

Once the infection is within the host, it will grow with relative ease, taking advantage of the victim’s weakened body due to blood loss. The time of the transformation will depend on the individual’s natural resistance, the place bitten and the amount of initial vampiric fluids into the bloodstream. Most of the time, it takes about a week to turn a healthy adult into a vampire. In the process, the body revolts against the growing corruption, causing high fevers, nausea, blood vomits, growing muscle pains, inability to sleep, fits of rage followed by crippling weakness, and complete disorientation. Finally, the host’s body enters a death-like stage, where by all intents and purposes the victim should not be able to recover, with all vital functions ceased and temperature dropping to ambience degrees. It is during this stage where the body fully turns into that of a vampire, and by the time the host wakes up, they will be a fully-fledged vampire.

Once the recently born vampire wakes up, it will do so with an acute craving for blood, no matter the origins, from animal to that coming from sentient races. However, their unnatural vampiric strength is not fully develop, and it cannot do so until it feeds, and as such, they are left incredibly vulnerable (this also led to the custom in many places to bury their dead with their coffins nailed down, to prevent the infected from escaping). Their sentience and consciousness not yet recovered, becoming an animalistic whirl of teeth and claws but without any of the powers that make vampires a threat, this is the stage where most vampires are taken down. But if they manage to feed, they will recover their conscience and realize what they have done and what they have become. While during the initial weeks these vampires can feed off animal blood, this will become less and less filling for the hunger, and as such their diet will become exclusively blood from sentient species. During the first months of life, the vampire will begin to develop its vampiric skills, and they will learn either how to mimic within local society or how to hunt down their targets from the edges of the civilized world.

A vampire has to feed every couple of days, and one who does not turns more and mire feral as the days pass by: losing their sense of self and turning into monstrous beasts, their bodies begin to morph into bat-like abominations, highly aggressive against any living thing. In this stage, they can permanently lose their sentience if they spend too long without feeding, and after a while, a starving vampire will simply consume itself and die, though the process can take months until the creature meets its demise. However, if a vampire keeps a steady diet, they will maintain their form and shape, though they develop certain physical changes such as red eyes, pointed ears and longer fangs. In this stage, their abilities will evolve depending on the amount of blood consumed. Vampires do not have a maximum lifespan, being able to live so long as they can feed, and after many centuries of drinking blood, they can become what is known as “**Higher Vamprires**”. These creatures are rare, as they have been fighting their blood thirst for centuries, and have honed their vampiric nature to a degree that are able to control their hunger indefinitely, not relying on blood consumption for survival, but instead drinking it like a human would drink alcohol. However, this point is questioned by some experts, as they argue higher vampires are merely incredibly efficient with their blood consumption, and not truly free from the thirst. By this point, most higher vampires have abandoned all pretense of humanity or mortality, living in isolation and avoiding as much human contact as possible, creating small communities of vampires, known as “**covens**”, to protect and control the numbers of vampires within a certain area. However, even the most powerful of Higher Vampires has to answer to an elder vampire. **Elder vampires** are the oldest of the old, with some saying that they are the fathers of vampirism, and have lived in Giantstep longer than any other living race. When Lesandros, Biblion and Qadash were in their infancy, Elder Vampires were already ancient. The study of elder vampires is limited to a recollection of rumors and legends, and thus no one but their closest circles know how powerful they truly are, or how many there actually are.

## Vampiric Characteristics

Over the years, vampires develop a series of unnatural skills and abilities, often suited to continue their hunt for blood. First and foremost, their body will start changing to adopt a blood-only diet. They will no longer be able to process any other food, and while they might be able to feign eating it to mimic within society, it will no longer bring them nutrition. Vampires feed on all kinds of blood from sentient beings, although the most nutritious one comes from the same species as the vampire. Their senses will become more aware towards blood, being able to see and smell the presence of a living person, a wound or a drop of vitae from increasingly longer distances. These senses also boost their regular perception, but more often than not, this will revolve exclusively around blood. Vampires quickly grow fangs for puncturing the flesh of their victims. These teeth are retractable to hide them from common sight to avoid detection, though a vampire who is underfed will not be able to retract them back into their gums. Vampires have the ability to heal their wounds by drinking blood: they can heal any damage that is not immediately fatal by drinking vitae, though this ability needs some time to take effect, so it cannot be used for immediate healing. They also grow in physical strength, speed and reflexes, though this skill has many limits depending on the age and experience of the vampire.

Over the decades, they will develop other unnatural abilities, though for this to be the case they need to feed above their needs for quite a while. A vampire who only feeds the minimum to survive will barely be above common individuals, with spikes in power depending on how recently they have eaten. The older a vampire gets, the more generally powerful they will become as well, learning how to deal with their thirst and how to spend their energies more wisely, thus not becoming hungry as fast. This is important, as using their vampiric powers will increase their need to consume blood, quickly burning down their energies and requiring them to feed to recover. Vampires who do not feed will lose the ability to control their powers. The most common of this is a slight shapeshifting ability: becoming bigger, growing longer fangs, claws and unnatural musculature while on the hunt, though that tends to make the vampires more feral if they do not learn how to contain their primal thirst. Higher vampires will be able to develop this skill even further, fully morphing into a monstrous version of a vampire. This horrific stage vary from individual to individual, though the few who have witnessed it have described it as “looking more like an ancient demon than a bat”, gaining wings and the ability to fly. Some higher vampires also develop the ability to turn for short periods of time into mist, though this leaves them very vulnerable to certain magical attacks, and it is one of the most known ways to damage a higher vampire. The ability of hemomancy, casting magic through the spilling of blood, is rarer still, as it requires a higher vampire who is also a wizard to be possible.

Vampires react poorly to the light of the suns. Many experts have noted that sunlight seems to dull the effects of vampirism, slightly dimming their thirst for blood, but greatly tampering with their unnatural abilities. This weakness is especially bad during the vampire’s first years of life, causing actual physical pain when in direct contact to sunrays, though they will eventually learn to at the very least endure the sun, though it still causes them great discomfort. Thus, vampires prefer the darkness of the night, where they can use their abilities to the fullest. Higher vampires do not have such weakness, as they are resistant to the sun, unlike their lessen brethren, making them much better at blending in society, with normal means of vampire detection being useless against them.

## Effects of vampirism on personality and morality

The need for blood is the most well known fact about vampires, and the reason they are feared and reviled everywhere. This unnatural hunger is what drives vampires forward, and the effects on them are clear, becoming monstrous and frenzied beasts if they do not acquiesce to the thirst. Having to prey upon other sentient being is something that causes a severe shock to pretty much all infected, with whatever moral principles they had before turning clashing against this new reality. Because of this, most recently turned will try to resist the hunger for as long as possible. This inevitably leads to horrific pain of the body, mind and soul, which will make them lose control and lash out against any other living thing. No matter their strength of character and mind, a recently born vampire will not be able to resist the urges, and they will attack anything and anyone nearby.

Once they have fed, they will come back to their senses and see what they have done. It is at this point when most vampires crack, unable to accept what they have done and seeing themselves as monsters. The results of this clash vary, from going utterly feral to accepting the monstrous nature of the thirst, abandoning themselves to it. Some even commit suicide once they realize this is what they will have to do to survive from now on. Many have debated whether the condition causes a change of personality to prepare the individual for future survival, or whether it is the individual’s mind that twists the vampire to avoid having to accept the moral responsibility of their actions. The more they feed and the more they kill, the more monstrous they will become, in either a mindless bestial way or an inhuman amoral way, seeing people as mere cattle. While both sides have their arguments, the presence of rare cases where vampires have managed to preserve their prior personalities results in the latter theory having more followers. People with a high degree of mental fortitude and great willpower can learn to live with the weight of the thirst and keep themselves from spiraling down into madness, though they still need to feed if they want to keep their mind from slipping.

The effects on vampirism on the mind also need to take into account the vampire’s longevity. Many of the species affected by vampirism have limited lifespans, and thus vampirism will extend their natural lives many times over. The effects of having a seemingly eternal life can alter the individual’s perspective, making them see their previously fellow as lesser than then, small candles in the wind that will grow old and die in what seems to be the blink of an eye. This results in vampires preferring to live amongst other vampires, forming vampire covens that serve as a family of sorts.

## Vampires and the world around them

It is not surprising to see vampires are reviled, feared and hated across the entire world. The sheer threat they pose to any society is clear, and as such, many efforts have been taken by the different governments of Giantstep to prevent vampires from proliferating within their borders. This forces most vampires to hide to prevent their demise, as while their unnatural abilities should keep them safe from most threats, in reality many vampires can find themselves outmatched by sheer numbers. There are more mortals than vampires by a wide margin, and any possible vampire attack will cause the community to join together to try and hunt the threat down, as well as warn any relevant authority of the situation. Even if a group of vampires gains the upper hand against a town or other community, the problem with blood supply will guarantee increasingly bitter clashes between its members, and they will either jump into infighting or disperse in the search of more food. Vampire infestations are some of the biggest threats local authorities can imagine, and many nations in the world dedicate a great deal of effort in spotting, neutralizing and preventing said organizations. Many mercenaries and hunters make a living as vampire hunters, travelling across the land in search for vampire-related bounties. These individuals become incredibly adept at detecting the signs of vampires, and laying down traps to catch them at their weakest, often making them appear during the day and cutting their head off, or staking their heart, as these are the most effective ways to kill a vampire before their regenerating abilities kick in.

However, this is all at a relatively small scale. When talking about covens of lesser vampires, local mercenaries, vampire hunters or regional militias can deal with them, especially if the infestation is detected soon enough. However, this will require more and more effort once the vampire coven grows in numbers and experience. Dealing with a coven of higher vampires is a completely different matter altogether. These creatures are rare and powerful, beyond what any local authority could realistically deal with alone. Higher vampires are also special in that they need much less blood to survive and they have honed their vampiric skills and powers to a higher degree, making their attacks much harder to detect. And even leaving their skills aside, individuals who have managed to live many centuries undetected while feeding off the population probably have garnered a great deal of power and influence within society. The response against these groups once detected often varies from nation to nation, depending on the degree of infiltration and influence they have gained over the years. On their part, the coven of higher vampires will invariably try to move and relocate back to a hidden location. While they might fear the response of the nations they are in if they are powerful enough, the true reason they will try to hide is the chance of being found by the Lord of Okhost: **Vandervax the Vile**.

Over the years, all vampires who manage to survive for long eventually learn the threat that the True Lich poses against vampirekind. The Lord of Okhost has been fighting a crusade to exterminate all vampires from the face of the world for three millennia now, and he has claimed the heads of both lower and higher vampires alike. Regardless of their morality and the threat they pose towards the mortals, no vampire is safe so long as the True Lich is around. There have been many stories of Vandervax quickly dispatching elite units of undead to discover and destroy covens of higher vampires: monsters who have lived for centuries to the point of becoming local legends falling at the hands of beings who have been dead for even longer. And there are tales of Vandervax himself leading the charge: the most powerful of the necromancer lords, Vandervax is a threat for any vampire below the level of an elder, and has killed many higher vampires singlehandedly. The biggest threat to the vampires is the undead’s unrelenting nature: they do not need to eat, rest or sleep, continuing to pursue the vampires until they are so exhausted and starved they become easy prey to Vandervax’ men. As such, the moment the high vampire coven is detected, the entire organization is quickly moved somewhere else, in the hopes of being far away from them before the undead arrive, hoping against hope they can manage to clean up their tracks.

However, there is one vampiric being who can give Vandervax pause. The **Elder of Usul**, the only known elder vampire in the world. Considered by those who know of his existence as the most powerful vampire in the world, the Elder of Usul was alive and already ancient before the first civilizations sprouted from the land. His authority is such that he is rumored to have incomprehensible powers, and the authority to summon any vampire whenever he wants, with it being obligated to answer. The Unseen Elder of Usul has isolated himself from the world in the eponymous island, said by some legends as it being the birthplace of vampiredom, not having interacted with any non-vampire for centuries. There are legends of the singular clash between Vandervax and the Elder: while stories of how it came to be and what transpired between the two ancient beings, all agree that it led to Vandervax having to return to Okhost, though the fact Vandervax survived the encounter should tell anyone about the necromancer’s power and skill. Once every many years, higher vampires from all over the world travel to Usul to pay tribute to the Unseen Elder and ask him for advice. The Elder can also call for a summit in Usul that involves all vampires, although those happen every few hundred years at most, and the matters treated in them are unknown by all but those attending.

## Known Vampire Covens

Vampire Covens are communities of vampires living and working together, forming communities ranging from a couple of individuals to near a hundred. The nature of these covens often vary depending of the original founders, the culture in which they originate from and the amount of time they have been able to survive. Many of these covens do not last more than a couple of decades, as the inexperience and lack of subtlety of lower vampires tend to attract a lot of attention, which will put authorities on alert, to then seek the aid of soldiers or vampire hunters to take the coven and its members down. However, those composed of higher vampires tend to last for many centuries, due to their subtler ways and possible influence within local society. Still, these are also known to fail and scatter, being hunted down by vampire hunters or Vandervax’s men. Infighting is also a possible cause of a coven falling, most of the time due to lack of enough food, forcing the members to scatter across the land in search of game. The longest lasting covens can have millennia of age, though if they are known to the local authorities it means Vandervax also knows about them, and thus they stay on the move.

### The Alps

The Alps are a vampire coven believed to originate from a border area of the Witchelven Empire. The rumors about the Alps center around a series of infections across the borders between Azan and the Witchelven Empire all the way back during the initial expansion of the Witchelven Empire. The sheer level of death and destruction could have allowed a series of vampires, both human and witchelven, to hide the vampire attacks as witchelven raids or azanese counterattacks. The level of destruction caused the Alps to grow quite numerous for a vampire coven, which led them to problems once the clashes between Azan and the Witchelven became less frequent. Not only they lost members when the usual attacks had to become subtler, but the rate of attacks resulted in a witchelven explorer discovering their hiding place, the underground of a city razed to the ground. This led a massive witchelven raid against the vampires, using a great deal of magic and succubae to combat the powerful vampires. With the raid successful, the surviving Alps had to flee to the mountains to the south where the witchelven could not follow. While there were few Alps vampires remaining, the coven survived long enough to regain their strength, and nowadays they move across Giantstep to avoid being tied down to a singular location.

The Alps are heavily influenced by the witchelven’s ways, regardless of the infected being witchelven or human. They were know to play with their food before partaking in the feast, but nowadays, their struggle with the thirst has tempered even their witchelven sociopathy. They know that they cannot gain enough power within the Witchelven Empire to take root, and thus they move across the lands, often in small groups so as to avoid detection. To feed without being noticed, the Alps will often resort to the tried and tested witchelven fake out, making the attacks look like a witchelven raid and then leave before any local authorities can discover the charade. The Alps are not picky eaters, especially now that many of their members are higher vampires with a better control over their hunger, though they have often found themselves hunting down witchelven border towns and making it look like the work of bored witchelven nobles or bandits. They have also built many hidden bases across the mountains, many of them in areas where mortals would not be able to find, but due to their vampiric strengths, the Alps do not mind surviving in the cold of the highest peaks. It is within these holds that they have managed to hide a great deal of treasure they have managed to pillage over the decades, and it is often used as bait to attract bandits and treasure hunters, since these people disappearing rarely sends any alarms.

The current head of the Alps is **Jiesia Ae’idervre**. A former drow slaved to the witchelven, she managed to escape during an attack by the Alps, becoming infected in the process. Having nowhere else to go, she joined the Alps, and has stayed with them ever since. After the fracturing of the coven, she managed to keep her own allies together and rebuild the Alps, though she still feels the coven is too much on the defensive. This clashes with the reality that, if the witchelven were ever to know their location, they would send armies after them, possibly driving them into the east or the Handprint Desert. Jiesia resents her days as a slave, and as such, her attitude often imitates that of a witchelven princess, though without the joy for torture the witchelven possess, making her a more levelheaded leader.

### The Bruxas

The Bruxas are a vampire coven believed to originate from an unknown area within Azan. Little is actually known about the Bruxas’ history prior to their discovery around 3.066 ABE in Gvilderstaaten, though there are some things that could be assumed about them. First, the spread of their coven is linked to many of the more unsavory docks within Western Giantstep and Scimitarian: the massive movement of people and cargo, especially in those areas where the rule of law is less rigid, can camouflage the disappearance of enough people to keep a small coven. We also know that the Bruxas are a very small but influential group, as records found by the azanese investigators show that they had been active in public life for a long time. Other than that, the coven would have stayed hidden if not for a public appearance of an undead vampire hunter squad from Okhost, who set fire to a series of public places to force the vampires into the open. The ensuing diplomatic conflict was only quelled by the capture of one of the vampires alive, who confirmed to the azanese authorities that there really was a vampire coven within Gvilderstaaten, also giving identifying the coven as “the Bruxas”. This forced the imperial authorities to collaborate with Vandervax’s men, though by the time they began working, the vampires were long gone and the undead were following their tracks.

The investigators from Azan found that the Bruxas had created a network of trade to hide their vampiric needs, often partaking in business such as human trafficking and slavery with those places that still allow it, mixed with other enterprises so as to keep it unnoticed. They also did not belong to a singular merchant house or trading company, but the Bruxas were infiltrated in multiple of those, so as to maximize their reach (whether they were able to infiltrate Gvilderstaaten Merchants' Guild or not is unknown to the public). They also left behind a great deal of money and fortune, which caused a great deal of tension within the gvildeerstaaten community to decide to who this truly belonged to. In the end, though, the azanese authorities, as well as Vandervax’s undead, reached the conclusion the Bruxas had escaped, possibly moving north through the sea, though their current location remains unknown.

It is unknown who is the leader of the Bruxas coven, as the captured vampire refused to reveal the name of his superior before being beheaded and burnt down. However, there are a series of clues that point out to an individual seen talking to the identified vampires. His actual name is not known, as he always operated through others (as well as using multiple fake names) but he is suspected to be a very old vampire, with possible ties to many docks across the world. The Azanese Empire has put a great bounty  on any information that could lead to his capture, but so far nothing conclusive has been found.

### The Ekkimaras

The Ekkimaras are a vampire coven believed to originate from the lands of Dsrvysth. They are believe to appear after a vampiric infestation throughout the early days of the fracturing of Dsrvysth. While the infestation itself was quelled, enough of those remained to recover and reestablish themselves, managing to infiltrate within one of the noble houses of Dsrvysth. Enjoying their position of power, they create a court of decadence and pleasure, dedicating their time and effort investing in arts and great parties, while also celebrating private dinners where they would feed off selected victims. The Ekkimaras would actually manage to keep themselves hidden despite this hedonistic lifestile for many centuries, mostly due to they keeping their numbers relatively low, keeping themselves as neutral entities to the wars for control of Dsrvysth and a great deal of charisma on the part of their members. However, this situation could not last forever, as they were ultimately found by other dsrvysthian noble houses. While they had to flee to save their lives, the clashes between the different factions in the area allowed the Ekkimaras to flee into the sea. Trying to keep themselves hidden, they moved around the different cities, where their charisma and animal magnetism gained them many friends, blending in with local aristocracy, and moving away before anyone could realize their true nature. They eventually ended in the Empire of Elanxa, where the rich nobles and little care for the peasants allow them to blend with ease.

The Ekkimaras are well known for their charisma and love for luxurious lifestyle. Unlike most vampire covens, the Ekkimaras believe that the best way to blend in using the glamour of the nobility, as that gains them enough ties to powerful men to make people look the other way when needed. This need to disguise themselves within high society has made them very good socialites, able to pick up the local social rules, hierarchies and gossips and turn them to their advantage. The Ekkimaras are also known for their adoration to the good life. Luxury and hedonism is their goal, and they are set to enjoy their seemingly eternal lifespans to the fullest: arts, fashion, music and dances, parties and social gatherings, theatres… the Ekkimaras are fond of all of those things, as well as more vampiric debaucheries such as literal bloodbaths or the consumption of chosen victims, raised and prepared to the highest vampiric standarts. Despite this image of decadent nobility, the Ekkimaras are some of the most powerful and influential vampires in the world, with a level of accumulated wealth that is difficult to calculate. There are rumors of vast caches of riches spread in all areas where the Ekkimaras have passed through, just in case they need to flee and start all over.

The head of the Ekkimaras coven is **Lady Annabelle Lidippa** (or at least that is the name she currently goes for). She has been within the Ekkimaras since their early days of Dsrvysth, as the daughter of a local farmer who was going to be sold to a dsrvysthian noble as a housemaid due to her beauty. It was under the service of her lord that she learned the ways of nobility, but she hated her abusing and demeaning lord, and when she became infected, she used the Ekkimaras’ influence and her vampiric powers to take over his house. Eventually, she managed to gain control of the Ekkimaras, which has managed to keep ever since. As a lady who has spent centuries living the high life across the world, she has learned how to move across the aristocracies all around the step. She uses her natural magnetism with her vampiric powers to seduce those who could benefit her coven.

### The Fleders

The Fleders are a vampire coven believed to originate from Scimitarian. The exact region where the coven started is unknown, as the Fleders have the unorthodox custom for vampires of living in the sea, not as mere travelers, but spending most of their existence within ships. This is a very risky lifestyle for a vampire, as the isolation of the sea can make finding food quite difficult, and stepping on any dock will put them in danger if the local authorities realize what they are. Thus, the Fleders live off raiding the vessels across the waters between Scimitarian and Giantstep, becoming incredibly fierce raiders and pirates, capturing the crew and abandoning the ship adrift. Despite the very public profile of the Fleders, they have managed to survive for at least a century active due to being constantly on the move, as well as preying upon both civilian and pirate vessels. There are histories of the Fleders having close encounters with Vandervax’ undead, managing to either drive them off or fleeing before they could get them. From time to time, the Fleders change their vessel to avoid detection, as well as looking less conspicuous to their victims until it is too late. There are rumors the fleders have a hidden base in a yet uncharted island, but so far no one has been able to confirm it.

Survivors of the Fleders’ raids have been able to describe their assaults: using the vampiric skill of turning into mist, they will surround the targeted vessel, and then slowly but surely, the vampires who cannot turn into mist will swim towards the ship and climb it. If enough Fleders manage to jump on board, they will then overpower the presumably vulnerable crew and eat them there and then. If they cannot, they will try to sink the ship, forcing the people into lifeboats where they are much more vulnerable to the Fleders’ hunt. And if their victims turn out to be capable of resisting both things, they will spread the mist again and sail before they receive too much damage. This is not as sure-fire tactic as one might think, as the use of magical mist is a common one, and many experienced sailors will know to react quickly to any unnatural fog in the sea. The Fleders have also been known to use their morphing abilities to turn into flying creatures and just arrive to the other ship that way, but that tends to be riskier, as they are vulnerable while in the air and their healing abilities are not immediate.

The current head of the Fleders is **Ae’idass Vroehien**, a massive giant of a drow leading the Fleders’ assaults directly. He is rumored to be a pirate captain that got bitten by one of the Fleders’ raids, only for him to dedicate his life seeking vengeance. While the details of the story are not well known, he is said to have defeated the previous captain of the Fleders in single combat, taking over the coven, which has kept ever since. He fights with a pair of short axes, using his tremendous vampiric strength to split apart armor in half.

### The Vohn Fohn

The Vohn Fohn are a vampire coven believed to originate from Siuverland. The history of the Vohn Fohn is believed to start within the slums of Siuverland, as most of the original members of the coven are demon tieflings. Due to the horrible conditions the demon tieflings suffer under Siuverland rule, vampire infections spread easily across the poor neighborhoods. And this is often another excuse for the Order to organize raids and purges across the slums against the demon tiefling population. It was one of these routine purges that finally forced the Vohn Fohn to attempt to rise against the authorities of the island. However, due to their numbers being too few and the lack of support from other tieflings (who wanted nothing to do with vampires despite the Order’s persecution), they were forced into exiled, with very few members surviving from the ordeal. The survivors managed to reach Daligrad, where they were able to endure and rebuild within the lawless streets of the province.

Unlike other vampire covens, the Vohn Fohr are not just set to survive the centuries. After their expulsion from Siuverland, the Vohn Fohr swore revenge against the Order, promising to rise up against the hellish oppression the demon tieflings suffer. To that end, they are slowly building a powerbase within Daligrad and other provinces of the Azanese Empire. Unlike other vampire covens, the Vohn Fohr only turn other demon tieflings into vampires, as their oath has caused a deep contempt for anyone outside of their species. The Vohn Fohr have grown into owning many brothels and bars within Daligrad to attract their prey inconspicuously, and are trying to spread across some of the more vulnerable and desperate demon tiefling communities, seeking to turn those who could be of use to the Vohn Fohr, as well as those with a deep hatred of Siuverland. However, they need to be very careful when choosing who to turn, as too fast of a growth could alert azanese authorities (or even worse, Vandervax’s).

The current leader of the Vohn Fohr coven is **Boughr Adopo**. A small tiefling, almost child-looking, Boughr Adopo is the oldest survivor of the exile from Siuverland, and the one who made the original oath against the Order. He has been gathering the strength of the Vohn Fohr for many decades now, his deep hatred towards Siuverland motivating him to keep going. Deep within, he knows that his hate also encompasses the mortal demon tieflings within the island, as the Vohn Fohr fought for their liberation and they only reacted with scorn and fear. Boughr is worried that, if he crusade ever becomes successful, his wrath will raze the island to the ground, leaving no one alive, tiefling or otherwise.

### The Jia-Shoi

The Jia-Shoi are a vampire coven believed to originate from Changrila. The Jia-Shoi are one of the oldest known vampire covens, with some dating it about the 18th century ABE. During that period, the financial crisis that hit many of the trading cities within the Azanese Empire let thousands of people destitute. The growing poverty across the cities resulted in worsening life conditions for the populations, spreading many epidemics throughout the slums, making an already bad situation even worse. The growing death and poverty resulted in the perfect conditions for vampiric infestations, and while the authorities managed to hunt down most of the vampires, some of them survived. The reason for this was that many of the doctors across the Huan Ho-Sei Sea became bitten and turned, and the sheer need of professionals forced the authorities to turn a blind eye to this until the epidemics subsided. After the waves of disease receded, most of the vampire doctors had gone underground and were not able to be found and hunted down. This would result in the Jia-Shoi, a group of vampires living in the slums of Changrila, helping those in need and disappearing before the authorities can arrive.

The Jia-Shoi are a strange coven, as they are a somewhat open secret within the poor neighborhoods of Changrila. Their modus operandi often revolves around attending the poorest neighborhoods of the overcrowded changrilese cities. In exchange for the medical attention, the Jia-Shoi are guaranteed to feed upon those whose lives cannot be saved, giving them a relatively stable source of nourishment. The common folk fear and respect the Jia-Shoi, seeing them as angels of death, but since many cannot afford anything else, they have to search the slums for a contact within the Jia-Shoi in the hopes of a cure for their loved ones. Their medical oaths also forbid them from feeding off the healthy and the young, which does cause the Jia-Shoi to develop their vampiric powers in a lesser degree due to the quality to their prey.  The Jia-Shoi are one of the few vampire covens that have been discovered by Vandervax’s undead but never openly targeted, possibly due to Vandervax’s own past as a medic and healer. However, the fact they are seemingly spared does not mean they are off the hook, and as such, the Jia-Shoi keep a close eye on their members, making sure no one goes beyond their remit or becomes lost in the thirst.

The current head of the Jia-Shoi is **Ganja Bae-Pieao**. A half human-drow, she has been in charge of the coven for many centuries, both studying the art of healing and keeping an eye on the rest of her family. A charitable soul, she can often be found as the hostess of a tea store within the city of Hundred Tan, and those who truly need the aid of the Jia-Shoi will be listened to, though the high demand for their services and the need to keep a minimum of discretion means that she needs to limit the amount of cases she can attend.

### The Leicesters

The Leicesters are a vampire coven believed to originate from Luden. The ratmen from Luden are a species particularly vulnerable to vampirism, not only turning quicker, but also needing to feed more frequently. Due to this, ludenites tend to react much more violently against vampiric infestations, as they can spiral out of control much more virulently with remarkable speed. This also makes most ludenite vampires concentrate in a series of areas where they can both defend themselves and organize their raids, meaning vampire covens of ludenite vampires are very numerous, but can also disappear rapidly. Out of all of these vampire covens, the Leicesters are the most well known and powerful, having managed to create their fortress within Chesspit. Managing to outfight all other covens, the Leicesters have grown into a coven made up of nearly a thousand vampires, the biggest vampire coven in the world. They also grew this powerbase relatively recently, only being active from 3.151 ABE. Due to this, they have been preparing for the inevitable assault from Vandervax’ undead, creating a massive fortress within Chesspit, as well as gaining as many vampiric ghouls as possible.

To prepare for the upcoming battle, the Leicesters own a great deal of industrial infrastructure within Luden, mostly smoke factories, coal burners and cheese sweatshops. With these pillars of the economy, they have gained a great deal of influence outside of Chesspit, though they are having problems expanding outwards. The Leicesters are fighting to establish dominance over the other vampire covens, especially those within Bloodpeak: the disunited covens that gather around the corpse pit have managed to push the Leicesters time and time again, mostly due to a series of tenuous alliances and the hatred they are developing against the Leicesters upstarts. Likewise, trying to control the non-vampiric regions of Luden is still a monumental task, since the numbers of ratmen outside of Chesspit simply dwarf those within the coven. Plus, if they decided to launch raids to expand their vampiric influence across the peninsula, it could result in the okhostian undead launching their assault much early, before the Leicesters are ready to fight off the undead.

The leader of the Leicester coven is **Brighton “Blueblood” Queekting**. A brutal and sometimes psychotic leader, he likes to pass as a refined gentleman, dressing with the latest ludenite high fashion and acting refined to the point of flamboyancy. But the moment he gets into one of his mood swings, he becomes a sadistic and wrathful ball of rage an claws, foaming at the mouth and tearing apart anything or anyone that gets in his way. His ambition is to create a vampiric kingdom in Luden, something he is very open about, which is driving many saner vampires to oppose him. However, Brighton has proven to be a cunning and occasionally brilliant strategist, not only in the battlefield, but also through subterfuge and intimidation, which compensates for his more insane moodswings.

### The Dihalen Suhh

The Dihalen Suhh are a vampire coven believed to originate from the Lands behind the Hedge. The Dihalen Suhh are noteworthy in that they are a coven composed of fairies, containing many different species from across Giantstep. Vampiric fairies are rarer than other species, but generally more successful: while a human-sized individual is going to have a difficult time feeding off a fairy size target, the body of a human is able to fill the thirst of a dozen or so fairies at once. However, fairies have a harder time controlling their thirst, and thus vampiric covens composed of fairies tend to move across the landscape like locust swarms, often attacking isolated individuals and quickly flying away before the are detected. The Dihalen Suhh are the most well-known of these covens, moving across the land and often crossing the swamps of the Bog Witch to deter their pursuers from continuing to chase them. They partake in a unique death cult, feeding from the mortals beyond what they need to quench their thirst. They have been known to kidnap elves and humans, and sometimes even ogres, cling them upside down, and then cut their throats so that their blood rains unto the fairies below, all while they dance and sing in an orgy of violence and death. Once every full moon, the Dihalen Suhh take part in the ritual of the “Wild Hunt”, where they will gather in the hundreds and assault one of the populations in the area they are currently in. They will capture only the children of the townsfolk, turn them into vampires and then letting them free again, and just see the reaction of the townsfolk as they debate whether to execute them or to let them leave, both options resulting in the death the Dihalen Suhh worship.

The Dihalen Suhh are constantly on the move, having been seen in areas from the Baalps and Hereby to Zyla Gora and the Valley of the Fallen Giants. This lets the areas they move across recover, with hundreds of stories of towns having to board up their homes to protect themselves from the vampiric fairies until dawn. Vampiric fairies are particularly vulnerable against sunlight, and as such, they will not pursue their targets during the day. To protect themselves, the Dihalen Suhh often rest within the darkest parts of the forest or within caves. The Dihalen Suhh have had to deal multiple times with Vandervax’ undead, but due to their small size and big numbers, the vampiric fairies are able to scatter quickly, and thus their numbers are always high despite the losses.

The current head of the Dihalen Suhh is **Ixisidhe Tr’ee Bark**. A strange fairy with six pairs of arms, she is said to be able to detect any blood from miles through her nose, which she then drinks beyond satiation. Her bestial and uncanny appearance has made many to question her origins, possibly being born within the swamps of the Bog Witch and influenced by the dark energies within. Some stories say that she willingly got infected with vampirism and then killed the individual who sired her. Having slaughtered the previous head of Dihalen Suhh, her hidden ambition is to capture and consume one of the legendary faerie lords, ascending to semi-divine levels of wisdom and power. She hopes to gather enough numbers to capture a faerie lord and add their powers to her own, as she is a powerful witch and expert bloodmancer.

### The Ohdo Kishaj

The Ohdo Kishaj are a vampire coven believed to originate from the Gökmavi Khaganate. The gökmavi people have many legends and superstitions about vampires, believed to be due to a very severe vampire infestation before the unification of the khaganate. They are also one of the few nations in the world with a code of law against vampirism, as most of the others have a simpler, kill on sight attitude towards vampires. The gökmavi believe that vampirism is a punishment from the heavens, and that is the duty of the people to judge them for their crimes. This In the case of the Ohdo Kishaj, those who know their existence believe they originate from the northern lands of the Red Horde. Rumors speak of the leader of a forgotten clan, whose wife had fallen ill. Desperate, the chieftain prayed to the spirits for a miracle to save her. One night, he suddenly received a mysterious beautiful woman who promised him he could save her. However, despite being married, he fell enthralled by the traveler’s charms and unnatural allure, and he tried to take her for himself. It is said that the spirits saw the evil act and cursed the man to lose everyone he had ever loved. After that night, the mysterious traveler disappeared, and his wife finally expired from the disease. Enraged, the chieftain lost all sense of himself and turned against the tribe in a fit of rage, killing all but one who managed to escape.

Whether this tale is true or not, the Ohdo Kishaj have been roaming the lands of Central Giantstep for centuries. They travel during the cold nights, preying upon any unaware passersby or explorer they might come across. The Ohdo Kishaj are believed to be a relatively small coven, as the population density within Central Giantstep is not enough to sustain big vampire populations. They are said to move across the land like wraiths, silent and firm, determined to hunt down their prey. Some survivors of the Ohdo Kishaj have confirmed that the coven is highly superstitious, having a great deal of ritual in everything they do. They also follow a very rigid warrior code. The law of the Gökmavi Khaganate states that these vampires ought to be captured and put on trial, offering honors and recognition to the warriors who can manage to lay the Ohdo Kishaj low, but so far no one has seem to be able to do so.

The current head of the Ohdo Kishaj is simply known as “**Kehn**”. A mysterious and silent warrior, Kehn is said to seek the strongest fighting men and women on the steppes and challenge them for their right to live. He bears the marks of hundreds of ritualistic brands, so severe they are that even his vampiric healing cannot truly dissipate the scars. Whether he is the chieftain of the original legend or he is someone else, it is not known.

### The Specters

The Spectres are a vampire coven whose current location is unknown. Very little is known about them, other than they are feared by many mortals and vampires alike. They worship an entity known as the “Father of Blood”, who they believed that sired all of vampirekind. While most vampires either keep their previous beliefs after turning or abandon them altogether once they see themselves about mortal worries, some few end up falling into the cult of the Father of Blood. In these cases, these vampires end up partaking on a pilgrimage across the world in the search of the truth, which can end up with them finding the Specters. It is then when they are inducted into the cult, the details of which are mostly unknown. The only common thing across the sea of rumors and telltales is the presence of the **Seer**. This enigmatic figure is the leader of the Specters, and possibly one of the few elder vampires in the world. The stories of this character often emphasize how she is able to tell the future through astromancy and blood rituals, as well as summon wise spirits. However, whether this character actually exists or not is simply not known.