The Crimson Court

An Eldritch who spills the blood of a living creature is known as a Blooded One. Blooded Ones are feared and mistrusted across the world, and not just by other Eldritch. As such, they rarely find homes within the great cities, nor in other races' towns and villages. In response to this, some unrepentant Blooded Ones have created their own great cities, raised in the name of Uvartoch, the blood god. The collective rulers of these cities are known as The Crimson Court.

## Living Conditions

Life within the walls of the Crimson Court's cities is dangerous at best. There is no semblance of democracy or understanding to be had, and the strong feast upon the weak, in both a metaphorical and rather literal sense. Still, there are those who choose willingly to make their dwellings there, and should they be ruthless enough, may carve out a life for themselves, in spite of their Blooded status. It is easy to think of them as nothing but monsters, but an Eldritch is rarely blooded by choice. Even a simple act of self defense could lead to being blooded, and so cast out and shunned from all of society. The wilderness is a harsh and unforgiving place, and so the Blooded Ones are left with little choice.

## Vamphyri

The ruling class of The Crimson Court consists almost exclusively of Vamphyri, an ancient sect sworn to serve Uvartoch. They worship not through prayer, but through the consumption of the blood of mortal beings. This, in turn, nourishes and empowers them. The Blood God is generous with his dark boons, and so the Vamphyri are both blessed and cursed with powers no mortal should wield. It is said that Uvartoch's chosen cannot be wounded, for their bodies regrow and wounds close as they are taken.

Some Vamphyri are easy to recognize due to their pale complexion and unnerving aura. Dark tales are told of their deeds, of how they come in the night and lay entire towns and villages to waste under the blood moon. Yet far more dangerous are those who blend into mortal society, preying upon unknowing victims. There are many reasons to keep your door shut tight at night, Vamphyri prime among them.

## The Classes

Society under The Crimson Court is divided into a system of classes, based on race and status. At the top are the Aeld Vamphyri, Blooded Eldritch who are given the highest honor for breaking their race's most sacred law. In turn, the Aeld Vamphyri are considered the priestly class, with the full approval of Uvartoch for their sacrifice in his name. Below them are the Blutnir, or Blood Knights. The Blutnir are considered the upper part of the warrior class, with the Vartochran, "kin of (U)vartoch", beneath and beside them. Originally these classes were divided purely by race, but have since come to reflect one's political power and devotion more so than bloodline. The warrior classes consist mostly of Laochran and Hrafnir, though some leprechauns have, perhaps curiously, been found among their rank.

Last are free men and thralls, respectively. Any mortal allowed within the Crimson Cities is considered below the anointed Vamphyri, but are still generally free to do as they please. At the very bottom of the rung are thralls, who serve as slaves to all Vamphyri.

## Thralls

When an unfortunate victim is drained of all their lifeblood, the vamphyr may take them into thralldom by letting them drink of the vamphyr's blood in turn. This turns the victim into a thrall, a living puppet for the Vamphyri. Although they retain all their mortal senses, their will is no longer their own, and so they slave away at their masters' behest. Most thralls go mad within only a moon or two, and even the strongest will must inevitably bend beneath that of the Blood God. Thralls serve as the effective working class of The Crimson Court - their slave labor is what allows such grand progress, even without the interaction with other races that the regular Eldritch benefit from.