Noxferas

> *"Night falls. The Mortals sleep. But the shadows do not."*
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The **Noxferas**, commonly known as **Vampires**, are a high level of Undead inhabiting no specific region: they are actually scattered uniformly throughout the world, bound in a deep network of contacts with livings of any specie and sometimes with other Vampires - as they are known commonly. Noxferas, against popular belief, dwell both during day and night time - but their true potential is unleashed only when the sun dusks. Their bond with the night becomes even stronger when the full moon dominates the skies - and it is usually the night of great feasts for the Vampires - who sally out from their domains to raid the living for blood, the only sustenance these Undead need. Noxferas are innately magical creatures - and even an untrained magician can stand against a seasoned mage. Combined with their supernatural strength, agility and immortality, an experienced Vampire can be an opponent requiring entire units of Hunters - especially to exorcise the armies of thralls, living and undead, escorting them. Besides, a Noxfere can never truly be killed: once slain, their spirits are denied entrance to the Underworld, and instead wander suffering ten thousand years for atonement - fleeing from Tergayn, the Dreadhunters. While a punishment, a Vampire has the opportunity to enslave mortals and restore a physical forms in a complex ritual - for this reason, when hunting a Noxfere, the complete eradication of their Coven is required. In addition to their supernatural qualities, each Vampire belongs to a Bloodline and inherits the characteristics of his bloodline.

## The Rite

> "*A hymn to the moon, a song to the night. A heart for the Devourer and blood for the Thirster. Its kiss condemns you, its embrace saves you."*
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The Rite of Undead Ascendancy is the epithome of dark magic, and fundamental for the Bloodlines to expand their influence and their family: The First Rite, casted by Bel'Alshur, created the Seven Bloodlines and to this day, the processes and gradients required to execute this intricate magical miracle are jealously kept as secrets. Candidates that are deemed worthy of ascension are drawn into the Rite, and if they survive it, a Noxferas is born. Otherwise, should they fail, they fall into a rambling heep of maddened flesh known as Lestrygors.

While it varies from bloodline to bloodline, the Rite usually involves the merging of a mortal soul with a Spirit of the Devourer - an otherwordly entity of the realm of Death that has been denied eternal rest.

## Aristocracy of the Night

> Main Article: Aristocracy of the Night
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Despite appearing as nothing but bloodthirsty, savage monsters to mortals, the organization of the Noxfere in the World of the Living matches that of the most advanced nations: every Noxferas must adhere to the Aristocracy and its Covenant, or suffer to live between a world of light that hunts them and a world of darkness that despises them. The power of the Aristocracy relies on the fact that it is splintered throughout the entire world: while castles, bloodlines or forts may fall, the entirety of this vile, parasitic menace will never be expunged completely.

## Noxferas Bloodlines

To refer an entity as Noxferas is insufficient - for Noxfere and mortals alike, for it is a generic name for a variety of horrors that haunt the night of helpless mortals: Noxfere Bloodlines carry pride for the Vampires and pivotal characteristics that Templars exploit to defeat these unnatural foes. There is a broad division between the Noxfere Bloodlines: The Oldblood and the Newblood.

### Oldblood

When Bal'alshur created the Noxfere, he chose seven mortals willing to defy their inevitable doom - death. These seven then formed the strongest bloodlines that, till nowadays, rule the world of the Living and the underworld of the Aristocracy.

#### *Vlaydrstark*

> "Main Article: House Vlaydrstark
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Among the most frightening Noxfere dynasties, the Vladyrstark are known for their bloodlust and martial prowess: when Bal'alshur gifted the world with the Sorrows of He-Who-Drinks, among the Firsts was a Dragon: Alkayros. Vladyrstark boast a lineage that stems from the Blood Dragon - a Horror that haunted and still haunts the memories and tales of human provinces. It is, thus, no surprise that Vladyrstark are incredibly talented magicians, even amidst a race of powerful mages. Furthermore, they have an innate reptilian look and their resistance against fire - making them harder to vanquish as one of the Undead weakness is the purging flame. Like many vampires, they suffer the Curse: while immortal, vampires indeed need a sustenance of warm, mortal blood, and if denied, the Beast within begins to surface. In case of a Vladyrstark, they progressively turn into *dragons* the more they are starved - but even if not, reptilian wings sprout from their back and draconic claws sprout from their fingers, alongside scales.

#### *Amzyr*

> Main Article: House Amzyr
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Perhaps one of the most mysterious bloodlines, Noxferas of the Amzyr bloodline are ethereal creatures - in the brink between what is real and what isn't. Theories can shed little light on this mysterious nature of theirs: most believe that, due to the Bloodline's dabble in the profane necromantic arts provoked the ire of Death, who began stripping them of flesh and corporeality. Amzyr are unique, for they do not feed on blood - but on the very souls of mortals and undead alike: their ghastly form is usually held by cursed seals engraved on armors or robes. They are extremely powerful Necromancers, capable of rising legions of skeletons in the blink of an eye or even unleash curses that ages their opponent, until they are nothing but dust and memory.

#### *Elkayesh*

> Main Article: House Elkayesh
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Amidst those who took the Sorrow of Bal'alshur there was a fair elven maiden, whose beauty could convince armies to abandon their cause to join her. Elkayesh' descendance come from the Princess, and they retained her charm, an ability they use to become influential Lords and Ladies in courts - controlling kingdoms to their bidding. While novice hunters may believe that Elkayesh Noxferas are the easiest to tackle, they are the most twisting and trickiest to fight: they fight dirty, using illusion spells and psychological warfare to allure their opponent to their doom. Provided the Hunters can slay the many thralls behind a Elkayesh.

### Newblood

Soon after the appearence of the Noxfere, the allure of power and immortality proved very strong and undeniable for many mortals: these second generation vampires, known as Newblood, are mortals that achieved Undead Ascendancy on their own - through magical studies that led to the creation of a Rite which is different from that of the Oldblood. Newblood Noxfere are considered inferior by the Oldblood aristocrats - and while it is true that their ascension is incomplete as their Rite will never match Bal'alshur's, the Newblood power is not to be underestimated - since their number surpasses that of the Oldblood.

#### *Heldesnachts*

> Main Article: House Heldesnachts
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Even a Templar that had been lucky enough to have lived through a Vampire Hunt in the night wouldn't be prepared to the horrors and ravages that a Heldesnachts Noxferas would bring along: while naturally creatures of the dark, Heldesnachts have an even deeper connection with the night and its denizens: they are whirling, murderous shadows that seek to banquet on the warm blood of mortals and revel in their terror. These unholy creatures are known to be able to blink from shadow to shadow or even turn into dark mists and fogs to choke and drain their opponent. Should that not be enough, the kinship these Noxferas have with the ferocious predators of the night - wolves, owls or even the horrifying Rauterfreuscher or exiled Man-Eaters heed his calls and come in swarms to his aid. But just as their might is triple in the night, their strength fades more than normal vampires during daytime - and their weakness to light and fire might give the unfortunate travelers a slim hope to live through the encounter.