Sanguine

The Sanguine, also known as the Bloodless or the Ylturians, are a superhuman race who are native to Ewsel. They are thought to be descended from early Hominem and Elves.

## Cairn Range

Cairn Range is a north-western region of the Empire of Ewsel. It runs along the west coast and the border of Nordyn. It is singularly populated by Sanguine. This region is known for rocky, mossy crags and jagged hills. The Sanguine tend to be relatively secretive, with no visible civilization on the surface beyond their great iron entrances. Deep in the crevices and caves of the Cairn, the Sanguine have carved out an intricate system of underground cities.

Skrivengrad, meaning "Hidden City" in Ylturi, is the most well-known Sanguine city, multi-leveled and ancient. It extends more than 200 feet into the ground and scholars believe around 20,000 Sanguine live there. From Asser Fawkes' own writings:

> "Of my home, beautiful Skrivengrad, I can say that we had stables, cellars, refectories, chapels... All that you would expect of a great city. We have several tunnels that lead to other cities, though above-ground travel does seem to be on the rise... The 'visitor's' entrance is marked by the stone gollum corpse of our previous queen, a chiselled, gargantuan guardian who slumbers over the iron doors."
>
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Every time a Queen-Mother is on her deathbed, she orders a new entrance to be made. Because the Queen-Mother grows to be around 20 feet tall, the new entrance is cavernous and decadent so that she may exit pleasantly and easily. Once she is outside of the city, the Queen-Mother uses the last of her strength to collapse the previous entrance. She then returns to the new entrance and passes away in peace, turning to stone.

## Physiology

The Sanguine are most likely a mix of Albians, Hrodskers, and Lavanael's Argentate Elves. They retain raised, slightly pointed ears and high cheekbones from their elven ancestry (though they are much shorter in stature.) They have bloodless skin, coming across as pale grey or white with generally purple undertones and hair color that ranges from blood red to salmon meat. A black, foul, blood-like substance runs through their circulatory system.

The Sanguine are much faster than humans, regarded as excellent hunters and trackers. They tend to lean towards stealth and strength-related activities. They are devoid of all magical talents but have an inherent resistance to poisons, disease, and weather-related magics. Their strength and speed surpass the average man.

The Queen-Mother is a special specimen that is born every 200 years. She does not stop growing after reaching sexual maturity, nor does she physically age past her mid-thirties. She can grow to heights of 20 feet or taller, though there are no records of Queen-Mother corpses larger than that. The Queen-Mother is said to be a mantle for the Great Mother, "Velika Majka", also known as the Orthodox goddess of Ressurection, Kalos.

## Culture

The Sanguine are united in culture and tongue, speaking Ylturi. Their current state works similar to a hive, the Queen-mother being the single most important being. Males tend to the Queen-mother and her daughters, along with working internally, erecting new structures and maintaining civil obedience. The females travel out of the “nests” often to run hunts and maintain sun-based farms for their livestock.

Some rogue Sanguine have left the hives to hunt humans, as they naturally eat raw meat and drink blood. Those who are attacked by a Sanguine, but not fatally, will go into a two-week-long coma resulting in a man-craving, bloodlusty wake and the viral affliction known to the public as “Vampirism." Due to a rather minuscule population of vampiric individuals and their strong resemblance to Sanguine, the common public is led to believe the two are the same.

## Personality

Solemn, quiet, alert, articulate, private, cautious, conformist, melancholic, and relatively rigid, the Sanguine have kept to themselves for many an era. Few have stepped out of their hive to explore the world, but those that do are not easily forgotten. Even the humblest and weakest of Sanguine can boast a strength only some men can match.

## Religion

The main religion followed by the Sanguine is the worship of Velika Majka, previously mentioned as correlating with the Orthodox goddess, Kalos. The Sanguine tend to pay respects to Velika Majka but are not excessively religious. They are more likely to deify their hive's Queen-Mother, but it is less religious and more culturally important.

## Vampires

Individuals afflicted with Vampirism have white skin with purple undertones, their skin gets redder as they starve. They have variable shadows and reflections based on starvation. The longer they starve, the less physical presence they have. This is speculated to be a means of aiding the afflicted, allowing them a better ability to hunt. Generally, female vampires are beautiful to the point of being hypnotic. Genetic males look young and alluring even if not "ideally" handsome.

White ash wood, hawthorn, and oak stakes to heart kill them. Though they are largely nocturnal for hunting purposes, the sun has little to no effect. Decapitation is fatal. Drowning can work but Vampires will come back to life if removed. Fire is fatal. Garlic, lemon, dog rose and running water are apart of the remedy, but there are few known cases of cured victims.

Werewolves are known to be natural rivals of Vampires and ancient cultures like the Hrodskers became werewolves to keep their lands free of vampires in the days that the Sanguine roamed the surface.

Unlike Sanguine, Vampires live endlessly at the age they were bitten unless they are killed. Vampires are also unable to reproduce as their affliction renders their reproductive system useless (besides pleasure-related activities.)

## Notable Sanguine

* Asser Fawkes: traveller, settled with Denskers
* Apollyon Fawkes: son of Asser Fawkes, berserker in Nordic Denskelaw
* Everild Fawkes: daughter of Asser Fawkes, innkeeper in Ewsel
* Akeldama Fawkes: son of Apollyon Fawkes and Nerezza Burr, a soldier for the Ewsian Army
* Elizabeth Ainsley: bastard daughter of Lord Durwyn Ainsley of Aberth, retainer to Lady Lenore Konig in Cawold, Nordyn

## Notable Vampires

* Buck Skjeggstad: bandit and serial murderer, known for frequenting brothels and running in a gang with a half-elf and a demon halfling