House Ssok'Shah

## Description:

House Ssok'Shah, also referred to as [REDACTED] in original Lizardfolk writings, is a Wad-Thet Vampire House dating back over seventy million (70,000,000) years. The House holds itself as the oldest House ever recorded, and its power greatly reflects this. Originating from ancient times that predate the fall of the original Lizardfolk empires, House Ssok'Shah's power and age provide its original members and leaders with divine levels of power.

Due to the House's secrecy, age, and low numbers, the population of the world is blissfully unaware of House Ssok'Shah's existence; only groups like the GOC/JPCU, SCP Foundation, and Cairo Exploration Museum know of the group's existence.

### Organization:

#### Capital: Unknown

Due to their low numbers, disconnected groups, and symbolic leadership positions, the leaders of House Ssok'Shah claim only the rank of Prince; Princes, like those of other Houses, oversaw a small region or single city-state. Princes do not claim higher titles like King or Emperor despite each of them being stronger than the founding Vampire Kings of other Houses; this limited leadership title is used as a gesture of respect to the House's "gods," their slumbering elders. Underneath the Princes sit the priests, all of whom oversee sacrifices, rituals, and attend the sacred sites and burial chambers of their hibernating elders; priests influence the Prince, as the Prince claims divine mandate from the elders and as such must maintain the approval of the priests. Under the priesthood sit the noble class, the older Vampires of House Ssok'Shah who own large amounts of land or influence, or who run and direct large portions of the House's clandestine affairs. The middle class consists of the other Vampires of House Ssok'Shah, responsible for carrying out the more complex or dangerous duties and expanding the House's influence. Under the Vampires come the slaves, the Thralls and mortal servants of House Ssok'Shah that handle the manual labor and the grand construction projects commissioned by the local Prince or priests. Beneath even the subhuman slaves sit the Droqurzi, a Lizardfolk term that loosely translates to "one who has devolved fully (through a curse)," a term that eventually evolved into the associated name for House Droqurzi, the Lizardfolk Vampire House; Lizardfolk Vampires of House Droqurzi are created and used as pets by the Vampires of House Ssok'Shah, kept in pens and made to duel one another, duel slaves, or duel beasts in gladiatorial combat as a means of entertainment; they are used as dogs of war and shocktroops, thrown into the ranks of the enemy to disrupt unit cohesion and wreak havoc and as status symbols equivalent to owning a purebreed horse or expensive animal.

House Ssok'Shah recruits only Wad-Thet into its ranks of Vampiric members and does so as frequently as they possibly can, using the rapid conversion of lots of Vampires as a greater insult to their old gods and as a means of recollecting the power they once had. The House takes slaves in the hundreds or even thousands, taking as many people as possible to serve their needs; Thralls are chosen from only certain races, predominantly Dwarves, Elves, and humans, and are used as slave drivers and soldiers. The House also converts captured or enslaved Lizardfolk into Droqurzi as a means of degradation, humiliation, and recruitment for the ranks of their animalistic Vampiric hordes.

House Ssok'Shah dedicates most of its resources to the reacquisition of land and power lost during the Skyfire Prophecy. This endeavor involves the repair and construction of ancient Lizardfolk cities, the infiltration of nearby settlements to acquire new slaves, Thralls, and supplies, and the investigation of ruined sites and ancient manuscripts to regain lost power and knowledge.

#### Ranks:

1. Prince
2. Priesthood
3. Nobility
4. Vampire
5. Slave
6. Droqurzi

House Ssok'Shah is considered an extremely dangerous threat to the world; the power of its members and the age of its organization provide the House with untold abilities. The JPCU actively hunts for Lizardfolk sites around the world in the hopes of acquiring information regarding potential hideouts or weaknesses of House Ssok'Shah members.