The Gift

by A'mahn Assur, Lore Adept at Rod'Ven'Gul

Preface:

When Ahk'ha'ma revealed them-self to the tribes of Arkendrose, he did so with an offer of a Gift.  The Gift offered would grant long if not eternal life.   It would make the Gifted faster, stronger and would grant them abilities that would make them gods among men should they accept it.   Ahk'ha'ma's request was faith and service.  Those blessed with the Gift would worship Ahk'ha'ma as their God and build shrines and temples in Their name.  The first who accepted the gift were the strongest of Ahk'ha'ma's Gifted and it would be they would would continue spreading the Gift in perpetuity.  They would be known as the Greater Vampires* and all Vampires* that exist today on Arkendrose can trace their linage back to them.

*Through my research and readings it has come to my understanding that Vampires outside of Arkendrose are undead. In this respect as a scholar I must explain the key differences between the vampires that exist beyond Arkendorse and those within. Vampires of Arkendrose are not undead but rather a creation of The Gift. They consider themselves blessed by Ahk'ha'ma with their existence. The Arkendrosian Vampire requires blood as its sustenance and has abilities that can manifest in various ways.

The First Vampires:

The identities of most of the Greater Vampires are not known to most as they prefer secrecy.  Perhaps due to the First Vampire War and the near extermination of their race, most of the Greaters prefer to remain unknown.  Many others perished during the First Vampire War likely never to be recorded into written histories.  Of those that remain, few are known by name.

We know that King Lyrik is likely the very first of Vampires as his story has been told for millennia.  We know that the Master of the Order of Florence is a Greater himself as well as the Necromancer King of the Islands of the Mists.  We can also deduce that many if not all of the Council of the Gift are also Greater Vampires but as we do not know their identities we cannot confirm it.  It is commonly believed that many of the lands of the Alliance of the Holy Blood are indeed led by Greater Vampires or at least have one in a position of power.  In spite of this we also know that there are likely less than 30 in existence today in all of Arkendrose as King Lyrik has confirmed as much.

While few, the Greater Vampires, the original Patrons and Matrons of their Covens and later their great houses, are among the most powerful beings in existence. Their abilities are plentiful and varied depending on the Gifted they were born to.  Their offspring often take on similar traits though those who are gifted by the Greats are never as strong of body as their masters.  The Faith holds that all Vampires are the decedents of the original's who were given the Gift by Ahk'ha'ma their self before the time of recorded history with only limited exceptions.**

King Lyrik of Lorace, the First Vampire, has a unique attribute which has characterized him throughout the ages.  His long and often straight hair can change color on a whim.  While not a powerful trait, it speaks of the variety in which the Gift manifests.  One thing remains a constant in all of the Greater Vampires however, they are far stronger and faster than any normal Vampire.  They can withstand far more bodily damage and have many abilities in line with their Gifts and person that other "lesser" Vampires do not posses.

When Ahk'ha'ma promised the original receivers of the Gift that they would become Gods among men, they meant it; And Ahk'ha'ma made them so.  So fearful were the races of man of them that they launched a war of extermination of the Gift and they were nearly successful.  So pure was the hatred of man that most of the first Vampire Covens were eradicated during the First Vampire War.

The Vampire Houses:

After the First Vampire War, the surviving Vampire Covens retreated to lands where they were less hated. There, they slowly evolved leaving their old tribal ways behind.  One by one the Vampire Covens became noble houses in the respective lands they resided in.  After many generations the Vampire Houses split and began to branch out.  Their offspring either established themselves as lesser nobles or wandered Arkendrose in search of life's pleasures often indulging themselves to the point of excess.

**Some lines of Greater Vampires were able to extend their Gifts in full beyond that of themselves to their children.  It is important to note that children are not born to vampires in the traditional sense as is observed in the races of man but rather, the gift is passed on through the sharing of blood with another.  For centuries upon centuries it was generally believed that the Gift was not able to be fully shared until it happened in more recent history.

The Council of the Gift:

The Council of the Gift consider themselves as the foremost authority on the use and implementation of the Gift and they have existed in some form of fashion for thousands of years.  When young vampires left their respective houses, it has been the Council that watched their actions.  When vampires broke the Covenants of the Gift, the Council would act to harshly punish if not kill the offenders.  This allowed for the steady growth of the New Vampire Aristocracy over time as it protected the Vampire linage.

The Vampire:

The Vampires of Arkendrose, decedents of the original recipients of the Gift, often have enhanced speed, agility, strength, smell and night sight among other abilities.  However, the Vampires of Arkendrose require a steady source of fresh blood, be it from living or very freshly killed pray. The over indulgence of blood leads to sickness and even death so control is needed to survive.  The Vampire sleeps during the hours of the day and wakes with the setting of the Zunn for the Vampire is a night predator.

Vampires are often bound to their sires when made but not always.   In fact, near half of all vampires made are not bond to their creators.  For many Vampires, this is a great risk to undertake when attempting to expand one's house.  Many Vampires chose not to take the risk at all for fear of being overshadowed by their offspring.  Some of the more successful Houses have Masters who use diplomacy and other means to secure the loyalty and or submission of non-bound offspring and that of other Vampires.

As Vampires are predators of the night, they maintain close bonds with those of the race of man that are closest to them.  Most Vampire Lords and Ladies maintain a strong guard of non-Gifted soldiers and champions.  Some Vampires are able to create ghouls to maintain the security of loyalty of their guards but this practice is frowned upon by most of the New Aristocracy.   In fact, it is often considered weak to maintain ghouls as companions and guards.  The most serious of Vampire Houses either do not have ghouls at all or hide them well.

The Blood Dragon:

The origin of the Blood Dragon has been debated since before recorded history.  Was it created by the Son of Reena and Fonel during the First Creation or was it brought about sometime after by Ahk'ha'ma.  Either way, the Blood Dragon has been closely linked to the Order of the Holy Blood for centuries.  The Order tames and submits Blood Dragons using them as guards and weapons of war.

The Blood Realm Soldier:

Deep beyond the veil of the Loracen City of Baath, in the lands known simply as the Blood Realm, the Grand Blood Temple sits atop a mountain.  There, the Blood Realm Soldier was brought into existence at the behest of the Council of the Gift.  The Blood Realm soldiers, like ghouls, are sterile but unlike ghouls they have many of the same abilities and characteristics of Vampires.

The Blood Realm soldier was created from the union of Blood Dragon blood, Vampire blood and the bodies of the races of man.  Once created, the soldiers gain sharper reflexes far faster than Vampires would making them ideal soldiers to supplement the armies of the Alliance of the Holy Blood.

The Abominations:

In some cases, Vampires, and even some blasphemous Greater Vampires, have gone against the orders and laws set down by the Council of the Gift.  In doing so many abominations were created.  The Council of the Gift has worked diligently to remove these creatures from existence before they could become a threat to Vampire kind and the races of man.