Kain's Empire

The Vampires of Nosgoth

Vampires have existed in Nosgoth for as long as anyone can remember, before the Humans came into being in fact - they are one of the two Ancient races of Nosgoth.  Over time, the Vampires began to prey upon the Humans, causing conflict between the two races since pre-recorded history.  Unfortunately, the Vampires were through the course of these years forced into seclusion, and watched as Humanity lived in peace and prosperity.  However, the numbers of the Vampires grew once more, and in response the Circle formed the Sarafan under the warrior priest Malek.  The purges continued, and persisted beyond the death of the Sarafan and the corruption of the Circle.  Upon the birth of Kain there were few Vampires left alive.  However, his choice at the Pillars allowed the race to not only live on, but under his command gain a measure of revenge.

Leading an army of Vampires Kain launched a campaign to secure Nosgoth.  He almost succeeded, until the Seraphan, an order formed in remembrance of the Sarafan, defeated him at Meridian and even struck him down.  However, life remained in the body of the self-proclaimed monarch of Nosgoth.  He was reborn two centuries later and exacted his bloody revenge, breaking the hold the Seraphan held.  With their leaders dead, and the order scattered at least momentarily, Kain set about creating a new generation of Vampires; to do this, he resurrected the corpses of six mortal Humans, who became his Vampyric sons...known to Nosgoth as the Lieutenants.

These Lieutenants were utterly loyal to their Master, and under his orders and supervision began to resurrect their own Vampyric underlings, who would become the first of the Vampire Clans.  Each Lieutenant had unto him one of these Clans to lead and control in the name of the now deified Kain.  Though suffering some of the same weaknesses and strengths - water burns like acid to a Vampire, and Fledglings are devastated by sunlight's touch, though the flesh begins to heal soon after it is cleaved - these Vampires were different to their ancestors of even a few centuries ago.  Not only as their physical appearance different, they also received two of Kain's most infamous traits - a contempt for Humanity and a lust for power...

Appearance
The Vampires of today are much different to their forebears and many of the old legends that speak of them.   The Humans consider the Vampires to have become more Demonic in their visage and are even more terrifying to behold - a true representation of the corruption within.  However, the Vampires themselves believe they have evolved, and have over the centuries become more... divine.  All Vampires belonging to the Clans (there are rumours Vampires exist out there that are from an earlier time) bear cloven hands and feet, with the same deadly claws at the end of each tip.  One common trait between past and present is that the Vampires retain the same ivory skin of their forebears (though some have a different tone and thus are looked upon with either suspicion or curiosity by their brethren). Their hair is predominantly black, with a few exceptions (Melchiah, a Clan lord, has white hair for example). Each Clan has different abilities, which are covered elsewhere.  The average Vampire stands at least six feet tall and at most (excluding Dumahim) seven feet. 

The State of Change
Vampires do not evolve gradually. Instead they experience phases of accelerated metamorphosis where their genetic code is altered or modified. Kain as the Lord of His kind enters the State of Change first and emerges with a new gift (for example, the cloven limbs was gained through the State of Change for all the Lieutenants), and some years after the Master the evolution of the Lieutenants would follow. This process continues on into each Clan, with the eldest generation of a Clan entering into the State of Change years after their respective Lieutenant, and from them down to the youngest of the vampires.

Stages of Vampirism
There are three stages of Vampirism that those of the Clans go through.  Each stage is different to another, and the older a Vampire gets the stronger he or she becomes - unlike a Human, where it is the other way around - though the younger Vampires still retain their own advantages.  Should a Human become a Vampire, they begin as a Fledgling and work their way up through the ranks, despite what age or status they may have had prior to receiving the Dark Gift.
Note: Some Clans are different, so unless noted in their description, they are subject to the following strengths and weaknesses.

Fledgling-
These are recently created or born Vampires. They are the youngest of the Clans, the runt of the litter (if one wishes to be derisive).  These Vampires, though lacking the strength and resistance to sunlight their elder brethren have, make up for this shortcoming by their enthusiasm and desire to prove their worth.  This desire makes them extremely brave, and without the arrogance that the elders usually have due to their enhanced abilities.  They are loyal and ask no questions, making them excellent rank and file troops.  Due to the relatively young age of all the Clans (having existed no more than four hundred years at most), the majority of the Clans are made up of Fledglings.  Recently turned Vampires from Human ranks will find no physical change during this stage.  Most Fledglings range from newborn/newly turned to one hundred and sixty years old.

Fullblood-
The middle-aged Vampires of the Clans, these Vampires range from one hundred and sixty to roughly three hundred years old.  Due to the militaristic nature of the Vampire Clans, who were created to fight in Kain's name, the Fullbloods have seen countless battles throughout their fledgling years and managed to survive them all.  At this stage in their lives, not only have they developed a resistance to sunlight (it merely weakens a Fullblood instead of burning their skin),  the unique abilities of their  respective Clans become more apparent and in some cases developed.  With their newfound strength, speed, and abilities however, comes a heightened arrogance - a trait all Vampires share (though the Dumahim take it to the extreme).  Though fully aware that a fellow Vampire could do them harm, possibly even fatally, they believe the Humans to be too weak and frail to harm them anymore...

Ancient-
The eldest - and hence not only wisest, but most powerful - of the Vampires in any given Clan (excluding the Lieutenants themselves), the Ancient Vampires have seen over three centuries on the forsaken world of Nosgoth to earn their status.  Their abilities in battle are unbelievable - very few can match an Ancient in a bout, with the exception of the Seraphan's Ruling Council members (their Human counterparts).  More resistant to sunlight than even the Fullbloods (though still weaker like their younger brethren), Ancients can often stride out in the daytime with little to fear.  As there are so few Ancients in existence at the moment in service to the Clans, they are the captains and commanders of the Clans' troops underneath the Lieutenants.  In some Clans they also form a ruling conclave of sorts, advising their Lieutenant on affairs of state and of the Clans status and situation, and advising on the best course of action in either war or economics when asked.  For any ordinary Human to face an Ancient is to court his own death...

Falling unto Darkness
It is possible for Humans to become Vampires, though the thought repulses most Humans. Being granted the curse is known as the Dark Gift, and is done only rarely as Vampires are loath to bring in weaker creatures into their species. Only those willing to serve Kain's Clans have even a remote chance of receiving this 'gift'.

The Clans

Click on a banner to view the history, information and kin of each Clan

Introduction
There are six Vampire Clans; one for each of Kain’s Lieutenants. Each Vampire in his or her Clan inherits the supernatural abilities of the Clan’s Progenitor, as the Clans were made from the same genetic structure as that of its Lord. Also, each Clan derives its name from its respective Lieutenant.  The exact number of Vampires serving in each clan is unknown. However, Kain's personal army, a combination of all six Clans, numbers at least twenty thousand Vampires. It is feared among the humans that for the first time in human history, there are more Vampires in existence than Humans...

Slaves to Darkness - the Familiars
Vampires are proud and headstrong creatures: as such, they are loath to allow 'weaker' creatures to receive their Dark Gift.  They for the most part view Humans as mere cattle - those the vampires do not kill, they enslave, forcing them to attend their every need. The only escape from this is death. However, the lure of immortality is apparently too much for some humans, who choose damnation over mortality. They have sold themselves to their sworn enemies, serving them and even fighting for their new masters in the hopes that they themselves will become Vampires - unaware that the Lieutenants have more often than not no intent on doing so and are merely using them as 'auxiliaries' as the Razielim call them or 'fodder' as they are known to the Turelim. They are referred to as Familiars, though the term 'fool' is often used by loyal humans to describe these. Few familiars ever become vampires, and to date there is no record of any human serving Kain's Lieutenants that have received the Gift of Unlife from their cruel masters...

The Lieutenants
This is the term used by all, human and vampire alike, to denote the Sons of Kain; Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah. They are each leader of a Clan, and are the generals of Kain's legions. Each displays a unique supernatural ability known as a Dark Gift, of which they pass on to a lesser extent to their Clans. For any ordinary mortal to challenge their might is foolish, and few have lived long enough to regret such a mistake...

Ranks and Duties
All Vampires in each Clan are more than capable for combat and battle, giving the Lieutenants a large reserve pool to call upon when necessary, but like most military infrastructures there are other duties to be carried out in each Clan. These are as follows:

Warrior-
These are the rank and file soldiers of each Clan. They make up the Clan's formal military and are the core of its legions. Each warrior is armed according to his or her Clan's combat doctrine. Their primary task is to defend their Clan holdings and that of Kain's empire and to aid in its expansion. Warriors are brash and brazen, and enjoy letting others know of their superiority in the field - especially those of the Dumahim.

Slavedriver-
These Vampires tend to be more heartless than their brethren. As their name suggests, they are the masters of the Human slaves, keeping them in line and ensuring they do as they have been instructed by their superiors. When a slave steps out of line, it is the duty of the Slavedriver to administer punishment - something they enjoy to do. Slavedrivers tend to be quite sadistic, especially the Turelim.

Engineer-
Though not necessarily high profile, these Vampires play an essential role in their Clans nonetheless, for without them to forge the weapons, armour and siege machines the warriors would not have the instruments they need to fulfill their duties. The engineers spend most of their time either in the forges of the Citadels creating the instruments of destruction for the warriors or utilizing these war machines in the field when called upon. The engineers of the Razielim are considered best of all the Clans.

Builder-
Though construction tasks are considered menial by many in the Clans, it is still a necessity. Though they all use slaves for this task among others, often there may not be enough slaves available for a particular task. Therefore, each Clan has a contingent of builders - mostly fledglings - to carry out these tasks. the Zephonim builders are exceptionally talented, as their reconstruction of the Silenced Cathedral has shown.