Vampire Society, Part 1
Lineages, Affiliations, and Circles - Lore Breakdown
In many Vampire Stories, Vampires are social or even political creatures.
In Nightborn, Vampires organize themselves into groups for both categorization and relationship purposes.
What is a Nightborn?
Nightborn is term Vampires use to refer to themselves. Some see "Vampire" as a term used by Mortal Humans to refer to their kind, though many modern Nightborn embrace the term Vampire, with its relatively recent (for an immortal) conceptual romanization.
That is not to say all creatures which a Mortal might call a Vampire is considered Nightborn. The word Nightborn is in reference to a Vampire indoctrinated to a Lineage by their Maker, the Vampire that made them.
Nightborn blood is born of dark magics and the turning of a new Vampire is a ritual which results in a compulsory Pupil/Mentor bond. For this reason, it is custom for a Nightborn to refer to their Maker as Mentor and the Maker to refer to their Spawn as Pupil.
What is a Lineage?
That's a secret. No really, the Lineages all guard their origins with tight lips and ferocious denial.
What is taught to fresh Nightborn, is that their Lineage akin to a Family or Line of Succession where Mentors train their Pupils. Mentors are responsible for their Pupils and Pupils are beholden to their Mentors. By extension, all within a Lineage have some minor semblance of responsibility over each other.
You might ask what enforces these customs and this sense of responsibility. There is magic in the blood and Spawn feels the pull of their Maker. It is this psychic connection that grows into a compulsion to obey, serve, and give everything to your Lineage. Of course, Nightborn may attempt to resist this urge, but doing so would result in cutting ties with the only kin have in a dangerous world which sees you as a monster.
Serving in a Lineage has its perks. Each Lineage has an Inheritance, a suite of Dark Powers handed down and taught through the Blood of their Makers. While Inheritances are unnervingly powerful, they come with trade-offs are Nightborn advance. These Powers are discussed in the Vampire Powers announcement in other sections.
There are Ten Lineages with certain Reputations, as follows:
Lamia - Sly and Cunning Faustian Dealmakers
Strix - Otherworldly Doomsayers and Sages
Marra - Morbid Deathdealers and Ritualists
Bruxo - Mystical Cultists and Revelers
Draugr - Grim Wardens and Warriors
Barabbas - Mysterious Troublemakers and Revolutionaries
Orlok - Ruthless yet Pragmatic Cartel
Carmilla - Artful and Spacy Dilettantes
Dracul - Controlling Bureaucrats and Soldiers
Ruthven - Romantic yet Tragic Idealists
[...]
