The Bloodkeeper-Human War

We Both Bleed Red....

The Beginning

He Said she Said

Both sides of the Bloodkeeper-Human conflict blame the other for the incident resulting in the deaths of a human child and a bloodkeeper child. It is hard to get straight facts from either parties, due to the amount of time that has passed, bigotry on either side, and the fact that bloodkeepers have since been hunted down for their involvement in the war.
The historical entries about the war simplify it as much as possible, and depending on who the book was written by, either vilify the humans, or bloodkeepers. However more often than not, the bloodkeepers are the ones suffering the negative stigma of written literature about the event.

"[...] Bloodkeepers are known as the instigators of the war, with the slaughtering of a young human child. Humans were well within their own land, and were attacked without provocation. [...] Their taste for blood knew no bounds during the three year bloodbath that was the Human-Bloodkeeper war.

— A section of a human novel discussing the war.

"[...] Humans often state that the death of a human child was the cause of the war. In truth, a bloodkeeper child, unused to territory lines, had come close to a human child[...] Adults called him a demon and slaughtered him. [...] What we did was for justice. The humans chose to be full of bloodlust instead of understanding."

— Bloodkeeper tome, discussing the start of the war.

Regardless of who started the conflict, there is one thing that is known for sure: bloodkeepers appeared to crave human blood. Having previously only consumed small amounts of blood from their kills and used it in rituals, instead they now appeared to relish in the blood being spilled. Bloodkeepers begin to attack and hunt humans eagerly. Their cultural and ritualistic drinking of blood has seemed to spiral out of control at the taste of human blood.
While bloodkeepers flourish in the initial blood bath, humans lose steam. Their attempts at fighting back were sloppy due to panic. A plan was then made. If the bloodkeepers woudn't stop and realize their mistake, then there was only one thing to do. Exterminate them. Young and old, it didn't matter. They were beasts, pests, and would be treated as such.

Stalemate

Neither group back down from each others' throats, and the fighting begins to stall out. Deaths on either side are rampant, but the humans have a plan to finally end the menace that is the bloodkeeper population.
If they can't fight the fast healing, feral creatures...Well they would just have to starve them out, ruin their homes.

A Shift in Power

"We were herded like animals," A slightly-grey furred bloodkeeper mumbled, her hazel eyes distant as she speaks into the small recorder. "I remember. Forests burned...Homes set ablaze. Our food supplies poisoned." Her ears flicked back, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Her hand raises up to her face, heavy scarring along her nose and left cheek where she has no fur. "If you didn't relent, you were slaughtered...If you managed to get out, you were lucky." The bloodkeeper scoffs, thinking of something. "Well. Maybe not lucky...I'm done for now. You can come back another time."

— Audio of an elder bloodkeeper recorded for a school project

There are plenty of rumors surrounding the even that caused the war to end. It is full of mystery-- some say that the bloodkeepers' will simply shattered at all the lost, that humans pushed them to their breaking point and were just better than them.
Others claim that their leaders, their Esteemed Ones were meeting to discuss battle plans, and that they disappeared--never seen again. It had tribes pulling back, leading to the loss of the war on the bloodkeeper side.

The Conflict

Outcome

• Bloodkeepers pushed farther into forests, away from human settlements
• Bloodkeepers become wary of any human interaction
• Both species recover slowly from heavy loss of numbers

Aftermath

• Bloodkeepers considered a national risk to humans
• Bloodkeeper population dips as humans aim to hunt them down and remove them from Juptmou entirely
• Human on bloodkeeper violence rises
• Bloodkeepers denounce Devishtari and begin to worship Silence
• Humans push for bloodkeepers to be sectioned off in a single part of Juptmou forest
• Other humans push for preservation due to humans' near extinction of Juptmou's forest bloodkeepers

Included Conflicts

• The Demon Revolt

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Ending Date

200~ Before Present Day

Conflict Result

Heavy casualties for both sides; Humans eventually 'prevail'.

Belligerents

Bloodkeepers

Humans

Strength

~1500 Beings

~2000 Beings

Casualties

~500 Beings

~800 Beings

Objectives

• Survival
• Hold Territory
• Avenge "Unjust" Death

• Avenge "Unjust" Death
• Eradicate Bloodkeepers

Further Reading