The Court of the Vampire Lords

Structure

The Court of the Vampire lords is run by the three current Vampire Lords, Ezra Rousseau, Petra Rousseau, and Heskel Rousseau. These Vampire Lords began using the Orfeo Tree to turn other mortals to Vampires in the Longwy Foret. Ophelia Rousseau was a Vampire Lord who was able to break the bond of Orfeo with the help of Gamal Haroun.

Culture

The Vampire Lords are hated by the outside world, but mostly unknown. Besse has some familiarity with rumors and legends of Vampires and Werewolves but otherwise the vampires are generally unknown to the outside world. The Vampires practice a blind, unrelenting worship of Orfeo and using the rubies gained from the Orfeo Tree, continue to convert Vampires into their Court. The Court of the Vampire Lords practice feasts. A feast is when the vampires choose to consume mortal blood, a rare occasional done only in celebration or ceremony. Most mortals captured by the vampires are held prisoner until they can be converted.

Assets

The Court of the Vampire Lords has almost complete control of the Longwy Foret, with their central court tower being hosted in a large clearing at the heart of the forest. Currently the Vampire Lords are holding a shard of The Continuance Pendulum in the clearing that they are using to consume infinite mortal blood.

Mythology & Lore

"What do you really know about Ophelia? She sent you here. Do you know that she is a vampire? Or I guess I should say an ex-vampire. Do you even know the Vampire Lord's names? Do you know Ophelia's last name? I think it is foolish for you to insert yourself into a millennia old conflict." "Ezra Rousseau Petra Rousseau Heskel Rousseau and Ophelia Rousseau were the original vampire lords. It is said they made a deal with the dark god Orfeo in order to gain great powers. Forever bound to the powers of chaos their exchange for such great power was to live an eternal life drinking the blood of their enemies. A half life of self loathing and hate, endlessly seeking more of the chaotic power that first birthed them. Ophelia managed to release herself from the curse. We still don't know how she did it, but before that for hundreds of years her and her siblings reigned terror on us. I watched her rip my friends limb from limb and drink their blood with her twisted siblings countless times." You enter into a small clearing within the thick of the forest and to see a shimmer of red light, as your eyes adjust you see a beautiful, ancient tree. It's dark ashen wood trunk leads up to long flowing arms and branches that spread out over the clearing. Budding from the ends of the branches are what appear to be small red gemstones glowing with energy. As you walk under the tree it is a magic experience as the branches spanning out above you sparkle a glowing red illuminating the forest floor beneath you. Gevaudan reaches out to the trunk of the tree and places a hand on it. "This is Orfeo. Or at least, what is left of Orfeo. Orfeo left his mortal form many years ago. Perhaps a bit too ambitious in trying to create the equivalent of four lesser gods, his power waned and he manifested the last of his being in this tree. The vampires need the energy of Orfeo to create new vampires and hope to wake Orfeo from his slumber in order to create more vampire lords. Gods can take a dormant state when they expend too much divine energy. I know who you are. I know you have seen several gods in their dormant state, so this should not come as a surprise to you. Most of the chaos gods have been in their dormant state for hundreds of years but recently, they are returning from the Calamitous lands. I worry that with the shift that has happened, Orfeo will rise to his original form as well. I have been watching this tree for a thousand years. Every year, more crystals bloom. I sense that Orfeo is regaining his strength. The vampire attacks have only increased as of late as well." -Gevaudan showing The Adventurers The Orfeo Tree

Granted Divine Powers

Vampires can only be slain by their sacred dagger, forged from Iron pulled from the Calamitous Lands and a ruby from the Orfeo Tree.

Vampires forge this dagger when they decide to take the pact to Vampirism. They must be bit by another vampire and converted. After they are bit they have a 3 days where they will be dying. If they forge the dagger and plunge it into their own heart, they will become a vampire.

A vampire bite always imbues the fatal curse but they will not become a vampire unless they forge the dagger and destroy their heart.

Vampires have an aversion to daylight but it is not outright fatal.

Vampires can not be killed with a wooden steak, garlic has no effect.

Vampires are immortal.

Vampires can turn into mist and bat forms.

Vampires can move extremely quickly and gain other unnatural powers mostly oriented towards the warlock class.

Vampires can perform ritual magic and more powerful vampires can link their minds together.

Vampires worship a minor chaotic god named Orfeo.

There are very few other vampires in this world. The vampire was created in this region by Orfeo and Orfeo has not done much since, mostly lying around the border of Cote de Prue and Le Maruk Desmarais.

Founding Date

1900

Type

Secret, Occult

Leader

Ezra Rousseau

Deities