Vampires are a kind of Blooded. Uniquely, vampires are sentient and have their own civilization hidden behind the veil of mundane civilization. Their lineages are one such result of that culture.

The von Sabots

Before they were von Sabots they were known as Gregorii after their Ascendant, Gregor. This is still the name they are called by older vampires. Originally they were the public face of the Black Court in Westfal, before the rising power of The Heiress forced them to switch sides and join the Red Court in Nostrum.

Trusted by neither side and caught between these two factions, the von Sabots are considered a meagre, regional power in the world of vampiric courts.

Thralls

Once someone has been made a thrall to the von Sabots, even after the connection fades it never truly ends. Even if they hate their former master, they are psychologically unable to bring themselves to kill them.

Boon

They are best able to hide their true nature, eyes and fangs only emerging in times of heightened emotion or great hunger.

Bane

Their physical appearances and emotional makeup shifts to more closely resemble their Ascendant, Gregor. They are prone to violent outbursts and cruel streaks, especially when distressed.

Generations

8th

They are immune to effects that would affect their emotions or read their thoughts.

7th

After feeding on someone to the point of death, their Prowess increases by an amount equal to their victim’s Glimmer until sunrise.

6th

Their gaze becomes enchanting, and those who look into their eyes find them hard to disobey. If their combined Glimmer and Erudition is higher than their target, and eye contact is maintained, the von Sabot is able to issue them an order that cannot be disobeyed. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the vampire’s Erudition, or a number of seasons equal to their Erudition if cast on a vampire of higher generation.

5th

The vampire is able to forge an unbreakable pact through blood. They must mingle their blood with that of their target outside of each other’s bodies. Having done that, they must then speak the words of a contract or pact over the unstamped blood. Then, once the verbal contract is drafted up the blood must be stamped into a seal. If either party verges on breaking their agreement, they will feel their blood begin to heat up. If they violate the agreement, their blood will boil and burn within their own body, killing them quite messily. If the seal is broken, the magic is broken with it, and they will no longer be bound. This may be used on Soulless targets.

4th

Bloody Raiment. The vampire is able to draw in the blood of all the corpses in their vicinity. This blood coalesces around them as armor. This armor is in addition to their existing armor, with a value equal to the number of corpses they absorbed the blood of.

3rd

The Price of Glory. The vampire spills their own blood to activate this ability. As it spills, they sacrifice as much Glimmer as they wish. They choose one target that they can see, and that target takes an amount of Prowess damage equal to the vampire's sacrificed Glimmer. If the target had less Prowess than the vampire had sacrificed Glimmer, then death radiates outward from that point, until the cumulative Prowess damage equals the total Glimmer sacrificed by the vampire. Characters who have their Prowess reduced to -1 from this ability die.

2nd

They may choose to be possessed by Gregor’s Ghost. All of their stats and traits are replaced by Gregor’s, until Gregor decides he is done possessing them and they return to their normal selves.

The White Ones

Formed from members of an Empyrean political party, The White Ones are almost universally members of the Black Court. They are one of the original founders of that court, and retain high places therein.

Thralls

Their thralls are completely ignored by feral Blooded who are not being controlled by some outside force.

Boon

They no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe.

Bane

They cannot help but appear closer to the dead than the living. Skin loses its colour, eyes and cheeks become sunken, forms becoming more lithe and skeletal.

Generations

8th

They can sense feral Blooded. They know how many there are nearby and what direction they are in, out to a range of one hundred meters per Erudition.

7th

Their sense for feral Blooded extends to all undead, be that ghouls, ferals, other vampires, or more exotic entities. Anything whose biological life has been extended unnaturally or who exists in a state of suspended animation.

6th

They can control a number of feral Blooded equal to their Erudition. They are able to follow simple and complex commands, but will only accept orders from their direct master.

5th

They can create Fodder and Mimics from corpses of the dead. In the case of Mimics, they are able to shapeshift into others but the shapeshifting is uncanny and incomplete. Same with their ability to imitate their voices and personalities.

4th

They are able to directly take control over Feral Blooded, as well as create Ogres from three or more corpses of the dead. For every corpse above three, the ogre weighs one hundred more pounds, is half a foot taller, and has one additional point of Prowess.

3rd

They are able to simultaneously exist across as many Blooded as they have Erudition to control. This is not splitting their awareness between them as normal, each host is linked to all others and if one dies then the vampire is able to continue existing across all others without interruption.

2nd

They kill a number of their own Blooded creations, drawing their power into themselves. For each one killed in this way, necromantic power courses through them, changing their appearance in a thematically appropriate way. They gain a temporary boost to their Prowess equal to the Prowess of all the slain Blooded put together, though it cannot be higher than their total Glimmer. This form can be sustained for a number of rounds equal to their Erudition, and after the form is dismissed they are so exhausted they are incapacitated until they have rested one entire day.

The Descendants

It began as a cult in Suzer dominated by elven exiles. They worshipped a figure they knew as The Mother, and one day they received her. A Vampire Ascendant named Heceana, the only Maker to ever be infected by the Blooded curse. Things spiralled out of control from there.

In the modern day, they control Suzer, and Suzer is considered a neutral territory. Vampires from different courts who want a guarantee of safety seek the approval of The Descendants to host a meeting on their land, and to have their vampires act as mediators.

Thralls

Their thralls look like identical versions of the vampire who enthralled them, even their voice changing to match their master's.

Boon

They have an unnatural beauty and grace about them, their face will take on some elven features, and their voice changes to match their new appearance.

Bane

They have a second half that lives only in mirrors, a violent and monstrous alternative self. Sometimes it can be seen just in the mirrors of places they frequent, more often it is near any mirrors that they frequent.

Generations

9th

The Mirrored Self. They have an alter ego who lives only in mirrors. Talk with a DM about one to three interests their alter ego has. The character can perform these acts in front of their mirrored self in order to please it, and if so, they will find their mirrored self a reliable ally. If they ignore or try to suppress their mirrored self, they may find their alter ego directly trying to sabotage them or ignoring their wants. The mirrored self can only act on things reflected on their mirror’s surface, and while it can communicate with the vampire telepathically, it can only communicate with others through nonverbal means. The mirrored self is invulnerable, but can easily be defeated by covering or destroying the mirror so they have no potential targets reflected in the mirror.

8th

The Mother's Blessing. All other vampires are infertile. Descendants are able to reproduce with others, though their children are born as Descendants of one generation higher than their own.

7th

The mirrored self can interact with objects reflected in the mirror, manipulating them in the real world. Their motions are too light and ethereal to be able to harm others directly.

6th

The mirrored self can interact with people directly. Their actions are half as impactful as the true vampire’s, meaning they only deal half damage and are only half as strong as the vampire would be.

5th

The mirrored self becomes as strong as the vampire, able to fully fight the reflections of others as if they are the vampire.

4th

The vampire is able to step into and travel between mirrors. While in the mirror, their true self and the mirrored self are one. They can only travel to mirrors that they have spilled a drop of blood into (even if the blood has been cleaned off), and the mirror must be large enough that they can fit through it.

3rd

The mirrored self is able to cast spells through the mirror. If the mirror conjures something, it is conjured on the surface of the mirror.

2nd

The mirrored self can possess people it sees reflected in the mirror’s surface, if the vampire’s Erudition is higher than theirs. The vampire can control as many people in this way as it has Erudition.