The Midnight Society

[TheCaptain 639]

Preface:

This is a culture post yes, however due to the secrecy behind vampirism, the knowledge here is not known inherently and must be learnt through RP. 

 

 

"The blood is the life, and it shall flow eternal."

-Vukosav Radomavic, The Father

 

 

 

 

The midnight society is the aristocracy of the Vampiric world, not beholden to one central group but instead serves as courts that serve beneath the gaze of the elders. Though each court is unique in their own way, dependant on their sovereigns’ ideals, the general makeup of a court is aristocratic in their nature, that being a hierarchical structure going from elders to the bottom, which is cattle. Due to the midnight societies aristocratic nature, and their indulgence of blood, the courts are most sanguine and wrought with sin, from top to bottom for their people believe in the ideal that they are the top of the food chain, the heralds of a crimson age and by extent, lords of the night and no longer its mere children. Where descendants rule the day, the society rules the night and in turn, they are upholden to the precepts of the society and the rules of the eternal masquerade.
 

 

It is highly regarded that the aristocracy are different, fundamentally another species and no more is it evident in those they View as cattle. In this sense, mortals are akin to beasts. Cow, Horse, Chicken or Pig, meant to be fattened up, harvested, worked and made useful. Cattle may arise through their meagre stature and evolve by simply accepting the Vampiric blessing should they prove worthy of such. Until then, they are hunted and slaughtered, those who have been corralled and been made subservient, may be marked with a signet to signify they are not to be fed from. To feed from a Vampire's cattle without their consent is considered a crime and will be punished. This branding may be done akin to how a farmer marks their cattle, burning or scarring such on the cattles flesh, but other methods employed, specifically to those they wish to uplift, may be given rings and necklaces containing their masters signet. Both thinbloods and the aristocracy may gather and mark their cattle. Those they wish to uplift or protect, are considered to be protected, and while they may not garner the same amount of respect as a thinblood, but a modicum of respect is given, either as allies or simply friends of the court.

 

Considered to be akin to the commoners and peasants of Vampiric society, thinbloods are those who have yet to ascend and are treated as both commoners and lesser kin. Be they a lowly sibling or child who has yet to learn their footsteps in the world, to a rat which many do not care for, to be considered Thinblood is to be considered of low stature, however it is not to say they are to be disrespected, for in the end they are family, for they share the Vampiric blood in their Veins are are meant to be looked after. Though some perform deeds within a court and may be considered important, their stature cannot change until they are ascended. It is how a Valiant peasant may become a knight and then a general, they may command vast swaths of soldiers but are not considered noble until an elder allows them to ascend. In this time, the Thinblooded are subservient to the calls of the blood tax and are recommended to bear their masters signet, to show they are subservient unto their lord to others of the aristocracy. Those without a signet, be such a ring or a necklace, are considered to be unclaimed and without a just path in their life, might be led astray, as such, the aristocrats are encouraged to engage with them and bring those under their wing. 

 

The Vampiric high born are those of the thinbloods that have arisen unto a higher standing. The lords and ladies of their court, here they are permitted to do as they wish, unless an elder commands them to do otherwise. They may undertake a series of roles and may start to gather the thinblooded to serve them. As such they may lead lavish parties and feasts, masquerade balls that end in spilled blood or even evening parties that begin in such. They may devote their life to the study of the occult, the sanguine and whatever have you for in the end, they are just that, the aristocracy. They are permitted to do whatever they wish within a court as long as it does not break their precepts which is a baseline of the society. Think of this as a time where they may make a name for themselves, so that when the day comes that they may take up the mantle of sovereign, they are not a nobody without an identity.

 

When a Vampiric aristocrat reaches a certain level of maturity, their blood allows them to sire more of their kind, to extend their hand unto those who wish to join the aristocracy of the midnight society. When such happens, they are allowed to exit their current court, if the elder approves of such, and take on the mantle of Sovereign. A leader of their own court, by extension they are not leaving the society but instead expanding it, however, this is not always the case, for if they do not wish to leave their current sovereigns court, they may reside below them or next to them, as a second in charge or simply, a prince assisting their beloved sovereign.

 

The duties of the sovereign is unto only their court, and those directly beneath them, though conflicts may arise between courts, they must seek out their elder to in turn mediate the conflict, for the courts are not animals, but instead a collective society meant to assist one another. A court typically specializes in one section, where one court is meant to lead the sanguine rites, another may be more brutal, allowing those who wish to join a court, to have more of a guided path.

 

Elders are the Vampiric who have sired the sovereigns and are considered the most aged and wisest of the court. They in turn have devolved from who they are and in turn, prefer isolation with the exception of the aristocratic. Rarely if ever showing face to the gatherings of the courts and only appear to lead or guide the sovereigns. It is by definition a lonely role but alas, one that is needed, for they are the judge, jury and executioner of issues between courts. They are the ones that must make sure the precepts are beholden to and are the ones that must in the end decide what is best for the society. In turn, the Elders are typically not beneath one court and do not have a court of their own, instead they rely on their sovereigns to assist them in such matters, whether it be the borrowing of a member to meet with a different faction or even calling unto one court to assist them in a ritual.
 

It is a widely held belief that without laws, damnation will follow and as such, the precepts were made to ensure the denizens of the court do not go astray, and in turn allow the society to run amuck.

 

❖  Heed the words of those above your station.   ❖  Vampiric life is sacred,        ☥  Resurrect the fallen.       ☥  Protect your kindred.       ☥  Do not kill another.       ☥  Monomachy is forbidden   ❖  Understand that cattle are cattle, uplift          only the worthy and feed on the rest for their dominion is our birthright.   ❖  Fulfill the duties befitting of your rank   ❖  Do not break the masquerade   ❖  Heed the call of the Blood Tax   ❖  Do not squander eternity, live unto the fullest

 

 

The Vampiric society runs on a delicate balance, new Vampires may be made, new courts may be created, but to ensure stability across the bloodlines, they are all subservient unto their court and their elder. Where only family in turn allows them to stand tall and flourish. However stepping out of line rarely results in banishment and rather time based sentences which are to be overseen by either the sovereign or the elder.

 

For each breaking of a precept, evidence of such may be given unto who is concerns, inside a court a sovereign reigns supreme and is expected to meet the law accordingly and with their own level of cruelty, however if the offenses branch off from a court and intermingle with another, an elder must step in to take swift action. These punishments may go from the usage of Aurum stakes and driving such into the hands of those who steal cattle, unto the public announcement of the Vampire and being swiftly banished until a time where others may forget their name and they have learned from their actions, or in Very extreme cases, setting them ablaze and rendering them unto ash for a certain period of time, usually undertaken in years.

 

 

When the blood tax is called, those beneath their station are expected to answer. A cattle may willingly present themselves for a chance of being embraced and rising the ranks, a thinblood may in turn assist their master by offering either their own blood or by pillaging a city to gather supplies for them. Though the blood tax may be called by any who stand above their station, for example an elder may lay claim the blood tax on a city, similarly a sovereign, aristocrat or even a thinblood may do the same, the difference is who is expected to answer the call. When those above your station calls for the blood tax, you are expected to answer the call and provide blood unto them, in this sense the hierarchy is put into place where an elder expects all the courts to answer, a sovereign expects their own court to answer and an aristocrat may expect the thinbloods beneath them to answer their call.

 

 

A concept which can only be described as ensuring that the Vampiric secrets do not leak out into the public. By which it is meant the names, abilities or even actions of the Midnight Society are kept secret. When a blood tax is called, assume the Vampiric guise, assume a different name and act out your darkest desires for if you are found out, it may remain so eternally. We only have two faces. Use it wisely. 

 

 

While we may reign as the eternal lords and ladies of the night, we must remember our roots, for our ascension was not given to us but marked by a thousand years of bloodshed. From start to finish, our blood holds stories that may never be sung and as such, it is our duty to make note of these stories, from the profane, which might be rendered warnings unto the uplifting tales of those who came before, to serve as inspiration. We must remember their names and their deeds, for the day when such is forgotten, is the day an eternal experience a true death.

 

 

 

[wowj 9755]

A Thinblooded Ruskan dog by the name of Fyodor seethed as he were called a Thinblood.

[Echo_42069 386]

Love this, really awesome post!