Chains of Retribution Vampires of Lutetia

Tiko

Draconic Administrator/Mentor
Administrator
Mentor
Nexus GM
Vampires

Order among vampire kind within Issunar is maintained through a monarchical rule of four elder vampire houses. The heads of these houses form a council, and each house maintains absolute authority within their domain on matters of policing and enforcing the laws of their society.

There exists one elder house for each of the four countries of Issunar, and existing within each of these territories are several lesser houses. The bloodlines of these houses vary as greatly as night and day, leaving each house with its own unique talents, characteristics, traits, and weaknesses. It is not uncommon for a house to maintain these weaknesses as carefully guarded secret.

Typically an elder house is headed by a single individual who delegates control of the towns and cities within his or her territory to trusted members of the house, or in many cases to lesser houses. The specific hierarchy and structure of each house varies from house to house.

Though each ruling house maintains their own laws within their individual territories, there are several laws that the council maintains over all of Issunar. These laws are typically regarding matters that directly impact the safety and continued existence of all vampire kind.

Among the foremost of these laws is that as long as a vampire remains within the territory of one of the elder houses, he or she is subject to the full authority of that house and its laws.

Furthermore, vampires entering the territory of any of these ruling houses are expected to present themselves to the house, both announcing their presence and purpose within the city or town as well as acknowledging the authority of the ruling house over the region. Failure to do so will typically be met with detainment and a forced audience that may or may not permit explanation for failing to comply with this Issunar tradition. Typically so long as a vampire announces his or her presence and abides by the laws of vampire society, travelers are free to come and go.

Another strongly held law is that the death of a vampire can only be ordered from within their own house, by the presiding Elder house, or individuals designated by the Elder houses. Vampires are also forbidden from betraying their own kind, be it directly or through providing compromising information to humans or other potential threats to vampire kind.

Matters of hunting and feeding must be performed discretely and not draw unwanted attention upon vampire kind. One should note that this law does not extend to protecting humans, so long as the death of a human doesn't draw the eye of authorities.

Lastly, a vampire is not permitted to create fledgling vampires within the territory of one of the elder houses without the consent of the house.

Summary of Issunar Vampire Laws:
  • While within the territory of another, a vampire is subject to the laws of the ruling house and none may challenge its rule.
  • When entering foreign territory, a vampire is required to present his or her self to the ruling house of the region.
  • Vampires are forbidden from killing others of their kind without the order of the ruling house of the region that they're currently residing within.
  • A vampire may not create fledgling vampires within the territory of another without the consent of the ruling house.
  • Matters of hunting and feeding must be performed discretely and not draw unwanted attention upon vampire kind.
  • Vampires are forbidden from betraying their own kind, be it directly or through the feeding of information to humans or other potential threats to vampire kind.

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The Elder Lutetian Vampire House

The Elder Lutetian House, House Sylvestre, prides itself on being the most refined and sophisticated of the four Elder houses. Their almost human-like physical characteristics, paired with strong mental manipulation and domination abilities have granted them one of the largest concentration of vampires within one location. Their ability to move unnoticed by humans, and to integrate themselves into human society gives them a level of influence within Lutetia that few other houses can boast. Their use of human thralls within local police agencies, hospitals, and news agencies only further enables their ease of movement. The risk of discovery further remains low with their capacity to simply remove memories from humans when required to maintain their secrecy. Humans in the service of House Sylvestre typically remain entirely unaware of their involvement, or of the vampiric nature of their house contacts.

Notably figures within the house consist of its head, Audric Sylvestre, and his two children, Sebastien and Adelaide Sylvestre.

Another practice, somewhat unique to all of the Lutetian houses - though most strongly enforced within House Sylvestre - is their penchant for building their houses around actual human blood lines. Generally all of the Lutetian houses maintain a foundation of human blood relatives. While non-relatives may be turned and brought into the family, they generally will not hold positions of influence or status within the hierarchy of Lutetian vampire politics. Another curiosity stemming from this practice is that unbeknownst to their human blood-relatives, they are afforded a measure of protection from the various houses through-out Lutetia so as to preserve the bloodlines in the event that culling is required to expand the vampire houses.

Their personal sense of sophistication extends well beyond just their blood-line practices though, and it is well known that politics and involvement in the affairs of Lutetian houses is something of a waltz. Knowing when to step and where, when to bow, when to be bold and when to be humble. Of all the Issunar houses, those of Lutetia are known most strongly for their sheer quantity of traditions and etiquette.
 
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