Lorekeeper: Erys
¶ Summary
The backwater Low Medieval world of Bludmond has existed under the tyranny of its blood-red moon for over a thousand years. The moon, Karmesinrot, orbits so low around its parent world that it is within the atmosphere, allowing hearty flying creatures to pass back and forth. Unfortunately for the scattered mortal settlements on the surface, "hearty flying creatures" meant the vampire warlords who live on the moon, who quickly developed a decadent culture based around pillaging the surface world. Under this oppression, the world's peaceful, developed civilization collapsed and has been torn into small isolated communities divided by rugged mountains and vast forests, effectively being farmed by the fanged tyrants above. The conquest of Bludmond and Karmesinrot by the Heralds of the Glorious Dawn five years ago brought the reign of the vampires to a sudden end. Now, residents of Bludmond no longer fear the night sky, but warily watch the fiery lash of the Glorious Dawn's inquisitors.
¶ History
Much of Bludmond's ancient history has been lost to the ravages of moon vampire predation. Ruins of ancient cities dot the land with towers that, even in their crumbling state, are far grander than anything that could be raised today. Over a thousand years ago, vampires arrived on Bludmond's low-hanging moon Karmesinrot from an unknown origin and quickly brought this civilization to ruin. Undead terrors streamed through the thin atmosphere bridging the world and its moon, turning the cities into hunting grounds that remain abbatoirs of death and feral monsters to this day.
The survivors of the vampiric apocalypse scattered into the alpine forests that make up a majority of Bludmond's surface. Whatever harmony once existed between the various sapient species collapsed as fear and suspicion took over.
¶ Xenophobia and the Religions of Light and Night
The majority of Bludmond's population is human, and like caged animals, they are deeply fearful and suspicious of threats all around them. In particular, they harbor deep xenophobia towards the world's small elven and firbolg population, whose migrant forest communities tend to be subjected to far less vampiric predation than human settlements.
The human's response to living as prey has led to the rise of two competing religions: the Lady of Light, and the Cult of Night. The Lady of Light is the state religion in most communities and preaches that Bludmond once had a second star whose light made vampiric "life" impossible, but that she left due to human iniquity, in particular their comingling with elves and dabbling in magic. Worshippers hope that by purging themselves of these evils, the second star will return and destroy the vampire threat.
By contrast, the Cult of Night venerates the vampires and preaches mortal subservience to them. Those who serve the masters well will be rewarded by being converted to a dhampir, or half-vampire, gifting them extended life and magical powers. Officially illegal almost everywhere, most communities will burn adherents of the cult upon discovery, but the safety and gifts it promises leads to secret cells existing in most settlements. The cult's shadowy secrecy and involvement in magical practices also leads many Light-worshippers to associate it with elves, although there is little evidence to support this accusation.
¶ Invasion
5 years ago, the Heralds of the Glorious Dawn arrived at Bludmond with their crusader fleet. The world itself offered no resistance to the holy army, and indeed the conqueror's affiliation with flame and light led many humans to proclaim that the Lady of Light had finally returned and to welcome the Glorious Dawn with open arms. The lunar vampires, by contrast, fought savagely until their orbital dark paradise was burned to ash. What vampires remain are scattered and in hiding amongst their former foodstuffs, and the inquisitors who hunt them enjoy widespread support.
While the Glorious Dawn may have been welcomed as liberators, it is not a merciful religion by any means, and some are beginning to chafe against its strictures. In an ironic twist, the Cult of Night has turned into something of a resistance movement, albeit one that few are certain they would want to see triumph.
¶ Vampires and Dhampir of Bludmond
The Stellavanyia crystal sphere in which Bludmond resides has evolved a unique form of vampiric unlife. There is the true vampire, which resembles the vampires found elsewhere in most ways. The lesser vampire, or dhampir, is created from a formerly-living being by the true vampire. This ritual involves the to-be dhampir ingesting vampiric blood while still alive, then being drained and killed by a vampire. Twelve hours later, they awaken as a dhampir.
Bludmond dhampir would be considered undead by most mortal observers; they do not age naturally and no longer breath. Dhampir do not need to consume the blood of the living to survive, but it is a potent stimulant and aphrodesiac for them and most find their natural hunger for it driven further by addictive cravings. They can consume small amounts of regular food and drink, which provides them basic sustenance in place of blood. They don't possess the significantly enhanced speed and strength of a true vampire, but they tend to inherit small traces of magic ability from their progenitors. Bludmond dhampir cannot have children without potent magical means. A dhampir can be quickened into a true vampire by draining the blood of their creator; this leaves said creator in a dormant and vulnerable state until a significnt quantity of fresh blood is replenished to them, and is thus a gift bestowed only on their most trusted and beloved offspring.
Bludmond's true vampires are extremely territorial in nature and struggle to cooperate with each other for long. Generally, a single vampire is the head of a household, and maintains a court of dhampirs they have created, along with other undead creations serving as beasts of war, and mortal slaves. Vampire households are warrens of decadence, violence, and debauchery where the undead masters amuse themselves in between raids on the surface of Bludmond itself.