The scoop on the Night Worlders . . . .
| Vampires | 07/30/01 |
| Witches | 07/30/01 |
| Shapeshifters | 07/30/01 |
| Old Souls | 07/30/01 |
(To read the story of how the first vampire came into being, as well as to pick up a few extras on vampires not mentioned in this section, read about the Witches.)
General Information:
Vampires, whether made or born, do not reincarnate - they just die. Also, vampires do not need to breath in the same sense as humans do. As we all know, humans take in oxygen through their lungs - vampires do not. Instead, they drink blood and in the process acquire human blood cells, which have oxygen in it.To put it in more detail:
When a vampire drinks blood, the two kinds of blood *Vampire and Human - or witch, shifter, whatever* react against each other. They fight. Vampire blood destroys the hemoglobin, which are the red cells in human blood. Once it annihilates enough of the red blood cells, one stops getting the necessary oxygen to think straight. When more are killed, on lacks the oxygen to live. Vampires can live on very little oxygen because their cells are so resilient. If they can't drink blood for an extended period of time *a few days*, it isn't like starving is to us.. it's suffocation. On average vampires need to feed once a day.They may eat regular food, however there is no nutritional value in it. Blood is everything for them, the more blood - the more power.
POWERS:
Vampires can hear and see better than humans, not to mention they are faster with better reflexes. They have more control over their bodies, can walk around in daylight {a vampire's powers are weaker during the day} and can heal from almost any kind of injury - unless it was made from wood. Wounds made from said material can take a good while to completely heal.All have some level of telepathy, most not having much more than the ability to communicate with someone in the same house, if that. Some are stronger, of course, and speak clearly to others over great distances. This particular 'power' allows vampires to influence and read minds. No vampire can read everyone's mind, and even the minds they can read aren't always clear. Many times it is a general feeling of what people are thinking. Also, there are minds that are capable of resisting a vampire's influences.
Theoretically it is possible for vampires to shapeshift, however this demands great power and it unlikely that such a powerful vampire exists anymore, since the death of Maya.
Lamia: -- (LAY-mee-uh)
Lamia is actually just an old word for vampires, coming from Latin which means either 'witch' or 'vampire', but in the Night World it applies only to vampires, more specifically only to those who are born that way. The Lamia can have children and they can age just like humans. Unlike humans they may stop aging whenever they like. However, should they choose to discontinue holding off the aging process all their past age catches up with them rapidly - which could be interesting with vampires who have a few centuries under their belt.Made:
These are vampires who started their lives out as humans but at some point were changed through the bite of another vampire. Unlike the Lamia, the Made stop aging when they are bitten and can not restart the process. People over 20 usually do not survive the change, their bodies just can't handle it and they die. Teenagers generally survive, though even a small percentage of them don't. This is why all Made are young in appearance.
Made Vampires also can not have children. And while they may walk around in daylight, newly made vampires are more sensitive to the light.Ghouls:
Ghouls are semi-vampires. They are the end product of what happens to humans who are bled out but didn't quite get enough vampire blood in exchange to become a true vampire. They are undead, but rotting. They have very little mind and only one idea in the world: to drink blood. This they do usually by eating as much of the human body as possible. They like hearts.
Since the beginning, as we know it, there have been those who weren't human. Shapeshifters and Witches were the first, Vampires to be added later as Maya decided. They may look like any human, but all have powers that humans do not. Witches are psychic, having the ability to call upon the elements and upon their ancestors for this power.
Hecate is the first witch we know of, being the Queen of the Witches. And it was she who organized the witches against the 'shifters. Getting them all to combine their energies and send all the dragons into a very deep slumber, buried in the deepest places of the earth. {Read about the Shapeshifters for the entire thing}
She had two daughters, Hellewise - who would go on to be the foremother of the most renowned witch family, and Maya - who would become the first and most powerful vampire. In those days they weren't called witches, instead one was referred to as a Hearth-Woman. {What did they call male witches? A Hearth-Man?}
Hellewise and Maya
Hellewise was said to be extremely beautiful, tall with long yellow hair. She was smart and strong, like a good leader must be. When Hecate died Hellewise became co-leader of the tribe, along with her sister, Maya. Maya was also beautiful, but in a very contrasting manner. She was tall, but with long black hair. And like Hellewise, she was strong and smart - but she didn't like having to share leadership with her sister. She wanted to rule alone, and she wanted something more. To live forever. But no ordinary spell would make her immortal. She tried all types of spells and things, and Hellewise even helped her. Finally they figured out what kind of spell would achieve Maya's goal, but Hellewise refused. She saw the price as being too great, too awful.Maya, however, did not. So she continued with the spell and stole the necessary ingredient: all four of the babies in the tribe - draining them completely of their blood. Thus did Maya achieve her immortality, not knowing until afterward of the price she'd continue to have to pay. Indeed, she'd live forever - but only if she drank the blood of a mortal creature every day. Otherwise, she'd die. {Guess maybe she should have avoided wood too...}
Due to her desire, Maya became the first vampire and all of her children were cursed to be vampires as well. All born vampires are descended from Maya. Maya had a son called Red Fern, from whom all the Redferns (the most famous and powerful lamia family) are descended. But not only did she have a child, she also bit people. Maya wanted to make everybody like her. She started biting people in the tribe, and eventually Hellewise decided it had to stop. More importantly, that she'd have to be the one to stop it.
Hellewise's tribe wanted to fight with Maya and the other vampires, but Hellewise knew that if they did that they'd probably all get killed, everyone on both sides. She couldn't allow that to happen, she loved her people dearly. So she challenged Maya alone to a duel - single combat.
Hellewise didn't want to fight, of course, but she had to. She was scared because as a vampire Maya was much stronger than she'd been before. But she didn't give into her fear. She stood alone in the dark forest set to be the battle ground and waited for Maya, with the knowledge that even if she did win the fight she'd probably die - but along with everything else Hellewise was brave. Brave enough to continue standing there until her sister came.
When Maya arrived a terrible fight ensued, but Hellewise did win, and she did drive Maya and the rest of the vampires away. The tribe was left in peace, left with the last gift and sacrifice Hellewise could give them - her life. She died of wounds inflicted by her sister.
In General:
In witch families the women are in charge and names are passed from mother to daughter, unlike in vampire families where they are passed from father to son. The Harmans are the most famous and are like the royal family of the witches, being direct descendants of Hellewise.Hunter Redfern had a real blood feud going with them back in the 1600's. But then he couldn't have kids and needed a witch to help or the whole Redfern family would end with him. So Hunter had to apologize and do a kinship ceremony with them. All Harmans are part vampire, thanks to the joining of Hunter Redfern and Maeve Harman in 1600. This bonding was made necessary by the lack of witch males. Maeve Harman was forced to join with the vampire leader Hunter Redfern to keep the Harman line going. Their daughter was called Roseclear. All the Harmans of today are descended from her.
Witches, unless they are lost witches, must choose their specialty once they reach the age of 18. Herbs, stones, amulets, jewelry and chanting are among the things they may choose. Animals, for the most part, do not have a place in witch life, at least not since the Burning Times when witch familiars had been outlawed. Witches can use parts of animals of course.
How strong a witch is depends on the level of psychic power they have. This is why Humans, Shapeshifters and Werewolves can't do beyond the smallest things, if that, where witchcraft is concerned. Based on theory, vampires therefore can do some amount of witchcraft. Only certain ones though. Not many Vampires have the power to do anything of significance. Which is why one doesn't hear of Vampires practicing the craft, it doesn't happen enough. Maya being the only one ever known to. Witches can not telepathically speak to any one or each other.
Lost Witches:
Lost witches are simply witches who do no know about their heritage. They live among humans without ever suspecting they are witches, mostly. Since witches are not technically witches unless they know of their heritage, these lost witches are usually called Psychics. Those who are not psychic enough never find the Night World.
It all started back in the days when humans were still living in caves. The shapeshifters ruled then, and they were brutal. In some places they were just the totem spirits who demanded human sacrifice, but in others.. they were more. They treated humans exactly the way humans treat cattle, holding them in breeding pens and breeding them for their hearts and livers. The more human flesh they ate, the stronger they got.They were stronger than anyone. Humans were nothing more than flies to them. The witches were more of a problem but the dragons could handle them. There weren't any vampires yet, not until Maya decided and achieved her goal. Dragons were naturally immortal {implying that the rest of the shifters must not be} and they were the undisputed rulers of the planet. They had no pity for anyone else, either.
There was a gathering of the witches, organized by Hecate Witch-Queen. She got all the witches together and they went after the shapeshifters. There was a big fight, a really big fight. The dragons set the world on fire - geological records show that volcanoes all over the world erupted around then. The dragons did that. Nobody knows how; the magic's lost. But they figured that if they couldn't have the world then nobody else would either. They tried to destroy the world and the rest of the shifters helped.
It almost worked, but the gathering of witches managed to win, and they buried all the dragons alive - putting them to sleep and burying them in the deepest places of the earth. They left the dragon princess alive - she was only three or four years old. They let her grow up, under their guidance. {So where is she? hmm...} But the world was a scorched and barren place for a long time. The shapeshifters have always been the lowest of all the Night People. Most Night People consider them second-class citizens. They try to keep them down. Some believe this is because, underneath, the rest of the Night People are still afraid of them.
Until Iliana Harman became blood sisters with Keller, there had never been an alliance between the shapeshifters and the witches.
No shapeshifter is telepathic, and only the Children of the First House can telepathically communicate with other shifters. This is because they can connect to any animal's mind and all shifters are basically animals. {Animals who can look like people.} Not even the Children of the First House may telepathically communicate with other People. This means a shifter would have about as much power as far as witchcraft goes, as a human, which is to say not much. This doesn't apply to dragons, who have a magic of their own.
Shapeshifters have the best sense of smell over all the other Night World races. In addition, they don't only use this sense to track down their prey, they can also feel the life force of people.
Werewolves:
They aren't people who sometimes turn into wolves, they're wolves who sometimes look like people. Werewolves are rash and very instinctive, acting without thinking - this doesn't reflect well on their iq and people's opinions of it. Unlike vampires, they can't drink just a little blood from a person, they kill every time they hunt because they have to eat. Sometimes they eat the entire animal, but they always eat the internal organs. They have to do it just like vampires have to drink blood. This is why it is illegal for werewolves to hunt humans freely and why it is perfectly legal for vampires to. A vampire can hide their marks by slashing the throat, there isn't any way to hide a 'wolf kill. Traditionally vampires and werewolves hate each other, and the Lamia think of 'wolves as a sort of second-class. {Lower than most shifters, I guess.}The First House:
Descended from the weakest of the dragons, the dragon princess, the members of the First House have the power of the dragons, only in a diluted form. Children of the First House are not born connected to any particular animal like all other shifters are. Rather they have power over all the animals and are allowed to choose what animal form they shift into. {Generally when they become adults.} They can only choose the first time, however, after that they are stuck with that shape and can only shift into it. They can also connect to any animals mind.Dragons:
Dragons are the oldest and most powerful of the shapeshifters.. and the most evil. Naturally immortal, they once ruled the shapeshifters and thus the world. After the battle with the witches they were all put to sleep and buried in the deepest parts of the world. The dragon princess was left alive and was raised by the witches. {So, dragons aren't naturally evil then? I mean, if one could be raised and be alright... *Nice dragon.... *}A dragon has only to touch an animal and it is able to assume that animal's form, know all that animal knows, and do all that animal can do. There is no limit on the number of shapes it can master and it is because of this they are the only true Shapeshifters and the only ones worthy of the name. Though they can change shape over and over, without limits, they may always be known by their horns. A dragon's horns are the seat of it's power and most have between three and four. {Who cares, a little blue fire and good-bye dragon - hello crispy citter.}
Old Souls are humans who, after they die, keep coming back. But even rarer then Old Souls are wakened Old Souls - those who remember their past lives.
"There is a magic that brings some humans back again and again, reincarnating them in new bodies. Letting them remember all their past lifetimes, making them smarter and more clear headed every time they were born."
-- Huntress, pg. 34But even Old Souls, if turned into a vampire, do not come back. It is thought that this is because they loose their soul upon becoming a vampire. Another theory is that becoming a vampire is so traumatic for the soul that it takes a very long time to heal - which any soul must do before being reborn into a new body.