Sanguine Bonds [Vampire/Historical/Drama/Fantasy]

I would discourage people from playing creatures other than vampires. The reason is that special snowflakes are, by their very nature, outsiders. RP with them is usually forced, stilted, and leaves the players frustrated.

I'd much rather play with characters that already have established common interests and alligences. It allows for us to delve straight into RP without forty posts of standing around and posturing while our characters mistrust each other.
 
Well if there is unusual activity happening that is disturbing the vampires than it might make sense to include other races. Perhaps it was a coven of witches that might have kidnapped the Grand Sire over some claim of sacred land the vampires possess?
Yes, which is why I was thinking that the other races are largely NPCs, but that can change. I do like to avoid villainizing a particular race or practice (witchcraft), but there can be an outlier. I think the idea of having a dispute over sacred land may work. I am open to other suggestions as well, but that might be a nice foundation.

That said, I think I would be okay with people playing up to two characters-- which might enable people to take the roles of those opposing the vampires.

I was also toying with the idea of the church hiring hunters of some kind to investigate and attempt to exterminate supernatural beings.
 
At least to start, I would personally prefer our focus be on the vampire family. Once we've established our characters, the setting, and have a good flow going, I can see splitting off and introducing second characters of opposing factions/species.

Since the Grand Sire is missing, @La Reina's idea could work. Granted, it might be they've disappeared because they're tired of everyone's shit and took off for a vacation without the family. ;)

Later on, we could throw something like a werewolf or some other noisy critter in to have the family scrambling to contain things before the city catches wind of it. On that note, I also imagine there are personalities within the family who don't appreciate all the effort they have to go to in order to stay under wraps (and hey, mommy/daddy ain't home, let's party!), so that could be a fun conflict to play out.
 
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... So many posts. *is too lazy to read them all lol* I'll read them when I can, but I enjoy Reina's idea, as well as the basic plot idea. I also think that it wouldn't be a problem to have people play other races. Why have a group of vampires trust each other and be civil when you could create drama by having werewolves be a part of the equation (as an example, not a suggestion) and they not trusting the vampires?

There's also always room for things like peacemaking and coming to decision, establishing treaties beforehand, or having a general toleration towards each other instead of outright having the "i'm gonna murder you" mentality. This would cut down on the whole "rp is forced with them, etc." and still have characters with established allegiances/common interests in general because if a vampire can distrust other vampires for some reason character wise, it wouldn't be fair to those wanting to play other races to just have vampires as the main thing.

@DinoFeather
 
I actually really love the vampire hunter idea for later on. I also would rather focus on the vampires, mostly just because it seems like the original idea was focused on the vampire family rather than any others. Though NPCs would work.
 
At least to start, I would personally prefer our focus be on the vampire family. Once we've established our characters, the setting, and have a good flow going, I can see splitting off and introducing second characters of opposing factions/species.

Since the Grand Sire is missing, @La Reina's idea could work. Granted, it might be they've disappeared because they're tired of everyone's shit and took off for a vacation without the family. ;)

Later on, we could throw something like a werewolf or some other noisy critter in to have the family scrambling to contain things before the city catches wind of it. On that note, I also imagine there are personalities within the family who don't appreciate all the effort they have to go to in order to stay under wraps (and hey, mommy/daddy ain't home, let's party!), so that could be a fun conflict to play out.
That was my original plan, actually. Focus on the family, then slowly introduce other characters. That's partially why I'm considering allowing people to make two characters. One to contribute to the family drama, and one for later on if they really want to play another race. And yes, I'm counting on clashing personalities to cause some conflict. It might start out disguised, but with tension and stress I imagine it will surface fairly quickly.
... So many posts. *is too lazy to read them all lol* I'll read them when I can, but I enjoy Reina's idea, as well as the basic plot idea. I also think that it wouldn't be a problem to have people play other races. Why have a group of vampires trust each other and be civil when you could create drama by having werewolves be a part of the equation (as an example, not a suggestion) and they not trusting the vampires?

There's also always room for things like peacemaking and coming to decision, establishing treaties beforehand, or having a general toleration towards each other instead of outright having the "i'm gonna murder you" mentality. This would cut down on the whole "rp is forced with them, etc." and still have characters with established allegiances/common interests in general because if a vampire can distrust other vampires for some reason character wise, it wouldn't be fair to those wanting to play other races to just have vampires as the main thing.

@DinoFeather
No, I don't think it would be a problem, but I do want it to be somewhat limited and a bit later on in the story. I would like to get the basic family and relationships established first. I don't know how many of the vampires are actually trusting of the others, though-- especially with the Grand Sire missing. I just am not overly interested in the vampires vs. werewolves bit, so I'd like to try to avoid that as much as possible. It just feels very worn out to me.

There doesn't have to be an outright murderous intent. In fact, it would probably be ill-advised within the family, hence plotting and scheming drama. I think there would absolutely be treaties and peacemaking, but also betrayal and general treachery. I certainly don't want the RP to be forced, but I'm afraid I don't really understand what you mean by "and still have characters with established allegiances/common interests in general because if a vampire can distrust other vampires for some reason character wise, it wouldn't be fair to those wanting to play other races to just have vampires as the main thing."

I will say that if players aren't interested in playing out at least some vampire family drama, this may not be the ideal RP. I'm not trying to be exclusive, but I feel that's only fair to point out.
 
That was my original plan, actually. Focus on the family, then slowly introduce other characters. That's partially why I'm considering allowing people to make two characters. One to contribute to the family drama, and one for later on if they really want to play another race. And yes, I'm counting on clashing personalities to cause some conflict. It might start out disguised, but with tension and stress I imagine it will surface fairly quickly.

No, I don't think it would be a problem, but I do want it to be somewhat limited and a bit later on in the story. I would like to get the basic family and relationships established first. I don't know how many of the vampires are actually trusting of the others, though-- especially with the Grand Sire missing. I just am not overly interested in the vampires vs. werewolves bit, so I'd like to try to avoid that as much as possible. It just feels very worn out to me.

There doesn't have to be an outright murderous intent. In fact, it would probably be ill-advised within the family, hence plotting and scheming drama. I think there would absolutely be treaties and peacemaking, but also betrayal and general treachery. I certainly don't want the RP to be forced, but I'm afraid I don't really understand what you mean by "and still have characters with established allegiances/common interests in general because if a vampire can distrust other vampires for some reason character wise, it wouldn't be fair to those wanting to play other races to just have vampires as the main thing."

I will say that if players aren't interested in playing out at least some vampire family drama, this may not be the ideal RP. I'm not trying to be exclusive, but I feel that's only fair to point out.
Again, the vampires and werewolves was an example, not a suggestion. The "outright murderous intent" wasn't directed towards the vampire family, but the idea of vampires and other race together, since I read Vonghese's post about discouraging people from playing other races because they spoke that, "It allows for us to delve straight into RP without forty posts of standing around and posturing while our characters mistrust each other."

I'm trying to get the point across that it wouldn't be fair to have just one main race and tying back on Vonghese's post about characters mistrusting each other. People from different races don't need to mistrust each other. They can still be on good terms. I'm trying to make it clear that I believe we can still have more than main race in the beginning to allow for diversity and make everyone happy. If a vampire distrusts another vampire (if someone made their character that way), then why couldn't we add in another race?

Nothing wrong with teaming up with the vampires. Not every single vampire is going to trust each other off the bat. Not every single person is going to trust each other off the bat. It's just realistic. I'm not saying people won't be interested in playing out some vampire family drama, simply that adding in other races would help out. Maybe have another race be an advisor to the family or a best friend to the eldest sibling, etc. and somehow they get roped in because they have connections.
 
Again, the vampires and werewolves was an example, not a suggestion. The "outright murderous intent" wasn't directed towards the vampire family, but the idea of vampires and other race together, since I read Vonghese's post about discouraging people from playing other races because they spoke that, "It allows for us to delve straight into RP without forty posts of standing around and posturing while our characters mistrust each other."

I'm trying to get the point across that it wouldn't be fair to have just one main race and tying back on Vonghese's post about characters mistrusting each other. People from different races don't need to mistrust each other. They can still be on good terms. I'm trying to make it clear that I believe we can still have more than main race in the beginning to allow for diversity and make everyone happy. If a vampire distrusts another vampire (if someone made their character that way), then why couldn't we add in another race?

Nothing wrong with teaming up with the vampires. Not every single vampire is going to trust each other off the bat. Not every single person is going to trust each other off the bat. It's just realistic. I'm not saying people won't be interested in playing out some vampire family drama, simply that adding in other races would help out. Maybe have another race be an advisor to the family or a best friend to the eldest sibling, etc. and somehow they get roped in because they have connections.
Ah, okay. And while, no, races do not have to be inherently distrustful of others, I'm afraid I don't understand the argument. Vampires trusting or distrusting one another shouldn't really have any bearing on whether or not other races are included. But I do think, for now, I am going to limit the first round of characters to just being vampires. It's not a matter of being fair or not, as they may decide to make another character later on, but it seems common interest is to focus on the family, at least at first. Honestly, that is my preference as well, as it establishes a foundation to build on and does make breaking into the RP a bit more straightforward.

"Not every single vampire is going to trust each other off the bat. Not every single person is going to trust each other off the bat. It's just realistic."

Of course-- but again, I fail to see how it involves other races. I'm certainly not stating that everyone must get along or be at odds, it really depends on the characters and interactions. Which is largely why I want to wait on including other races. Establishing all the family relationships may be complex. I do like the idea of adding on once the plot is moving-- such as having a friend or enemy who is of another race.

Even with the inclusion of other races, I do want this to be a vampire RP. Again, if that isn't to people's liking and they don't want to play a vampire, this probably isn't the ideal RP for them. I'm not trying to exclude people-- this just may not be for them.
 
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Ah, okay. And while, no, races do not have to be inherently distrustful of others, I'm afraid I don't understand the argument. Vampires trusting or distrusting one another shouldn't really have any bearing on whether or not other races are included. But I do think, for now, I am going to limit the first round of characters to just being vampires. It's not a matter of being fair or not, as they may decide to make another character later on, but it seems common interest is to focus on the family, at least at first. Honestly, that is my preference as well, as it establishes a foundation to build on and does make breaking into the RP a bit more straightforward.

"Not every single vampire is going to trust each other off the bat. Not every single person is going to trust each other off the bat. It's just realistic."

Of course-- but again, I fail to see how it involves other races. I'm certainly not stating that everyone must get along or be at odds, it really depends on the characters and interactions. Which is largely why I want to wait on including other races. Establishing all the family relationships may be complex. I do like the idea of adding on once the plot is moving-- such as having a friend or enemy who is of another race.

Even with the inclusion of other races, I do want this to be a vampire RP. Again, if that isn't to people's liking and they don't want to play a vampire, this probably isn't the ideal RP for them. I'm not trying to exclude people-- this just may not be for them.
I interpreted it as part of Vonghese's post lol. The whole distrust and trust thing going on, assuming that if there was another race, they wouldn't trust the vampires for some reason is how I saw it and because of how I interpreted the post, I didn't think it was right to assume that, so I tried to explain why it wouldn't matter and why I think adding another race and having people play other races at the beginning wouldn't be a big deal if they were somehow correlated with the vampire family itself. I understand though and I wish you luck on the rp.
 
Token post for official headcount? This is pretty great. I've actually wanted to do something involving most of these genres/themes for a long time. I haven't read through all the responses yet, but I'll get around to it soon(ish).
 
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Okay! I'm running a few things past a proofreader, then I will get working on an actual Sign-Up and OOC thread with much more information!
 
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Still working! I hope to have sign-ups and OOC up by tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned!
 
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I haven't forgotten about this! Running a few more things past someone, then I should have the OOC up. Sorry for the delay!
 
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Since I'm a sloth and still haven't gotten the OOC up, I'm just going to dump some info here for you to browse. It will be cleaned up and added to the OOC, but I wanted to give you something to look over for now. c:

Vampires have reflections, and they rather like looking in mirrors. Vampires can swim and are perfectly capable of crossing running water. They have no aversion to religious relics or symbols, but many do find them to be rather tawdry. Holy water will do nothing more than get them wet. No one smells great swathed in garlic, but it's not going to deter a vampire from attacking. They may, however, try to avoid conversation if you've consumed large amounts of it. The only aversion vampires have to silver is in the form of gaudy jewelry or décor. Whatever you've heard about vampires and the aforementioned wives' tales, they simply aren't true. Actually, many vampires perpetuate these myths, as it makes the common folk much less suspicious of them, and it's not uncommon for a vampire to ensure that they're glimpsed in a mirror or strolling over a bridge.

There are, however, stories that are true.

Vampires cannot go about in the sun. Place a vampire in direct sun in the middle of the day, and in less than a minute you'll have a burnt, bloody, scab of a corpse. There is no elegant turning to ash or instant vaporization. Burning is a painful, blistering, graphic death. Dawn and dusk are, fortunately, more forgiving. Vampires can go about in the indirect light for brief periods, so long as no direct sunlight touches them. Should they stay out for more than thirty minutes or so, they will slowly start to burn. Much longer than an hour and they are going to be in some serious and probably debilitating pain. Once the sun is properly up, it simply isn't safe for a vampire to be out of doors. When the sun is setting and its light is weak, a vampire might wander outside if they can remain in the shadows. Even in fading sun, a vampire only has about five minutes of survival time—and half of that will be spent on the ground, writhing in pain as they burn. (If you want to inflict a slow and torturous death, sunrise and sunset are the way to go. Just make sure you time them well.)

Vampires do have to be given permission to enter a home or they simply cannot cross the threshold (or enter windows or whathaveyou). No one is sure exactly what governs this unusual rule, but most vampires regard it as a sense of etiquette and embrace it. The same does not hold true for shops or establishments that are not considered a home, and a vampire may enter as a patron unbidden by the owner or proprietor. In the event a vampire wishes to enter a shop or public house where individuals live or are staying, the vampire may enter the public area, however they may not cross into living areas or private rooms (inns) unless they are invited.

For whatever reason, a wooden stake through the heart negates a vampire's abilities. While a stake is embedded in the heart, a vampire falls into a comatose state. Upon the removal of the stake, the vampire will reawaken, though it will take them considerable time and several feedings to restore their former strength and abilities.

Vampires heal very quickly, though this ability is dependent upon how recently they've fed. More blood equates to faster healing. They are able to recover from dismemberment and even decapitation, but it will take time and they will need considerable amounts of blood to recover from the latter.

While many vampires prefer to sleep in elegant coffins, some prefer beds. At the estate, the majority of the residents tend toward beds, as the bedchambers have been appropriately draped and covered to ensure safety during the daylight hours. There are some vampires that prefer the close quarters and complete darkness of a coffin and, when staying in an unfamiliar or unsecured place, coffins are highly recommended.

All vampires possess slightly enhanced speed and strength in comparison to a standard human, but nothing to great excess. Each vampire, upon turning, has a power that manifests itself. Some are given vastly increased speed, incredible strength, hypnosis, partial invisibility, etc. Some vampires have similar gifts, while others are truly unique.

Vampires are also capable of transforming into a nocturnal animal. They are not limited to bats, though winged animals are preferred to aid in travel. Mastering this ability takes extensive practice, and not every vampire uses it regularly—or at all.

Vampires need blood to live. At the barest minimum, a vampire needs to feed twice a month-- and that is to maintain a semblance of functionality. Vampires who prefer to do as little hunting as possible feed once a week, which is enough to comfortably maintain their powers and quality of life. Other vampires who enjoy hunting or have easily available sources will feed twice a week. Still others, who are more indulgent and live for the thrill of a hunt, feed almost every night. If a vampire is injured or in the process of healing, the need blood every night for several days in a row—depending upon the severity of their injury. Often, if one of the family is injured and at the estate, they remain in bed while blood is brought to them to help them recover quickly. Drinking blood from a dead creature will not kill a vampire, though if the blood has already coagulated, it is of no sustenance; the texture is also a nightmare. If a vampire drinks the blood of another vampire, they receive little to no sustenance from it, but it does result in a sort of intoxication.

Vampires do age, but very slowly. Age works roughly on a basis of ten; for example, if a vampire lived to 600, they would be around 60 in human years. They may look "good for their age" but vampires will slowly age, and their abilities will slowly wane. When they start looking to be in their 50s-60s, they visibly stop aging. If they take care of themselves, their health and abilities will not decline further. However, if they feed too often or not often enough, or if they become careless or fail to take care of their physical bodies, they will continue to decline.

Because vampires age so slowly and in a way different than humans, it is strictly forbidden to turn a child. Yes, a child would very slowly age, but they would only ever reach the size of a young teenager. The body, once turned, is unable to produce enough hormones for the child to go through puberty, and would never reach full maturity. While no one in the family is to create vampires except the Grand Sire, it would be an even greater sin to turn a child. If a child is turned, by one family or another, the child must be destroyed—along with the vampire who created it. The same is said for any children conceived between a vampire and a human. The longer an individual has been a vampire, the less able they are to contribute to the conception of a child. New vampires are the ones most likely to bring about trouble in this regard, and ongoing relations with humans are discouraged for a myriad of reasons. Namely, if they are found to have contributed to the conception of or have conceived a child and have taken no action, both the vampire and the child are punishable by death.
 
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More info!

The general setting is somewhere around the 1720s in western Europe. While the Sauveterre Estate is located in eastern France, the story may lead to any number of cities and countries. While there is some push for historical accuracy, we will not delve deeply into political affairs of the European countries. There will be allusions and mentions now and then, but please do not feel overly pressured by this. You shouldn't have to do more than a quick Google to find information about fashion or technology of the time. With the Estate being so far east, little more than gossip of spats between England and France affect the residents. There will also be some historical tweaking.

The Sauveterre Estate is located in northeastern France, very near the German border. It is located on the eastern side of the Vosges mountains, where it remains largely protected through its isolation. The estate is, in reality, a small castle—the result of nearly three centuries' accumulation of wealth and influence. The Sauveterre Estate has upwards of thirty rooms, including private apartments for the residents, quarters for the servants, a ballroom, a library, a great hall, an observatory, courtyard gardens, numerous guest rooms, bathrooms and boudoirs, an elaborate bathing room , pantries, larders, and kitchens. Of course, the latter of these amenities are used for the servants and for hosting grand parties and masquerades. All bedchambers are outfitted with heavy curtains to effectively block sunlight during the day, ensuring safety during sleep. It also permits the residents to be up and about during daylight hours, should they so choose.

The servants of the Estate presented a peculiar issue. It was realized upon the acquirement and completion of the Estate that servants and housekeepers would be required to maintain it. While this would be of little issue for most wealthy Estate owners, for a vampire it was an obstacle that required extensive thought. Risking discovery and exposure, Salvadore sought out peasants who possessed no living family members and brought them to the Estate to serve in exchange for lodging, protection, and a life better than they could have otherwise imagined. Fortunately, many of those taken in cared little about the peculiar ailment of their master and proved to be loyal servants. Many of the current servants are descendants of the original people who were taken in by Salvadore, though new faces are brought in every so often. There is a careful selection process to ensure no one will defect or spread rumours about the residents of the Estate. In the nearly two centuries spent at the Estate, only one servant has ever tried to compromise those who live there. It was, however, not the vampires that dealt with the dissenting maid, but the other servants. Overall, the serving staff are loyal to Salvadore and his bloodline, guaranteed protection from the family and from other vampires of other lines. The servants are aware of what their masters are, but a life of comfort and fair treatment keep the people content. Some of the servants are willing to let the family drink from them, and there are even a few of them who hope they might be selected to join the bloodline.
 
@DinoFeather
You can create a new thread in GROUP RP PLOT INFO & SIGNUPS and use the prefix info dump to make it easier to reference all the information relating to the RP, rather than fishing through the various posts in the interest check. Just a suggestion.
 
@DinoFeather
You can create a new thread in GROUP RP PLOT INFO & SIGNUPS and use the prefix info dump to make it easier to reference all the information relating to the RP, rather than fishing through the various posts in the interest check. Just a suggestion.
I considered that-- but I really don't want to lean on that instead of making the OOC. I really do plan to get it posted soon!

Again, I'm terribly sorry for the delay!
 
I am utterly interested in making a very squishy and mortal witch(or warlock, for those who need proper titles for things).