On the Vampire Velathar, First Mage of the Anether Order by  – Plenary Address given at the 32nd Sortilege Conference on Monsters and Monster Races

In the average resident of Etheria, the idea of a vampire provokes the usual belief in unloving monstrosities who feed upon the blood of the innocent.  This results in the standard screams of fear, locking of the doors, calling for priests, and perhaps, the burning of those foreigners down the street whose strange ways are obvious signs of evil.  And though those pale, malformed, cursed corpses from the north occasionally make it to our more sunlit shores, this does not concern us today.
Today we talk of the Necropian Vampires, strange and beautiful creatures that mesmerize and seduce, corrupting from within.  These creatures having cunningly insinuated themselves into our society, and what they want is a mystery.

Necropian Vampires

Although little is known of the tainted magical energies that formed the Darkfenne, it has had a number of effects on the creatures that dwell their creating ranging from magical monsters like the Darkfenne Hydra, strange races like the Werewolf Clades of the Tribes of the Howl, or reanimated corpses with intelligence, like the Bog Queen and her minions.  One creature that has been created by this force is the Necropian Vampire.  Though none know how the first of these beings arose, it is known they are able to spread their influence to others, creating more of their kind.  

The fell force that suffuses the Darkfenne is incredibly crafty, and evolved several methods to compel the living beings converted into Necropian Vampires to accept their new appetites and desires.  The victim of a Necropian Vampire’s conversion immediately achieves perfection of appearance, every blemish and scar erased.  They stop aging, and reach the peak of physical perfection, becoming stronger, faster, and more graceful then a baseline member of their species.  They also are stripped of any sense of remorse, compassion, of goodness, as the Darkfenne considers these to be weaknesses.  They become crueler, and gain a devious sense of cunning.  They also gain various supernatural powers ranging form the availability to turn into clouds of mists, to shape shifting into bats and wolves.  The Necropian Vampire also gain weaknesses to sunlight, running water, an seem to develop obsessive (pick up spilled items, ordering things, etc…). Also the creatures are compelled to feed on the life force of others (rather they are draining the actual soul, a person’s mana supply, or some other essence), and this feeding forces them to enter a torpor state where they remain unable to act for days at a time.  Unlike undead vampires, the do not drink blood

Necropian Vampires often infiltrate society and can spread their infection to almost all humanoid species.  They do not seem able to infect animals and beasts however.   It is speculated that it is not so much the blood they feed on, but the actual life force of the creature.  A Necropian Vampire also seems to have control over its infective abilities, only spreading its curse to victims of its choosing.  They are incredibly dangerous predators, and can stalk a community for years with no one the wiser.  In short, they walk among us.

This concludes my remarks, and it just remains for me to declare the conference open.  We have a number of great panels and presentations, and don’t forget to visit the trade hall.  There a number of fantastic specimens on display, and vendors will have the latest gear for sale.  Also if you have a hole in schedule this afternoon, consider attending my panel “Decoy:  Harmless Fun or  Public Menace”.

Velathar, First Mage of the Aenther Order, was found ripped apart in an alley two days after delivering this speech.  The Monster Hunter Society extends and condolences, and requests all members keep an eye out for his head, and it was unable to be located near his corpse.

Edit:  Double post.

Protectors of the forests of Etheria (such as The Straywood and The Bitterwood) the Beastmasters stand watch against threats such as the Darkfenne, or those who would despoil the natural world.  Working in close association with their animal allies, the Beastmasters wander the world to expand their own knowledge of the natural way of things.

Post here and let us know about your Besatmastesr.  Is he a mysterious wanderer?  Does he favor a few powerful creatures, or a vast horde of Feral Bobcats?  Does he seek out others of his kind to form an order of group?  And of course, ponder the mystery that is The Bitterwood Fox.

Sortilege is one of the most diverse nations in Etheira, as Wizards tend to place much emphasis of personal freedom and individuality.  They do however respect magical power and knowledge.  The nation is a hot bed of feuding traditions, mystic orders, ancient gurus, and charismatic leaders.  

Post here, and let us know about your Wizard.  Is he a solitary practitioner? Professor at a magical college (non-accredited)? Magic item manufacturing entrepreneur?  The sky's the limit.

Thanks for posting.  We are going to start putting froward more information about the nations of Etheria, but here is some clarification about Darkfenne.

Darkfenne is a regions of fetid swamps and foggy moors created by some form of magical corruption.  It is gradually expanding, and threatening to consume the other nations that surround it, though only the Elves of the Straywood seem to be seriously concerned about this possibility.  The swamps are home to many of the creatures that fight in the Mage Wars Arena, including the Darkfenne Bat and Hydra.

The are two powers that share occupation of the Darkfenne.  The first are the Tribes of the Howl.  These are humanoid wolves that were created as a result of an experiment undertaken by the Wizards of Sortilege to build a better warrior.  A couple of the creatures escaped, and began to breed true.  In the centuries since this occurred, the Tribes of the Howl have populated the moors of Darkfenne.  

Although intelligent, the Tribes of the Howl still think like the wolves the originated from, and so have organized themselves into Packs.  These packs struggle for dominance, engaging in ritual combat over mates and territory.  The leader of the most powerful pack serves as the High Prince and leads the other Tribes of the Howl.  Currently this position is vacant, as the last High Prince, Goran, was captured by the Warlocks and has been forced into fighting in the Mage Wars.  This has lead to an increases in battles among the Tribes of the Howl, but no one has been able to claim the vacant High Prince's throne.

The other part of the Darkfenne is under the thrall of Morweena the Bog Queen.  The history of Etheria is filled with kingdoms that have been destroyed by magic and warfare.  Morweena was the Queen of one such Kingdom, whose name has been lost to history, which used to occupy the land that is now Darkfenne.  Morweena and her people were slain by a rival kingdom with a magical plague.  Centuries later, when the magical catastrophe that created the Darkfenne occurred, she was returned to un-life as a Bog Mummy, while the rest of her subjects were reanimated as various forms of undead.  None have seen the Bog Queen since her revival, yet the Necroplian Vampires, once the nobility of this long vanished kingdom, have began to appear in other parts of Etheria as well as battle in the Mage Wars.

Post any other speculations, ideas, or questions about the Darkfenne and its nefarious inhabitants here.