Vampire Clans

The Clans were founded by the children of Koschei. They were the first vampires sired in this dimension following the Koschei’s arrival. Together, they form a governing council (The Septarchy) that oversees the laws and customs of the Primul. However, this is not an egalitarian council. There is a great deal of infighting and politicking as each Clan Chief vies for power and prestige.

LAWS

Members of the Clans are expected to adhere strictly to the laws of The Septarchy. However, each clan enforces these laws to different degrees. Some clans punish insubordination by exile, others by torture and imprisonment, and still others only loosely enforce any sort of clan law simply to keep up appearances. The only law that is uniformly enforced by all clans is the First Law.

1. The Word of Koschei must be obeyed at all times. Breaking this law is punishable by death.
2. Exercise discretion in all matters.
3. Do not sire a fledgling without approval from the Clan.
4. Loyalty is to Clan and Race above all. Any other alliances are temporary.
5. Anyone who willingly leaves their Clan shall be exiled from all Clans.

THE CLANS

Each Clan is named after the Clan Chief, one of the seven children of Koschei. The Clans have over time developed in the image of their Chief, as only likeminded individuals are chosen to become part of the Clan. Clan identity is paramount in Primul culture, and most vampires will indicate their Clan upon introduction. Some vampires take their Clan name as a new surname. So, Mikhail Vissarion and Mikhail Sokolov of Vissarion both indicate that Mikhail is a member of Clan Vissarion.

Chiefs are the highest ranking vampires in the Clan. Below them are the Sentinels. There is one Sentinel for every 250 vampires in a clan. The Sentinels are responsible for maintaining order, monitoring threats, reporting to the Clan Chief and executing the Chief's orders. While the Chiefs rarely leave the Council's territory in Masovia, Sentinels reside in every major city where there is a significant vampire population.

Reporting to the Sentinels are Watchmen. They are the foot soldiers of the Clans, acting as enforcers of law and punishment. Each Sentinel selects roughly 10 Watchmen who have proven themselves to be loyal, obedient, and competent.

Vissarion

Vissarion is the first and oldest of the Clan Chiefs and sees himself as a rightful successor to Koschei rather than an equal with his siblings. Clan Vissarion is conservative, traditionalist, elitist, and isolationist. They seek to establish a true independent Primul nation through conquest, territory by territory, 

Marzanna

Marzanna is the first daughter of Koschei and the second oldest. Clan Marzanna is occasionally called a clan of "Death Worshipers". They are fixated on the necromantic arts and the power to control death itself. They are seen as strange, detached, cold, but also fearless. They prefer to keep to themselves, and see the other Clans as annoyances unless they're providing bodies to experiment on.

Asherah

Asherah is the second daughter and third oldest. Clan Asherah is a clan of those dedicated to the study of magic and the hunger for magical power. They are competitive and see magical power as a status symbol. The more power one has, the more respect they demand. Clan Asherah sees dominance over the other Clans as the first step in their journey to becoming a world power.

Amon

What Amon lacks in mystical or physical power he makes up for in charisma, a keen eye for what makes people tick, and a Machiavellian mastery of manipulation. Clan Amon are many things -- politicians, con men, salesmen of used cars and snake oil. They are liars and manipulators and charismatic preachers. Their wits and charm are their most powerful weapons, and they can do more with a few words than many can do with a truckload of bullets.

Vorador

Vorador has wholly embraced the bloodlust inherent in being a vampire, but lacks the refined sensibilities of the rest of the Council. He is the strongest, most violent, and most brutish of all of them. Clan Vorador is a clan of warriors. They are violent, bloodthirsty vampire supremacists. Clan Vorador is fueled by a desire to conquer. They believe that vampires stand above all and that to not subjugate the lesser races is an act of cowardice.

Janos

Janos is possessed of a thirst beyond the bloodlust that drives his race. His primary desire is knowledge, and so his is a scholarly clan. Clan Janos is dedicated to learning and studying; whether it be science and engineering, history and archaeology, language and religion, they want to know it all. While many members of the Clan are the picture of stuffy academics locked away in a library, many more conduct experiments and develop new technologies to improve life for the Clans.

Syros

Syros is seen as something of a black sheep among the Clan Chiefs. He is the youngest, rebellious, dishonouring their traditions. The truth is that Syros and his Clan believe that vampires can be more than what they are, down to a genetic level. Clan Syros combines biotech, cybernetics, and magic in a search for the next step in vampiric evolution. Nothing about the vampiric form is sacred to them. They will remove, replace, and modify anything to get an edge. If transhumanism seeks to transform the human condition, then Clan Syros believes in transvampirism.