Greetings, Vampire!
These documents detail our remaining history and how we now exist.
This compendium has been created to teach each new childe who comes to the Darkside. Learn it well so that we may never lose it again!
These documents detail our remaining history and how we now exist.
This compendium has been created to teach each new childe who comes to the Darkside. Learn it well so that we may never lose it again!
In the beginning there was Lillith and Caine, then Andilaveris. From them came the Originals. As direct descendants of our Dark Trinity these first vampire were not of bloodlines, thus they shared knowledge of all disciplines and more indescriminately.
Since the time of the Pharaohs, vampire in small numbers spread across Europe, North Africa and as far east as Russia and India. Our presence is recorded in the myths and texts of the living.
During these glorious times vampire ruled the human realm across the globe, all from the shadows. We were worshipped as gods and feared as demons. Yet no human knew the truth of us.
As our numbers grew over the centuries, the oldest amongst us banded together to collectively manage vampire affairs. They were known as the Elders, and they ensured we remained in humans minds as mythical creatures. They also kept law and order amongst our kind.
This would quickly change thanks to the deeds of Vlad Tepes. His actions caused a landslide which thrusted the existence of vampire into the spotlight. Although the Elders orchestrated Vlad's demise, man's eyes has been opened.
With our secret unveiled, humans hunted us across the globe. This was known as the Great Purge and these were our darkest days. For over 200 years humankind hunted and destroyed us. The Originals were wiped out and our full history died along with them.
Left behind were only we, their prodigy, without guidance and scattered across the globe. Too many of us fell to dust at the hands of hunters and mere men alike. We were forced into hiding to survive.
In hiding we were able to raise a fraction of our lost numbers, but more importantly we to began relearning the knowledge of abilities lost to us from the deaths of the Originals. As we did, our race honed in on specific disciplines.
From disciplines came mastery over specific traits. Evenrtually, as new vampire were born, we passed on these traits and naturally separated ourselves into bloodlines. While many of the ancient ways were were lost, our bloodlines redefined us.
Even with our new masteries our unlives remained under constant threat. The Dark Trinity did their best to protect us, but even their might was little defense against an entire world. They could not save all of us... but already they had begun to try.
The humans were persistent in their eradications. As more and more vampire fell, the Dark Trinity realized we needed a new place. One not restricted to the wrath of humans. One that could offer us sanctuary, movement, growth, and the hope of evolution.
They left us unprotected in the human realm for quite some time, preparing this new place. When they returned only four bloodlines remained. The Varaco, masters of the elements; the Gaial, masters of Psionics; the Nosferato, masters of Animalism; and the Muroni, masters of Blood Magic.
Caine, Lillith and Andilaveris searched out the remainders of their children across the globe and began to gather us up. They taught all how to access the new place they had prepared for us... a strange supernatural world in a different realm, called the Darkside.
How the Trinity discovered this realm remains unknown. Who or what lived there before us has never been explained. Still, the Darkside was a perfect place for the unliving. It was an entire world ripe for the unlife, and vampirekind needed it like no other thing.
The Trinity taught us that the Darkside empowers vampire kind. That is alive and thrives off our existence, encourages our vicious ways, protects us, and embraces the sharpness of our minds. It offers us Dark Essence to fuel our supernatural power. This essence makes us smarter, faster, and stronger.
And so we came then to this Darkside world in tatters. Knowledge of our history was lost and relations between bloodlines was strained. And while vampirekind collectively felt this turmoil as a constant and gaping wound... we had found a home.
Our absence in the human realm allowed us to deceive humanity with the belief we are a myth. That we do not exist. Those who left stayed from that place for quite some time. It convinced humanity they had won.
Meanwhile, in our new realm, great continents spanned a world doused in perpetual night. Twin red moons hang in the colorful sky, only ever showing a single moon at a time. Stars that are not stars, spangle a darkly vibrant sky... and a great magical barrier holds in the South to let us return to thehuman realm at our whim.
While we could finally find ourselves at peace, the scars left in our hearts by the Purge still show. Our rage persists. Covens continue to turn on one another and bloodlines feud. Our nature has become one of perpetual war.
Since the time of the Pharaohs, vampire in small numbers spread across Europe, North Africa and as far east as Russia and India. Our presence is recorded in the myths and texts of the living.
During these glorious times vampire ruled the human realm across the globe, all from the shadows. We were worshipped as gods and feared as demons. Yet no human knew the truth of us.
As our numbers grew over the centuries, the oldest amongst us banded together to collectively manage vampire affairs. They were known as the Elders, and they ensured we remained in humans minds as mythical creatures. They also kept law and order amongst our kind.
This would quickly change thanks to the deeds of Vlad Tepes. His actions caused a landslide which thrusted the existence of vampire into the spotlight. Although the Elders orchestrated Vlad's demise, man's eyes has been opened.
With our secret unveiled, humans hunted us across the globe. This was known as the Great Purge and these were our darkest days. For over 200 years humankind hunted and destroyed us. The Originals were wiped out and our full history died along with them.
Left behind were only we, their prodigy, without guidance and scattered across the globe. Too many of us fell to dust at the hands of hunters and mere men alike. We were forced into hiding to survive.
In hiding we were able to raise a fraction of our lost numbers, but more importantly we to began relearning the knowledge of abilities lost to us from the deaths of the Originals. As we did, our race honed in on specific disciplines.
From disciplines came mastery over specific traits. Evenrtually, as new vampire were born, we passed on these traits and naturally separated ourselves into bloodlines. While many of the ancient ways were were lost, our bloodlines redefined us.
Even with our new masteries our unlives remained under constant threat. The Dark Trinity did their best to protect us, but even their might was little defense against an entire world. They could not save all of us... but already they had begun to try.
The humans were persistent in their eradications. As more and more vampire fell, the Dark Trinity realized we needed a new place. One not restricted to the wrath of humans. One that could offer us sanctuary, movement, growth, and the hope of evolution.
They left us unprotected in the human realm for quite some time, preparing this new place. When they returned only four bloodlines remained. The Varaco, masters of the elements; the Gaial, masters of Psionics; the Nosferato, masters of Animalism; and the Muroni, masters of Blood Magic.
Caine, Lillith and Andilaveris searched out the remainders of their children across the globe and began to gather us up. They taught all how to access the new place they had prepared for us... a strange supernatural world in a different realm, called the Darkside.
How the Trinity discovered this realm remains unknown. Who or what lived there before us has never been explained. Still, the Darkside was a perfect place for the unliving. It was an entire world ripe for the unlife, and vampirekind needed it like no other thing.
The Trinity taught us that the Darkside empowers vampire kind. That is alive and thrives off our existence, encourages our vicious ways, protects us, and embraces the sharpness of our minds. It offers us Dark Essence to fuel our supernatural power. This essence makes us smarter, faster, and stronger.
And so we came then to this Darkside world in tatters. Knowledge of our history was lost and relations between bloodlines was strained. And while vampirekind collectively felt this turmoil as a constant and gaping wound... we had found a home.
Our absence in the human realm allowed us to deceive humanity with the belief we are a myth. That we do not exist. Those who left stayed from that place for quite some time. It convinced humanity they had won.
Meanwhile, in our new realm, great continents spanned a world doused in perpetual night. Twin red moons hang in the colorful sky, only ever showing a single moon at a time. Stars that are not stars, spangle a darkly vibrant sky... and a great magical barrier holds in the South to let us return to thehuman realm at our whim.
While we could finally find ourselves at peace, the scars left in our hearts by the Purge still show. Our rage persists. Covens continue to turn on one another and bloodlines feud. Our nature has become one of perpetual war.
By now, we inhabit these lands. The Darkside is ours.
We have created the Council to govern us. To avoid another catastrophe as was with the Elders, the system imbued to the Council is one of power and fairness. Each vampire chosen for it by the Trinity and supported by the vampire of the world.
The Council is made up of our wisest and most self-secure vampire. To protect them from corruption and allow them to pave our collective future without retaliation or uprising, their identies are eternally shrouded in anonymity. They receive no recompense for their doings.
While they take no names, offer no face, and give no voice, they have managed to become a symbol of hope for the many who longed for the routine and sanctuary of their human realm homes.
The Council acts through Special Envoys and their highly trained Conciliary Guard. They have aided us by guiding our ways through edicts and devising a full governmental system by which we may follow some structure in our new world.
They have created an archive, collecting all they can on our history; while securing that our future is recorded with great detail and protected through all eternity.
They have made these records mandatory public knowldge, by installing Athenaeum Archives in every city on every continent.
Meanwhile continents have chosen leaders. Each has elected powerful and sage vampire to shape their way. On the continents numerous cities, towns, and villages have been erected for vampire to coexist in as much peace as they can allow themselves.
Hemoglobal, the red-blood banking empire
has caressed the populace with it's security of our fortunes and sustenance. The Vampire Authorities have risen across the realm to aid the Council in civil matters.
The Scientific Investigations Unit has been born to aid us in times of peril, while focusing on the discovering of science in this strange, new world.
The Unitary Commission formed to bring the leaders of each continent together to better commune, working through differences both political and individual.
The Necromancer, a Grand Mage from an ancient sect of vampire and survivor of the Purge from long ago, has arisen again to teach us the archaic arts of necroalchemy. From this we have together rediscovered the lost art of necromagic, empowering our race even further.
Our numbers grow by the night and new systems are constantly developed. The vampire who exist here let their voices be heard to the betterment of the lands.
The Darkside is a burgeoning place filled with unusual things never before seen. And as we explore its massive places, we uncover more and more secrets which make us even more powerful than we started. Mioghty vampire rise, nightly, and the weak fall quickly.
Our escape to this place has saved us. With a home to our own we have long since convinced humankind we are a myth. The Council and every vampire works hard to keep our existence a secret.
With so much time passed and so many edicts in place, we are allowed travel to the human realm, by now called Topside, at our whim. By the vast knoweldge of the Council, systems have been put in place to keep Darkside structure alive Topside. Because of this, many are now able to reside there.
Holding the knowledge of edicts between two realms is complex, but the travesty brought to our kind by the Great Purge has made us experts at understanding what it is that we need to survive.
We are able to prowl Topside and stay, or return Darkside. In our own realm, we have found rare creatures and vegetations to sustain us. Rare materials have been discovered and are used to build all we need.
Yet our angst is still high. Passed on from Sire to Childe, the rage we have built within ourselves from the near destruction of our great race has made us warriors of the night. We battle any and all on most fronts... even sometimes our own.
Because the Darkside is in a seperate dimension only accessible by supernatural creatures, it is a realm in and of its own. Within this realm is the Darkside as a world; rich with deep, dark waters and impossibly large continents.
Many speculate the Darkside world is three times larger than that of the Topside's Earth. It proves itself in the expanse of the lands, for as any vampire knows, to travel a full continent takes immeasurable time.
While an extraordinarily difficult task was presented to them, our wisest and most adventurous vampire have succeeded in making maps of each continent and shared them together to bring us a map of the known realm.
Touch the Darkside map above to download your own! (2560x1600)
The North
In the North resides two continents.
Maiden's Casket:
Maiden's Casket is led by Unitary Commissioner, Lila Ballari. It's capitol city, Blackwell, is actually made up of twin cities, North Blackwell and South Blackwell. Many consider Blackwell to the be the capitol of the realm.
On a massive southern island in Maiden's Casket, Darkwatch Isle, is the home the Great Lyceum, where the Council resides. A number of famous cities speckle the face of Maiden's Casket.
Midhaven:
While it is the smaller of the two northern continents, Midhaven is a dangerous land. The lands are a center to various unidentifiable supernatural activities that amplify the risk of those who venture here. The safest habitable zones generally are those resting nearest water, with threat to unlife growing steadily as one moves further inland.
With Midhaven virtually uninhabitable, it has no leader. It is closely watched over by both Maiden's Casket and the western continent of Shade, who share the responsibility of ensuring no entities leave the Midhaven to inhabit another.
Even so, Midhaven is not without it's uses. It holds the Eye of Eora, where many Sire choose to take their new childe for training. It well known to be the most popular Childe Training Grounds of all the Darkside.
The East
In the East resides a single continent.
Barren Soils:
The Barren Soils are exactly as the name implies, and humble those who attempted to inhabit it. Filled with endless gray sands and ferocious native creatures, the Soils is a trying place. While a surprising number have been successful, it is now commonplace to say that only the most hardened vampires choose to live on this continent. A common vampire saying is "Put a Childe in the Soils and up an Elder beast boils".
It's elected leader, Unitary Commissioner, Maura Malice, has formed the Shadowfall Army... offering the Soils a much needed militia to keep peace throughout the lands.
From an ages old rivalry passed on through lineages, the East challenged the great General Eiron of the Southern Borders, in a confrontation that became known as GroundWars: Opposition. The North gave their support to the Soils, but it was not enough. While they East fought hard and true, Eiron's tactical brilliance along with aid from the West gained them the war. Eiron has banned any from the Soils from a place in the ranks of his militia. The East, unsettled by the loss, are in talks of another confrontation in the future.
The South
In the South resides four continents.
Southern Borders:
The Southern Borders is the only other continent to rival Maiden's Casket in size. While this is true, the terrain is mainly of stone, plains, and mountain formations.
While not entirely uninhabitable, it's distance from the main communities in the North, and the Trading routes of the West make for comparatively lower population levels.
Inevitably this is a favorable occurrence, as the Southern Borders are also where the Human realm collides with our own, at the Great Barrier. While the gateway itself is nearly impregnable, many prefer distance from what it signifies.
Herein also resides the largest and most important of our Darkside Militia. Led by Unitary Commissioner General Miles Eiron, appointed general by Caine himself, the militia was created to protect our world from intrusion via the Great Barrier.
Great Dunes of Kryst:
Because of it's connection to the heart of the world, It is thought that the mysteries of Kryst hold untold treasures and a vast array of knowledge regarding the nature of the Darkside... perhaps even to the vampire race.
However, Kryst's connection generates extreme weather conditions—and worse yet, yearly an intense heat stems directly from the core of the Darkside. When at its peak, the heat rakes the desert lands to molten glass, leaving behind a dangerous obsidian terrain once cooled.
So stern is it that only the Trinity have ever freely roamed its rugged regions and returned unscathed. By now the Council and Trinity both have deemed it forbidden to attempt it's exploration.
Wirelands:
The Wirelands exist in a portion of area where innate supernatural conductivity is so high that immense cloud cover often cloaks it from aerial views. Furthermore, while it doesn't appear so from random aerial views, when searched for the continent becomes divided from every other by such vast ocean that to find it by water is extremely trying.
Some myths say the Wirelands move themselves from place to place to avoid being settled by vampire kind.Because it is so hard to locate, it's been impossble for anyone to prove one way or another its exact location.
Elder Islands
The Elder Islands are in the southern-most end of the Darkside and set themselves apart from all other continents.
It is said that the Darkside grew one island for the Trinity to share, but it was shattered into three by the triumvirate themselves, during their first and largest feud. They now encircle one another in solitude, far from the reaches of other Darksiders.
On Primus Atoll resides Caine, in his massive Ruinstoke Castle. On Secondus Atoll resides Lillith, in her Dark Eden. On Tertius Atoll resides Andilaveris, in his Ashlands Temple.
The West
In the West holds two continents.
Shade:
Larger than Bane by three times, Shade is the most inhabited continent in the West. While significantly smaller than Maiden's Casket, it rivals it's Northern counterpart in population due to it's dense lands and warm climate. Shade is the capitol of Import/Export, and is responsible for 70% of the Darkside's trades.
Lead by Unitary Commissioner, the Shaman King, Shade is perhaps the wealthiest continent in the realm. It's proximity to Midhaven offers its plethora of jungles and highlands extra supernatural properties. As such, much of the continent is divided between religious devotees and import/export workers.
Bane:
Bane fares well in that the people of Shade offer much of their wealth to its people. A mostly fortified land, only the Southern shores are not protected by massive cliffs. Because of the seclusion it offers, many vampire travel to it's lands as a refuge from the bustling climate of Maiden's Casket. It is led by Unitary Commissioner, Erebus Horne, who is well known for his radical and outlandish antics.
Many speculate the Darkside world is three times larger than that of the Topside's Earth. It proves itself in the expanse of the lands, for as any vampire knows, to travel a full continent takes immeasurable time.
While an extraordinarily difficult task was presented to them, our wisest and most adventurous vampire have succeeded in making maps of each continent and shared them together to bring us a map of the known realm.
Touch the Darkside map above to download your own! (2560x1600)
The North
In the North resides two continents.
Maiden's Casket:
Maiden's Casket is led by Unitary Commissioner, Lila Ballari. It's capitol city, Blackwell, is actually made up of twin cities, North Blackwell and South Blackwell. Many consider Blackwell to the be the capitol of the realm.
On a massive southern island in Maiden's Casket, Darkwatch Isle, is the home the Great Lyceum, where the Council resides. A number of famous cities speckle the face of Maiden's Casket.
Midhaven:
While it is the smaller of the two northern continents, Midhaven is a dangerous land. The lands are a center to various unidentifiable supernatural activities that amplify the risk of those who venture here. The safest habitable zones generally are those resting nearest water, with threat to unlife growing steadily as one moves further inland.
With Midhaven virtually uninhabitable, it has no leader. It is closely watched over by both Maiden's Casket and the western continent of Shade, who share the responsibility of ensuring no entities leave the Midhaven to inhabit another.
Even so, Midhaven is not without it's uses. It holds the Eye of Eora, where many Sire choose to take their new childe for training. It well known to be the most popular Childe Training Grounds of all the Darkside.
The East
In the East resides a single continent.
Barren Soils:
The Barren Soils are exactly as the name implies, and humble those who attempted to inhabit it. Filled with endless gray sands and ferocious native creatures, the Soils is a trying place. While a surprising number have been successful, it is now commonplace to say that only the most hardened vampires choose to live on this continent. A common vampire saying is "Put a Childe in the Soils and up an Elder beast boils".
It's elected leader, Unitary Commissioner, Maura Malice, has formed the Shadowfall Army... offering the Soils a much needed militia to keep peace throughout the lands.
From an ages old rivalry passed on through lineages, the East challenged the great General Eiron of the Southern Borders, in a confrontation that became known as GroundWars: Opposition. The North gave their support to the Soils, but it was not enough. While they East fought hard and true, Eiron's tactical brilliance along with aid from the West gained them the war. Eiron has banned any from the Soils from a place in the ranks of his militia. The East, unsettled by the loss, are in talks of another confrontation in the future.
The South
In the South resides four continents.
Southern Borders:
The Southern Borders is the only other continent to rival Maiden's Casket in size. While this is true, the terrain is mainly of stone, plains, and mountain formations.
While not entirely uninhabitable, it's distance from the main communities in the North, and the Trading routes of the West make for comparatively lower population levels.
Inevitably this is a favorable occurrence, as the Southern Borders are also where the Human realm collides with our own, at the Great Barrier. While the gateway itself is nearly impregnable, many prefer distance from what it signifies.
Herein also resides the largest and most important of our Darkside Militia. Led by Unitary Commissioner General Miles Eiron, appointed general by Caine himself, the militia was created to protect our world from intrusion via the Great Barrier.
Great Dunes of Kryst:
Because of it's connection to the heart of the world, It is thought that the mysteries of Kryst hold untold treasures and a vast array of knowledge regarding the nature of the Darkside... perhaps even to the vampire race.
However, Kryst's connection generates extreme weather conditions—and worse yet, yearly an intense heat stems directly from the core of the Darkside. When at its peak, the heat rakes the desert lands to molten glass, leaving behind a dangerous obsidian terrain once cooled.
So stern is it that only the Trinity have ever freely roamed its rugged regions and returned unscathed. By now the Council and Trinity both have deemed it forbidden to attempt it's exploration.
Wirelands:
The Wirelands exist in a portion of area where innate supernatural conductivity is so high that immense cloud cover often cloaks it from aerial views. Furthermore, while it doesn't appear so from random aerial views, when searched for the continent becomes divided from every other by such vast ocean that to find it by water is extremely trying.
Some myths say the Wirelands move themselves from place to place to avoid being settled by vampire kind.Because it is so hard to locate, it's been impossble for anyone to prove one way or another its exact location.
Elder Islands
The Elder Islands are in the southern-most end of the Darkside and set themselves apart from all other continents.
It is said that the Darkside grew one island for the Trinity to share, but it was shattered into three by the triumvirate themselves, during their first and largest feud. They now encircle one another in solitude, far from the reaches of other Darksiders.
On Primus Atoll resides Caine, in his massive Ruinstoke Castle. On Secondus Atoll resides Lillith, in her Dark Eden. On Tertius Atoll resides Andilaveris, in his Ashlands Temple.
The West
In the West holds two continents.
Shade:
Larger than Bane by three times, Shade is the most inhabited continent in the West. While significantly smaller than Maiden's Casket, it rivals it's Northern counterpart in population due to it's dense lands and warm climate. Shade is the capitol of Import/Export, and is responsible for 70% of the Darkside's trades.
Lead by Unitary Commissioner, the Shaman King, Shade is perhaps the wealthiest continent in the realm. It's proximity to Midhaven offers its plethora of jungles and highlands extra supernatural properties. As such, much of the continent is divided between religious devotees and import/export workers.
Bane:
Bane fares well in that the people of Shade offer much of their wealth to its people. A mostly fortified land, only the Southern shores are not protected by massive cliffs. Because of the seclusion it offers, many vampire travel to it's lands as a refuge from the bustling climate of Maiden's Casket. It is led by Unitary Commissioner, Erebus Horne, who is well known for his radical and outlandish antics.
