Nephistrad

Even in a whisper, the name Von Lishken invokes fear in the most steel-willed. He was the first to drink. The charming luminary tasked with showing us a new way; power, hunger, corruption… despair. Nephistrad is a kingdom built upon the bodies of the broken and from the blood of innocence. The light has forgotten us, though I do not rebuke its absence. We no longer deserve redemption.
— Halin Kesrir
 
In the Nevermore Expanse, the dark and desolate Nephistrad Kingdom has earned the nickname paradise forgotten by Caelian humans who share its borders. It is here at the tip of the western continent Tonarian that humans first drank from the Scarlet Walker’s goblet and became Sanguis, blessed with longevity as long as they fed on blood, the life essence of others.   Nephistrad is now ruled by Sanguis sovereignty. Vampiric leadership blessed to the noble houses, who were directly turned by the first to drink from the Crimson Cup and feel the thirst for blood. Other than a few outliers, mortal citizens of nevermore face a ruthless social structure designed to keep them healthy but trapped within the region.
 

Lands of Nephistrad

Ruled with an iron fist, the Nephistrad Kingdom encompasses the entirety of the Nevermore Expanse. While it claims this territory, the kingdom has difficulty maintaining a presence to the west at Raven’s Roost and the northeast along the howling highlands and thicket’s grin.
  The following cities are ruled by the strongest residing noble house with each city pledging their allegiance to Nephistrad.

Government

The Nephistrad government is ruled by the King of Forever, Harlock Von Lishken. As the last human king of Nephistrad and the first to drink from the Crimson Cup, the Von Lishken lineage is revered and feared by most of the populace.   As the King of Forever, Harlock can choose to accept or reject any law in a city under Nephistrad’s domain.  

Blood Court

Senators of the Blood Court assist the King of Forever. The number of senators on the Blood Court is based on city population and the might of a noble house. For every 3,000 people in a city, a noble house can appoint one senator. Only one senator can serve from a noble house at a time, with the most powerful noble houses sending senators to court first.

Harlock Von Lishken

 
The noble ruler of a city is also the first senator from the city on the Blood Court. There are currently 47 senators with most residing in the capital city Razmiran.
 

The Unseen

These enigmatic robed figures stride in the shadows of Nephistrad and serve as the eyes and ears of the King of Forever. Current law requires the Unseen to live in secrecy, hiding their identities to ensure they hold no personal agendas or cultural divides. Some citizens of Nephistrad even believe that.   The Unseen serve as authority figures, supervising events in the city to verify everything and everyone follows the law of the land. The Unseen are empowered by the Scarlet King to administer judgment as they deem fit without the need for court proceedings or a jury. Only a serving senator on the Blood Court or the King of Forever can overturn an Unseen's judgment.
 

Wraith Knights

Elite soldiers in service to the King of Forever, Wraith Knights have willingly learned macabre techniques and become immersed in negative energy. While their soul withers, the Wraith Knight's unholy existence is preserved; in its new form, it exists only to annihilate life deemed unworthy by Harlock Von Lishken.

Laws

Each city in Nephistrad may hold it's own laws for citizens to follow. The three laws blanket all cities in Nephistrad and cannot be changed by any except the first to drink, Harlock Von Lishken.
  1. A Sanguis may not feed on another Sanguis to prevent exposure to blood disease.
  2. All living adult citizens must pay the weekly blood tax.
  3. Vampires are unwelcome for their wasteful hunger cannot be tamed.
  4. Worship of the Illuminated Church is forbidden. The three Churches of Yearning use the light to blind misguided followers into a life of servitude.
 

Language: Mal'hul

Widely spoken across the shadowed expanse of Nevermore, Mal’hul is the native tongue of the Sanguis, a muttering, low-toned language rooted in concepts over structure. Unlike most Human languages, Mal’hul doesn’t rely on rigid grammar but instead conveys intent and emotion through inflection, rhythm, and context.   Skilled speakers are able to weave layers of meaning into a single phrase, and practiced listeners may detect echoes of The Word, a language of divine utterance, and Forsworn, the infernal dialect of the Below. Scholars speculate that Mal’hul originated as a refined derivative of Forsworn, altered by necessity for humanoid tongues but still capable of shaping perception and invoking ancient memories. In some occult traditions, it’s believed Mal’hul can stir the blood, awaken buried instincts, or grant clarity in the fog of cursed thoughts.
Founding Date
319 EoIF
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Ruling Organization
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Controlled Territories
Related Species

Blood Tax

Referred to throughout Nephistrad as the Vida Culling, the blood tax is a grim but normalized aspect of daily life. All mortal citizens living under the “protection” of a Sanguis noble house are required to offer 500 milliliters of blood each week. This payment is not merely a tradition, it is law, meant to sustain the ruling Sanguis class and maintain the balance of power.   Blood is collected by members of the Crimson Order during weekly religious services, or on alternate days for those of different faiths. All official extractions must take place within a sanctified temple, and are administered by trained leech priests. These clerics use blood leeches, carefully applied to the arm, thigh, or back, to painlessly draw the required amount. Once full, the leech expels the blood into a sealed capsule for a single serving or a blood canister capable of holding up to seven servings.   A healthy mortal can safely donate once per week without harm. However, further extractions before a full seven days of rest result in one level of exhaustion per donation and reset the recovery clock. Despite the risks, many able-bodied citizens choose to give more than their mandated share, either out of loyalty, desperation, or profit. Blood is currency in Nephistrad, and 500 ml fetches an average price of 1 gold piece on the open market, making black-market blood trades and unsanctioned extractors an ever-present part of society’s undercurrent.

by Dean Spencer

Crimson Order

Thanks to their ties to the Scarlet Walker, most citizens in Nephistrad worship the Scarlet Walker and are either Sanguis or strive to become one if they can afford it. The importance of blood is undeniable and by having faith in the Scarlet Walker, the populace can feel assured that the wheel of life will continue to turn.   Members of the Crimson Order serve the Mother of Hematurgy and with her guidance, are responsible for the collection of the weekly Vida Culling blood tax. This responsibility gives the Crimson Order much political leeway and untold power in the region. It also serves as a reminder to the King of Forever that his rule is only allowed by a greater being.

Ruling Sanguis Houses

House Angst

Senator Desmond Angst
City Representative: Avacyn  
Rulers of the village Avaycyn, this arrogant, sporadic family, is cursed with madness. One of the first Sanguis families to drink from the Scarlet Walker’s crimson cup, their lust for power became their burden. To replicate the crimson cup ritual, they drank the blood of the demon Kalzect. Instead of becoming stronger than their brethren, Kalzect deceived the Angst, cursing their lineage with madness and becoming a permanent house guest.

House Darvu

Senator Mirabel Darvu
City Representative: Breylet  
At the edge of the Brimeye Timbers close to Breylet, House Darvu breed and train nightmare warhorses in service to Wraith Knights, Nephistrad’s elite fighting force. Some believe House Darvu has made a pact with the Heart of the Forest and the Eternal Oak, but none would dare question their methods. The product provided is far too valuable.
 

House Keisler

Senator Delora Keisler
City Representative: Lammas  
On the coastal city Lammas, House Keisler rules a merchant empire thanks to trading routes established with the Caelian merchants from Sleet’s Landing. Their trade partners provide Caelian exports from the North, and in return, House Keisler offers caged warfare beasts and other exotic goods to the warlord clans. The most popular export is the Krudine, a creature resembling a large black panther with batlike wings and extended canines.

House Richemot

Senator Annette Richemot
City Representative: Mor'zi  
South of the Bay of Sorrows, House Richemot rules over Mor’zi, a village mostly consisting of human farmers and fishers. While they live in a manor surrounded by farmland, House Richemot is known for their lavish parties and extravagant lifestyle. Here, the beautiful and charismatic Annette Richemot must often face the threat of lycanthrope at their borders, following the lycan wars near Loric’s Stand.
 

House Tormkov

Senator Braclav Tormkov
City Representative: Falkovnia  
A city of misguided intelligence is ruled by House Tormkov. Tucked safely behind the walls of Falkovnia, the paranoid house of artificers work tirelessly to push the boundaries of magic and technology. Much to the dismay of the other noble houses, Braclav Tormkov has developed powerful mechanical devices fueled by blood, the same resource the Crimson Order fights to collect. While this was strongly condemned at first, Harlock Von Lishken personally protects Braclav and was the loudest voice for the creation of Last Rites, a blood powered locomotive that connects cities in the region. In truth, Harlock only came to support House Tormkov after receiving a shipment of blood gargoyle automatons, which now patrol Castle Von Lishken day and night.

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