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.
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. 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.
- A Sanguis may not feed on another Sanguis to prevent exposure to blood disease.
- All living adult citizens must pay the weekly blood tax.
- Vampires are unwelcome for their wasteful hunger cannot be tamed.
- 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
Deities
Location
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.
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.
Comments