Mara'ki, Son of the Serpent

They've told you, I'm sure, that there were seven sons of the First Vampire, from which all unlife stems. This is not true. They were generals, friends, while yes, some were adopted sons, there was no blood relation. It was the child born of darkness that was his, the stillborn, the accursed. He lives. Through the shadows, he watches his father's Empire crumble from within, waiting for its death throes to end.

Although Vampires are fated to ultimately forsake the teachings of the gods they adhered to as mortals, following the temptations and limitless capabilities offered by their new, undying forms, the knowledge of their gods' existence never leaves them. Many Vampires, despite or because of the filth they've embraced, remain deeply concerned with the afterlife. What is to become of them, once they meet their ends, is a question left hanging in the air, often the last doubt that they face. For this reason alone, even the most secular Vampire holds a favorable disposition to those who remain dutiful and faithful where they're beyond redemption. To combat this gnawing fear, many employ priests to intercede between themselves and their gods. Prayers are offered, sacrifices made on behalf of their masters. Occasionally, penance is demanded, though rarely does it become so.

With robes the colors of the open skies, and cuffs as bright as the sunset, these priests are distinguished from other religious members. They are the beacon of morality to the morally degenerating Vampires.

Not all see their importance.

Mara'ki, 'The First of the Last', is a prolific killer, driven to greater acts of violence through his vengeance pacts. His upbringing, being the bastard son of the First Vampire, yet chosen by a True Goddess, has led him down the path of madness. Devotion led to unspeakable acts of violence against his enemies. Yet, his seething fervor rages an endless war against the false religions of this world. Priests and peasants alike find themselves suddenly assaulted by this armored figure, cutting asunder any who dares to stand before him, only to disappear into the shadows as quickly as he was seen. Dozens of shrines have been desecrated, the religious icons broken and trampled into the ground.

Similarly to his own birth, Mara'ki has infected the offspring of others. Yet, he is indiscriminate, targeting nobility and commoners alike. Hundreds are born with the serpent's eyes, bearing the marks of Mara'ki, creating an epidemic of sorts. Unlike his predecessors, these children often undertake pilgrimages, seeking the man responsible for their apparent curse. While some retain their true father's malice and sadistic pleasures, many are unfortunate, and in trying to flee their destiny, bring twice the destruction. Loved ones perish by their hands, and the curse of ceaseless despair and ill-fortune hangs over them, only finding relief when another suffers.