Amaranth
Qualifications
As a title that could only be conferred by lineage, the rank of Amaranth required only that one be a child of Castamir Gravesong, Last Vampire of the Sorrows, and First of the Black Blood. It is not a matter of territory or command, of skill or talent, but a recognition of the blight that sickens the veins now empty of blood and life.
Requirements
To be an Amaranth is to be amongst the fortunate, or unfortunate, few to have been selected by Castamir as he was lost to the Hollow; the existential dread that devours a vampyr utterly, and leaves them a slave to the violent Sorrow that haunts their mutilation. Those that survived earned their title, devouring their kin for power, enduring the countless hunters still vengeful following The Crowfather's demise, and abandoned by a sire more beast than man. It is a title of respect, but also of fear, for those that bear it are true monsters indeed.
Appointment
One's appointment to the rank of Amaranth was bloody, visceral and violent. In the dead of night as the fires burned low, a demon of fang and claw would hunt through the shadows, find them and turn red rage upon their being. They were torn apart, the blood a feast as the creature turned brutality into an art, and through some strange artifice, caught fast the soul as it fled towards The Clock. The broken corpse was then renewed, life returned as the spirit was fed into what little vitae remained, leaving the corpse broken, sentient and very much dead.
Such is the way that the Amaranth gained their title; victims each of brutal murder and feral beast. What surprise is it then, that those who bear this crown are broken and bitter, terrified of the shadows their father once ruled within.
Duties
Despite marking one out as a Prince of the Night, the title comes with far more responsibility than freedom. Castamir, after he recovered from the Sorrow, bound his blood with three laws that must always be followed, before departing for his death. The Amaranth, being his heirs, obey out of fear, concerned and frightened of what curse is bound within the uttered words, and what consequence was imagined by a father as depraved as theirs.
- Cast Free the Bind of Blood: This law states that the change undergone by the Vampyr is a curse, nothing more and nothing less. To spread this sickness is an act of malice and foulness that cannot be tolerated any further. True love is to live and die alone, so that never again will another suffer as they have suffered.
- Blacken thy Name: Do not seek to be a hero, do not claim praise nor reward for acts of joy and generosity, for the vampyr are monsters, and must be remembered as such. The world must not dream of such power without cost, nor forget the atrocities of the black blood.
- Abjure thine Hollow: No matter the pain, no matter the endless yawn of a heartless life, do not surrender to the Hollow. A path of death awaits those that do, a misery yet greater than the one already borne.
Benefits
The benefits of such a title are not awarded or gifted, but earned. All within The Ashweald recognise the names of the dreaded vampyr, the greatest of whom rule their cities and Rag-fleets with an iron fist. Between one another, however, there is protection; an understanding between the First-Borns of Castamir that to draw blades against one another would invite only the most horrific of outcomes. This extends to all levels of society, for though they may not know the name, nor understand the chains that bind such a title, all pay heed to what the vampyrs do, and that they seek peace is reason enough to follow suit.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
There is no cure for death, there is no reprieve from self-inflicted destruction. The title of Amaranth can never be abandoned, and the legacy of its tragedy will colour all actions future and past. Even into the grave will this curse be manifest, the name spited and feared until at last none remain of the black blood, their lives banished eternal.
History
It is said that after Castamir fell to the Hollow, wreaking bloody murder in a madness that devastated The Ashweald, those that he slew were buried with great care and compassion. Though the soil was barren, though the air of the swamp was toxic, though the water was black and sick, a single tear was shed upon each site, and a single flower grew in its place. Beautiful by any standards, it survived despite the odds, weathering both storm and drought, and filling the beasts of the land with a strange unease; so much so that they avoided these sites even at the cost of their lives.
When it was fully grown, a red flower that covered the grave, those within would awaken, and tear themselves free of the ground. Replete with hunger, and driven by a frenzied need to feed, the first thing devoured was the flower, and its nectar brought peace and solace to fang and claw. This plant became known as Amaranth, immortal and beautiful, and by their very nature were the First-Born named after it.
Cultural Significance
Even within The Ashweald, this title is rarely used, and even more rarely understood by those that dwell in its barren depths. Only the vampyr hold any special connection to the name, those born before the laws were placed regarding those it graces with fear and terror. It is a title not only of corruption, for those it haunts run thick with the vile magic of The Crowfather, but a title of respect. To still live after so many years, after turmoil and intercinine war, one must be truly dangerous, a perfect monster in a land of claw and talon.
Outside of The Ashweald, only the rarest of scholars will have heard the name uttered, and their understanding will be fraught with errors and assumptions, the myths of The Crowfather long buried and tainted by misinformation and time.
Type
Nobility, Non-hereditary
Status
Active
Form of Address
Nocti Amour
Alternative Naming
First-Born, Moranguis
Equates to
Heir-Apparent
Prince
Palantine-Count
Prince
Palantine-Count
Source of Authority
Castamir Gravesong
Length of Term
Life-Long
First Holder
Related Locations
Related Organizations
This is really gritty and fascinating - the idea of a system of rules for vampyres that actually demands they see themselves as terrible monsters and refuse to acknowledge any praise is pretty sad to think about. I love the unique angle!
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