Followers of the Bound One

Outcasts even among other vampires, followers of the Bound One lead a life even more fraught with danger than most of their race. Turning to the heretical god for a variety of reasons, they hunt and feed on their own kind in a bid to gain power; by breaking one of the few taboos of vampire culture, they face the punishment of being killed on sight if their allegiances are revealed.

Origins

Though the sealing of the Bound One happened millennia ago and predates the origins of vampires as they currently exist, it didn't take long before the sealed god learned how to extend his influence beyond the walls of his prison. Though he has little power thanks to the constraints placed upon him by his divine siblings, he's more than capable of whispering to mortal vampires and offering the seductive promise of power. While the vast majority fear the Blood Gods too much to risk an allegiance with their heretical elder brother, it wasn't long before the Bound One gained his first few converts. His efforts have never ceased, and now his followers are a small but significant force lurking in the shadows.

Purpose

Followers of the Bound One are interested in power, and the god promises to give it to them in a way that the other Blood Gods forbid. While forming a pact with the Bound One allows a vampire to feed on others of their own kind and gain strength exponentially faster than by doing so feeding on humans, it also carries the not-insignificant risk of marking them as enemies of the vampire race. To this end, most followers of the Bound One also work towards the end goal of freeing their god. The Bound One was the eldest of the siblings and the strongest by a significant margin; while his siblings managed to lock him away by turning on him as a group, he promises his followers that his liberation will mean the destruction of the other Blood Gods and an end to his followers' persecution.
Following the Bound One means a combination of searching for the hidden location of the Crossroads  where the god is imprisoned, researching potential ways to free him from his chains, and working steadily to gather enough power to make the attempt.

Leadership and Organization

The Bound One's followers are led by their eldest members, who've long since abandoned their previous pacts and have centuries to grow strong on the blood of other vampires. These eldest among them are thought of as high priests of sorts, cultivating a connection with the god until they can hear his voice more clearly and serve as direct instruments to his will. These high priests take great care to keep themselves to the shadows, acting largely through younger members of the organization when it comes to advancing the group's goals.
Younger members of the group are considered more expendable, less invested and with less to lose. Though this isn't exactly accurate due to the fact that any sympathies with the Bound One are considered a crime worthy of death, many of these youngest members are partially shielded by the fact that some deliberately follow the Bound One in secret; maintaining their previous pact and not yet feeding on others of their own kind, they gamble on the Blood Gods not watching them closely enough to realize what they're doing. It's these younger, more covert members who do much of the work, reporting upwards to those who have formed their pact with the Bound One and vanished into the shadows, who in turn report up to the high priests.

Typical Demographics

Followers of the Bound One are bold, ambitious, and practiced at subterfuge; even among vampiric society they're risk takers, willing to put their lives on the line for the chance of great rewards. In many cases this means they're old enough to have decided that what the Blood Gods offer isn't enough for them and that they're tired of capricious patrons who may destroy them over the smallest slight. While the Bound One is just as disconnected from mortal vampires, his followers feel that he's more honest, more straightforward in his goals and more reliable in his moods and tempers. They understand that so long as their interests align, the god is willing to turn them loose without rules and restraints.
Unlike typical vampires, followers of the Bound One aren't nearly as eager to proliferate themselves through creating underlings of their own. Given to a certain degree of treachery themselves, they're more interested in building their individual power rather than relying on a power base made up of others who could prove as unpredictable as they are themselves. This is further compounded by the fact that many followers of the Bound One have a certain degree of hatred for other vampires; while they cooperate with one another out of necessity in a world with few allies, they have no real desire to make more of their own kind.

Quick Facts

Approximate Size: 2000 members
Located In: Old World
Comprised Of: vampires
Purpose: religious