Clan Balar
Some may think of the vampiric kindred of the Nocferti as the epitome of what a vampire is, they are but fools and cattle. Even amongst vampires, there is one bloodline that even they often find "off-putting" and unnerving. That clan can be considered the vampires of vampires, the deadliest shadows lurking in the moonlight, and those who have truly gone beyond their once feeble mortality: the bloodline of Clan Balar
Being the truly ultimate vampiric scions, their origins are almost entirely shrouded in mystery. There are precious few solid leads as to the true origins of this bloodline, but despite their efforts, hints exist through the tattered scrolls of history. They are known to have originated amongst the northern lands of Ustaria, later inhabited by the Ustarian Empire and its many diverse peoples. While finding the exact location is hard to say, must scholars agree that the founding happened roughly around the areas of either Tilvania or Rustil. It is believed a strange entity once lived, simply known only as "The Ancient", and he was a being of power and doom that was tormented by the evil within him. Wanting to be rid of his curse, he gathered all his evil and horror and vomited it out in a bilious mass. It is said while he wished to destroy it, a mortal would devour the mass having been starving for days. To the surprise of the Ancient, nothing happened, and curiosity got the better of him. He would give the mortal the blood kiss, having long been lonely. This rebirth into vampirism was not a peaceful one, as the evil, having now been given a second repowering, went wild in the mortal's blood. The Ancient paid for his curiosity as the mortal tore and devoured his progenitor father, then and there, and in his fathers blood this mortal was baptized with a new name: Mirislav, the First Lord of Darkness.
Mirislav would bestow the blood kiss to those he grew fond of, and all would seemingly share many of his philosophies. One such philosophy that continues to this day is the art of Flesh-Shaping, seeing it as the way a vampire could "evolve" into new ascended beings. Their numbers grew, and Mirislav continued his delvings into unnatural magics, however his most prized accomplishment is the hateful thing known as The Cathedral of Flesh. It is a mass of flesh and sinew made of countless victims, the walls comprised of wailing faces with just enough muscles left for them to move their eyes and mouths. The walls, if one looks closely, can be seen through to reveal the countless hearts and pulsating organs floating in endless blood moving across every inch of the structure. Outside, Mirislav lined a great border with what is said to be countless pikes with the impaled bodies of those that tried to oppose him.
Mortals will point at the first crusade happening in the year 1100EC against the southern Tajir, this is a lie. The church has long hidden the true first crusade from the masses, for the first was a secretive assignment handed down to a righteous paladin by the name of Sir Aricor the Dawnbringer. Aricor and his aptly named "Dawnguard" set out to rid the northern lands of the crimson tyrant, and it is said the march to approach the castle admist the mountains was like a museum of horror. Eventually, Aricor would launch a surprise attack on the Cathedral of Flesh, and the fighting was some of the most intense the church had seen at this point. Descending into the bowels of the cathedrals dungeons, it is said what was seen down there was so horrific that none dare record it. All that was ever mentioned was that the beasts they fought were so horrific and flesh covered that they were mistaken to be demonic at first. Regardless, Aricor is said to have fought Mirislav, and though he was disemboweled and decapitated, his faith was so great that his blood burned and killed Mirislav in the process. Not only that, it cursed the entire bloodline of Mirislav's sanguine gifts, that they would forever be so attached to certain items of their home that they must carry it with them wherever they go. With that, the cathedral was burned to the ground, and to this day nothing remains but a crater and faint patches of red around its edges. All the crusaders were sworn to secrecy, on pain of death and eternal damnation, and the church belived the world safe at last.
Oh, how monstrously wrong they were, for many of Mirislav's children survived. They continued in the image of their progenitor, becoming much of the local aristocracy of Ustaria and ruled with fear above all. The way of the flesh is continued to be practiced, however the only saving grace for the world is that truthfully, Clan Balar has mostly been in decline throughout history. They are a highly insular people, prone to lonely existences in castles or locked away in experimentation rooms, and are fickle with how they give the blood kiss too. However, some worry that the current climate of the world is rife with opportunity for them to make a comeback. What's worse, is that some believe Aricor failed: that Mirislav can return to the mortal world one day. What's worse is some believe Mirislav's being has combined with the remnants of The Ancients own spirit and being to create a being as monstrous and unfathomable as the creatures of the Far Realm. If any of this is true, pray, pray that there is time yet before whatever darkness is creeping across the world comes and consumes all you hold dear. Pray, and despair.
Culture
True to how those vampires of Clan Balar scare even other vampires, if one were to tell a vampire of Balar that they were immoral and sadistic, the creature would simply commend the mortal for their astute observation, and then show them how woefully small their understanding of pain and sadism are. More so than any other bloodline, those of Balar have long since left their mortal condition behind, and for many gladly. They are creatures transfixed with the idea of transcending the limits of their vampiric states, thus their extensive use of dark magics and flesh crafting. For the Balar, flesh is fluid, something to be molded and crafted to their whims. Many take to modifying themselves into horrific appearances, though many opt to keep their typical guises to better get around. They have mastered flesh crafting to a fine art, and many treat it as a literal form of art, turning people into still living art sculptures and furniture. Theyr minions are also typically augmented into "beautiful" forms for the Balar, beings so disturbing that many can easily mistake them for demons of the most foul layers of the hells.
Also contributing to the unease people tend to feel around the Balar, on the surface most vampires of this bloodline almost appear as some of the most "pleasant" of the vampiric strains. They are polite, inquisitive, and highly intelligent, and are known to be rather profound philosophers and connoisseurs of the fine arts. However, this air of polite civility is merely a mask that hides a being so alien and monstrous that it is hard to believe it was one mortal. They view the mortal charges of the lands they rule as little more than sophisticated forms of herd beast, more so than other clans. While most clans prefer to rule with mind control and domination based spells, curiously the Balar seem to either rarely use or are entirely unable to use such spells. Instead of merely breaking the mind of their subjects and enemies, instead they rule through something worse: complete fear and terror. They are masters of torture and terror, and it rarely takes long for a local population to be so utterly shocked into submission that rebellion is seen as more dangerous than their vampiric overlord.
Despite their horrific pastimes, Balar are also known for something else: hospitality. Indeed, many of their clan follow archaic but no less sacred rules of hospitality to a guest or visitor. They have rules for greetings, goodbyes, allowances, settling of grievances, etc. Should one be a guest of a Balar for whatever reason, they are fully entitled too:
- Nourishment and shelter for three days and nights (the night they arrive does not count)
- Complete and unquestioning protection from third party aggressors by the host
- The immediate suspension of any family disputes and grievances for the duration of the visitor's stay.
- The best quarters and accommodations the host is able to provide (up to and including the host's own bed chambers)
- A ritual exchange of gifts or services (typically on arrival, departure, or sometimes both)
- The respecting of the host's boundaries and property, and any personal rules they have for the household (unless it can be argued that such rules are unreasonable)
- Not needlessly seeking to anger the host or any family that may be with the host
- Not staying longer than the three days and three nights unless invited to do so (asking is allowed, but must be discussed at length with the host)
"Fear the night"
Type
Geopolitical, Clan
Alternative Names
The Twilight Voivodes, The Nightmare Clan, The Demonic Undead
