Dehlmian Bloodline

Vampires are creatures of three things: subterfuge, passion, and control. All vampires wish to hide from those that would kill them, to experience endless decadence of pleasures taboo and beyond, and to have control over those seen as beneath them. All vampires exemplify this, but one bloodline in the most passionate and secretive, and their control is staggeringly deep in the mortal world. The Nocferti may be the larger than life nobility, but these vampires are those that are content to rule from the shadows: the vampires of the Dehlmian Bloodline.
Their history is a complicated one, and one that is disputed greatly. If the history is to be believed: there once existed a city known as Dehlkarn, believed to be somewhere near either the southern end of the Forbidden Lands  or the north of old Zakron. If true, it is perhaps one of the oldest established cities in the world, and it was said to be a mighty city of ancient walls and mighty swords. It was ruled by an emperor known simply as Kadan the Powerful. He ruled with an iron, tyrannical fist, and had slaves make great statues of his visage like a god might. However, he is not the focus of this tale, instead, the tale focuses on his wife, one Yahelor bat Neriya. She is said to have been a woman of such beauty, that all the gods and devils of the realms could never compare to her enchanting beauty. However, she was still but a passenger to destiny, for it was Kadan's rule that was worshiped. Jealousy stirred in her heart, a jealousy that no amount of decadent relaxation spent amongst the harems and courtiers could drown out. That was until she heard tell of a curious tale from the deserts of Shezerkai. Sending her handmaidens to investigate, they heard tell of a sorcerer known only as Setam, who had discovered the secrets of bending death to his will. It is said that before Setam would eventually vanish from the history books, Yahelor would seduce and learn all she could from this man, Setam promising her that she would know pleasures once thought impossible to the mortal world.
None know quite what happened to the twos' relationship after this, but what is known is that eventually, Yahelor used this magics to make an elixir of eternal life. However, this elixir, instead of granting mere immortality, turned her into one of the first vampires in recorded history. However, her husband Kadan confronted her at the end of the ritual, accusing her of not knowing her place: power was his to use as a man, it was not her place as his wife to take power meant for her husband. Oh, it is said that the rage and jealousy finally tipped Yahelor over the edge, and it is said the pain she inflicted on him and their family is said to be so great that it is lost to myth. She took control of Dehlkarn, and it is said the first to join her in undeath were her courtiers and concubines from the royal harems. It was then that distant brothers of her late husband approached her and dared to defy her. Instead of bowing down to her with their cities, they instead parlayed and asked for peace. These vermin before Yahelor dared to not bow, they dared to actually try and compare themselves as equals to her. She murdered the messengers and waged war on the 5 brothers and their cities. It is said in the end, none would win this war, as all the city states fell into ruin, and Yahleor was lost in the fires that burned Dehlkarn.
Perhaps in another life, this would have been the end, but anyone familiar with vampires knows that it is oh so hard to keep a vampire dead. Many of the courtiers of Yahelor survived, as well as children born of these unions, and they spread across the world. They would hide admist the mortal races, as courtiers or wise shamans, and eventually find themselves concentrating in the lands now known as the deadlands. They whisper that Yahelor is not dead, and is hidden somewhere in the world from all but her most trusted handmaidens. The rumors that she lives are, sadly, becoming more and more credible in this dark age, as she is the ruler of the now titled Dehlmian Bloodline. They are one of the greatest vampiric lines in the world, and they likely may already rule over us all without anyone being the wiser.

Culture

Passion is all to those of the Dehlmian, but there are of course ways to go about it. Passion itself is good, but it is only truly alluring and beautiful when it is taboo, when it is dangled behind closed doors, enticing people with its siren song. That is itself their credo, the allure of secrecy. So it is that while they may not have the strength of the blood knights of cain, or the numbers of the degenerate Strigorn, they have something far greater: the ability to hide in almost plain sight. They make up for the lack of strength of arms in their cunning, and their mastery of controlling others, though make no mistake that warriors from Dehlmian bloodlines can be fierce indeed. 
Some have misunderstood that the Dehlmian Bloodline is entirely female: this is not true. While it is true that a higher percentage of the bloodline is feminine, there are masculine examples in the bloodline, with the reason behind this likely being that perhaps Yahelor was enamored more with the "fairer sex" as it were. Regardless, this has led to the bloodline sometimes being referred to as "the sisterhood" which is not entirely incorrect given the information others may have to go on. Either way, they are hidden deep in nearly every society of the world, for unlike the Nocferti they are content with hiding and ruling from the shadows. That is, until their ultimate end goal is complete. It seems the ultimate goal of their bloodline is to bring back the city of Dehlkarn to its height, where the vampires are worshiped as gods, the old gods are abandoned, and their cattle be fully willing to throw themselves before them for the chance to have their blood drained from their veins. To this end, they prefer to feed on willing victims, but make no mistake that they have no qualms with maiming and killing those that get in their way. These willing victims mostly comprise the many lovers and suitors a Dehlmian may have, not realizing they are but a means to an end. Others are cultists and acolytes, love struck by their mistress/master, who would do anything for the mere chance to bask in their dark beauty. The Dehlmians can at times be fickle, and most feel little regret for ending "playthings" that they tire of. Despite the strangeness of feeding on willing victims, it is actually genius in how fewer questions are asked when people don't just up and disappear. They tend to try not to drain their victims dry in one sitting, to keep their supply of blood safe, and also to not have to worry about cleaning up a dead body from the streets or graveyards.
The Dehlmians are spies and manipulators perfected to a horrifying level. One Dehlmian vampire can bring about the end of nations and empires, and they have. They specialize in hiding their vampiric features better than other bloodlines, able to almost completely pass for a regular mortal to all but the most experienced hunters. All of it is to benefit their Mother in Darkness, Yahelor, and her eventually rule of the greatest nation in the world. For this, they must be better than anyone else, and this is why the Dehlmians do not play nicely to the other bloodlines, which is saying something given how hostile the bloodlines already are to one another. To the Dehlmians, there can only be their strain of vampirism, and none may enjoy the pleasures and excess of unlife unless they themselves allow for it.

"Burning Passion, Endless Desire"

Type

Geopolitical, Clan

Alternative Names

Scarlet Hearts, Scarlet Sisterhood