Lords of the Night

"And it used to happen, in days of old--
Quite a few men became garwolves,
And set up housekeeping in the woods.
A garwolf is a savage beast,
While the fury's on it, at least:
Eats men, wreaks evil, does no good,
Living and roaming in the deep wood."

BISCLAVRET
Marie de France

The Old World Covenant assembles a myriad of minor witch-covens, lone revenants and independent occultists within its ranks, but by far the most prominent members of the congregation are the six unholy bloodlines of the deathless undying. These vampiric broods and lycanthropic packs each descend from the blood-curse of six mighty ancestors who consorted with the Devil to acquire their occult power and immortality. The bloodlines wield the true power in the Covenant, and it is their tenuous alliance alone that holds the organization together.
Although there are a handful of undead mongrels in the Covenant who do not belong to a vampiric bloodline, their power and influence pales in comparison to those revenants hailing from the three great dynasties of the bloodthirsty damned. The Moriendi of Southern Europe are the eldest of these bloodlines, although the Draculesti of Eastern Europe are arguably the most powerful. The Aldestadts of Western Europe are relative newcomers, but bring with them the fresh blood of the enlightenment.

Tʜᴇ Mᴏʀɪᴇɴᴅɪ Bʀᴏᴏᴅ

Brood-masters: The founding Brood-master was Morienus Romanus, the Alchemist of the Catacombs, risen 664. He perished in 1542, slain in battle by Voivode Vlad III Draculea of the Draculesti. He was succeeded as Brood-master by Domitilla Romana.

Brood-mates: Domitilla Romana, risen 822 (current Brood-master). Nicomedes Romanus, risen 1012. Marcus Beneventi, risen 1069. Lucretia Pesaro, risen 1283. Lionardo De Marco, risen 1356. Jani Digieni of Naples, risen 1403. Enessa Ismaili, risen 1578. Dimitri Maroules of Mykonos, risen 1693. Petar Blagojevic of Kisilova, risen 1725 (destroyed in 1726).

Related Vampire Breeds: Greek Mormi and Mormolyciae. Italian Manes. Romanian Moroi and Moroaice. Romani Muroni and Mulle. Slovakian Mora and Nelapsi. Hungarian Nora. Serbian Noćniki. Croatian Morana.

History and Territory: The Moriendi brood is the oldest of the vampiric bloodlines, infesting much of Southern Europe and the Balkans. Their territory ranges across Italy, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Slovenia and Croatia. The bloodline's founder, patrician alchemist Morienus Romanus, once ruled over his brood from the catacombs of Rome, but he was killed in 1542 during a feud with the Draculesti vampires over the territory of Bulgaria. His eldest fledgling, Domitilla Romana, inherited control of the bloodline. Domitilla wisely capitulated to the territorial demands of their rivals, and eventually she directed her brood to join the Old World Covenant in 1590. The Moriendi were quickly recognised as one of the largest and most powerful sects in the Covenant, although with their original founder dead, they never quite recovered the influence and prestige that the Draculesti usurped from them.

Typical Characteristics: Moriendi vampires tend to be the most secretive and wretched of the blood-drinking revenants. They often sire vampires from amongst the destitute or the downtrodden; those who would not be missed by mortal society. They prefer not to live amongst humankind in their cities, but skulk around in crypts, graveyards and catacombs instead, slaking their thirst on vermin and unwary interlopers. Those few that do gravitate towards urban areas tend to make use of the sewers and other subterranean places, away from the bustle of ordinary life. The Moriendi favour the powers of Nebulism and Illusionism to better conceal their movements, and for this reason, they are often utilised as messengers, investigators and spymasters by the Old World Covenant.

Tʜᴇ Dʀᴀᴄᴜʟᴇsᴛɪ Bʀᴏᴏᴅ

Brood-masters: The founding Brood-master was Vlad III Draculea, the Impaler Prince of Wallachia, risen 1477. He is currently dormant, slumbering beneath Targoviste Castle in Wallachia, Romania. In his absence, Alexandru II Mircea has been delegated his authority.

Brood-mates: Maria, Ilona and Elena, the Brides of Dracula, risen 1483, 1512 and 1534. Alexandru II Mircea of Wallachia, risen 1577 (delegate Brood-master). Countess Erzsebet Bathory de Ecsed, risen 1584 (Executed in 1614). Mihai Viteazul, risen 1601. Lady Licia Bathory de Simolin, risen 1647. Viorel Dumetru, risen 1690. Stefan Bodrozic, risen 1725.

Related Vampire Breeds: Romanian Strigoi and Strigoaice. Hungarian Striga and Izcacus. Bulgarian Krvoijacs. Greek Striges and Lamiai. Italian Streghe. Polish Stryzgi. Belarusian Stryhi. Albanian Shtrige and Lugat.

History and Territory: The Draculesti are the most influential bloodline of the Old World Covenant, as well as its co-founders, alongside the Vseslavichi werewolves. The heart of their domain is the ancestral land of Wallachia in Romania, while their other holdings are found in Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Slovakia, as well as parts of Czechia and Serbia. The Draculesti are also the largest bloodline in the Covenant, with cadet branches including the Hungarian House of Bathory. The founder of the dynasty is none other than Voivode Vlad III Draculea, so infamously cruel—even in life—that his enemies knew him as the Impaler Prince. The old Voivode has retired from sight since the 1600's, sleeping the sleep of ages beneath Targoviste Castle in Wallachia. His seat in the Covenant is currently held by his first male fledgling and blood-descendant, Alexandru II Mircea, who reigns in his stead.

Typical Characteristics: Draculesti vampires are often aristocratic and domineering by nature. They tend to be culled from the ranks of Eastern Europe's noble families, particularly descendants of the Romanian House of Basarab, to which Draculea himself once belonged. Draculesti vampires surround themselves with servitors, retainers and familiars, endeavouring to accumulate ever more wealth and power over the centuries. To facilitate such luxuries, the Draculesti frequently learn the enthralling powers of Hypnotism and Animalism, bending the minds of man and beast alike to their wills. For the Old World Covenant itself, the honour of providing convenient servants, guards and willing blood-donors to accommodate Sabbath gatherings typically falls to the Draculesti.

Tʜᴇ Aʟᴅᴇsᴛᴀᴅᴛ Bʀᴏᴏᴅ

Brood-masters: The founding Brood-master was and still remains Sieur Karel van Aldestadt, Knight of the Graven Hage, risen 1547. He is currently active and presiding over the brood from his manorial estate in the city of London, England.

Brood-mates: Isaac Myerscough, risen 1590. Diederik de Vries of Eindhoven, risen 1567. Priscilla van der Berg, risen 1599. Aloysius of Rotterdam, risen 1614 (slain in 1616). Lady Isabel Devescy, Duchess of Gascony, risen 1629. Audric and Godric Edwards, both risen 1753. Mila Mertens of Liege, risen 1772. Rafael de Rosiere of Versailles, risen 1783.

Related Vampire Breeds: Classic English Vampires. Dutch Uitzuiger and Bloedzuiger. German Blutsauger and Nachtzutzler. Irish Dearg-Due and Neamh-Mairbh. Scottish Baobhan-Sith. Polish Vjesci.

History and Territory: The members of the Aldestadt Brood stake their claim over much of North-western Europe, with Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany under their territorial rights. The founder and head of the family is Sieur Karel van Aldestadt, formerly a Dutch Knight from the Hague, who seeks to improve the position of his brood by secretly subverting the bloodlines of Eastern Europe.

Typical Characteristics: Aldestadt vampires tend to be shrewd, opportunistic and devious, and have embraced the mercantile middle class as a rising force in the Old World, desiring to shift the scales of power in their favour.
Wolves are pack-animals by nature, and lone wolves rarely thrive in the wilderness for long. The same is true for werewolves. The lycanthropic bloodlines comprise those pack collectives who share common descent from one of the three great founders. The savage and barbaric Ulfhednar tribe of Northern Europe are the eldest of these families. The haughty Vseslavichi dynasty reigns over the werewolves of Eastern Europe, and the bourgeois Bisclavrets represent the werewolves of Western Europe and of the Renaissance.

Tʜᴇ Uʟғʜᴇᴅɴᴀʀ Pᴀᴄᴋ

Pack-masters: The founding Pack-master was Ulf 'Kveldulf' Bjalfason, the Night-Wolf of Sygnafylki, risen 872. He perished in 1479, slain in battle by Vseslav Bryachislavich of the Vseslavichi. He was succeeded as Pack-master by Ruprecht von Wildenstein.

Pack-mates: Mathilde Langerud, risen 952 (Slain in 1479). Erik Bengtson of Ansbach, risen 1250 (Slain in 1479). Herr Ruprecht von Wildenstein of Bavaria, risen 1403 (Current Pack-master), Peter Stumpf, the Werewolf of Bedburg, risen 1564 (Executed by townsfolk in 1589). Thiess of Kaltenbrun, the Livonian Werewolf, risen 1685. Ingrid Byquist, risen 1762.

Related Werewolf Breeds: Nordic Vargar, Varulfar and Hamrammar. Germanic Garwulvar. Austrian Garwalfi. Finnish Vironsusi. Polish Pereverteni. Scottish Wulvers. Italian Gerulphi. Romanian Pricolici.

History and Territory: The werewolves of Northern Europe—those of Nordic and Germanic descent—owe their fealty to the Ulfhednar pack. This bloodline claims the Scandinavian lands of Norway, Sweden and Denmark as their own hunting ground, and they also lay claim to broad regions of Germany, Austria and Poland. The Ulfhednar pack was founded by the Nordic nobleman Ulf Bjalfason, better known as Kveldulf or the Night Wolf.

Typical Characteristics: Ulfhedinn werewolves tend to be much more savage, brutish and bloodthirsty than their Eastern and Western European counterparts. The Ulfhednar are almost always more at home in the forests and tundras of the north—running with wolves and chasing down live prey—rather than in the cities, hiding amongst the stink and squalor of humankind.

Tʜᴇ Vsᴇsʟᴀᴠɪᴄʜɪ Pᴀᴄᴋ

Pack-masters: The founding Pack-master was Vseslav Bryachislavich, the Sorcerer-Prince of Polotsk, risen 1101. He is currently dormant, slumbering in a crypt beneath the ruins of Polotsk Castle in Belarus. In his absence, Anja Vukovic has inherited his authority.

Pack-mates: Rostislav Rogvolodovich of Polotsk, risen 1129 (Slain in 1479). Anja Vukovic, the Bitch-Queen of Belgorod, risen 1303 (delegate Pack-master). Ivanna Shevchenko of Lviv, risen 1490. Konrad Bernatsky of Kyiv, risen 1590. Andrejscu Meszaros, the Butcher of Lublin, risen 1690. Cecylia Kowalczyk, risen 1709. Alexei Mikhailov, risen 1763.

Related Werewolf Breeds: Slavic Varkolaki and Vurdalaki. Romanian Varcolaci. Ukrainian Vovkulaki and Vovkuni. Lithuanian Vilkolakis and Vilkatas. Polish Wilkolaki. Greek Vrycolacs and Brucolacs.

History and Territory: The werewolves of Eastern Europe answer solely to the Vseslavichi. The Vseslavichi claim Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and parts of Poland and Russia as their territory. Their founder and namesake, the legendary Ukrainian sorcerer-prince Vseslav Bryachislavich, was slain in combat by the Voivode Draculea. Anja Vukovic, the Bitch-Queen of Belgorod, has since taken leadership of the pack.

Typical Characteristics: The proudest of the lycanthropic dynasties, these fierce Slavic wolf-lords fancy themselves warrior-philosophers, and a respectable assemblage of soldiers, knights, scholars and occultists can be found amongst their ranks.

Tʜᴇ Bɪsᴄʟᴀᴠʀᴇᴛ Pᴀᴄᴋ

Pack-masters: The founding Pack-master was and remains to be Darien Renaud, the Wolf-Baron of Languedoc, risen 1520. He is still active and governing his Bisclavret Pack from a ruined keep within the Forest of Fontanilles in Southern France.

Pack-mates: Baronne Anne Renaud of Languedoc, risen 1524. Sebastien and Guillemine Renaud, both risen 1524. Jean de Nynauld, author of De la lycanthropie, risen 1601. Florian Legault, risen 1652. Vicomte de Gabardan, risen 1690. Lysandra Demerville, risen 1753. Jean-Pierre Chastel, the Beast of Gevaudan, risen 1764 (Slain by Jean Chastel in 1767).

Related Werewolf Breeds: Classic English Werewolves. French Loup-garou and Leu-Garoul. Spanish Licantropos and Lobisones. Portugese Lobisomens. Italian Lupomannari and Versipelles. Greek Lycanthropi.

History and Territory: The Bisclavrets preside over France, Switzerland, and parts of Northern Spain and Portugal. Their founder and leader is the Baron Darien Renaud, one of the great terrors of the French countryside. His favoured whelp, the late Jean-Pierre Chastel, was none other than the infamous Beast of Gevaudan.

Typical Characteristics: The Bisclavret bloodline presides over the Romantic werewolf tradition, patterning themselves after the noble lycanthropes of antiquity. Bisclavret werewolves tend to rely on guile, cunning and deviousness in order to survive, though they are no less ruthless than other werewolves when confronted.