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The Coven
by Mira, The Fire Starter

The earliest memories of nightwalkers have been swallowed by time, leaving behind a black void in the past. I’ve seen no proof to say that we were created by either an all-knowing god or an evil devil. We exist with our past, present, and future forever tied to man’s survival. Unfortunately, that enlightened understanding has not permeated all the ranks of my kind. You cannot give vampiric powers to creatures that were once weak and frail, and then hope he or she will retain some shred of humanity.

Once such new powers are attained, the first thing a fledgling nightwalker will seek to do is the subjugation of any and all weaker creatures. Humans are a natural target, but one soon grows bored with the ease at which humans are terrorized. Other nightwalkers become the new target.

From this instinct, Our Liege was born. In general, the position has always been filled by an Ancient, a nightwalker who has existed for at least one thousand years. A nightwalker takes the position of Liege by destroying the previous ruler and holds it as long as he or she exists. There is no such thing as election, terms, or retirement.

Each Liege has been distinctly different from each other. Some have taken a very heavy-handed approach to ruling, demanding things like regular tribute and attendance at court. However, the last few rulers have been very reserved in their demands and appearances. In fact, there are at least three in our history in which there is no written record of their names. This secrecy includes out current ruler. I’ve heard no one speak his name and he is generally only seen by those closest to him and the Coven.

While many claim this is due to a preference for privacy, there is also the fact that the past six rulers held the highest seat in Venice (home of the Coven) for very brief period of time.

It is believed after the fall of the Roman Empire, the ruling vampire preferred to withdraw from politics during the ensuing upheaval. The ruling nightwalker chose his four closest confidants as the first members of the Coven. They would decide on all matters using a majority rule. In the event of a tie, Our Liege would cast all final decision. Our Liege, naturally, has the power to overrule all decisions made by the Coven.

A place on the Coven is attained the same way as taking the position of Liege – by destroying another member. Of course, by taking a seat as an Elder, it must be defended not only from all of those wanting your seat, but also from existing Elders angered by your claim to power. An Elder is more frequently attacked than Our Liege in terms of those seeking to wrest power.

It is very rare for a seat on the Coven to be left vacant. Elders generally fall to others seeking a seat on the Coven. Should a seat be left vacant, Our Liege can name a nightwalker to the opening, but the nightwalker will not be defended by Our Liege from attackers. A nightwalker can also claim the opening, but must be able to defend the position.

The Court of the Coven is a place of merciless politics, backstabbing, torture, and debauchery. If you are not a target of their elaborate plots and schemes, it can be rather amusing. Sadly, the Court of the Coven did not decay to this level of base and petty activity. The Court started here and had never sought to grow past it.

The Coven makes decisions about the lives of nightwalker and the direction of our kind on occasion. Furthermore, presentation before the Coven has become a Rite of Passage for all fledglings. Many do not appear until they reach their first century, simply because they are not strong enough to survive the rigors of the ordeal. The fledglings are generally presented by their makers or whoever owns them at the time. The stay within the Court can last from a few days to several years depending on several factors such as strength of the maker, strength and/or interest of the fledgling, maker’s standing within the Coven, and/or if there are any other interesting fledglings being presented.

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