Venexia Background Story

Venexia

 

Venetian Gothic

Beware the pale skinned ones that walk by night.
Know them by the stench of death that follows in their wake.
They are Noferati, fear them, for they are powerful.
Seek them while they sleep, and kill them when you can
Mankind your time is marked. Trust not to hope.
I see before me vision of Hell on Earth.
They shall rule where once you ruled.
You shall be hunted, as once you hunted lesser beasts.
God has forsaken you.
All this I see
All this shall be.

(Quote from Liber Infernalis).

History

Sometime in the middle ages a great plague swept the western world laying waste to all in its path.
The human population, and much of the animal, was decimated and only just managed to survive extinction.
Up to this point, and unbeknown to the humans, there had been a long establish society of Vampires living amongst them. The Vampires had always considered it best to keep their true natures hidden from humanity. This made for easier hunting and did not provoke any great war or persecutions such had been levelled against the witch Cult and and others.
They encouraged the beliefs that Vampires were just the imaginings of uneducated peasants and mad men, and that they were nothing more than myths and legends.
But now, with humanity in such a weakened state, and finding themselves almost untouched by the Plague, many amongst the Vampire Elders could see no reason to continue the “Masquerade” and hide themselves, when they were so obviously the dominant species.
And so, on the night of the great Masquerade, the Carnival of Souls, the veil was allowed to slip, and Vampires stepped forth from the shadows into the reality of humanity.
At first there was a period of uncontrolled feasting. This lasted many months. The Chosen laid waste to whole towns and villages in their lust for blood and their new found liberation.
But it soon became apparent to the Elders that to survive as a species Vampires would have to develop laws to protect the seriously depleted stocks of blood/ humans, or they would soon find themselves on the way to extinction.
An uneasy group of elders formed, the Great Archaos of the Age or Iron.
The  progenitors of the 7 sacred blood lines.
They would met in secret in the City Venexia.
Hidden behind veils of winter mists it served their purpose well,.
Standing in the great Eastern Lagoon, in the treacherous Shallows, it was very difficult of access, even by sea. Only a few Venxian sailors knew the secret passage through the shallow lagoon.
Because of this the City had been left very much undisturbed by whatever turmoil affected the rest of the western world over the centuries.
So the great black barques of the Archaos converged upon the Ports of Venexia.
Their ancient black sails casting long dark shadows across the city and it inhabitants.
At the first meeting they all agreed that the fighting and wholesale slaughter could not continue, it would mean the end of the race. Of course they argued back and forth for a long time, because none trusted the others, there was no good reason to agree, except to save themselves and their lines.
Finally they decided upon a course of action. They would make Venexia their base, their Court and build their lines here protecting them from the world until the others had fought it out and expired. Then the time would come for them to return and rule in the eight parts of the world unhindered by family tensions.
The elders made a pact to seed their line on Venexia and to sleep within sealed tombs there so their blood and bodies remained inviolate while their lines lived on in an uneasy alliance. None could agree who would rule, so a republic was created. Each line would rule their own house, but none would have absolute dominion over the court of Venexia.
A Vitim was chosen, prepared and sacrificed
The Pact was written in the victims blood, and was then signed by each Archaos in turn in their own blood.
It was then sealed in a metal casket and hidden in a secret location.
Thus the secret Vampire society that had existed for millennia with its hierarchy and strict codes of conduct replaced that of humanity.
And new laws were passed to protect the herd of Humanity from the excesses of their new Masters.
The humans did make attempts to fight back against this whole sale takeover, but it was almost impossible, as the Vampires were so much more powerful.
Soon a form of acceptance took hold, and the humans realised that as long as they did what was expected of them, they could live a relatively normal life.
Vampire society even seemed to flourish.
Over time the city developed its own style and social structure, the way of the Venexian Vampire.
Here they still hold the  Grande Masquerade every year in memory of the time when the Chosen kept themselves hidden, and to celebrate the great Revealing.
Here amongst gothic spires and dark canals, where the mist rises from the lagoon and cloaks the city in a shroud of mystery, the Covens of the Grand Court of the Chosen rule.
Here in this City of Venexia.

Last modified: November 8, 2011



3 Responses to “Venexia Background Story”

  1. […] Which brings me back to the actual RP itself… if one is interested in at the very least paying an eye to it, there is a sim forum with an extensive description of the background, clans, and plenty more information regarding the interaction between individuals.  It can seem a bit lengthy, but the background  is sensible, and not overwhelming (really).  To take a peek at it, please do head towards: http://community.socionex.com/venexia/venexia-background-story/ […]