#fledgling chronicles

Vampires don’t count their human years when giving their ages, something that greatly annoys any fledgling who’s ever been informed that they are two. And like any mortal two year old, they will always be under the watchful eyes of their elders. 

Newborns are vampires in their first year; they feed almost entirely on their maker and other clan members’ blood. While newborn vampires do have enhanced senses and are stronger/faster than the average human, they’re easy targets for other supernaturals and hunters. It’s rare to see a newborn vampire. 

Nestlings are vampires between one and twenty-five/thirty.  They become more independent at this stage, but are still kept close to the nest, so to speak. Nestlings learn to feed on humans, start developing their powers, and will follow their makers to community events.

Fledgling technically refers to vampires between twenty/thirty and hundred, but is also used generically to mean, ‘young vampire’. A vampire becomes a fledgling once they stop feeding off their maker’s aura and their instincts allow them to leave their maker’s side for long periods of time. 

Juvenile is the term commonly used to refer to vampires between 100 and 250/300. The term is holdover from the time prior to the Black Death when vampires of this age were legally adults, but not allowed to turn anyone or hold positions of authority. More modern vampires prefer the term, ‘adult’.

Elders are vampires who’ve developed a second power which normally happens around 250 to 300 years of age. In the past, this would be the age someone would be considered fully an adult and even now elders are favored when it comes to leadership roles.

I”m still working out the details, but here’s the basics of my vampires’ religious beliefs. 

The Striges (vampires) originated from the Minoan civilization and are polytheistic. While the Greek and Egyptian pantheons are particularly popular, they, in true Classical fashion, have plenty of room on the altar for any useful god they discover and different clans have their own patron deities. Among these deities are the honored ancestors.

Lamia, Grandmother of all Vampires, is the most honored of these ancestors and a goddess in her own right. According to their lore, the blood of the gods – the Minoan Snake Goddess to be exact – ran through Lamia’s veins and thus has been passed on to every vampire.

A belief that does help to explain their arrogance.

Every bloodline has their own honored ancestors, a personal pantheon of decreased grandsires and aunts who can be consulted and prayed to. If at all possible, clans like to have a relic from the ancestor; normally a braid of hair, but a tooth or shard of bone isn’t unheard of. All vampires are cremated among death to release their souls and keep their secret safe; keeping these relics give vampires something to visit and it is believed that it makes contacting them easier.

And contact them, vampires do.

New members of the clan are introduced to the ancestors, they’re consulted before important decisions, and included in events. Different bloodlines have their own favored methods of divination, but all are used to interpret the advice of the ancestors.

Normally it’s impossible to tell that you’re looking at a vampire; they are amazing good at blending in with humans. However, I adore the ‘eyes change colors when things get serious’ trope, therefore I want to use it. 

Donors are, quite simply, humans who know vampires exist and are willing to be fed on in exchange for a nice salary. As the vampires of Fledgling Chronicles only drink roughly a cup of blood at a time it’s a safe enough job and donors only feed vampires once every two to three weeks. 

Donors can be public, working at a restaurant or donor house, or private, working for a single vampire or clan. Not only does having a donor save the vampire a hunting trip, but they can be sure donors are healthy and sober. Getting second-hand high on accident can be quite the harrowing experience. 

The most common issue in modern times? Needing to remove surgical implants post-turning. I mean, really, think about it: how many people have surgical steel in their bodies? Pacemakers? Stents? Some of these things are safe enough to leave in place, but a lot need to come out after becoming a vampire.

Anyone remember the movie, the Purge? These guys are the type of people who would purge on Saturday then go to church on Sunday and see no irony in this.

Vampires are urban creatures who prefer to be outnumbered by humans, often living in places where they make up less than .1% of the population. They are also highly social and live in communities which are commonly known as domains or principalities. 

These principalities are ruled by a princeps and normally include multiple cities with the principality bearing the name of the prineips’ personal city. 

The princips - sometimes translated as princess, but often left in Latin -  uses the honorific, ‘your majesty’ and their clan - all of them regardless of relation - are given the title, ‘princess/prince’ and use the honorific, ‘your highness’.

Under the princips are the lieges of various cities or neighborhoods in the case of large cities, such as New York City. These sometimes use liege as their title, other times they prefer lady/lord; they use the honorific, ‘your grace’. They used to call themselves ‘dukes’ but that has largely fallen out of favor. The Latin title used is regulum. Members of these noble clans use the title dominum in both languages and the honorific, ‘my lady/lord’.

The princeps, of course, has a council. Actually there are three councils.

The first is the princeps’ personal council; made up of advisors and ministers that keep an eye on the community’s dealings and advise the princeps on matters. They are normally made up of the members of noble clans. If a vampire is intelligent enough to advise the princeps then surely their clan is smart enough to hold a city. Smaller, less desirable cities can be given to the clans of council members if they don’t have their own; if they can’t manage to keep those then they are off the council. Members of this council are all called councilors or ministers and use the honorific, ‘your grace’. Ambassadors - also included in the council - use the honorific, ‘your excellency’.

The other two councils are the Council of Nobles, which is just the lieges of the area who gather to vote on matters, and the Council of Matriarchs (or Parriarchs as some communities are now calling it), which all clan leaders are a part of and are also allowed to vote on some matters.