Article - About the World of Vampires Realm

Everyone who knows me knows that I adore writing dark vampires, ones who will kill without apology and see humans as a food source. I enjoy exploring their darker nature, the side of their legend that a lot of authors tend to avoid in favour of a lighter kind of vampire (those who like bagged blood, abstain completely, or possibly sparkle). Like my vampires, I make no apologies for their behaviour. They fight, they love, they kill, and they do what they must to survive.

The world of the seven pure bloodlines in the Vampires Realm series is dark and deadly, and the lives of the vampires are complicated by hierarchies, rules and laws that spell certain death to anyone who dares to break them by falling in love with a human, werewolf or a vampire from another family. But it doesn’t stop these passionate creatures of the night from following their hearts, fighting for their love, and taking on the world to claim their forever after.

Now that I've talked a little about the world in general, here's more about the different factions involved in the series.

First, you have the vampires. There are two separate species of vampire in the series. The series focuses on the pureblood vampire families, of which there are seven separate ones. These pureblood vampires are extremely powerful, live in families complete with hierarchies and leaders, and rarely mix with the other bloodlines. They view humans as a food source for the most part, and the weakling vampires with disdain, and the vampire hunters as just a means of controlling the weakling vampire population. They have rules they obey and their own police force of sorts—the Law Keepers. They’re the apex predator on our planet and most of us don’t even know they exist.

These seven separate pure and powerful bloodlines share Europe, and sometimes cities (but never willingly and never without some serious confrontations). Each has a long bloody history with the others and all have been involved in wars with each other throughout the millennia. They are territorial and more often than not at least two bloodlines are at each other’s throats. Despite the battles that often rage between their families, humans are for the most part unaware of the existence of vampires. Only those unfortunate enough to find themselves on the menu or those who have survived an encounter and become a vampire hunter know of them.

Each bloodline is distinguished by their eye colour when they reveal their true appearance, flashing fangs and calling on the stronger side of their nature. The Caelestis have emerald irises and share the city of Prague with the Aurorea, who have lapis blue eyes. The Nocens are known by their amber eyes and live in Budapest. The Vehemens have red irises and reside in the city of Oslo and the Tenebrae have obsidian eyes and choose to live in remote Romania. The final two bloodlines share the city of Saint Petersburg and are the Venia, with their ice-blue eyes, who live in the city, and the mighty Validus, with their royal purple eyes, who live in the countryside near it.

Each family shares the same ruling hierarchy. There is always a lord or lady, who leads the bloodline, followed by a Chosen Son and Chosen Daughter. These two lower ranking, but powerful, vampires are selected by the current lord or lady. The title of ruler of the bloodline can pass to another in one of two ways. If someone outside of the bloodline kills the current ruler, the title passes to the designated next in line out of the Chosen Son and Chosen Daughter. If someone inside the bloodline kills the leader, the title passes to that vampire. Rulers change often during times of war between the bloodlines and with the increasing threat from hunters in the series.

Every bloodline has a contingent of guards to protect themselves, the strongest of which are the Watchmen belonging to the Validus bloodline, and many of them have compounds in which they keep enslaved werewolves they refer to as Guardians. Several of the bloodlines have come to set their werewolves free and employ them as protection in the daylight hours instead, causing unrest between the bloodlines.

Since the bloodlines are often involved in skirmishes with each other and the modern world is filled with danger and temptation, the vampires are policed by the Law Keepers. There are seven Law Keepers, one representative for each bloodline, and they are responsible for upholding the laws, including those that forbid inter-species relationships with werewolves, keeping of humans without intent to turn them, revelation of their species to a human unless intending to kill them, and dissolution of the bloodlines through cross-family relationships. All sins carry the same punishment. Death.

That isn’t to say that the Law Keepers themselves are beyond temptation. While they are supposed to be impartial and emotionless when it comes to their duty and the observation, capture and sentencing of sinners, there is occasionally one among them who succumbs to temptation and breaks the law.

Most of the time, the vampire bloodlines remain apart, going about their business and rarely interacting with the other families. There are times when they come together though, and the main event in every high-ranking vampire’s year is the Creator Day masquerade, which has featured in several books in the series, including Masquerade.

The other side of the vampire world are the weakling vampires. They have all the traits of the pureblood vampires, but they lack the strength and superiors senses, agility and speed of their stronger kin. These vampires live in small packs, attempting to avoid running into the purebloods, loathing them from the shadows as they live their immortal lives surrounded by opulence and comfort. But it’s not only the purebloods they have to worry about. The vampires hunters primarily target them too, knowing they’re no match for a pureblood either and willing to focus on taking down the vampires they’re more equipped to deal with. The weaklings are still more powerful than humans though, and can hold their own against the best of their hunters.

Second, you have the werewolves. Most of the werewolves in Europe are owned by the seven pureblood vampire families, held in compounds and used as guardians to protect them in the daylight hours. Few have escaped this fate though and they have formed an extended pack called the free werewolves. The free werewolves are led by Dmitri, one of the oldest werewolves in existence, and a man who is actually mated to a pureblood vampire, Mia. Dmitri will do all in his power to free all werewolves from slavery, but he has recognised the power of diplomacy. During Masquerade, we learned that Dmitri has been working with the bloodline closest to his bastion, the mighty Validus, to begin convincing the other bloodlines to employ werewolves as opposed to enslave them.

Third, you have the hunters. Section Seven is the leading organisation of vampire hunters formed to combat the seven pure bloodlines of Europe, and also the weaklings. They are extensive and resourceful, and have shown that they will employ any tactic in order to elevate themselves to a level where they can take on the purebloods—including using vampire DNA to tamper with their hunters, giving them enhanced abilities and strength. Their attempts at playing God have led to them becoming a threat to the pureblood vampires and they are beginning to tip the balance of power and level the playing field.

As well as the vampires, the werewolves and the hunters, our world is populated by demons straight out of Hell, angels, and witches.

It’s a dangerous world out there, and sometimes it’s not the vampires we have to worry about.