Ketsueki; The Vampires Of Kirikagure

Clan Name: Ketsueki

Kekkai Genkai: Vampiristic tendencies

Clan Symbol: "Blood" Kanji

Country: Far North Of Water Country

History:

Origins:

In the far north of Water Country a new bloodline emerged. From amongst the bloody battles fought during the civil wars came a bloodline known as Ketsueki. Though only recently formed, it took a matter of weeks for that single letter to become the most infamous the north had ever seen. The Ketsueki’s kekkai genkai quickly fanned the flames of the ancient horror stories and folk tales that had been told for generation after generation. The stories of "The Vampires Of The North". Mothers would tell them at night to terrify children into behaving, soldiers fighting in the civil wars would bring reports of humans feeding on the corpses that littered the battlefields. A hushed silence would fall over a room every time that letter was mentioned, and each person within hearing distance would freeze and let their heart pound in their chest, fearing that they were only metres away from a vampire. It was almost the worst time for something like this to happen, with wars raging in every part of the country, and people being scared into believing the most outlandish things…a bloodline of vampires inevitably flooded the north with torrents of fear and suspicion.

Growth:

Over the next few generations the Ketsueki steadily began to grow. Slowly but surely monopolizing the entire north, whilst remaining practically unheard of in Kirikagure and the south. People died soundlessly in their sleep, many cremated or buried without anyone noticing the twin marks on their jugular vein. Very rarely the sheets would be saturated with blood. The Ketsueki could drain a person dry with spilling as much as a drop. Most of the strong bloodlines tended to be based around the capital, those in the north were small, and more importantly: weak. Easy targets for the fangs of the Ketsueki. One hundred years after they first arose into the public eye, the Ketsueki had managed to kill off almost a quarter of the competition. Three entire clans had gone without a trace. Obviously this caused the more major ones to become wary, fearing that they too would become victims of the vampires. Before they went to bed people locked their doors and bolted their windows, desperate to protect themselves. It didn’t work, in the morning the doors would always be found splintered on their hinges, glass scattered across the floor from where the windows had been shattered. And each and everytime the victims bedrooms would be flooded with blood. It became clear that the Ketsueki were trying to make themselves known, instilling bouts of fear wherever they could. It would take another one hundred years before the people would get their revenge, but until then they were to live their lives inside a horror story, scenes from a five-year olds nightmare played out every night across the region. To go out past midnight was regarded as suicide, those who decided to ignore the begging of their families were found at dawn, often with their faces still twisted in surprise.

Bloodline Massacres:

After the civil wars died down, much of Water Country was left in poverty, thousands left starving. The government was too poor to help, fearing another rebellion they started blaming the bloodlines for all their troubles. The conspiracy spread like wild fire, within days clans were being massacred across the entire country. Most bloodlines either fled or hid, concealing their abilities to avoid being killed. Running away was not in the Ketsueki's nature, instead they fought back in a hail of bloodied pillows and trashed bedrooms. The amount of people dying in their sleep rose to even greater heights, and so did the violent nature of the attacks. Blood would be found in huge splashings of crimsons, up the walls, bordering the smashed glass…There would be little left of the victims sheets that retain their original colour, painted a gory shade of red by their owners death. Despite their reputation the ruthlessness of the Ketsueki was drastically underestimated, military groups who attempted to storm Ketsueki houses were violently killed. Ancient folk tales resurfaced and entire towns were said to be flooded with the blood of people who had stupidly tried to attack the vampires. Fighting in the North died down after a while, if not in the South as well; thirty vampires dead, hundreds of citizens dead beside them. The casualties were honored and buried regardless of their species, human and Ketsueki side by side in their graves. More stories for the next generation, human and vampire alike.

Approved.