The Sanguine Night Courts

The Sanguine Night Courts (or simply the Night Family) is a collection of Fullbringers (Kindred) who are all afflicted by the same ‘disease’, a blood blessing starting from an individual long ago that has since spread to other humans over time and in turn has created entire bloodlines with social constructs and rules. They are joined together by both familial blood ties created by the connection the disease grants. Though they were indeed those fearsome monsters of yore, feared by humans and carried down by tales, they have since mostly adapted to more modern sensibilities.



Humanity
Utmost respect and hospitality. Previous conflicts and troubles have taught the lesson that overindulgence is detrimental to their survival, and that they shouldn’t view humans merely as food, no matter how terrible their hunger may pull them. A culture of exchange has long since been instilled in the majority of courts; give entertainment or goods and in turn, take modest amounts of blood. Many Kindred, especially of younger generations, aren’t so keen on these ideas, but it keeps them from being actively hunted and killed.

Shinigami
Uneasy; they have had more problematic members slain by them in the past and therefore are cautious of them, but most Kindred have the understanding to simply allow them to fulfill their roles and to keep away. Punishment by one’s elders is expected for fooling around.

Quincies
Given they possess weapons that are capable of inflicting incredible harm or even killing them outright due to the blessing’s effect on their bodies and souls causing them to be more hollow than human in nature, fear and extreme caution of them is the typical response of the average Kindred. Recent events have caused murmurs and discussion to reconsider their stance to stay away.

Hollows & Arrancar
Far more tempting than humans to eat, younger or less controlled members are strictly banned from feeding off them due to the higher potency of negative emotion in their blood compared to humans, often causing destructive highs or lasting addictions. Older blood is typically sampled and carefully portioned into food or drinks for a form of recreational drug.

Shadowfall & Demonkind
Extreme hatred, embittered grudges running throughout the bloodline. They are viewed as beings of pure excess that have taken the sanity of previously outstanding members of the society with their ‘wicked blood’. They were an enthusiastic part of the effort to remove and exterminate them.



Communal Support. Kindred are very close-knit and live with their Court, being siblings and parent Kindred, but occasionally get combed into other Courts should anything happen to their original family. It’s partway between unlikely and loosely forbidden for a Kindred to go unaccounted for, thus a given Kindred will always have some form of social safety net if they’re in trouble or need a place to go.

Given this level of connectivity, that in turn means their access to blood and work is better off. Living in these small, family-oriented communities enables the average Kindred’s thirst to at least be placated by the efforts and sharing of their relatives; blood is sourced via means that don’t require killing people, such as harvested from recently deceased bodies or, most frequently, from cattle owned by an older relative. Older Kindred own a small company in whatever country their Court lives in, normally in modest professions that enable them a way to get blood like healthcare, agriculture, or entertainment.

Origins

The origin of the blessing is mostly unclear, outside of a story told in a fairytale-like fashion:

‘A long time ago, in an age forgotten to most, there lived a young child. He was born with a tremendous gift, to heal those he held dear. But one by one, this child’s life would exceed them, each and every one whom his gift aided would eventually wither and die. This tragedy of existence would warp the child’s heart; the joy of restoring the health would rot into a cavern within their being. Then, an understanding born of that festering heart would bloom - rather than merely heal, they should erase the mere ability to eventually die.’

‘Therefore, the child took this festering heart, and gifted it to many they had brought back from the brink, saving them from a lonely death of age. But, in turn, it emptied them, and within this emptiness, was a terrible hunger born. This hunger in turn led to the child feasting on the essence of all of those they had gifted, but even with it’s hearts’ contents returned, they still felt that festering craving.’

‘Eventually that maddening, cavernous void would birth a new understanding: the yearning to create a family much like themselves, and in turn to feast of that family in return. One by one, the child would approach lonely souls much like their own, as if drawn to them by fate, and thus were the Kindred born of that sharing of flesh.’

The Blessing

When one is at their lowest, when one is closest to death, when one is feeling the aching void of loneliness that an impending death hails - is when a Kindred is most likely to visit them. As if drawn to these souls by fate, the offering to partake of their flesh for a life everlasting is gifted, and if that offered blood and flesh is consumed, the pact is sealed, and if survived… The human is transformed evermore.

That blessing gifts one with the power over blood running through the veins of all Kindred, of their Progenitor, though it’s potency is weaker the further down the bloodline one is; a Kindred of a Higher Court is more likely to produce potent offspring than that of a Lower Court for instance. It corrupts their soul with a Hollow-like nature, changing them into a Fullbringer - however their object of interest is blood and always will be blood; the difference will be in how the individual shapes and conducts this blood. Primarily their place of starting will be shaped by whatever Kindred had turned them in the first place, often inheriting and even learning the skills and techniques of their betters to shape their power.

A Kindred can possess significantly more blood than the average human, the majority of their blood stores being converted into Reiryoku as nourishment and only tapped into when battling or bloodletting. Their ‘core’ is their transformed hearts, the conduit of this conversion process.

With this, it also gifts one with a remarkable healing factor - an ability to survive grievous injury or distress as long as they are properly satiated, and overall the very blood running through them having a potent healing effect in controlled doses for the sick or injured.

This power over blood is restricted to blood that is considered ‘theirs’ - as in blood they have already absorbed or the blood of lesser Kindred; in turn this gives Kindred higher up on the bloodstream a degree of control over their lessers.

There are natural limits to this blood’s spread and effects, however:

A Kindred can only produce three living offspring at a time. One of their kin would have to die or otherwise have all of their blood removed to replace them. If the body of said kin is irrecoverable, it would take considerable amounts of blood for a Kindred to be viable to create another again.

Only living humans can become Kindred. Meaning any race that falls under the banner of human are the only ones capable of being turned, as it is a state thought to be firmly fixed between life and death. If a soul were to consume the amount of blood required to create a Kindred, they would hollowfy. Those of the Hollow race would simply be consuming another hollow by comparison.

Any who are turned by a Kindred will lose their natural abilities. They are replaced with the blood-based abilities of whatever Court they belong to. Energy levels are not affected and unique spins on these abilities are not out of the question either, but consider your entire natural arsenal irreversibly changed.

The blessing must be willfully accepted. The recipient of the blood cannot deny it, else it’s transformative properties will not take effect. For this reason is why Kindred whom have children with those outside the bloodline will not produce more Kindred nor is hybridization possible via a Kindred’s influence; only a normal healthy child will be born, at most be born a normal Fullbringer if the Kindred is the mother.

However, the other side of this coin, if two Kindred were to procreate despite the taboo against this, it will create a child who will obtain the blessing twofold, as it is blood coming upon blood - a severely malformed child incapable of living past ten days will be born. This is considered a form of willful incest within the Courts, and is punished severely.

The Progenitor

The sharing of blood as a curative runs all the way back to their Progenitor, and in turn is their greatest threat as a species; the source of this disease is alive and well, and occasionally comes around to collect on his ‘investment’. This is a part of the Sanguine Nights’ motivations for remaining so controlled and secret - their Progenitor awakes occasionally to come select a Kindred to devour, out of interest in maintaining his ability to heal and persist.

None of the Kindred are able to oppose him due to the blood bond affecting all of them, and any attempts to oppose their parent’s wishes have ended in them merely becoming sustenance. Hotblooded or otherwise reckless and overindulgent individuals are the highest on the list to be devoured, but this has shifted to demon blood-afflicted Kindred that are kept out of the public’s eye and surrendered so that their sane members may not be selected.

Their Progenitor is a kind soul at heart, the mind and spirit of a child wrapped within unfathomable power; he takes not out of malice or spite, but rather genuine care - albeit twisted by his emptied heart. Many younger Kindred are cautioned to not form a proper relation with him nor speak to him at length; befriending what ultimately is no longer human is a path to nowhere, and the ‘betrayal’ of being feasted on until none remains will sting all the more.

Common Physiology & Psychology

Upon turning, a fresh Kindred will experience several physical changes:

The slowing of their natural blood flow. This creates a pale complexion and a lower average body temperature. Their heart’s beating will slow considerably in their relaxed state as well, only heating up when actively using their blood. It’s a phenom often referred to as ‘Blood Freezing’ or ‘Cooling of the Blood’.

A reddening of the irises. The amount of red can greatly vary, but oftentimes one’s eyes will at the very least be tinted red. The higher on the blood stream, the more concentrated this tinting appears to be, those of the Higher Courts tending to have the reddest eyes; it’s a point of beauty and esteem in their community.

The replacing of the teeth and the sharpening of one’s nails. Newborn Kindred will gradually lose their human teeth much like a young child would, sharper and more refined incisors replacing them. Their nails are more durable and sharp, though common practice is to cut or blunt them so as to not be an inconvenience in day to day life.

Fortifying of the flesh. If one was a typical human before changing, they will notice their body is overall improved; they are naturally stronger, faster, and more durable than the average person, though this ranges from supernatural levels down to simply starting on the higher end of humanity’s capabilities.

As well as psychological changes:

The Blood Bond. That which forges such strong psychological attachments to fellow Kindred, is that loneliness they felt as a human made cavernous, to be fulfilled by external forces. These familial ties are strong, down to the instincts - one can know where they are on the blood stream by merely being in the presence of other Kindred, and to a limit degree can sense the mood of others by the echoes of their blood.

This enables Kindred a sort of additional sense, that helps them locate and relate to other Kindred, as well as gives them a natural inclination to respect or fear their elders; for many the mere thought of going against or harming those higher on the bloodline is unbearable, but this instinct can be overcome with considerable amounts of willpower.

Because of this psychological change and the state they were mostly in upon conversion, most Kindred simply forget their old lives with enough time.

Food blandness. Normal foods are unspeakably bland to Kindred, especially after having their first touch of blood. They can be consumed without issue, and still obtain nutritional benefit from eating as expected, but a Kindred made to eat only normal food with no blood will surely go mad in most instances; like having gone from eating a wonderful banquet to nothing but rice crackers.

A thirst for blood. This drive for blood is purely psychological, a need to fill the void in themselves, not too much unlike a Hollow’s own hunger. A Kindred will instinctively crave and seek out blood; within blood is something they are comparatively lacking in - the heat of emotion, the drive of conviction, the struggle of life: that red hot vitality is what a Kindred starves for, and that of a satisfying quantity is something most commonly found within humans. Feasting on blood hot with this vitality empowers and nourishes a Kindred, though overindulgence within a short period shown to push their bodies and abilities to their very limits, capable of comfortably operating at such a height as long as they remain overfull; but in turn this could cause them to go rabid for far more blood than they could reasonably sustain on, and often is the cause to put them to death.

A fear of running water. The mere sound or smell of running water brings incredible discomfort or illness to the Kindred. It’s entirely a psychological barrier, mostly akin to a severe phobia that all of them appear to share through their blood. It’s possible to conquer this instinctive disgust with willpower or repeated exposure, but it’ll always put a sour taste in one’s mouth. Still or slow flowing water is fine to interact with; normally a pool or lake of clean water is maintained near their dwellings and business.

Universal Weaknesses

Sunlight Sensitivity
Due to the changes to their eyes and skin, it in turn makes them more sensitive to sunlight. It can be mitigated by simply wearing some form of eye and skin protection, but the average Kindred chooses to live in regions with less direct sunlight out of mere convenience.

Fire
Burning a Kindred ensures that their body will have a harder time regenerating, and can kill them outright under the right conditions.

Quincy Weaponry
Given their far more prominent hollow aspects, it in turn makes them susceptible to the Quincy's soul-destroying weaponry. Even minor contact with soul-synthesized metals can cause a Kindred to develop a burning rash, so incredible caution around them and minimal contact is strictly enforced.

Heart
Though a Kindred can prove to be a monstrous force with sufficient feeding and experience, there is a single thing they must protect with everything they are - their heart. Their heart is their core, the very thing that pushes their accursed blood throughout their body; if the heart is destroyed, so is the Kindred. Even damaging one’s heart can have a significant impact on their ability to utilize blood efficiently until it heals.

Bloodletting
Bleeding a Kindred out will cause them to lose strength; though their bodies are amazingly resilient to abuse, they cannot afford to stay in a fight forever. Too much externalized blood makes them catatonic, hence why younger Kindred are cautioned to avoid battles and be sparing with their blood.



The Sanguine Night Courts have a whole slew of rules, laws, and taboos, instructing on how the specifics of their should be, acts that would result in some form of punishment, the severity depending. Rules are decided by discussion within a specific Court, while Laws and Taboos are decided by the Higher Courts. They are all identified by number and a Kindred is expected to remember all of them - ignorance of the law is never an excuse.

Rules are the loosest and most prone to change with good argument - though they can vary from Court to Court. They’re normally about specific dos and do nots, or how to go about specific rites. They can be anything from reasonable to frivolous; it depends on the Elder of the Court.

Laws are more set in stone but can be moved with sufficient argument, they apply to all Courts. These are universal rules that all Courts must follow and can be subject to punishment by the Higher Courts if not. They oft pertain to things that enforce the order and survival of their species.

Taboo are small in number but near unshakeable, and apply to every Court. They are about strictly forbidden activities, and will result in a Kindred’s imprisonment or even execution if they are violated. Similar to laws, but the things considered taboo are considered actions that would cause incredible pain and suffering upon the community. They are as follows:

1) A Kindred shall not kill a multitude of humans within the haze of their indulgence, they will surely be put to death for their ravenous hunger.

2) A Kindred shall not antagonize their parent without sufficient reason, honor the elders.

3) A Kindred shall not slaughter their own without sufficient reason, siblings are to be protected.

4) A Kindred shall not fornicate with another of the bloodline, it is an abomination.

5) A Kindred that has not reached their fiftieth year is disallowed from consuming the blood of evil spirits.

6) A Kindred shall not create a generation without the permission of their elders.

7) A Kindred shall not enslave humans for harvest, treat them with respect.

A Kindred who is found to have willfully consumed the blood of the demonic will be put to death.

9) A Kindred must not hoard blood; share with your kin.

10) A Kindred is obligated to care for and guide the young; do not shun the whelps of the Courts.

The term ‘Court’ refer to a Kindred’s most direct family, the closest to them along the bloodline; Parents, children, and grandchildren. These are divided into higher courts, which are occupied by first through third Kindred, then lower courts which are of those further down the bloodline, making a total of three core generations. Higher courts have more esteem and control, often viewed as a kind of nobility amongst other Kindred due to their ability to subjugate the larger numbered lesser courts if needed, often using their power to maintain their survival.

The Higher Courts

The higher courts are the upholders of the law and way of the Kindred. They are the closest to the source, the strongest in blood, and are the bearers of their kind. All of the lower courts instinctively look up to them as Mother or Father, Aunt or Uncle; they are often the centerpieces of their blood bonds and additionally are often the eldest of their kind, a force to be respected and adhered to for wisdom as a child would to their elders.

At most, thirteen Kindred exist within a given Higher Court: One highest kin, three second kindred, and nine third kindred.

The Higher Court of Judgement

The Court of Judgement’s main function is serving as the body of the law for the entirety of the Courts, ensuring the other Courts are within the lines and often acting as the checking force. They are as close one could perceive as a ‘head’, though the Court is still beholden to it’s two other legs.

The Higher Court of Prosecution

The right hand to the Court of Judgement’s acts, they are the taskmasters - they are often the ones supplying Kindred the means to dwelling, jobs, and sources of blood. Alongside acting as a second voice in the law, they are the most engrossed in the communal aspects of the Courts, moreso maintaining social order than their direct counterpart.

The Higher Court of Castigation

A vital part of the Kindred’s capacity to live in the way they can. Though they are feared as the ones enacting the highest punishments of the three Court’s discussions, they are also the primary providers of food. They are the ones who work out sustainable sources of blood and ensure every Court is fed to the best of their ability. They are the most known for their combative prowess.

First Kin of the Higher Court of Castigation
Daria Rothenhale

Second Kindred of the Higher Court of Castigation
Marie Winslow [NPC]

Lower Courts

The lower courts are all Kindred of the Fourth generation down, their naming unique in that they after the family name of their Fourth Kindred, rather than having individualized surnames like the Higher Courts and only being classified by their positions. Though they tend to start out the weakest as Kindred, there are members who find their way to esteem within their closed society.

Due to recent catastrophe via the feeding off of demons having greatly reducing their numbers and complicating the creation of more Kindred, the furthest a Court’s generation count appears to go out to is at most Nine, however these younger generation’s numbers are significantly more fragmented the further along with the most thinning having been enacted upon Sixth Kindred and on. The population has been crippled by the combination of both WW3 and the far more recent WW4.



I am aiming to make what is just a collection of families faced with the shared problem of their numbers having thinned so much that reliably sustaining their collective hunger has become a challenge, and the growing appearance of Shinigami in the World of the Living is making them anxious. They can't go around killing people without violating their own code, and thus are open to considering reaching out for an exchange of assistance from other parties, the most interesting one being Wahrender thanks to the announcement.