Time of Ancestors

Long ago within the first century after the fall of Exodia, the vampiric race started to take root among humanity. This period was known as the Time of Ancestors, and marks the beginning of vampiric history. This time in history is not very well documented, as it was shortly after the fall of Exodia.
(Only vampires of noble caste or higher would likely know the history present on this page.)

Background Information

The year is 136 AE, humanity has finally recomposed themselves after the fall of their great empire, and have went on to form small towns throughout the countryside of the Raevelic Plains. Life is uncertain during these hard times, as monstrous aetherial horrors still occasionally wandered the countryside, potentially devastating any town they come across. Thanks to the efforts of organised militias, these beasts have been kept at bay and have given humanity a chance to grow once again. A fragile peace looms over humanity, but it is uncertain if it will remain this way forever.

History

The Great Wandering

Scattered across the primitive towns of post-exodian humanity, there existed individuals who considered themselves 'different' from everyone else. They were shunned by their fellow peers, for their sensitivity to sunlight as well as their strange behaviors. These individuals learned to blend into society from an early age and mask their true nature, but they could never fully forget that they were different. Some chose to leave their hometowns because they sought others like themselves, others were outcasts who had been exiled from their village. In the end, these individuals would wander aimlessly, seeking death and not finding it no matter how hard they tried. There was a turning point where a few of them crossed paths, and decided to seek others like themselves and give them a place to belong.

A New Beginning

These individuals who had wandered the countryside for many years in search of others would become known as the original progenitors of the vampiric race. These ancestors succeeded in locating many like themselves, and assisted each other in understanding themselves and embracing their true identity. It would be discovered that biting a human would cause them to either die or be converted into a lesser vampire, and many ancestors took it upon themselves to amass their very own vampiric armies with the intent to take revenge on humanity for rejecting them. There was an equal number of ancestors who opposed this idea, instead opting to co-exist with humanity.

Internal Conflict

The two factions of ancestors, both anti-human and pro-human, waged conflicts against each other in pursuit of their goals. Many human towns were slaughtered during this period, making humanity well aware of the new vampiric threat. There was nothing they could do to defend themselves, as nothing proved effective in slaying vampires. The pro-human faction struggled to defend human towns as the anti-human faction continued to amass their hordes of lesser vampires. The pro-human faction was against the idea of unwillingly converting humans into vampires, and suffered the consequences of being outnumbered. While ancestors were immortal, they could not fend off the vampiric hordes by themselves.

The Crimson War

The anti-human faction of ancestors gained the upper hand over the pro-human faction, and started converting entire towns into their vampiric servants. With such great numbers, there was no stopping them. Roughly half of humanity had been converted by this point, with the numbers increasing in the ancestor's favor daily. It was thought that humanity would be completely extinguished, as it was impossible for them to fight back. They continued to lose ground, and ultimately only a few human towns would remain by 173 AE.

Salvation

The pro-human faction of ancestors had run out of options, they would have to work directly with humanity in order prevent their annihilation. In a final desperate attempt, humanity took their final stand in a town which would eventually become known as Rivera. A single ancestor had spent many decades trying to discover a weakness to their immortality, and had succeeded in granting humanity the knowledge they needed to fight back. Utilizing weapons which possessed a special enchantment, humanity could now cause significant harm to vampires. With this new tool at their disposal, humanity succeeded in defeating the wave of vampires that would have ended them.

Into the Shadows

Humans and vampires continued to wage war, and humanity now had achieved the upper hand. They identified the ancestors who had plotted against them, and executed them. The anti-human faction had managed to also obtain anti-vampire weaponry, and used it to kill pro-human ancestors. Many ancestors fell during the war, and by the war's end only a handful had survived. Humanity succeeded in winning the war, and drove the remaining population of vampires into the shadows. The Order of the Crimson Guard was founded, an organisation of vampire hunters which would safeguard humanity from future vampiric threats. With the newly founded order of vampire hunters, the remaining vampiric population was forced into eternal hiding. Some chose to live in homesteads far from human civilization, while others chose to live among humanity while hiding their true identity. The time of the ancestors had ended, and a new era had begun.

Effects

The gathering of ancestors gave birth to vampiric society as we know it, however it would not be until much later that most vampiric traditions are formed. The crimson war had almost ended humanity, a moment which will never be forgotten. A great many ancestors were killed during the period, contributing to the rarity of pureblood and noble vampires. Humanity winning the war at such overwhelming odds had shown vampiric society just how dangerous enchanted weapons were, and has served to dissuade vampires from ever attempting to wage an all out war ever again.

Assorted Info

• It is thought that the ancestor responsible for granting humanity knowledge on the weaknesses of vampires sacrificed themselves in the process.
• The anti-human faction was never fully eliminated, and to this day there are purebloods which despise humanity.
• Human villages often exiled the ancestors after they witnessed their immortality or instant healing.