[center]
[h1][color=9e0b0f]The Blood Wars[/color][/h1]

For centuries mankind had cowered underneath the reign of the Grand Coven, forced to hide from the monsters known as Vampires. However, there came a time when mankind found a power of its own, a power they hoped would one day turn the tide in their favor against their ruthless hunters. This power was known simply as Magic, a force that had been locked deep within the flimsy humans since the very beginning. Not everyone could unlock their hidden potential, but those that could found control over elements that had once belonged only to the gods. In the end, this power proved itself to be a double edged sword. Those that used it found their blood to be a near irresistible lure to those they tried desperately to flee from.

Greater than ever before was the danger presented to mankind as they were hunted in larger numbers for their magic laced blood. Full out war broke out between the two races, one fighting for survival while the other fought for their own greed. Perhaps in another life humans would have won, however their inexperience with their own power led them to an ultimate defeat. When all looked lost for mankind and extinction sat on their doorstep, another enemy appeared, one that was friend to neither vampires nor humans. The Lycans, or Werewolves as the humans called them, attacked both sides mercilessly and left no choice other than peace between the once warring people. 

A treaty was signed between the Grand Coven's leader and a representative chosen by the humans declaring peace between them, thus forming a union against the Lycan threat. The treaty not only assured peace but it also forbid vampires from hunting humans openly as they had in the past. The vampires were not left without demands of their own, however, feeling that completely cutting them off from the blood supply would be unfair. It was decided that those with magical potential would enter into the service of the vampires, acting as their only source of blood in exchange for the protection of the rest of the population.

While they weren't able to completely eradicate lycan-kind, the combined forces of the vampires and humans were able to drive them away, severely weakening them. Retreating into the darkest corners of the world, lycan packs swore their revenge before disappearing. That was over five centuries ago.

[hr]

[h1][color=fff70a]Stonebrooke Academy[/color][/h1]

Founded by Vampire Princess Zaria, Stonebrooke academy is home to both vampire and mage alike. It is their philosophy that servants should be raised alongside their future masters to strengthen the bond and discourage disloyalty. Built like a fortress, it is among the safest places in the world allowing students the leisure of relaxation while attending their classes. Additionally, to maintain Lady Zaria's reputation, only the finest quality supplies are used for food, clothes, living arrangements, etc... Truly a sight to behold and one that you will be getting a lot more acquainted with during your stay.

It is here where young mages are taught how to use their magic, guided through the difficult process of discovering their elemental specialty. Along side them, the vampires honing their physical strength and most importantly... restraint.

[hr]

[hider=Welcome!]
Welcome to {Insert RP Name Here}! I sincerely hope that you have been enjoying yourself thus far and am glad to have you here. As I'm sure you've noticed, already this RP plays on a couple of different themes. Worry not, it'll all be explained to you in due time. Before I delve deeper into some of the details of the world, I suppose you want to know what the point is... the plot behind it all. There's not too much I want to give away and I am hoping to allow this to unfold organically, however there are a couple of main arcs that I will be pushing the story to go through. 

Arc One: [i]Forged Bonds[/i]
This will have a more 'slice of life' feel as it will take place entirely within the confines of the school grounds. Focused more on the social aspects and dynamics between vampire students and their mage companions although the classes will play a small part here and there to keep things moving along.

Arc Two: [i]The Blood of War[/i]
An old foe rears it's ugly head. Stepping away from the SOL feel for a moment, this will be a little faster paced and action oriented. Not everyone is assured to make it out alive, and bonds will be tested under the most extreme of circumstances.

Arc Three: [i]Fangless Revolution[/i]
Peace cannot last forever, how long can you hold on to your own?
So now that we have that out of the way, I do hope that you'll stick around for a while. Should you decide to stay, below are additional tabs filled with some information about the world itself and the social hierarchy that this RP will be centered around. Also listed will be some of the guidelines as well as a CS for you to get started on!

If this does not sound like something you are interested in joining, I am quite sad to hear it but I fully understand. Feel free to stick around, read along, and I hope to run into you in future RPs.
[/hider]

[hider=An Alternate World (Lore)]
Because of the aggressive nature of the vampires, humans weren't given the opportunity to advance their weaponry past the swords and crossbow era... After the discovery of their magical potential it was all they needed so despite being in the modern day, modern weapons are not as we know them to be. Technology such as computers, cell phones, and various modes of transportation still exist but the planet is fueled by cleaner energy. The world has essentially become a utopia since the signing of the treaty, vampires and humans living side by side and evolving together. 

[hider=Vampires]
Creatures of the night, vampires are extraordinarily beautiful and amongst the most deadly hunters in the world. Faster, stronger, and smarter, their extreme physical prowess is balance only by their inability to walk in the daylight. Even the smallest ray is like poison to them and prolonged exposure would mean certain death. They have similar aversions to fire but there has been no documentation of such a reaction to any other element. 

In the current day they stand at celebrity status, often engaging in various art forms to bide their time. Listed below is some of the extended lore as yet to be released or created through your amazing questions.

~Physiology~

Vampires in this world do indeed have a heartbeat, though it does not beat nearly as often as the average human heart. It's function is to keep the consumed blood fresh as well as to distribute it throughout the body for healing and absorption purposes. Damage to the heart can be repaired during if the vampire enters into a state of hibernation (coma), however, severe damage to the brain would mean the end for the subject.

While the lore varies on this topic, in this particular AU vampire fangs are non-retractable. They are the hyper-extended, slightly curved canine teeth seen in most adaptations. Birthed vampires grow in over time, becoming the "classic" look by their 100th birthday while turned vampires develop them quite quickly over the period of a week.

Vampires come in one of two breeds: birthed or "pure" and turned. Birthed vampires are born from a human/mage mother and vampire father as only the males are fertile. Any human (mage or not) can be turned, however, laws dictate that their must be good reason such as a life saving measure in order to do so. If a mage is turned, they lose their magical abilities. There is very little difference in physical strength between the two, but birthed vampires have been proven faster and are the only ones capable of the shapeshifting ability. On the other hand, turned vampires are the only ones able to consume human food. This is an emergency measure only! It will keep the vampire alive but severely weakened, near human level strength... in some cases even weaker

Both types of vampires require blood to survive. If starved they will first devolve into a hysteric, animalistic state before collapsing. If left untreated, they will essentially wither and die.
One of the signature traits of the vampire, aside from their fangs, are the hypnotic eyes. These vampires are no different. Their eyes reveal many a thing about their host... Colors change based off of mood as well as levels of hunger, and will appear to pulsate when being used in a compulsion. Where the lore can differ is with the influence of the compulsion. They cannot force somebody into doing anything, however it is handy in influencing emotion and in the convincing of others to complete a task. This skill only works on humans and mages, has no effect on vampires regardless of origin.

~Sociology~

There is no doubt in anyone's minds that the vampires are the ones to run the show. They are the celebrities, the wealthiest of the upper class (even if they refuse to admit the existence of a class system). They are family oriented and can be a close-knit community. Noble bloodlines are still very much a thing for their kind, starting with the Grand Coven Leader and branching out from there. Because of this, turned vampires are seen as slightly inferior to pure vampires however are still well above humans in the hierarchy.

While vampires tend to be the front runners, the entertainment business (like all other businesses) has been allowed to become a mixed group of both human and vampire members. Naturally, over the years, there have been some "race" exclusive projects but those have popped up on both sides of the spectrum.

For vampires, the hierarchy is everything. Rules set by those higher on the rung are to be followed to the letter, and those set by the Grand Coven Leader himself are comparable to the word of the gods. It is this imbedded belief in the system that has prevented even some of the more aggressive families from breaking the Treaty and hunting outside of their allotted mages. Those who break the rules, depending on which rules are broken, can face any number of punishments ranging from social shunning to death by sunlight. Most of the younger generations, because of the time period in which they live, find it easy to bide by the treaty as they have never known another way of life. 

Viewpoints and interactions between vampires and mages (as well as other humans) can vary greatly depending on the vampire. Many "old school" vampires still believe in the old ways of hunting for pleasure. This is usually translated into the poor treatment of their mage partners, turning them into servants or even pets, which by treaty is still technically legal (or at the very least, not illegal). That being said, there are plenty of vampires that take no issue with the rules set forth by the Treaty and treat their mage companions with care and as much respect as a vampire can muster for a human. These individuals commonly become business partners or even managers for their vampire partner. 

Traditionally vampires are a polytheistic group, believing in a multitude of gods centered heavily around a dark or night theme. Some have even expanded into a more diverse belief concerning the elements and even universal themes. Very rarely will you ever find a monotheistic vampire, and when you do, they are almost always turned as opposed to birthed.
[/hider]

[hider=Mages]
Essentially, mages are human but with one extra advantage: they have magic coursing through their veins. While sharing a core set of arcane skills, each mage ends up developing an elemental specialty. Their magical potential, as well as their ability to walk in direct sunlight, has made them great bodyguards. And those who find themselves a part of a team of mages often end up in scholarly or business-like occupations. It is with great pleasure that I present to you... The extended lore:

~Physiology~

In terms of physical attributes, there isn't much difference between them and a normal human's. Without the aid of magic they are no stronger, nor faster than their fellow man. However, with some magical tweaking, appearances and physical prowess can be altered greatly. These are all skills that are developed much later, as the main focus is the elemental specialty when it begins to manifest. 

Just as there are varying elemental specialties, each mage will eventually develop a casting style that suits them and their element best. This can range between runes and incantations to magical tools and weapons. Some of the more ethereal elements require a conduit in order to cast as the more "abstract" the concept, the more difficult to control it is. Those of the base elements (water, fire, earth, air) can usually get away with manipulation through will alone. Core arcane skills are usually cast using incantations.

~Sociology~

Lowest on the totem pole is the human race, although thanks to the Treaty... Mages are less so than other humans. While everyone is left alone to their own devices, humans are looked down upon by even their own kind. Those with magic are seen as superior in strength to their fellow man and their involvement with the vampire communities raises them in status. That being said, they are still much, much lower on the rung than even turned vampires. Used as their primary feeding source, mages are kept close to the circles for selfish reasons. At best they are valuable asset to their vampire, at worst they are nothing more than a pet.

Humans rarely have any say in which vampires they are assigned to, and while they technically don't have to put up with the mistreatment, social standards dictate they suffer in silence. Historically speaking, the more complaints made, the more punishments issued in private. Sometimes it's best to keep one's mouth shut.

Any crimes committed against a vampire are weighed much heavier if the one committing the crime is human, however the opposite is only true if the crime results in bodily harm or death to a human by vampire hand.

While the need is greatly diminished these days, many surplus mages end up being groomed for security purposes rather than the arts. While there are plenty of humans that enter entertainment fields, mages don't make up the bulk of them. 
[/hider]

[hider=Feeding]
Because of the treaty between vampires and humans, only mages are used for feeding purposes. Only after the mage has turned 18 will they be paired with an immature vampire, partially due to the strain feeding puts on the body but it is also partly because of the intimate nature of the process. A powerful thing to hold someone's life in your hands, the vulnerability in trusting your life to the very creatures once set on killing you. 
[/hider]
[/hider]

[hider=General Tidbits]
The way this is designed, for every vampire there should be at least one mage.
Pairing are assigned, which means you never know who you're going to end up with. More fun that way!
Due to the whole predator/prey set up we've got going, I'm hoping as a group we can self govern and use some common sense with the interactions. ^.^ In short, please be courteous to your fellow RPers. 
[/hider]

[hider=Character Sheets]
[hider=Vampire]
[noparse][center][/noparse]
{Insert Picture Here}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Name:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Age:[noparse][/b][/noparse] {No older than 200y/o}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Gender:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Personality:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Sexual Orientation:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Likes:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Dislikes:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Habits:[noparse][/b][/noparse] {Good and Bad}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Other:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][/center][/noparse]
[/hider]

[hider=Mage]
[noparse][center][/noparse]
{Insert Picture Here}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Name:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Age:[noparse][/b][/noparse] {18-20}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Gender:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Personality:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Element Affinity:[noparse][/b][/noparse] {Please, pick one}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Sexual Orientation:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Likes:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Dislikes:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][b][/noparse]Habits:[noparse][/b][/noparse] {Good and Bad}
[noparse][b][/noparse]Other:[noparse][/b][/noparse]
[noparse][/center][/noparse]
[/hider]
[/hider]
[/center]