Tyran Invicta
Reboot of the cheesy vampire action film "Fangs in First" as a gritty space opera, "Tyran Invicta"
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Background
Tyran
The world of Tyran is a desolate realm, over a dozen shattered megacities dominate a landscape of grey earth, patched with struggling greenery and dangerous ancient forests who bathe in the harsh light of the sun often obsured under horrendous storm clouds. The Federated Convoys are scattered across the supercontinent that still supports human life, wandering in vast Wagon-Trains whose aging systems provide life and protection in a dangerous world of feral creatures and radioactive rainstorms. The Vault Dwellers reside underground refusing to deal with the overground world, while in the amongst the ruins, the capital megacity of Tyrapolis glows brightly, but this beacon is the dark is no safe haven, for the vampires rule here.
Old Tyran, of not much is generally known other than the personal experience of some vampires. They claim Tyran was the capital world of a small vassal empire of the Exalter Hyperian, known for having numerous powerful noble families that vied for power and influence.
The Imperium of Tyranorum
The Imperium of Tyranorum is a technologically advanced neo-feudalist monarchy ruled by a vampire aristocracy that resides within the old fortress city of Tyrapolis, the seat of a ancient empire.
History
The rumors of the Night Stalker Initiative were discounted for many in the Capital Vault and ridiculed entirely by the ruling surfacers who lived in luxury in the shielded upper vault which towered over the ruined city. The legends however were quite true, an ancient house of the Tyran Imperium had experimented with vampirism as the godswar raged. They had hoped to build a retinue of immortal vampire soldiers from which they could claim power over the entire planet. As the planet fell, the surviving members of the household infected themselves and fled into the secret laboratories of the deep Vault.
More than three centuries ago they began to awake, sensing perhaps that enough mortals existed to sustain their appetite. They emerged slowly, their knowledge of the vaults systems allowing them free reign, secreting gaining the allegiance of the oppressed vault dwellers who were denied access to the upper vault. The Night Stalkers showed them proof of the uppers luxurious lifestyles, the upper vault (which was actually the Imperial Capital Arcology) could clearly house tens of millions contained at most a million whilst the deep vault was already overcrowded with ten times that number of people cramped into a system designed for a third their number.
After a mass uprising supported by the vampires, the vampires began the new leaders of a populance resettled into the upper vault. Re-establishing an Imperial state, the vampires incorporated the human populace with surprising leniency, though the hundred thousand or so uppers disappeared. The loyal
Citizenship
- Vampire
- While those on Tyran call them vampires, Tyrasans refer to themselves as immortals.
- Immortals are roughly human in appearance, with white marble skin, blood red eyes and sharp pointy ears. They are remarkably hairless, though possess a natural scalp full of usually black hair. They're fingers are sharply clawed with a talon like thumb. Though many apt a more human appearance in order to blend with populations. Central to the immortals is the Veneration of the Blood, it is not merely a dietary requirement, it is a compulsion and key to their mystical existence. A Immortal denied blood who cannot enter torpor regresses into an animal, losing much of it’s humanoid appearance and sustaining itself on any mortal food source. Blood teems with mystical energies not perceptible to humans, but keenly felt by immortals which gives them their immortality and toughness.
- Immortals are created by infecting a human with the vampirism virus and the human subsequently dying, the preferred method being hypovolemic shock for what appear to be largely cultural reasons.
The relationship between maker and made is akin to that of a parent and child. Immortals generally lack the sexual drive of mortals and find implications of improper behavior between maker and made rather repugnant. Interaction between humans and vampires is generally rare, expect in the military. A human being should never look directly at a immortal, speak to a immortal and most of all never dare to touch an immortal.
- The power of an immortal relates directly to his generational and the potency of his human form. The Emperor is the first generation, the Dead Council are the second to seventh generations. Thus the most powerful known vampires outside of the Emperor belong to the eighth generation and form the heads of the great houses. All other vampires are ninth or tenth. It is forbidden for a tenth to sire a vampire upon pain of final death.
- Humans
- Humans number some eighty million. Humans are generally free agents if they submit to the blood oath but this freedom is limited. They are all subject to conscription and summary uplift on the order of the Emperor's representatives. Humans form the backbone of the military, serving in all fields, pilots, tank operators and infantry. Over the centuries, they have been completely indoctrinated with the idea that vampires are beings to be revered and most yearn for uplift.
- Humans are generally treated well, with many opportunities to rise through society, though most posts require being a supplicant to the blood oath. The most promising humans of each generation usually find themselves uplifted in order to preserve their talent for the ages, whether they wish it or not.
Language
Tyrasans speak a evolved mix of latin and greek, recognisable to some in the region. Particularly educated Tyrasans may be fluent in both ancient latin and ancient greek, capable of conversing with the papacy and samothracians. This can lead to confusion, for the Empire is the 'Imperium of Tyranorum' made up of Tyrasans, with the capital of Tyrapolis.
The Government
The Empire is a complex myriad of titles, positions and appointments.
Head of State: Imperator Venetori Nmmikos
Head of Government: First Consul Phexis Constans
Government of the Nation: Neo-Feudalist Monarchy
Emperor
- The Emperor is the most powerful title and position within the Empire. They has the right to appoint a vast swath of titles and positions, some lasting for specific terms which require renewal. The Emperor is a much removed figure, rarely seen. Imperial propaganda instills a quasi-divine aura to him, presenting the Emperor as a etheral figure who can shape the destiny of the nation and intercede on behalf of it's most loyal subjects. He is represented predominently by his daughter, Princess Ionia Nmmikos who has the title of Emperor's Steward, commonly translated as High Imperator.
The Dead Council
- Emperor Nmmikos rules not directly, but via psychic directions given to the Dead Council over any distance. It consists of six immortals encased in cybernetic coffins that sustain and imprison them. Nmmikos tolerates few rivals to his authority, in the early days of his vampirism he took measures to eventually subdue all potential threats to his power and use them to his advantage instead. THe Dead Council were the other progenitors, created by him they were nearly as powerful. Now these former enemies are but grovelling shells, eager to please their master for whatever scant rewards and relief he can provide them.
The Senate
- The Senate consists of around 20 senators and forms a interface between the secret dead council and the public. Only the Emperor's steward and First Consul are aware of the Dead Council, who directs them. The First Consul and Steward convey their wishes under the guise of them being imperial instructions and work with the senators to form legislation and government policy.
House of Nmmikos
House of Kelaiologos
House of Iustinianikos
House of Constans
Society
Tyran is a quasi-feudal society, based upon the ancient Imperium of Tyran which spanned several stars and was a semi-autonomous state of the Exalters. During their re-emergence, several different groups arose, who organised themselves into houses and began the first bloodlines of which their are 12, 4 major bloodlines and 8 minor ones. All vampires trace their lineage to the original 12 (as they understand it). Humans are generally free agents who are entitled certain rights guaranteed by the Emperor himself.
Neo-Feudalism places a stratified order upon society, in which positions, titles and privileges are earned or lost. Of particular note is a human who pledges themselves to a vampire in order to be sired. Traditionally, one is sired to a high ranking member of a recognised 'House' and becomes a low ranking member of that household. This web of obligations is what ties members of a house together, ties houses together into blocs and ultimately the nation together as most House leaders owe the Emperor significant loyalty and patronage.
There is fierce competition for promising humans and soldiers, as each House vies to strengthen it's position. Any human who shows particular promise can expect to be headhunted and offered immortality in exchange for loyalty and service to a immortal house.
Do Tyrasans eat people?
Immortals are sustained using blood supplies from specialized organisms grown in industrial units. Using genetic material from humans, they grow a subspecies that lacks a cerebral cortex, external sensory nervous system or digestive system, but much thicker bones including a solid plate of bone across the ribcage. Nutrients and wastes are injected and extracted through external cybernetic implants. The organism produces a huge excess of red blood cells, plasma and other blood proteins.
The organism is close enough to a actual human being to contain the required 'life essense' in order to sustain immortals, whilst lacking any sort of sensory awareness of sentience. Tyranorum does not due this out of some attempt at being ethical, merely that this vastly reduces the support requirements of the body. They are prone to the usual failures of human bodies and a healthy supply of new genetic material is required to expand production effeciently.
Actual human blood is significantly more potent (especially so amongst the most genetically able and fit humans) and blood from the 'blood oath' given by humans is consumed only twice a year in order to maintain superhuman rigour. Vampiric soldiers have the prestige and privilege of a diet significantly more rich in pure blood. The majority of blood is reserved for the 'Ghoul suits', which function best with pure human blood as fuel.
Ghoul Armor
Tyran is perhaps most famous for it's 'Ghoul' Symbiotic Armor System. Whilst Tyran does not believe in ubiquitous biotechnology like the Zanzibar Alliance, it has particular expertise in genetic manipulation. Ghoul armor is essentially a heavily modified vampire equipped to function as a armored suit and provides excellent synergy with a natural vampires abilities. Nearly all vampire soldiers use it.
Characters of Tyran
Emperor Venetori Nmmikos
- Emperor of the Imperium of Tyranorum
- Emperor Vetetori Nmmikos is over a thousand years old, an ancient vampire and once citizen of the Exalter Hyperian (though a lowly one). He was once a relatively middling member of the Nmmikos house, a cousin of the emperor of the day. For much of his latter mortal years, he was part of a clandestine research project into vampires, a laboratory technician. As the gods war raged and Tyran became a target, his team was secluded deep in the vault. When the Vault protocols were activated, Venetori infected himself with the vampiric virus and in turn, infected the other members of the research team, creating the originals.
- Venetori Nmmikos is the most powerful vampire in Tyran, more like an original Enochian than any other due to his advanced age and primacy as the first vampire. Venetori was once assassinated during Tyran's brief period of rule ::by the senate, he rose again and disguised as a soldier, reclaimed his throne. It is probable, like Enochian vampires that Venetori cannot be killed by mundane means.
Princess Ionia Nmmikos
- High Imperator and Strategos of the Imperial armies, heir to the Throne of Tyran
- Sired by the Emperor himself, Ionia is the rightful heir to the imperial throne and a experienced field general and soldier. She is strong, resolute and caring for those under
- her command, qualities that naturally support her leadership of armies both large and small. As a human, she served in the mute extermination campaigns over a century ago.
Vix Constans
- Astra Strategos of the Imperial Star Navy
- Vix Constans turned down the chance to serve as a Consul and head of her household in order to serve in GUARDIAN. In a service usually populated mostly by humans, she nevertheless proved herself adaptable to the rigours of
space and as a immortal, rose through the ranks as her vast experience solidified into a enduring advantage.
Marius Justinian Constans
- Former Night Stalker, Special Operations Officer of House Constans
- A rarity, Marius Constans is a former Night Stalker, a technical impossibility he was released from service by the Emperor as a favor to House Constans. Most know him as a mere soldier, but he is much much more. Acting as a soldier merely to watch over the unaware protege of House Constans.
Climate
Tyran is a generally cold world, though significant volcanic activity in the form of springs and gesyers warm many areas. It is covered in perpetual cloud, a remnant of the gods war. The atmosphere is filled with microparticles of a ancient composite, with attracts water vapour and maintains a equilibrium in the atmosphere that shows little sign of abating.
Geography
Main Continent
Urbs Tyrapolis Tyrapolis is a vast megacity, constrained only by the mammoth fortress walls which surround and separate it from the ruins around it.