As Night Falls

There are currently five vampire dynasties that form the Cabal in As Night Falls: The enchanting Bathory. The authoritarian de Morieve. The primal Orlock. The rebellious Lilith. The intellectual Tepes. The dynasties are ideological, based on the different hunting practices of vampires. For example, a vampire of the Bathory dynasty hunts using their beauty and charisma, whilst a member of the Orlock dynasty is a savage predator. Leading each of the dynasties is a monarch, a title that is passed down from monarch to their appointed heir. Becoming the heir is a vicious struggle, as competition is fierce and an heir cannot be certain who is their ally and who may be plotting their downfall. Also, it is not unknown for a monarch to replace a nominated heir with another, should they be found wanting. Although the change - the process of a human becoming a vampire - is the same for all vampires, each dynasty approaches it in a different way. The Orlocks seek those that are ...

The Cabal is an ancient conspiracy of silence that governs the undead lives of vampires to ensure the veil of secrecy is preserved. Vampires are typically loners by nature. People, however, are generally not. Humanity’s ability form communities, communicating with others around the world and sharing their knowledge, is a threat to all vampires. In order to remain hidden from humanity’s gaze, a loose network was created. Although most vampires live by their own standards, it was mutually agreed that certain rules should be enforced to ensure vampires never reveal the secrets of their existence. These rules became known as the four cardinals of the Cabal: Never reveal vampires exist.   Never refuse the will of the Cabal. N ever enter another vampire’s territory. Never kill another vampire. The Cabal is regional, with each country having its own communion. In the UK, the Cabal is led by the five monarchs of the vampire dynasties. Supporting the Cabal is the seneschal, an in...

The vampires in As Night Falls are undead monsters that were once human and need to drink the blood of the living in order to sustain themselves. Human or animal, blood is blood, but it has to be from a living creature. Only blood pumped by a still-beating heart can truly satisfy a vampire’s need to feed, although stored blood may have its uses. Vampires never feed from the dead. Vampires are immortal creatures that are no longer constrained by the ravages of time. They can live for centuries and never age a day. However, should a vampire be starved of blood, the decades can quickly catch up with them, causing a vampire to wither away to a dry husk, from which they may never recover. Although vampires are able to withstand grievous wounds, they are not invulnerable. Fire and sunlight can still hurt them, whilst a stake through the heart will paralyse them (to be fair, it will paralyse most people). Decapitations are always lethal to vampires. Garlic and running water do not harm ...