The race of Methuselah (commonly referred to as Vampires) first appeared in the pre-cataclysmic era (before the sinking Atlantis), circa 14,500 B.C., when the Human race emigrated from the First City, Enoch. The result of an environmental mutation in the Methuselah Virus, the first Methuselah were the children of the Angelus themselves. Calling themselves the Primogen, each of the children recieved a slightly different mutation, resulting in six of the seven different Bloodlines seen today- the Akikage, Chimerae, Ekimmu, Lundrati, Nosferatu and Sekhmet. The seventh Bloodline, the Kizoku is the result of necromantic manipulation of the Nosferatu Vampire Virus by the sorcerer Zhou Feng. Although condemned at the time for his actions, the Kizoku have since been accepted into the Methuselah community.
Creating Methuselah
Methuselah require the fresh blood of living beings, preferably the blood of Humans, in order to sustain their physical existence and, usually, obtained it by biting their victims and draining their blood. If a victim is drained of nearly all their blood it is possible for the Methuselah to feed that blood back to the victim infected with the Vampire Virus. If this occurred the victim will turn into Methuselah of the same Bloodline as the parent (often referred to as the Sire or Dominus).
Because the Vampire Virus is not particularly infectious it is necessary to drain victim's blood, thereby removing the victim's autonomic response to the infection. The exception to this is the Chimerae version of the Vampire Virus which does not require the victim to be drained. Because of this most victims bitten by a Chimerae begin to turn almost immediately.
The actual mutagenic process performed by the virus on the host usually takes two to seven days to complete and can be quite painful. This process restructures the host body's digestive, neurological and circulatory systems almost in their entirety, resulting in a drastically different physiology compared to before the infection.Methuselah Bloodlines
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Nizara the Akikage are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of the Middle East. Specializing in Obfuscation techniques, Akikage are Methuselah who specialize in espionage, assassination and other deception-based lifestyles despite a distinct and rigid internal set of morals and discipline. It is believed that there are currently approximately 1 million Akikage on Earth.
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Chamecatl the Chimerae are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of South and Central America. The Chimerae are the perfect soldiers thanks to their enhanced strength and large numbers. Making up almost one third of the total Methuselah population (there are an estimated 3 million Chimerae on Earth) the Chimerae are a force to be reckoned with.
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Fenrir the Ekimmu are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of Scandanavia and Northern Asia. The Ekimmu generally live outside of "civilized" areas, specializing in wilderness survival. The Ekimmu's innate ability to communication with mammalian animals on a rudimentary level often results in clans of Ekimmu living side by side with Therians. There are an estimated 1 million Ekimmu currently living on Earth.
The Kizoku are the only Methuselah Bloodline not descended from one of the six Methuselah Primogen, but instead are a product of mortal magic. Originally created when the necromancer Zhou Feng obtained a pure sample of the Vampire Virus, the Kizoku are Methuselah infused with necromantic abilities. Originally from the Far East, there are an estimated 50 thousand Kizoku currently living on Earth.
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Alundra the Lundrati are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of the island kingdom now referred to as Atlantis. The Lundrati are often considered the most formidable Methuselah largely because of their ability to absorb ambient types of energy and repurpose them. Lundrati are also the only bloodline which are able to feed on other Methuselah. Throughout history the Lundrati have been hunted by the other Methuselah Bloodlines and as a result they were nearly exterminated (at one point down to only two living members). There are currently only a few dozen Lundrati living on Earth.
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Dracul the Nosferatu are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of Eastern Europe. The proto-typical vampire, Nosferatu have the innate ability to manipulate the minds of the weak-willed via telepathy, giving them the reputation for being both seducers and politicians. One of the more populous Methuselah Bloodlines, there are currently approximately 2-2.5 million Nosferatu living on Earth.
Descended from the Methuselah Primogen Wadjet the Sekhmet are a bloodline of Methuselah originating out of Northern Africa. the Sekhmet are a somewhat insular group, largely due to the physical changes they undergo when becoming Methuselah. Often taking on reptilian traits such as slitted eyes, long hollow fangs, or scales, a Sekhmet's appearance hides an innate problem-solving ability that makes them some of the greatest tacticians of all time. There are an estimated 1 million Sekhmet currently living on Earth.
Although not a bloodline in the proper sense, the Vul were the caretakers of Median prior to its destruction at the hands of The Phage. The Vul consist of a myriad of ancients, all direct children or grandchildren of the Angelus. Within the walls of the city the Vul Brotherhood did not manifest any of the vampiric traits commonly associated with the Methuselah, however after the city's destruction and their exodus into the rest of the world many of these traits quickly began to manifest. Since the Vul have not procreated in millennia their population is very small, numbering only in the hundreds.
Variant Sub-Species=
Although not actually a species in their own right (they cannot reproduce), Ghouls are the result of an improper attempt to turn an individual (often with blood not drained from the victim's body). Ghouls, sometimes referred to as "Zombies", retain minimal human intelligence and are incapable of healing themselves, often resulting in a decaying appearance.
When a Methuselah and a human mate and produce offspring the resulting child is referred to as a Dhampyr. Although most Dhampyr never exhibit any vampiric traits, a few of them do undergo the transformation after puberty and begin to crave blood as the Vampire Virus takes hold of their bodies. Although always burdened with the stigma of their parentage, Dhampyr are largely accepted into Methuselah society.