Vampire Mind Vessel

Urban

Though vampires are immortal beings, a life lived long enough eventually means that the brain begins to forget old knowledge and memories so that it can retain new information. For coven vampires, especially because of their focus on arcane power and intellectual supremacy, any loss of knowledge is unacceptable. To address this concern, ritual magic of the vampire coven allows for memories and general knowledge to be extracted from a vampire’s brain and stored within the mind of a host. This host becomes a vampire mind vessel; a vampiric thrall that has had its original memories wiped so that it may serve as an empty receptacle for the coven’s knowledge. Members of the coven can conduct a similar ritual to extract knowledge from the vessel at will. Vessels retain no awareness of their former personalities or lives.

Vampire mind vessels are gradually transformed by each new memory stored within them, their physical forms slowly becoming more grotesque and monstrous over time as they are corrupted by the coven’s magic. Covens keep their mind vessels restrained at all times, for the vessels are erratic and violent in nature due to the state of their minds. As vessels grow in size, covens must periodically reinforce their restraints to ensure that the vessel does not become a threat to itself or others. Eventually, should the vessel grow too large and physically powerful, the coven can conduct a lengthy and delicate ritual to extract the bulk of its memories and implant them in a number of new weaker and more manageable hosts.

Vampires usually exist in isolation from other vampires, as the creatures are highly selective about when and to whom they decide to grant their vampiric gift. The typical vampire would much rather create a subservient spawn than another full-fledged vampire with its own whims and desires — an equal in status and power who might challenge their influence. A vampire who wishes to ascend to a greater power, however, and who can overcome their fear of the other by putting their trust in carefully-selected individuals, may rise to new heights and form what is known as a vampire coven. 

A vampire coven is a group of at least three vampires that have dedicated themselves to vampiric coven magic. Vampiric coven magic is ancient, drawn from the power of vampires who have ascended to demigodhood and who pass down their power to covens who partake in complex, arduous arcane pact rituals. Vampiric coven magic grants coven members new capabilities and strengths in exchange for certain tradeoffs and a lifetime of arcane study. Coven vampires have access to advanced arcane knowledge and expanded spellcasting, as well as a shedding of typical vampire weaknesses. Coven vampires have no aversion to running water, adhere to no rules of forbiddance, and can withstand the effects of sunlight. They are also unbound from the grave and are free to sleep wherever and whenever they wish. In exchange, however, while coven vampires retain a form of immortality, their freedom from the grave means that they cannot return to their resting place after their destruction to reform themselves. A destroyed coven vampire remains destroyed. As a result, coven vampires are exceedingly careful in combat, only taking fights they believe they are sure to win. 

A vampire coven’s pursuit of arcane excellence to enhance their vampiric abilities means that the coven will often operate temples, libraries, or similar organizations and institutions as a means to acquire arcane knowledge. They often operate these organizations in plain sight, hiding in positions of societal status and influence, aided by their ability to exist in sunlight and sleep in regular beds. Because of their immortality, however, the vampires must continually adopt new identities to avoid suspicion. Over long enough time periods, a vampire coven might have to transport its library of knowledge to an entirely new region under new Ovvapretenses, such as when cities or countries fall to war or other calamities. 

Vampire Mind Vessel

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