6. Social Stigmas

[Zeo DiPaulo]

• Intro(See Below)
• Role of Turned vampires
• Turned Vampires
• Child Vampires
• Blackmoon Vampires
• Lycan
• Dhampir
• Humans
• Vampiric Slaves
• Royals

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Intro

Social Stigmas run deep in vampiric society as they have had the tenancy to dictate the views vampires have on segments of their own populations, as well as populations of other races. Given that vampires are capable of living such lives, it can take a long time for old stigmas to completely die out in society as a whole, and even then some of the obsolete ones are still remembered by vampires today due to either personal experience or that of mentors with the stigmas. These stigmas are some that have touched most to all prominent vampiric cultures, or the culture of focus (ie the one in the states as that is the setting on site ).

Please note: These social stigmas are at different stages of either having fallen out of general social acceptance, working towards that point, or in a few cases are starting to gain favor in vampiric society.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Role of Turned Vampires

• Background:
  Traditionally turned vampires were turned either as mates (Europe/Southeast Asia), generic slaves (Europe/Asia/Middle East/North Africa) or slaves of the concubine or essentially eunic variety due to sterility (North Africa/Middle East). The practice of turning vampires to quickly add numbers was one that typically was looked down upon in most cases as it demonstrated poor planning in creating a 'proper army', however there were exceptions to this depending on the situation.
  
  In the less strict cultures turned vampires were permitted to turn others in order to create progeny, but this was only because they were sterile and couldn't themselves produce biological offspring. In stricter cultures this was not permitted, but regardless it was considered shameful for a born vampire to create a turned vampire for the purpose of creating progeny. This taboo was more shameful the higher ranking a vampire was in society, as born vampires (especially those of distinguished lineage) were expected to contribute to the population with viable offspring (ie vampires that could breed more vampires rather than having to turn them).
• Status: Reversed.
  
  Turning a vampire for progeny is no longer considered shameful, and such relationships between maker and progeny are now officially recognized in the same manner as parent and child. This social stigma is partially reversed in the respect that is now considered improper to create a turned vampire to serve as a slave (except when turning one who is already a favored slave or pet in order to avoid bonding with a mortal being) or to supplement an army. The practice of turning a mate is still a popular trend, with vampires created for this reason being shown far more acceptance and respect in vampiric society than they formerly had.
• Current Impact:
  
  If there are any that still believe the old stigma they are few and far between, despite the fact there are still though who both lived during the height of this stigma and even believed still alive today. The bigger source of impact can usually be seen in those that suffered this form of discrimination. Those 1000 years are older would experience the greatest ostritration from vampiric society, with those between 700 and 1000 having been turned during the phasing out period of these beliefs. Those under the age of 700 would have no personal experience with this particular aspect of vampiric society.

Note: The decline of this stigma must be considered separate from those surrounding Turned Vampires in general. This information pertains specifically with those turned turned to be progeny, additional stigmas persisted further into modern times regarding Turned Vampires as a whole.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Turned Vampires

• Background:
  
  Traditionally Turned Vampires have been considered less than their born counterparts. In society they were not acknowledged with the same respect due to vampires that were much younger then themselves, and in many cases even the level of ability and the sort of powers a Turned vampire had were not likely to help gain them status near that of their born equivalents. The reasons for these discriminations were varies, among them were reasons such as their double fang sets, their lack of reproductive ability, and simply the fact that they were once human, and therefore were less. Initially, when Turned were created only as mates or slaves, those that chose to turn humans as mates simply accepted their status in society as a given, and were not terribly moved to defend their lovers, regardless of attachment. It wasn't until progeny created vampires began to become prevalent, and even started to become accepted that the first real change in mentality started to take place, as Makers who cherished their Turned Progeny, were less prone to accept that their 'children' were less just because of the circumstance of their creation.
• Current Status: Beginning attempts to phase out
  
  While officially most will not claim to discriminate against Turned vampires, the trend has become to indirectly discriminate against the non-born by not affording them the status they are in respect to age (which is the first consideration in vampiric social status). In this way, most Turned are granted little social standing, unless they so happen to be significantly exceptional in another factor that determines social status.
  
  In nearly all cases where a Turned vampire has successfully countered this prejudice (successfully meaning to the extent it would be recognized beyond just the vampire's clan) It has been due to a Turned Vampire inheriting a particularly respectable power.
  
  There is a push towards greater equality for Turned vampires in general, though old prejudices are likely to hold strong for some time. The hope is that one day Turned may be afforded standing on a slightly different scaled rate than Born that would reflect the development Turned vampires experience overtime naturally (and would eventually at the right age equate to equal status). Some would like an completely equal, treatment (with the exception of the years during which a born is a physical child), but that outcome is simply not foreseeable currently.
• Current Impact
  
  The obvious impact has been that few Turned vampires are treated equally on a societal level as Born. The less obvious impacts are seen in born vampires of significant standing who have Turned progeny, especially progeny that did not inherit a significant ability to give them a chance to overcome prejudice. These vampires are the most adamant to push for change as they have the power to try to impact the system, the security in the system that even high standing Turned may lack, and a strong, heavily personal motivation to see change enacted. Turned vampires of standing tend to be, understandably, standoffish and well guarded when it comes to their standing. This is especially true of older vampires, as not only did they have to work hard at getting their position, but also remember what the system had been and some aren't so sure it won't be again. Feelings of being treated unfairly, or taken advantage of has also been noted, in some cases of causing Turned vampires of higher rank (note rank is only a factor in standing/status) to turn their own forms of prejudice on born vampires within their own clans, where such practices are protected to an extent by clan autonomy.

Note: These prejudices assume Turned vampires that reached physical maturity prior to turning. While they do mostly apply to Child Vampires, there is the possibility for variations due to specific viewpoints on Child vampires

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Child Vampires

• Definition:
  While a vampire child is the born offspring of a vampire that has not yet reached maturity, a "Child Vampire" is a vampire who has been turned prior to, or within the early to mid stages of puberty.
• Background:
  
  Of all social stigmas in vampiric society, few are as varied by culture and time period as that of the views on child vampires. In Europe the majority of Slavic, Nordic and Germanic cultures looked down on the practice, with many of them declaring the turning of children illegal. It varied by nation and time period how the breaking of such a law was dealt with, some choosing to publically torture and kill offenders (first humanly ending the turned vampire's life if the culprit was discovered prior to the Child Vampire's first century as the death of the Maker would ensure the death of the Turned up to that point ), some postponing the death of the maker until the Child vampire could exist independently, and others using less severe forms of punishment. Other European nations allowed for the practice, but only for the social elite for the purpose of having 'special pets or slaves'. Officially it was an aesthetic choice, but no protections were afforded the Child vampires if anything less savory was the true motive. Other cultures officially allowed the children to serve in special religious roles or as offerings to ancient vampiric gods or goddesses, while finding any other Child Vampires to be sacrilegious, and needing to be put to death . Whether or not the Maker was punished, and how severely tended to vary.
  
  In all cultures in which Child Vampires were not used for religious purposes or allowed to be created as pets or saves, if a Child Vampire lived (ie if the culture's response didn't cause the vampire to die ) they tended to be treated as born children might, with the exception that they were conditioned to accept their lower status as Turned Vampires. In cultures where Child Vampires were allowed to be created as 'special pets' they were considered property. Vampires with significant abilities (ie royals, nobles, ect ) were expected to purchase them (instead of turning their own ) or were understood to be expected to kill them should such an ability be passed on. Child vampires that were tied to religious matters were well treated and often pampered, but their lives were dictated. Those that served as offerings to deities were the property, albeit well treated property regardless of how this offering served the deity in question. Similarly Child vampires that served in specific religious roles were revered by the population by always had adult, born religious leaders to 'guide' them or 'interpret' any signs the Child Vampire might perceive.
• Current Status: Revised
  
  Turning children has been made universally illegal by the High Council due to the insistence of Klaus Brauer. Since most religions that made use of Child Vampires have fallen into obscurity, this rarely become an issue with the new decree. In general it has become the general consensus that turning a child is inappropriate and punishable in the most sever fashion (though now steps are taken to ensure the survival of the Child Vampire regardless of the nation involved ).
  
  Child Vampires officially fall under the same discriminations as other Turned Vampires. There are no additional discriminations that they face; however, they are often seen as more volatile and less civilized due to the tenancy of Child Vampires to be quicker to lose patience and more prone to overly violent outbursts than their adult equivalents.
• Current Impact:
  
  While Child Vampires are not afforded the same respects as Born Vampires, they are often treated a bit more carefully than their adult bodied Turned equivalents (age dependant ). This is typically due to their tenancy to be quicker to take serious offense and behave violently due to their physical development being halted. Another factor can involve a culture or an individual's particular attitudes towards the children these vampires resemble.
  
  Child Vampires turned after it was made illegal (or from cultures where their turning was always illegal ) often suffer from social neglect as their Makers are forced to hide them away or face prosecution for their crimes. Some endure other forms of mistreatment due to resentment from the Maker who failed to appreciate the lifestyle he or she has doomed himself/herself too. Regardless, it isn't uncommon for some Child Vampires to feel a certain resentment towards their adult counterparts (regardless of whether the adult is turned or born ) because of these differences or more physically related ones.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Blackmoon Vampires

• Definition:
  
  A Blackmoon, as far as this site is concerned, is the third new moon that occurs within a celestial season (ie. Season as defined by the solstices and equinoxes )
  
  A Blackmoon Vampire traditionally referred to a vampire born on the night of a blackmoon, originally this did not pertain to Turned vampires because the night a vampire was turned could be controlled and therefore no Maker would choose to turn a vampire on the night of a Backmoon. However as there are exceptions (especially with in more modern times) the term can also apply to vampires turned on the night of a Blackmoon.
• Background:
  
  In all vampiric cultures being born on the night of a black moon was considered either an ill omen, or a curse. Tales of what came of being born on a black moon varied from vampires growing up to be little more than rabid like beasts, unintelligently snapping and mauling any living thing they came across, to being soulless backstabbing murders that lived only to terrorize the innocent and create havoc and discorded. It was well believed that such children were doomed to suffer from sever cases of "moonmadness" (which proved to be true in some cases), that would eventually drive them to draining all those that attached themselves to the cursed child, if they were given the chance.
  
  Most cultures in ancient times, and a fair number even up until modern times, would have any child born on the night of a blackmoon killed as it was birthed, or shortly after. Even in cultures where the value of children was great enough that protection might have been afforded by kin and close friends, fear from more superstitious neighbors, or raids by those of other nations usually made resisting such a fate for the child a moot point. There were some cases of cults in Northern Africa and the Middle East training Blackmoon vampires for roles as assassins or to serve in a military function unofficially, though even these tended to kill far more infants born on the cursed night than not.
• Current Status: reversed
  
  It is no longer common practice to kill vampires born on a Blackmoon, though turning one on such a night is still discouraged socially. While it has been proven that there are increased risks for certain conditions or personality defects in vampires born on such a night, and are treated equally with their compatriots. There is still some stigma associated with such a birth, but it is mild and considered to be old superstition.
• Current Impact:
  
  Because of the culling of vampires born a blackmoon and the stigma of turning a vampire on such a night, the number of vampires over 400 years of age born on such a rare night are few and far between. Most of these vampires harbor a certain amount of shame in what they are, and as such, regardless of whether their birth affected them through a weakness or personality defect, most are loathed to have such information about themselves divulged. Due to the birth of a Blackmoon prince on Germanic lands, there are marginally more Germanic Black moon vampires than other races of vampire due to changing opinions, policies and enforcement of policies spurred on by this event.

Note: The definition of Blackmoon and consequently Bluemoon (which is the same as black moon but it concerns full moons rather than new) was chosen based on the idea that a blackmoon is the opposite of a blue moon, combined with the fact that the new age definition of a blue moon (second full moon in a calendar month) was brought about because of a -mistake- made in a farmer's almanac that stuck. Obviously ancient vampires would precede this mistake and frankly would hardly think it made sense to change centuries of tradition just because a piece of misinformation spread like wildfire among humans. Furthermore as these terms are in reference to special times in a celestial cycle, it makes way more sense to have that special time be identified in terms of celestial cycles (ie this phase between an equinox and a solstice) then in terms of a man made calendar.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Lycan

• Background:
  
  Lycan have traditionally been ignored by vampiric society. In some cases where a young rogue, or an overly aggressive tribe has put vampiric property (usually humans within vampiric lands or hunting grounds) at risk, ritual purging of the offending lycan or tribe would take place. Similarly, there were times during vampiric wars, or when tensions were high between vampires of rival nations, Lycan tribes could occasionally be hired to assist in defense. Typically though Lycans were seen to be far beneath vampires and their interests, a novelty at best that the occasional collector might like to keep, either as a living slave or pet, or as a trophy. In the new world prior to colonization this was unheard of as, while the old world saw higher populations of vampires with lycans being a rarity, the new world tended to see more lycan tribes and less vampires (which may explain why, while the majority of born vampires in America tend to be European or Asian, nearly all lycan strains present are those native to the new world).
• Current Status:
  
  The tendency for vampires is still to consider lycans to be less than they are. Most vampires either ignore or use lycans as they see fit much as tradition dictated in Europe and Asia. In some countries they are protected by law, but in the states the lack of laws protecting the lycan have resulted in a split on views of lycan. In some clans lycan's are considered exotic pets, or toys to be used as a vampire might see fit, in others they are the target of vampiric frustrations at both being denied basic rights afforded their human countrymen, and the severe restrictions that offer them no relief for their hunting instincts. Other clans simply ignore them, while others still hold them in various levels of equality and/or esteem, usually depending on the sentiments of the clanmaster or mistress. Only in District 1 are lycans protected by decree of the Kaiser from vampiric hostilities currently, and likely this was only able to be enacted due to the history between the Kaiser of the time and most of his clanleaders, as such a ruling goes against the idea of clan autonomy.
• Current Impact:
  
  Many vampires look down on lycans, and see them as objects to be used, either placed somewhere above or below Dhampires in esteem, especially in the States. Those that favor them as companions (that aren't owned) or having dealings with them are sometimes met with suspicion or judgement from their peers, though the higher ranking a vampire in society the more likely such a thing is overlooked or explained away.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Dhampire

• Background:
  
  Dhampire have always served in a subservient position in vampiric society, when they were allowed to live. Many vampires, especially those of high standing considered the creation of Dhampire progeny, either by themselves or their direct descendants to be a disgrace on their part, and take measures to ensure such a thing did not occur. Dhampire were seen as less than vampires, and less than humans in that they are unnatural, and often found themselves persecuted by various religious sects.
• Current Status:
  
  Dhampires are still considered unnatural and lesser beings. Most vampires continue to take measures to ensure they don't produce half breed offspring. Even vampires that would kill the carrier of a future half breed child (assuming the vampire is male ) or hire another to 'deal with the problem' (if female and unable to kill the child herself), aren't likely to actively seek out Dhampire to kill. Dhampire have no position in a clan unless servants or slaves, yet even those that are free are expected to show vampires an equivalent level of respect.
• Current Impact:
  
  Many vampires do as they like with Dhampires; meanwhile increased evidence of Dhampire wanting to be shown more respect sometimes provokes suspicion or loathing directed at the uppity Dhampires, especially from older and more traditional vampires.

[Zeo DiPaulo]

Humans

• Background:
  
  Humans have always been, in some way, property of vampires, and in the case of European vampires, often a source of frustration and inter-vampiric conflict, but also a source of pride and a sense of nationalism.
  
  "Free" humans in Europe and Asia were often divided by a mixture of geography and a given vampiric nation's claim to have contributed to the development (biological) of the humans that live in a given area. As their humans developed into nations there was a sense of pride and the beginning of a merging of identifying human culture as being, in some way, connected to the vampiric (at least on the vampiric side). However bouts of human culture involving Development between human and vampiric culture, in short, has been evolving for some time.
• Current Status:
  
  Human, Vampire relations is currently nation specific. Most nations in Europe, most of Asia, and Australia currently enjoy a type of coexistence with nation specific legal measures outlining the rights and duties of each race respectively. In parts of the Middle East and surrounding areas vampires are still seen as unholy and objects to be hunted down, so understandibly the irritation and hatred with humans runs high in such places. In the States, many vampires consider humans to be naive and foolish given their current approach to the vampires; however, they do recognize them as potentially dangerous. Resentment with the government and it's officials can cause resentment and anger to be directed at humans in general (usually with younger vampires ).
• Current Impact
  
  Development in the United States currently has the relationship between vampires and humans in a state of flux there. American vampires don't tend to hold more faith in humans from other parts of the world, as officially human, vampire relations are considered to be a country specific dilemma at present, due to the obvious complications of dealing with another country's relations.
  
  It isn't uncommon for vampires to still consider humans a lesser race, meant to be owned rather than to be free, but fewer and fewer of these can deny the fact that human invention and ingenuity has put them in a place where they must be handled far more carefully. Whatever may come in the future, it has never been denied that the history of humans has and will always be closely related to that of the vampires, so there are no delusions on the vampiric side that a separation could occur.