drop that guillotine ★ plotting.

VAMPIRES have been in Stantford since before humans were, actually. The founder of the town, Dr. Grey Statcher, was a vampire himself and the founder of the West Manchester Coven that is located there today. Many of the vampires in the coven have been there since before the 1900s, and the coven hasn't been getting as many new bloods due to the fact that feasting on humans is a bit more dangerous with the hunters around. Their numbers have depleted almost 2/3rds since the turn of the 20th century, and they seem to be a dying species.

Most vampires are like the typical ones you'd see in movies. They have fangs, they can't go out into sunlight, garlic is their enemy. However, certain vampires had been testing out a serum for years, in hopes of protecting their race with it so that they'd be less vulnerable to hunters. Only few bottles of the serum exist, as the creator was officially taken down in the early 2000s. Some say it gave him the power to go in the sunlight, others say it drove him mad with bloodlust and he became a modern day Dracula. All can agree though that all evidence of any such serum has vanished, without a trace.

Vampires are known for of course, their fangs, but many other abilities. They're known for being practically immortal, although if they do not ever drink a drop of human blood, they do surprisingly still age and inevitably pass away. They have extremely well night vision, being able to see up to almost a mile away, and their hearing is so suburb, they can hear a heartbeat from another room. They have quick reflexes, and are known for being highly intelligent and mysterious. Many go on to walk the earth, living life after life and adapting with the world until the end of time, or they meet their doom. Whichever comes first.

----------------------------------------

Life in the coven isn't as close knit as many would assume. Vampires are actually very isolated, and the house in which the coven resides in isn't a house where they all live as much as a meeting area. The only people to live within the manner are the king, duke/dutchesses, doctors, and fledglings. The rest live around town or in the neighbourhood around the manner, often alone. The coven isn't just located in the town of Stanford, however. It's located all around the world, and as a result, the vampires may move around from area to area while in the same coven, simply taking over where another coven had settled down to stop from there being any sneaking suspicion from humans of their existence, however they usually do end up back in their old town after a few decades have passed and they're sure their memory is gone.

The coven is very similar to a political structure in a sense. The coven is there to create governing rules for the vampires, to make sure that everything stays at peace between them. The entire reasoning behind it's foundation was that of a peace reign; shortly after settling down in the small town in Virginia the vampires started to fight with each other. A war between brothers was brewing up until the werewolves came in, essentially creating a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" scenario. The coven banded together to create a sanctuary for the vampires, as well as creating numbers if war was to start.

Most vampires who end up as high ranks have been alive and in the coven for decades. They're most often appointed by the king or one of the dukes themselves, and stay in that position until they decide to step down. Sometimes the position will open up suddenly, via a death in the coven, but it's been proven to be very rare up until these recent years.

----------------------------------------

Extra information:

- They are able to decide whether or not to turn someone. Biting a human doesn't immediately turn the victim into a vampire. They have a special venom, similar to that of a snake, that can be released when the vampire bites down into the human flesh. Over the years, most vampires will learn how to control this venom so that each being they bite doesn't come back to bite them too. However, this is something that fledglings and youngbloods can't normally control for a few years to even a few decades.

- They're capable of wiping memories of humans and other supernatural beings. It's a power exclusively to them, and seems to mainly be used if a blood slave is released. Though a thing to keep in mind is that blood slaves have been outlawed from the coven, outcated vampires may use this method to free their victims.

- Vampires are unbelievably sensitive to the sun, and while going out in it will not kill them, it may result in third degree burns. It's advised by the coven doctors to only go out during sunrise/sunset and avoid going out from 10 am to 4 pm.

- Vampire's fangs are not retractable. They can be shaven down to appear more conspicuous, but vampires who do that must find another means for their blood source other than biting. The fangs will grow back though, and only stop growing when they're reached a certain length.

- Vampires are not able to reproduce, as they no longer produce sex cells.

- Vampire's senses are much more heightened than regular human senses.

- Vampires are able to consume human food, however it does not add any nutrients to their body and has little to no effect.

- Some vampires are against drinking human blood, so they may drink animal blood instead. It's rumored that the butcher in town will sell them animal blood in a more humane way, which is often how vampires who shave down their fangs also obtain blood.

- Vampires lack a shadow when the sun is shown directly on them. The reason behind this is currently unknown.

- While vampires can engage in meaningful relationships, it's usually very rare. Vampires are often in solitude, as it's hard to stay with someone for almost forever in their opinion or the relationships just become more and more meaningless. As a result, most of the leaders of the vampire coven have never been married and are the sole leader of the coven.

- Vampires can imprint on other vampires, werewolves, and humans. This does not work on witches.

WITCHES aren't typically your green skinned, black hat, broomstick kind of people. Well, they're not ever that. They're very similar to humans, as the only difference is the fact that they practice in witchcraft. Most of the witches in Stantford today are all descendants of those from Salem who fled during the witch trials. They've all evolved since then, and while they are not all linked to those of the underworld, some are. A few witches have even been known to summon demons who they end up befriending, and there was one case of a marriage between witches.

Witches exceed in all things spells, as well as potions. Some of them have set up shop in the downtown historic area of Stantford, selling potions and otherworldy items to help those of all species. The witch coven in Stantford is very benevolent, and often takes in those of other species who are injured and in need of shelter. They practice magic, and have all mastered the arts. Some humans have been known to become witches after either summoning a particular demon or trying to sell their souls to withhold the power that witches can hold, but more often than not their plans go south.

However, despite the status of the coven, it is extremely hard to get into the coven. The coven itself is very selective of who precisely gets to join, doing a ritual to decide if the body is strong enough to become a "starborn." The ritual in itself is often gruesome, and many have died from it. However, if you do survive, the witches take it as meaning their god has accepted you into their sanctuary and they perform a "rebirthing" ritual so you can become starborn.

----------------------------------------

Life in the Aether Coven is often times very strict, depending on the leader. It was founded in 1952 and had originally started out as a cult, taking home in an old abandon church on the east side of the town, the leader being a woman named Cynthia Bodega. She was an ancestor of one who had been hung at salem, her lineage coming directly from the sister of the woman. Cynthia created the Aether Cult originally, in hopes of bringing back to life those who passed away from the Salem trials who had never wished to. While she was unable to do that, she was able to create a coven in which the likes of Stanford had never seen. The Aether Coven would reach to being more powerful than the West Manchester Coven and the Lunar River Pack.

Everyone in the coven lives together in the mansion on the eastern side of the town. The house is beautiful and large, and is able to comfortably fit all of it's current members. The witches are very close together, often looking similar to a family in a sense but there's still a lot of distrust between them all. Betrayal is often in the coven, whether it being the slaying of their own head witch or if it be among members. They're very vengeful, being benevolent to those who deserve it but malevolent to those who they feel deserve that.

-----------------------------------------

Extra Information:

- Witches cannot cast any spells without either their spellbook or knowing the spell by heart. HOWEVER, some witches are born with particular attributes that they can control without their spellbook, often called "donum vitae" aka "gift of life". These gifts range from things such as immortality, pyrokinesis, resurgence, "the sight", and clairvoyance.

- Despite the fact that witches seem quite powerful, there are no spells to cure aliments that a witch may get or to cure severe injuries.

- Witches usually do not help those in the West Manchester Coven or in the Lunar River pack. They don't particularly get along with anyone but the humans, and have found been found to help humans more than those.

- They commonly use the spirit board to make deals with demons in order to cast vengeance on those who may have wronged them.

- Witch spellbooks are commonly some of the most looked for items, and witches are often killed in hopes of getting a hand on these books.

- Witches cannot be imprinted on.

// please note that the witches are not all powerful. they can do a lot, yes, and don't have too many restrictions but if i notice that the coven is acting like it's the elite of the groups then i will put more restrictions and start to cut back on the characters. please don't make me have to do that :) i am also very open to suggestions for the coven, as i'm having a hard time thinking of extra information for them.

WEREWOLVES are a shape-shifter kind of species, not the only ones to exist but the only one currently known in Stantford. They're more a recent occurrence than vampires, coming into the town in in the mid-1800s. The pack's founder was a woman by the name of Evelyn Jones. Not much is known about her to the eyes outside of the pack, but from the experiences people had with her, it's said that she was an unbelievably firey woman. Their pack doesn't live together per-say, but it is said that they have regular gatherings in the woods in a secret location.

Werewolves don't actually start to shift until they hit puberty. Not much is known as to why, but old wise-tales say that the moment your body starts to change is the moment that the wolf is 'born', and it does add up. Preteen and teenagers wolves are typically very small, in fact, pup-like. They grow as you grow, and are an inner monologue in your own mind. They're you, but there are two voices for you now. Your mind, and your wolf. The colors of a wolf's fur cannot be predicted before this transformation, either. Some thought that maybe your hair color is what determines it, which made sense until a girl of raven black hair's wolf was shown to be white. Others thought that maybe it had to do with something you ate, which was disproven when people were trying to see if their wolves could be distinct colors. The only thing that's predetermined is the eyes; as they're your eyes.

Werewolves are extremely athletic and can run, while in wolf form, for miles, with up to speeds of a car. They're great scavengers, and are able to find things very quickly with just their nose, and can leap for up to five feet. Wolves also have a very curious thing known as mind-link, as the entire pack is connected telekinetically. Typically, throughout the entire town of Stantford is where they can all communicate, but the mind-link is buffered when it's about 15 miles away from the town. The werewolves speculate that the high energy around the town may be what keeps the distance so closely, as it was an ability they had before but never to the lengths of this.

The full moon is when the werewolf is at it's peak in power. They're stronger than ever then, with all of their senses heightened and for those who are new to being a werewolf, it can be the most deadly time. They haven't yet grown in control of their wolfside, and those who do not make it to pack territory to receive help from the pack doctor often reek havoc on the town, before being caught and put down by a hunter, who are always out the most on nights of the full moon, as the pelt of a dead werewolf is worth a fortune if you can manage to put it down while it's still in wolf form.

-----------------------------------------

The pack is a family. Most of the pack has grown up together and been around each other for their entire lives, and as such they're one of the closest groups in Stanford. Little can cause betrayal and upset within the pack, although it does happen. The pack lives in the outskirts of the town, in their own little neighborhood. In the center of the neighbourhood is where meetings by the alpha are usually held, and for the most part they all stay their for their entire lives.

Ranks are usually chosen by the alpha of the pack, though sometimes positions such as beta and delta can be chosen by blood if it happens to be that

Most werewolves are not violent, in fact, they're often the peacekeepers of the town. However they are one of the most hunted creatures in the town. They've had history of being captured and bound into slavery, as people want to use their strength during the full moon for their own good.

-----------------------------------------

Extra Information:

- Werewolves are spiritually connected with one another and can communicate telepathically between one another.

- Werewolves have soulmates; someone who they connect to on an emotional and spiritual level. Usually, their bodies react and they inner wolf immediately knows, a pleasant, euphoric feeling taking over their bodies. However, despite having soulmates, a werewolf can reject it's mate if it chooses to. If that occurs, the individual who is rejected will feel incomplete for the rest of their lives and be in an ongoing agony filled with chest pains and depressive episodes.

- Werewolves are able to communicate telepathically to one another. They consider it a "mind link."

// more to be added