In the Secret Archives of The Matriarch
Dissertation: The Truth about Vampires
By Serena Longer, First Councilwoman of the North American Vampire Coalition

Through the millennia vampires have had to propagate certain falsehoods for their safety, and the safety of humans closely associated with them. Here is a brief, and true, history of the vampire race, and the establishment of the North American Families.

When Cain murdered his sister, Abella, he and his children then attempted to eradicate Abella’s progeny. They cruelly hunted the children, murdering and torturing any they found. Their rationalization for such extreme actions was that Abella’s children followed a false diety, the Great Mother.

Artemis, Protector of the Vulnerable, intervened. She granted certain powers to Abella’s children, making them no longer fully human: superior strength, superior speed, superior intelligence, superior senses, some magical abilities, and near immortality.

In return for the Warrior Goddess’ protection, an agreement was made between the children of Abella and Artemis. This agreement was thereafter referred to as The Goddess Gifted Purpose, usually referred to as simply The Purpose.

According to The Purpose, Abella’s children would use their gifts in an attempt to guide and protect Cain’s progeny. They were to try to bring about the salvation of human souls by helping them to evolve beyond their genetic predisposition to murder and destroy not only other two-legged, sentient beings, but the other beings, such as animals, birds, even the trees and the Earth Mother as well.

Five hundred years after The Purpose was set out, a number of vampire families fell away from The True Path of Artemis. They began to use their ability to enthrall, and to enslave, humans and to treat all humans with contempt. Certain powerful vampire families made it known as to what they were, and often left drained human bodies where they died.

Panic among the human population ensued and years of bloody fighting occurred. This was the time of The Great Fall. Artemis’ People not only fell from The True Path, but also many of the Ancients and Teachers were murdered either by powerful vampires wanting to usurp their authority or by panicked bands of humans. Humans rioted through many vampire estates burning and beheading.

At this time there arose a type of human, from Cain’s descendants, who wielded magical powers. These magical powers consisted of various talents such as the ability to use the mind to light fires, read other human minds, guard against enthrallment by vampires, superior leadership skills, great strategic minds, the ability to recognize supernaturals, and the ability to break vampire enthrallment of other humans. These humans were often longer lived by several hundred years than normal humans and continued to develop the strength of their talents as they aged. They also experienced no human tendency toward disease or disability.

Once enthralled humans were released of their vampire enthrallment, they could not be re-enthralled. Shortly after the human’s release, the human went mad with bloodlust toward vampires and set out to kill all vampires. This condition was called vamp-kill-crazy. They had the ability to recognize vampires on sight, though they could not recognize other supernaturals.

Entire vampire families were wiped out during the time of The Great Fall. Eventually, vampires hid, and the humans who once knew what they were died off, as humans are prone to do.

Vampires became more cautious for a long time, taking what they needed, but no more. Many returned to The True Path and the Teachings of Artemis.

Another several hundreds of years of relative peace and prosperity for vampires followed. Until The Time of Hunting. Human history notes this era as the Dark Ages. Old legends were revived and the few humans who were magic-wielders emerged to lead the human populace against the vampire race, again.

During this time, some vampires fled Europe, and the ones who remained went deep underground. They often passed themselves off as human.

After the hysteria died down, The Time of Hunting came to an end. The vampire population was once again decimated. The families who survived created the World Council of Vampires and set out certain rules of conduct known as the Edicts of the World Council.

Among the Edicts of the World Council the first and most stringent one was against Open Enthrallment. The Policy of Open Enthrallment said it was a vampire’s right to enthrall humans who would then provide sustenance for the vampire and his/her family. This was much like the keeping of cattle among humans. Once the human grew too old or too ill to provide sustenance they were killed. Furthermore, selected humans could be turned against their will. The Edict was named The Policy Against Open Enthrallment. The Edict provided standards for–under strict guidelines governing who could be enthralled, as well as who could be turned–the keeping of humans.

The second most important edict to be released by the World Council was The Edict of Mythology. This edict decreed that all vampires propagate certain mythologies concerning supernaturals, and especially concerning vampires.

These mythologies served several purposes. The most important ones were to misdirect human recognition of vampires, and to cause humans to believe that vampires were nothing more than stories told to frighten children.

Among the mythologies are the most popularly believed ones:
Vampires are destroyed by sunlight.
Vampires cannot go into a church, or other holy edifice.
Vampires must sleep in coffins, sometimes with the dirt from their homeland.
Holy water, and other holy artifacts can physically harm, and sometimes destroy, vampires.
Vampires must kill in order to stay healthy.
Vampires are cold to the touch.
Vampires have no heartbeat.
Vampires do not breathe.
Vampires do not have souls.
Vampires cannot propagate, except by ‘turning humans.’

There are, of course, many other mythologies, usually depending on the location.

The World Council, however, refused to enforce The Purpose. It was decided that such matters must lie within the realm of each vampire’s Family. So, religious freedom was born among the Children of Abella, at least, at the level of the Matriarch or the Patriarch of the specific Vampire Family.

As Families grew, they frequently migrated to other parts of the world. Strong vampires within a Family were either killed or released to found their own Families.

Entire territories were claimed by the strongest vampires. The Longer Family claimed the North American Territory, which consisted of what came to be known as the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico.

Over time, the Matriarch led in a progressive movement to give limited autonomy to Families established within the North American Territory. A council was established, The North American Vampire Coalition. The head of the territory, and ultimate voice of authority remained the Matriarch.

The First Councilwoman wielded authority second only to the Matriarch, and often handled the normal business of governing forty Vampire Families. The head of each Vampire Family was named as that Family’s councilperson. The councilperson met periodically with the First Councilwoman to handle disputes and other business.

Upon the death of the Matriarch, the power and title of that position would automatically fall to the First Councilwoman. The First Councilwoman’s female child would inherit the First Councilwoman position.

This paper is an overview of the history of the founding of the Vampire Race and the establishment of the North American Vampire Coalition.

See other entries in the Secret Archive of the Matriarch for further information and additional subjects.