Species

Sirens and werewolves are estranged cousins who found their home in the deep swamps rather than the lush forests. Sirens are able to spend their days among humans, but when they are fully emerged into water, they become the mythical mermaid. When in water, they are able to breathe under the water, they are able to swim at incredible speeds, and propel themselves forward with fins. When out of water, sirens are able to utilize their voices to manipulate others. This is traditionally done through singing, but with training, sirens are able to use their speaking voice, or nonverbal communication to manipulate others. Humans are typically easier to control, but other species can be susceptible to their calls if they are compromised in some way.

Sirens are traditionally one of the more insular communities and will rarely spend time with others outside of their species. Sirens do vary in the time they spend with the outside world, some will take jobs working in clubs and using their abilities to lure patrons to them, some will spend more time in their fish form and uncover the secrets of the bayou. Sirens are now welcomed at the Robespierre Academy, and have decided to send some of their children as a show of good faith to this new world order. Sirens can be male or female and always born as human and become sirens when they are killed in water. Sirens stay the age they were when they died and are unable to age further. Due to them dying and becoming reborn, sirens are infertile and cannot bear or create children of their own.

Sirens are traditionally seen as cold, calculating, and lack empathy. Sirens lack the knowledge of their lives before they were made into sirens, though some report nightmares of their deaths. Sirens are as dark and mysterious as the swamps they call home. Sirens have been called upon in wars and battles for their ability to remain calm in chaos and their abilities to act without remorse of their actions. Sirens are natural killers and are able to sustain themselves from human meat if they chose. [break] [break] Sirens are closest with the druids of all of the species. Druids and sirens have mutual respect for their shared lands and able to work with each other to sustain their territories. Sirens, though closest traditionally with werewolves, do not get along with their bestial relatives. Werewolves feel that sirens are cold and ruthless, and sirens feel that werewolves are beasts and fueled by their emotions.

Sirens are created when a human with a werewolf gene deep inside of them is killed in the water. Bodies that go missing in the swamps without a trace wake up with no memory of who they were before and a new family. Sirens can attempt to create new sirens, though it rarely works and typically ends up with dead humans in the swamps. Sirens are able to blend in with humans as needed, but traditionally stand out from humans due to their difficulties with emotions and social cues. Sirens are able to gain sustenance from traditional human food, but also can consume human flesh if needed.

The vampires of New Orleans follow most of the old lore: they cannot go out during the day, they do not cast reflections, they require human blood for nourishment, and they experience adverse reactions to silver can be killed with stakes. They live together in cooperative nests, each with their own unique structure and local flavor, and they regulate themselves, ensuring others show restraint and don’t leave bodies in their wake. The vampire community is insular but diverse, with all sorts flourishing within it. After regulations were agreed upon in the 1970’s, turning new vampires has become an ordeal and a process. The punishment for turning new vampires without following protocol is steep, and vampires have turned from random turnings to raising children, mostly orphans, with knowledge of vampires, their rites and rituals, and their culture. These children are few and raised during the day by human nannies while their “parents” sleep. Children who do not consent to the change when they come of age are released under special protections, while others are turned for local or other nests.

In New Orleans, the vampire population is split into a minority of long time residents who follow the traditional ways and a series of new migrants who have sought New Orleans as a supernatural mecca. As such, they do not tend to play nice, and the traditional vampires feel as though their sense of control over their own population is weakening. Coupled with the rise of werewolves, it’s a very tense time to be a vampire in New Orleans.[break][break]

The Azalea Alliance Nest has been setting the tone for vampires in the city since before the troubles began, and that tone has been traditional, bordering on dogmatic and positively orthodox. Now that the community is out, however, things are vastly changing, and the local nest must contend with new immigrants and the new dominion of werewolves. The Vampires of New Orleans Alliance answers to the local nest, and all new vampires must be registered either under the VNOA or the Azalea Alliance Nest.

Alliances[break]
Vampires consider themselves the superior of all the species, and as such, they are unlikely to automatically choose to work with another species. They frequently employ witches to ward their bases and provide protection during the day, but vampires are not quick to consider the relationship a mutual or equal one. The VNOA has done some work in breaking down old boundaries and publicly support the Robespierre Academy's efforts of complete and equal integration.[break][break]
Enemies[break]
The old adage is true: vampires and werewolves do not get along. The AllMother's only sons frequently fought for the upper hand, and the species the two spawned have been no different. Before, when the world of the supernatural was closed off, vampires had a the top spot, given by seniority and their calculating nature, but now everything is topsy turvy. VNOA members are more likely to "disgracefully traipse around with beasts," but the Azalea Alliance Nest clings hard to old grudges, considering them among the old traditions. They are unlikely to budge anytime soon.[break][break]

1. Getting permission to turn into a vampire is a near act of Congress (adoption by vampires is not a guarantee of approval), but once all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, the future vamp is drained by their maker and then partake of their maker's blood. It is a ritual that seals a relationship between the two that varies among individuals.[break]
2. When a maker dies, their "children" feel it but do not die or revert into humans.[break]
3. It is absolutely impossible for vampires to conceive children. Turning pregnant mothers would kill any child (aka no daywalkers).[break]
4. Vampires cannot subsist on animal blood alone; at least once a month, they must drink human blood. They, however, do not have to kill the human. In fact, doing so is heavily frowned upon.[break]
5. There is no way to reverse vampirism.

Stuck between both werewolves and vampires are the witches, who take full advantage of the middle ground. Traditionally based in spells and specializations, witches have the power to influence the world around them, and they tend to do so - for a price. They serve as protectors for vampires during the day or restore wards on werewolf territory. They make potions for ailments or for love or whatever dark desire comes to them with enough money. Nothing is ever foolproof, but if the planets align just right and the words are crips and clear, witches can make big things happen.[break][break]

Witches come in a diverse population, but they are generally divided by creed. Our Lady of the Water, both the school and the coven, take a unique and woman-centric approach to witchcraft, claiming that the AllMother was the actual first witch and as such witches deserve a more superior role on the council stage. Outside of that incredibly small subset, the rest of the witches believe in diverse traditions, roles, and concepts. The basic specializations, however, remain the same, and witches fall into the categories of diviner (skilled in seeing the future, secrets, etc), naturalist (skilled in working with nature, the elements, or animals), healer (adept at mental, emotional, and physical healing), wordsmith (can spin words and languages into works of power), herbalist (have an intrinsic connection to herbs and potion making), and channeler (can move and see energy others may not). With the opening of Robespierre Academy, some longtime Our Lady members have become teachers and are interested in spreading more traditional craft and history to a new generation of witches.

Witches in New Orleans are split, with Our Lady on one side and the new Robespierre Academy and the general witch population on the other. To leave one for the other is a grievous offense, and Our Lady's reputation for seclusion and elitism has only increased in recent years, as they have closed ranks since the troubles started. They still attract students with the small school and mystery, but the veneer around the edge has started to crack. Witches are in a moment where they are questioning old structures, and seeing the rise of the werewolves, they are trying to decide their place in the world. Most witches from all covens live and work in the human world, taking perfectly ordinary though often professional jobs. It's not uncommon for a human to find out their nurse, doctor, or therapist is a healer witch. Naturalist witches make fine chemists or vets or just shelter volunteers, while wordsmiths make find professors or authors or speech writers (with coven direction, of course). All covens tend to move in the same direction, as it is their combined power that can affect the most change.

Alliances[break]
Witches of all creeds tend to be creatures who move among all circles while remaining loyal to their home covens, and they are the easiest to pass for human in their everyday lives. Often, covens enter into paid agreements with humans, werewolves, vampires, succubi, really anyone who has the coin to rub together. Witches won't go against their creed for money, but there are still quite a lot they will do. Humans with enough money can purchase low level potions or enchants, and many witches have working relationships scattered throughout the supernatural and human community of New Orleans.[break][break]
Enemies[break]
Witch loyalty has its limits, and once they are reached without substantial compensation, loyalties can quickly change and shift. If a nest or a pack or even another coven crosses a single coven witch, it turns the coven as a whole, and no one can hold a grudge quite like a witch. As a general rule, humans are considered personae non gratae in witch spaces unless they've paid for a spot.

1. Witches are not limited in who they spend their time with, but cross-species relationships tend to pull on the solidarity of a coven. Children from such relationships are extremely rare, and the powers do not hybrid. If a witch and a werewolf have a child, that child has a 50/50 chance of being either.[break]
2. Witches are born, not made. Though the gene may skip generations, a witch will not have to look far at all to see witch ancestors. Regular humans cannot become witches, no matter what.[break]
3. There is generally no hierarchy related to witch specializations, but being rare, diviners are prized in covens.[break]
4. Witches take their specializations during their coming of age ceremonies, where their powers reach their full levels. Witches do not choose their specialization; it's an instinct.[break]
5. If a witch never has an official coming of age ceremony, their full power does not manifest.[break]