The Longlost clan was known throughout the continent. Its history, far from noble, showed their cunningness.
During the massive clash between the Albion Alliance and the Magus forces, the Longlost clan hid within its ancestral castle. Occasionally, it would plunder a magus stronghold with its armies of blood slaves, and then enter a deep state of seclusion for a couple centuries.
From a minor gathering of vampires, it had become a massive clan in the span of one thousand years only.
Now, it was one of the 9 Noble Households of Albion.
Within the ancestral home of the Longlost, the Crimson Spire, a young blood slave was practicing a knight breathing technique. The Crimson Spire was less a castle and more a living, breathing organ of the clan. It was a monstrous structure of black stone and vitrified blood. Underground, crystallized blood energy emerged from a single nucleus powered by the Elders.
Its most defining feature was its ability to enter a state of "Sanguine Hibernation", one that could shield the clan from the most erudite of magi, or the most brutal barbarian.
The hierarchy in the Crimson Spire was pretty simple.
Unlike most clans in Albion, the Longlost Clan operated as a fragmented yet monolithic entity. There was no patriarch, but rather, the Blood Council, which decided of all important decisions within the clan.
Above all stood the Elders, members of the Blood Council. They were the pillars of the clan. Erudite, ruthless, cunning, they were the role models of all clan members. Most often, they were ancient, as vampires grew stronger and more pure as time passed. Their near limitless life expectancy also favored the old vampires. The requirement to become an elder was simple. Any clan member reaching the rank 1 realm by the magus' standards would belong to that category.
Right below them stood the Scions. They were the direct descendants of Elders, often displaying high blood purity and potential. Though their strength varied greatly, they usually completed missions for the clan's sake, and led operations. To be considered a true scion, they needed to be at least of Advanced Acolyte realm.
Then came the regular clan members. Bastards, war veterans, erudite sages who made exceptional contributions...Though the conditions to be considered a clan member varied greatly depending on your political stand, there were many clan members. To be qualified to be one, the clan members need to reach the Intermediate Acolyte Realm.
Though elders cared little, every scion possessed a faction of its own in the race to become the next elder. Regular clan members would swear allegiance to one of the scions, and receive corresponding benefits. However, to become stronger, scions would need to gather resources and complete many trials from the Blood council. And from this very burden comes the need of an army.
This is where the Blood Slaves come into play. Those were descendants that had yet to mature, or high-potential vessel that received the blood essence of a direct descendant of a Longlost elder. As such, all blood slaves were vampires of Beginner Acolyte Realm. Used as the main operatives of the clan, they were the Longlost military. Better than undead, sturdier than meat shields, they were a feared force that was cheap to produce and efficient on the battlefield.
Lastly, tens of thousands of regular enslaved human soldiers from blood contracts supported the clan in managing its territory.
This was the Longlost clan.
A monolithic structure fragmented by a power struggle.