The Midnight Breed Series Companion

  There are no marriages, only reproductive matings among the powerful and selective, and clinical breedings (generally IVF, or stud servicing if the owners prefer more hands-on supervision) among the masses. Females are viewed as valuable only so long as they can breed—whether that's on the demand of an elite male (if the female is of a highborn bloodline) or in the farms and in servitude. Barren females, which are rare, and those who can no longer bear offspring, are euthanized—if they're lucky. Basically, you don't want to be born female on this planet!

  The race has its own complex language, but they can also communicate telepathically and read one another's mind. The masses are prohibited from telepathic communication by the implantation of stunting chips at birth, which cut off that part of their brain. Individuals raised on the farms are basically lobotomized in vitro, since they will not need any of their faculties in their dim existence.

  The army of this planet is immense, and brutal. This is a race of beings that thrives on violence and conquest, which has bred an entire class of gladiatorial warriors in service to powerful generals, as well as the generals themselves, who relish blood sport. From time to time, pods of these warriors are sent out to scout neighboring planets for possible inhabitation and/or resources. They love bringing home trophies from "exotic" places—usually skulls or other evidence of the carnage left in their wake.

  Physical description of the Ancients

  Humanoid in form, but typically 6'5" and often taller. Immensely strong. Eyes are greenish-topaz, with elliptical pupils—very much like cats' eyes. Optimum nocturnal and predatory vision.

  Bodies and heads are completely hairless, with unusual skin markings ("dermaglyphs") that serve as camouflage and ultraviolet ray protection (meager) as well as indications of their lineage and social rank. These markings are henna-like and intricate, but change colors (brown, gold, green, blue, red) and iridescence based on the individual's emotional state. The markings cover their bodies, often even into their faces and the tops of their heads.

  Psychic abilities of the Ancients

  - Mind reading and telepathy between their own kind

  - Mind control of humans

  - Ability to create "Minions" (mind slaves) of bled humans

  - Ability to move at speeds beyond human sensory detection

  - Telekinesis

  - Heightened sensory perception (like predator animals)

  The crash-landing on Earth

  Thousands of years ago, a group of eight warriors from the Ancients’ planet set out on a conquest and crashed on Earth. Immediately following their arrival, two of their crew died of UV exposure. They learned quickly that Earth has long days of sunlight, and, vulnerable during this time, they had to seek shelter deep underground.

  The aliens were highly evolved intellectually, so they picked up on human languages with relative ease, aided by the ability to read simple human minds. They communicated with Earth's inhabitants when needed, if mainly to taunt them with threats and verbal domination, which provided a basis for some of the alien and vampire folklore that spread through countless human generations.

  Hunger was an immediate factor in the survival of the aliens on Earth. At night, they would sweep in on quiet villages to feed and kill without discrimination. They actually wiped out entire civilizations in this fashion (Atlantis, the Maya, others of less note). Because of Earth's harsh climate, the aliens required more blood than on their own planet, so they consumed in vast quantities, spreading mass fear and superstition through humankind for centuries.

  Other hungers needed to be sated as well. The aliens relished hunting humans and razing peaceful settlements, but they also craved sex. Rapes were commonplace in the raids and attacks. Human females didn't always survive the brutality of their alien conquerors, but some did. And some—a rare few—actually proved fertile to the alien seed. These women were the first Breedmates, and would become the unwilling mothers of a new race of vampire on Earth…a hybrid race that would come to be known as the Breed.

  The Ancients’ demise on Earth

  Those Ancients who didn't perish in the first few centuries after they arrived were later brought down (Post-Black Death era, so mid-1300s) by their own descendants--those who would become the first Breed warriors of the Order--who joined forces under Lucan's leadership to rise up to overthrow the remaining Ancients for the good of mankind and the entire Breed nation around the world.

  None of the original eight Ancients are known to have survived Lucan’s war on them, however, rumors persist about one Ancient who escaped and now hibernates in a hidden location. It’s likely that Rogues have information about this slumbering Ancient that the Order could pursue. [Author’s note: I later decided to keep the hibernating Ancient a secret, not a rumor, and put the alien under the charge of one individual, Dragos, rather than involving Rogues.]

  Methods for killing a vampire

  - Sunlight exposure (typically within minutes)

  - Starvation (slow death)

  - Decapitation (instant)

  - Complete or massive body trauma (effectiveness depends on damage)

  - Severe injuries inflicted with weaponry or explosives (less effective)

  The Breed

  The Breed are the hybrid offspring, and subsequent direct descendants, of an Ancient and a Breedmate. Through the genetic dominance of their Ancient fathers, Breed infants are born exclusively male. Breed males share the huge size and strength of their alien fathers, and when agitated (either by hunger, anger, or lust—any extreme emotion) their eyes take on an alien, amber glow and their pupils turn thin like a cat’s eye.

  The most powerful of the Breed are those born of the first generation (Gen One), however with their physical/mental strength comes fiercer hungers and an added vulnerability to the things that can kill one of the Breed, such as sunlight exposure and blood addiction. Later generations of the Breed must deal with these issues too, but Gen Ones bear the hardest burdens.

  All vampires need to drink blood from a fresh, flowing human (or Breedmate) vein in order to live. No blood bags, transfusions, animals or synthetics. Blood is essential, but where their Ancient sires have no limits on how much their systems can absorb, for all members of the Breed, there is a dangerous tipping point where survival and excess meet. If a Breed consumes too much, or too frequently, he risks developing Bloodlust, an addiction to blood.

  Much like a human addiction to a powerful narcotic, Bloodlust is destructive and lethal. The addict swirls deeper and deeper into the void, until all that was good in him is gone. For one of the Breed, once Bloodlust claims him, he is very often a lost cause. Without intervention, his blood system will corrupt and his sanity will soon follow, turning him into a killing machine with no hope of recovery. At that point, he is considered Rogue, the closest a human/vampire can get to his savage alien roots.

  How the Breed compares to classic vampires

  Likenesses include: Must consume blood in order to survive; long lifespans of many centuries, but not true immortality in that they can be killed by various methods (see Ancients); photosensitivity, both the eyes and the skin; ability to move at great speeds, beyond the detection of human senses; mind control in varying degrees; telekinesis in varying degrees.

  Differences include: No aversion to garlic or holy water; no need to be invited into a place before entering; no problems with sacred ground or churches, as they are not the undead or the damned; no trouble seeing their own reflections, as they are real flesh and blood individuals; no ability to disappear or dematerialize; no shapeshifting ability; cannot be killed by a wooden stake to the heart.

  Physical traits of the Breed

  While Breed males inherit their Ancient fathers’ vampiric thirsts and strengths, physically, in terms of hair, skin, and eye color, a Breed male’s appearance is influenced by his Breedmate mother’s looks. Breed males are also tall and muscular, like their alien fathers, with flawless health and physical fitness.

  Dermaglyphs: Colors and
meanings

  Also inherited from their alien fathers are the camouflaging and mood-influenced skin markings called “dermaglyphs.” Gen Ones have the most elaborate and extensive glyphs. Later generations, as the purity of their alien genes are diluted with those from their maternal side, Breed males display less markings in fewer places on their bodies. Dermaglyph hues change according to the emotional state of the vampire:

  - contentment/normal state: a shade darker than his skin color

  - satiation from recent feeding: deep russet-bronze

  - general hunger: pale scarlet and faded gold

  - fierce, spasmodic hunger: deep purples, reds, to black

  - desire: burgundy, indigo, and gold

  Extrasensory powers and abilities

  Every Breed male has a unique ability (or curse, weakness) passed down to him from his Breedmate mother. For some individuals, it is a tangible gift, such as the ability to heal or to kill. In others it is an extrasensory power, such as precognition or a psychic bond with animals.

  With the exception of trancing, telekinesis of small objects, doors, locks, etc., and high-speed movement, most of the Breed’s psychic abilities exist only in the oldest or most powerful individuals. They can, with limited results, influence the minds of humans, but it is a taxing exercise for generations later than Gen One and is rarely put to use. It is considered dishonorable for any Breed male to mind control a Breedmate.

  The most powerful Breed males, Gen Ones in particular, have the ability to create Minions, but Breed law prohibits the practice (as does Breed honor).

  Weaknesses

  Like their Ancient fathers, the Breed is vulnerable to ultraviolet sunlight. Gen Ones can withstand no more than ten minutes of direct exposure and their skin begins to burn in less time than that. Later generations fare slightly better, but no member of the race would dare stay out in the sunlight for more than a half hour’s time.

  In much the same way an Ancient is hard to kill, so are the Breed. Decapitation is the fastest, most certain means of killing one of the Breed (but good luck trying!). Other methods include massive or complete body trauma, catastrophic injury, or starvation (rare occurrence).

  The Breed is always susceptible to blood addiction (Bloodlust), and if he should turn Rogue, a Breed can then be killed relatively easily, and surely, with a wound inflicted via titanium blade. Rogues’ blood systems are diseased, corrupted in such a way that titanium becomes poison to them. One laceration can send the poison into their bloodstream, which devours the Rogue from the inside out. Should a Rogue evade capture and killing, very often his madness drives him to suicide, usually via death by sunlight.

  Breed society

  Vampire society at large resides in civilian communities called Darkhavens. They are located in cities, towns, villages, on farmlands and islands—virtually anywhere, with the exclusion of the tropics or high UV areas. Each Darkhaven, from the toniest high-rise to the quaintest berg and hollow, has one thing in common: access to a secured room or bunker where the Breed vampires can escape the daylight, for long durations, if needed. A Darkhaven is usually home to a single or extended family unit, with a head of household known as the Darkhaven leader. This Breed male, very often the eldest, or highest-born, Breed male of the family or unit, is responsible for ensuring the security and general wellbeing of the Darkhaven’s residents.

  Breed civilian society is protected, by and large, by an organization called the Enforcement Agency. They are a cross between a police force and a governing body, with all the corruption and political empire-building to go along with it. The Agency began with good intentions centuries ago, but over time has decomposed internally into an ineffective, often dangerous, organization.

  Existing outside of the Darkhavens sanctuaries and the Enforcement Agency is another, smaller cache of vampire society: the warriors of the Order. These guys are the strongest, fittest, most lethal members of vampire society. Usually outsiders for one reason or another, and far too alpha to pussy around in some nicey-nice commune, they have dedicated their lives to the true protection of their kind, even if that means running up against—or in the face of—the Agency. The Breed warrior is the vampire equivalent of US military special forces and assassin/snipers. They operate outside of regular vampire law enforcement, often covertly, always deadly.

  Across the proverbial tracks from all three of the above, are the Rogues. These guys are the outlaws, gangbangers, boneheads and other low-lifes of the vampire world. They are addicts living in anarchy, acting on impulse, whether that's to feed or rape or kill. Rogues skulk like vermin around human settlements, mainly larger cities, where the hunting is plentiful. Like human narcotic addicts, Bloodlusting Rogues have no personal pride, no care for how they live. Consequently, they generally live in filth and decay. They also kill humans openly, just one of their most unforgivable offenses, as this behavior could jeopardize the security of the entire Breed nation.

  Breed life events: Birth, blood bonds and death

  Breed gestation is nine months, similar to a human pregnancy. Unlike humans, however, Breed newborns feed on their mother’s blood, not milk or formula. The infant is born with tiny fangs and can nurse from his Breedmate mother’s blood (wrist, generally, not breast) until the time he is old enough and strong enough to hunt for a blood Host on his own—typically around four or five years old.

  At puberty, a Breed male’s feeding habits become more complicated. Now, feeding from a Breedmate will result in a blood bond to that female—a physical and psychic connection that, once initiated, cannot be broken except by death.

  A Breed male can live an almost immortal lifespan, often many centuries. If he takes a Breedmate, his blood bond will allow her to live as long as him—barring any incident or accident that could kill her. An injured Breed male (or Breedmate) can be aided dramatically in healing, sometimes even brought back from the brink of death, if he or she drinks from the other at the time of injury.

  Breedmates

  A Breedmate is a mortal female with unique blood and DNA properties that allow for reproduction between her eggs and vampire sperm. Breedmates are distinguishable physically by the small teardrop-and-crescent-moon birthmark they are each born with somewhere on their bodies. Breedmates are also naturally physically fit and immune from illness in all stages of life, although on their own, they are not immortal. A Breedmate requires a blood bond with one of the Breed in order for her aging to cease.

  Breedmates typically exhibit varieties of extrasensory abilities, but these abilities are often sporadic and/or difficult for her to control or master unless and until she forms a blood bond with one of the Breed. These females are also very often gifted artistically or creatively in some fashion.

  Physical traits of the Breedmate

  Breedmate physical appearances are as varied as human women all over the world. Breedmates can be born in all corners of the world, so ethnically they represent many kinds of women and cultures. What Breedmates share in common is their birthmark, and the presence of a blood scent that is unique to each woman.

  Breedmate blood scents are detectable by members of the Breed, but generally not distinguishable to less-developed human olfactory senses. Breedmate blood scents are attractive to the Breed, sometimes even aphrodisiacal.

  Although Breedmates can and do bite their Breed lovers to drink their blood, Breedmates do not have fangs or blood thirst, nor do they develop either after the blood bond with a Breed male. They do not have dermaglyphs or elliptical pupils.

  The Breedmate mark

  The Breedmate birthmark is a small red symbol, present somewhere on the body of every Breedmate. The mark itself is in the shape of a teardrop falling into the cradle of a crescent moon.

  The Breedmate mark represents the blood bond (teardrop is actually a blood drop) and the fertility cycle of a Breedmate, which is the period of the waxing and waning (crescent) moons. The symbol is also representative of the act of conception, when the Breed male’s blood and se
ed are accepted by the chalice of the Breedmate’s body.

  Breedmate talents

  Breedmate ESP talents range from simple mind-reading and emotive perception, to more powerful gifts such as sonokinesis, pyrokinesis, and the ability to either restore life or rescind it with a touch. A Breedmate’s talent will strengthen, along with her ability to wield and control it, once she is blood-bonded to a Breed male.

  During pregnancy with a Breed offspring, a Breedmate’s talent will diminish and not resume until the birth of her child. Whatever unique talent a Breedmate possesses, it is inherited by her Breed offspring.

  Breedmate origins

  [Author’s note: The following is another example of world-building and background information that hasn’t (yet?) made it into any of the novels themselves. I decided to include it here because it helps paint a picture of the dark, early days of the Breed’s genesis on Earth.]

  In the early ages, human females who bore the spawn of their alien rapists often routed out the gestating seed, or, on their own or at the pressing of worried family, made sure the infant abominations did not survive their births. The first Gen Ones were considered devil babies, and treated as such. The few Gen Ones who were spared maternal slaying, were often abandoned in the wild to be consumed by their first sunrise, or if sheltered in dark caves, by slow starvation for blood.