Coven Bloodmother

Alvira’s goal is to gradually grow the status and influence of the Blackbound coven until it can act as the puppet master behind every important person in the city.

Alvira cannot abandon her brother, Marcus, who betrayed the coven and was transformed into a shamebeast. 

Alvira seeks to grow the coven’s influence at a pace so rapid that the coven is at threat of overextending itself and drawing attention to its activities.

Vampires usually exist in isolation from other vampires, as the creatures are highly selective about when and to whom they decide to grant their vampiric gift. The typical vampire would much rather create a subservient spawn than another full-fledged vampire with its own whims and desires — an equal in status and power who might challenge their influence. A vampire who wishes to ascend to a greater power, however, and who can overcome their fear of the other by putting their trust in carefully-selected individuals, may rise to new heights and form what is known as a vampire coven. 

The Blackbound coven of vampires has existed for at least 2,100 years. It began when Alvira Garnette (known in those days as Tecmessa the Blackbound), along with her brother and sister, forged the Blackbound pact with Ancus the Ascended, a higher vampire from the outer planes who agreed to serve as the coven’s patron and source of power. As new coven vampires, Alvira and her siblings were granted an awakening to arcane power and an increase in their strength, removing their weaknesses to running water and sunlight and freeing them from the grave. In exchange, however, they pledged themselves to a lifetime of study in service to Ancus, and gave to him the root of their immortality. Though the coven vampires could live forever, they could now be killed. Alvira and her siblings, who long hungered for magic, made the trade eagerly.

The ability of the Blackbound coven to sleep in regular beds and walk in the sun’s light allowed them to gradually integrate themselves into the fabric of society. Seeking to grow their societal status and their understanding of magic in order to bolster their power, the Blackbound slowly grew their membership, established a number of businesses to generate income, and then founded a library to store their arcane knowledge. All of this was facilitated over centuries through the use of growing wealth, forged alliances, and shifting identities. The coven fed carefully to avoid suspicion, and have had to establish themselves entirely on at least one occasion with new identities in a new land after their previous home was struck by calamity.  

Now, in the present day, the coven is over a dozen members strong, and its members have firmly established themselves amongst the noble class within the city of Erinfell. Alvira and her companions are regarded as successful business owners, rare book collectors, and generous patrons of the arts. The Blackbound have established a number of mind-controlled thralls in key social circles of the city. They continue to feed selectively to avoid suspicion. Their influence surges toward total control from the shadows. They are not known as vampires. But there is unrest within their ranks. Alvira’s brother, Marcus, broke the pact of the coven and was transformed into a shamebeast for his crimes. Alvira, angry with her brother but unable to abandon him, keeps him chained within a coven dungeon and sustains him with blood. Many of the coven’s members are disgusted with Marcus, and further disgusted by Alvira’s coddling of the rule-breaking monstrosity. They whisper about Alvira growing weak and emotional and worry that her personal relationships threaten the status of the coven. They believe that Marcus must be destroyed, lest he somehow escape and draw attention to the Blackbound. Alvira is aware of these whispers. To compensate, she has pushed the coven’s activities into overdrive in an effort to prove to its members that not only does she remain strong enough to lead, but that she is strong enough to elevate it to new heights. Alvira will not stop until every government official has been intimidated, enthralled, or bought.

 compose the general ranks of membership of the Blackbound. Coven members share innate magical abilities granted to them by their pact, but are also able to supplement their arcane talents with learned spellcasting. Different witches are proficient in different schools of magic, and the coven’s library is full of spellbooks and other arcane texts acquired by the coven’s members over their many years of existence. The coven’s second in command is named Leora the Invisible, a coven vampire witch who is particularly skilled with illusion magic. 

 are the newer recruits to the coven who aren’t as proficient in magic as the coven’s full-fledged witches. Alvira sends the retainers out to gather victims for feeding when necessary and also assigns them the chores of maintaining spell component inventory and keeping the library’s texts in order. 

Isaac was originally a coven vampire thrall who was much beloved by its members for his affable demeanor and understanding nature. When the coven attempted to bestow him the vampiric gift and grant him membership, he proved too weak to withstand the magic of the ritual and was instead turned into a 

. The coven took pity on him and allowed him to serve them as a butler and assistant. He also performs general maintenance for the library and a few of the other Blackbound properties. 

The Blackbound is highly selective in who they grant the vampiric gift. They are slightly less selective with their 

, which they use as spies and informants within key social circles of the city. Thralls exist as eyes and ears for the coven, ever-hoping that their loyal service will lead to their induction into the ranks of the Blackbound. The vast majority of thralls, however, are disposed of when they outlast their usefulness. The Blackbound is always looking to convert powerful individuals into thralls whenever they might get the opportunity. 

Alvira’s brother, Marcus, broke the pact of the Blackbound by draining the memories of a mind vessel specifically restricted by Alvira. The mind vessel held memories of Alvira’s past that she could not forget but wanted to keep buried. Marcus, ignorant of the binding magic of the coven and the consequences of his breach of the rules, was transformed into a 

. Alvira loves her brother too much to lose him entirely, so she keeps him alive and in chains within a coven dungeon and provides him with the blood he needs to survive. 

Though coven vampires can theoretically live forever and do not age, the brain eventually begins to discard memories over time to make room for new ones. To ensure the vampires of the coven do not lose any of their precious knowledge, they select certain memories to store in 

that they can later extract or exchange for other memories at will. The Blackbound keep dozens of vessels in their dungeons restrained in sealed suits of iron to protect them from potential damage.

The players may wish to oppose the Blackbound coven for a number of reasons. A few of these reasons are outlined below.

A friend or family member of the party has disappeared. Early on in their investigation of the disappearance, the party is pointed in the direction of the Blackbound coven. The more they learn, the greater danger the coven becomes. Is it possible their friend is still alive, awaiting their death in the coven’s dungeons? Or is it already too late, and will the party have to settle for revenge? 

A member of the Blackbound has decided to betray their coven. Perhaps they have grown guilty about their own nature, or perhaps they believe they can use the party to help them remove Alvira from power before seizing it for themselves. They reach out to the party for help, and can offer the party insider information on the coven’s activities. Are they being genuine, or will they turn against the party at a critical moment? 

This fearsome matriarch is the leader of a coven of vampires, who benefit from unique powers as a result of their shared magic. Her influence grows at the expense of innocent lives. 