On August 26th, Netmarble’s highly anticipated title, Vampir, finally hits the market. The development team has been working hard to infuse originality into the well-trodden tropes of vampire lore. A peek at their official community page reveals a densely woven tapestry of world-building, warring factions, and tangled personal histories. Can we predict the narrative arc before the servers go live? KookminTree has dived into the lore of Vampir to find out.

A Concise Summary of Vampir’s History and Faction Dynamics

Before we dissect the story, let’s clear up the faction landscape. Who’s a friend, and who’s a target? Vampir features three primary species: Vampires, Humans, and Angels. The Angels act as a check on Vampire expansion, sponsoring humanity to keep the bloodsuckers in line. This effort eventually birthed the Adria Order, as interpreted from the official site.

The Order also includes Dhampirs—the offspring of humans and vampires, treated as a taboo within vampire society. The first Dhampir, born to the bloodline of Cain, fled execution only to be taken in by the Order, becoming the foundation for the Vampire Hunters. It seems this lineage of hunters continues to the present day, with Mila of the Adria Order leading the charge.

Naturally, we turn our eyes to the Bloodline of Cain. Cain, descendant of the first human, was exiled after murdering his brother. Wandering the wilderness, he rejected the redemption offered by three Angels, inviting a curse upon himself. Meanwhile, his mother Lilith, consumed by grief, rebelled against the heavens. She found her exiled son and bestowed upon him the blessing of blood, turning him into a vampire. This is the origin of the Bloodline of Cain, the faction you will be joining.

The Bloodline of Rilai is a splinter faction born from Cain’s lineage. Its leader is Rilai, the first woman Cain turned into a vampire because he needed a loyal subordinate. She is the first bloodline and the self-proclaimed prophet. However, perhaps due to this initial experiment, the blood-bond was flawed, leading Rilai to spiral into madness and commit an atrocity: she killed Cain’s bride, turned her into a vampire, and fled. When Cain went missing after falling into an angelic trap, Rilai saw her chance. She returned to Nocturne with a new bloodline and declared war, joined by the Order.

In essence, while there are three factions, the real struggle is a 1vs1 showdown between your Bloodline of Cain and the alliance of Rilai’s Bloodline and the Order. One has to wonder: the Order claims to despise vampires, yet they’ve joined forces with Rilai? Is the enemy of my enemy my friend? Somehow, I suspect this alliance isn't going to end well.

Nocturne: The Home of Cain’s Bloodline

The heart of the Vampir narrative lies with the Bloodline of Cain—the homeland of vampires. Once Cain became a vampire, he gathered humans to satisfy his thirst while recruiting potential bloodline members through Rilai. It evokes the classic trope of vampires expanding their influence through the bite. During this period, a wise human named Döllingen sought out Cain. They married, and with Döllingen’s aid, the Book of Cain was completed. This led to the conquest of human castles and the birth of the Nocturne Empire. However, the peace of Nocturne was shattered by the aforementioned madness of Rilai.

No leader can handle every task alone, and it seems vampires are no exception. Needing a replacement for Rilai, Cain handpicked four humans to become prophets. They inherited Cain’s power and were instrumental in rebuilding Nocturne, which had been devastated by infighting.

These vampire-turned-prophets are Shima, Moarte, Razvi, and Poame, all featured on the official site under the 'Character' tab for the Bloodline of Cain. They serve as the NPC masters for the four classes in Vampir. During the demo event, Netmarble allowed players to create a Carnage class and experience the tutorial. As you wake up, Razvi greets you. It seems each class will have a different prophet as a guide after the official launch.

Scanning the official site, the diversity of the prophets’ origins is striking. Shima is royalty, Moarte is an alchemist, Razvi is a thief from the slums, and Poame was a slave. It’s quite the motley crew. Cain clearly didn't harbor prejudices, which seems to have been the secret to his bloodline's expansion. However, the official lore is quiet on their relationships. One wonders if these strong personalities will clash.

For those interested, Vampir features a 'Bloodline' content system. It unlocks after a certain point in the main quest. You’ll be able to witness the stories of these prophets and earn rewards, including skill books. Be sure to check them out once the service goes live.

Scars of War Felt in the Three Domains

Although Nocturne flourished under the four prophets and Cain, external and internal pressures mounted. Externally, the Angels, wary of Nocturne, established the Order. Internally, the birth of the Dhampir Nell and the disappearance of Cain occurred. Rilai seized this moment to declare war on Nocturne, and the four prophets were ultimately defeated by the alliance of Rilai and the Order.

The war left deep scars on the territories of Poenari, Krbna, and Kisel. Oscar, the lord of Poenari, went missing while defending the domain. Now, the elder Straga, who once governed the land, leads the remnants in a rebellion against the Holy Knights. Straga firmly believes the Great Elder is still alive. We can expect related quests and stories once Vampir launches. Searching for Oscar and purging the Holy Knights sounds like a solid plan.

The Krbna domain is expected to have a deep connection with the player. Its guardian captain, Damir, serves as your mentor. Damir is cheerful, helpful, and holds significant trust—a reliable figure indeed. The domain is governed by Olga, a vampire with the power of foresight. Others find Olga’s behavior baffling, perhaps because the character is, well, a professional prophet. Olga protects survivors of the war and has been waiting for the arrival of the 'Blood Successor' seen in visions. Who is the successor? The journalist writing this, you, and all of us waiting for Vampir to open.

Just reading the lore gives me a sense of affinity for the Krbna domain. But don't expect them to coddle a fledgling vampire. Mirel and Eric are ready with some harsh truths. Mirel is a veteran who learned the hard way how to survive; the blunt criticism is just a way of showing concern. After all, tough love is love, right?

Eric is the elder in charge of administrative affairs in Krbna. With human incursions on the rise, Eric is understandably on edge. The character is quite conservative in judgment, but given the chaos following the defeat, perhaps we can cut them some slack.

As for the Kisel domain, only the Great Elder Tanchila has been revealed. Tanchila is well-versed in ancient human culture, rituals, and alchemy. But something smells fishy in the background lore. Tanchila vanished before the war with the Order and is rumored to have helped Rilai return to Nocturne. Naturally, the Bloodline of Kisel feels deeply betrayed. Where on earth did Tanchila go? We need a quick and accurate explanation. Answer us, Lebowski! Where were you when we needed you most!

Let’s take a quick detour into some trivia. While researching, I grew curious about the names of the domains. Poenari is the name of the castle built by Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for the world's most famous vampire, 'Dracula.' It’s also the place where the historical figure met their downfall. Given that the Poenari domain in Vampir becomes a base for rebels after defeat, it’s a fitting connection.

Krbna is likely derived from 'Krbna osveta,' a law of vendetta that originated in the Balkans in the 15th century. It dictates that if a victim is wronged, their family must seek revenge. Considering Krbna’s role in waiting for the successor and guiding them, this might be the setup for the Bloodline’s ultimate revenge.

With the Order behaving like this, it’s hard to tell who the real villain is.

Semangelof: Cain must die!

Now, let’s shine the spotlight on the Adria Order, the primary antagonist to the vampires and players. The Order is a mixed organization of humans, angels, and dhampirs that allied with Rilai’s bloodline to assault Nocturne. They succeeded in winning the war and planting their influence in the capital. The introduction of Archbishop Matthias offers a hint; as a 'Saint of Kisel,' the connection to the Kisel domain seems clear.

The roots of the conflict between the Order and Nocturne go back to Cain and the three Angels. The Angels demanded atonement for Cain's exile, but Cain refused, evolving into a vampire—a being that defies the laws of nature. Generally, Angels are seen as executors of the divine order. It’s only natural that these three Angels have their sights set on Cain.

Of the three Angels, Semangelof worked in the shadows to contain the vampire forces. By reaching out to humans and establishing the Order, Semangelof issued revelations to create weapons to fight the vampires. It wouldn't have been hard to find humans who feared the prosperity of Nocturne.

Cain’s disappearance is also the work of Semangelof. Cain took a human woman named Kizaia as a second bride and had a child, Nell. The problem was that Nell was a dhampir. Facing execution under bloodline rules, Kizaia fled with Nell. Cain went in search of them, but this fatherly love proved a fatal mistake. Semangelof and the Angels lured Cain into a trap, leading to the disappearance. Nell fell into the hands of the Order and was used to produce vampire hunters.

The Order’s activities after Nell’s capture are revealed in Mila’s bio. It notes, 'Unlike other dhampir hunters, Mila was born between a human and a vampire, not created through experimentation.' This implies that other dhampir hunters are products of such experiments. Furthermore, the Holy Knights of the Poenari domain conduct these experiments without the Order's explicit permission. Clearly, these experiments are well underway.

Additionally, Mila’s birth implies one parent was a vampire. How did they end up together? Why did Mila join the Order? Furthermore, Mila carries trauma related to the birth. Stimulated by this, Mila is headed for the Poenari domain. I’m curious to see how Vampir weaves these intriguing settings involving Angels, Cain, and Dhampirs.

Sucking the lifeblood out of the people—they’re no better than the vampires themselves!

The Order is a human faction that receives revelations from Angels to fight vampires. They have been joined by dhampirs—half-breeds—to stand against the 'Empire of Monsters.' They excel at projecting the image of 'humanity's last bastion against monsters.' And yet, this is an MMORPG for vampires, Vampir. The more you peel back the layers, the more villainous they appear.

First, Archbishop Matthias is a vile opportunist who stops at nothing to achieve results. Matthias seeks power through 'Blood Stones' found in Kisel—special ores that grant humans unique abilities. Discovering their use was one of Matthias’s achievements.

The 'Three Pillars,' likely high-ranking officials of the Order, use these Blood Stones in truly horrific ways. Xeber, an alchemist from the Kemet Empire, was nearly executed for forbidden human experimentation. Luckily—or unluckily—Matthias saved Xeber, securing their loyalty. Xeber is currently researching biological combat weapons that obey the Order. Birds of a feather, indeed. Raul, the manager of the human execution grounds, is obsessed with the power of the Blood Stone. Their job is to process 'unfit' refugees, and I shudder to think what they’re doing now.

Vampir has offered a glimpse into the results of human experimentation via the Blood Stone. Take the character 'Corpse Crow' in the relationship chart. An orphan taken in by Matthias along with 'White Crow,' Corpse Crow honed combat skills to protect the latter. They were often sent on grueling missions. The end result for Corpse Crow? Emotional removal to maximize the effects of the Blood Stone. I wonder what White Crow, whom they sacrificed everything to protect, thinks of that.

Dok-sa-ra-mu! Rise from the pile of corpses, successor.

So far, we have analyzed the characters and story based on the information from the official Vampir website. The lore and relationship charts have given us a clear outline of the tale. The full details await us on the official launch date, August 26th. Netmarble has released a cinematic trailer on their official YouTube channel, showing a protagonist fleeing through a market, being killed by a knight, and then resurrecting as a vampire to take revenge.

However, the trailer doesn't perfectly align with the in-game story. It differs from the world-building and demo information. The protagonist actually wakes up in a pile of corpses on the outskirts of Krbna to begin the journey. At this point, the prophet—the class master—guides the player. Let’s play for ourselves and see how this story of blood and revenge unfolds.