The Nightkind Community

[Aislin Ni MorRhiaghan]

The Nightkind Community

The word “nightkind” is a general term for all those who are something more than mundane. Although I most often use it in place of vampyre or therian, it is an all inclusive term to denote our special relationship with the night and our own internal dark natures whatever that may be. The term itself has many different layers and so does the community of which it is the stone and mortar. Understanding our community and the valuable role each person plays within it is vital to understanding ourselves as individuals and why everyone that considers themselves nightkind is no more important than the other. We are all on the journey together and the path is long and winding but as one community instead of many separate ones, we can make the journey smoother and much more pleasant not only for ourselves, but for those who will follow in our steps.

In everyone’s life a little work must fall and thus enters the first layer of our community, the mundanes. Personally I dislike this term. It seems somehow derogatory but it is much better than the other terms that separate US from THEM….Nightkind from the rest of humanity. Mundanes are those individuals that are decidedly not Nightkind. Many do not believe that we exist or have any more interest in us than a paperback or occasional movie bearing our likeness (or at best hollywood’s version of us). We work with them, we live with them, sometimes we even take them as lovers, spouses or room mates. Either way there is no denying their presence and no denying that we must coexist peacefully. They are the reason for much of the Black Veil, not because they themselves are dangerous if left to their own devices, but because fear and misconceptions are powerful motivators (especially in the South). It is from this group that we acquire many of our donors and friends. They form the outer circle of the community.

Donors are our very lifeblood. Literally. They are the most precious of all the rings and should certainly be protected and treated as such. They provide invaluable services for us allowing us to feed from them and caring for us when we are not well. They provide friendship, understanding, sometimes even love in as much as they also take some form of care and affection from the unique relationship of donor and vampyre.

Donors may be divided into several groups: eros, sanguine, pranic, and ambient. Eros are those donors that we are likely to be involved with on a much more personal level as they are the tantric donors of the lot. They provide tantric feeding and care for us. This can take any form that allows high vibration energies to be raised on an intimate level. Sanguine donors are those that share their very lifeblood with us. They allow us to take from them and we in turn should be aware of healing means to help them recoup after feeding. Pranic donors are those that share life force energy from a deeper level than other draws. Both sanguine and pranic donors are sharing the same energies even though it may be packaged differently. However they are doing it in very different ways and have special needs after the fact individual to their specific means of draw. Pranic donors offer us their life source energy coming from deep with the core of their being. This is not merely cast off energy but energy that truly sustains the life of the donor. Ambient donors are those that are completely unaware that they are being fed from. These donors are usually found in large crowds and are the most distant of all the donors. They are simply providing us with the energies that are naturally caste off as they move through their day. Energies are usually harvested from several sources so that no singular individual is depleted. There is usually no relationship between the ambient donor and the vampyre, in truth they may have no clue of what is going on at all.

Moving from the mundane circle we find another group, the abbon. The Abbon are those people who have been entrusted with the ability to move within nightkind circles on an intimate level. They often are invited to attend House specific or Family specific get togethers, rituals, or qabbals and may have special priveledges on forums and within the community. They are those who are close to a Family but who have opted to remain with whatever Order, Clan, Household, or coven they have chosen to work with. They are most often members of other Households although on occasion those of mystical paths may also be gifted with this title.

What would the community be without its Ronin members? Those are the Nightkind brothers and sisters that choose a life of solitude rather than pledging to a Household or other Nightside or mystical organization. They choose to remain a part of the community but not a part of a specific order. Many years ago these members of the community were not well received or at best treated suspiciously and disregarded. Ronin usually do not maintain titles although a Ronin community member who has proven him or herself within the community and who has reached adulthood within the community may be honored with the title of Ronin Calmae. This allows them to teach, sire, and if they so desire start a Family of their own. This rite is usually done by an Elder of that community in accordance to the tradition of that Household.

The next in line is the initiate, that Ronin who has chosen to join a Household, Order, or Clan. While the term “clan” is rarely used anymore it used to be fairly common. Thanks to the popularity of rpg’s many vamps tend to stay away from that term viewing it as a product of the rp culture. Groups of Nightkind led by one or two members who have reached adulthood within the community form Families and are in every essence of the word exactly that. Families form Households and have their own traditions, requirements and tenets all of which must be in accordance to the Black Veil or other honor code relating to it in order to be recognized as a legitimate organization. Orders are often made from a Household that has hived off. When more than one hive is created they are then referred to an Order. Another form of Order can be in reference to a mystical teaching, philosophy, or culture.

Within Households you often find many variations of Strigoii Vii class. The Ramkt is often the spiritual advisor, the one who harvests the energy raised during ritual, the seer, and the teacher of the Household. The Kitra is the living altar of the Household, the one who carries the energy raised until time for its release. The Kitra is also the one who oversees the Kitral (the donors of the Household or Family) and advises and teaches vampyre and donor alike safe drawing and healing methods. They also are skilled entertainers and often function in hosting and planning events and coordinating rituals and Family parlors. Such things are important for the community as it helps us to relax and get to know each other and to be more active within the community. Because the Kitra is usually also a highly eros charged individual (may be male or female), they were often referred to many years ago as the concubines of the coven or Household they belonged to. However, their charge is not indicative to their function as they are the mediators, entertainers, and both the receptacle and the release of the rituals conducted. The Mradu is the guardian of the Household, the silent observer, and the protector of the rites and qabbals held by the Household. His or her role is not only as peacekeeper but also to protect, ground, and hold the energy as it has been raised. He or she is the living shield of the Household, and especially of the Kitra during ritual or at events. The Kharrus is the priest or priestess specifically of the Strigoii Vii, but also of the Household. They are normally the Elder of the Household, the one who leads the Family in ritual and other spiritual practices. Not everyone chooses a road during their time within a Household, however they may choose more than one road or even all three. Someone aspiring to Eldership within the community would be expected to be proficient in all three roads in philosophy and training if not in title.

Between the initiate and road is the Calmae. I briefly touched on this as a matter of Ronin adulthood, however the Calmae within a Household is a different matter. They must pass a series of Family specific ordeals in order to advance within the household. Calmaeship is usually granted to those who have reached maturity on all levels and are knowledgeable in Nightkind practices, vampyrecrafte, shielding and other forms of protection, and community safety and tenets. The rite of Calmae is performed by the Elder of that tradition.

The Elder is a powerful Pillar of the community. Without him or her, the community would have little direction and little guidance so it is important that the person we choose to lead us be of good character, of wisdom and knowledge, and in good standing. Elders may oversee rites of ascension within the community, teach and hold classes. They may also host nightside events and start Families of their own. Elders are not self pronounced but have worked through a specific dedication such as Strigoii Vii, Households, or worked closely with another Elder during their wardship. These are people within our community that are worthy of our respect and honor and carry the title with the honor that is due to them.

Without order where would our community be if not in chaos. With law must come the law keepers, those who protect our community by removing those who have little regard for it. Thus the Courts are formed and maintained by Elders of a given area and their word carries much weight within it. Their role is to uphold the tenets of the Veil and although it is not mandatory that every member of the community agree with every aspect of it, it is certainly a point of consideration that it is good common sense to do so. The primary point of the Courts is to hold Elders who are sworn to uphold the Veil to its word in its entirety. It is intended to protect us and those we hold dear and certainly not to give us unwarranted exposure to a world that is simply not always accepting of our nature.



The last ring of community is the ring of Royalty, those members of the community who were in standing prior to the penning of the Black Veil. They are those who laid the foundation for the community and those who began houses, families, clans, orders, or covens, and who have been known throughout the community for some time for their work within it. While many houses dissolved after the appearance of the Veil, the members or founders of those houses went either two ways. They either left the community altogether and have managed to stay away or resurface some time later to pick up where they left off, or they continued their work outside of a house and either founded their own later or joined others. Members belonging to this group are rare and even rarer still are the ones that remember the way things used to be prior to the publication of the Veil. These are the ones that have earned the titles of Queen, King, Prince, Princess, Lord, Lady, Ambassador, Chieftain, Countess, Dutchess, or Goddess, although few actually use them.

Our founding brothers and sisters worked tirelessly to build the communities we have today. They have fought for all members of Nightkind and all facets of life. They have established forums such as this one and many others, organized events that would otherwise have never been heard of, launched many new forms of music, literature and art, and have established long standing havens and many new ones. In the old days we would greet each other as brother and sister. It has been too long since I’ve heard such greetings. Our community is beautifully diverse and has many strengths. May we foster these strengths not as islands unto ourselves but as one family, one community, and one whole.

Eternally,

Aislin, GABLC © 2007

[RavenHarte]

<clapping loudly>
I really like this article Aislin, VERY informative but concise!!!