Mise-En-Scene - The World Is But A Stage
The setting for Blood Hounds is modern day society. Approximately from the year 2010-2015. The world is the typical one in which we currently live. Technology is limited by what we have today or what we may have secreted by the government. Prominently displayed under the veil of darkness known as the Vampire Nation are ancient powers and dominions that supersede today's common tree of knowledge. From the black arts of the vampires to the war of the angels who serve the Most High the supernatural plays a large role, although not a central role in the world of Blood Hounds.

Blood Hounds is centrally focused on the hunting and destruction of vampires and their servants. Modern society is not aware of this shadow war that plays out before them on a daily and nightly basis. Vampire happenings are covered up not only by the vampires through their control of public venues but also governments who fear all out terror breaching everyday society.

Although vampires thrive on chaos, they too, do not want open war amongst mankind. Having tried forcing humans into raw slavery in the past has resulted in massive retaliation by mankind, nearly resulting in the extinction of all vampires. Although the modern age has given vampires the technology they so desperately needed to subvert mankind; man has made certain destructive advancements that would ravage the world in total war. It is because of this far reaching destruction that the vampires keep the world in a steady balance of chaos always teetering on the edge with no resolution of redemption in sight.

In the past when countries have gone to war, the vampires thought it to be for their gain. The Vampire Nation would relish the extreme chaos and destruction and were able to seed many of their kind in the power vacuum left by the devastation of war. However in the last world war the vampires realized they must now work to control man with a more hands off approach as mankind has shown the will and ability to fully extinguish itself in time of great crisis. Since the vampires are bent on ruling all, not destroying all, they have integrated themselves into our society rather than against it.

Generally certain elements within government have always been privy to vampires and the games they play upon man. Depending on the government and the culture of its people, vampires have been able to work their way into the power structure and exert a certain amount of control and influence over daily life. Although many governments have made some effort to fight the vampires on a covert front, many such organizations have been penetrated by vampires themselves. Either by direct action or the art of subterfuge the vampires have largely misdirected any and all efforts to form cohesive actionable organizations against themselves.


Milieu - Dwelling In Darkness
The vampires in the latter twentieth century have hit full stride concerning public interference and exposure. They consider themselves above all humans which they feed on and enslave. The vampires have been slowly building strong social networks for hundreds of years. Making the most of mistakes from the past the Vampire Nation has carefully constructed safe zones in which they are practically untouchable. These offer the vampires rather large areas of social reprieve near the very grounds in which they feed and battle, our cities.

The vampires run with a very methodical social structure that is rarely if ever broken. Strategies are developed by The Dark One and his trusted children, The Circle of Nim. From The Circle of Nim strategies are developed into actionable orders which are then passed on to the Lieutenant of the Shadow Council.

The Shadow Council is comprised of leading vampires from all nations, many of which are given areas to rule and control. These areas of control are to meet certain requirements affording the Vampire Nation a palatable degree of safety and resources to be produced when needed or requested.

Infighting amongst the vampire hierarchy is rare, although not entirely unheard of. Causing dissent amongst the Shadow Council is highly perilous especially if interfering with orders from The Circle of Nim. In most cases The Circle will order the entire removal of the offending member including their family and all assets. The offending member's family is then butchered before them and the Shadow Council as an example to all. Lastly the offending member is buried in a large coffin stuffed with the remains of the ones they held most dear. They may live within this coffin for nearly a century slowly expiring, drawing nourishment from the remains stuffed inside. Most often, they simply take their own life bleeding themselves dry.

Although continual infighting comes with a heavy price to pay, the overtaking of one ruling vampire by another is actually rewarded if achieved with as little disorder as possible. This has shown that the aggressive vampire understands deceptive warfare and is able to control and rule that which they have been given with an iron hand. The Circle rewards such behavior by replacing the fallen vampires entire house and structure with the new ruling organization. The Circle then elevates the new ruling vampire to the fallen vampire's seat on the Shadow Council. Once this is done the new reigning vampire is given the authority to extinguish the remnants of the fallen vampire's household or accept them as their own.

Because of this inner threat of losing ones position and power vampires on the Shadow Council more often then not guard themselves and their organization very carefully. From electronic surveillance, paid spies on the street, to a rather large host of equipped killers, safeguarding ones organization is a must. This not only works for the benefit of the Vampire Nation, but to keep a ruling vampire's organization secure from threats within.

Even though many members on the Shadow Council rule areas around the world, many more are simply power brokers in high positions of influence. Although this type of vampire typically has fewer obligations than a ruling vampire, they still play a very important role in directly implementing the Circle's rule which then trickles through the public masses of man with widespread adoption.

Most vampires are loyal to their dark masters to some extent or another. Those that are not are considered rogue liabilities and are hunted by the Vampire Nation. Rogue vampires often flee to remote corners of the world in which they know the Vampire Nation has little influence. Other rogue vampires decide not to flee but instead to make war against the Vampire Nation.

Although a somewhat small percent of vampires turn rogue, their betrayal has far reaching effects in the Vampire Nation. Rogue vampires have been known to seed valuable information in regards to the Vampire Nation's whereabouts, regional plans, technology and most dangerous of all, intentions for man. It is because of these reasons and many more that the Vampire Nation strives to not only control the world of man, but its own as well. The vampires are well aware their largest threats may often lie within.