When I first met her, she held me tight in her arms, and I knew I would always stand beside her from then on. I stood beside her—well, she carried me—that day when we first left on our adventure, and I would stand beside her today.

I was watching from behind her chair, waiting for her to finish getting ready. There wasn't much left to do, and it was almost time for everything to start.

Today was a special day for my Trainer, and we, as her team, all had important tasks to do, but mine was the most important of all. I was going to be her best Pokemon.

Sure, it didn't seem like I had to do much. I was just supposed to escort her out and stand by her side for the ceremony, and after the reception I would carry the happy couple on my back as my partners and I led the procession down Route 1 to her house in Nuvema Town, where we would leave them to their breeding. Still, it was important, and I was going to be the very best, like no Pokemon ever was.

All of us, Ramona and Plushie and Idoun and Shimmer and Lisette and I, had gotten dressed up nicely for the occasion—well, with a little help from humans. Mine was the best—I had the most stylish bow tie and a specially made top hat to fit on top of my shell. A fitting look for a fitting best Pokemon, if you ask me.

My Trainer herself was looking stylish. She had already gotten dressed into her tuxedo, and now her mother was brushing her hair. I thought her hair looked much the same as it always did, but humans do the strangest things sometimes.

I leaned forward a bit and nudged the back of her chair a bit, and she turned around to look at me.

Her mother stopped brushing and spoke up. "Patience, Miju. The ceremony isn't going to start for another fifteen minutes—I just need to finish Alyssa's part, and her hair will be done."

Do I have to wait here for those fifteen minutes? I asked. Of course all the humans could hear was "Miju!" "Sam!" and "Ott, ott!" but Alyssa seemed to understand me most of the time.

"Actually, I do wonder how well the other preparations are going," said Alyssa, looking sort of curious. "Miju, could you go and check to see how the others are doing setting things up? The guests should be getting seats right about now."

I nodded, careful of where the tip of my shell was, and gave an affirmative cry. I would do my job well and make my Trainer proud.

Leaving her and her mother in the dressing room, I went around and into the main room, which was a lot fuller than when we'd first arrived.

We were having the ceremony in a little gray church in the corner of Accumula Town, though the inside was a lot more colorful. My partners were hard at work setting the last few things up, and there were a few humans lending a hand as well.

I could recognize two humans—the one with the Emboar and the green hat was named Bianca, and she was putting candles in the candlesticks lining the ends of the seats. And that was Cheren with the glasses and the Serperior, helping Lisette roll out the carpet. There was another human in a gray suit, playing the piano in the corner, but I wasn't quite sure who he was.

As for my other partners, Ramona of course was handling the flowers. Plushie was showing some newly arrived humans to their seats, Shimmer was practicing vibrating her wings for her musical part, and Idoun was tying ribbons to the candlesticks with all three of her mouths.

"There sure are an awful lot more Pokemon here than there are people," said one of the humans Plushie was escorting. She was a bit younger than Alyssa or Cheren or Bianca, with sparkling blue eyes and brown hair that was partially done up in round buns. Her dress was a bright magenta with cream-colored stripes and a Pokeball logo on the skirt. "Don't the Graysons have more human friends than this?"

"Don't be rude, Avery." That one must be the girl's mother. She had on a turquoise dress patterned with Cornn and Lum Berries, and her hair was pulled up into a bun. "Pokemon can be counted on to do so much more than battle. See how helpful they're being?"

"Maybe the Graysons are Pokefans?" piped up the third human, a boy with wildly messy brown hair that looked like an Unfezant's nest. It looked kind of funny alongside his neatly pressed suit. "Or the guy's family are, maybe—what are the Graysons like, Mrs. Weiss?"

"I haven't seen Mrs. Grayson's daughter in many years—she was just six years old when I last visited Nuvema Town! But Professor Juniper tells me she's a very accomplished Trainer."

The Professor would be right, I heard Plushie say telepathically. We have won the Unova League Championship quite a few times, and we helped curb the threat of Team Plasma.

The boy's eyes grew wide. "Wow! You can even speak human! You guys must be seriously awesome Pokemon!"

"Of course she can, Ryan. Psychic-type Pokemon can speak telepathically," Avery pointed out. "Miss Reuniclus, what's it like to travel with your Trainer?"

Before I could hear what Plushie was saying, I felt another Pokemon bump into me—a Fire type, based on the warmth I felt—and I turned to look and see.

The Darmanitan in front of me grinned amiably. "Hey, no hard feelings, Shell Boy. Just wanted to get to know the Pokes around here, y'know?"

He held out a fist. "I'm from Pinwheel Forest, but I hang around the Desert Resort these days. I don't really have a nickname, but my old human friend used to call me Manny, cause he couldn't say 'Darmanitan' yet."

I held out a flipper and gave him a fin-shake. "I'm Miju. What brings a wild Pokemon like yourself to a human town?"

"Why, my old human friend asked me to come here, of course." The Darmanitan's eyebrows flared as he smiled. "I almost didn't recognize him all grown up! I don't know what all the flowers and shiny strings are for, but he said there was a very special human he wanted all his old friends to meet."

"Very special human, huh?" I was pretty sure I knew why he was here now.

"Yup." There was a curious look in his eyes. "Says it's the very first human friend he's ever had."

Now I definitely knew why he was here. "That would be my human."

"Your human, eh? Is this human of yours really so remarkable?"

I nodded. "She definitely is. I couldn't ask for a better partner."

"Hey, Miju!" The voice was human, and I barely had time to excuse myself before a pair of arms wrapped around my neck. "How're you doing, old buddy?"

I turned around, and there was the human who had been playing the piano earlier. Those brown eyes and tousled brown hair were familiar, but where had I seen him again?

"Remember me? I'm Blair. You know, from the Battle Subway?" He smiled brightly. "How's Alyssa doing? Is she nervous or anything?"

Ah, that's right—he was Alyssa's cousin. I didn't know he played the piano, but then humans are often full of surprises.

She didn't seem to be nervous, I said. She might be, though—there's still a lot about humans she has to help him learn.

"You sure she's fine? From what I heard, the guy seemed like kind of a creep." His smile flickered a bit. "Still, Aunt Sarah seemed to approve, so maybe he's not so bad…"

If he meant harm, I'd never have let him get close to her. I drew myself up proudly, the point of my shell held high. I pack a mean Razor Shell, you know.

"Really? You'll defend her to the very end?" Blair's brown eyes lit up as he smiled. "Y'know, when I chose my starter, I thought Oshawott was totally uncool and that a smart Trainer would only pick Tepig. But you proved me wrong when I first saw how you and Alyssa battled together. I never got that far on the Subway on my own!"

He gave me an amiable slap on the back and petted my tail. "I know she'll always be able to take care of herself with a partner like you, Miju. Keep an eye on her and her guy and make sure he doesn't try any Pansage business, kay?"

He went to go practice the piano some more, and I couldn't help but think about all the time I'd spent as Alyssa's partner, and what this whole thing was going to mean.

Ever since our journey had started, I'd pretty much been the alpha male of the team, being the only male out of Alyssa's six Pokemon. But I was also the most prominent male in Alyssa's life, human or Pokemon—there didn't seem to be too many male humans close to her. Her father died years ago, Blair rarely ever visited Nuvema Town, and Cheren had had his own journey to make separate from hers. It was my duty from day one to look after her, protect her, defend her.

I knew N was harmless—naïve definitely, but he couldn't hurt a Dwebble—and of course it was up to Alyssa to choose the human she would breed with, not me. Still, there were going to be two prominent males in her life instead of only one.

When I was just an Oshawott, Alyssa used to let me out of my ball and tuck me into bed before going to bed herself. She'd rock me and hug me and sing me to sleep, and sometimes she'd gently stroke my tail and whisper in my ear, "Miju, you'll always be my boy." Of course I was too big to sleep in her bed now, but even after I evolved she assured me I'd always be her boy.

Would that all change now? Would I still be her boy, or was N going to be her boy instead? Would she have time enough to spend with me anymore, or would she only be interested in breeding? Would she still see me as her protector, and not just as a partner?

I saw Alyssa's mother go past, and when I looked up, the seats had filled up quite a bit more, with help from Plushie. Cheren and Bianca were sitting in the front row to my right, most of their Pokemon next to them—except for Wilbur the Emboar, who was lighting the candles. Professor Juniper was right behind them with her father and Fennel, and so were the humans called Avery and Ryan. The Pokemon seated behind Avery and Ryan were likely Fennel's, Blair's, or the Professor's.

The left side was mostly made up of Pokemon. I saw the Darmanitan from earlier, as well as a Leavanny, an Unfezant, a couple of Zoruas, and a whole flock of Woobats. There were two human women behind the Woobats—hadn't we met them somewhere in N's castle? What were their names again?

Most curiously, there was a strange-looking human sitting in the front row, his hands in his lap, with long dark hair that hung in his eyes. He was dressed in a stylish white suit that seemed to be made of feathers, a feathered white cape flowing behind him.

I saw Idoun suddenly stop trying to eat one of the flower arrangements and zing over to the man in white, bowing each of her heads emphatically.

"Great Reshiram! I almost did not recognize you, but of course I should have expected you. I must ask, however—why do you not grace our presence with your true self?"

Was that really Reshiram? I didn't know Legendaries could take human form—but however he did it, it was probably for the sake of being small enough to fit into the church.

"I merely needed to be able to fit into this small space," the man replied. I knew it! "Is my sister coming? If I am to witness the union of our chosen heroes, she must be here too."

Idoun solemnly nodded all her heads. "Great Zekrom will certainly arrive soon. I will go and greet her when she arrives."

It seemed to be close to time to begin, and I was thinking about going to join Alyssa when her mother let out a loud squeal and ran toward Avery's mother.

"Brenda! You made it!"

"Sarah!" The two mothers hugged each other tightly.

Avery blinked. "Mom, is this Mrs. Grayson?"

Her mother nodded. "Oh yes—Sarah, this is my daughter Avery, and that's her friend Ryan. He lives in Nimbasa City. Avery, say hello to Mrs. Grayson."

Avery smiled a bit and shyly said, "Hi," and her mother smiled brightly. "I can't wait to see how much your daughter has grown. She's going to be such a beautiful bride!"

"Indeed—I only wish her father were alive to see it." Alyssa's mother smiled a bit sadly, hints of tears in her eyes. "Garrett would have been proud to see our little girl grow into one of Unova's greatest heroes."

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I turned around, there was Plushie. It seems it's almost time, she said, telepathically as usual. You should go back to Alyssa.

She was right. Alyssa should be ready by now, and I had a duty to fulfill.

When I got back into the dressing room, Alyssa was standing in front of the mirror, straightening out her bow tie. She looked a bit like she did before a battle—strong and determined, her eyes unwavering, as if to say "I can take on the world!"

It's almost time, I said. You ready?

Alyssa turned around to face me and smiled. "Miju! There you are!"

Dropping to one knee, she wrapped her arms around my neck and petted me. "Come on, my boy. We'll go out there together, and make this day the best like no day ever was!"

I could feel my heart flutter. Am I still always going to be your boy? Will you always remember that it's my duty to protect and defend you?

"Miju, don't be ridiculous. You'll always be my boy, my alpha male." She stroked me under my chin and smiled. "Just because there's going to be another human in our lives doesn't mean you won't still be just as important as always. I'll—we'll—need you more than ever after this, especially when I have my first child."

She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror one more time. "You think I should've worn the dress instead?"

I laughed a little. You look sharp, actually. Besides, you told him you thought Unova's heroes should match with their alignments to Reshiram and Zekrom.

"How else would I have convinced him to wear it?"

I thought about it for a moment. Hm… have one of us Pokemon convince him he'd look better in it than in the suit?

She was about to reply, when there was a knock on the door. I knew that meant it was finally time to escort her out there.

Standing tall and proud with the point of my shell held high, I led the way out into the church, and Alyssa followed close behind. She proceeded to take her place next to an old man in an odd black robe—who was he again? The pastor, that's what she'd called him—he was the one performing the ceremony. Humans seem to complicate everything sometimes.

I looked out into the seats, and most of the guests seemed to be full of anticipation. Bianca had tears in her eyes already, and Cheren smiled Alyssa's way.

The other humans seemed to be a bit confused, though. Avery and Ryan were staring at Alyssa as though she had grown another head, and even Professor Juniper was biting her lip.

"Mrs. Weiss, I thought you said Mrs. Grayson's daughter was the bride, not the groom," Ryan whispered loudly, earning him a glare from Cheren.

Thankfully Blair started to play the piano just then, and Shimmer proceeded to vibrate her wings in time with the music he was playing.

With the first few notes from the piano filling the air, the back door of the church swung open and Alyssa's mother began to walk down the aisle, Lisette escorting her. She looked our way and smiled, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

She took her seat in the front row, and Lisette came up to stand next to me, pulling up her "pants" as she did. She merely nodded in greeting, and Alyssa and I did too.

The next one to come down the aisle was Ramona, the flower on her head in full bloom. She danced her way down the aisle, scattering petals from a basket as she went. Plushie followed right after her, a pillow with two shiny things on top floating in front of her.

Then came Idoun, who was doing her best to keep her main head focused straight ahead—which didn't look that easy! As she floated to join us, her other two heads were trying to eat the candles all the way.

She managed to make it without eating the candles, and then came the man in white from earlier, a woman in a black dress on his arm. I knew they had to be Reshiram and Zekrom.

They took their seats, and a human in a pink dress walked in. Who was that supposed to be?

I soon found out, as when the human took her place at the pastor's other side, the illusion wore off to reveal a Zoroark, a pink-and-white flower behind his ear.

"Hey, Zuzu!" I nodded his way. "What did you do that for?"

Zuzu blinked. "I'm the 'Mon of Honor. So I came in looking the part."

The music suddenly changed tune as Blair started playing a different song, and the humans all stood up, their heads turned to look towards the back. Most of the Pokemon who weren't already floating or flying stood up too.

There was a collective gasp from the humans as N walked in, his eyes shakily fixed on Alyssa and me. The white dress he was wearing did make him quite a sight, even if it was a strange one. His hair, like Alyssa's, looked much the same as always, and thankfully there were no flowers in it. He still had that familiar cube thingie hanging at his waist, and his necklace and bracelets were still there too.

I saw Avery cover her mouth to stifle a laugh, and then try to disguise it with a cough as her mother raised her eyebrows.

"Is that seriously a guy?" whispered Ryan loudly, and this time everybody glared at him.

Alyssa gave N a warm smile as he made it all the way to our end, and offered her hand to him. He hesitated a little before accepting it.

The pastor blinked and eyed N oddly, and then spoke up. "Dearly beloved, people and Pokemon, we gather today in Arceus' house to witness the union of Alyssa Hilda Grayson and…" He paused a moment, checking the book in his hand, and blinked again.

"…Alyssa Hilda Grayson, and, er… Natural Harmonia…Gropius? In holy matrimony…"

This time Avery couldn't contain herself. She fell back and howled with laughter, snorting loudly in between laughs. If she had been drinking a Soda Pop or Lemonade, it would've squirted out her nose.

Her mother gasped, and covered her mouth. "Avery Weiss! This is incredibly rude!"

Avery kept laughing. "I'm sorry, Mom… ha ha ha, I just can't stop… hahahaha—seriously, who names their kid that?" She let out another howl of uproarious laughter.

Ryan was laughing too, just as hard as Avery. Even with her mother's harsh glare, they seemed to be laughing too hard to notice.

Alyssa had gone bright red in the face, and N was just as flushed as she was. I hadn't counted on something like this, either. What could we do?

Plushie seemed to know. She quickly had Avery and Ryan floating in the air thanks to Psychic, and being suspended in the air did get them to stop laughing fairly quickly.

Alyssa glanced her way. "Plushie, you can put them down now."

When they were back in their seats, the pastor went back to talking. "If there is anyone here who has any reason why these two should not be joined together, let him—"

I slapped down my tail and piped up—I was not going to take any more nonsense. Anyone who tries to mess up my Trainer's big day is getting a Hydro Cannon to the face!

The pastor did a double take, and then shot a confused look at me. He must not understand Poke-speak very well.

Alyssa leaned a little toward him and whispered a translation, and the pastor continued. "Uh… Should anyone object to this union, let them be subject to a Hydro Cannon in the face from the Samurott."

That seemed to serve to keep everyone quiet, so the pastor was able to keep talking without a hitch. I wasn't really paying attention to most of what he said, though—I had to keep a close eye on Alyssa.

I couldn't see her face from this angle, since she was facing N, but her hands were telling enough. She was standing tall and proud, holding his hand securely in hers—but her other hand was shaking a bit, and she was swaying slightly. Of course she'd still be a little nervous—there was still so much she had to show him…

N was swaying too, and messing with his cube thingie with his free hand. His eyes kept darting to my partners and me on occasion, but even then he was still smiling kindly at Alyssa, his gaze bright. He had definitely warmed up to her quite a lot… and a lot of that was thanks to me.

I remembered that day when we'd met him, right here in Accumula Town. I'd been sitting on her shoulder while those Team Plasma goons gave their speech, and he'd come up behind us and started asking if I'd like to be free of human control and go back to my home in the wild.

What? I'd said. Alyssa is my friend. We're going adventuring around Unova together. Why would I want to live in the wild, when I could see the world with my new friend?

That had made him look at me all funny—and sparked his curiosity, too. How far we'd come since then…

The pastor paused to take a breath, looked at his book, and then looked at N. "Do you, er… Natural, take Alyssa to be your lawful wife?"

N hesitated for a moment, then nodded, his eyes never leaving Alyssa. "I… I do."

So this was the important part. If I remembered right, they'd have to make their promises after this. Humans seemed to like making simple things complicated…

"Do you, Alyssa, take Natural to be your lawful husband?"

Alyssa nodded and said her "I do," swaying a little more than she had been.

The pastor told them to say their vows, and Alyssa spoke up first.

"You know, N… when we first met I honestly thought you were weird, annoying at times… OK, I thought you were a crazy annoying pest who needed to shut up. The idea of letting Pokemon go free? I thought it was insane, and I'm pretty sure most all the humans in the room and their Pokemon think so too. I know mine did. I can't imagine life without these six. I wanted nothing to do with such craziness, but you followed me around anyway."

"Then there was the whole Ferris wheel thing—at first I wasn't sure what to think, since it was my first real date, but it was all so sudden. Then you kept rambling about Team Plasma and formulas the whole ride, and I was all 'Shut up already'—and then I saw those Plasma goons afterward and I was pretty eager to teach you a lesson! Yet no matter how many times we delivered a pounding, you just wouldn't go away!"

"What I—we, my Pokemon and I—didn't realize then was that you were never really a bad guy, and you didn't mean my Pokemon any harm. In the end, you were a hero, and you helped me save all Unova even if it might not seem like it. N, your heart's always been in the right place, even if you still have to learn a lot about understanding humans. That's what my Pokemon and I are here for—what I promise I'll always be there for."

"Part of the joy of being a Trainer is having a lot of friends who have your back and always support you—both Pokemon and human. You showed me that I should never take those friends for granted. My closest friends are here with me today, supporting me—N, I promise not just to be a Trainer, a wife, or a mother—I promise to be all that, and most of all a friend. I'll be the very best, like no friend ever was."

I could hear a choked sob come from the seats, and sure enough, there was her mother, bawling her eyes out in the front row.

When N started talking for his turn, I wondered how long he would talk for. Alyssa was right about the not shutting up, and she'd said quite a bit. Would he talk for twice as long?

"I've never much understood humans—they're quite difficult. Whatever formula or equation you try to come up with to understand them, the answer will never be the same from human to human—sometimes it will be completely irrational."

He rambled on for a bit about formulas and theorems and other stuff I didn't really understand, and the humans in the seats were starting to look bored.

"…But the inclusion of one small variable can completely change the end result of the equation. Such as the mighty Samurott by your side for example. He was just a little Oshawott then, when I first saw you, yet if he hadn't been there on your shoulder I'd still probably be in that lonely castle, never knowing that Ghetsis' actions were hurting my friends. And I still wouldn't know what it means to have human friends too."

"He was right, and you were right. Pokemon are my friends, but I've missed out on having human friends too. You and your Pokemon taught me that, and so did Reshiram and Zekrom. As they were once one Pokemon, we, their chosen heroes, are as tied together as they are. I, the hero of truth, and you, the hero of ideals—neither of us can accomplish alone what we can do together. I don't need to be a king, nor you a queen—together we can change the world if we put our minds to it."

"Alyssa Grayson, I promise to be the best friend I can to you, the most loyal partner, the Y to your X. Even if we don't always have a suitable formula for everything, there's always another way to solve the equation."

It was hard to believe that he'd stopped talking after that—there was a pretty long silence after that, before the pastor spoke up one more time.

"Well, uh… Then by the power vested in me by Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem, I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

Most of the Pokemon guests let out loud cheers, and the humans started to clap. Both Alyssa's mother and Bianca were crying and sobbing, happy tears dripping down their faces like a salty waterfall.

N smiled that warm smile of his. "So, should we be off?"

Alyssa nodded. "Just stay close to me."

I nudged her leg. Jump on my back! I can take you.

Alyssa smiled and laughed. "Miju, we're not going home yet. We have to have the reception party first."

I know. But I can still carry you to the party.

Idoun straightened up a bit. First dibs on the cake!

Hey, you're forgetting something! piped up Ramona. You can't go anywhere yet!

Perhaps they are. But I can fix that.

One psychokinetic shove from Plushie later, and Alyssa had stumbled forward, her lips planted firmly on N's. Both of them turned bright red in the face.

Plushie floated around to admire the scene. Nothing a little Psychic can't fix.

When they'd gotten untangled, I waited for them to climb on my back, and carried them out of the church and onto the town green, where there were tents set up for the reception. My partners and Zuzu came along too.

"We're going to have to take pictures before the party starts, you know," Alyssa pointed out, sliding off my back.

Ramona nodded. So we must make sure we look our best.

Especially me, I added. I am the best Pokemon after all.

Throwing her arms around my neck, Alyssa smiled one of the brightest smiles she'd ever done. "Thanks for everything, Miju. You're the best best Pokemon ever."

N smiled too, and patted me on the head. "Seems I'm your partner now too, friend."

I jumped for joy and gave a happy cry. I should be the one thanking you two, actually. For being the best Trainer any Pokemon could ever ask for—I smiled toward Alyssa—and for your friendship. I nodded toward N.

Still smiling brightly, Alyssa rested her head on my cheek and hugged me tighter.

Just like when we met, she was holding me tight in her arms, and I knew I would always stand beside her. I wouldn't be just her starter, just her best Pokemon—I'd be her protector, her defender, her guardian. The only difference now was that I'd have to watch over multiple humans instead of just one.

Truly this day was the very best, like no day ever was.

Sanguinesti, Land of Blood

The nation of Sanguinesti is a monarchial state, located between the Lunar Sea to the east and the Therian Republics to the west. It is the native country of vampires, though it is also home to many therianthropes and humans. The current ruler is Lord Vladimir Drakan, who founded the country and has ruled from the capital city of Lunesta for more than five hundred years.

Sanguinesti has long been associated with darkness and curses--the condition of vampirism is even known as the Sanguinesti Curse. Many people also view therians as cursed, and prejudice against therians drove many of them to settle in Sanguinesti, where they've managed to secure a place in society. However, they are targeted by hungry vampires as much as full-blood humans are.

History

It's still a mystery how long the vampires have lived in Sanguinesti, or who the first human to incur the curse was and why he or she was cursed. However, it is known that the vampires of Sanguinesti lived a nomadic, anarchic lifestyle for many years, fighting amongst themselves and pursuing any unlucky traveler or resident with impunity. The land was locked in a state of chaos for centuries, with essentially every race struggling to survive. From time to time, the strongest vampires tried to establish rule over territories, but none lasted long as rulers. This was not just due to rivalries among the most powerful vampires, but also to strong human and therian resistance.

Sanguinesti became a country--and got its name--when the fearsome and powerful, yet charismatic Vladimir Drakan returned to his homeland, having traveled the world to hone his skills. A skilled mind-reader and wielder of blood and shadow magic, Drakan managed to unite his race and establish a permanent seat of government in the port city of Lunesta, where he was named overlord of all vampires.

Under Drakan's watch, Sanguinesti grew into a fairly prosperous country, with trade increasing and more towns and cities springing up. It also became a haven for therians and students of dark magic. Though humans and therians gained some legal protection, they were still a food source for vampires, and are still targeted often. There have, however, been efforts to develop synthetic blood supplements in recent years.

Geography

Sanguinesti is comprised primarily of forests and wetlands. Much of the land is flat, particularly along the coastline. It is often very cloudy and rains a lot; clear days are uncommon, and snow is quite rare. The swamps and marshes are difficult to cross, especially during and after rain, and often are full of poisonous gases. Many species of bats are native to the land; vampires seem to share a kinship with them.

Thanks to the development of towns and cities, several wetlands had to be filled in and forests cleared. Though this has been a big help to people of every race, it has also led to a sharp decline in the populations of several native species, such as the Sanguinesti black rose, which has only survived thanks to the queen's efforts to cultivate it; or the swamp leech, which used to cause the most deaths of humans and compete with the vampires for blood, but is now no longer terribly threatening.

Populace

Humans

The humans in Sanguinesti might be fairly ordinary, legally classified as a food source, and lack any natural defenses against vampires save for ingenuity and magic--but that doesn't mean they are weak, useless, or willing to let themselves be walked all over. The current human population is still thriving despite having to deal with vampires for nearly five centuries. Many people study light and fire magic in order to defend themselves; others train extensively in use of a choice weapon (scythes, knives, flails, and bows are commonly used) or martial arts. People with a natural wind affinity can learn how to read minds; one of Lord Drakan's most well-known advisors was a young wind magician with a talent for mind reading. The strongest and wisest wind seers can see visions of the near future; many lives have been saved thanks to diviners' foresight.

Even the humans who can't fight aren't completely helpless. Humans run many businesses and comprise most of Sanguinesti's traders, benefitting the country's economy better than many vampires could. Some choose to get into the good graces of the vampires, whether by working for one, studying under one (usually to learn dark magic), or selling their blood. Some people even aid Drakan's court with foreign relations, acting as couriers and as guides for ambassadors.

However, life as a human in Sanguinesti still isn't easy, especially in poor areas. Poor people are far more likely to get attacked, and are at greater risk of being killed (as starving vampires have much less self control). Many people are frail and weak from too much blood loss, and few poor people live past the age of forty. Quite a few people live in fear of going outside regardless of background. Even those who work for Drakan's court are under pressure not to get on the bad side of the vampire nobility, and they can easily fall prey to blackmail or bribes.

Therians

Most of the therianthropes living in Sanguinesti are either some form of cynan or ailuranthrope; lions, tigers, panthers, wolves, foxes and coyotes are some of the most common. There are a handful of avians, though there aren't many who choose to stay, because the skies of Sanguinesti are almost always patrolled by vampires. They don't seem to be able to pass on their condition to ordinary humans, save by doing so genetically to their offspring.

They typically have animal features somewhere on their person even in human form (such as ears, wings, or a tail), and often display animalistic qualities in their personalities. Usually, they assume beastform by looking directly at the moon, with their animal sides strongest on full-moon nights and weakest on new-moon nights. They remain fully sentient and self-aware when in beastform, though their instincts are harder to control. Although they normally live longer than humans, they are still prone to aging and natural death.

Vampires

Sanguinesti vampires are not undead, but cursed: they are gifted with heightened senses, the ability to fly, superhuman speed, kinship with bats, eternal youth, and immortality, and they grow stronger in moonlight, but at a cost--they must consume human blood consistently, have a severe weakness to fire, and have most of their powers sealed when the sun is out (though direct sunlight doesn't kill them). Consuming the blood of a vampire spreads this curse, although they can also have children, though rarely. Vampire children grow very slowly and never physically age beyond the age of twenty once they reach full maturity.

Vampires have large black bat wings that grow out of their backs, which emerge when one wants to fly; their ears, which are pointed, also grow longer. This can only happen when the sun isn't out, though. Males have larger wings. They can have silver, gold or red eyes, although their eyes always glow red when in bloodlust, and their skin is usually ghostly white. Former humans, however, retain their original skin and eye color. Although many affluent vampires, like the Drakan family, are extremely beautiful, great beauty is not a universal trait--plenty of vampires in poorer areas appear greasy and sloppy, and there are some ugly nobles too.

They are known to practice blood-marking those close to them, usually a trusted servant, friend, or lover. This involves placing a special seal on the person in question, which will bond him or her to the vampire--effectively making him or her "belong" to the vampire--and allow them both to communicate mentally. Other vampires can sense the blood mark, and will usually leave someone who was claimed by an important vampire alone.

Notable Places

Lamia Town--A small therian outpost located a short walk from Lunesta. It is known for its lively nightlife and its view of the night sky.

Port Umbris--A coastal trading town, known for having the fewest number of vampires or therians in nearly all of Sanguinesti. Many foreign traders choose to do their business there instead of going directly to Lunesta if possible.

Lunesta--Sanguinesti's sprawling capital, home to many wealthy people, schools of magic, and Castle Drakan. It is also host to many merchants, including blood sellers.

Important Figures

Lord Vladimir Drakan is sole ruler of Sanguinesti; his word is law. Although he used to travel the world, he rarely leaves his capital city now; when he does appear, his face is always covered or hidden in shadow. It's said that he is so ancient and powerful that no one can look directly at his eyes and live to tell about it. He has three daughters, each powerful in her own right and very beautiful; supposedly they are the only people in the world besides his wife that he truly cares for.

The queen, Serena Drakan, has been married to Lord Drakan for three hundred years; as a human, she was a gardener's apprentice, and she is now the only one left alive who knows how to cultivate Sanguinesti black roses. She has made efforts to teach her gardening skills to her daughters.

The Sanguinesti Royal Guard patrols the skies of Lunesta, keeping order in the city and enforcing House Drakan's protocol. Currently, the seductive, but dutiful and vicious Captain Katerina von Pitt heads the Guard, and maintains order with an iron fist and a scythe in hand.

Trivia

-Most vampires rarely leave Sanguinesti's borders; this is largely because they don't want to make the effort to cover their tracks in human-ruled countries.
-Blood drinking is tied to vampires' mating habits and desires--males are even required to drink blood before every encounter.
-Vampires can't be poisoned, and aren't affected by the toxic gases of Sanguinesti's swamps.
-Quite a few former humans wish for their humanity back, and seek a way to break their curse. There are some rumors of vampires successfully becoming human again, though none could be confirmed.
-One's elemental affinity partially affects what one's blood tastes like to a vampire.