Preamble

It is recognised and acknowledged that this analysis is largely focussed on the Euro-centric vampiric society. That is largely due to the more reclusive and secretive nature of vampires in both African and Asian societies. In Asia, many Impaler houses are believed to still have retained documents that would provide valuable insights into the past, but without free access to their archives, this cannot yet be confirmed. The African societies are known to have been more verbal than written when it came to passing down their history, and then the disruption caused by colonial countries has led to many records and knowledge being lost forever. Egypt is, of course, highly secretive, and have refused to make any comment on rumours that their sorcerers were able to protect certain archives of the Library of Alexandria from the fire that destroyed the mundane sections. However, this has never been reliably confirmed. As such, until such time as more is able to be discovered, scholars must rely on the Euro-centric accounts referenced below.

The Origins of the ‘Silent Class’

The root of draugr subservience is shrouded in mystery. Why did this race, seen by some as being just as powerful as their Impaler cousins, fall into a lesser position in society? Most Impalers would agree that it is just within their nature – whether due to their personality, which they argue is more prone to gentleness and caretaking, or just an innate wish to serve. In recent times, draugr have come to argue against those claims, but unfortunately there is little written evidence to support either side.

The Impalers of ancient history did not write comprehensive accounts of the draugr, and indeed they are only mentioned sparsely in afterthoughts usually. Draugr, of course, were rarely taught to read or write and so there is little first hand evidence of their own historical opinions. There were a few notable exceptions who were trained as scribes for the Impaler families they served, but even then it appears most of what they wrote was transcriptions. A few ancient texts have been discovered with notations in the margins by the draugr scribes which provide rare and valuable insights into this silent class.

Regardless of the origins of this tiered society, for as long as any historical accounts have been writing of vampiric history, they have described the Impalers as the noble lines they are known to be – aristocrats and royals, seamlessly blending with human society, although often seeming more reclusive than their human compatriots. The draugr, however, were almost all born into servitude, with families serving the same Impaler lines for generations. Their care and instruction was considered the responsibility of the family they served, and to have a well raised selection of draugr servants was considered the ideal of any respectable Impaler. This care and instruction was a double edged sword, however, as the draugr were expected to repay the family they served for the debt they incurred with this, usually through service. So while most were afforded a small stipend for their service, this was never enough to truly buy their freedom, and most were then required to remain as servants their whole lives in what is now referred to by many in the draugr community as a form of institutionalised indenturement. Some, of course are known to have worked for more liberal minded families, who forgave the debt of a large number of their servants.

The legendary secrecy of all vampires worked against them as well, as with their notable features such as the pointed ears, it was hard to conceal them in general society and so most remained in the homes they served, and so were rarely seen by the humans who may have written more unbiased accounts. Even those whose debt was forgiven usually remained with the families they served, partly it is believed out of a desire to stay with their own blood family, and also as the Impaler lines who treated their servants well were a place that they could be accepted and wouldn’t have to face the fear and judgement of the humans.

A Romance Against All Odds

There is one notable exception to this trend. Marie Marguerite de Valois, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII of France, was known in Impaler circles to have rather odd tastes in lovers, after she had faked her death as was usual in Impaler lines to avoid attracting attention to their long lifespans. She tended to choose and woo draugr rather than her own kind. Particularly odd to the Impalers of the time was that she seemed to genuinely love the ones she chose, and would woo them openly and without shame, even going as far as to pay off their debts and free them from the families they previously served. It was said that she would not keep track of their own debts against her and should they wish to leave, they would be permitted to do so with no repercussions.

While accounts of Marie de Valois are rare, as most Impalers saw her as an embarrassment and did not waste their time discussing her in writing, there are some letters that mention her affairs that have been discovered. Most valuable of all though, is the diary of her last lover, who was with her for over a hundred years. Sadly, as the diary is the only detailed record, and she did not choose to write her name in it, the identity of this female draugr is one of the greatest mysteries of vampiric history. Not only did Marie de Valois teach this draugr to read and write, encouraging her to use her diary to record her life, after the unnamed lover died, Marie never again took another lover until the day she herself died, and it is said her heart broke with the death of her love.

Other than notable exceptions like this, however, most draugr have simply vanished into history. Unrecognised by the human society that they concealed themselves from, they found no allies other than their own kind, and the Impaler families they served, if they were lucky enough to serve one who was well disposed to them.

Arts and the Renaissance

It was known that many who did find an escape from a life of servitude tended to lean towards the arts, as a respectable profession that did not require much contact with the general public. Those who found a talent for music found their salvation in the Renaissance by the tendency to wear wigs even when performing, which they could use to conceal the pointed ears that were otherwise their key giveaway. Many notable artists and performers throughout the years have been recently discovered to have been secretly draugr who concealed their heritage for the entirety of their public lives. For some though, even this path was not a true escape from their past, as all artists require patrons, and many needed to rely on the wealth and connections of the Impalers they had once served in order to continue their work.

Nevertheless, even though it was not full independence, the Renaissance is considered by some vampiric scholars to have been the beginning of the end for the old way of living in vampiric society. New schools of thought were spreading, which led to more and more young Impalers rebelling against the old way of doing things and in many cases aiding those draugr who sought their independence. In southern Europe, specifically north Italy, and a few remote areas of Asia, tiny communes of independent draugr began to spring up, usually formed of a small family group to begin with. These communities were rarely able to grow, due to the immense pressure of supporting themselves, and the additional concern of drawing the attention of certain Impaler houses who were known to try and enforce the old way of living. While there is no evidence of this, there are rumours that during this time, should these bloodlines discover the location of these communes, they would raid them, taking the draugr back with them to add to their staff.

These rumours have never been proved, and those in the modern day who descend from those lines are adamant that such rumours were spread by their political rivals to foment distrust against them, but that all of their draugr served them and their ancestors willingly.

Industrial Revolution

From the late 18th Century, the Industrial Revolution swept across the United Kingdom and then across much of Western Europe.

Change in society led to change in attitudes, it was harder to stay hidden with so many abandoning the countryside to flock to the city in search of their fortune and a brighter future, but people cared less about small physical differences as long as you did your work.

While this aided some draugr, it is also considered that for many it did more harm than good. The breakdown of small village society left less protection for those who lived rurally and found themselves needing to depend on the nearest Impaler landowner more than before. Likewise, with the slow demise of the cottage industry, many independent draugr communities found their livelihoods slipping away as crafts such as weaving, lace making and so on were able to be produce quicker and cheaper by machines than by individuals.

In the English village of Anstey, Leicester, there was a small community of independent draugr. One of these went by the name Ned Ludd, although is believe to have been called Edward Ludlam at birth, having changed his name on gaining his independence. According to folklore, after being taunted by local youths - draugr tradition claims these were young Impalers who ran the local mill and were taunting him for the loss of his livelihood, he lashed out and destroyed several of their textile machines.

A spark lit to the embers of resentment and, using ‘Captain Ludd’ as he was soon known as their figure head, disgruntled craftsmen - human and draugr alike, took to acts of sabotage and vandalism against weaving machines of all types along with other, more peaceful, forms of protest.

This was one of the first times that the draugr found a voice for themselves, mingled with that of their human compatriots. They also found a new bond with the formally wary humans, bound together by a shared resentment against the upper classes. However, this rarely ended well for any who had bonded together under the Luddite banner. The British government responses harshly, using the Army to quell unrest and handing out harsh penalties. Execution and transportation to the colonies to work off their sentence were common sentences, although for those in the movement who were draugr, there was a third option - working off their sentence in the country of their birth to an appropriately trusted Impaler family. This was presented as a kinder option as it allowed them to remain, usually, in an area where they had existing family, sometimes even being returned to the family they had once served. Needless to say, some draugr saw this differently.

Across much of Europe it was a similar story. Two notable exceptions the Ruhr Valley in Germany and the province of Wallonia in Belgium. In the Ruhr Valley, water and steam power led to a huge boom in industry. There, the draugr are known to have thrived, with it almost being seen as a sanctuary by many, as the local Impalers sought to ensure their workers were not interfered with. Miner colonies set up by Impaler owned mining firms provided homes and jobs for the working draugr.

The rise in new ways of thinking and living in Wallonia in the 19th century led to the birth of a strong Socialist party and powerful trade unions in the region, which many independent draugr joined and thrived within. Widespread strikes for worker conditions and for universal suffrage were not uncommon, and the human workers accepted their draugr companions as equals in the struggle against the ruling classes.

The proclivity towards the arts continued, and there were many who joined circuses and other theatrical troupes, where they did not have to hide their unique features, and often were much sought after for it.

Warfare and Conflict

For most of history draugr were rarely seen in combat. While it might seem strange that Impalers would have chosen not to use them in the many wars they fought and supported, for those who have experience with the Impaler attitude towards draugr, it is not that surprising. Draugr were largely seen as being weaker and more fragile than even the human servants of the Impalers. Their value was perceived to mostly be in the talents they picked up quickly, and their quiet obedience. Many Impalers saw it as barbaric to send these gentle, weak vampires into the front lines to be slaughtered, not to mention a waste of talent and potentially decades of training. Even those who were known to have less positive attitudes on draugr did not use them in warfare, whether due to the fear of what might happen should the draugr take up arms against them, or due to a belief that they were too weak to be able to be of any use.

This perception of the gentle hearted draugr whose spirits and bodies would not be able to handle the horrors of war was largely reinforced by their usual roles in their homes, often being entrusted with the raising of children, acting as family medics, as well as the more generic servant roles.

Of course, with the rise of the Industrial Revolution and a scattering of independent draugr making their own choices about their careers, there were some who tried out the military life. However, they had to conceal their nature as if it was discovered, they were inevitably removed from their unit one way or another by the Impaler commanders who considered it highly immoral to allow them to remain.

This changed in the Great War. Suddenly, every able bodied male was needed by both sides. Draugr joined in large numbers on both sides, sometimes as their own separate units, sometimes as part of mostly human units. As per the usual human attitudes, their differences were largely considered to be strange mutations and nothing more, but with bigger things to worry about, by and large they were not discriminated against by their human companions.

The Second World War followed suit, with draugr both volunteering and being conscripted alongside humans and werewolves. They served in every branch of the military on every side, from being in the resistance groups in occupied nations, to being in the navy, air force and army of both the Allies and the Axis Powers. This willingness to assist and the skill displayed during the two Great Wars is considered to have been one of the reasons why they were able to gain so much recognition after the formation of the Grand Alliance.

Formation of the Grand Alliance

With the formation of the Grand Alliance, everything changed. Suddenly, there were enforceable laws that applied to all races recognised under the Covenant. This included draugr, so for the first time in recorded history, the once silent class were given a voice. The Risen who had participated in the writing of the Covenant had been particularly insistent on anti-slavery clauses being added in, and these were so comprehensive as to finally make the institutional indenturement, that had defined the lives of so many draugr, illegal. A good part of the Guild’s early efforts when it came to vampiric related crimes, was tracking down those Impaler lines who still held onto the old ways in defiance of the Covenant, keeping their draugr servants out of sight so as to deny them their legal independence.

This is not to say that it was smooth sailing from then on for the draugr by any means. While they had legal standing in the eyes of the Grand Alliance, local laws still applied, and if they were not recognised as legal citizens of their country of residence, they would be denied the chance to vote, own land, even travel freely. As very few draugr had such things as birth certificates, it was exceptionally difficult for them to attain citizenship.

The fight to attain recognition continued throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, nation states such as Western Germany and Switzerland leading the way, with England not far behind, and when Germany was reunified with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Eastern half of Germany joined in this march towards acceptance. Traditionally Catholic states such as France, Italy and Spain took longer to acknowledge the draugr as full citizens however, possibly because of the ingrained superstition in these places. Oddly enough, the United States of America was also slow to change, their long isolationism in the twentieth century and their distance from the work that the draugr had done in the two World Wars meaning that there was not the same level of positive public feeling towards the draugr as there was in large parts of Europe.