Original art by Aria Wraithe, modified by Shinris Starlight
Myoticia
Mother of Vampires, Great Hunter in the Dark, The Bloody Bat
Vampirism, be it considered a curse or a blessing, is not a natural condition. It fundamentally transform those who receive it into something else, something predatory, something powerful, something ageless. And the patron of these dark beings is Myoticia.
On Myoticia
The chiropteran goddess is an ancient deity, born in the primordial past of the universe. A predator at heart, she stalked the darkness of the chaos, preying on the great monsters and other deities of the era, feeding on their blood to grow stronger. Sometimes she traded favour for favour, lending strength in exchange for the intoxicating taste of ichor. Other times, she ambushed and hunted, taking by force what would not be freely given.
As the world settled and mortal races began multiplying, they caught Myoticia's eyes. Among them were those who were hunters like her, people of strength and will, of cunning and brutality, who by varied means chased their prize,whether that chase be literal or metaphorical. Myoticia found herself fascinated by these beings, so much weaker than her, yet striving so hard none the less.
The exact story of what happened next varies. Certainly, the number of vampire families who claim direct descend from this event are far too numerous for all of it to be true. And the story has been muddled by the passage of time. But broad strokes are that Myoticia was so taken in by a hunter that she offered a drop of her own essence. Why they choose to accept is also a matter of debate. Some say it was an old hunter, longing for the power of their youth. Other an arrogant but accomplished noble, who wished for more power. And yet others suggest a dying warrior, desperate to prolong their life. Whatever the case, they accepted and was forever changed.
The first vampire had been born, but alongside their new strength, enhanced senses and magical power came also a prize. Myoticia was a deity of the dark and so her new children were also tied to it, weakened and even harmed by the sunlight. Their hunger too became as great as their progenitor's and vampires were to forever hunt and chase the lifeblood of others to sustain their immortal life.
Myoticia truly sees vampirism as a gift that elevates those who receive it and her policy on the embrace is that it is a mutual process. The vampire must embrace a mortal as much as the mortal must embrace vampirism. Forced conversion is a good way to earn her ire. Myoticia has often offered vampirism to mortals whom she's grown fond of, but has always accepted a no.
The Myotician Faith
Central to the Myotician faith is the concept of predation and the hunt. The exact tenets of these can vary depending on the local congregation and, especially, how much they deal with vampirism. But in broad strokes, the faith holds that rarely are things in life freely given and that one must be prepared to take. This can take many forms. More beneficially, its an encouragement of ambition and personal development. If you have goals you want, strive to achieve them. Figure out how to accomplish them. Don't hold yourself back. Less so, some variants of the faith encourage taking advantage of others, however you can get away with it. If you want something, take it. Their pain is not your concern.
It is however important to remember that Myoticia is a hunter, not a parasite, despite that being a common comparison. The faith heavily disapproves of those who do nothing to earn, who just take and take without actually putting in an equal amount of effort. In some areas, this puts the faith at odds with the upper classes and the powers that be. The faith is not inherently against hierarchies, as such is seen as a natural expression of power, but a leader who does nothing but eat what their underlings bring them is not a leader at all. If the church doesn't attempt to oust them, they will often back whomever will. Not even vampires are immune to this, as Myoticia takes a dim view on any of her children who'd squander her beautiful gifts by sitting back on a silken pillow and letting the blood and money just roll in.
Vampirism is an unavoidable but thorny subject. In areas where vampires are disliked or hunted down, the Myotician faith is rarely welcome and worshippers are often treated as vampire allies by default. This is not entirely unearned. In lands where vampires rule, the Myotician faith often gains power, in return supporting such rulership theologically. How well that works out for the common people depends then entirely on the nature of their vampiric rulers.
Myotician churches tend to be dark, lit by enchanted candles that glow red or, for especially important rooms, purple. Sermons are usually held at night, especially under the new moon. Facilities vary, but usually at least one room is equipped with a blood font. This basin is filled with blood which never putrefies. These a said to be direct links to Myoticia and her faithful freely give of their blood to these fonts, either as an act of worship or penance. Some churches, especially those with wealthy patrons, can be quite elaborate. Many vampire castles often include a dedicated church as part of them, though some extremely grand projects involve adding entire cathedrals to the structure as a demonstration of either faith, wealth, status or all of the above.
Worshippers
Vampires or people who aspire to be vampires are unsurprisingly common. Many even relatively faithless vampires offer at least lip-service and the occasional offering to Myoticia, just to stay on her good side. But besides them are also those who worship her in her aspects as a goddess of the hunt or the night. This can include big game hunters, adventurers, anyone on the night shift and so on.
The colours of Myoticia are red and purple, and so her priesthood tend to wear the same. Capes are popular, especially designed to mimic the wings of bats. Some worshippers, especially those following her more predatory tenets, may file their teeth if their species don't generally have sharp fangs.
Paradoxical as it may seem, some vampire hunters also worship Myoticia. All her aspects are relevant to their job, after all, and Myoticia do not consider vampires above being hunted themselves. While they are more likely to receive her blessing if she's personally annoyed with their target, she has also been known to aid those who just displays the traits she favour. Other vampire hunters find this blasphemous to say the least.
Associates
Leo Carver: Myoticia sometimes develop such a fondness for a given mortal that she elects to court them, or let them court her, depending on circumstances. By the time most mortals can even attempt to try and get her attention, however, they're usually at least middle-aged, and thus most dalliances are either short lived or end in vampirism. Not so with Leo, who during one of his adventures was cursed with immortality(Cursed in Leo's opinion, anyway). The stubborn, grumpy treasure-hunter slash shopkeeper has steadfastly refused giving up his humanity and Myoticia has fully respected his opinion, though she is delighted that she can keep him around anyway. Leo in turn finds comfort in having an intimate relationship he won't outlive yet again.
Myoticia in my Settings
Spheres: While still goddess of all vampires, she is especially considered the patron of the vampires of the sphere of Arnyekfold. Each lineage of vampire in the Spheres setting takes after a specific blood-drinking animal, bats in the case of those of Arnyekfold. The Sanders family can claim the most direct lineage from her, though all families that have splintered from them claim some descent. Her church, likewise, is most powerful in Arnyekfold and is in a state of open war with the Soarelian Compact, a powerful alliance of faiths that would see vampires eradicated.
Panepithumia: The Myotician faith is most prevalent in Überwald and it is where most vampires can be found. The land is ruled mostly by various vampire clans, houses or whatever they choose to call themselves, and the church often has to use its influence to get everyone to play nice with each other. Her most famous church is the Church of the Night in the town of Greyburgh, which has grown considerably through donations by several powerful groups, such as the vampiric Sanders family.