_The Undying Shield of Queen [[Callidora]]_ --- **Overview:** The Red Bastion is not a singular vampire—but a mantle passed on through blood, sacrifice, and unshakable loyalty. Towering in crimson adamantine armor and wielding a greatsword of vampiric judgment, the Red Bastion serves as Queen [[Callidora]] Von Constantine’s most devoted and powerful protector. Bound by ritual and blood oath, this entity embodies the perfect fusion of martial discipline, undead might, and mythic resilience. There is only ever **one Red Bastion** at a time. When the current Bastion is destroyed, a new one rises—from the ranks of the **[[Blood Crown Guard]]**—through a dark and sacred ritual known as the **Crimson Ascension**. --- ### Origins Queen [[Callidora]] Von Constantine has ruled [[Hexa Landing]] for over a century—her visage untouched by time. Her rise followed the unexplained demise of her royal parents, an event cloaked in secrecy and sealed behind courtly silence. Though officially unaddressed, it is widely believed that [[Callidora]] is undead. Some suspect vampirism, others claim elven heritage obscured by dark magic. Regardless, she is immortal, unyielding, and utterly in command. Her rule is ironclad: a union of fear, sorcery, and naval mastery. From the towering Black Castle, she governs a shadowed city where peace is enforced, not granted. The Royal Vampire Guard answer only to her, and few dare to question her dominion. In her first decade of rule, [[Callidora]] sought a protector who would not only obey but _understand_ her divine will—without falter, hesitation, or fear. She did not want a beast or a slave. She wanted a knight whose soul burned with reverence. The first Bastion, **Sir Edron Varr**, was a paladin in life—fatally wounded during the queen’s rise to power. As he lay dying, he willingly gave himself to her vampiric kiss, whispering, _"Let me guard you beyond death."_ In answer, she forged the **Blood Oath Pact**, binding his soul to her will, and sealing him in enchanted crimson plate. Thus began the legacy of the Red Bastion. --- ### Crimson Ascension When a Red Bastion falls, a replacement is chosen only from the most loyal and capable of the **[[Blood Crown Guard]]**. The ritual involves: - **Willing Sacrifice**: The guard must offer themselves freely, knowing the cost is the loss of their name, identity, and future. - **The Ring's Call**: Queen [[Callidora]]’s enchanted ring, known as the **Sanguine Sigil**, chooses the moment of succession. It glows blood-red and bonds to the chosen one, rejecting all others. - **The Drinking of the Past**: The dying Bastion's blood is stored in an obsidian chalice. The new candidate drinks it while kneeling before the queen. - **The Blood Crown Binding**: [[Callidora]] then impales the candidate with the Bloodfang Blade, slaying them. Minutes later, the new Red Bastion rises, transformed. This process erases the individual. They become a new iteration of the Bastion—not a name, but a role. A title. A living wall. --- ### Power Source The Red Bastion's mythic might is drawn from four sources: 1. **Queen [[Callidora]]’s Ring** (_Sanguine Sigil_): - Grants her protection from sunlight and binds command of the Black Castle to its wearer. - Connects the Bastion to the queen at all times within 1 mile. - Provides resistance to radiant damage when within 60 ft. of her. - Allows her to mentally command the Bastion without words. 2. **Crimson Pact Magic**: - Blood-forged ritual magic grants regenerative strength, resistance to displacement, and heightened combat senses. 3. **Undying Devotion**: - The Bastion cannot be compelled or turned against the queen. - It acts on pure purpose and protective instinct. 4. **Mythic Resilience**: - Up to three times per long rest, the Bastion can return from death momentarily, fighting on with terrifying ferocity. --- ### Role in Vampire Society Within the hierarchy of Hexa Castle, even ancient vampire lords bow when the Red Bastion walks by. The creature does not speak unless ordered. It does not rest unless permitted. Its entire existence is to defend the queen, no matter the odds, no matter the cost. The **[[Blood Crown Guard]]** train daily under the shadow of the Bastion, praying they are never called but honoring the day it might come. The Red Bastion is fear incarnate to the queen's enemies, and hope embodied to her court. --- ### Final Note To challenge the queen is to face the Bastion. To kill the Bastion is to forge another. The shield never breaks. The Red Bastion endures.