Lamia



Lamia assemble at the sign of the black iris and believe themselves to be the superior vampires. Power and entitlement are passed down from generation to generation through this patriarchal community, and lamia view their heritage as a right to dominate.

When lamia choose to reproduce, their offspring are also vampires. These family vampires, as they are called, can grow old but have the ability to physically stop aging whenever they choose. Some vampires who are hundreds of years old appear to be toddlers or teenagers, but a vampire who decides to stop aging must be cautious. Should he or she choose to resume aging, the process speeds forward exponentially, which as Kestrel remarks, "if you've been alive for five or six hundred years can be quite interesting."

Night World vampires are traditionally named for natural elements such as gems, flowers, and trees. Although wood is deadly for both types of vampires, lamia named after a tree are said to have increased powers.

Lamia dominate the Elder Council, an elite group governing all vampires. Hunter Redfern leads the Council, if not by title, by the sheer force of his personality. This Council sets decrees on subjects such as feeding and marriage. One law prohibits mercy killings for humans, as Dr. Rasmussen tells his son James, who discovers his best friend is terminally ill. The Elder Council also holds trial for those who break Night World and clan laws. When Hodge Burdock stands trial for telling a human about the Night World, he is burned alive at the Elder Council's order.

The members of the Elder Council also participate in the Night World Council or Joint Council. The Joint Council has representatives from each clan and passes laws by which all Night People must abide. The Night World Council is credited for ending the human slave trade run by vampires in medieval times - not out of sympathy for humans, but rather to protect the Night World from the increased danger of exposure from the practice.

Notable Lamia

 * Red Fern: Maya's son, the first born vampire, and the namesake of the most illustrious vampire family. Red holds a special place in lamia lore. Red receives his name because of the flaming color of his hair, a trait that is passed down through the millennium in the Redfern line.
 * Hunter Redfern: Descendant of Red Fern, Hunter creates an enclave of vampires near Maine during colonial times. Crediting his daughter Dove's staking as the impetus, Hunter resides over the island, which still operates like it is the sixteenth century and has very strict rules about dress, entertainment, and marriage. Hunter is a vicious vampire, willing to forge a bloodfeast alliance with made vampires to ensure that the conservative traditions of the Night World are preserved.
 * Ash Redfern: Handsome like James Dean, this vampire is wickedly charming and - well, just plain wicked. Ash acts as the head of the Redfern family on the West Coast and is quick to defend Night World laws, but the Elders believe he is "too liberal" in his associations with people on the Outside and in befriending werewolves. And that's before Ash discovers his soulmate is human!
 * Morgead Blackthorn: Not all lamia are Redferns, but Morgead demonstrates that all vampires (at least male vampires) share a proclivity toward competition and arrogance. Morgead's protectiveness of Jez, however, does not stem from arrogance. His is the love of a soulmate.