The race of the Upyreshi in its present form has four tribes, each tribe has three families, each family has 12 lineages, and there are 144 lineages of Upyreshi on Earth. Each lineage of the Upyreshi will have local forms and names as well as phenotypes, showing the ability of the Upyreshi to adapt and thrive. The first secret of the lineages is that no matter the tribe, the family or the lineage, all Upyreshi have the same powers because each Upyre is a microcosm of the race. What the tribes do is concentrate elements of the Upyreshi toward a particular bent, the families show which Old One or Great Old One an Upyre is descended from, further focusing the individual. The lineages show the tribe and family, distilling the whole of the Upyre race adapted to the Upyre’s native lands, culture and locality. A phenotype within a lineage is that lineage as expressed by an Upyre with a particular bestial nature; one example of a phenotype within a lineage is the Varougr among the Loogaroo, all of which have a wolfen bestial nature. All of this shows that in spite of the variation the race is whole and no single member lacks any trait. What makes the tribes and so on important is how they express those traits and which they emphasize over others; in terms of evolution this is adapting to the needs the race has. Isolation from other Upyreshi allows breeds to evolve in ways that set them apart from the parent tribe or family. Lastly, lineages can be carried in mundane families and this sometimes overrides the influence of the stars on the blood; this is why the lineages are linked to the storms of the Earth.

The fact is that the Old Powers of the legends of the Upyreshi on which the vulgar myth of the vampire is based are the legacy of those Annunaki and Igigi of the Akhkharu expressing the divine source of the race. Shapeshifting, flesh crafting, power over the elements, power over the beasts of the arth, the power to influence the perception, thoughts and will of others, these are the Old Powers. All of the lineages have these same powers; only how they work them and express them differs. So while Strega are known for being the witches of the Upyreshi because they have made the arts a focus, so too do the Nosferatu have shamanic adepts and Incubi tantric mystics, alongside the mind-body adepts of the Revenant tribe. What then are the tribes and families good for? Each of the tribes feeds on an aspect of what they prey on; the Strega feed on the will, the Nosferatu feed on the strength of the body, the Incubi feed on the output of the soul and its desires, while Revenants feed on thought. In order to feed, an Upyre uses a biological medium such as blood, sexual fluids or other body products such as tears. The lore of the families of the Upyreshi brings the hunger of an Upyre into focus and guides the individual to what would fuel it best. The lineages focus not only one’s power but also one’s hunger, as well linking both to lore that one is linked to by blood and the origin of that blood. It’s based on this blending of power, hunger and origin lore with the land that allowed the lineages to usually have a subculture each.

One need not be of a certain tribe, family or lineage to have some trait of the race; it is the lore of how they do it that sets them apart, not the feat. The task then for any Upyre is to find out how their tribe, family and lineage do that same feat that one is seeking. By knowing one’s tribe, family and lineage one will be pointed toward the means by which one is able to access all that is as to being Upyre. The Upyreshi come forth by night, descend from the stars and embody the storms of the Earth. The Upyreshi are one blood, one race, one people with one destiny; this is who we are. Having a tribe and so on does not limit an Upyre as much as guide an Upyre in such a way as to inherit all that is in the Blood that flows from the Dark Lord.