"We see the Vampire Lords and Ladies. Each is unique, only their tremendous power serves as a commonality — not a group, but individuals at the top of the supernatural food chain. It is said they can trade their human skins for that of a demon at the speed of thought. It is said they cannot permanently die, but that their resurrection can be delayed by spreading their remains. Sweetling, do you know the name of the most famous vampire lady?"
— The Buzzing, The Secret World
Being Dark was special. Being Dark was cool. Being Dark made you stronger and better than the plebes. Unlike old movies where the monsters tried to make everyone else like them, our monsters did their damnedest to keep the riffraff out. Only the rich and the powerful were allowed to become Darklings. CEOs. Heads of state. The movers and the shakers. Almost all the elite in every country of the world eventually purchased the Dark Conversion. Holdouts were marginalized, cut off from influence. It's hard to compete when your opponents use magic and otherworldly powers to sabotage whatever you do.
By the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Dark controlled the show. Money and privilege flowed uphill; you-know-what flowed down. The Dark Pact forced Darklings not to abuse their powers so outrageously that the "peasants" would rebel, but apart from that, the Dark got its way.
By the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Dark controlled the show. Money and privilege flowed uphill; you-know-what flowed down. The Dark Pact forced Darklings not to abuse their powers so outrageously that the "peasants" would rebel, but apart from that, the Dark got its way.
Every once in a great while, a Ratman is born with small nubs on its brow and white or grey fur. Separated from the rest of the litter, this mewling horror's course is set. Ahead lies a life filled with brutal training, but also one of excess and comfort. These rare Skaven are living symbols of the Great Rat's favour, manifest as the ability to master the magic of the Warp.
— Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Children of the Horned Rat — A Guide to Skaven
