AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Challenge below is a revamp of The Vampire Coven: A Challenge by Anonymous Miss. When I first read the original, I loved the concept of creating a vampiric clan with rankings, fights, and revolutions. But, the only thing was that it was the player's duty to decide how things played out. It’s no fun blindsiding/surprising yourself is it? I understand if some people take the time to create a story before hand, but for me personally, I want the challenge (and the Sims) to call the shots. Just take me along for the ride.

If you are interested in playing the original Vampire Coven Challenge, please do so. This revamp is more for my personal entertainment than anything else. The below challenge incorporates player suggestions for the original, as well as new steps in playing out (game changing) events. A more detailed rank system, plus a more thorough, detailed guide. Overall, this revamp will be much more intricate, and I’m sure it will be daunting for some. Enjoy!

THE CONCEPT

You are interrupted from your eternal slumber with a sharp whisper, “The Blood Pact must ascend once more! Arise, arise, my Elder… Your purpose is clear now...”

In this challenge you will develop a thriving vampiric cult by turning members of the town to join your cause. Watch the cult evolve over generations through revolution, murder, and deceit. Play as linear or as sporadic as you wish.

PREREQUISITES
▶ It is strongly recommended that you have both NRaas’ MasterController and MasterControllerCheats mods installed. You may need to edit your funds for specific events. Plus, you will also need these mods to expand your household slots.
▶ Late Night EP is required. What is this challenge without vampires?
▶ Supernatural EP is optional. You would only need this EP if you would like to form an alliance or become enemies with another species.

SETTING UP: THE SIMS
▶ Create 1 Sim to be The Blood Pact founder and first Elder. This Sim must be at least YA, and a Vampire. One of their traits must be a bad/evil trait, the rest are up to you.
▶ It is optional to add 1 pet companion at this stage. Any traits, any animal.

SETTING UP: THE LOT
▶ There are two flavors to starting out: Arrive on an empty lot and build your home from scratch OR Awaken in a pre-built mansion that was given to you by the Whispering Lady.
▶ The lot theme can be as modern or victorian as you please. I highly suggest Olana by cutsocks for a premade home.
▶ Bedrooms: Every rank excluding the Fledglings must have a proper, private bedroom in a specific quarter (wing) of the house. Fledglings sleep together in a cramped room in the basement, near the slaves.
▶ Slave Hold: Any slaves you acquire must be held in a single room large enough to hold all the furnishings needed for them to barely survive. Must be in the basement. Room must be locked to prevent slaves from escaping.
▶ Meeting Room: This is where all of the house decisions take place. This room must have proper seating for all of the ranks. Fledglings may stand.

RANKS
Elder: The oldest living generation. Elders manage the property, decide major punishments, and choose new Fledglings. The only rank that is allowed to turn humans. Their children are considered royalty, and are only given the best care.

The male Elder is in charge of diplomatic affairs and management. The female Elder raises her own and the Heir/Heiress children. In her spare time she creates artistic works and paints Pact member’s portraits.
Becoming Elder:
▶ If the current Elder retires or dies, the Heir/Heiress takes their place.
▶ If a revolution to dethrone the Elders occur, the leader of the Revolution becomes Elder or it can be put to a vote.
▶ If an Elder dies without an Heir/Heiress, the remaining Elder will step down and any members of High Order will be voted upon by the other rankings to become Elder.

Heir/Heiress: This is the chosen son/daughter of the Elders that will eventually take their place when they pass. Choosing a Heir can be put to vote, only the first born, or the highest skilled/best traits. This rank is considered royalty, and should never work or clean. They spend their time socializing with The Pact, learning skills, and raising their children (if any).
Becoming Heir/Heiress:
▶ The Heir/Heiress must be a son/daughter of the Elders.
▶ Marriage to the current Heir/Heiress must be arranged and/or decided by the Elders.

High Order: The High Order aids in voting on major decisions with the Elder, and carries out on minor punishments themselves. Members of the High Order are often the Brothers or Sisters to the Elders, and seldomly friends of the family.

There can only be a maximum of 4 members of The High Order at a time. Each proficient in a specific skill. Members may only have a job in the Criminal career or a part-time job at the cemetery if needed. It is frowned upon for Members of High Order to have a mate or bear children. Discipline is minor compared to other lower ranks.
Becoming a member of High Order:
▶ When new Elders are named, The Order is wiped and replaced with the Brothers and Sisters with the highest skills of the new Elders . Any remaining spots in The Order can be voted upon now or at a later date.
▶ Any rank excluding Fledglings can become a member of High Order when put to vote.

Family: Any Pact Member that is related to the Elders and is not defined in any other rank or has been retired from their past ranking (and are still related). Sims in this rank are considered “Floaters”, which means they always have the option to become another rank besides Elders, Heir or Fledgling at any time. Members may only have a job in the Criminal career or a part-time job at the cemetery if needed. In their free time they can train their skills and help raise the Elders or Heirs children. Family members are free to have romantic relationships with other Vampires and bear children, but the new family must move out as soon as possible (in order to save space).
Becoming a Family Member:
▶ Be related to the Elders in some way. Must be a Vampire.

Guardians: Guardians protect the higher ranks when they are out in public. These Vampires are usually close friends of the family, or old Fledglings that have grasped a good social standing within the Pact. Elders and Heir/Heiress are each assigned a Guardian when they decide to go out on the town, vacation, or to university. Guardians are not needed when a Member is going to their job.

In their free time, Guardians will train in Martial Arts or Athletics. They are free to go out on the town to fight rival species or even the Pact’s own Fledglings, the more fights they win the more revered they are within the Pact. It is optional to take a Fledgling as an apprentice if they have good relations. They can train the Apprentice in physical skills. It is strictly forbidden for Guardians to have any romantic relations with another Sim or to bear children. They will be demoted to Fledgling if the situation is discovered.
Becoming a Guardian:
▶ A low ranking family member, close friend, or Fledgling can be put to public vote. The more fights you have won, the more likely you’ll be accepted.

Fledgling: Fledglings are the runt of the Pact. They are treated only a fraction better than slaves. These members are freshly turned Sims mostly used as maids, servants, or Guardian punching bags. They are only allowed in their sleeping quarters, the kitchen, and the living room unless forced otherwise. Fledglings are the only rank forced to clean, repair, or upgrade items. You should only control these Sims when they need to do those actions or to move them to different areas of the house. They cannot go outside unless it is to clean, repair, etc. Whenever a new generation is born, you can add 2 more Fledglings (stackable). Fledglings can only rarely be promoted to Guardian and nothing more (unless a Revolution occurs).

Fledglings are forbidden to interact with the children of the Elders and Heirs until they are Young Adult. They should never approach a higher rank unless spoken to first. Fledglings that have romantic relations with another Sim or bear children must be removed from The Pact or killed when discovered.
Becoming a Fledgling:
▶ When the Elder chooses you and turns you into a Vampire himself.

Slave ($10,000): Slaves are Human Sims only used as Blood Banks for the Pact to feed on. Slaves are chosen by the Elder, and bought for $10,000 from the Human Trafficker. They are only limited to a single room, which is furnished with the bare necessities needed to live. These Sims should never be controlled by the player. You can have as many Slaves as you want as long as you can afford it.

Escaping will result in death or release from The Pact, same goes for discovery of pregnancy.
Becoming a Slave:
▶ The Elder has chosen to purchase you.
▶ If you are a Half-Breed (Human) child from a ranked member discovered by the Elder.

BASE RULES
▶ Any Lifespan is allowed, as long as it is not edited throughout the Challenge.
▶ If you decide to start on an empty lot, you can start out with up to $100,000 used to build a makeshift manor. You cannot use money cheats if you start on a premade lot.
▶ Whenever a choice must be made from a Sims perspective, it can be either up to the player or completely random (using a random number generator). This can or cannot add a less predictable twist to the game, and can make things a tad more exciting!
▶ Any “dangerous” wishes a Sim desires (a new job, quit work, move out, social interactions) must be acted upon by the player whether they are against Blood Code or not.
▶ Before starting the challenge the player is allowed to create and place ally and enemy houses in the town. These houses must be filled with a different species from one another and the player’s house.
▶ Plasma Fruit/Quick Meals are permitted only until you own your first slave. After this, Young Adults and older must feed on Humans only. Teens and Children are omitted from this rule.
▶ In order to spice things up, the player must act on any romantic wishes a member of The Pact has (especially in ranks Heir/Heiress or lower) if they appear, no matter how devastating or ruining.
▶ Throughout their reign, the female Elder must birth at least one child. If a wish appears for either of the Elders to desire another child, the player must follow through with the wish. The player can choose to stop following these wishes if they have 5-6 children already.
▶ Children born from Elders or Heirs must inherit 1 Trait from each of the parents, 1 Trait is player's choice, and the rest must be random. Children born from other ranks must have completely random traits.
▶ If another Pact member witnesses an act that goes against code, the witness must go to the Elder immediately with their findings. If the witness has a good friend or higher relationship with the Member breaking Code, they will not tell the Elder about the incident.

A member becomes a witness if they appear in the same room as the incident or are in line of sight of the incident if outdoors and on the same lot.

THE BLOOD CODE
▶ The Blood Pact must be kept in secrecy. Members can only go out for recreational affairs at night. Members cannot invite Humans over unless they are being turned (and moved in) or enslaved the same day. Other species may be invited over to discuss affairs or throw parties only if they are allies.
▶ Once a week, The Pact must host a social meeting for at least 1 hour. Try to lock the doors to force everyone to socialize with one another. Refrain from controlling all Sims in the room.
▶ Members can only take night shifts for jobs (starting out in Criminal is fine), so they can only work in Criminal, Cemetery or anything else that has you working at night. Working day jobs will result in minor punishment and the member must quit said job.
▶ Skill related income (Painting, Inventing, etc.) done from home is encouraged. You cannot participate in chess tournaments due to having to invite someone over.
▶ Professions related to public entertainment are forbidden. Anything that could draw eyes towards The Pact is out of the question. Members who break this rule will be forced to quit said profession.
▶ Members of The Pact should never gain Celebrity Status high enough to attract Paparazzi to the home. Members who break this rule will face public embarrassment and may be banished from the Pact if the Celebrity level is high enough.
▶ If a Member is arrested for any reason, they cannot leave the house for a week excluding school (to not spark suspicion from the police).
▶ Sexual relations between a Member and a different species is forbidden. If discovered, the Member will be killed or exiled from The Pact without question. Any children produced from this affair will become slaves or banished when they come of age.
▶ The marriage of an Heir/Heiress is an extremely cherished event. The party must be magnificent with the proper furnishings. The Elders may invite an allied house to the event.
▶ Children born from parents other than the Elders or Heir rank cannot share the same nursery. The parent must ask permission from the Elders to add the proper furnishings to the household, but be prepared for punishment if the birth was against Code. If the Elder denies permission, you’ll just have to make do.

If the Mother births a child that is against Code, the request will automatically be denied and discipline will be dealt. If the Mother has a good friends or higher relationship with the male Elder, the request will be accepted.
▶ If a Member would like to ascend in rank, they must have higher cumulative skill points than the person they want to replace before presenting their request to the Elder. If the two members have an equal amount of skill points, they must face off in a skill related contest (game of chess, fight, etc.). The winner will take the rank position.
▶ The Blood Pact may ally with another supernatural species (never humans) if they choose to. Members of each side are free to use each other’s homes, and can become good friends. The other species can freely be invited to parties or other events. If at least 1 Member of The Pact becomes friends with all of the other species in the town, they are allowed to invite 1 Sim of the species to move into the home in order to gain that species benefits.
▶ When a member of The Pact is on the cusp of aging into an elder, they must starve themselves of blood to eventually pass on (lock them in a room if you have to). Vampires fear old age, and would like to retain their young image beyond death.
▶ (Optional) The Elders arrange the marriage of the Heiress. They will often choose a Sim that they themselves have a high relationship with (that is not related to the family). If the Heiress has a higher relationship to the male Elder than the Sim in question, she is allowed to choose her own Husband. Male Heirs never have arranged marriage, and are free to choose their wife as they please.

REVOLUTION/OVERTHROW
A Revolution is where 1 or more members of The Pact attempt to overthrow the ruling generation (Elders and their Heir/Heiress) and replace them. Usually the members revolting have a disagreement with one or more of The Blood Pact’s ideals and desire change. Below is a list of recommended requirements you need to start a Revolution:
▶ The more members revolting, the better! You need a large party in order to have a chance at making change.
▶ Members who have the lowest relationship with the male Elder are more likely to join the cause. Anyone in the red will automatically join. The Sim with the absolute lowest relationship with the male Elder or the highest cumulative skill points out the group should be the Leader of the Revolution.
▶ If the Male Elder is disliked (relationship bar in red) by half or more of The Pact’s members then Revolution should automatically occur.

Solving Revolution: There are two flavors to winning or losing a Revolution:
▶ Trial by Combat: Every member of the Revolt must fight the Elder. If the Elder wins the majority of the fights, he will stay in power and has the choice to banish everyone involved in the Revolt. If the Revolting win the majority of the fights the Revolution Leader will become Elder, and can choose to banish the overthrown generation or demote them to Family Ranking.
▶ Diplomatic: The Revolution Leader will present their case to the Elder. Eventually there will be a meeting for all members to submit their vote on whether to keep or overthrow the current Elder. How members will vote relies heavily on their relationship with the current Elder:
▶ Members that are friends or higher with the Elder will vote to keep him in power.
▶ Members that are between acquaintances and disliked with the Elder will vote randomly (use a random number generator between 1 and 2).
▶ Members who are enemies (relationship bar half red or more) with the Elder will vote to overthrow him.

Post Revolution:
▶ If the Revolting party failed to overthrow the Elder, he can choose to banish said party from The Pact or demote the members to a lower rank.
▶ If the Revolting party succeeded in overthrowing the Elder, the new Leader can choose to banish his entire bloodline from The Pact (or only the Elders and Heirs) or demote them to a lower rank. The new Elder is free to change The Blood Code however He/She desires.

METHODS OF DISCIPLINE
Below is a list of all known disciplines if members go against Code. Elders and Elites can choose from this list if punishment as needed. List goes from minor to major:
▶ Public embarrassment (go to public lot and be insulted).
▶ Public beating (go to a public lot and fight).
▶ Grounded from building skills for a week.
▶ House arrest. Cannot leave the house at all (excluding school) for a week or more.
▶ Demoted to a lower ranking.
▶ Become a slave/servant. Sim must live with the Slaves and abide by that Rank’s rules.
▶ Banished from The Pact. Must be kicked out of the household.
▶ Death.

"This reVAMP"

Your challenge looks interesting, and it sounds like something I'd like to attempt, but I have a few questions about starting out and continuing the line of elders.

1. So you start out with a single vampire sim, but you're clearly supposed to gain more Pact members (a spouse, etc). What are acceptable ways to do this? I'd assume you can turn spouses from humans in town, but the rules about fledgelings make me question that. In essence, is it okay to recruit former humans for unfilled positions at the start of the game, ignoring the usual rules for fledgelings? I'd say the Elder's spouse is the most important, but what about the other roles?

2. You have the heir/ess, who must marry another vampire to continue leading the pact. But where should the spouse come from? The High Council and Family would almost exclusively be related to the heir, so ineligible to marry them. I'd consider Fledgelings, since they don't have to be related, but the rules say they can't rise any further than being a guardian, and I'm pretty sure becoming an Elder counts as advancing beyond that. I'd imagine that Slaves aren't meant to be marriage material either. Who exactly is allowed to marry an heir/heiress? Can Fledgelings be used?

One of my major concerns is avoiding incest. It seems like, unless the player has revolutions that put new blood in charge fairly often, the gene pool will be almost impossibly limited (barring mods to allow close-relative incest) unless the player is allowed to bring in unrelated mates, whether as fledglings or their own special group.

@meowcatmeowkitty

1. Of course you have to start somewhere, and the first spouse of the legacy can be gained by any means necessary. So yes, the first spouse is omitted from the rank requirements.

2. The Heir's spouse could virtually be any person the Elder has good relations with (excluding family members and other species that aren't Vampires or Humans). If the Sim is Human and the Elder chooses him/her, they can turn them for the Heir in need of a spouse. You can always use the other option, where if the Heir has high relations with the Elder, the Elder will allow the Heir to choose their own spouse (but they must be Vampire or Human soon to be turned).

Tip: If you disagree/dislike a certain ideal from the Blood Code, you are free to edit it after a successful revolution.

I have a question. It says we can become allies with another species, yet we can't host social gatherings and invite them over to form alliances, so, before we gain an alliance, can we invite them to a party, wherein the alliance could be formed?

@PrincessZeda

In the challenge you mention the Pact voting to decide various things. How do you go about that? I have not seen any options to hold a household vote.
And could you elaborate on the buying of slaves from a Human Trafficker?