Blood tithe

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Blood tithes are rendered periodically by the rulers of Morytania, the vampyres. The vampyres require blood tithes, as blood is their main dietary staple and energy source, similar to the vampyres of popular culture. It also forces some humans to collaborate with the vampyres to protect their families, such as Gadderanks.

The blood tithes cause fear, suffering and poverty among the Morytanian people, making travelling a danger. Often, it leads to victims being severely weakened, with no energy and will to live, depressed and dying. Sometimes, victims die of blood poisoning or lack of blood, or are taken away and never seen again.

Players travelling in the Sanguinesti region can also be subject to the tithes. At random, Vyrewatch can ask for one, at which point the player can either choose to be tithed (receive a small amount of damage), be sent to the mines (after Darkness of Hallowvale), attack the Vyrewatch (although they cannot be harmed, before said quest), or to try and distract the Vyrewatch (success depends on the player's Thieving level). Vyrewatch clothing reduces the chance of being seen by the Vyrewatch.

After The Blood Moon Rises quest, the blood tithes on humans have been outlawed, with the vampyres instead taking blood from the aranei while they and the new leader of Morytania, Sugadinti Vitur, research alternate ways of feeding the vampyres, such as artifical blood. As such, players will no longer be subject to tithes nor need to disguise themselves after the quest. While Sugadinti is aware that the people of Slepe willingly gave their blood, he nonetheless outlaws them from doing while leaving the possibility of willingly donating blood in the future.

Officially, a blood tithe is to be taken from every settlement in Morytania, but the only settlement outside of the Sanguinesti region that is both known and useful to the vampyres is Canifis, which is inhabited by werewolves, who use meat sacrifices in most cases; however, sometimes, they are forced to sacrifice one of their own. Port Phasmatys is populated entirely by ghosts, who thus cannot pay the tithe, and nearly every person in Mort'ton is Afflicted by the mists from Castle Drakan; their blood is generally unpleasant, if not poisonous.

Burgh de Rott is not yet known to be populated by those rendering the tithe; although the vampyres have demanded the tithes before, it is not known if the people routinely pay them. Therefore, humans in Meiyerditch are practically the only ones in Morytania to be forced to pay the blood tithe. In the ghettos, the blood tithe is more than a periodic tax; humans are farmed for blood, each sector being drained at regular intervals. Humans outside the city are comparatively free and well off.