Strolling with calm grace and regal majesty, the representatives of Tsuki-Yomi were led by the infamous Amatsu Mika Hoshi. The Dread Star of Heaven was ancient despite his youthful appearance, a creature of immense power that was at least fifteen hundred years old, probably more. A force in the Shinto religion that preceded Buddhism and the other faiths, he had been a lurking presence throughout Japan’s long history. Thanos had heard tales of the vampire ninja he used to eradicate his enemies and opposition, warriors trained for centuries in the subtle arts of quiet death. The man was almost hidden from view beneath his ornate armour, the ceremonial dress and weapons worn for this occasion with the queen. Behind him strolled warlords in similar archaic extravagance, followed by their wives and concubines, and servants and human pets. The clan was akin to the house of his mistress, a place of carnal pursuits and subtle politics of sensual hedonism. Pleasures of the flesh and spirit were the guiding force behind their actions, the vampire nobles living lives of unbridled luxury with a vast slave contingent of willing or forcibly trained men and women.
