Vampires

[G]

Vampires

Origin: Human in origin

Lifespan: Living vampires have a normal human lifespan, but when they die they do not stay dead, instead becoming an undead vampire.

Subspecies: None

Ley Line Access: Cannot tap a line; Cannot see auras

Day Schedule: Vampire patterns are erratic as most of them adopt a nocturnal schedule. 

Strengths: Abnormal strength and speed, better sense of smell, can detect emotions in a room via pheromones. Undead vampires can bespell most other species with the exception of demons and banshees. Can bind others to their will with the sharing of blood and the vampires virus

Weaknesses: Living vampires are weak to pheromones, will become overwhelmed and attack if riled up. Prone to emotional manipulation by elder vampires. Undead vampires are weak to stakes, sunlight, holy items, silver, fire, and decapitation, as well as the mistake of consuming another undead's blood.

Attributes: Loyal, cultural taboo to not attack the young and the sick. Homebodies, vampires need a network of people to feel safe and comfortable. Often skilled manipulators, vampires make good politicians. Living vampires are often desperately dependant on master vampires, groomed from birth.

Origin: The vampire virus, either from birth or from infection

Allies: Witches, as they make good use of witch charms, which are popular with vampires.

Enemies: Weres. Vampires constantly struggle with were packs for political might, leaving tensions high.



Full write up: Sourced in parts from various places, including the Wiki entry.

Living Vampires

Living vampires are normal humans infected with the vampire virus. They are divided into two groups: high- and low-blood. Low-blood vampires are normal humans that have been infected by the bite of an undead vampire, and have only a small amount of the benefits the virus grants, such as increased strength and speed, as well as the craving for blood. When low-blood vampires die, be it of natural causes or otherwise, they simply die like any other humans, unless an undead vampire is there at their moments of death to bring them back as undead by giving its blood. Turned humans are often referred to as ghouls.

High-blood vampires are vampires who were born already infected by the virus, which has influenced their development in the womb. They have increased strength and speed, more so than low-blood vampires, but not as much as the undead; they do however have some abilities that the other kinds don't: living high-blood vampires are empathic and can "pull an aura" to influence, intimidate, or control others. When living vampires are excited in some fashion - whether it be arousal, fear, anger, or any truly intense emotion and pull an aura, it causes their eyes to go black and their instincts to come to the forefront.

Pheromones leaked into the air by strong emotion cause living vampires to lose control. They will become extremely sensitive to fear and anger, and most will attack any who exhibit it nearby while they are in this state.

While living vampires do not need blood to survive, they enjoy taking blood much as other species enjoy sex. Vampire bites can result in the subject being "bound" to the vampire's will. Vampire saliva carries a toxin that converts pain to pleasure in their victims, as well as a virus that remains in the victim's body forever, able to produce the toxin whenever the subject is excited by another vampire

Undead Vampires

When vampires become undead, they gain the full physical benefits of the vampire virus, but lose their souls and their ability to keep their aura in the process. They now have the ability to turn humans into vampires and bespell even unwilling hosts. Vampire society is regulated by master vampires, usually in control of the underworld in larger cities. Master vampires have a coterie called a camarilla, to which their followers and families belong, with a complex social hierarchy in which everyone is subordinate to someone else except master vampires, who are the kingpins of the vampire society. Vampires outside of a camarilla often look to become part of one, as a camarilla serves as a support group for the lifestyle demanded by vampires. Undead kingpins often ask their living counterparts to provide blood for them, as taking blood from living vampires does not harm an undead.

Undead vampires typically have more control over themselves - it's a necessity that comes from pretending to be civilized and friendly around the society that knows you do not possess a soul. Many living vampires suffer long and drawn out abuse at the hands of a master undead vampire, as the undead seem to take a perverse interest in tormenting their living counterparts.They have sharper and slightly longer canine teeth than humans or low-blood vampires. They also have a greater craving for blood than low-blood vampires, and it is essential for them to live, as the blood drawn fools the mind into thinking they still have an aura. If the undead vampire waits too long to feed, its body will commit suicide by walking into the sunlight because it will recognize the loss of the soul and seek true death.

As for weaknesses, while low- and high-blood living vampires are immune to sunlight or holy items, they can be killed in any normal way: weapons, diseases, poisons, age, and so on. On the other hand, undead vampires have all the traditional vampire weakness: stakes, sunlight, holy items, silver, fire, and decapitation, although often from a more practical standpoint, as most of those things would kill any other Inderlander just as well. Holy items must be charmed, or they will have no effect. However, in the Hollows series there is one original weakness: sharing the blood of another undead vampire will result in death.

Vampire Camarillas

Vampires often band together under one master undead for protection, as the lifestyle is harsh and you need a sponsor if you are to survive once you die for the first time. Master vampires are notably amoral, having lost both their soul an the capacity to love when they died. Both living vampires and ghouls [humans turned vampire] live longer if part of a support network of other vampires, even though a camarilla comes with its own dangers.

Often masters will gift living vampires to another master for political power, and it is up to the undead as what is to be done with their living children. Blood gifts are a notably horrid practice. If a vampire falls out of favour, their first life may be gifted to another vampire, and the recipient vampire can drain the unfortunate living vampire. Most vampires are normalized to this practice however, as the master vampire grooms them from birth to depend on them and they are seen as a necessary and sometimes benevolent presence in their lives.