Vampirsm (Patreon)

Vampires. Evil, demonic, creatures of the night, known for drinking the blood of the living. Or at least that’s what some people say. The truth is far more boring: they’re just people, like the rest of us. People who need to drink blood to survive, so I guess that’s true. And so is the “creature of the night” thing. And the demon thing.

Often spoken of in the same breath as werewolves, vampirism is also the result of a curse. However, the magic behind it is not natural, or even Terran in origin, but demonic.  Vampires are created through the act of draining most of a living person's blood, and then before death feeding them some of a vampire's own blood. This action acts like the signing of a contract, infusing the body of the bitten person with demonic energy - energy that then transforms their body after death, which is soon to follow. There are obviously great risks involved, when creating a vampire, as the vampire-to-be has mere seconds to drink before dying.

Often thought of as inherently evil, a vampire’s personality is not changed by the transformation. Their bodies will read as hotbeds of negatively-aligned demonic magic, but they are still the same person, with the same wants and feelings. However, the longer they go between feedings, the more difficult it is to avoid falling into a state of bloodlust, a feral-like state where the vampire will view anything living as a potential meal. Though this will not kill them, going through extended periods of not feeding can actually physically alter the vampire. Without blood, their body must subsist slowly on demonic energy, and as a result, growing more demonic and some even say bat-like in appearance.

Though the true origin of the first vampire is unknown, legend holds that many years ago, during a great war, Terrans and demons found themselves on the same side. Who or what this common enemy was is unknown, but they proved dangerous enough that the two armies found themselves in an alliance. During a particularly destructive battle, the two armies were each down to their last man. Whether the terran was human, dwarf, or orc changes depending on who is telling the story, but as they both lay dying, the demon made an offer: They would offer up the last of their essence to the Terran, which would grant them great strength, but also change them irrevocably. The Terran accepted, and so was born the first vampire, who went on to turn the tides of the war.

Becoming a vampire grants a person immense increases in their physical strength, speed, and dexterity. They also receive better eyesight, smelling, and hearing. Vampires do not need to breathe, and the only sustenance they require is the blood of a living creature. Though they are still capable of eating, many vampires find that after the transformation their tastes have changed. Although technically undead, vampires are not in the same category of undeath as zombies or ghosts. Indeed, their entire physical form is preserved to be the way it was at the time of death, sans any injuries. Their hair and nails will also continue to grow, though weight loss and other physical changes will no longer be possible. Any injuries sustained (except for those that are fatal) will heal over time, until the vampire’s body is restored to its original form.

Similarly to werewolves, vampires are also weak to silver as a result of the metal’s magical purifying quality. They are also weak to direct sunlight - specifically ultraviolet light - which will actually cause them to combust. This has a side effect of also making them extremely flammable in general, more than other creatures. Holy symbols and objects  themselves cannot harm a vampire, but any object charged with positive divine energy can due to the demonic energy powering them being negatively aligned. Vampires have an allergy to garlic, breaking out in rashes and hives when even near it. Though they can heal from any physical damage, complete decapitation is fatal to them, as is a wooden stake to the heart - said to be because the wood was once a living thing.

Vampire communities do not exist in the traditional sense, as the public largely views them as dangerous monsters to be exterminated. They remain in the shadows, their covens communicating across territorial lines in the dark of night. It can be dangerous for too many vampires to amass in one area. The more vampires sharing the same feeding pool, the easier it is for vampire hunters to notice the signs of their presence. Not to mention that the very act of creating a vampire removes someone from the feeding pool entirely. The act of creating a new vampire is not one to be undertaken lightly, and those who overdo it are sure to be on the receiving end of some swift retribution from their fellow undead, lest they risk their cover being blown.

Despite these precautions, the population of Terra still largely fears vampires as a whole, and are often willing to lend more credence to fiction and fables than the so-called “monsters” themselves. And so, in order to protect themselves, vampires choose to remain hidden - the resentment pushing some of them into violence and vengeance. Some say the vampires are just biding their time, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves to the public at large. But whether this is to live alongside them, or something much darker, only time will tell.