About Vampyres

[Photograph courtesy of Chaozzy Lin via Unsplash]
What follows is a brief summary of Vampyres, their common traits, and basic information. For detailed descriptions of Vampyre aspects like Gifts/Abilities, Physiology, or the Vampyre Virus, please see the appropriate links for an in-depth review of these individual traits. 
This page does not cover the post-Desolation subcategory of Virally-Modified Persons (VMPs). For more details on these individuals, click here.
== Summary ==
Vampyres, at their most basic, are persons who have been genetically modified by the Vampyre Virus (excluding the Starlight Strain and the New Dawn Mutagen) irrespective of the extent of changes, or lack thereof, to the person's physiology. Most Vampyres within The Legacy of Sorrow are infected with the Stockholm strain, which is the most common viral infection prior to the ending of Despair and the baseline for Vampyric attributes. Vampyres infected with the Stockholm strain of the Vampyre Virus typically exhibit extremely long lifespans, moderately enhanced physical strength, dense bone composition, heightened senses, increased intelligence and synaptic activity, and immunity to communicable disease. 
This came at the cost of requiring either blood or an effective substitute to nourish the virus in addition to a standard human diet. The reasons for these physical traits are explored within the Vampyre Physiology or Vampyre Virus Wiki entries. While very few Vampyres inherited Gifts or Abilities, many saw Talents emerge after their infection: a drastic increase in a natural ability or inclination that many liken to Savant Syndrome. 
== Detailed Summaries of Vampyre Attributes ==
For more information on sections regarding specific aspects of Vampyrism, see the following pages:
* The Vampyre Virus
* Vampyre Physiology
* The Vampyre War
* Vampyre History
* Vampyre Anthropology
* Important Locations and Events
== Vampyre Culture ==
For more detailed information, see Vampyre Anthropology.
While most Vampyres resided in the underground cities of Aerael or Vanaheim, many lived among humans and disguised their enhanced lives through the provision of normal lives courtesy of the assets provided by Kara's Counsel. While few incidents occurred in the human-centric "spotlight" within social media, feats of strength or atypical oddities seen by humans were commonly dismissed as "debunked," "entertainment," or "coincidence." 
The most common source for new Vampyres were families or individuals who had suffered near-fatal tragedy through no fault of their own and were recruited via a visit by a member of Kara's Counsel. An offer would be made to those suffering (if conscious and/or otherwise capable of consent) in vague terms and under the promise of secrecy. After infection, the intelligence and emotional moderation of new Vampyres resulted in the understanding and acceptance that the secrecy of the Vampyre race was necessary to prevent harm or panic within the human race. 
Vampyres otherwise lived normal lives, although most felt obligated to serve either Aerael or Vanaheim, or Kara's Counsel, through various means. Seen as receiving a second chance at life after what would have been imminent death, many believed they owed their lives to the Counsel or one of its members, resulting in a voluntary servitude that consisted of connections and networking via the acquisition of a job in the human government sector, financial contributions, or the rare special missions assigned to the "civilians" of the city (i.e., finding new families in need, surveillance of Pyrates, or caring for a new Vampyre during their transition). 
Vampyres are highly multicultural, with many speaking multiple languages and occasionally originating from countries outside of the United States (due to missions carried out by the Counsel that took them around the globe during their endeavors). Because of this highly diverse community, personal traits such as native language, race/ethnicity, religious preference, and sexual orientation were usually overlooked or entirely ignored in light of personality and experience reigning dominant as the defining factors of a Vampyre's personality. Although they don't discredit the legitimacy of a person's origin or individuality, very little of a person outside of moral compass or demeanor mattered to most Vampyres looking to make friends or connections amongst themselves. One such example was the acceptance Violet received upon her arrival in Aerael as a human with an injury-induced stutter. While the disability was noticed, it was disregarded as "who she is" while favoring other aspects of her personality and talents. Same-sex relationships were commonplace and often unnoticed due to a lower inclination of couples to have children, although the ratio of same-sex couples to heterosexual couples closely matched that of humans'. 
Due to the wide-spanning sense of acceptance, the imagery of Vampyres in Aerael and Vanaheim were often colorful. With judgement and discrimination being near-nonexistent, individuals felt free to express themselves in the manner that best suited their preferences. Punk, Goth, Glam, and vivid clothing styles often accompanied alternative makeup styles and expressive hairstyles that provided a unique atmosphere within the residential portions of Aerael and Vanaheim. While some adopted modest or muted appearances, it would be a common and unremarkable sight to witness a woman wearing a gothic or neo-punk outfit speaking casually to a man in a freshly-pressed suit and tie. 
== Impact of the Vampyre War ==
Many Vampyres living among humans were widely disconnected from the happenings of Kara's Counsel, but those within the cities in which the Counsel resided were subject to rumors and transient pieces of overheard information regarding the pursuit of Schillinger, the Pyrates, Legacy, or his army of Tortured. In the early days of the Vampyre War, civilians were kept far removed from the bulk of information regarding the conflict, and only knew of a vague threat that was being handled solely by the diligent hand of the Counsel. Throughout the events of Sorrow and Affliction, the persistence of the Counsel's enemies coupled with visible desperation led to a much more wide-ranging awareness of the war and, ultimately, the voluntary involvement of a few persistent civilians. 
During and after the events of the Outbreak, to include the timeline of Desolation and Despair, the Counsel saw no option but to prepare their people for the impending and unavoidable warfare that threatened global stability. Most civilian Vampyres volunteered their lives as soldiers, although many were turned away in favor of providing support and operational reinforcement to keep Vanaheim and Quantico running at peak efficiency.
The emotional and psychological impact of the war was unavoidable, and after the attack on Vanaheim, the Battle at Washington, D.C., and other skirmishes at Quantico, the need for mental health care was undeniable. Many suffered the effects of PTSD or similar disorders after seeing brutal and bloody devastation at the hands of the Tortured. While most families remained intact and maintained support systems for their close friends (and other families), death, dismemberment, injury, and trauma pervaded the population with significant ripples across the general welfare of the Vampyre community. To a lesser extent, the effects and results of the Outbreak and actions occurring in Aerael during that time also caused long-lasting damage in the form of lost trust in the Counsel's ability to lead, serve, and protect.