Vampires

## Location

Vampires integrated with humans, their food source, centuries ago. As a result, wherever there are humans, there is likely a vampire. However, there is an island, to the north west of the Witherlands, where vampires tend to stay. It has no name, as vampires hope that it will be left unnoticed.

## Appearances

Vampires are reanimated corpses. As a result, they have a lack of blood flow causing pale complexions, and sunken-in eyes in some cases. Vampires all hold fangs, which may retract at will. However, these fangs emerge in times of hunger, the sight of blood, sexual arousal, and excitement, despite whether or not they are wanted. Red eyes may also show in these conditions.

Vampires do not age and do not have bodily functions. They have no need to eat human food, use the restroom, and can not breed. They do, however, grow hair and develop thirst if they do not feed. Instead of crying, they bleed tears, and so vampires are thought to be cold-hearted individuals.

Vampires can not gain or lose weight and remain the same image they had before they turned.

## General Religion

Vampires are all made into vampires by a "maker". Typically this "maker" is thought to be their savior (or, in some cases, their condemner) and is usually worshipped (or loathed). Other than this, vampires tend to follow humans in the diversity of their practiced religions. There is said to be a "first vampire" that still roams the continent, but this being is rarely thought to be worshipped.

## Society

Vampires blend into society with humans quite easily, similar to shifters. Also similarly to shifters, they tend to travel either alone or in packs. Different from shifters, however, vampires declare a certain territory that they typically patrol to keep control over. If a foreign vampire enters, they are alerted and take action to protect their area (typically a town full of their prey).

Vampires have a sort of "home base" on the island north of the Witherlands where vampires without home or without purpose may visit and stay until they are well enough to go on their own. Typically new vampires are found on this island to learn to control their urges and abilities before going into human society.

## Combat

Vampires, as predators, have many different tools at their disposal.

- Fangs are retractable weapons that can be used at a vampire's convenience.

- Many vampires (over 500 years old) have the ability to fly. Younger vampires may only levitate.

- Vampires have the ability to glamour their prey, which puts them into a daze and allows the vampire to coax the human (or mythological being [closer to human the better]) to do their bidding. This can be overruled by willpower, although weak-minded characters will nearly always succumb. For role-play purposes, this will be seen on a case-by-case basis (check with whoever you want to control before you do so. It must have permission.)

- Vampires have increased healing abilities. This is halted by silver and wood piercing the body. Severe wounds by other materials require human blood to begin the healing process. Human blood is needed to begin healing a sword through the chest, for instance.

- Durable bodies: Vampires may withstand more pain than humans (they are corpses, after all). In addition, their senses are elevated when their fangs are protruding, but not when retracted. It signals their instinctual senses. Vampires have advanced speed and strength, similar to shifters. However, this speed is only comparable to their senses, as they can simply respond to things faster. They do not move faster than the human eye can perceive.

- Vampires who consume the blood of other vampires are ostracized from their society, but have strengthened abilities.

## General Attitudes

Self-Seen:

Vampires see themselves as inferior beings capable of living with humans or superior beings meant to rule over humans and other mythical beings. It depends on the vampire's age as well as their life experiences.

How They Are Perceived:

Vampires are seen as predators by humans and most other mythological beings. There are few who believe in having positive relationships with vampires, but they tend to keep their relationships secret. Vampires also have an intense rivalry with the Arbiters, a monster-hunting group present in the Witherlands.