Lesser Vampire

**Lesser Vampires** are numerous blood-sucking monsters and beasts that share either evolutionary or appearance-similarities to higher vampires, or are classified under the *Vampire* classification. According to the evolutionary theory, all lesser vampires share a common ancestor and are genetically related to their higher cousins. The scientific study of lesser vampires, and to some extent higher vampires, is known as *vampirology*.

## Classification

Officially, a vampire is "any monster or beast that feeds exclusively upon blood of livestock or individuals" however this definition has long been out of use because of its hypernymy, with contemporary scholars preferring to use it as a general catch-all term for monsters and beasts which meet certain criteria: bat-like appearance; consumption of blood; nocturnality or avoidance of daylight. Although very loose, the categorisation has been somewhat standardised to only include monsters and beasts that meet at least 2/3 of the criteria, however, many works classify higher vampires as a "vampire" despite the fact that they only meet the secondary criteria. Really, there is no true classification or categorisation currently in use.

There have been many attempts in the 4th and 5th centuries to alter the official definition of the classification throughout the scholarly world to better define it in line with the evolutionary theory popularised by minds of the Imperial University of Lanthyria and Sydia Academy, however no official change has yet come of this. The new proposed definition, penned jointly by scholars from Sydia and Lanthyria, is *a creature of common ancestry or relation to the higher vampire, that is neither aberrant or undead, and possesses qualities commonly assigned to vampires by the scholarly community.*

Simultaneously, monsters considered to be vampires by the scientific community are often considered to be undead by the peasantry and many lords, as well as those in-between.

## Habitation

Vampires dwell almost everywhere except the harsh northern wastes of Vor and the inhospitable deserts in the interior of Sicair, or Sicair in general. It is rare to come across a katakan, ekimerra, hoxher or petar in Sicairi cities, for reasons yet unknown, but alpats - and perhaps higher vampires - have been known to dwell in Sicairi brothels and leisurely enterprises. For better or worse, Sicairi society does not have the same perception of vampires as the citizens of the rest of Antagarich - with the exception of Lanthyria - do, placing less trust in the folklore that vampires are undead creatures from the grave, with common belief being that alpats are just a vibrant kind of a succubus, and that higher vampires are a myth all together. Katakans and other lesser vampires are unheard of Sicair for the most part, and have only ever been encountered in outside of the realm or in the northernmost reaches where local climates begin becoming more akin to those of the Westerlands or Lanthyria.

## Species

### Alpats

Alpats are a intermediary vampire race that sets the line between higher and lesser vampires. Like higher vampires, they possess a humanoid form - either of a human female or elven female - and like lesser vampires, they possess an animalistic nature that has to be satiated.

Standing at average height, alpats have a slim and graceful form, which is often described as almost ethereal in nature. Their pale, almost translucent skin shimmers like moonlight, lending them a spectral appearance. Despite their apparent frailty, their lithe and toned physique suggests incredible strength and agility. An alpat's face is strikingly beautiful, with chiselled cheekbones and full, pouty lips. Their eyes, usually a deep colour akin to that of emeralds, rubies or diamonds, sparkle with an alluring and hypnotic quality. They seem to shift and change with the slightest movement, captivating those unfortunate enough to meet an alpat's gaze. Despite their immeasurable beauty, an alpat's most distinctive feature is their hair. It is long, silky, and comes in many hypnotising colours ranging from jet black to snow white, often falling in elegant waves down to their waist. An alpat has feeding habits of a higher vampire, consisting of normal meals as well as blood which has a similar alcoholic effect on them. But another major element of their diet is fornication, something that alpats pursue with great intent. Like dryads, alpats are an exclusively female race and cannot reproduce with their own kind, relying solely on men of other races to father their children. All alpat offspring will be alpats themselves, possessing some physical qualities from their father, but keeping the nature of their mother. Their physical abilities in humanoid form are fearsome, comparable to those of a higher vampire. They can move with incredible speed and agility, darting in and out of shadows with ease. Their acute senses, especially hearing, allow them to detect even the slightest movements or sounds. And their fingernails are sharper than a finely sharpened blade, easily able to cut a man's throat if need be. Although able to extend and retract their sharp nails and teeth, much like higher vampire, alpats will often carry weapons such as daggers and knives, for unknown reasons.

Their vampiric form is physically intimidating and grants them even greater strength and traits. Standing at an imposing height of around 6 and a half feet, the alpat's body undergoes a grotesque transformation. Their once-pale skin now becomes a sickly pallor, ashen and veined with an eerie blue hue. Appearing stretched tightly over their sinewy frame, revealing the outline of powerful and predatory muscles. Their face undergoes a horrifying metamorphosis, their formerly delicate and captivating features distort into a nightmarish visage. Their eyes, once alluring and hypnotic, turn blood-red, blazing with an unholy fire. They seem to glow with an insatiable hunger, emanating a malevolence that pierces the soul of any who meet their gaze. Their once-luscious hair transforms into a wild and tangled mane, as if infused with dark energy. It writhes and moves of its own accord, resembling a nest of serpents ready to strike. The strands are coarse and jagged, contrasting starkly with the flowing locks of their former self. Their mouth stretches unnaturally wide, becoming a maw that exposes row upon row of dagger-like fangs. These elongated teeth, stained with the blood of victims, gleam with a sinister sheen. They curve inward, forming a deadly maw capable of rending flesh and tearing through bone with ease. The alpat's limbs elongate and contort, giving the an almost spider-like appearance, their once-delicate fingers lengthen into twisted talons, tipped with razor-sharp claws. Their body becomes a grotesque fusion of seduction and monstrosity. The alpat's slender figure takes on a more sinewy and predatory form, accentuated by protruding ribs and muscles that ripple with supernatural strength, their movements becoming both graceful and predatory, allowing them to stalk victims with uncanny precision. In this vampiric form, the alpat's attire transforms into a shredded, tattered gown that drapes around them, barely concealing the grotesque form. What was once elegant and flowing now hangs in disarray, mirroring the chaos and darkness that has hid underneath an alpat's gentle and mesmerising appearance.

As one could expect, alpats dwell inside settlements ranging from towns to metropolises such as Sydia or High Rock. There they often work careers as ladies of the night, or mistresses to the aristocracy, following a cycle of continuously preying on the natural desires of men, drinking the blood of their victims and sometimes leaving a barbaric red mess behind when they are ready to find a new victim to feast on in their chambers. Alpats, despite their intelligence, show an incredibly animalistic nature through their pursuit of partners, seemingly unfounded in reason because alpats tend to abandon their daughters in some circumstances, or entirely avoid motherhood through the use of magic to terminate pregnancies or contraception. Additionally, they show to be severely ill, afflicted by a yet unknown sickness of the mind which is only worsened by their territorial nature, resulting in bloodbaths and massacres when two or more alpats feed in the same area. They show incredibly obsessive tendencies, often toying with a partner for a time and isolating them from the outside world before discarding them to find another one to spin the same tricks on. Their emotional instability has been compared to the mentally shattered state of mothers post-miscarriage, although far more dangerous and aggressive, in the vampirologist works of Angus Arnheim.

Alpats often sing songs in their native vampiric tongue, and their songs are described as silent, shrill, and sickening. But they can also sing in other languages, such as common or elvish, and these songs have been known to be tranquil, beautiful and reassuring, akin to beautiful songs sang by temple priestesses. Like higher vampires, katakans and ekimerras, alpats are not harmed by sunlight, and their abilities are not impaired by it unlike those of katakans or ekimerras. Alpats enjoy longevity superior to those of dwarves and even elves, but most will never enter a state of hibernation or "natural death" because of their predatory, fiercely territorial and animalistic nature, which sees them perish at the hands of each other and tarkhans, or other monster hunters.

### Katakans

Standing at an imposing height of around 6 feet and 6 inches, the katakan embodies a sinewy and athletic build that combines predatory grace with raw power. Covering its body is a pallid, sickly complexion, reminiscent of a corpse reanimated by unholy forces. Its skin, tightly stretched over a framework of lean, muscular limbs, lacks any trace of warmth or vitality. Patches of ethereal, ghostly blue veins run beneath the surface. Its face is a grotesque blend of both human and beastly features, a testament to the evolutionary theory and belief that the end-point in evolution for any noteworthy species is a humanoid shape. Its eyes, glowing with an intense golden hue, gleam with a feral intelligence and predatory instinct. Set slightly apart, these eyes possess vertically elongated pupils that further accentuate its predatory nature. Above, a high forehead sports a few wisps of slick, greasy black hair, while a pair of wickedly sharp, elongated ears protrude from the sides of its head, almost like demonic horns. The mouth of a katakan is filled with a multitude of razor-sharp, needle-like fangs, protruding both upwards and downwards in a fearsome double set. These fangs, capable of tearing through flesh and rending armour, gleam with a sinister sheen, stained by the remnants of its recent prey, and are supplemented by the vampire's sharp claws which it can retract and extend at will. Despite its size, a katakan can move with agility and speed, its sickly body covered by black fur masking its presence in the dark corners of caverns and caves that it inhabits.

One of the more intelligent species of lesser vampires, katakans possess an incredibly keen mind for ambushes and often stalk their prey, carefully planning their next move and eventual attack rather than relying on sheer ferocity in battle - resorting to their wits rather than animalistic nature like their lower brethren. A katakan's ambush is only aided by its naturally high sense of smell and enhanced hearing. In open combat, their claws and fangs can easily cut through most forms of armour and sever unprotected limbs, with only steel and reinforced materials able to withstand an otherwise lethal blow. Additionally, if they were not nightmarish enough, katakans - like other vampires - possess minor regenerative abilities, and should they be given a moment to regenerate their injuries, they surely will. Fortunately for any would be tarkhan or adventurer, their natural regeneration will be impaired by sunlight, so it is advised that one battle a katakan in open day rather than at night or their lair. However, sunlight does not turn them to ash, so that cannot be counted upon.

Silver is neither better nor worse when fighting a katakan, but fire and vampire oil are always an effective weapon against them. Katakans generally inhabit caverns, caves and abandoned subterranean structures like mines or temples, but can often be found in sewage systems of major settlements. Isolationist by nature and also incredibly territorial, katakans will compete with other of its species and its vampiric cousins over territory if they feel like another vampire or pack are encroaching on it.

### Ekimerras

Standing at a height ranging from 6 to 6'6 feet, the ekimerra cuts an imposing figure. Its body is encased in thick, coarse, and leathery skin, resembling the texture of worn-out parchment. This weathered hide, stained with dark splotches and scars, hints at a long and savage existence. The head of an ekimerra is a twisted amalgamation of bestial and humanoid traits. Its face is dominated by a pair of large, penetrating eyes, glowing with a deep crimson hue. These eyes, often described as windows to the creature's insatiable hunger, exude an otherworldly aura, captivating and unnerving all who meet their gaze. Above them sits a pronounced brow ridge, casting sinister shadows over the eyes and lending an air of menace to the ekimerra's countenance. At the centre of the face lies the most distinguishing feature: an array of wickedly sharp fangs. These elongated, dagger-like teeth curve downward from the upper jaw, capable of tearing through flesh and bone with ease. The lower jaw also houses a row of formidable incisors, enhancing the monster's predatory capabilities. An Ekimmara's body is powerfully built, with sinewy muscles rippling beneath its weathered skin. Its limbs are thick and muscular, granting the creature immense strength and agility. The hands sport long, bony fingers ending in sharp, claw-like nails, suitable for both rending prey and climbing with remarkable speed. Its lower half is distinctly bestial, resembling that of a predator. Its legs are thick and muscular, tapering down to digitigrade feet with elongated, razor-sharp claws. These clawed appendages allow the vampire to move with astonishing agility, pouncing upon its victims with deadly precision.

Its appearance very similar to that of a katakan, an ekimerra shares little to none of its superior's intellect and wisdom. Vicious, animalistic and unabated, they attack with fierce blows that can rend even steel plate, and they often coexist in packs - making any adventurer unlucky enough to encounter even a single ekimmera even unluckier. But, fortunately for sapient races, ekimmeras - influenced by their animalistic nature - are also their own enemy, often competing against one another for leadership of the pack. Similarly to katakans, ekimerras are incredibly agile and fast, and possess slight regenerative abilities that are heavily impaired by sunlight.

Ekimerras are social creatures and will coexist in packs like wolves, usually made up of under a dozen specimen. They often inhabit caverns and tunnels, underground structures and abandoned mineshafts.