Vampire

Volturi Council
Downworlders' Alliance
Monstrum Council

**Vampires**, also called **Bloodsuckers**, are a daimonic race of immortal monsters. As they can't regenerate their own life-force, they are forced to drink the blood of living beings to refill their magic core.

## Overview

A **vampire** is a creature from folklore that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods they inhabited while they were alive. They wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, markedly different from today's gaunt, pale vampire which dates from the early 19th century.

Vampiric entities have been recorded in cultures around the world; the term *vampire* was popularized in Western Europe after reports of an 18th-century mass hysteria of a pre-existing folk belief in the Balkans and Eastern Europe that in some cases resulted in corpses being staked and people being accused of vampirism. Local variants in Eastern Europe were also known by different names, such as *shtriga* in Albania, *vrykolakas* in Greece and *strigoi* in Romania.

In modern times, the vampire is generally held to be a fictitious entity, although belief in similar vampiric creatures such as the *chupacabra* still persists in some cultures. Early folk belief in vampires has sometimes been ascribed to the ignorance of the body's process of decomposition after death and how people in pre-industrial societies tried to rationalize this, creating the figure of the vampire to explain the mysteries of death. Porphyria was linked with legends of vampirism in 1985 and received much media exposure, but has since been largely discredited.

The charismatic and sophisticated vampire of modern fiction was born in 1819 with the publication of "The Vampyre" by the English writer John Polidori; the story was highly successful and arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century. Bram Stoker's 1897 novel *Dracula* is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and provided the basis of the modern vampire legend, even though it was published after fellow Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novel *Carmilla*. The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century, with books, films, television shows, and video games. The vampire has since become a dominant figure in the horror genre.

## Summary

**Vampires** are one of the most well-known species of monsters in the world, to the point where the word "vampire" itself now serves as a synonym for all hematophagic monsters regardless of their origins and background. For example, due to their blood-sucking impulses, both Lamyros and Gorgons are considered vampires by the Vatican.

For millennia, they have reigned on the top of the supernatural hierarchy thanks to their infernal powers, though it was only in the reign of Caligula (37-41 AD) did they finally come together and become a collective faction. United by the reincarnation of the First Vampire, the Bloodbound Throne was born and the vampires found themselves the city of Sanguinem in Romania, where many considered the "heart and capital" of the vampire-kind.

In modern days, the vampire society is much less... united, due to the restless actions by exorcists of the Abrahamic Institutions in hunting down threats to humanity, as well as the century-long Sanguinem Civil War caused by the Dracul Faction and the Carmilla Faction as they fought for the Bloodbound Throne.

Nowadays, most political power remains with the Volturi Council, a vampiric organization in-charge of keeping vampires hidden from the mundane world. In addition, while in the past, most vampires preferred to stay in "old world", i.e. Europe, most modern vampires now reside in the United States, scattered in multiple clans that are situated in every major city.

## Appearance

While physically similar to humans, vampires are considered beings with unnatural beauty for the purpose of attracting and seducing their ideal prey, i.e. humans. They have razor-like retractable fangs that extend from their upper canines, though depending on their nature, vampire teeth can also appear shark-like and downright terrifying. As they are undead, their hair and nails don't naturally grow anymore, and can only do so with the assistance of magic.

Most of them have abnormally pale skin, often described as marble-like due to similarities in texture and feel, as well as its appearance. While controversial and upsetting to some, it's not uncommon for people of color to have their skin lightened several shades due to the melanin in their skin being burned out as the side effect of their vampirization.

### Eye Color

A vampire's eye color changes with both their age and diet. Vampire fledgling show bright-red regardless of how long they abstain from blood, or their diet. A diet of human blood would eventually darken them to a rose-red color, while a diet of animal blood would instead dilute them to a golden color. All older vampires' eyes darken perceptively as they abstain from blood, until their eyes become coal-black, though the process may take from 1-2 weeks.

"Vegetarian vampires", i.e. vampires who absorb blood from animals and monsters, have light, honey-gold eyes, comparable to liquid topaz, and would darken into a dark-gold color as they abstain. For most vampires whose diet consists of human blood, their eyes are a deep crimson, which would become more vivid as they continue to feed on humans and turn into a burgundy color as they abstain.

As a vampire's thirst grows, their eyes grow darker with it, until they at last become coal-black in color. In addition to their darkened eyes, the purplish-black bruises under their eyes become more pronounced and the skin on their face becomes thinner and thinner, "like sheer silk stretched over a skull", as their thirst grows.

## Characteristics

Vampires are naturally predatory creatures, and are often far more violent and savage than their beautiful appearance suggests. Although they can control themselves in a sophisticated and human-like manner, duress and thirst reduce them to a more feral state. For instance, threats or insults are often met with hissing, growling, and baring their fangs.

They are capable of human emotions, such as compassion, love, and self-control, though their emotions aren't as intense as humans', possibly due to their infinite lifespan. They have a tendency to slip into nihilism and discard their sense of morality, especially in their younger years. However, they are able to experience more powerful and diverse sensations than humans and, despite originally being humans, some vampires believe that their advanced senses justify their brutality toward their preys. Some consider themselves higher beings, entitled to do what they please with "lesser creatures" while some justify their actions by arguing "It's our nature". However, not all vampires endorse this philosophy.

Despite their vicious and bloodthirsty nature, vampires appear to become more civilized with age, exhibiting greater emotional capacity and understanding of humans and other supernatural creatures. Not all vampires have this fortune, however, as vampires change in the aftermath of a violent death tend to be stuck in a frantic state, never able to escape the horrors of their own mind. Vampire children, as in vampires turned as children instead of natural-born vampires, are also known to lack self-control and can cause violent temper tantrum that may result in hundreds and thousands of death.

The dirt of the grave where they were buried holds special properties for that vampire. They can tell if their grove has been disturbed, and as such, vampires use this method to communicate simple messages, even without the other's presence - for instance, breaking a container of a vampire's grave dirt could be used to alert and summon that particular vampire. Severely injured vampires can also quickly regenerate themselves by re-bury themselves back into their grave.

Due to the... "unique" circumstances of their creation, they are incapable of self-regenerating their life-force due to a corrupted magic core. As such, they are forced to absorb the life-force of other living beings to refill their own life-force reserve, usually by consuming blood or raw flesh (as life-force is destroyed in the cooking process). Unlike other daimons who also absorb humans' life-force to fill their own, due to magical properties of blood, it also works as a form of sustenance for vampires, and the needs for food and drink are instead replaced with a thirst for blood. As such, it's uncommon for vampiric food and drinks containing a small amount of blood, often animal blood, to help the vampire body processes them.

Because of the healing properties of vampire saliva, it is not illegal for a vampire to drink blood from a human, provided that the human remains alive and the process is consensual on both sides. Nevertheless, the risk of accidentally killing a human has led some to refrain from drinking directly from living victims and instead drink animal blood or pre-drawn blood.

## Creation

A human who has been bitten - with the transformative properties of vampire saliva able to change them - or has consumed enough vampire blood will not abruptly turn into a vampire. To be reborn, the human must first die a "mortal" death, during which the undead body will enter a state of transition. They must then be buried, during which they will reanimate while in the ground, and then must make their way out of their own grave to be "truly born".

They must then feed on an exceptional amount of fresh human blood within the next 24 hours to complete the transition, or else they will petrify and crumble away into dust, dying a final death. Because of the vampire blood, the demonic "disease" and infernal energy, and saliva in their bodies, their corpses are kept intact and animated.

## Types of Vampires

* **Pureblood Vampires**: Descendants of the original progenitor of vampires. They are High-class vampires who serve as the nobles and aristocrats of their kind, holding a natural authority over all vampiric kinds. Due to their special heritage, they are different from normal vampires as, although they possess all vampiric traits and powers, including immortality, they are not true undead and could reproduce like normal living beings.
* **Turned Vampires**: The most common type of vampires who were once humans before being turned. They make up the majority of the vampire population, roughly over 85% of their population whereas the number of purebloods and half-vampires make up the remaining 15%.
* **Half-Vampires**: Unlike other hybrids, half-vampire hybrids are not born through the union of vampires with other species, but instead artificially created through sadistic means. They are born when a vampire injects their blood and venom into the womb of a pregnant woman for the entire 9 months of their pregnancy, and as such, when the due date arrives, the half-vampire would bite out of their mother's womb as half-undead children, brutally killing their mother in the process.
	+ **Dhampirs**: Also known as **"True" Half-Vampires**, they are half-vampires born of the union of vampires with humans of First Man descent. Because of this, they possess all vampiric powers and traits but not any vampiric weaknesses, such as holy energy or weapons. Despite this, they are much closer with their human heritage than their vampire side, and often become vampire hunters when they grow up.

## Sub-Species

### True Ancestor

**True Ancestors**, also known as the **Vampiric Gods**, are the vampiric children of Cain, the First Vampire. Despite being called vampires, they are more similar to incarnated nature spirits like Elementals or Archfaeries as the Earth's independent senses of touch.

They are vampiric beings from birth, though the root of their bloodlust is psychological rather than physical. Being part of nature, they can subconsciously change the world around them according to their thoughts, and as they receive backup from the planet, it can be said that the limits of their actions are the limits of nature itself.

### Dead Apostle

**Dead Apostles**, also called **Vampiric Forefathers**, are the original vampires created by the True Ancestors, as well as the ancestors of all pureblood vampires and the progenitors of all turned vampires. They have existed since pre-historic times, back when humans were first created by the Anunnaki to serve as the First Men's servants, workers, and slaves, though their creation were accidental as they were no more than "emergency rations" for Cain and the True Ancestors.

### Subjugate

**Subjugates**, also known by the archaic term **Darklings**, are humans who have consumed enough vampire blood to be turned and are considered half-turned. They are often kept around by vampires to feed on when they're short on blood, a "walking snack machines" in the eyes of hunters, as well as to serve as servants and housekeepers. The vampire blood in them makes them irresistibly drawn to vampires, particularly the vampire whose blood they have in their system. They worship vampires, follow their every command and find offense when others speak badly of their masters.

The healing properties of vampire saliva helps them live longer, increasing their red blood cell count which makes them stronger and healthier, albeit still making them appear skinnier and paler. Their diet is a mixture of vampire and animal blood, which keep them in a state of "suspended animation". Holy water can change a subjugate back into a human, though it must be taken in great amounts to induce vomiting and coughing.

It was once not illegal to create new subjugates, though in the 7th Shadowhunter Accords, it was officially made illegal. Vampires who had subjugates created prior to that were allowed to keep them, as well as to transfer existing subjugates to other vampires. New subjugates are still created nowadays, albeit in secret or "posed" as part of the preparations to make them a full vampire, as revelation of their existence can cause major conflicts between vampires and shadowhunters.

## Population

Vampires around the world may choose to band together and form a group of vampires, usually called a clan, that consists anywhere from 5-100 vampires. There are several vampire clans throughout the world, with at least one or more in every major city.

Clan wars do occur, however, and during these battles, leadership may change because, as with werewolves: Whoever kills the head of a vampire clan becomes its leader.

## Factions

### Bloodbound Throne

The **Bloodbound Throne**, also called the **Royal Authority of Vampiric Might**, is the default government of the vampire-kind. It is found by a former reincarnation of Cain and is located in Sanguinem, where the vampires were united by the First King. Following the death of the Ambrogios, the royal family of Sanguinem, the faction was split into two smaller factions, each led by a leader with direct Ambrogio blood: King Alucard of the Dracul Faction and Queen Mircalla of the Carmilla Faction.

#### Dracul Faction

The **Dracul Faction**, also called the **King's Court**, is the faction who oppose the Carmilla Faction as the two compete for the Bloodbound Throne. The faction is a male-dominated group consisting of patriarchal vampiric clans and houses from all across the world. Compared to their rivals, they are much more old-fashioned, putting greater emphasis on strength and traditions, though their authority over other vampires are much greater than the Carmilla Faction.

#### Carmilla Faction

The **Carmilla Faction**, also called the **Queen's Court**, is the faction who oppose the Tepes Faction as the two compete for the Bloodbound Throne. The faction is a female-dominated group consisting of matriarchal vampiric clans and houses from all across the world. Compared to their rivals, they are much more open-minded when it comes to gender and sexuality, as - in spite of their "Amazonian" reputation - they don't discriminated against those who doesn't identify as female, and are generally known to be a much more "progressive" than the Dracul Faction.

### Volturi Council

The **Volturi Council**, more commonly known as just the **Volturi**, is a vampiric organization whose main duty is to keep vampires and vampiric activities hidden from the mundanes. It is an ancient group, dated back since the times of Mycenaean Greece, and have close ties with the House of Hades as members of the Volturi would often help recover lost shades or escaped prisoners from the Greco-Roman Underworld.

### Vampiric Courts

The **Vampiric Courts**, also called the **Four Courts of Night**, are four groups of vampires who are - in Carlise Cullen's words - the "gangsters of the vampire society". They are known for their illegal dealings with various mythological factions, many of whom are considered criminals and even terrorists according to the laws, though due to their influence and a lack of evidences, they remain free.

Unlike other vampire factions, who exclusively consist of "true vampires", the Vampiric Courts are known for employing different kinds of vampiric beings into their service. The four Vampiric Courts and their main area of influence are: **White Court** (Western Europe), **Red Court** (Central & South America), **Black Court** (Eastern Europe), and the **Jade Court** (East & South-East Asia).

## Trivia

* Their scientific name is *Homines nocturnae*.
* Genetically, vampires carry 25 pairs of chromosomes, 2 more than regular humans.
* Vampires see exchanging blood to each other as an action even more intimate than sex itself.
* To most mundanes, vampires have no scent, but to those with heightened senses, some vampires smell like metal.
* Most vampires prefer to sleep in coffins, though resting in a cardboard box is quite popular among them as it is just as narrow as a coffin, which makes it a perfect place for a short nap.
* Daywalker vampires can still sleep better during the day than at night. Even if they don't mind the sunlight anymore, they feel the attraction of the night and the desire to live in the shade as the night is their natural time.
* Most animals avoid vampires because they instinctively sense that they are undead predators.
* Vampires are immune to the lycanthropy virus; so if bitten or scratched by a werewolf, they will not change or become mutated.
	+ According to Carlise, some fledglings have weaker immune systems than "adult" vampires and can still get sick because of the lycanthrope virus, in a manner not-unlike a common cold called the "Werebat Influenza".
* Due to the unique nature of a wizard's magic core, they cannot be turned into a vampire without having to live an eternal life filled with constant pain and agony, on top of having their magic significantly weakened to near-mundane level of power.
* As Belphegor and Belial are mortal enemies, their greatest creations - Vampires (Belphegor) and Werewolves (Belial) - are natural and mortal enemies toward each other due to the demonic feud imbued in their nature.
* Like all undead, as they have escaped once, they are all fated a "true death" in which their soul will be erased by the systems of Metempsychosis for the crimes of cheating death.