Vampires

## Origins

### The Corrupted God of Death

In the times of Ancient Soleras, Cynir, the god of death, resisted the sacrificial cycle in a desperate attempt to keep his influence. He escaped to an isolated land that is now called Fidrea, though he was not able to run for long. A group of Ancient Solerans hunted him way into the depths of the underground and slayed him, sealing his soul away – or so they thought.

The corpse of Cynir was dormant for many centuries, but that ancient magic began to gradually fade away. His lingering aether began to filter out into the world, first corrupting the bodies of the few Ancient Solerans that died in the Winter that were tasked with guarding his body. These corpses transformed into bloodthirsty monsters characterized by pallid skin, sunken eyes, and long fangs.

With his fading divine influence, Cynir began speaking to a living soul that was receptive to his voice – Princess Erisse of Fidrea. He began to manipulate her, using the war against the gods and Fidrea’s fear of collapse as a way to lure her into the underground sanctuary. Erisse took five of the Gilded Mind with her to investigate. Cynir’s remaining power housed itself in Erisse’s body, and the souls of the five were tainted.

## Creating Vampires

The exact science around the creation of new vampires hasn’t been explored in Soleras due to the elusive nature of these creatures, but the current theory is that the corrupted aether from Cynir’s corpse was able to house itself in the bodies of the living and the dead. If a corpse is affected by this aether, the creature it turns into is more monstrous and animalistic in nature. It has no soul to provide a conscience and is therefore essentially a machine, fueled solely by the vengeful will of a defeated god. If the living is affected by this aether, the very nature of their soul changes. It’s essentially ‘poisoned,’ granting the host significant changes such as immortality and heightened strength while also robbing them of things they had as living beings, such as a heartbeat and the need to eat.

## Comparisons to Traditional Vampires

Soleras vampires are similar to the vampires we know in a few ways. First and foremost, they’re undead. A majority of their strengths and limitations are also similar: They’re immortal, imbued with ungodly strength and speed, and have similar aesthetics such as white skin and fangs. They’re weakened in sunlight and have sensitivity to silver and other precious metals.

Vampires can most effectively be killed by decapitation, though other methods, such as burning them and utilizing radiant damage, have also proven to be effective.

The biggest change in Soleran vampires is the fact they don’t need to drink blood to survive; rather, they feed on uncorrupted souls. Their aether consequently poisons the living, turning them into monsters. The weaker the soul, the easier it is to corrupt.

## In Soleras

Vampires have likely made their way to every nation in Soleras since the Age of Bleeding Skies, but their main "nest" is tucked in The Fathomless Yawn of Fidrea.

### Fidrea

Fidreans aren’t fully aware of what vampires are, though they’ve caught glimpses of the pale creatures over the past few centuries. They are called “The Sunless” and are generally utilized in storytelling to scare children into not wandering out late at night.