Vampire

Vampires, (sometimes Qi-Vampires, often used interchangeably) are beings whose bodies cannot contain Qi, and have to take it from others in order to survive. This trait can be both acquired and hereditary. Both Qi-Vampires in general, and Lamia (a distinct species of hereditary Qi-Vampires) have several powers associated with the state. Of the Brouhaha!! crew, only Walli Woodley is a Vampire. As beings that do not inherently possess Qi, many cultures do not ascribe Living Rights to Vampires.

## Acquiring Vampirism

There are three principal methods of becoming a vampire.

* **Hereditary Vampirism:** If the mother of a child is a vampire, that child will also be a vampire.
* **Self-Inflicted Vampirism:** A person who attempts (and succeeds) to tap their Head or Crown Chakras without first tapping all intermediate Chakras will puncture all seven Chakras, causing all of the Qi to rapidly drain from their body. They will then become a vampire is there is a nearby source of Qi for them to absorb before dying.
* **Infected Vampirism:** By totally absorbing the Qi of another being, a Vampire can infect other Qi-sensitive beings in a process similar to Self-Inflicted Vampirism, whereby the rapid and total absorption of Qi punctures the being's Chakras.

It is believed that there are some martial arts capable of inflicting a being with Vampirism using Qi pressure points.

## Qi Absorption

Due to their Qi constantly leaking from their bodies, Vampires must 'feed' on Qi-sensitive beings' Qi in order to survive, due to Qi being the vital force powering all living beings. They can ambiently absorb the Qi exuded by other beings, though unless they are surrounded by powerful Qi-practitioners (who are not controlling their Qi in order to hide their power), this alone will not be sufficient to sustain them. By consuming the flesh of other Qi-sensitive beings, or drinking their blood, Vampires can absorb greater amounts of Qi, which will keep them alive for longer before they must absorb more. Qi-practitioners can also give Vampires Qi willingly if they so wish.

## Lamia

The Lamia are a species comprised entirely of Vampires. Many people often confuse the Lamia and Vampires in general, and many assumptions are made about the Lamia based on the practices of non-Lamia vampires and vice versa.

## Powers and Abilities

**Qi Surge:** Due to the nature of Vampires as having their Qi constantly leaking, they cannot control their Qi in order to mask their presence. They also lose all Qi powers they may have possessed before they became vampires. However, as all of their Chakras are permanently 'open', if they absorb a very large source of Qi they are able to apply that Qi as it leaves their body, giving them astronomical amounts of power for a short period of time. This, however further widens their Qi channels, making their Qi leak out at a faster rate, and making their life henceforth more difficult to maintain.

**Regeneration:** Vampires bodies are mere vessels, and are not tied to their souls in the way other mortals' bodies are. As such they have much more control over their bodily functions, and can regenerate at an astounding rate without scarring by expending Qi. They age more slowly, with aging only occurring when Qi sources are low. As they are not technically "alive", they are immune to disease and hunger, though starvation will waste their bodies away as normal. They also do not die from wounds, and unless their brain is utterly destroyed, can be revived from even grievous wounds, as long as they have a source of Qi readily available.

**Contracts:** Vampires are able to enter into contracts with other beings, often providing their services in return for Qi, though a sufficiently powerful vampire can create contracts of many different natures. The conditions of breaking the contract must be specified before the contract is made, and there is virtually no known way to escape the terms of a vampire contract.