Vampires

A vampire.

**Vampires** are an undead, humanoid species. They are best known for their drinking of blood and longevity.

## Description

The nature of the vampire is shrouded in mystery. Those that do have encountered them tell tales of tangled webs of lies, fables and myths, with fragments of facts found in between.

The most well known aspect of vampires is their longevity and resilience. They can live for millennia and are said to be notoriously difficult to kill, perhaps even impossible. Some vampires have been dispatched up to a dozen times, yet always return.

Vampires are also said to be the most powerful during the night. They often surrounded themselves with resurrected corpses as servants.

### Weaknesses

There are many theories about how to best kill a vampire. One of the most common ways is by the means of a wooden stake punched through the heart, often coupled with decapitation. Other attacks that destroy the physical form, such as fire and acid, are also effective, since these cannot be healed swiftly.

Religious symbols, such as pendants of Ullor or tokens of the Grail, seem to induce distaste or even alarm in vampires. Some believe it may cause them to burst into flame.

Many rumours exist about vampires being weak to sunlight, perhaps even causing them to turn to dust. What is known is that often retreat into their havens when dawn approaches.

## History

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The earliest suggestion about when vampires have existed comes from the tapestry of the Third Age of the World Hymn. The tapestry shows what could be an interpretation of the Great Dying. In the top right corner of that interpretation there is the image of a bat, a symbol often associated with vampires. This could suggest that the origins of the vampires is somehow connected to the Great Dying.

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A bat is seen again later in the tapestry of the World Hymn, this time in the Fifth Age. Here is is seen above the naval battle between the Arandai and the Daeb. The same tapestry also shows the fall of Avras and the rise of the Vermin Swarm, and a couple that could be Gaius Dexion and his wife. A wife that was thought not to age, suggesting she may have been a vampire. She was also said to hail from the south, which could mean Naptesh, being just south of Avras. This further connecting the vampires to the Great Dying, although it is only theorised.

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Vampires were potentially also precent in the Kingdom of Equitaine in the Seventh Age. There, the king Gilles de Raux fought back against the Vermin Swarm as they conquered the rest of Vetia. Yet dark rumours surround his reign, including his unnaturally long lifespan. He too was perhaps a vampire.

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*Today, it seems that vampires are fairly common in Zagvozd, Vetia*. At least at some point, there have been known Vampire Lords of Zagvozd, such as Vlad von Hammerstein.

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vampire Covenant info from T9A Webpage
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Interview with Sigmund Selig, the Great Sage, tenth session (*The 9th Scroll, issue 22, p20*)
3. ↑ Interview with Sigmund Selig, the Great Sage, second session (*The 9th Scroll, issue 4, p20*)
4. ↑ The World Hymn: The 3rd Age (*T9A:FB Rulebook, v1.3.5, p127*)
5. ↑ The World Hymn: The 5th Age (*T9A:FB Rulebook, v1.3.5, p128*)
6. ↑ Letter from High Prelate Jaeger (*The* *9th Scroll, issue 6**, p28*)
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Drusus' letter to the Avrasi, Sunna Cycle, estimated date 59 A.S. (*T9A:FB Rulebook, v1.3.5, p136*)
8. ↑ The World Hymn: The 7th Age (*T9A:FB Rulebook, v1.3.5, p129*)
9. ↑ Historical notes about the Kingdom of Equitaine (*The 9th Scroll, issue 5, p48*)
10. ↑ Quote by Vlad von Hammerstein (*T9A:FB Rulebook, v1.3.5, p80*)