Vampirism

**Vampirism** is a supernatural disease or curse, commonly characterized by a desire to drink blood. Although all who are afflicted with vampirism are generally known as **vampires**, there are multiple stages in which the disease can progress which distinguishes some from the undead beings also called vampires, from which the disease originates. Because of this distinction, mortals infected with vampirism that are not undead are sometimes called **vampiric** or **stained**. Nevertheless, all those afflicted with with vampirism, undead or not, are generally considered accursed.

## Causes

There are two ways in which someone can become infected with vampirism. The most common cause of infection is a vampire feasting on the victim's blood. While a vampire's feeding can be lethal, if a victim survives, they have a chance to contract the disease. Since infection is not a guarantee, vampire's looking to purposefully spread vampirism often attack the same victim multiple times, albeit on separate occasions as to not cause death by exsanguination.

The second method of infection, which guarantees transmission of the disease, occurs when a non-vampire drinks the blood of a vampire. While this guarantees the transference of vampirism, it is far less common and more difficult.

## Symptoms

Those infected with vampirism often display a variety of symptoms related to the disease which tend to get more severe over time. Symptoms include fatigue, sleepwalking, narcolepsy, mood swings, insatiable hunger or thirst, loss of appetite (for normal foods), obsession with blood, and obsession with eating living creatures. Some victims may experience hallucinations or delusions connecting them to their sire (the vampire that infected them); however, this typically only occurs when the sire is particularly powerful. As the disease progresses, victims may begin to exhibit supernatural effects, including unnatural strength, aversion or weakness to divine magic, and resistance to arcane magic.

Although many of the symptoms of the disease are common, there are cases in which infected persons show little to no symptoms while alive. It has been suggested that the strength of the disease's symptoms may be tied to the power of the originating vampire.

## Classification

### Stage 1 - Stained

Stage 1 vampirism typically develops within 24 hours of infection. Symptoms that appear will be mild upon their onset, and can easily be mistaken for other types of illnesses. Within the first week or so of infection, stage 1 vampirism can actually be cured, so long as further contact from the infecting vampire is avoided. Victims may recover naturally; however, there is a high probability that the disease has only become asymptomatic. Stage 1 vampirism typically has little to no supernatural properties, making the disease difficult to detect. Individuals with stage 1 vampirism are often referred to as stained, as they are only "marked" by a vampire and have not become truly vampiric themselves.

### Stage 2 - Vampiric

Stage 1 vampirism may naturally evolve into stage 2, granted that the victim has not been cured all together. It is unknown what causes vampirism to progress to stage 2. All individuals that drink a vampire's blood develop stage 2 vampirism. Stage 2 vampirism is marked by increasingly severe symptoms and the development of supernatural features. Individuals with stage 2 vampirism are often referred to as vampiric, as their symptoms become more noticable and characteristic of vampires. Stage 2 vampirism is believed to be incurable, although some believe that the death of the sire can cure the disease if achieved before symptoms become severe. As time progresses, the disease may effect the mind of the victim to the point that they attempt to seek out blood to sate their hunger. The consumption of blood may help control the vampiric's symptoms; however, it also guarantees that the disease can no longer be cured.

### Stage 3 - Vampire

When an individual infected with vampirism dies, the disease has a chance of fully developing and turning the, now dead, victim into an undead vampire. Stage 2 vampirism always advances to stage 3 upon death.