Vampires

### Special Features

Fangs, claws, pointy ears, unnatural eye colour, pale skin, sometimes pointy ears

## Origin and Status

### Origin

Originally human, transformed through magic

## First Appearance

### First

9,800 BC

 *Perhaps other souls than human are sometimes born into the world, and clothed in flesh.*

-**J. Sheridan Le Fanu**

## History

### The First

Nosferatu- a young gifted practitioner of the occult, once traveled to the City of Atlantis in pursuit of education. As talented as she was, there was more to learn. Atlantis was rich in wealth and knowledge. She took off from her residence and traveled there, taking her months before she caught the first glimpse of her destination. Upon reaching it, she was overwhelmed by its incredible culture and their dedication to praising the Olympians.

Weeks passed, and during one of her many studies presented itself the idea of climbing a mountain nearby. Along with other students, they came together and traveled through land. It was said that when in direct contact with nature, ones ability to cast spells would be much greater. A theory that proved itself to be true once they reached the peak. But as they practiced, something went terribly wrong. A spell had a nasty side-effect, sending Nosferatu hurling off the mountain. By sheer luck, or perhaps misfortune, it appeared that she still lived. Her death was imminent- but the students used dark practices to replenish her vitality and bring her back. By law, they were to be jailed for this. But the loyalty they had for their friend was too great.

To ensure she'd survive, they gave her a Strigoï physiology. Undead mythical creatures that could turn themselves into animals, become intangible and feasted on vitality of preys. The transformation was horrifying and costed their lives, for, Nosferatu consumed her friends once the thirst of their vitality overthrew her ability to reason. Ridden with grief she returned to the city. Concerned acquaintances asked her where their friends were, but she couldn't directly answer. Lying that something strange attacked them and tore them apart. She showed deep scratches in her skin to further the credibility of her story, marks that her friends actually left while she unwillingly killed them.

In the night the hunger drove her mad, forcing her to give up her humanity and succumb to the unquenchable thirst. She killed viciously- men, women and entire families at once. When it was uncovered that she was a monster, they all naturally sought to kill her. For justice and most importantly, the safety of Atlantis' citizens. She fled with her life intact. Traveling through land and hunting on impulse. She uncovered that her bite converted humans, using it to form a small society. They lived in caves, until the mischievous Loki granted them a dimension to inhabit; Hematopia. A dark void that no magic could find. With the intent of forming an alliance to one day antagonize Odin.

But before that time would come, the force of nature spawned from mankind's oppression wiped the Gods from existence. Out of fear, forcing the supernaturals to retreat into their own dimension. During the passage of time, Nosferatu and her first followers vanished in the void during a struggle for power. Those who housed Hematopia were all humans converted by a newer generation.

### **Son of The Dragon**

During the 15th century, Vlad Tepes was born. He was the son of Vlad Dracul, ruler of Wallachia. When he became older, the Ottoman Empire held him hostage to secure the loyalty of his father. There he was trained alongside Mehmed II from a young age- becoming a respectable warrior of the empire. His father was killed by John Hunyadi, regent-governor of Hungary, during an invasion. Vladislav II was then beset on the throne by Hunyadi. They attacked the Ottoman Empire. Which had the empire retaliate with Vlad III leading them. The battle threatened to be lost, forcing Vlad to find refuge back in the Ottoman Empire.

Years later Vlad once again invaded Wallachia and killed Vladislav in battle and claimed the throne as its rightful heir. He began a purge among the Wallachian boys to strengthen his position. When he came in conflict with the Transylvanian Saxons- who supported his enemies and were brothers to Vladislav, he plundered the Saxon villages and captured the people. Vlad brought them to Wallachia and had them impaled before his castle. One of the prisoners were descendants of Hematopians- infecting Vlad through a bite in his neck with the curse of Nosferatu. In turn, Vlad became history's most famous vampire. Rumoured to have drank the blood of his opposition.

Mehmed II, the current ruler of the Ottoman Empire was one of the many antagonists that sought to combat him. But in spite of all efforts, even he would fall to his former brother in arms, to be consumed by Vlad- infamously known onward as Dracula, Son of The Dragon.

Years later his reign appeared to have ended when an unknown figure impaled his heart with a stake, bringing an end to not only his tyranny but also his spawn of following vampires. Many rumored that it was the right hand of God, though no records were found of such an individual. It was after this that the myth of Vampirism became a phenomenon.

### The 1700s

It's been a few centuries since vampires had last appeared- considered myth, until they reappeared once again in the dark shadows. The streets of London became unsafe as reports came in that shadows followed people around, some even disappearing- to be found again drained of their vitality, essentially sucked dry. Many times groups would go out to hunt them down, but many failed. They were never caught. Only supporting evidence were the bodies, no physical evidence ever surfacing, Shortly after, released to newspapers that it was merely a hoax and that these supernatural creatures were by no chance ''real''.

### Modern Era

As of now in the 2000s, the vampire community is very active in Otherworld. Hidden among the mundane humans. A considerable amount of them live in normal neighborhoods and are part of its community. There's laws that prevent them from initiating conflict with mankind- forbidding them to hunt and/or kill officials of man's governments. If they are to be caught and threaten to reveal the existence of their kind, Hematopian law orders they shall be executed to prevent hysteria from manifesting among mortals. They're allied with the Lycanthropes on a professional basis. Strictly for the sake of keeping peace rather than friendship. They agreed Otherworld shall belong to the humans, as neutral area for them to initiate important meetings and such.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

A vampire is a human being who has died but has been resurrected by specific supernatural means and possesses a variety of supernatural abilities and specific limitations, most notably to frequently ingest fresh blood in order to maintain their own existence. Vampires have often been referred to as "undead" throughout the centuries since, even when active, they were not truly alive in the same sense as ordinary human beings. Technically, they can be classified as actually being dead.

#### **Supernatural Agility**

Their agility is greater than humans, often allowing them to perform leaps across incredible heights and distances, and can even scale vertical surfaces. Their agility also allows them to easily and rapidly sprint.

#### **Supernatural Speed**

A vampire can move very fast; they are able to peak 75 KM/H on foot.

#### **Supernatural Stamina**

Their musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a human being. Vampires can exert themselves at peak capacity for hours before fatigue begins to impair them.

#### **Supernatural Senses**

All vampires are able to utilize their senses with much more accuracy than humans.

#### Flight

Most vampires can defy gravity by making themselves lighter.

#### Sustenance

Vampires require the fresh blood of living beings, preferably the blood of humans, in order to sustain their physical existence and, usually, obtained it by biting their victims and draining their blood. The bite of a vampire transferred a very mysterious enzyme found only within the saliva of a vampire into the bloodstream of the victim. If the vampire drank enough blood to cause the death of the victim, this enzyme would trigger an unusual metabolic change within the victim's body, beginning with the production of an unusual green liquid referred to as ichor into the bloodstream.

After roughly three days, there would be enough of this liquid in the victim's body that it would begin to course through the victims veins in the same way their blood once did. The victim then returned as a vampire and was capable of all the basic capabilities of ordinary humans, plus a number of superhuman abilities. A new vampire is not created unless the attacking vampire wishes to do so, or loses control and injects too much enzyme. The attacking vampire can free its victim from becoming a vampire before the final transformation.

#### Shape-shifting

Vampires can transform themselves into bats while retaining their human intelligence in these forms. Some powerful vampires could even become human-sized bats.

#### Mind Control

A vampire can control the will of those it bites, even before the victim fully transforms into a vampire, although those with great willpower can defy control. A vampire can make most human beings into its temporary slave if he or she could catch their gaze for a sufficient amount of time, usually only a matter of seconds. The exact length of time needed to mesmerize the victim depends on the strength of will of the vampire and that of his or her victim.

#### Health

Vampires were rendered immune to the ravages of disease and of aging. However, if deprived of blood for a lengthy period of time, a vampire would begin to show distinct signs of aging, such as his or her hair turning gray. Upon ingesting fresh blood, the vampire would revert to the age in which he or she had been at the time of death. In most cases, vampires are able to heal themselves from minor injuries within a very brief period of time. Some vampires, such as Count Dracula, could heal from severe burns or broken bones within the span of a few hours, where as most other vampires might require several days to heal the exact same injury.

### Abilities

* **Will Power:** The overall extent of a vampire's abilities depended upon the strength of the vampire's will. The vampire's willpower could also determine the extent to which he or she could master their craving for blood and retain the same personality they had in life. However, most people that became vampires quickly found themselves unable to resist the all consuming craving for blood. They quickly degenerated into cruel and animalistic hunters of ordinary human beings, even if these new vampires had been kind and sensitive people in their mortal lives.

### Average Strength Level

Most vampires possessed superhuman physical strength anywhere from ten to a hundred times greater than they possessed in their mortal lives. The vast majority of known and recorded vampires were capable of lifting from 5 tons to 30, with only Count Dracula and Nosferatu being known to lift more at 40 and 45 tons respectively due to their special stance as first and second ruler of Otherworld's vampire race.

### Weaknesses

Vampires have many limitations imposed upon their supernatural abilities, and even upon their very existence. Below are a listing of weaknesses common to supernatural vampires. Popular media depicting vampires often causes others to be skeptical of their reality. Once convinced of their existence, however, the same media provides an education on basic anti-vampire tools, such as religious symbols, sunlight, wooden stakes, and holy water, although those using them may not fully understand details of the tools' requirements.

#### Blood Consumption

Vampires are regularly required to consume a few pints (litres) of blood every other night. Failing to do so would cause the vampire to weaken and after an extended period without blood seemingly perish. A vampire's ability to metabolize blood and their frequency of feeding usually varies however depending on a number of factors: Length of time between feedings, damage or injury to the body, resurrection from a near death state, and excessive use of their supernatural abilities and strength.

#### Sunlight

A vampire's greatest weakness is sunlight, due to their altered metabolism, vampires were unable to withstand direct sunlight. Sunlight, somehow caused the ichor to congeal within the vampire's veins and the skin to rapidly decay. Direct exposure to sunlight caused the vampire to dehydrate completely and turn to powder, or even explode in certain cases. Artificial sunlight can also hurt vampires, but appears to be not as lethal.

Some vampires, such as Dracula have been able to reform their bodies following being turned to powder from the sun, while others have been completely obliterated from contact with the sun. The conditions in which a vampire can come back from the dead may be particular to one who is rightfully the lord of all vampires.

#### Religious Symbols

Vampires also had an aversion to any religious symbol (such as a crucifix/cross (including objects assembled into a cross, like wood branches), Star of David, or holy water) wielded or placed by anyone who believes in the religious significance of the symbol (for example a cross held by a Jew had no effect). The size of the symbol was not a consideration on its ability to repel vampires, only the strength of belief: for example, a believing Christian wielding a small cross could hold a vampire at bay. The symbol even sear the vampire's flesh simply by touching him or her with it.

Another consideration is if the vampire in question worshiped the faith whose religious symbol is being used against them. The Star of David would not affect a Christian Vampire as much as a cross would. Further, there may be an element of belief by proxy or a vampires own belief that a symbol may harm them. Lastly, a religious symbol can lose its power over a vampire if the vampire is capable of making the believer's faith falter. In such situations, the strength of the religious symbol's ability to repel a vampire would weaken.

#### Invitations Only

Vampires have a mystical aversion to entering any human dwelling place to which they were not verbally invited. A human bitten by a vampire but not fully transformed can invite a vampire. This appears to only be the case with personal dwellings, as vampires have been seen entering public buildings without the need of being invited inside. Vampires have been shown to burst into flames if they enter a private residence without being invited first.

#### Impaling the Heart with Wood

Another weakness of vampires is to impale them through the heart with wood, which will cause them to eventually decompose into a skeleton. Originally, it was thought that a wooden stake would be the only means of doing so; however, advancement in vampire hunting techniques have indicated that any wooden object that can break through a vampire's chest and pierce the heart is sufficient in killing a vampire. However, very powerful vampires, such as rulers of Hematopia, can reanimate if the stake (or other object) is removed, so long as the body isn't destroyed.

#### Silver

Silver is highly harmful for vampires. Silver weapons can kill vampires in a similar fashion to wooden ones, though very powerful vampires such as rulers are resistant enough so they cannot be killed by such.

#### Other Limitations

Vampires cast no reflections, and their images cannot not be captured on film.

## Notes

* Dracula was canonically voiced by Adam Sandler.