Vampires

## Introduction

Vampires are one of the three types of Greater Afflicted that plague the modern world. They hold sway over vast lands in europe aswell as countless colonies in africa, russia and america rising to be perhabs the strongest force of unlife in modern nights. Their strength lies in their blood which they use to controll mortals from within while silently pulling the strings of their soceity.

## History

### Origins

Vampires trace their origins back to the ancient and almost extinct Lemures, the "Heartmen" that secretly ruled the roman empire. Since they split from the Edimmu in the persian empire the Lemures had spread across the entire south of europe and the north of africa. It was at their height of power that these Proto-Vampires would bring fourth an individual that should forever alter the history of the unliving. His name was *Apollonios of Tyana* and he was part of the

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Working alongside a monotheistical religion was a practice condemned by most Undead as they saw these faiths far harder to controll, something that would prove true in the centuries to come. Yet Apollonios had achieved so much success in so little they that most feared the consequences of his disposal at first, allowing him to continue his work as a miracle worker. As Apollonios power over mortal minds grew stronger, the Lemurian nobility finally deemed him too dangerous to allow the continuation of his unlife. They formally brougth him before emperor Nero who officially ordered his execution. He managed to cheat death however and escape into his ancient homeland, Cappadocia.

#### Cappadocian Vampires

Although Apollonios made it out of rome, the was not unscathed. Heavily injured and hit by several Lemurian curses during his escape, his binding grew weak as his soul was about to forver drift into the underworld. His powers grew weak as his body began to rot without undead bounds to preserve his flesh. Close to final death he was forced out of the civilisation and finally fled into one of cappadocias many caves. There Apollonios lay down to die as he felt his soul fade away into nothingness. As a new day dawned his unexpected salvation took flight and descended into the cave, blocking the weakning beams. The cave he had chosen to die in was home to a large colony of bats which returned from their nightly hunt to sleep out the day. Although his kin did not rely on blood it granted them great powers. With lightning speed he descended upon the black winged creatures and drank their blood, cracking open their necks with bare hands. For four days Apollonios fed on this colony until he had amassed enough lifeforce to rebind his soul to his withering body. To do so, he had to use forbidden rites he learned on his oriental travels. In the end, he survived and manage to cast of all curses that had befallen him, yet he was drastically changed. He had turned himself into a new breed of (...), something the world had never seen before: A Vampire.

Apollonios soon enough began to gather new disciples and Turned them. Although these first Vampires where alot closer to the Lemures then their later kin, they represented a new generation of unlife. They lived as eremites in the cappadocian mountains and caves, sustaining themselves mostly on the blood of bats and vermin. This continued for almost thirty years as his flock grew and his powers reformed. His enemy would refuse to fall silent however.

After they had spread for serveral years, a roman legion marched up into the mountains in which they where hiding and either killed them or forced them out into the sunlight which proved to be far more destructive for their kind then their Lemurian ancestors.

#### Wallachian Vampires

Apollonois was again forced to flee with his unlife damaged and endangered. His disciples where murdered without mercy infront of his eyes and the sight would forever blacken his heart. This time he would reform himself to bestow vengeance upon the empire that had doomed him and his flock. He was driven northwards and atlast found himself in Dacia, a roman province that should later be known as Wallachia. There, in the karpartian swamps, he found a coven of witches that had studied the art of necromancy for centuries.

## Characteristics

### Center of Power

A Vampires most vital organ is their heart. It passivly transforms the blood of mortal creatures into the vampiric Essence, empowering them. It even begins to beat for a few seconds when ever they use a Blood Sorcery Power. Some Vampires have learned to controll this process and mimic a human heartbeat. Even when they dont their blood is still enough to grant them natural blush, making them less pale then other Undead.

Although it grants them their powers their heart is also extremly vunerable as it is the anchor of their necromantic Binding. Should it be pierced by a larger object like a stake, it suffices to kill the vampire and destroy their body. Bullets often suffice to do so or atleast cause enough damage to set a Vampire into several hours of agonising immobility until it is healed. Smaller objects like needles are not lethal but cause extreme pain to a Vampire, far more then most minds can bear.

### Essence

A Vampires blood is visibly no different from that of a human, only that it reeks of ash and salt. It empowers their undead bodies and grants them greater regenerative abilites then the Essence of other Afflicted. Yet it is also an extremly mutative substance. Countless necromantic wards and protective energies contain it from unleashing their full destructive potential. Should a Vampire die however, these are destroyed, causing their blood to foam and boil, bloating their flesh as it is struck by rapidly growing tumors until their twitching remains burst and disperse the remains of their mutative Essence on their surroundings. While it simply leaves a burned stain on inanimate objects, the flesh of surrounding lifeforms is bloated and corrupted aswell.

When regular vampiric blood is given to a mortal, it numbs their senses and prevents their blood from clogging. Larger quantities set a human into a deep sleep and grants them prothetic dreams.

### Corruption

Vampiric corruption is most likely the strongest and most well defined due to their mutative Essence. The most notable change is their skin growing transparent and extremly pale until resembling white marble with grey veins beating blood through their dead flesh. Simultaneously their ears being to sharpen and grow longer until in their final state resembling the grooved ears of bats. While their fangs usually remain submerged as their corrption grows they will slowly extend until their fully elongated form is permanently fixed to their jar. Their fangs sometimes grow so large they can be seen even when their mouth is closed. Their eyes develop a slight glow as their iris turns into a bright red that can even be seen in the dark.

Like all Afflicted they grow long nails that somewhat resemble claws. Over time each vampiric nail will gain in length and strength while developing a sharp tip, yet they are less destructive then those of other Afflicted.

In some cases Vampires gain other bat-like features like a flat, heartshaped nose or flying skins between their arms although they are mostly useless expet for a few instances where they allow their bearer to glide. The oldest and most twisted Vampires even develop a bulky back with two fleshy spikes that look like the beginnings of wings. In some cases they even gain joints which allows them to be used as secondary limbs with sharp ends. Yet those mutations are rare and mostly reported from Vampires that embraced their accursed nature.

### Bane

A Vampires bane is the sun and its withering light. When it touches their skin they begin to loose Binding, resulting in their blood gaining mutative and corrosive properties. Their flesh will begin to bloat as it starts to be infective with gigantic metastases and growths. Once they flee back into the shadows they may regenerate this damage but once too many parts of their body have been mutated they will die, resulting in their entire body withering and turning into an overgrown bag of flesh that soon falls apart and rots. In many cases they will even explode, dispersing flesh and blood in all directions that quickly turns into ash. When struck by direct sunlight, young vampires may surivive a few minutes before falling apart while older ones perish within a few seconds. Hooded and wrapped up they may leave their hideouts during cloudy days without suffering much damage, yet even in the wildest storms their exposed skin can not withstand traces of sunlight for long. Even inside of houses every opening, window and gap must be sealed tight to prevent any form of light from entering. Even slight reflections of sunlight are deadly and extremly agonising for them. Old Vampires even find objects and air warmed by the sun to be extremly unpleasent, mostly prefering dank crypts at day.

### Weakness

Hematite, also known as Bloodstone, is a Vampires weakness. While all magnets appear to be unpleasent to touch for their kind, hematite is by far the most effective. When attempting to move close to it Vampires feel an invisible pressure pushing them away. It requires an extreme amount of strength and will to even touch a decently sized piece of it. Furthermore it weakens their blood, making them unable to use their powers when being to close to it. A hematite amulett is often enough to make a mortal immune against any Blood Sorcery Power. Pressing it onto or into Vampires it makes them unable to regenerate any damage done to them as their Essence practically turns into mortal blood. Inducing hematite poweder into their body might even cause paralysis.

### High Night

A Vampires High Night is by far the rarest and yet also the most impactful. It occurs only twice a year during an equinox. During this night their connection to the Underworld becomes incredibly strong, allowing them to draw Blood out of nothing and replenish blood passivly as the hours pass. Next to this effect their blood becomes much more potent, increasing their necromantic powers and allowing them to create childer. Unlike other Afflicted Vampires do not need to fear loosing their chosen childe due to an error in the transformation as other Afflicted do.

While the equinox grants them great power, a solstice also makes them comperably weak. Twice a year when day and night are the most out of balance a Vampires blood looses so much of its strength it makes them unable to use any Blood Sorcery Powers or regenerate wounds.

## Bloodlines

Sense Shadows, Voice of Night and Vampiric Hiss

### Balauri

Masters of Prospection and Distortion

Prospection- Dead Sight, Attuned Senses and Lift the Shrouds

Distortion- Voice in the Veil, Ashen Voice

### Dracul

Masters of Blood Sorcery

-Master of Mutation, Accursed Lifeforce and Bat Form

### Cousombre

Illusion masters

Bloodsorcery- The Kiss

Illusion- Spook, Spooooook, Swing the Mood and Shadow in the Mind

### Vuldonen

Execration and connection to crows

Execration- The Evil Eye and Uncanny Odem

Blood Sorcery- Crow Form and Chilling Touch

### Zalim

Masters of Resurrection and Creation

Blood Sorcery- The Echo

Resurrection- Rigor Mortis and Ashes to Ashes

Creation- Crafters Artifice, Hands of the Creator, Attuned Artifacts

### Custodes

Skilled at fighty Bloodsorcery

Blood Sorcery- Vampiric Swiftness and Grace

Execration- Grasp of the Grave

### Host of Lamatshu

Corrupted Vampires known as Lamien

Masters of Prospection, Illusion and Distortion

(...)- Voice of the Wyrm, Mark of the Underworld

Blood Sorcery- The Kiss

Prospection- Dead Sight

Illusion- Spook and Multisensual Horror

Distortion- Mask of Death