Supplement:Twilight Vampires

*This page pertains to a sub-species of Vampires.*

# Vampires in *Twilight*

The origins of vampirism are unknown to even the longest lived of the species. For as long as any vampire knows, vampires have simply existed. They have been a part of human legends for centuries, with hardly a single culture failing to have some verion of the vampire in their mythology. From the time of verbal traditions all the way up to current big budget summer block busters and television shows vampires have long held a dominant place in the pantheon of human fears.

Ther truth of the vampire is both a lot more simple, and yet complex than what humanity knows of them. Vampires were of course once human themselves. Humans who have been infected with a kind of a virus that causes high fever and excruciating, debilitating pain in the victim. Over the course of several agony filled days the victim undergoes many physiological and psychological changes. Over that time the fever burns through all of the organs of the body, until it finally stops the heart from beating. However, instead of dying, the victim is left with a burning need for the blood of the living to sustain them.

For centuries now vampires have cultivated false lore about their species, to keep humanity unaware of them and misinformed. To literally make certain that their very existence was little more than fantasy and legend. Granting them the ability to hide in plain sight, like a wolf in sheeps clothing. To move among humanity and prey off of them as needed.

But like the humans they feed from, not all vampires are seperated so easily into good and evil. While only precious few rise above their natures and strive for a different life. More common, others give into their natures and revel in the depravities they are capable of. But in the end, most exist in the gray zone where all predators dwell, like human beings themselves, doing what they must to survive.

## Vampiric Strength

All vampires are hideously strong, though the range of that strength can vary by no small measure from individual to individual. The most physically powerful of vampires can literally demolish brick and stone buildings in short order. They can be so thorough as to make it appear that natural disasters have occured. Even an average vampire however is capable of lifting a mid-sized car and literally throwing it through a brick wall, or crushing a piece of wrought iron into a fine powder. A lifting range of over 2000 pounds (1 ton).

Vampires are one of the few creatures in fact with the sheer strength and power to actually harm another vampire through bludgeoning attacks. Two vampires fighting often sounds like boulders smashing against one another, as parts of their stone like bodies literally chip and crack away under such powerful crushing blows.

## Vampiric Invulnerability

When a vampire awakens after the changes brought on by the venom induced fever they are changed in any number of ways. Not least among those changes is their skin. Vampires have skin like stone, both cold to the touch and dense like marble. The change from mortal to immortal crystallizes their flesh, leaving it in a dense state. However it also leads to one of their most pressing problems as well (See Sunlight, below).

Vampires are able to survive situations that would spell certain death for anyone human. High speed car accidents, falls from vast distances, even plane crashes are all easily within their capacity to live though. High speed projectiles like bullets might chip at them, but only a full automatic weapon would have the capacity to be anything more then an annoyance. Anything less than military grade hardware is virtually beneath their notice in terms of a threat.

Vampires are not indestructible however. The attacks of other vampires, as well as several other supernatural species are powerful enough to wound them. In most instances wounding a vampire cracks their body, or tears away a chunk of it. In each instance however the vampire will heal, usually rapidly. Keeping a vampire down permanently is a challenge.

To destroy a vampire, they must be dismembered, decapitated, and burnt to ashes. Decapitating or full dismemberment alone will them will leave them unable to take any action on their own. But they could still be returned to life and mobility with some assistance. True death for a vampire only comes once the body has literally been reduced to ashes, and not before. Shattering their head will of course result in incapacitation however.

## Vampiric Regeneration

All Vampires heal with preternatural speed from injuries they sustain. However the presence of blood in their system has an influence on this (See Liquid Diet below). Cracks in their flesh heal faster then areas where a piece has literally been chipped or broken away, typically within moments.

In the event that a piece is missing, they literally must get the piece back in order to heal it properly. Pieces capable of motion, like hands and other limbs, literally will try and rejoin the main body unless restrained. Vampires are not bio-regenerative though, given that they are technically dead. They need the lost pieces in order to heal the damage. However a vampire's venom affords them some unique healing abilities.

A vampire can literally have limbs torn right off their body, pieces of them torn to shreds, with little over all consequence. It certainly is a painful experience, to say the least, but nothing that can't be fixed. Gathering the pieces the vampire need only lick the edges, applying a thin film of their venom to them, and then place them back together.

The limb will reattach and be as good as new, save for the slight unsightly scar where the limb was reconnected. The limb or part is viable to be reconnected to the vampire that lost it indefinately, so long as it is not burnt. Burning it consumes the part, and leaves the vampire without it for so long as they may continue to exist.

## Vampiric Speed

Vampires are among the ultimate predators on Earth. They need to be, given that their primary prey are human beings. Among their repertoire of abilities is fantastic speed. Even the slowest vampire is capable of exceeding the speed of the average sports car, running in excess of 125 mph. However most vampires are able to run much, much faster still, and speeds dwarfing that in some rare members of the species have not been unheard of.

On average a typical vampire will run at speeds of at least 275 mph. Fast enough that over a short distance they can literally move much faster than the human eye can hope to follow. This blinding speed allows them to seemingly dissapear right from plain sight of a unsuspecting human, and maneuver behind them or just leave without the human having any idea where they may have gone.

Vampires have a physical reaction time and dexterity that matches their over all speed. They can sight and catch slower moving projectiles, like arrows or thrown knives with some ease. Some are fast enough to literally catch, or at least intercept bullets. Skills that require coordination, such as juggling, come exceedingly easy to all but the most inept or clumsy of the species. Even the most lumbering of vampires are more graceful and move more fluidly then is humanly possible.

A vampire's speed is not limited to merely ground speed either. Vampires are able to swim at speeds that match those of a mako shark. Far surpassing even the fastest speeds possible in the water by a human being. Simnilarly with their fantastic strength and speed they are capable of climbing seemingly sheer surfaces at about one half their typical running speed.

## Dazzling

With the physical abilities at their command few vampires have the need to rely on their charisma in order to feed. But the change from human to vampire makes it possible if they so wished. Vampires are stunning creatures, physically attractive on a level that makes them almost seem unearthly. Their natural grace, porcelain complexions, and overall angelic appearance marking them as stand out, and different.

Even the voice of a vampire is a weapon to draw in their prey of choice. The sound of a vampire's voice has a subtle charming effect on human beings. Nothing hypnotic, just disarming enough to make them just that much more persuasive. On it's own, a barely noticeable or note worthy effect. But when combined with the other means the vampire has to dazzle a human, it is much more effective. Especially when the vampire elects to really turn on the charm.

In addition to their appearance and voice, vampires have a pheremone effect that most humans find particularly pleasant. It, like their looks, draws people in. Makes them more compliant and willing to do what is asked of them. The combination of effects can leave a human being dazzled, unable to focus on anything other then what the vampire wishes of them. Of interesting note, the pheremone effect that amplifies the vampires natural charm among human beings makes them reek horribly to the enhanced senses of Shifters and Werewolves, as well as presumeably any creature other than another vampire with similarly enhanced senses.

## Enhanced Senses and Memory

Vampires have vastly enhanced senses, capable of detecting levels of minutia that are well beyond human sensory input. Indeed the spectrum of sensory information available to vampires actually makes it difficult for them to remember details from when they were human. The memories are cloudy, and difficult to recall with great clarity. However, experiences from the time they become a vampire are always recalled with precise clarity, no matter how old they may be.

Vampires are able to see in the dark, track by the scent of blood alone, hear a heart beat from over a mile away, and listen in on conversations from a great distance. They can see with the accuracy of a bird or prey, spotting small targets from over a mile away. With the senses they command, as well as their speed, they are able to track prey across truly vast distances, only seldom ever losing a trail.

## Vampire Venom

Almost superfluous given the array of other abilities they have, but all Vampires are also venomous. In fact it is their venom that propegates the species of vampires. A human being bitten by a vampire, who is left alive, will be infected. The slightest bit of vampire venom, left unchecked in the human's systemn, will always prove fatal within roughly three days time.
Over ther course of that time, literally from within moments of being bitten, the human being will be in crippling pain. The venom is often described like liquid fire running through the veins, burning each and every organ within the body, literally calcifying the flesh and burning out the blood. Until finally the venom calcifies the heart, and the human being becomes a new-born vampire.

Like living stone, vampires are unchanging after they rise from their venom induced change. Hair, and finger nails stop growing. They no longer have any need to breathe, blink, sleep, etc. Indeed often they literally appear as statues when they are not moving. The venom in their system (See Vampire Venom below) replaces all of the natural chemical processes in the body. The venom in their systems is what allows them to continue moving their crystallized bodies, and even replaces the fluid in the eye sockets. However it is highly flameable, which is why burning a vampire can kill them easier than most other means.

Vampire venom is painful, but otherwise has no effect on other supernatural beings, including other vampires. It stings, or burns to a point, but can not change them. Their bodies are already in each case subjected to other forces that have already altered them. Likewise however a vampire's venom makes them immune to lycanthropy, meaning they can never be changed into a werewolf from the bite of one.

## Vampire Gifts

Approximately one in twenty vampires develop additional abilities beyond those normal to their kind. In some instances this can be something as simple as an amplified common ability, like a particularly fast or strong vampire. However often it is much more as well. The innate psychic potential present in all human beings often blossoms as a vampire in unexpected ways.
Human beings are all inherently psychics. However only the smallest fraction of them ever realize those abilities in any meaningful way. Of those that do, most tend to chalk it up to luck, coincidence, or other factors well outside of they're control. However, to a vampire these things speak volumes about the potential gifts those human beings might have as a vampire.

Human beings who have such abilities are the most desirable for transformation into vampires. However not all vampires have the self control to stop feeding once they have begun (See Liquid Diet below). If they are able to stop though, the new born vampire may display some very unique talents. However, like the people that spawn them, no two vampire abilities are exactly the same. Even if two vampires have telepathy, the methods by which the power works are likely to be very different.

## Sunlight

The flesh of a vampire is crystallized, leaving it stone like and the cells reflective. This stone like flesh leaves them very nearly invulnerable, a powerful defense against other vampires and supernatural beings. However it does not come without a drawback as well. The crystallized flesh of the vampire has facets, not unlike those found in precious gems. Sunlight reacts with those facets in a way that no man-made light source does. However that sunlight must be direct to cause the reaction. Diffused lighting, through clouds or indirect, will have no effect.

The effect is simple, as well as noticeable and remarkable. When exposed to such a source of light the vampire's flesh shimmers and sparkles like a diamond held up in the sun. Far more then anything that could be explained with glitter body paint, or anything shy of a Hollywood special effect. Anyone human seeing such an effect might not know what they were seeing, but they would know immediately it was not normal, or natural.

One of the few laws that govern vampires, laid down and enforced by the Volturi, is that vampires shall not reveal themselves. As such all vampires avoid situations where they can be seen in the sunlight by mortal eyes. Many new born vampires, like human beings, believe that a vampire will burst into flames when exposed to sunlight. The belief was largely given rise to from occurrences in the middle ages when human's saw vampires in the sun, and thought the shimmering was them catching fire. The fleeing vampires were seldom seen again, as they were either dispatched by the Volturi or fled the area to avoid that fate. Giving rise to the belief that vampires catch fire and die in the sun.

## Living Stone

Vampires are unchanging, immortal creatures. Even the most careful of vampires can give away their nature just by remaining in one place to long. The most casual of observers will begin to notice when someone simply doesn't age over a long stretch of time after all. The longer a vampire has existed as a vampire, the more easily they can forget to maintain the charade of humanity as well. Failing to breathe or blink regularly can cause people to become curious about their nature.

Another drawback of their stone like bodies is their temperature. Vampires are quite cold to the touch for human beings. Even casually brushing against them it is noticeable. A vampire's dead flesh can literally feel icy with extended contact. In fact prolonged contact with their skin can actually lower a human's body temperature significantly, potentially dangerously so, over a long enough time.

Their bodies are also vulnerable in one other manner. If an attack is powerful enough to shatter their heads, the vampire will be immobilized without outside aid. Other parts of their bodies can be ripped off and reattached under their own power. But if their head is either detached or shattered they will become inert until some outside force assists them.

## Liquid Diet

Vampires require the blood of living creatures in order to prosper. Not to survive, as the absense of blood will not kill them, just weaken them. A vampire that is either deprived of blood, or abstains from drinking it, will not deteriorate physically over much. They will not be at their peak, but still many dozens of times the physical superior to a human being at a minimum. Lack of blood rather degrades a vampire's willpower. Their ability to resist frenzying and attacking the first source of blood they come across.

A well fed vampire however has advantages over one who is not, in much the same arena. Recently having fed a vampire is much better armed to resist the cravings that come from interacting with human beings for example. They also appear more healthy after having fed. Vampires that have gone to long without feeding develop dark circles under their eyes, and the irises slowly turn black. A vampire that has recently fed will have a different eye color based on what they have fed on. Red eyes for human blood, or golden for animal blood.
"Vegetarian" vampires that subsist off of animal blood are relatively rare. However the decision to feed off of only animal blood is not one that impacts them tremendously physically. Human blood makes a vampire only marginally more powerful then animal blood. Particularly the blood of predatory animals. The blood of herd animals is weaker, and they derive less nourishment from it. However ultimately the physical prowess of an individual vampire is more determined by their own abilities then by what they actually eat.

The act of biting a human can be done for purposes other than feeding. Vampires must bite someone in order to change them into a vampire. The act of biting injects the venom which starts the change. However very few vampires have the capacity to stop feeding once they have tasted blood, no matter how full they are. Often even when trying to turn someone, the vampire will accidently drain them dry and kill them after all.

## Vampire Venom

Vampire venom is extremely flameable. Less so the thin surface coating that coats a vampire's skin and allows them to move. The internal venom that replaces all of the vampire's bodily fluids is exceptionally flameable though. One reason that a vampire that has been ripped apart will burn more readily then one who has not. In addition a vampire that remains whole is more readily able to remove themselves from the flames as well.

## Emotions

Despite being quite literally cold and unchanging, vampires actually have a much deeper connection with their emotions then humans. They tend to feel things in a much stronger manner. This can be especially dangerous when a vampire is first changed, and has yet to come to terms with their new abilities, and thirst. Violent emotional reactions are not uncommon at that stage of development, though they taper off the older and more controlled a vampire becomes. (See New-Borns below)

All emotions in a vampire are amplified, both positive and negative. One of the most motivating of them is revenge. In particular revenge for the death of a mate or a member of a coven. Vampires will go to truly staggering ends to avenge a slight, but the death of a mate or one of their coven is usually only answerable in blood.

## New-Borns

When a vampire is first created, it is called new born. This is for the simple reason that it is like a new born child. The process of being born into the world of the vampire means re-learning much of the world they once thought they knew. Essentially a new born vampire has no clue, usually, about the new world of enforced secrecy that they've entered into.
That is unless of course the vampire that has made them chooses to guide them into their new life. In that event they will have the benefit of what their creator has learned. But of course often even a creator may not know everything about the world of the vampire. Other times a creator may deliberately mislead a new born in order to control or manipulate them, to point them like a weapon, and then release them on their enemies.

The reason for this phenomenon is simple. At no point in their eternal lives is a vampire more physically powerful then in the first six to twelve months of life. The new born is the most physically potent stage of vampire for the simple reason that their human blood is still flushed throughout their cells. A new born can readily be identified, as their eyes all but glow red with the blood in their system super charging them.

However, while they are physically potent, they are also the most psychologically unstable. In part due to the recent memory of the pain of the transition from human to vampire. Typically the most lasting memory any vampire has from their human life. But also because of their human emotions so suddenly shifting to the enhanced emotional spectrum of a vampire. Without time to learn to control their reactions, the new born is at it's more volatile time as a vampire.

Physically a new born vampire is easily several times again stronger and faster than a typical vampire. These physical advantages begin to fade after the first year of their second life, as the residual blood in their cells is used. But until then they are at the peak of their physical might. Roughly 4-5X stronger than an average vampire, and half again faster. However, like 'adult' vampires there are those that defy the averages to become even stronger and faster yet. As a general rule however even the most gifted of adult vampires never reaches the plateau of physical power that they had as a new born.