Nightfall:Vampire

Vampires are a species of **Undead** that walk the earth. They are former humans that have undergone "the Embrace", having died and been resurrected with their soul still bound to their body.

## The Embrace

A human makes the transition to a vampire through means of becoming embraced. When embraced, a human is drained of all blood, dies, and then is fed a minuscule amount of vampire blood, usually a few drops at most, and they are resurrected as a fledgling vampire. The process is generally extremely disorienting, as the body actually dies, and is then resurrected through the **curse** of vampirism.

Due to a number of reasons, a human might not survive being embraced. Children and the elderly, perhaps due to being too frail, have trouble being embraced. A more powerful vampire can Embrace them more easily than weaker one however.

## Physiology

Though vampire physiology may differ from clan to clan, they all share one trait: The need to consume **Vitae**, a supernatural life-giving substance that is locked within the blood of the living, in order to maintain animation and perform their supernatural powers. This is generally done by drinking it. Vampires that don't drink **Blood** will be weakened, physically and mentally, and they will have difficulty resisting the "**The Beast**". If a vampire goes long enough without feeding, they will fall into a deathly sleep, known as torpor, from which they will not wake until they are fed blood from an outside source.

Vampire bodies to not function like a living organism. Instead they are preserved in the state they were bitten, onward. When not in use, internal organs shut down and appear to "die". When sleeping, a vampire becomes and almost literal corpse, though one that doesn't rot. Every night, upon resting, the vampires body will automatically restore itself to the condition it was when it was first embraced, healing all injuries and most disease or illnesses.

Vampires also differ heavily in that they require no sustenance other than blood. It replaces all other bodily needs, such as oxygen, protein, vitamins, etc. Blood is used to fuel all organs in the vampire's body, which is why they require it. Simply rising each night and moving requires blood.

## The Beast

A kind of inner-predator that always lurks at the back of a Vampire's mind at all times. As long as a vampire is satiated, **the Beast** will rarely surface on its own. However if a vampire performs purposefully malicious deeds, killing innocent humans for example, **the Beast** gains strength. Pain can also bring the Beast to the surface.

## Society

Though, like human beings, vampire are made up of a diverse group of individuals, their society is generally secretive and manipulative. A kind of pyramid scheme, older and more powerful vampires generally sit at the top, and manipulate those beneath them to do their bidding, directly or indirectly.

Vampire society is also largely kept a secret from all non-vampires. Including other supernatural individuals, such as Witches or Marked Ones. This is because, while powerful and clever, vampires have a set of widely-known weaknesses, most of which have been perpetuated by pop-culture over the last century, and their weaknesses are easily exploitable.

## Strengths

Vampires have a diverse array of strengths, however all vampires, unless otherwise stated, share similar traits:

* Vampires are immune to the vast majority of earthly illness and have a slight resistance to **Curses**, **Magic**, **Cold**, **Shadow**, and **Blood** effects.
* Greatly increased physical prowess; greater strength, running speed, and reflexes. They don't tire until they've exhausted their blood supply.
* The ability to "spend" blood to quickly heal any physical injury or bolster their physical presence.
* Predatory instincts and skills:
	+ The ability to smell blood. More experience vampires can even tell the qualities of that blood, from a distance.
* Because of their sole sustenance being blood, Vampires do not need to breath or eat.
* General immortality. Vampires are also more easily resurrected than most other creatures, if the vampire isn't killed in a specific way, such as **Fire** or **Sunlight**.

## Weaknesses

Like their strengths, vampires have a wide array of weaknesses, with the following being almost universal among all vampires, unless otherwise stated:

* **Sunlight**; Like most undead, vampires are mortally weak to sunlight. Even a second in direct sunlight will cause massive tissue damage to a vampire. Complete exposure for more than a two or three seconds will instantly incinerate them.
* **Fire** is also particularly dangerous to them, causing much greater physical damage that takes much more blood to heal.
* **Sanctified** and **Divine** powers deal much greater damage to **Vampires**.
* **True Faith** can ward off a vampire, though this is particularly rare. Vampires are not like demons, in that they are not physically harmed by any sign of a cross unless it's wielder truly believes in its power to protect them.
* A stake through the heart will paralyze a vampire until it is removed.