Vampires

Vampires are supernatural, nocturnal creatures that subsist on human blood. They are formidable hunters and the natural predators of humans. They are also immortal and can only be killed by sunlight or decapitation.

Vampires can stave off their hunger for human blood with the blood of animals, but this will not sate them, as they are not born of animals. Vampires generally have control over themselves, but as they go longer without human blood, they begin involuntarily surrendering control to instinct, as shown when a starving Darcy Dunraven blacked out and unintentionally attacked Felix. Eventually, they will snap and turn feral until they are able to feed sufficiently. If they starve for too long, they dry up "like a Peruvian mummy" and enter an unconscious dormant state from where they will attack and drain the first human that happens to come within reach.

## Powers

Vampires drink from their sharp canine teeth, and it is said that Vampire saliva is an anticoagulant. Vampires have superhuman strength, animal-like senses and infinite stamina, with the higher castes being far stronger than the lower castes. They draw their strength from what is said to feel like a dark river of power that pulses within them. However, only the higher caste is able to consciously sense and tap into the true extent of this power through intensive training. With training, the Anointed can use abilities like Shrouding and Flight.

Vampires have a powerful healing factor and can only be killed by sunlight or decapitation. A wooden stake to the heart will immobilize all castes except for the Anointed, who can only be immobilized with a stake of pure silver. The hearts of Vampires function as their center of power, even though they do not beat. As such, removing a Vampire's heart is another way to disable their healing factor and other higher powers.

The first step to creating a Vampire is to drain a human to the extent that their death is inevitable. The Vampire then must ask the human if they wish to be reborn, and the human must consent. At this point, the Vampire must feed their own blood to the human before placing them within the earth, where they will undergo a metamorphosis as their body is reconstructed and they are reborn.

The process of rebirth is said to be awakening the dormant potential that resides in the deepest part of a person. In the words of Rook, it is the "Well" that one pulls from when all else is dry. Their fist when they need to fight. Their feet when they need to run. The primal, predatorial instinct that takes control when all else fails.

## Castes

The only Vampires capable of creating more are the Queen herself and the Anointed Ones, and as such all Vampires are indirect scions of the first Vampire, the Queen. She herself is reclusive and extremely powerful and has been alive for several thousand years.

### Royals

Scions of the Queen herself are known as Royals and are far more powerful than their non-royal counterparts. The six Royal Anointed Ones are known as the Council and are the most powerful Vampires beneath the Queen herself.

### The Anointed Ones / Overlords / Counts

The Anointed Ones, also known as Overlords or Counts are the highest caste of Vampires, equivalent to Lords. The Anointed are the only Vampires aside from the Queen herself capable of creating more, which are called Scions. They possess the ability to psychically manipulate humans with their will and voices and have also been shown to possess power over memories. Their power over human minds is strong enough that it cannot be blocked with Dexedrine. The Anointed are not vulnerable to wooden stakes and can only be immobilized with stakes of pure silver. An additional power possessed by the Anointed is the ability to shift into a form that represents a manifestation of the "Well". This true form is usually that of an animal, or a creature of mythology, or a long forgotten nightmare.

### Incarnata / Shades

The middle caste, Incarnata, also known as Shades, are almost indistinguishable from normal humans. They have superhuman strength and infinite stamina. Like Anointed Ones they possess the ability to psychically manipulate humans with their voices, but it is more limited as they cannot manipulate memories and they can be blocked through the use of certain drugs like Dexedrine.

### Impassionata / Blighters

The lower caste, known also as Blighters are feral and bloodthirsty and more akin to animals than other Vampires. They are dirty and ashen and have vaguely bat-like faces. Unlike the higher castes, Impassionata do not require human blood and can subsist on the blood of animals. They have no powers aside from infinite stamina.