Striga

Striga were a form of Higher Vampire, exclusively female, and were quite rare. They possessed a powerful ability to charm their prey, powerful invisibility, as well as unbelievable speed and strength. Striga were nearly as hard to detect when in hiding as Vampyrs, capable of posing as human women when in their passive state. Unlike Vampyrs, they could not shapeshift. Uniquely, they were not vulnerable to sunlight nearly as much as other vampire species. Though sunlight caused them some discomfort and prevented them from shifting into their true form, they could endure sunlight for long periods of time while maintaining their passive disguise. They also were able to bypass Forbiddance, and were capable of entering any dwelling at their leisure, though why is not exactly known.

## Description

Striga normally took the form of beautiful women, with paler than average skin. They could be of nearly any race, but most commonly were humans or elves. When in this "passive," state, they could easily pose as normal women, with only their enlarged canines and paler skin tone being clues to their true identity. When hunting or threatened, however, Striga shed their beautiful appearance, taking their true form. This true form had taut, grey skin, and a flattened nose that evoked a bat. Massive claws would expose themselves on the Striga's fingers and toes, capable of tearing their foes limb from limb.

## Creation

Striga were one of the varieties of Higher Vampire that was spawned from the bite of an Elder Vampire, exclusively occurring in women. In other cases, they were created from Bruxae that drank the blood of a Higher Vampire.

## Strengths and Abilities

Striga had numerous abilities that lent to making them an extremely dangerous foe to face in combat. Though, as with most Higher Vampires, their capabilities varied based upon the individual.

* Unnatural Charm- Striga were immensely beautiful when in their passive state, and had a natural charm even stronger than that of the Vampyr. As such, they could easily overwhelm the mind of the unprepared, rendering them helpless when the Striga chose to feed upon them.
* Invisibility- Striga possessed a powerful form of natural camouflage, which could mimic the power of a Greater Invisibility spell. This made them nearly impossible to detect as they stalked their prey.
* Superhuman Speed and Strength- While Striga were around as strong as a Vampyr, they were by far faster. Striga could easily outrun any creature on foot, and could leap massive distances. When combined with their claws, they could tear a commoner in half in the blink of an eye.
* Unnatural Durability- Striga were resistant to attacks from nonmagical weaponry, and were capable of evading spells and other attacks due to their agility.
* Sunlight Immunity- Unlike Vampyrs, Moulin, and Vampire Spawn, Striga were unaffected by sunlight, and could go about their business unaffected. This lent them even more power in blending in amongst the population.
* Spellcasting- As Striga possessed immortality, they could learn or hone existing magical abilities to a powerful level. This made them immensely dangerous foes when combined with their innate abilities.
* Regeneration- Striga could heal from mortal wounds given enough time, making them difficult to kill.
* Army of Servants- While not as common as Vampyrs, some Striga would cultivate small armies of servants in the form of Vampire Spawn to serve them.

## Weaknesses

Striga, despite their strengths, had numerous weaknesses due to their nature as cursed undead. Most Striga were cunning enough to avoid these pitfalls at all costs.

* Lack of True Immortality- Unlike Vampyrs, Striga were not capable of cheating destruction. A Striga could be mortally wounded and slain by impaling them through the heart with a stake, decapitating them, or burning them to death.
* Running Water- Striga, like other forms of vampire, were harmed by running water like acid, and as such could not cross running rivers or other obstacles.

## Known Examples

* Harka Bouldaire
* Andrelle du Couteau
* Elizabetha Montseur