Vampires

Your typical bloodsuckers, these creatures are told about in all the horror stories, though not many of the cliches are real. Vampires are not truly undead, as vampirism is an infection. Garlic doesn’t affect them, and they do have reflections, but they do have to drink blood, and sunlight can do significant damage or even be lethal if they’re out for too long. A stake to the heart is indeed an efficient way to kill a vampire, but stakes are so overrated. Any decent knife will do. Beheading will also kill a vampire. They do not need to be invited into a residence. Vampires are otherwise immortal, as aging and sickness do not affect them, and wounds heal incredibly fast.

The higher ruling of vampire society is called The Bloodline. It consists of a ruler and a small panel of decision makers, but for the most part, vampire society is good at policing itself in the interest of self-preservation. If the word of vampires is truly leaked, then humans of course will seek to exterminate them, and hunting them will become harder, and thus survival becomes extremely difficult, so vampires won't usually do what will get them caught of course. Some, though, go rogue, as is the case with any society.

Generally speaking, it is forbidden by higher vampire society to turn people. Newly turned vampires are often uncontrollable and a threat to the existence of vampires as a whole, and it also means one less human to feed upon. This doesn’t stop some insatiable vamps from creating their own clans of turned to do their bidding. To turn a vampire, one must feed deeply upon a human, and then the human must drink from the vampire as well. It is a deeply intimate process and feels incredible for both the human and the vampire, which is why some vampires find it hard to resist the temptation. Additionally, it leads to a certain influence upon the human, making them more likely to do whatever their turner wishes for a period of about a week while the vampire blood is still running through their system.

Vampires are blessed with the gift of speed and super strength, but the bane of having to drink blood at least every other night. They can drink the blood of animals, but it isn't fulfilling and will weaken the vampire mentally and physically, and isn't sustainable longterm. Blood from blood banks is an option, but can be expensive or hard to obtain. The blood from gifted humans is particularly alluring as it can sometimes lead to intoxicating effects.

As they are mortal, vampires themselves can and do eat, sleep, and drink, and do experience the effects of things like alcohol, but they don't necessarily need to eat or sleep to survive. Physically, vampires do not appear any different from humans, except that they have fangs (any configuration of all of their teeth can be fangs), and their eyes take on the look of a predator in the night - they flash in the darkness. Additionally, their nails can sprout into long claws at will.

The Bloodline

Vampire society is run by The Bloodline, a group consisting of one leader and a few decision makers. Together, they make executive decisions regarding those who break vampire law in revealing their existence, turning humans, or killing each other. They do not have a headquarters building but do meet every year at an unspecified location that changes so they are not easily hunted, and can hold emergency meetings more often if necessary.

As a general rule, the punishment for breaking order by turning against the rule of the Bloodline, killing your fellow vampires, or revealing the existence of vampires needlessly to humans is execution.

Notable Character Canons

Adrian Fates is wanted by the Bloodline for killing numerous of his own kind.