Vampires, Dhampirs, and Husks
Husks are a term used to describe Vampires who have starved for too long, driving them to insanity and altering their appearance for the worst. Attacking anything that moves, breathes, or even still has blood leaking out of its body. They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be saved, they cannot be purified. It is a doomed existence, the only salvation is death.
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Elder Vampires are very old Vampires who have risen their way to the top with immense power, strength, and domination. Elder Vampires are not to be trifled with and are regarded as EXTREMELY dangerous creatures. (Elder Vampires cannot be player characters and will only be handled by DM’s as GM NPC’s).
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Vampires are ancient creatures that have existed for thousands of years, their origin is unknown and their existence is usually thought to be the stuff of legend or fables. They are also the more powerful out of the categories of Dhampirs, and husks, and are regarded as incredibly dangerous creatures on the same power level as Lycanthropes.
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Dhampirs are the product of a Vampire converting a non-vampire, afflicting them with the same magical curse they hold but on a much weaker scale. Dhampirs by all extent are still vampires, but are typically regarded as either “Half Bloods” or “Thralls”. Dhampirs cannot be directly controlled or influenced by the True Vampire masters, however they typically remain subservient due to the difference in power and strength between them.
Strengths of Vampires
Vampires are capable of drinking blood, and when doing so, the blood they intake will nourish them through healing and rejuvenating their body, while also giving them a small boost to their strength, speed, and/or stamina for a short while. This effect is amplified if the blood consumed was of a better vitality, i.e. humanoid blood will satiate a Vampire more than the blood of a dog, but that of a dog will be better for them than one of a medium-sized fish.
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Vampire's Influence: Higher Vampire Pure Bloods can manipulate animals and other small creatures to adhere to their commands for feeding purposes.
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Dark Vision: Vampires dwell in the dark, it only makes sense for them to see in it as if it was clear as day for them. Capable of detecting objects, shapes, and silhouettes in almost complete darkness.
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Spider Climb: Blood drinkers can attach themselves to walls and ceilings, climb and maneuver around on them with relative ease.
Transformations: Some Vampires are capable of turning themselves or parts of their body into bats. Whether it be a partial transformation such as adding wings or ears to their body, or completely shifting into a full bat. This allows them an option for escape or to hide if the need arises.
Weaknesses of Vampires
Sunlight Sensitivity: When Vampires stand out directly into the sun, it scorches their skin slowly, causing great and immense pain to them as it slowly weakens and kills them. (Being left in the sun's exposure for too long will kill a Vampire.) Direct sunlight contact on the vampire’s skin is what harshly affects the vampire. This can be avoided however by wearing clothes that cover skin, or staying in the shade. Umbrellas, Shrouds, Hoods, and other clothing types that cover the body can help with this.
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Impure Bodies: Vampires like other cursed creatures are affected by Silver Weapons and Light/Holy artifacts. These weapons and magical items deal increased damage to them and much like Lycanthropes can interrupt their regeneration and abilities.
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Starvation: If a Vampire does not feed on blood for extended or long periods of time, their body weakens greatly. Their strength diminishes, their speed decreases, and they are unable to use their special abilities. If the Vampire starves even further, they will eventually enter a process called “Hollowing” where they will slowly go insane and their thirst for blood will grow insatiable. They then become what is known as “Husks” and if they are still unable to feed after a long period of time, they will wither away and perish.
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Unaffected: Potions provide very minimal effects when consumed by a Vampire, as the only thing that typically will give them strength is blood.
Dark Blood: When a Vampire bites and attempts to drink the blood of a victim who has consumed the potion “Dark Blood/Black Blood” it instantly acts as a massive deterrent and a poison directly affecting them, weakening their body and dealing a good bit of damage as a return. Other poisons will affect vampires as well, but Dark Blood appears to be the most effective poison against them. After the potion is mixed into the blood through its consumption, the consumer's blood becomes poisonous to Vampires/Dhampirs and the blood of the drinker can be used to coat a weapon to poison it against vampires as well. Those who have drunk a dark blood potion will feel noticeably hotter and their veins may bulge or appear darker through their skin until the potion wears off after 12 hours or so.
Vampires and Dhampirs
While there is a major strength and power difference between a Vampire and a Dhampir (With Vampires being the strongest of the two), there are also other intrinsic traits to assist in identifying them between each other. Dhampirs’ are often the product of newly turned non-vampires. Meaning they will still earn the curses and the blessings of the affliction. They will gain immortality, the thirst for blood, and other physical traits a vampire would possess, like fangs, claws, or even pale skin and/or different eyes. Unfortunately they do not have the same control over their hunger as a Vampire will, and in a state of hunger can often lose control of themselves in order to seek out blood to feed. This is also how Husks come into being, where it is more often that Dhampirs become husks at a far larger percentage than Vampires. Vampires however have full control over their hunger just as a normal person would, but can still suffer the fate of turning into a Husk if they continue to refuse to feed. Vampire’s also have differing altered physical traits that are unique to the individual concerning their race/species, and gender. Another easy way to tell the difference is in the tears, Vampires in fact cry blood, and is an immediate tell tale sign of one's status as a Vampire.
Vampire Agelessness
Due to the Vampire’s and Dhampirs’ magical curse/blessing, it completely stops and halts the aging of its affected individual once they have reached the prime age and state of body for their species and gender. If the individual is converted at a younger age, they will continue to age until they hit their prime, at which point they will stop and retain their ever-youthful and beautiful looks. If the individual is turned at an elderly age, instead of regressing their age back into their prime, they instead lose any features that would limit or debilitate them at their age. Wrinkles and other effects depending on the species to determine age will shrink, and instead they will keep features like their silver or grayed hairs, feathers, and mold into a more stoic and regal look. Not all elderly features will be lost, but they will be morphed in a way to convey a more “attractive” look.
Vampiric Siphoning
It is not uncommon for a Vampire to desire and seek higher powers and strengths, normally this can be done by conventional means. Studying ancient magics, training one's body to increase strength, and the like. However, there is a much faster and more crude method to do this among Vampire society. If a Vampire desires immediate strength and power, all they need to do is attack another Vampire, and drink their blood to the last drop. This is what is known as “Siphoning”. Siphoning in Vampire society is normal for Dhampirs attempting to become full fledged Vampires, but in higher Vampire society is considered barbaric and cowardly. This is because the ratio of Vampires to Dhampirs is much lower (There are more Dhampirs than Vampires). Dhampirs will seek out their true vampire masters or other true vampires to drink their blood completely and kill them, completing essentially a rite of passage and turning into a True Vampire. True Vampires can become Elder Vampires through this same process, consuming somewhere around 50 to 100 other Vampires in order to gain a mass amount of power and strength. Elder Vampires are commonly thousands of years old, and usually are leaders of large covens and clans.
Vampire’s Heritage
Vampires are able to conceive and sire children just as unaffected creatures and beings can. They are not undead creatures, merely just afflicted beings with a magical change to their physiology. However, if two Vampires conceive a child, their offspring will not carry on the magical curse/blessing. The same can be said if a Vampire and a Non-Vampire attempt the same. Why this is the case is uncertain, but the child would need to undergo the conversion process in order to become a Dhampir.
Vampiric Conversion
In order for one to be turned into a Vampire, there is a specific ritual involving the consumption of a potion involving a bone from a dead vampire, a current vampires blood, and very specific rare candles only found in vampire enclaves on a blood moon (occurs once every other full moon), and partaking of certain actions to activate the Vampirism. The Ritual is meticulous and must be a thought out plan in order for this to work properly, only concerning the consent of the Vampire, and not necessarily the victim they intend to turn (PLAYER CONSENT IS REQUIRED). True Vampires are only able to convert an individual once per every 100 years, Elder Vampires however are able to turn people much more frequently with True Vampires often coming to them for assistance. Once the victim is turned, they will be transformed into a Dhampir, or a Thrall. Some Vampires typically keep reigns on their Thralls and collect them similar to servants, but it is not entirely uncommon for a Vampire to make Thralls only to abandon them and move on. It is unknown why they do this.
Cleansing
It is possible to convert Dhampirs and Vampires back to their original selves. This process is known as “Cleansing” or “Purifying”, and will always cause the receiver to be in a weakened state for possibly weeks, assuming they’ve survived said process. It is also rare for this process to happen due to its numerous requirements, as specified below.
Light Purification
While it is in theory possible to be done by only humanoid magical casters, the purification process requires a constant flow of purifying Light magic throughout the entirety of the individual’s body, a specific tool made from silver and inscribed with a rune of light, and lastly a potion made with rare ingredients with the main ingredient being the Heart of a Husk, which is a task that has only been achieved so far by spirits or higher beings that wield a Light affinity. This ritual, much like the ritual performed in order to convert the victim into a Dhampir, must be performed on a Blood Moon. If this is done successfully, the individual’s body should start losing its vampiric features, such as the paleness of their skin, fangs, and other notable features, signifying that the Cleansing is completed. As mentioned earlier, the individual could be in a weakened state for an extended amount of time, therefore it is recommended for them to seek medical help if necessary and eat nutritious meals as their body heals and regains energy. This process is utilized for the cleansing of both Vampires and Dhampirs. Dhampirs among the two are the safest and easiest to cleanse and purify as their body has not taken on the full brunt of the Vampiric Magical Curse. The process can still be risky and dangerous, but on a much smaller scale compared to a Vampire. It is unknown if a Vampire has ever been fully purified and had their vampirism stripped, as there are no recordings anywhere of it happening. This, however, does not mean that it is impossible. In the case of Husks or Elder Vampires, it is unfortunately impossible. Husks are too far gone through their insanity for any form of their former self to return, and Elder Vampires are much too corrupted by the affliction in order to be cured. Once you become an Elder Vampire or a Husk, there is no going back.
Pact Bond
Magical bond that connects the Vampire/Dhampir to a person they consistently feed from, boosting the Vampire’s capabilities and strengths slightly while decreasing the amount of blood they need to feed on as the magical bond that forms increases the bonded’s nutritional value of their blood. Over time this will also decrease the amount of pain that comes from a Vampires bite, making the process much more tolerable. Bond strength can also potentially increase depending on the emotional feelings between the Vampire and the Bonded individual. If the emotional bond between the two is strong and healthy, the benefits that come from the pact are more plentiful and beneficial. If there is less of a connection emotionally, or if they despise each other, not much of a change is made, and the pact is at its weakest form.
Pact/Bond acts as a way for a Vampire to gain a suitable and reliable source of blood to feed from without destroying and killing an ecosystem and/or bringing too much attention to oneself by risking their existence being made known through constantly hunting other humanoids to feed from.