The Vampyre

The Vampyre stalks the night as an apex predator, feeding on the blood of the living to retain their immortality. Vampyres are a major force in the Supernatural community and run the gamut from repentant monsters to hideous freaks. Among all the Vampyre kind are the dreaded nobility of their ranks, the Lords of the Night.

Origin Story:
The Vampyre have several competing versions of their origin story, ranging from regional folk religions to allusions of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Yet the oldest origin story, and the one that dates back to the oldest civilizations, is that they are the descendants of Cain.

Facts:
-Vampyres can achieve a kind of Redemption, if they maintain high morals long enough they can become more human. They can even walk in the sunlight again. Of course they must stay ethical, else they will devolve into their former selves.

-Lilith is regarded by many Vampyres as a religious figure, a sort of intercessor between them and God. Many Vampyres believe it is their God-given duty to 'test' humanity by stalking it, either by testing their virtue or by thinning the herd. And they see Lilith as the figurehead for that belief system.

-Some Vampyres see the Nazoreans as their opposites. The Vampyres rule the Night, and the Nazoreans are the guardians of the Day.

-Sunlight burns a Vampyre's flesh, while some of them can resist it for lengths of time, only the Redeemed among them can live in the light. Most Vampyres die after being in the sun only a few seconds.

-Garlic doesn't kill Vampyres but it's noxious to them. After awhile it will make them disoriented and confused.

-Wooden stakes do not kill Vampyres, but it immobilizes them. The only way to kill a Vampyre is to decapitate them, burn their bodies or otherwise obliterate them.

-Vampyres gain sustenance from the blood of others. Animal blood is sufficient but often distasteful, human blood is good enough, but best of all is the sweet vitae of other Vampyres.

Powers:
The following is a list of the most common powers found among Vampyres. Remember that Vampyre powers and biology varies according to their Bloodline, but this list represents the more common traits encountered.

-Claws = Vampyres can elongate their nails into talons at will.

-Flight = Vampyre can fly through the air or glide.

-Hypnotic Eyes = Vampyres can lock eyes with a target and quickly hypnotize them, however they must maintain eye contact for this to work.

-Shapeshifting = Many Vampyres can shapeshift, bats and mist are common although only experienced Vampyres are capable of such supernatural shenanigans. Rats, dogs, black cats and other cliche animal forms are common as well.

-Speed = Vampyres are fast and can run or attack at superhuman speeds.

Barons:
The Vampyre Barons are those old and esteemed Elders among Vampyre kind who have built up for themselves wealth, opulence and influence within society's institutions. It is the Barons who are behind the central banks, the hereditary presidential bloodlines, the lobby groups and big corporations. They are the self-styled masters whose hands pull the strings of society.

Or so they would have you believe.

For all their power the Barons are far from either efficient or invulnerable. They are struck by internal feuds and power plays as well as from external enemies, not least of which are the Seneschals. Still, no one can doubt that the Vampyre Barons are a powerful force in the world and the number of those who can take them head on and win is a short list indeed.

Within Vampyre society, the Barons are ranked just below the Lords of the Night. The Lords command the Blood Knights and other fighters, but the Barons hold the purse strings and they maintain the flow of wealth and social influence.

Blood is the Life:
The taste and effect of blood changes according to the species. Vampyre gain the best sustanence from fellow Vampyre or other Supernaturals. Below is a quick list of some of the extra-benefits a Vampyre can acquire from drinking the blood of other Supernaturals.

Blood Types:
-Adept = It really depends on what Order the Adept belongs to, but as a general rule drinking the blood of most Adepts will grant the basic abilities of their Order (1-3 Degrees).

-Arian = Drinking the blood of an Arian grants a Vampyre increased strength, ferocity, and the ability to use basic Destroyer powers (1-4th Degrees of the Destroyer Order). However, it comes at a cost, the Vampyre will feel a deep, empty pit inside of them sucking up all feelings of life and love.

-Celestail = If a Vampyre can get his hands on a Celestial or their blood, the effects would be powerful indeed. Their strength, toughness and swiftness would rise dramatically and they would probably develop a few minor powers as well.

-Fey = Fey blood is quite popular among the Vampyres because it induces a swirling feeling of euphoria, practically a drug rush. Fey blood makes a Vampyre giddy and resistant to sunlight as well.

-Ghost = Ghosts don't have blood, but if a Vampyre is stupid enough to try and drink ectoplasm or some such equivalent, rest assured something truly nasty will occur.

-Infernal = Drinking the blood of demons is discouraged because it transforms a Vampyre into a monster. With more demon blood in their system, the Vampyre's body will increase in size and animalistic features. They will also gain a proficiency for magick, especially dark magick.

-Werewolf = Drinking the blood of the Wolf kind (or any animal shifter) gives a Vampyre altered physiology. For instance, they will grow long wolfen claws, have increased senses and a hunger for raw flesh. They will also possess a powerful sense of animal rage and instincts.

-Witch = The blood of most Witches does nothing for a Vampyre unless the Witch is truly practiced in her craft. Powerful Witches produce blood that grants increased abilities for blood magicks. It also tastes exquisitely and is something of the Fillet Mignon among Vampyre connosiers.

-Zombie = Zombie blood is putrid and repugnant, but if a Vampyre somehow manages to down it then they will gain increased physical toughness and strength. They will also take on the appearance of a living corpse, or could pass as a corpse by playing dead.

Vampyres who specialize in hunting other Supernaturals for their blood, especially the more exotic ones, are known as Blood Hunters. These Vampyres are feared for their lack of scruples and their patience in slowly stalking unsuspecting prey for weeks at a time before they strike.

Bloodlines:
The reason there are so many different types of Vampires in popular myth and folklore is because the Vampire species is fragmented into numerous Bloodlines. Each one has slightly different powers and biology

Most Bloodlines are regional, they are only found in a specific area or region where the Vampires commonly live. Some Bloodlines can be found the world over but gravitate towards certain habitats or haunts.

Cainite Heresy:
The Cainite Heresy is a hard-core group of misotheists within the Vampyre tribe. They were formed during the early centuries of Gnosticism and equated the deity of the Tanakh (Jehovah of the Old Testament) with the demuirge, the force that separated spirit and matter and trapped human beings in their fleshly bodies.

The Cainite Heresy taught that Cain was not a murderer but a victim of Jehovah, unjustly punished and sentenced unfairly to a life of miserable servitude in the form of a hunter of the night.

Vampyres of the Cainite Heresy teach a form of Gnosticism that says Vampyres should revel in their blood drinking. By killing victims they release their souls from this horrible world of flesh, and by taking that blood they fulfill Cain's punishment by taking upon themselves the burden of the flesh.

Effectively, the Cainite Heresy takes the traditional idea of the Vampyre and turns it on its head. Vampyres aren't horrible monsters of the night but victims of a cruel God, and liberators of humanity from this dark and material world.

Lords of the Night:
The Lords of the Night are not a single Bloodline but instead the ruling caste among Vampire kind. They have existed for centuries and even in modern times they still hold court, the most powerful of them commanding entire cities.

The Lords of the Night live as feudal kings, they are served by elite Vampire fighters known as Blood Knights. Blood Knights are trained and equipped fighters who also have some knowledge of blood magick. They are formidable opponents and should not be underestimated.

To join the Lords of the Knight one must be sired into their ranks, or they join by being awarded a 'title' by a high ranking Lord. Once a Vampire joins them, they will have access to vast reserves of finances, assets, contacts and powerful Blood Knights.

Dhampir:
Vampires are unique among most types of Undead in that they retain the ability to reproduce. They can produce half-Vampire, half-human hybrids known as Dhampir. Dhampir are mortal and more or less human, but they retain some of the abilities of their Vampire parent's heritage. They are stronger, faster than normal humans and heal faster as well, they also have some of their mental abilities as well.

One of the best parts about being a Dhampir is that they do not suffer from the weaknesses of the Vampires, they are unharmed by sunlight, garlic or wooden stakes.

Dhampir often serve in the courts of the Lords of the Night as serfs. Some of them seek to be sired and turned into full Vampires. Other Dhampir come to hate what they see as their cursed blood and become some of the best vampire hunters around.

Vampire Bats:
Many strains of Vampyre develop chiropteran physiology and can transform into bats. Similarly, many of them have developed sub-species of vampiric bats to be kept as pets. These Vampire Bats have often been fed Vampyre blood and are now connected to the Vampyre species as a whole. They can be found havening in areas frequented by Vampyres.

While the bats are still essentially just animals, they have a keen sense for locating Vampyres. They will often frequent areas where Vampyres feed and can be used by Vampyres as bottom-feeders to clean up fresh kills. While most Vampire Bats are quite small, more exotic strains have been developed that are quite large. Elder Vampyre are said to keep and breed these larger Vampyre Bats as a sign of their station in Vampyre society.