Vampires, The Fiends of the Night

"'I saw them in the dark of the night, their sharp white fangs glistening in the pale moonlight beneath their wicked smiles. The head of the group offered her hand to me in friendship, inviting me to join her household for a feast. I politely declined, knowing well that I'd end up her main meal.'""-Sarn Haust, Famous Explorer"

Overview
Vampires are often referred to, by many civilized peoples, as the creatures of the darkness. Significantly superior to their mortal counterparts, these fiends of the night are renowned for their thirst of blood and super-human capabilities. Although there are a variety of ways one may become a vampire, their social chain is interesting. Many vampires split up into houses or holds, often founded by the Head Vampire who spread their kiss of undeath, and owe their allegiance to their master. Some vampires work alone, walking a path of ‘eternal life’ away from their kin. In terms of power and scale, there are two types of vampires. There are the regular Vampires, which are the most common to see and encounter, and then the dreaded and rare Elder Vampires. This field journal, provided by the infamous Sarn Haust, will go over Vampirism, its causes, and then explanations on Vampirical society and the beasts themselves.

What is a Vampire?
A vampire, by the text-book definition created by Sarn Haust and many monster-hunting professionals, is a creature which has been afflicted by Vampirism. They have taken on this curse, either willingly or unwillingly, and have become twisted and corrupted versions of themselves. These blood-drinking, shapeshifting beasts stalk the night for prey. They often engage in mischievous behavior, messing with the social order of regular society and being general nuisances. A vampire is, often times, someone who sought out immortality and made a deal in exchange for the secrets. In return for these secrets, they were given the gift of the Black Rebirth, becoming reborn and shifted. With this gift came new strengths, weaknesses, and powers. Many vampires belong to a secret society known as The Crimson Chalice, and information regarding all of this is written below. A fair amount of vampires, however, strike out on their own. Some pursue power and prestige, to take what they can from society. Others seek to cause havoc to their whim, to do what they want. A select few use their gifts for good, or for interests other than their own.

What is an Elder Vampire?
An Elder Vampire is a far more powerful version of a regular vampire. They are the apex of vampire society, easily dwarfing their weaker kin with their powers. They are the ones who rule at the top of The Crimson Chalice, their will and command absolute. It is rare for them to be challenged by their own kind, and even less-so by regular mortals. There are very few ways to become an elder vampire, and they are all extremely dangerous. The most common method is to kill an Elder Vampire and consume their blood, although this process puts the body into a seizure-like state which can induce a coma that lasts for decades. The survival rate of this conversation is significantly small, but those who do emerge from it become what they always wanted to be. Other uncommon methods include obtaining enough knowledge to perform an ancient ritual or the sharing of power from another Elder Vampire. Elders guard this knowledge with zealous intent, making it nearly impossible for a regular one to ever obtain the level of power.

Vampirism, the Black Rebirth.
So what does it take to become a Vampire? Well, in order to become a vampire, one must first undergo the physical transformation which shifts their genetic makeup. The disease itself is incurable except through death, and once contracted there is no coming back from the infliction. This has created a field of monster hunters who are, unfortunately, unfeeling for those who contracted it unwillingly. Unwanted or not, they are still monsters which need to be dealt with. In order to actually become a vampire the subject must contract what some call ‘The Black Rebirth,’ or ‘Vampirism’ as it is popularly named. Vampirism is made possible through a couple different methods of contraction, some of which are more common than others.

Disease/Willfully Given
The most common cause of Vampirism, which is often how one becomes such, is through the receiving of another vampire. Many professionals refer to this as the disease version of the condition, as the victim often has contracted it from another source of infected. See, when a vampire ‘bites; a victim they do not become another vampire. More often than not, they become a mindless husk of flesh and decay known as a ghoul, which is a shambling mound of meat meant to obey the commands of its master. In order to actually become a full-fledged vampire, the one which is spreading the Vampirism cannot drain you completely. Full drainage of the body of blood results in the formation of a husk, whereas near drainage results in the creation of another vampire. Often times, this version of the condition can be obtained through asking of it from a vampire, and then swearing fealty to the house of which it belongs to (if any.) They may require the newcomer to go through a series of trials to prove their mettle, but it changes depending on the hold. When contracted this way, the new vampire’s will is bound to the giver.

Genetics/Cursed
Just as any other disease can be passed down through bloodlines, so too can The Black Rebirth be passed along to new generations. Many believe that vampirism cannot be passed onto children, or that they can even reproduce, but they would be wrong in such manners. Although contracting the disease does significantly reduce the chances of reproduction, the chances are still there and are still capable of happening. Children of a vampire and a mortal are often referred to as Dhampirs, whereas those made from the union of two regular vampires are just referred to as vampires. Vampires made this way do not have ties to a household, much like those made through ritualistic means, and therefore can live their life the way they please. Vampires born this way mature significantly faster than regular humans, at a speed of nearly double regular mortals. Many professional hunters refer to this as method of contraction as a curse, or unwillfully given. Often times, the one who contracts the Black Rebirth in this manner did not ask for this to happen. They were simply born into it.

Rituals/Self-Infliction
The hardest and least common method is through the use of magic to obtain vampirism. Much like Lichdom and Lycanthropy, one can inflict the condition upon themselves through the use of magic and rituals. Although the practice is often forbidden in regular society, and the mediums containing the information often burned or banned by kingdoms, there are written scriptures explaining the process of converting one’s will and self to Vampirism. Many of the Elder vampires of the world contain the knowledge themselves, and it is not common for other lower or common-place vampires to know of such methods themselves. This is knowledge that is not shared often, since the use of the Ritual means there is no tie or obligation to a specific house or will. A vampire, when made through this method, is not bound to a master or hold. Therefore, the secrets of this dark art are fiercely protected by the elite of the dark society.

Signs of Vampirism/Affliction
Any veteran monster hunter worth their salt can notice many things which indicate a person under the affliction of the Black Rebirth. A trained eye, and a careful mind, can easily diagnose and identify vampires through enough study. Signs of vampirism include, but are not limited to;
 * Elongation of canines in the upper mouth. Formation of sharp ‘Fangs’
 * Elongation of nails on the tip of fingers. Formation of bat-like ‘Claws.’
 * Elongation of ear-tips. Formation of bat-like ‘Pointed Ears.’
 * Paling of skin or scales, an almost ‘Albino’ complexion.
 * Darkening or complete loss of the sclera in the eye. Eyes appear ‘Dark and lifeless.’
 * Visible ‘puncture’ wounds upon the body, of which never heal once made.

Strengths of Vampires
Through either folklore or official study, many people know some of the strengths of the vampires. They are considered to be meta-human, or beyond human as officials refer to them. The Black Rebirth physically changes the subject, causing them to gain powers of which mortals can only dream of having. These things make the monster significantly more difficult to kill, and makes them worry-some to face. Such powers for Vampires include, but are not limited to; Scholars have noted that Elder Vampires, which are significantly more powerful than regular vampires, have all of the previously listed strengths further enhanced. They also contain unique capabilities not available to regular vampires, such as;
 * Enhanced/Superhuman Strength.
 * Enhanced/Superhuman Agility and Endurance.
 * Enhanced/Superhuman Reflexes.
 * Enhanced/Superhumans Senses.
 * Enhanced/Superhuman Rejuvenation and Healing.
 * Shapeshifting Capabilities
 * Mind Control.
 * Creation of a small amount of Minions/Ghouls.
 * ‘Immortality.’
 * Capability of entering dreams magically, a power called ‘Dream Fright.’
 * Natural auras of terror capable of driving people insane, known as ‘Presence of Terror’
 * Capability to use the blood of enemies to their will, referred to as ‘Blood Manipulation.’
 * Immunity to Sunlight
 * Magical sapping of life from physical surroundings (incredibly rare.)

Weaknesses of Vampires
Luckily, though, all is not lost. Although vampires are significantly stronger than regular mortals, and can beat them at almost every level, they have weaknesses which are easily exploitable. A veteran hunter knows these weaknesses by heart. They include, but are not limited to;
 * Silvered or Blessed Weapon, which is said to burn the evil out of Vampires.
 * Holy or Blessed Magic, which is said to cause direct harm to a vampire.
 * Use of Fire, which is said to destroy their cells completely and stop rejuvenation.
 * Decapitation, which is said to cause their bodies to wither and die.
 * Puncturing of the Heart, which is said to directly strike the source of evil at the core.
 * Need to drink blood, the only thing that is capable of feeding their cravings. Failure to drink blood can cause a vampire to grow weak or go insane.
 * Exposure to sunlight, which causes their flesh to boil and cause pain (Elder vampires being the only exception to this weakness.)

The Crimson Chalice
Something that surprises most regular mortals is the fact that vampires have an underground society, connected in all the different continents, which is known as ‘The Crimson Chalice.’ The Crimson Chalice is rarely spoken of, due to the complete and utter secrecy of the organization, and many vampires at least know of or interact with the group. The organization is rarely listed in publications in kingdoms, since the information can inspire fear in the peasants or regular peoples. It is also guarded by the elite of the Crimson Chalice, so only the greatest of Monster Hunting academies have access to such sacred information. What is known is that this society is where many vampires feed safely and happily, living their lives out in privacy and enjoying many liberties from their masters. The Crimson Chalice has a strict ruling system of power, however, and demands absolute obedience of the lower vampires beneath them. Failure to follow the rulings of the coven, or the rulings of regular vampirical society, can cause a vampire to be ostracized or banished entirely.

Vampiric Households
Due to his interactions with the Crimson Chalice, Sarn Haust was able to gain much information regarding how they worked among themselves. He recounted that the society is split up into many different houses or families, of which are often located in specific regions of the world. These households owe their allegiance to a coven of Elder Vampires at the top, with the head of each family acting as a representative of their own group. When households have troubles or issues, they elders of each family will attempt to obtain a truce through the coven. If a truce cannot be reached, however, and a war does break out the rest of vampiric households do not interfere. This is something of the highest honor, and it is disgraceful for vampires from other families to get involved in fights between other households. Vampires do not like strife or getting involved in issues that do not involve their own group, so they often let rivaling households fight it out and resolve it themselves. This does not stop them, however, from engaging in political intrigue against other families for the sake of gaining power. In fact, minor skirmishes between families are more common than one would think. It is rare, though, for the Elder Vampires to kill each other. More often than not, they severely cripple one of the households as an example of their might and power.