Name: Vampire

Race: Monster

Sub-race: Cursed Undead

Place on the Pyramid of Power (PPP): Predator to Forces of Nature (Could go higher for specific individuals and bloodlines)

World: Xentos and many other worlds

Habitat: Wherever their prey tends to be

Biology: The biology of vampires largely depends on the bloodline. There are so many different types of vampires, that it would be silly to list them all off. Vampires are proof of the 'exception' to rules, versus the black-and-white dichotomy. What that means is, that anything could be a 'vampire.' 'Righteous knights cursed to feed nightly. Vile people that only care for their own power and hunger. Even a wood elf tree, if the talent permits it.

Yet, this is biology. How does a vampire tick? It's quite obvious that they need blood/ life essence to linger upon the mortal plane. How does it all work? Well, let's st'art with the human vampires since they make up the majority of bloodlines, and all function roughly the same. We can even start with the embrace that leads a human to become one of their ilk.

All normal vampires start as humans. They live their lives, until one day, they are embraced. Their bodies are drained of blood, then the vampire puts some of their own blood back into the dying body. This process gives the body a choice, if it rejects the blood it dies, if it accepts the black blood, then they rise anew.

Such a process is fairly straightforward. Some bloodlines require extra steps, but a part of the vampire is always required, from fang, to a heart transfer, to just the black blood injected after certain conditions are met. The former entity will now become a vampire upon acceptance of the blood. It is less an acceptance of blood than the curse itself in this regard. The new fledgling will come to understand such in time.

All vampires are undead, even those that have beating hearts. They can enter a dormant state and slumber anywhere between weeks to centuries. To stir a vampire, all one needs is a catalyst to resurrect them. Such naturally depends on the bloodline. Though quite a few are harder to put down than simply going out into the sun and scattering the ashes along a river. They are magical creatures, after all.

Given how they use magic by burning their blood, you might ask what happens when they run out? Well, they simply can't use magic anymore or burn it. That said, they do become incredibly hostile to everyone nearby. Similar to a group of sharks going into a feeding frenzy, all vampires will lash out when their thirst reaches an unacceptable level.

The main way to kill almost any cursed individual is a silver stake through the heart. Preferably one gilded about a stake of elf wood, soaked in the blood of a saint. It's the one thing all cursed entities kinda succumb to, even if it just forces a vampire into their 'death' state. You cannot 'kill' most vampires by doing just that, but it's a ''start.''

'Sure, vampires are speedy. It's kind of their thing, where they aren't t'he strongest supernatural, but they are probably the quickest. If you've been following the story, you'll know th'at there's always something out there that might be just a bit better. Vampires and their bloodlines are utility knives. They're good at what their bloodline s'uggests they should be good at.

This is a long-winded way of saying that there isn't a universal biology between them beyond how they burn blood. Some need to feast on virgin blood, others need the blood of those that killed their family, while a few can only drink blood from the recently deceased. I'd say that the majority are mostly human, but it just means their muscles are stained black instead of their blood. It does'n't need to be pumped because they are dead, and they can burn blood to have natural functions to appear human enough.

Yes, most vampires can eat and drink regular food, but that only makes them more hungry. They need to burn precious life essence to process it and excrete waste. Only spies and those that wish to reminisce about the lives they once had will do such. Granted in both cases their supply of vigor would be accounted for.

As for how well they can hear, see, and smell? It varies; given that they are blood users. They can control the blood in their ears to help amplify what they might hear, making their hearing much sharper. They can constrict or relax the vessels around their eyes to help them see further, the more clever ones even make a lens of blood to scope out things from afar. Even when it comes to smell, they can use how reactive their black blood is to other blood to track anything that bleeds.

Vampires are 'predators' as such, it only makes sense that their control over blood allows them to do more. '''

Diet: Often the blood of their original race before turning. Otherwise, they have to jump over a few hurdles for a proper meal.

Concept: There is so much to be said about writing down a 'concept' for these creatures. Given how almost every culture in our world has some form of undead that needs the flesh of the living to continue, it's just easier to say they are vampires because of a 'curse' that the world itself imposes.

These monsters are certainly one of the hardest to explain a concept for, let alone the biology above. Writing this has definitely left me scratching my head, as to what to say about them. It just means that it's better to point out the similarities between the bloodlines that encompass the majority as a 'concept,' even if it does not apply to all of them. So, don't take these very paragraphs as scripture for the whole concept, as there are always exceptions.

For the most part, all vampires get stronger as they get older. The expression is that they age like fine wine. When an individual is embraced, they are brought into the fold at their weakest. Young vampires are easier to kill since they haven't been around long enough for their blood to 'age.' In most cases, all someone needs to do is behead the fledgling, or just stake their heart. They'll even die if they don't eat after a month.

Love is tough, as it is rare for a sire to look after their offspring after the embrace. Almost all new vampires are made to fend for themselves. In some cases, it is because the sire doesn't have the time, or outright don't know they 'embraced' someone. In others, it's to protect who they brought into the fold, after all living a long time allows feuds and animosity to fester. It could be better to be an 'orphan' than with a sire whose name might get you killed.

It creates a dichotomy, that establishes that the biggest threat to vampires is other vampires. Much like how the people of any nation are the biggest threats to themselves. Sure the monsters outside the walls are scary, but most deaths come from the people around each other. Even in places where they pretend to play nice, it's a cutthroat stage. One less vampire means more blood for everyone else, thus the young are often culled and need backing from other stronger vampires.

Typically, a young blood will not get any kind of aid until after they manage to survive for an entire year with minimal help. This is to ensure that time and effort won't be wasted on someone without any kind of restraint. Granted, they might get help sooner if they are a rarer strain, but the most common vampires all experience some form of isolation.

Usually, it takes about twenty years for a vampire to no longer be called a young blood/ fledgling. At that point, they are truly accepted into the fold and have a 'job' within the mascarade. By this point, they'll have had time to become intimately familiar with their blood magic and bloodline. They'll have had opportunities to establish relationships, and gain allies as well as enemies. It's at this point that they're allowed to call themselves a vampire.

Depending on the job they have, often given to them based on their blood and abilities, the vampire should be more capable than most humans. Because of their blood, their magic matures slower. Their vessel is tainted by the curse, which means they have to be clever with how they use their magic. If too much blood is used they'll start to starve and become weak. They might even frenzy, causing other vampires to potentially put them down. Every vampire that has the right to call themselves such, understands what it means to restrain themselves. For the most part, they understand they have a part to play, wherever that may be.

In a world of monsters, the vampires are often the secret guardians that help guide small towns and cities. They will live for centuries if no one can kill them. They will work to ensure trade between populations is established and continue to ply such. It's the vampires that stalk the night that notice monsters approaching and manage to make a guard sound the alarm. While they are perhaps slightly more powerful in terms of magic than average people, the ones that continue to live are those that realize how fucked they are if the blood runs out.

It sounds silly, but that's what helps determine if a vampire might make it to a higher position. They need to survive a 'drought' of blood and live for one hundred years. Other vampires won't accept anyone that thinks it's okay to fuck over their enemies by culling a population of its vigor. After all, every village, town, and city is connected in some way. A drought in one area can quickly spread, as the local vampire population goes to other places with more blood. Just like economics really, a nation laughing at another going through a depression for some reason, quickly finds themselves suffering from the same thing a few years down the line.

That might just be the concept behind a 'real' vampire in Xentos. From the fact that the stronger vampires take titles to bring themselves closer to peasants, to how even if they're sketchy the local vampire in charge of a place is a fairly reasonable monster. They aren't brooding psychos that feast on blood and only care about their strength and how they can grow. They're economists that are very tired of how the fire lord keeps fucking their people over. Sure, they're prone to the edgy display now and then, but they are acutely aware of how weak the people races truly are.

Ingrained in their culture from the start, they learn that the biggest threat is those around them. It's not to teach young bloods to become selfish and to only get by on their own power. It's to help them realize that it really fucking sucks to be alone. Their prey aren't stupid, they have connections and form groups. A mob can and has killed quite a few vampires because numbers are a quality that can overwhelm something better than itself.

Becoming a vampire means being cursed to watch those you cared for in life die while you don't age. To potentially feed on your family, long after they have forgotten you. That you may in turn have to protect them and others from something more dangerous in the moment, while still needing to not lose yourself. It's the concept of a vampire at its core, and one that can't be truly understood until a vampire finally lived all that time and witnessed it personally.

Once they realize what they are, they will be able to become a 'real' vampire. Everything before that epiphany is much like them being a young adult. After the realization, they're more like a parent coming to understand that their child is more important than themself. With that understanding, the world acknowledges them and waits for their choice.

The precipice offers them three paths. They may sleep and dream until they are ready, they may accept their curse, or they may reject it and die on the spot. Sleeping means they'll drink their fill of blood before finding a secure place to rest for decades or even centuries. Death means they just turn to ash on the spot, as if struck by the sun itself. A final mercy for someone that lived so long.

Upon acceptance of the curse and their purpose (which may be unique to the individual), the vampire steps into their magic's next phase. Kind of the equivalent of how a pyromancer becomes a fire lord, then a fire monarch. The vampire goes from a simple vampire into a 'real' vampire. After all, they have that flair for making things complicated. Any vampire can have any title before this point, and the only way to tell if a vampire is a 'real' one is by how much stronger they are.

Accepting the curse means the vessel has fully become a monster. Heart and soul, the vampire knows that their humanity meant nothing. Their soul has become that of a vampire instead of a person that thinks they still aren't a monster. One might think that becoming a monster conflicts with guarding humans, but it's more of the idea that people are cattle to protect and nurture. Again, how they interpret the curse is based on the vampire's personal ideals and so on. Some do want to protect a city to keep other vampires safe, some want to just see how far the people races can climb, while others never want to feel the thirst again.

The main thing is that they acknowledge themselves as a monster and have a purpose that they will see fulfilled. They will make decisions that people might consider cold or downright evil. They'll be seen as charismatic or unsettling as they have a purpose. Their ability to dominate minds will become stronger. At this step, they can dominate their lesser kin as well as people in the lord realm of magic (second stage). There are exceptions of course.

As for how their control over blood develops? Well, it has strength and precision. They're able to rupture blood vessels in normal magic users. This could lead to aneurysms, heart palpitations, and other nasty things. The truth is that vampires on this level can bypass the spiritual field and do minor damage with their magic. Small problems can become major when magic is involved. It is a shame it doesn't work on other monsters and those with stronger souls.

Past the real vampires, you will find the 'true' vampires. At a minimum, they have to live at least five hundred years. Not that the amount of time truly matters, so much as the experience and the growth of their soul. Whereas real vampires are hard to kill, true vampires are harder. A real vampire might dissolve to ash in the light of the sun and be raised by the blood of a virgin. A true vampire can just come back like that one ex you wish you never gave a key to.

The real vampire has designated steps to make sure they stay dead; from getting a demon they once made a pact with, to stabbing them with the sword they wielded whilst they were alive. It's a quest to kill a real vampire while killing a true vampire is akin to salting the ground after burning down a forest. It isn't impossible, but the steps needed to ensure absolute death are enough to make someone consider just moving away.

Why am I talking about the two at once? Well, the only difference between the two is experience and the strength of their soul. It's like comparing lords and monarchs, you expect that difference to be there. One's just harder to kill and has centuries of experience to back up their actions. A true vampire can't really dominate a real one, but they can force the lesser to kneel as a show of strength. A humiliation often used in place of killing someone that actually made it that far.

True vampires are content with letting the 'real' ones run the masquerade, while only interfering when they need to. They'll often pop up as advisors, appearing weaker until something needs to be taken care of discreetly. The real vampire gets someone that knows what they're doing to help with the work, while the true one gets to take a break from all the politics and ego stroking. If someone is more afraid of a vampire's underling, you'll know you found the true vampire.

Relationships: Vampires: The older vampires are the stuff of nightmares, as they simply don't die. Most 'sane' populations kill the younger ones. Yet, vampires will always have that air of mystery around them.

Eclipse: Given the Count is the right hand of a certain king, they are known to be within the walls of Eclipse as well as in the Underground. As for how the relationship between the people and vampires goes? Well, there is a gang of them in the Underground that sorta runs the masquerade and functions as a semi-daycare for young bloods. People are turned, and it's almost tradition for gang members to kill those they cared for. Within the kingdom, there are rumors about some of the nobles in the court being vampires besides the Count. Other kingdoms see this as colluding with the monsters to the West.

It actually goes much deeper, since Charles was the one who helped the Count get all of his 'children' out of Dark Fall before the Monster King took over. More of that will be in the lore part of this. The majority of vampires live in the sewers of Eclipse though.

Kingdom of Light: The elves want vampires so badly. It's hard to find protectors of the night, and young vampires are perfect vessels for spirits to possess. There is a secret slave trade going on between the kingdoms to get the bloodsuckers to them for special rituals to manifest the spirits. Vampires are also seen as noble, which means displaying one as a pet allows those in the city to have a better reputation. It's kind of like saying they have the influence, wealth, and power to get a noble monster and display them for all to see. Granted it's more common in a few cities, but some vampires do escape and end up with local tribes.

Kingdom of Dark Fell: Almost all the resident vampires left because of the Count. Some were stubborn, while others refused to let anything terrible happen to their homeland. The vampires that can control themselves hate the Monster King, while the king himself enjoys using them as spies and enforcers. Usually, monster raids are sent out to retrieve vampires, or 'negotiate' with traders to 'recruit' some to the cause. The lowest amount of vampires can be found here, given dark elves kill them on sight. In some rare circumstances, a vampire might allow a demon to take over their body for a few decades to rid themselves of the Monster King's influence. It may take years for the ritual to be performed, but it is how most demons walk among their dark elves.

Kingdom of Fire: It really depends on where one is within the kingdom. The cultivators fight against vampires coming through the plains, while there are special sects with them at the helm. Vampires have a healthy fear of ocean travel so stick to land, which means any found on the islands are enslaved and to be traded. Some courts have a vampire advisor because the king of Eclipse uses one, while most villages hunt them in mobs. It's a very mixed bag and depends on how the locals feel.

Northern Kingdom: Dwarf blood is a bit too high in alcohol content for most vampires to enjoy. Some vampires do live there, but that's mainly because the abandoned tunnels are a great place for a safe house. Mainly it's where exiles and other vampires run away. The tunnels were largely safe until the mimics took over. If they were found sleeping, well vampires can be turned into doppelgangers. They can't join the mimic queen, but they are useful. Though that only applies to fledglings, real vampires don't get turned since their minds are too powerful to be controlled like that. It just isn't too great a place for them, despite the shelter.

Romance: Absolutely nothing wrong with cracking into a cold one. (Raunchy joke ho!)

Creation: A certain Count was the first vampire to exist. In a way, vampires are the first monsters of Xentos. Back before talents came into being, back before the darkest night. The Count was there when Dark Fall was marred by eternal darkness. Yet, I'm getting ahead of myself. This is the section about how vampires were created. How did the bloodlines come about?

Well, the mad god became what they are now after that darkest night. The taint that afflicted them spurred them into creating beings with blackened blood. These first monsters are extremely rare, and incredibly powerful. What was needed to create these monsters, was the blood of the mad god.

In a way, it's because of this blood that the Count has been able to adapt to the new magics. He's effectively a demigod, and the children under him have thinner blood but can adapt as well. The Count had been human before being turned by divine blood. He needs it because without blood his humanity starts to slip. Just as other vampires begin to become feral when they grow hungry. When the Count 'embraces' someone, he gives them a drop of that divine blood allowing them to become the first of their bloodline, under him.

Each bloodline is started because of the Count, who in turn started because he was infected by the tainted blood of a god. Now that that has settled in, I should add that every new bloodline the Count creates will sync up with him. In other words, this is me telling you, my dear reader, that he has access to every bloodline power. So long as the bloodline exists and hasn't undergone a ritual to unshackle themselves, he can use their strength.

The Count is the creator of all vampires, and because of the mad god's blood, those he turns can come out with strange alterations. Something you might imagine that comes from an insane god's chaotic blood.

Purpose: Kinda pointed it out in the concept. At least what they're supposed to do, but I should probably put a summary here and make it clearer. Very well.

Vampires were formally people, and as such their goals and ideals vary. It is through existing for some time and becoming stronger, that they are able to mold themselves into vessels for carrying out said ideals. They are cursed beings that are unable to hold onto their humanity, save for the scrap that becomes their goal. They are meant to become protectors of the sapient races, but that can all too easily enable them to become tyrants.

It's hard to say they were created with that purpose in mind, given the count was tainted during the mad god's earliest years. Their purpose is to exist and pursue whatever they need to achieve. After all, they are immortal. Their habits and traits will manifest as an overripeness that peeks out in most things they do. Without a purpose or goal to chase, they just kinda sit there. It is all too easy to keep pushing things back by the day when you know time won't run out for you.

Lore: In the early days of Xentos, after it was built on the bones of harpies. The Elves and Dwarves were created as proto-humans. The new galaxy had different rules and so everything had to be balanced in the right way to not cause these races to break down. Xentos finally became inhabitable by regular humans to some extent. Sure, they had extra knuckles so they could have five fingers, all of them could wiggle their ears since it would count as an additional set of limbs, and there were extra small sacs inside the body to help the organs be counted in groups divisible by three. At the end of the day, humans were recreated to fit into this world.

There is no polite way to state this, the 'gods' from another galaxy that had once themselves been human, had awoken. They created organic slaves in the form of elves and dwarves, while humans were to be the rulers of those two races. It was a caste system; with gods at the top, the recreated humans second, and everyone else below them. With such a clear-cut system, it shouldn't come as a surprise that some rather atrocious things were able to take place.

The kingdoms of man started to pop up, built on the backs of dwarves and elves. Generation after generation of humans came and went, while the lesser races were forced to work their entire extended lives. Xentos became more inhabitable, while the gods left the mortals to sort out the hard work of expanding. It took a few centuries before the Count was born.

With that overview done, we start with Ivan's birth as an heir to one of the first human kingdoms. He lived his life as your typical privileged child from a wealthy home. He had maids, stewards, and so on. He was a noble brat. Only to have that changed at the age of eight when he was saved by an elf maid he had treated poorly. A young boy that had been raised to see those servants as nothing more than disposable pawns was rocked to his core when they died smiling after protecting him from an assassination attempt. He wanted to give her a proper burial, yet it was too much for his people to accept.

It was on that day that Ivan learned just how messed up the caste system was. He became a troubled youth, seeking counsel from the servants that allowed the humans to live in luxury. He learned how they worked, how they survived, and the terrible conditions they were faced with. As he grew older, he'd go to the mines to truly understand the scope of the world the gods above had created. Everyone had their purpose and those that refused it were slain by heralds and holy men. Even kings and queens were not immune to such, as every noble was a puppet. At best, they were pets to the gods, that had taken an interest in their creations.

Ivan began spreading ideas among the lowly servants, trying to improve their lives. He sought to keep them fed so that they would not starve. He made friends that came to respect him as a true leader, as he improved their condition throughout his life. It was easy for the young man, as no one paid mind to what they said around the servants. His spy network became vast, as factions slowly started to revolt against the humans. It had not been his intention, but once the embers of rebellion took, they started to spread.

The oppressors doubled down, making conditions even worse for those serving them. The gods refused to act, seeing the rebellion as nothing more than entertainment, or stopping others from doing such. Ivan was a full-grown adult when the first kingdom fell. A castle reduced to smoldering ruins. It was then that the darkest night happened.

A single man had fallen from the sky itself, his skin a dark copper. An absolute unit of an individual, that came from a place called Derthune. With their presence, the light of the world dimmed. The gods were spurred into action as an epic battle took place. One in which the invader had won. The king of Derthune stated his home of origin, before infecting the first god with taint.

The Count was born that day. He embraced his thirteen closest friends, starting the vampire race as a whole. As the years went on a few of the first vampire bloodlines would fall. The Darkest night had left its mark on the world, casting eternal shade over Dark Fall, and the gods weren't exactly happy with that. Rends in the sky would cast light and kill the monsters that started to infect the world, including these young bloodlines. With the constant need for human blood, the vampires would abduct humans and start to treat them as cattle.

In a twist of fate, they kind of became what they sought to fight against. The common idea among them was that they had no other choice. This idea would make the vampires complacent. All of them would sire more, while not keeping track of their supplies. Everything started to fall apart when the number of vampires outnumbered their cattle. They fought each other for blood, friends turning on friends. Because of this, the first vampires split and sought to create their own places in Dark Fall.

Only a few hundred years had passed, yet most of the original vampires had died. A forgotten king was surrounded by the descendants of his closest allies, those he would have died for. Yet, each time the same problem kept coming up. There was never enough blood, and the human settlements were too far away to reach in a night. The world had changed from the fight and the passage of time, so he didn't know the land outside Dark Fell. New monsters were being made, and multiple times the vampires would cull themselves to survive.

Within five hundred years after the darkest night, the vampires had separated themselves even more. They attacked those that were not of their bloodline, kicking off the first and only true vampire war. It got so bad that the only vampires 'alive' were in the hundreds. Territories were established, as the Count was left with very few first vampires. His closest friends were almost all gone, as they adopted a more political stance.

The Count had his own territory, with a castle and some survivors from the war. He managed to keep it running for hundreds of years as others fell around him. Yet, even despite his best efforts, he realized he was going to fail. The young bloods were making new vampires, and even despite his strictest rules, the cattle he had were not reproducing fast enough. It was a slow thing, as edible food dwindled with the fall of other territories. Ivan saw his demise coming in a few hundred years and sent out the best of those in his territory.

He was ready to die, feeling that there was no reason to continue on. The Count had fallen in love and lost them. Everyone he cared for had changed, or died, and so he simply sent off the best of the bloodline to continue on without him. It would have ended there, had it not been for a time mage that convinced him otherwise.

Naturally, the entire history of such a long-lived monster race can't be expressed in a few thousand words. There is more to it, but I hope you enjoyed this quick summary.

Fun Ideas: With all of that out of the way, feel free to use these guys however you see fit. There is so much vampire lore out there and the ones presented in the story are merely ideas. I enjoy the idea of pumpkin-headed vampires rising from beneath a field of fertile soil. Only to combust themselves while screeching, before drinking the blood of a poor party. Adding some variety to the vampire besides sparkles and more fangs is the right way to go. Make them weird, make them freaky, just don't make them edgier.