Vampires are creatures of darkness, descended from a dark deity that entered the world of Glomora many millennia ago. Vampires are a race that threaten the free people in the lands of Glomora, striking from the darkness of forests and alleyways, or baring their fangs on the political thrones of well-established covens.
HISTORY: In the early years of the earth, a rift opened within Glomora. From this rift came the demon god, Daldrid, who attacked the humans of Glomora mercilessly. Some he slaughtered, and some he turned, and the germ of vampirism spread like wildfire. With their superior cunning, speed, and strength, vampires quickly subdued the humans and put them under a yoke of slavery. It was not until the tahu, the angels, came to the aid of the humans that the vampires were defeated and Daldrid banished back to the void. However, the world was forever changed. The vampires had infected Glomora, and they could not easily be rooted out.
Over the centuries, the vampires slowly recovered from the war with the tahu. They created covens, some so large they could be considered city-states, while others were small and disorganized. The largest of these is the coven of Spiderhollow found in the Dark North (also called Varpao) where the rift originally opened. In Spiderhollow the vampire lord Draco Victus sets precedence as having the largest coven in all of Glomora.
Smaller covens are scattered across the continent of Glomora. Some reside in castles, others in the sewers below great cities. The covens of the latter are small and poorly governed, most of its members only participating for a few years before they move on to hunt individually. Some vampires find themselves displeased with the strict rigor and laws of covens, acting truculent and not wanting to give in to the demands of a vampire lord or lady. These vampires become loners. Others, however, find it more advantageous to be part of a coven where numbers make it easier to find blood and defend themselves against hunters or paladins.
APPEARANCE: Vampires procreate and only humans can be turned. Vampires’ appearances are not unlike what they were when they were human. Though their outer appearance is not greatly altered, the darkness that besets their souls is unfathomable as they are given up to a depravity of bloodlust and carnage.
Vampires’ skin, whether dark or pale, takes on a kind of sheen not normally seen in nonvampires. It is a sign of their immortality as their flesh will never blemish or age unless touched by sunlight or another vampire weakness. Many vampires, when hiding in plain sight or in cities, will take care to cover their skin with dark clothing.
The most notable detail of a vampire is its eyes. The eye color of a vampire reveals its age, and just as well, its power and experience. When a vampire is born or first turned its eyes are black. Once they reach a hundred years old, its eyes turn a lavender color. At about three hundred years old, they become crimson. Once a vampire has existed for half a millennium, their eyes take on a silver sheen.
When a vampire has lived for a thousand years, their eyes become golden. After that, it can be impossible to tell how old a vampire actually is. They can be beyond ancient and incredibly dangerous. It is these vampires that usually reign over the strongest covens. However, vampires with golden eyes are also extremely rare.
ABILITIES: Vampires are extremely fast and possess incredible strength. The strength of their fangs and jaws are enough to rip out a throat from an unsuspecting victim. They also have a keen sense of smell, especially when it comes to the scent of blood, and their eyes are able to easily pierce the darkest shadows. The strongest vampires also command dark powers and are able to shapeshift and read minds, among other abilities. But for all their prowess, vampires also have a number of weaknesses.
SUNLIGHT: A legend exists that in the war between the tahu and the vampires, the sun god Her'Kulta did battle with Daldrid himself. Infusing a divine spell into his sword, Sunpiercer , Her'Kulta completely defeated the god. The spell affected all vampires, being the offspring of Daldrid. To this day, the dark race have an aversion to sunlight in one degree or another.
Vampires with black or lavender eyes die instantly when exposed to sunlight, while vampires with crimson eyes can tolerate sunlight for a small amount of time. Crimson-eyed vampires can even move about during the day if the sky is overcast and they are wearing some kind of hood. If they spend too much time in the sunlight, however, they will eventually succumb to the light and die.
Silver and gold-eyed vampires can move under sunlight without perishing, though their eyes are still sensitive to the glare of the sun. Their powers are also weakened under the gaze of the sun, so they avoid being under the sunlight if they can.
SILVER AND ELF BLOOD: In the first war, Iltaku, goddess of beauty and the moon, was captured and tortured by Voldrid, son of Daldrid. Voldrid drank Iltaku's blood, as silver as moonlight, claiming that it was the sweetest he had ever consumed. But the more he drank it, the weaker he became. Voldrid did not realize how pure both the lapsu and tahu really were, a purity that existed also in their blood. Voldrid became so weak from consuming Iltaku's blood that she was able to free herself and banish him back to the void. To this day, two things remain true: vampires (as well as other monsters and demons) fall to silver, and vampires will not drink the blood of elves, for they are descended from the tahu and also possess traces of celestial silver in their blood. It is not uncommon for vampire hunters to carry vials of elf blood which they will lace on their weapons and their arrowheads in order to more easily bring down their bloodsucking quarries.
MAGIC AND FLAME: Just as sunlight harms a vampire, so does a raging fire, burning them to ash and dust. Many vampire hunters will make sure to carry a tinderbox when they go delving into a cave they know is rife with vampires. Some will carry an enchanted weapon spellweaved with the element of fire. Enchanted weapons are generally useful in killing vampires as a rule, though it is difficult if the vampire also happens to be a spellcaster themselves.
Image Credits (in order of appearance):
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